Did They Get it Right? – Best Supporting Actor – Oscars 1958

Here are the five nominees: (Winner in Bold)

Theodore Bikel (The Defiant Ones)
Lee J. Cobb (The Brothers Karamazov)

Burl Ives (The Big Country)
Arthur Kennedy (Some Came Running)

Gig Young (Teacher’s Pet)

Biggest Snub:

Burl Ives – Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

My Overall Thoughts:

This was a year where they have 5 ok nominees, but none are that inspiring or powerful enough. They gave Ives the nomination for the wrong  film tho, because he was much better in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.

My Rankings:

Supporting Actor

5. Arthur Kennedy
4. Theodore Bikel 
3. Lee J. Cobb 
2. Burl Ives
1. Gig Young

Movies

5. The Brothers Karamazov – Poor adaptation of this classic novel by Dostoevsky. Brynner and Cob stand out among the cast but something constantly feels missing the entire way through. The connections between the characters are weak and are probably much better explained on paper than they are able to reflect on the screen. Cobb was deservingly nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his performance here and it was quite different from the kind of roles he was known for. Look for a very young William Shatner as one of the brothers.
4. The Big Country – Very dated movie because of its allegorical nature. Very good cast. Was probably received much better in the late 1950’s
3. The Defiant Ones – Groundbreaking movie for its time that just didn’t resonate enough for me now. Curtis and Poitier were great working off one another but too much seemed strained in their acting. I liked the Quantum Leap episode that used this idea much better and was more effective for me.
2. Teacher’s Pet – Great fun romantic comedy from the 1950’s. Both Gable and Day are excellent here despite the age differences and Gig Young fits in really nice as a friend and confidant to both. The theme is still applicable today.
1. Some Came Running – Great story that works on numerous levels. The cast is superb and each of them give amazing performances in the roles of these complex characters. The story seems quite realistic and allows the characters to feel so genuine that it helps make the viewer connect even more with the story as it unfolds in directions that one doesn’t necessarily expect. Hyer, MacLaine and Kennedy were all nominated for Oscars for their performances.

Do I agree with the Oscar winner? – Yes and No!  BI was pretty good in TBC, but he was much better in COAHTR and if he would have been nominated for that film, he would have been a shoe-in for me, but GY is much better in TP than BI was in TBC.

Let me know what you think about these films and my rankings!