Did They Get it Right? – Best Actress – Oscars 1940

Here are the five nominees: (Winner in Bold)

Bette Davis (The Letter)
Joan Fontaine (Rebecca)

Katharine Hepburn (The Philadelphia Story)

Ginger Rogers (Kitty Foyle)

Martha Scott (Our Town)

Biggest Snub:

My Overall Thoughts:

This is a year with 5 strong nominees and any of them could have won despite the fact that 3 of them give a bit more powerful performances than the other two.

My Rankings:

Actress

5. Martha Scott
4. Katharine Hepburn
3. Bette Davis
2. Ginger Rogers
1. Joan Fontaine

Movies

5. Kitty Foyle – This is a film that has an interesting idea that unfortunately just doesn’t feel as original as it probably could have been. I liked the way that they deal with social classes here and show the various struggles of the characters as they try to find a way to bridge the gap between them. Rogers definitely stands out in the lead role and deservingly won an Oscar for her performance.
4. The Philadelphia Story – Interesting rom-com from the 40’s, but very dated which takes away from the enjoyment of things a bit. Great cast.
3. The Letter – Davis is great here as a woman who committed murder who she claims was in self-defense. The way they explore love, racism and even the way the court system work in foreign occupied countries are all done expertly by Wyler.
2. Our Town – Film that seem to be just average because of the way it’s presented yet, if you look closer, you can see some amazing things happen. Loved the way the narration is done because it gives us a very omniscient view of the characters as we learn about their present, past and future all at once. The message of the film is quite clear and is shown in a very interesting way. Not 100% sure that this film deserved a Best Picture nomination, but it still remains a classic after all these years. Holden is fine as a younger character but perhaps due to my familiarity of his future roles, he seems slightly out of place.
1. Rebecca – Interesting psychological thriller when Hitchcock was still warming up. Nice cast and Hitchcockian twists galore. Deservingly won Best Picture, but still seems a bit dated now tho.