Podcast: More 1948 Smackdowning. Which Films Have Aged Well?
Sunday, June 28, 2015 at 9:00PM 
You've read the new Supporting Actress Smackdown. Now here is it's companion podcast. This month there wasn't an obvious theme as in 1979's gender politics, but we had fun discussing the films and genres presented from noir to Shakespeare to soggy memoirs.
Host: Nathaniel R
Special Guests: Abdi Nazemianset, Catherine Stebbins, Joe Reid, and Tim Robey
Contents
- 00:01 Introductions and how 1948 is new to us
- 04:20 I Remember Mama is a George Stevens film? And how about those accents in Mama and Johnny Belinda
- 18:00 Why did Key Largo only get one nomination -was it the noir thing?
- 21:00 Stage & Cinema - they're all play adaptations but Key Largo and Hamlet both have an Ophelia! Shakespeare archetypes and Orson Welles
- 33:00 Claire Trevor in Raw Deal (1948)
- 36:00 Alternate nominees plus other 1948 films we like: Easter Parade, Cry of the City and Red River.
- 40:00 Goodbyes and remake/recasting pitches from 1948
You can listen to the podcast here at the bottom of the post or download from iTunes. Please continue the conversation in the comments. Who would you have nominated in 1948 for the big categories -- particularly in supporting? Which of the four main films we discussed is your favorite?
And how about that Ann Miller in Easter Parade?
P.S. Further reading. During our 1948 month we looked at five additional films ICYMI: The Red Shoes, Letter From an Unknown Woman,the animated shorts of the year, Treasure of the Sierra Madre and Sorry Wrong Number
P.P.S. The next smackdown at the end of July is 1995 so make sure to watch Sense & Sensibility, Mighty Aphrodite, Georgia, Apollo 13, and Nixon this month for a refresher.
Reader Comments (15)
I heard (from my parents, so take it for what it's worth) that Ann Miller was quite the scandal for her "Shakin' the Blues Away" performance in Easter Parade. The problem was not that she showed her bare legs. The real problem was the way that she did it ... the tearing open of the bottom of the dress. Too salacious! Too sexy! Too unladylike! Ha!
Love these wrap-ups, it's great to hear the thought processes that help lead to the voting.
My favorite of the four films by quite a bit was Key Largo with Johnny Belinda and Hamlet being about equally good in their ways but I Remember Mama gave me a toothache it was so sugary sweet.
As far as who I'd nominate in the major categories there are one or two nominees I'd agree with in each, except in supporting actor where my choices are totally different, and only one winner that would be the same-Claire Trevor.
Here's what mine would have been:
Picture:
Easter Parade
The Fallen Idol-Winner
Red River
The Red Shoes
Treasure of the Sierra Madre
Director:
Howard Hawks-Red River
John Huston-Treasure of the Sierra Madre
Vincente Minnelli-The Pirate
Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger-The Red Shoes-Winner
Carol Reed-The Fallen Idol
Actor:
Humphrey Bogart-Treasure of the Sierra Madre
Rex Harrison-Unfaithfully Yours
Ralph Richardson-The Fallen Idol-Winner
Anton Walbrook-The Red Shoes
Clifton Webb-Sitting Pretty
Actress:
Joan Fontaine-Letter From an Unknown Woman-Winner
Glynis Johns-Miranda
Moira Shearer-The Red Shoes
Barbara Stanwyck-Sorry, Wrong Number
Jane Wyman-Johnny Belinda
Supporting Actor:
Van Johnson-State of the Union
Charles Laughton-The Big Clock-Winner
Edward G. Robinson-Key Largo
Robert Ryan-Act of Violence
Richard Widmark-Road House
Supporting Actress:
Mary Astor-Act of Violence
Myrna Loy-Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House
Ann Miller-Easter Parade
Jean Simmons-Hamlet
Claire Trevor-Key Largo-Winner
I kind of chuckled when I saw you wrote "George" instead of "Georgia", but then I pictured a world in which the movie would have been about two dudes and I a chill ran down my spine.
Yeah! I'm not the only who adores Trevor in Raw Deal!
She is marvelous in both movies, but Raw Deal is the movie she should have won for.
People really should see Raw Deal because it's absolutely spectacular.
I know not everyone is a noir person like me, but this is the masterpiece of one of best Hollywood directors ever. Mann is so underrated!
Coco -- YIKES. I hear you. This will teach me to type without my glasses on.
Cal - i shall add it to my queue. People seem to really love it.
Joel 6 - thanks for that. I really need to do my homework on this year
Charlie G -- that is funny!
Great discussion although I wish you guys had covered the year 1948 more but some of you did admit that your not as familiar with 1948 as other film years.
I'll join in the chorus of praise for Raw Deal and Claire's performance in it. I'd still hand the award to her for Key Largo but she's excellent in the former as well. A wonderful actress she excelled at the world weary, been around and seen it all woman, sometimes good, often duplicitous.
I can't recall ever seeing a really bad performance from her but some of her best besides these two are in Murder, My Sweet, Stagecoach, The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse, The Velvet Touch, Hard, Fast and Beautiful, a comic delight in Kiss Me Goodbye and she's a real standout in Born to Kill.
Have to agree that (except for Jean Simmons ) this is a weak lineup. I don’t really like “Hamlet”, at least not this incarnation .But Simmons - aside from being naturally luminous - has the gift for making Shakespearean dialogue sound absolutely spontaneous. “I Remember Mama” ’s unbearable and I wouldn’t have voted for Corby in a million years. Moorehead’s okay in “Belinda” – but her performance can’t hold a candle to Jan Sterling’s. And “Key Largo”’s never been a favorite of mine. To see Trevor at her best, check out “Born to Kill” from the year before (she’s the lead) or “The Man I Love”(’52) where she and Wendell Corey strut their stuff In support of Ricardo Montalban and Shelley Winters. Can’t hear the podcast till tomorrow so I don’t know whether your appreciation of “Cry of the City” focuses on Hope Emerson’s sensational contribution. She’d have been my winner in ’48 – two years before she finally caught the Academy’s attention in “Caged”
British films offered a wealth of outstanding supporting performances that year. Though I’m not sure any of the following got qualifying U.S. runs in ’48.
Diana Dors” Here Come the Huggetts”
Amy Veness “Here Come the Huggetts”
Susan Shaw “London Belongs to Me”
Margaret Rutherford “Miranda”
Lana Morris “Spring in Park Lane”
Edie Martin “Elizabeth of Ladymead”
Among the American actresses who contributed outstandingly in ‘48: Mary Astor, cast against type as a down and out hooker in “Act of Violence” and (in the same film) Janet Leigh, barely out of her teens but mightily impressive as Van Heflin’s distraught wife.
My five nominees would have been:
BETSY BLAIR “Another Part of the Forest”
(a memorably fragile Birdie in this prequel to “the Little Foxes”)
ANGELA LANSBURY “State of the Union” (about 22 and already completely commanding)
JEAN SIMMONS “Hamlet”
JAN STERLING “Johnny Belinda”
and (for the win) HOPE EMERSON “Cry of the City”
Now I just really want to have a Raw Deal/Born to Kill double feature so I can see what Trevor can really do (plus, I've been meaning to catch up with some Anthony Mann movies)! Because I'm more with Tim re: her Key Largo performance. And now I *must* see Cry of the City.
I agree, this wasn't a particularly strong line-up, but I think that's kind of what made it interesting? And Ken, I'm happy to see that you also agree about Jan Sterling, I prefer her over all the nominated performances.
Correction. I guess I was on automatic pilot when I typed the name of that '52 film where Claire Trevor supported Shelley Winters and Ricardo Montalban". It's called "My Man and I", not "The Man I Love". That's , of course, the title of a great Gershwin song and also the name of an entertaining 1947 film that gave Ida Luoino one of her best showcases.
Okay SEEKING OUT "CRY IN THE CITY" NOW. I've never heard of it but i'm so intrigued.
Look forward to hearing this podcast but meantime I agree with the people posting above: Raw Deal > Key Largo. With Largo being excellent, and Raw Deal something approaching a masterpiece. Trevor has some great scenes in both.
Brilliant podcast! Loved the different views... and accents!
The mention of Ann Miller is so pertinent. Even today they're still ignoring joyful performances.
Claire Trevor was wonderful in "Key Largo"! I still marvel at her "Moanin' Low" performance in all of its bittersweet glory. I don't see why the film itself only earned one nomination. I would have supported nods for Bogart and Robinson, personally. Only seen this and "Johnny Belinda" from the lineup, so I can't engage with this smackdown all that much.
I'm back on board to follow along for 1995, and this is already shaping up to be my crankiest ballot yet. I love these Smackdowns, but sitting through "Mighty Aphrodite" was an absolute chore.