In Praise of Supporting Actors

"Have you any idea what supporting actors get paid?"

- Michael Caine (after accepting his Best Supporting Oscar for "The Cider House Rules")

Walter Brennan became the first actor to win three or more Oscars in the acting category. His scene-stealing performance in "Come and Get It" (by Howard Hawks and William Wyler) made him the first recipient of the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Unlike the Best Actor category, it's hard to predict the winner in the Best Supporting Actor category. And some would be remembered for their Oscar-winning roles.

Here's a sample:

Barry Fitzgerald for "Going My Way" (1944). This was a Bing Crosby picture, but Barry Fitzgerald upstaged the singer in many scenes. (Kudos to Frank Butler for the thoughtful, if not witty, script.) It was hard to overlook his mischievous features. The Academy voters noticed it, as he was the only performer to be nominated for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor for the same role.

George Sanders for "All About Eve" (1950). Bette Davis could have won her third Oscar for this film, but she faced stiff competition. (Gloria Swanson gave a tour-de-force performance in "Sunset Boulevard".) It would be a shame if Joseph L. Mankiewicz's picture didn't win an Oscar in the acting categories. Sanders played Addison De Witt, THE critic in the dog-eat-dog world of theater. And the actor held his ground against his female cast members.

Melvyn Douglas for "Hud" (1963). Martin Ritt's Western focused on the conflict between Homer Bannon, a principled rancher, and Hud, his arrogant son. Melvyn Douglas (Homer) and Paul Newman (Hud) turned it into a two-man show. Almost. (Patricial Neal, who played Alma Brown, their housekeeper, shone as well.) Douglas, a leading man to actresses like Greta Garbo, was finally recognized by his peers. And it couldn't be a better motion picture.

Timothy Hutton for "Ordinary People" (1980). Timothy Hutton was twenty years of age when he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Robert Redford's directorial debut was about the Jarretts, who were coming to terms with the accidental death of their eldest son. Hutton played Conrad Jarrett, the younger son, who survived the tragedy. It was a heartfelt drama, and no one couldn't ask more from the cast. Everyone would feel for Conrad.

Martin Landau in "Ed Wood" (1994). Johnny Depp was at his best in a Tim Burton movie, but not in this loving tribute to the director of “Glen or Glenda”. Martin Landau played Bela Lugosi, who was languishing in his (Los Angeles) home. He was hooked on drugs, as he struggled to relive his glory days. Landau, who shot to fame through the "Mission: Impossible" series, was perfect. His portrayal of Lugosi kept the film from turning into a farce. After all, Ed Wood was the worst filmmaker in Tinseltown.