1954 Best Supporting Actor: My Choice

It's time once again to look back at the selected category through the lens of history and ask: did the Academy get it right?

1954's nominees, once again, are:

• Lee J. Cobb as Johnny Friendly in On the Waterfront
• Karl Malden as Father Barry in On the Waterfront
• Edmond O'Brien as Oscar Muldoon in The Barefoot Contessa
• Rod Steiger as Charlie "The Gent" Malloy in On the Waterfront
• Tom Tully as Captain William DeVriess in The Caine Mutiny

The Academy's Choice: Edmond O'Brien

Weighing the Performances:

Lee J. Cobb in On the Waterfront

Once again, I will point out that this is one of those rare years when three of the nominees are from the same film, and that this usually means they cancel each other out, as they did here. Edmond O'Brien took it home this year, but some wonder how deserved it really was, as maybe he won only because voters couldn't decide which of the men from On the Waterfront deserved it the most. Are they right?

Lee J. Cobb is the heavy, mob-affiliated Union Boss "Johnny Friendly" (real name Michael J. Skelly, as we learn during his trial), and it's a meaty part that Cobb sinks his teeth into. As I said in the review of the film, it's kind of a one-note role - he's the bad guy and stays the bad guy - but it's hard to deny the zeal with which Cobb tackles the part. Every time he walks into frame I think "man, I'd hate to mess with this guy" and that's exactly how I should feel, so I have to give Cobb his props for that. It's pretty rare that I feel just as afraid of a film's villain as the characters do, and while Cobb does occasionally ham it up, it always feels like just the right amount of ham, rather than too much. A number of mob bosses in films that came after seemed based on this archetype, but does that make him the winner? Hard to say, so let's keep going on.

Karl Malden in On the Waterfront

As the crusading priest, Father Barry, Karl Malden might seem a little too good to be true, until you
learn that Father Barry is based almost entirely on a real "waterfront priest", Father John Corridan, and that many of his "sermons" in the film are like 80% Corridan's actual words. In fact, Malden apparently toned down the resoluteness and drive with which Corridan approached his efforts to clean up the docks. Perhaps his winning scene is his "sermon on the dock" in which he stands, pelted by eggs and other things, unflinching as he reminds everyone that God is right beside them all wherever they go and whatever they do, and actually gets several of the dock workers to listen. But I think I prefer the quieter scene where he tries to get Terry to give up his gun, then punches the former prizefighter across the room when Terry tries to attack him instead. Don't mess with Father Barry, the original badass preacher! Again, though, is he the "real" winner?

Edmond O'Brien in The Barefoot Contessa

Edmond O'Brien plays the constantly sweating, sincerity-faking public relations man Oscar Muldoon in The Barefoot Contessa, a man whose job is to essentially brag on and play up people he dislikes. In the process he comes off looking almost sympathetic compared to the slimy rich guys who employ him. Several scenes show that he actually has some measure of decency, and you almost feel like he could be a good man if he hadn't long ago become a part of the Hollywood system. In that way, he really does stand out in the film, and that's saying something when you share a lot of your scenes with Humphrey Bogart. Was his win just a "default" after the three Waterfronters cancelled each other out? I don't know, nor do I know who I'd pick matching him up with the three men from that film. I'd say that the role doesn't seem much of a stretch for him, but then, I'm not sure how much of a stretch any of the roles this year were. It seems like the category is made up of character actors doing their thing, and playing their type at the top of their game.

Rod Steiger in On the Waterfront

The final nominee from On the Waterfront is Rod Steiger, playing Marlon Brando's older brother,
Charlie the Gent, seemingly involved with the mob for most of his life and now the right hand of the evil Johnny Friendly. Charlie's struggle is palpable; he loves Terry and wants to protect him, to be the big brother Terry deserves. But his loyalty to Johnny blinds him to the fact that he's the one keeping Terry down. The "I coulda been a contendah!" speech is a wake-up call for him; he's spent most of his life thinking Terry owes him something, that he's the one protecting Terry, and he begins the scene trying desperately to get his little brother to agree not to spill, finally getting worked up enough to pull a gun on him. Terry's passionate, but quiet, reminder that it was Charlie himself that ended Terry's boxing career is a cathartic moment, where you can see on Steiger's face, without a word, his emotional turmoil. Again, it's so hard to pick between these three actors which gave the best performance.

Tom Tully in The Caine Mutiny

If there's a loser at all, it's Tom Tully. Not that I didn't like him or don't think he's as good, but his role is comparatively tiny and he's just one talented performance out of many from that film, several of which I think were better. I did like Tully as the first captain of the Caine, a man resigned to his place in the Navy, which is at the bottom, but who isn't an incompetent. It's hard to tell his motivation or goals, though, and that makes it tough to really get behind him.

This time, I might just have to go with the Academy's choice, because like I said, not only do all three men from On the Waterfront give incredible performances, but Edmond O'Brien is easily comparable with any of them. This time, I side with the Academy, but only because of how good everyone was.

My Choice: Edmond O'Brien

Next up: A new year, and a new category!