by Nathaniel R
Thanks to all the wonderful readers who've commented on or shared or expressed enthusiasm for the Supporting Actress Smackdowns this summer. So far we've looked at 1970 and 1994. Our 'year of the month' for July will be 1943.
On Sunday July 29th "The Supporting Actress Smackdown of 1943"
- Gladys Cooper, The Song of Bernadette [Amazon | iTunes]
- Paulette Goddard, So Proudly We Hail [Amazon]
- Katina Paxinou, For Whom the Bell Tolls [Amazon | iTunes]
- Anne Revere, The Song of Bernadette [Amazon | iTunes]
- Lucille Watson, Watch on the Rhine [Amazon | iTunes | Filmstruck]
Balloting opens July 1st and closes July 26th. Please do not vote before balloting is open as your ballot will likely be lost in the shuffle. HOW TO VOTE: E-mail with "1943" in the subject line and each performance that you've seen rated on a scale of 1 (bad) to 5 (stupendous) hearts. You don't have to include the reasons behind your votes but if you do we might quote you at the smackdown. (If you wish include a secondary list of your preferred shortlist in this category feel free.)
Cabin in the Sky (1943)
Also because we want to do better about helping ourselves and you contextualize these events after the jump a list of 1943 films that are available without too much expense on various streaming services...
Filmstruck
(Some of these are also available to rent on other services if you don't have Filmstruck)
Above Suspicion (Fred MacMurray and Joan Crawford)
Cabin in the Sky (the all black musical directed by Vincente Minnelli)
Casablanca (it's listed as 1942 everywhere but its release was confusing. It was named the Best Picture of 1943)
Cross of Lorraine (WW II drama - Gene Kelly co-stars)
Edge of Darkness (Erroll Flynn stars in a WW II drama set in Norway)
Keeper of the Flame (Tracy & Hepburn)
Lassie Come Home (with child stars Liz Taylor and Roddy McDowall)
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (Starring Deborah Kerr but not released in the States 'til 1945)
The Man in Grey (period costume drama that first clued people in to the wonders of James Mason)
The North Star (WW II drama set in the Ukraine - 6 Oscar nominations including cinematography for world great James Wong Howe!)
Sanshiro Sugata (Akira Kurosawa's directorial debut)
Thousands Cheer (Gene Kelly musical - 3 Oscar nominations)
Netflix
Undercover: How to Operate Behind Enemy Lines (training film by Oscar-winner John Ford)
Amazon Prime (Free)
The Gentle Sex (British girls help out during the war)
Gung Ho! (WW II drama with Randolph Scott)
Stage Door Canteen (musical)
Miracle of Morgan's Creek - one of 1943's best films if you ask us
Amazon or iTunes Paid Rentals
The Constant Nymph (Joan Fontaine actress nomination)
Destination Tokyo (Cary Grant War picture - 1 Oscar nomination)
The Human Comedy (Mickey Rooney - 5 Oscar nominations)
Jane Eyre (Orson Welles & Joan Fontaine)
Madame Curie (Greer Garson - 7 Oscar nominations)
The More the Merrier (Jean Arthur WW II comedy - 6 Oscar nominations)
Miracle of Morgan's Creek (a brilliant Preston Sturges comedy - seriously, WATCH IT - 1 Oscar nomination)
The Ox-Bow Incident (Best Pic nominee with no other nominations!)
Phantom of the Opera (Nelson Eddy version - 4 Oscar nominations)
Shadow of a Doubt (Hitchcock's favorite of his own films. It's awesome)
Stormy Weather (Lena Horne musical)