The big question, of course, apart from who's wearing what, is who would win. This starts us thinking of performers who should have won but didn't, and there is a long and noble list.
Start with Peter O'Toole, who should have gone home with gold for "Lawrence of Arabia." And Paul Newman, who deserved an Oscar for "The Verdict" in 1982. (He got one the next year for a much smaller film, "The Color of Money." It was one of those "sorry about last year, guy" awards.)
Which, it is said, was the reason James Stewart was voted best actor for "The Philadelphia Story," despite playing what was really a supporting role in that 1940 classic. The real star, Cary Grant, wasn't even nominated. Among the performances Stewart beat was Henry Fonda's in "The Grapes of Wrath." Stewart was the choice, it was said, because he hadn't won the previous year for "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington." Hey, we all know Stewart was a terrific actor, but "Philadelphia Story" was not "Vertigo."
Then there was Richard Jaeckel, who played supporting roles in a gazillion movies over fifty years, and was nominated in 1971 for his wonderful performance as Oregon logger Joe Ben Stamper in "Sometimes a Great Notion." Should have won. Didn't.
Finally, perhaps leading the list of should-have-wons, is Peter Sellers for his three-character tour de force in "Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb." Sellers played an RAF officer, the US President, and the crazed Nazi scientist Dr. Strangelove, all with impeccable accents. It was a dazzling performance in Kubrick's 1964 black comedy, and while there were other worthy nominees that year--as almost always there are--Sellers's work hit a standard nobody knew was there.
So wherever Peter Sellers is tomorrow night, we presume he will be sipping Pimm's Cup and sympathizing with the also-rans.
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