Oscar Got It Wrong!: Best Actress 1936

The Contenders:
Luise Rainer: The Great Ziegfeld (winner)
Carole Lombard: My Man Godfrey
Norma Shearer: Romeo and Juliet
Irene Dunne: Theodora Goes Wild
Gladys George: Valiant is the Word for Carrie

What’s Missing

There are a lot of places we could go with Best Actress 1936 and a few places I’m happy I don’t have to go. Primarily, I’m both surprised and pleased that there was no nomination for Greta Garbo in Camille. I’m surprised because it seems like a role designed for a nomination, but it’s a role and a movie I hate despite how much I often like Garbo. I’m less surprised at a lack of nomination for Deanna Durbin in Three Smart Girls. It’s a nothing of a film, but Durbin was clearly the most popular entertainer of the day for a good reason. And, of course, there are some choices that would be fun, but would also never be picked. Leading the way there is Gloria Holden in Dracula’s Daughter. Sadly, it’s also true of Myrna Loy in After the Thin Man, which is a shame. Loy was a real talent, but this was much less a movie than The Thin Man. Oscar was almost certainly not willing to nominate an essentially silent movie in 1936, which leaves out Paulette Goddard in Modern Times, although I love that performance. Ruth Chatterton in Dodsworth would have been a very interesting choice, and I think I could make a case for Jean Arthur in Mr. Deeds Goes to Town. Given a chance to make one addition, it would be Jean Harlow in Libeled Lady.

Weeding through the Nominees

5. I’m getting rid of Norma Shearer in Romeo and Juliet immediately. This not a knock on Shearer, who could be a fine actress. It’s in reaction to the ridiculous casting of this film. Juliet, in the play, is 13. Norma Shearer was 34 when she played this role, and that’s flatly ridiculous. I get that it was a star vehicle at the time, but she had no business in the role, and this performance had not business being nominated. It feels like the nomination came from being a prestige production and no other reason. Her being here is ridiculous. 4. Putting Luise Rainer in fourth is more about The Great Ziegfeld than it is about her, but only by a little bit. The truth is that I simply don’t remember her role that well or her in the movie. That’s not a good sign when assessing an award like this one. But, I’m sure she was fine in the role, and since this big, blustery, 3-hour epic was the flavor of the month, it’s not a surprise that Rainer walked away with the statue. In truth, though, I only really liked the big musical numbers in this movie and the drama didn’t do anything for me.

3. I’m probably punishing Carole Lombard for the role and the movie here as well. I know My Man Godfrey is popular and well-liked from this year, but it’s not a movie I love no matter how much I like William Powell in general. I like Carole Lombard in general, but I found her very annoying in this film. That’s never going to go well when it comes to any acting category. That a role I really don’t like and a performance I am ambivalent toward made it to third indicates how weak I think this category is for 1936.

2. I will be the first to tell you that Valiant is the Word for Carrie is melodramatic pap, and it absolutely is. However, Gladys George is an absolute charmer for most of the movie, and that’s especially true in the beginning. When Carrie is a loose woman and working as a prostitute, she’s a really engaging character, and George gives her a great deal of character and wit. While I disliked this movie for its pablum content, I loved Gladys George in it. She’s what is worth watching here, and she transcends a suspect script.

1. My choice from the nominees is Irene Dunne in Theodora Goes Wild. This is another movie that is light on plot, and as a comedy from this era of Hollywood, it’s going to depend a great deal on screwball humor. The plot works, though, but much of it does because of the performance of Dunne, who works Theodora in several different directions to give her three dimensions. Of all of the nominated movies, it’s the one that is the most fun, And Dunne is having the most fun with the role. She’s fine as the winner of the nominees, but not overall. As much as I like her and enjoyed this role, Hollywood should have legitimately gone elsewere.

My Choice

Jean Harlow is my choice, and while that might be tempered by the fact that I know in hindsight she would die tragically the following here, I think I can make the case for her. Harlow was easy to cast as a wisecracker, and that makes her easy to like in any role, but very much in this one. Oh, you could argue that Myrna Loy is as much a lead here, or that all of the roles are essentially supporting, but Harlow is the draw in this, and she’s got my vote.

Final Analysis