1921 to 1924: And the Felix for Best Picture goes to...

1921-22

Nosferatu, a Symphony of Horror (3/22 – Director: F.W. Murnau)

Nominees: Tol’able David (Dec 1921), Nanook of the North (June 1922), Dr. Mabuse the Gambler (April/May 1922), Miss Lulu Bett (Nov 1921), Foolish Wives (Jan 1922), Love's Crucible (Jan 1922), El Dorado (Oct 1921)

Bram Stoker’s widow was so upset over the theft of her husband’s story, that she demanded that all prints of Murnau’s classic be destroyed. Thank goodness she didn’t get her wish, as we all would have been the poorer.

German Director F.W. Murnau was an artist who brought a distinct style and look to the feature. He was also a man who understood how powerful subtlety and atmosphere could be within the realm of horror. The gothic vampire story is boosted by the look of the piece, the shadows are every bit a character here - plus there’s the memorably chilling performance from Max Schreck as Count Orlok.

There were several notable films to pick from in 1921-22: Fritz Lang’s Dr. Mabuse, and one of the first documentaries (Nanook), but the story of Orlok trumps them all. I've written a fuller review of the picture here at... Letterboxd

Best Actor: Erich von Stroheim, Foolish Wives
Honorable Mentions:
Richard Barthelmess, Tol’able David * Wallace Reid, The Affairs of Anatol * Conrad Veidt, The Indian Tomb * John Barrymore, Sherlock Holmes * Armand Bour, La Terre

Supporting Actor: Max Schreck, Nosferatu (pictured top)

Best Actress: Lois Wilson, Miss Lulu Bett
Honorable Mentions:
Gloria Swanson, Beyond the Rocks & The Affairs of Anatol * Lillian Gish, Orphans of the Storm * Edith Roberts & Leatrice Joy, Saturday Night * Norma Talmadge, Smilin' Through * Ève Francis, El Dorado

Supporting Actress: Maude George, Foolish Wives

1922-23

La Roue (Feb 1923 – Director: Abel Gance)

Nominees: Safety Last (April 1923), Häxan (Sept 1922), Robin Hood (Oct 1922), Salomé (Dec 1922), Downfall (May 1923)

One of Kurosawa's favorites... Abel Gance's La Roue is a flawed, but ingenious slice of French impressionistic cinema. At times I nearly choked on the syrupy melodramatics of it all. But it’s such a technical achievement, a trendsetter of edits and style, that I feel compelled to award it the Felix on those merits alone. From the memorable train sequence to a moment where we see a man in the last moments of life, having a flashback of his true love that is shown in a succession of rapid-fire images, it’s a visual marvel if nothing else.  Jeffery M. Anderson said it best when he wrote, "Gance took this moldy, soapy story about a railroad man who adopts a young orphan girl and turned it into a sprawling, half-mad, 4-1/2 hour masterpiece."

Acting: While my leads were obvious (at least to me), supporting took some study - with both ultimately coming from the same film. Zenda featured a strong ensemble cast, and a breakout turn from Roman Novaro, who -as the baddie- chews the scenery with relish. But I felt Edeson gave a fuller and more grounded performance as the Kings right-hand man. I also preferred Alice Terry's heartfelt and gentle charismatic acting over Barbara La Marr's slightly more theatrical work.

Best Actor: Séverin-Mars, La Roue
Honorable Mentions:
Harold Lloyd, Safety Last
Douglas Fairbanks, Robin Hood
Matheson Lang & Victor Sjöström, Eld ombord (The Hell Ship)
Ivan Mosjoukine, The Burning Crucible

Supporting Actor: Robert Edeson, The Prisoner of Zenda

Best Actress: Anna May Wong, Toll of the Sea
Honorable Mentions:
Leatrice Joy, Manslaughter
Alla Nazimova, Salomé
Asta Nielsen, Downfall

Supporting Actress: Alice Terry, The Prisoner of Zenda

1923-24

Sherlock Jr. (April 1924 – Director: Buster Keaton)

Nominees: Why Worry (Sept 1923) Die Nibelungen pts 1 & 2 (Feb & April 1924), Thief of Bagdad (March 1924), Scaramouche (Sept 1923), The Great White Silence (month unknown, 1924), The Saga of Gösta Berling (March 1924)

Comedy was king in the 20s, led by the brilliant trinity: Chaplin, Keaton, and Lloyd. Comedians understood the importance of timing better than anyone. While some of the silent era dramas can come off dated, too theatrical and melodramatic, with scenes that go on longer than they should. Silent comedies hold up to the test of time. Two good examples of that are Why Worry? Harold Lloyd's tale of a hypochondriac on vacation, who winds up caught in the middle of a revolution, is as fresh and funny as ever. It's a shamefully overlooked gem, deserving of more respect than it receives.

Better than that is Sherlock Jr. in which Buster Keaton plays a film projectionist who longs to become a great detective. After being wrongly accused of theft, he falls asleep on the job and dreams himself into the movie he’s playing. 

Some critics at the time said this lacked creativity and ingenuity. Were they high? This film is one of the most imaginative and ingenious I’ve ever seen. The technical hurdles tackled when Buster enters the actual movie showing at the theater, is enough on its own to level those critics’ claims as spurious.

This classic is loaded with memorable moments. From Buster leaping from a window and coming out the other end dressed as a woman (and this is done is a full frame shot with the building cutaway, so you see it all seamlessly, it’s a not an edit- job) to the bit where Buster keeps handing out dollar bills. Sherlock Jr. is a wonderful picture, with a sweetness to it as well.  

Apart from the comedies, I've nominated Walsh's expansive The Thief of Bagdad staring Douglas Fairbanks and Fritz Lang's sweeping 2 part epic, Die Nibelungen. Though between them, I prefer the first part, "Siegfried".

🎭 Note: Anna May Wong becomes the first, and so far, only performer to win back-to-back acting awards, first as the lead, then in support. 

Best Actor: Douglas Fairbanks, The Thief of Bagdad
Honorable Mentions:
Gregori Chmara, Raskolnikow * Buster Keaton, Sherlock Jr * Ronald Colman, The White Sister * Harold Lloyd, Why Worry? * Lon Chaney, The Hunchback of Notre Dame * Ramon Novarro, Scaramouche

Supporting Actor: John Aasen, Why Worry?

Best Actress: Marion Davies, Little Old New York
Honorable Mentions:
May McAvoy, The Enchanted Cottage * Lillian Gish, The White Sister * Gloria Swanson, Manhandled * Jobyna Ralston, Girl Shy * Colleen Moore, Flaming Youth * Betty Compson, The White Shadow * Marie Prevost, The Marriage Circle

Supporting Actress: Anna May Wong, Drifting



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