1946

The Best Years of Our Lives (Director: William Wyler)
Nominees: Notorious, A Matter of Life and Death, Great Expectations, Beauty and the Beast, Under the Bridges, It's a Wonderful Life, My Darling Clementine, Shoeshine, Pastoral Symphony, The Killers, The Big Sleep

Oscars pick: The Best Years of Our Lives
Nominees: Henry V, It’s a Wonderful Life, The Razors Edge, The Yearling

Oscar didn't get it wrong in 1946. William Wyler's The Best Years of Our Lives is deserving of every accolade. The film –about soldiers returning home from war- is poignant and wise, and while some films of this ilk become dated, "Years" remains powerful and relevant, even with its tidy ending (which by no means indicates it’ll be a tidy life from here on out). At the time, Billy Wilder called it the best directed movie he'd ever seen.

William Wyler was shooting for authenticity with this picture -- he had his principal actors purchase their own clothes, and he filmed in life-sized sets. He wanted the movie to play out in a realistic, naturalized way. Cinematographer Gregg Toland, with his deep focus techniques, and Oscar-winning editor Daniel Mandell, aid in this endeavor. As do the performances - lead by Dana Andrews, Myrna Loy, Fredric March and real life war vet, Harold Russell.

I see a few bloggers and the like will place the Christmas perennial It's A Wonderful Life in their top spot. And while it’s a goodie, I seem to be allergic to overreaching sentimentality and corn (my hang-up with Chaplin). It's A Wonderful Life has its dark edges, true - but that sticky Capra-Corn is had in heaping mouthfuls (and I mean, come on: So if George Bailey had never been born, the women in his life would have become prostitutes or librarian spinsters?)

I believe "Years" holds up better than "Wonderful" but is it the overall best? Its stiffest competition comes from Hitchcock's masterfully directed, wartime romance, Notorious, Powell and Pressburger’s ethereal A Matter of Life and Death, in which a pilot goes to Heavenly court to plead for his life. Jean Cocteau's surreal and soulful (as Tomatoes put it) Beauty and the Beast, Helmut Käutner's Under the Bridges and David Lean's fantastic adaptation of Charles Dickens Great Expectations - a UK production that won't be considered by the Academy until next year, as it didn't play in L.A. until June of 47.

Not only that but the year offered up gems like Howard Hawk's The Big Sleep, John Ford's My Darling Clementine, an adaptation of Ernest Hemmingway's The Killers, and the Postman Always Rings Twice with Lana Turner and John Garfield.

Difficult decision here but If I twist my own arm and force myself, it comes down to two: Notorious and The Best Years of Our Lives. And while I’m a Hitchcock man and find Notorious a nearly flawless production, I see no reason to kick Oscar simply for the sake of being contrary. Best Years of Our Lives is a brilliant motion picture (Roger Ebert called it "Modern, lean and honest." when he named it one of the all-time great movies in 2007).

Acting? I like all my winning and nominated performers, and I had a tight race at supporting actor - some real treats here... Claude Rains in Notorious, Lionel Barrymore in It's A Wonderful Life, Robert Livesey & Marius Goring in A Matter of Life and Death. In addition, I decided to give one of my rare, special Felix's to the stellar cast of The Best Years of Our Lives. Not only because they were taking up all the slots on my list of nominees, but because they deserved some kind of awards recognition.

Best Actor: James Stewart, It's a Wonderful Life
Honorable Mentions:
Pierre Blanchar, Pastoral Symphony * Humphrey Bogart, The Big Sleep * Alastair Sim, Green for Danger * Cary Grant, Notorious * James Baskett, Song of the South * Franco Interlenghi & Rinaldo Smordoni, Shoeshine * Sydney Greenstreet & Peter Lorre, Three Strangers & The Verdict

Best Actress: Ingrid Bergman, Notorious
Honorable Mentions:
Michèle Morgan, Pastoral Symphony * Olivia de Havilland, The Dark Mirror & To Each His Own * Donna Reed, It’s a Wonderful Life * Rita Hayworth, Gilda * Setsuko Hara, No Regrets for Our Youth * Joan Crawford, Humoresque * Lauren Bacall, the Big Sleep

Supporting Actor: Henry Travers, It's a Wonderful Life

Supporting Actress: Jean Simmons, Great Expectations

Special Award - Best Ensemble: Best Years of Our Lives
Dana Andrews, Fredric March, Myrna Loy, Harold Russell, Teresa Wright, Virginia Mayo, Cathy O'Donnell, Hoagy Carmichael, etc








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