Best Actress Ranking - Update

Here is a new update. The newly added performance is highlighted in bold.

If five performances from the same year are included, the winning performance is higlighted in red.

1. Vivien Leigh in Gone with the Wind (1939)
2. Luise Rainer in The Good Earth (1937)
3. Jessica Lange in Frances (1982)
4. Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard (1950)
5. Olivia de Havilland in The Heiress (1949)
6. Maggie Smith in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969)
7. Anne Bancroft in The Graduate (1967)
8. Janet Gaynor in Seventh Heaven (1927-1928)   
9. Jill Clayburgh in An Unmarried Woman (1978)

10. Audrey Hepburn in The Nun's Story (1959)

11. Glenn Close in Dangerous Liaisons (1988)
12. Geraldine Page in The Trip to Bountiful (1985)
13. Susan Sarandon in Thelma & Louise (1991)
14. Katharine Hepburn in Suddenly, Last Summer (1959)
15. Edith Evans in The Whisperers (1967)
16. Norma Shearer in Marie Antoinette (1938)

17. Debra Winger in Terms of Endearment (1983)
18. Greta Garbo in Ninotchka (1939)
19. Faye Dunaway in Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
20. Hilary Swank in Million Dollar Baby (2004)

21. Cate Blanchett in Elizabeth (1998)

22. Nicole Kidman in Moulin Rouge! (2001)
23. Kate Winslet in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
24. Simone Signoret in Room at the Top (1959)
25. Bette Davis in The Little Foxes (1941)
26. Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music (1965)
27. Rosalind Russell in Auntie Mame (1958)
28. Glenda Jackson in Women in Love (1970)
29. Joanne Woodward in The Three Faces of Eve (1957)
30. Elizabeth Taylor in Suddenly, Last Summer (1959)

31. Renée Zellweger in Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)

32. Barbara Stanwyck in Ball of Fire (1941)
33. Sissy Spacek in In the Bedroom (2001)
34. Halle Berry in Monster's Ball (2001)
35. Lee Remick in Days of Wine and Roses (1962)
36. Annette Bening in American Beauty (1999)

37. Diane Lane in Unfaithful (2002)
38. Emily Watson in Hilary and Jackie (1998)
39. Judi Dench in Iris (2001)
40. Julie Christie in Away from Her (2007)

41. Shelley Winters in A Place in the Sun (1951)

42. Audrey Hepburn in Wait until Dark (1967)

43. Geneviève Bujold in Anne of the Thousand Days (1969)

44. Meryl Streep in The Devil wears Prada (2006)
45. Ingrid Bergman in The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945)
46. Julie Walters in Educating Rita (1983)
47. Anne Baxter in All about Eve (1950)
48. Judi Dench in Mrs. Brown (1997)
49. Helen Hayes in The Sin of Madelon Claudet (1932)
50. May Robson in Lady for a Day (1933)

51. Jane Fonda in Coming Home (1978)

52. Greer Garson in Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939)

53. Doris Day in Pillow Talk (1959)

54. Meryl Streep in One True Thing (1998)
55. Joan Crawford in Sudden Fear (1952)
56. Deborah Kerr in From Here to Eternity (1953)
57. Katharine Hepburn in Guess who’s coming to dinner (1967)
58. Marsha Mason in Chapter Two (1979)
59. Jane Wyman in The Yearling (1946)
60. Melissa Leo in Frozen River (2008)

61. Deborah Kerr in Edward, my Son (1949)

62. Martha Scott in Our Town (1940)

63. Teresa Wright in The Pride of the Yankees (1942) 

64. Jennifer Jones in Love Letters (1945)

65. Ellen Burstyn in Same Time, Next Year (1978)
66. Susan Hayward in My Foolish Heart (1949)
67. Jeanne Crain in Pinky (1949)
68. Eleanor Parker in Detective Story (1951)
69. Vanessa Redgrave in Mary, Queen of Scots (1971)
70. Diane Keaton in Marvin's Room (1996)

71. Louise Dresser in A Ship comes in (1927-1928)

72. Dorothy McGuire in Gentleman's Agreement (1947)

73. Loretta Young in Come to the Stable (1949)  

74. Mary Pickford in Coquette (1928-29)

75. Leslie Caron in Lili (1953)
76. Sissy Spacek in The River (1984)
77. Shirley MacLaine in The Turning Point (1977)
78. Irene Dunne in Cimarron (1930-1931)
79. Ruth Chatterton in Madame X (1928-29)
80. Diana Wynyard in Cavalcade (1932-1933)

81. Bette Davis in The Star (1952)

Best Actress Ranking - Update

Here is a new update. The newly added performance is highlighted in bold. 

If five performances from the same year are included, the winning performance is higlighted in red.

1. Vivien Leigh in Gone with the Wind (1939)
2. Jessica Lange in Frances (1982)
3. Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard (1950)
4. Olivia de Havilland in The Heiress (1949)
5. Anne Bancroft in The Graduate (1967)
6. Janet Gaynor in Seventh Heaven (1927-1928)   
7. Jill Clayburgh in An Unmarried Woman (1978)
8. Glenn Close in Dangerous Liaisons (1988)
9. Geraldine Page in The Trip to Bountiful (1985)
10. Susan Sarandon in Thelma & Louise (1991)

11. Katharine Hepburn in Suddenly, Last Summer (1959)
12. Edith Evans in The Whisperers (1967)
13. Norma Shearer in Marie Antoinette (1938)
14. Greta Garbo in Ninotchka (1939)
15. Faye Dunaway in Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
16. Cate Blanchett in Elizabeth (1998)
17. Kate Winslet in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
18. Simone Signoret in Room at the Top (1959)
19. Bette Davis in The Little Foxes (1941)
20. Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music (1965)

21. Rosalind Russell in Auntie Mame (1958)
22. Glenda Jackson in Women in Love (1970)
23. Joanne Woodward in The Three Faces of Eve (1957)
24. Elizabeth Taylor in Suddenly, Last Summer (1959)
25. Barbara Stanwyck in Ball of Fire (1941)
26. Emily Watson in Hilary and Jackie (1998)
27. Julie Christie in Away from Her (2007)
28. Shelley Winters in A Place in the Sun (1951)
29. Audrey Hepburn in Wait until Dark (1967)
30. Meryl Streep in The Devil wears Prada (2006)

31. Ingrid Bergman in The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945)
32. Anne Baxter in All about Eve (1950)
33. Judi Dench in Mrs. Brown (1997)
34. Helen Hayes in The Sin of Madelon Claudet (1932)
35. Jane Fonda in Coming Home (1978)
36. Greer Garson in Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939)
37. Doris Day in Pillow Talk (1959)
38. Meryl Streep in One True Thing (1998)
39. Joan Crawford in Sudden Fear (1952)
40. Deborah Kerr in From Here to Eternity (1953)

41. Katharine Hepburn in Guess who’s coming to dinner (1967)
42. Marsha Mason in Chapter Two (1979)
43. Jane Wyman in The Yearling (1946)
44. Martha Scott in Our Town (1940)
45. Teresa Wright in The Pride of the Yankees (1942) 
46. Jennifer Jones in Love Letters (1945)
47. Ellen Burstyn in Same Time, Next Year (1978)
48. Susan Hayward in My Foolish Heart (1949)
49. Eleanor Parker in Detective Story (1951)
50. Vanessa Redgrave in Mary, Queen of Scots (1971)

51. Diane Keaton in Marvin's Room (1996)
52. Loretta Young in Come to the Stable (1949)  
53. Mary Pickford in Coquette (1928-29)
54. Sissy Spacek in The River (1984)
55. Shirley MacLaine in The Turning Point (1977)
56. Irene Dunne in Cimarron (1930-1931)
57. Ruth Chatterton in Madame X (1928-29)
58. Diana Wynyard in Cavalcade (1932-1933)

Katharine Hepburn as Violet Venable in Suddenly, Last Summer

Somehow, every time I am about to watch Katharine Hepburn’s performance in Suddenly, Last Summer, I expect to like her less (maybe because the movie itself is so hard to be taken seriously, maybe because her role is rather one-dimensional and short compared to many other Best Actress nominees) but every time I am done with the movie, I am again worshipping at her feet.

As my opinion on Katharine Hepburn’s performance did not really change compared to the last time I reviewed her, I will keep my thoughts short. Yes, Suddenly, Last Summer is a true camp fast with many over-the-top moments but both Elizabeth Taylor and Katharine Hepburn had nonetheless extremely juicy parts that they brought to life with the right degree of professionalism and seriousness to rise above the craziness around them. While Elizabeth Taylor obviously had the larger and showier role, for me Katharine Hepburn walks away with the picture and delivers one of the most fascinating performances of her career.

The original one-act play Suddenly, Last Summer originally made the two female characters more equal with regards to the size of their parts but the movie version put more emphasis on Liz’s Catherine who maybe doesn’t enter the movie before more than half an hour is already over but from then on dominates the story. Katharine Hepburn’s performance mostly happens in these first 30 minutes in one long scene opposite Montgomery Clift that is almost like a never-ending monologue. From then on, she only appears again in the middle and at the end of the movie, where the script mostly puts the focus on Catherine but Katharine Hepburn effortlessly dominates every scene she appears in.

A lot of reviews I have read on the movie seems to be rather harsh on Katharine Hepburn and I can understand that this is a polarizing performance that can evoke many different reactions. For me, it is one of the most unexpected performances that Katharine Hepburn ever gave, not because she was so rarely cast as a villain and not because her acting style was somehow different (as it wasn’t) but rather because the way she played Mrs. Venable, her performance constantly goes into different directions from one second to the other, almost leaving the viewer breathless and exhausted. On a forum I read that apparently Anna Magnani compared her performance to a swarm of butterflies, constantly changing its tempo, direction and form – of course, I have no idea if this is true but it does seem like a perfect comparison.

What I find so fascinating about Katharine Hepburn’s performance is that she again proved how she could use her personality and only slightly alter a few aspects of it to seem like a completely different person. She was equally well suited to dramas as to romantic comedies and she only needed to change the way she delivered her lines to wonderful effect. And here she did the same – she can be effortlessly charming with a hint of danger, desperate, sarcastic or completely frightening within a matter of seconds only by changing the tone of her voice. It seems that overall, this is the role that more than any other in her career depended on and was built only by her distinctive pronunciation and pitch. Her big scene feels at moments very rushed but it’s impossible to get Mrs. Venable out of your head. Suddenly, Last Summer is often categorised as a gothic horror thriller which might be exaggerated from today’s point of view but Katharine Hepburn does manage to create a strange and uncomfortable tension that makes some her scenes indeed truly scary. Her monologue about the sea turtles is almost unbearable in its grotesque strain and Katharine Hepburn risks a lot in her acting to go very broad in certain moments but it’s the only way to create a performance that both overcomes the weaknesses around her while also integrating itself into the style of the picture.

Katharine Hepburn also does get some criticism for playing Mrs. Venable in a way that makes her descent into madness too obvious from the start which is true but I adore how absolutely straight-forward her approach is nonetheless – she doesn’t draw any attention to the madness of Mrs. Venable but instead almost casually injects it into her work, making switches between a charming socialite, an obviously highly influential and powerful woman and a grieving mother who slowly loses her mind. Katharine Hepburn, being Katharine Hepburn, has obviously no problems to portray a woman who is used to get what she wants and who can behave as she likes without anyone questioning her motives. Even in her final scenes when Mrs. Venable completely lost her connection to reality, Katharine Hepburn plays the scene again very straight-forward, never emphasizing the mental problems of Mrs. Venable but that way achieving an unforgettable impression.

Again, I understand that not everybody agrees with me here, but to me, this is a lyrical, poetic, frightening, dangerous, pitiful and altogether unforgettable performance that is among the best things that Katharine Hepburn ever did.

Best Actress Ranking - Update

Here is a new update. The newly added performance is highlighted in bold. 

My winning performances are higlighted in red.

1. Vivien Leigh in Gone with the Wind (1939)
2. Jessica Lange in Frances (1982)
3. Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard (1950)
4. Olivia de Havilland in The Heiress (1949)
5. Anne Bancroft in The Graduate (1967)
6. Janet Gaynor in Seventh Heaven (1927-1928)   
7. Jill Clayburgh in An Unmarried Woman (1978)
8. Glenn Close in Dangerous Liaisons (1988)
9. Geraldine Page in The Trip to Bountiful (1985)
10. Susan Sarandon in Thelma & Louise (1991)

11. Edith Evans in The Whisperers (1967)
12. Norma Shearer in Marie Antoinette (1938)
13. Greta Garbo in Ninotchka (1939)
14. Faye Dunaway in Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
15. Cate Blanchett in Elizabeth (1998)
16. Kate Winslet in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
17. Simone Signoret in Room at the Top (1959)
18. Bette Davis in The Little Foxes (1941)
19. Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music (1965)
20. Rosalind Russell in Auntie Mame (1958)

21. Glenda Jackson in Women in Love (1970)
22. Joanne Woodward in The Three Faces of Eve (1957)
23. Elizabeth Taylor in Suddenly, Last Summer (1959)
24. Barbara Stanwyck in Ball of Fire (1941)
25. Emily Watson in Hilary and Jackie (1998)
26. Julie Christie in Away from Her (2007)
27. Shelley Winters in A Place in the Sun (1951)
28. Audrey Hepburn in Wait until Dark (1967)
29. Ingrid Bergman in The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945)
30. Anne Baxter in All about Eve (1950)

31. Judi Dench in Mrs. Brown (1997)
32. Helen Hayes in The Sin of Madelon Claudet (1932)
33. Jane Fonda in Coming Home (1978)
34. Greer Garson in Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939)
35. Doris Day in Pillow Talk (1959)
36. Meryl Streep in One True Thing (1998)
37. Deborah Kerr in From Here to Eternity (1953)
38. Katharine Hepburn in Guess who’s coming to dinner (1967)
39. Marsha Mason in Chapter Two (1979)
40. Jane Wyman in The Yearling (1946)

41. Martha Scott in Our Town (1940)
42. Teresa Wright in The Pride of the Yankees (1942) 
43. Jennifer Jones in Love Letters (1945)
44. Ellen Burstyn in Same Time, Next Year (1978)
45. Susan Hayward in My Foolish Heart (1949)
46. Eleanor Parker in Detective Story (1951)
47. Vanessa Redgrave in Mary, Queen of Scots (1971)
48. Diane Keaton in Marvin's Room (1996)
49. Loretta Young in Come to the Stable (1949)  
50. Mary Pickford in Coquette (1928-29)

51. Sissy Spacek in The River (1984)
52. Shirley MacLaine in The Turning Point (1977)
53. Irene Dunne in Cimarron (1930-1931)
54. Ruth Chatterton in Madame X (1928-29)
55. Diana Wynyard in Cavalcade (1932-1933)

Simone Signoret as Alice Aisgill in Room at the Top

I don’t want to comment yet if I would have voted for Simone Signoret in 1959’s Best Actress race but I can start my review with the words that it is still one of my favorite Oscar wins for reasons that go beyond the actual performance. To say it better – even if it might not be my favorite winning performance, it is still one of my favorite wins. 

Because how many times does a win like this happen? Simone Signoret plays the elderly lover of a young man with limited screen time that a lot of other actresses might have caused to go the supporting route. Also, even if she was an internationally acclaimed actress, she was still up against four American superstars – Elizabeth Taylor, Doris Day, Katharine Hepburn and Audrey Hepburn. Especially Audrey Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor had roles that were extremely showy while Simone Signoret played a part that was often a cliché. Add to that that Simone Signoret underplayed her part and actively refused to take any chances that would have allowed her to go broad and it just makes you happy to think that Academy members really voted for her to win because they actually thought that she was the best and they were able for once to forget their love for BIG acting (just look at the previous Best Actress winners Grace Kelly, Anna Magnani, Ingrid Bergman, Joanne Woodward and Susan Hayward who all had chances to let their acting overwhelm the screen and took it eagerly). So this is a fantastic win simply because of how unusual it is – and the best thing is that the enthusiasm for Simone Signoret’s performance is also mostly completely justified.

As mentioned above, Simone Signoret played the part of Alice Aisgill, a middle-aged woman who starts an affair with a much younger man who wants to get ahead socially by courting the daughter of some rich business man while also falling in love with Alice. As also mentioned above, the role of Alice is very often a cliché and doesn’t actually offer a lot on paper – Alice is a sad woman, trapped in a loveless marriage, seeking opportunities for have affairs until she falls in love with Joe; at this moment she finally seems to find a chance for a better life but her happiness has ultimately no place in Joe’s ambitious plans. It is also a secondary role as Joe is the clear center of the story and other characters in his story come and go just the way Alice does. 

So, there is a lot going against Simone Signoret in this part – and it’s so fascinating to see how she took all of these disadvantages and turned them into something truly captivating. Because everything that is so fascinating about Alice as a character comes only from Simone Signoret’s performance and presence – not from the screenplay not from the direction, not from her co-stars, only from her. Her unique appearance, that French accent, that completely calm style create a performance that is as unexpected as it is fulfilling.

I am not sure if there is another performance in this category that so much defines the words “mature” and “erotic”. Simone Signoret embodies the kind of mature wisdom that is so often attached to performers but in her case, the praise is more than earned. Her Alice has not necessarily seen it all nor knows everything but she has accepted what life has to offer while grabbing every chance for happiness at the same time. There is nothing “flirty” about her, she is as straight-forward as one can possibly be without creating any false illusions but you’d be hard-pressed to find a performance that radiates more sex-appeal. After watching Room at the Top, it feels almost impossible to not think that Simone Signoret could be the most beautiful woman on earth. Her Alice is a cool, composed figure without any grand emotions but she possesses a face and eyes that can tell the whole story of her life. And she portrays all this in such a calm and composed manner that it creates a fascinating contrast to everything that we might expect of her.

So it is no surprise that Simone Signoret always shines most in scenes that ask her to portray her depth of feelings, that constant sadness, that hesitation of joy and that sexual maturity, and mostly focus on her face – sitting in the car next to Joe talking about her marriage, seducing him only with her eyes, being a friendly advisor in his quest to conquer another woman, saying goodbye to him at a train station or quietly telling him all he did wrong and how he threw away every chance for happiness without ever raising her voice but still creating the most condemning effect.

My main reason for not putting her higher in my ranking despite my enthusiasm is that, even if she is able to overcome the obstacles put in her way, she is still held back by the screenplay that never really explores Alice as a character – even Simone Signoret cannot fully explain just why Alice is so obsessed by Joe, why she would have been involved with her husband in the first place and why the character would end up the way she does. And since the fascination from Simone Signoret comes from her being such a calm presence, any scenes that demand a more “active” acting from her don’t achieve the same effect – mainly her first break-up scene with Joe feels a bit out-of-place when she walks around the apartment and insults him in a more direct manner.

So, this is a unique and truly one-of-a-kind Oscar winner that proves that, in some cases, less is truly more.

Best Actress Ranking - Update

Here is a new update. The newly added performance is highlighted in bold. 

Winning performances are higlighted in red.

1. Vivien Leigh in Gone with the Wind (1939)
2. Jessica Lange in Frances (1982)
3. Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard (1950)
4. Olivia de Havilland in The Heiress (1949)
5. Anne Bancroft in The Graduate (1967)
6. Janet Gaynor in Seventh Heaven (1927-1928)   
7. Glenn Close in Dangerous Liaisons (1988)
8. Geraldine Page in The Trip to Bountiful (1985)
9. Edith Evans in The Whisperers (1967)
10. Norma Shearer in Marie Antoinette (1938)

11. Greta Garbo in Ninotchka (1939)
12. Faye Dunaway in Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
13. Bette Davis in The Little Foxes (1941)
14. Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music (1965)
15. Rosalind Russell in Auntie Mame (1958)
16. Glenda Jackson in Women in Love (1970)
17. Elizabeth Taylor in Suddenly, Last Summer (1959)
18. Barbara Stanwyck in Ball of Fire (1941)
19. Julie Christie in Away from Her (2007)
20. Shelley Winters in A Place in the Sun (1951)

21. Audrey Hepburn in Wait until Dark (1967)
22. Ingrid Bergman in The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945)
23. Greer Garson in Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939)
24. Doris Day in Pillow Talk (1959)
25. Meryl Streep in One True Thing (1998)
26. Deborah Kerr in From Here to Eternity (1953)
27. Katharine Hepburn in Guess who’s coming to dinner (1967)
28. Teresa Wright in The Pride of the Yankees (1942) 
29. Jennifer Jones in Love Letters (1945)
30. Ellen Burstyn in Same Time, Next Year (1978)

31. Susan Hayward in My Foolish Heart (1949)
32. Diane Keaton in Marvin's Room (1996)
33. Loretta Young in Come to the Stable (1949)  
34. Mary Pickford in Coquette (1928-29)
35. Sissy Spacek in The River (1984)
36. Shirley MacLaine in The Turning Point (1977)
37. Irene Dunne in Cimarron (1930-1931)
38. Diana Wynyard in Cavalcade (1932-1933)

And a hint to the next performance that will be ranked:

Best Actress Ranking - Update

Here is a new update. The newly added performance is highlighted in bold. 

1. Vivien Leigh in Gone with the Wind (1939)
2. Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard (1950)
3. Olivia de Havilland in The Heiress (1949)
4. Anne Bancroft in The Graduate (1967)
5. Janet Gaynor in Seventh Heaven (1927-1928)   
6. Glenn Close in Dangerous Liaisons (1988)
7. Edith Evans in The Whisperers (1967)
8. Greta Garbo in Ninotchka (1939)
9. Faye Dunaway in Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
10. Bette Davis in The Little Foxes (1941)

11. Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music (1965)
12. Glenda Jackson in Women in Love (1970)
13. Barbara Stanwyck in Ball of Fire (1941)
14. Shelley Winters in A Place in the Sun (1951)
15. Ingrid Bergman in The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945)
16. Greer Garson in Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939)
17. Doris Day in Pillow Talk (1959)
18. Meryl Streep in One True Thing (1998)
19. Katharine Hepburn in Guess who’s coming to dinner (1967)
20. Teresa Wright in The Pride of the Yankees (1942) 
21. Jennifer Jones in Love Letters (1945)

22. Ellen Burstyn in Same Time, Next Year (1978)
23. Diane Keaton in Marvin's Room (1996)
24. Loretta Young in Come to the Stable (1949)  
25. Shirley MacLaine in The Turning Point (1977)
26. Irene Dunne in Cimarron (1930-1931)
27. Diana Wynyard in Cavalcade (1932-1933)

YOUR Best Actress of 1959!

Here are the results of the voting:

1. Simone Signoret - Room at the Top (28 votes)

2. Katharine Hepburn - Suddenly, Last Summer (6 votes)

3. Audrey Hepburn - The Nun's Story (2 votes)

4. Doris Day - Pillow Talk & Elizabeth Taylor - Suddenly, Last Summer (1 vote)


Thanks for voting!

Best Actress 1959 - The resolution!

After having watched and reviewed all five nominated performances, it's time to pick the winner!

5. Doris Day in Pillow Talk

In Pillow Talk, Doris Day combines child-like innocence with a good deal of sex and creates a character who stands for everything that she is famous for – Jan is a little naïve, pure and innocent, apparently independent and happy without a man while secretly desperate to meet one. It’s an honest and good-hearted characterization that is mostly overshadowed by the hilarious work from Miss Day’s co-stars but she acts with ease and simplicity and helps to turn Pillow Talk into a charming comedy.

4. Elizabeth Taylor in Suddenly, Last Summer

                     

Elizabeth Taylor gives the kind of exaggerated performance that a character like Catherine in a movie like Suddenly, Last Summer surely needs. She is melodramatic and over-the-top but never does she become unbelievable. She performs her challenging part with an astonishing rawness and dedication that is almost exhausting to watch.

3. Simone Signoret in Room at the Top

Simone Signoret’s wonderful voice, her captivating accent and her unique beauty help immensely to give the suffering and melancholic Alice all the qualities the script demands from her. Her no-nonsense and thoughtful approach to this passionate character is very unique and she wonderfully underplays all the emotions of Alice to give a very subtle performance of a very fervid woman.

2. Audrey Hepburn in The Nun's Story

In a performance that is a masterwork in subtlety and grace, Audrey Hepburn as usually shines like an angel but she also flawlessly demonstrates her character’s constant inner struggle with a mix of doubt and confidence that is beautiful to watch in its simplicity. She works from inside to bring Gabrielle to life and carries the movie wonderfully as she is always believable in every step of her character.

1. Katharine Hepburn in Suddenly, Last Summer

Katharine Hepburn leaves little doubt that Mrs. Venable is very close to a mental breakdown but she chose to avoid any grand gestures or crazy facial work and instead decided to play the part as straight-forward and subtle as possible without ever making it too subtle – the craziness is always there but in a very controlled and hidden way which makes her whole performance incredibly mesmerizing. She dominates the screen with self-security and self-assurance but there is always a desperation and loneliness behind her façade that gets her closer and closer to the edge of insanity.

Best Actress 1959: Audrey Hepburn in "The Nun's Story"

It can be said that it was her charming personality that made Audrey Hepburn a star. But it
was her undeniable talent as an actress that turned her into one of the most popular performers of all time.

In The Nun’s Story, Audrey Hepburn gives one her few performances that really show her talent because her performance does not rely on her charm like most of her others do – instead, Audrey Hepburn works from inside to bring Gabrielle who becomes Sister Luke to live.

In a performance that is a masterwork in subtlety and grace, Audrey Hepburn as usually shines like an angel but she also flawlessly demonstrates her character’s constant inner struggle with a mix of doubt and confidence that is beautiful to watch in its simplicity.

The Nun’s Story begins shortly before Gabrielle joins the convent. In just a few silent scenes Audrey already shows a certain inner strength in her character, a deep spiritual inner life. We never learn why or how Gabrielle decided to become a nun but Audrey Hepburn plays these early sense with such a quiet conviction that it’s clear that this was the correct decision for Gabrielle. She comforts the members of her family and we see that she will miss them but Audrey does not show any deep regrets or sadness because Gabrielle knows that she is doing the right thing even if others may not understand it. There is no doubt in her about her choice.

Shortly after that we learn that for Gabrielle, the most important thing about becoming a nun is helping the poor. She hopes to be sent to a mission in Africa where she could work as a nurse. This is actually a rather confusing aspect of the movie – we never really experience Gabrielle’s religious background. She seems to be glad to be a nun and to join the convent but it always seems that becoming a nurse and caring for sick people in Africa is the most important thing to her. Even the nun’s in the convent later have to tell her that she is a nun and not a nurse.

So it seems that the quiet conviction that Gabrielle displays is more directed at her hope to be a nurse rather than a nun. But But Audrey Hepburn’s luminous performance always shows the importance of religion in Gabrielle’s life, too. Like the screenplay, her performances never tries to explore the reason for her religious feelings – instead, Audrey Hepburn constantly shows the faith in Gabrielle and how each day for her is a new fight to maintain her spirit and live up to the rules and expectations of the nuns.

Already a few movie minutes after Gabrielle joined the convent it becomes clear that for her that life as a novice isn’t what she expected. The strictness and the discipline, the order of total obedience and the rules that make it hard for Gabrielle to achieve her ideas of a useful earthly life because they all primarily focus on her spiritual life make it harder and harder for Gabrielle to fulfil her destiny. But Audrey Hepburn not only shows this “grand” struggle between her hopes and reality, but also all the little sacrifices that are demanded from her and that would exhaust everyone. Audrey never tries to turn Gabrielle into an impeccable heroine but always keeps her a believable human being.

During the first part of the movie, Audrey keeps her performance rather in the background. It is more the actual story and the images of life in the convent that keep the interest of the viewer while Gabrielle carries the message of the movie. It seems that it’s not Gabrielle that makes the story interesting but rather the other way around. But this makes sense considering that the movie is called The Nun’s Story – the story is more important than the actual character and at the beginning, Gabrielle is merely a device to tell this story.

But Audrey fulfills this task with excellence and a beautifully subtle performance that always shows the burden of her life without losing the confidence that it all be worth it. She is especially impressive in the scenes when she is asked to fail a test to show that she is a humble person – the mix of obedience and quiet desperation on Audrey’s face is unforgettable and when she is denying her task and answers the questions of the test correctly, the fighting feelings of shame and integrity on a face that is demanded to repress every emotion are played expertly.

When Gabrielle’s wish is finally granted and she gets a chance to work in Africa, her character steps more in the foreground and Audrey’s performance becomes the dominating and driving force in this movie. And Gabrielle’s struggle and her own realization that her view of life and the life of the convent cannot exist together become more and more prominent.

Audrey carries the movie wonderfully and is always believable in every step of her character. And she surely displays one of the most brilliant scenes of her career at the end of the movie. In this wordless scene, Audrey shows everything on her face – even though her decision now is just as certain as her first decision at the beginning of the movie, we don’t see the quiet joy and assuredness in her. We see that the life in the convent has influenced her forever.

It’s a beautiful and brilliantly subtle performance by Audrey Hepburn which gets

Best Actress 1959: Elizabeth Taylor in "Suddenly, Last Summer"

Suddenly, Last Summer goes on for over 30 minutes before Elizabeth Taylor’s Catherine appears for the first time but her name has been mentioned a lot already. We hear that she is a wonderful girl, rare and precious but also that she has gone crazy during her vacation with her cousin Sebastian who died a mysterious death. Since then, Catherine lives in an asylum under the order of strict nuns but even they won’t keep her since she apparently is too vulgar and dangerous to be around. Catherine’s aunt Violet is eager to have Dr. Cukrowicz, played by Montgomery Clift, perform a lobotomy on Catherine – officially because of her madness but it’s clear that Violet fears that Catherine knows to much about Sebastian’s death and so she wants to silence her forever.

Even though we are told that Catherine is the crazy one and Mrs. Venable has only her best interests in mind, it becomes clear very quick that quite the opposite seems to be true: Katharine Hepburn’s Violet is clearly close to a mental breakdown while the first impression of Catherine is that she is a head-strong girl hunted by an awful memory – but certainly not crazy.

Both Katharine Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor were excellent in interpreting their parts. While Katharine Hepburn played her character very restrained and controlled, Elizabeth Taylor gives the kind of exaggerated performance that a character like Catherine in a movie like Suddenly, Last Summer surely needs. She is melodramatic and over-the-top but she never becomes unbelievable. It’s a testament to her ability as an actress that was always able to stop before her performance became a caricature. Oh, and she probably never looked more beautiful.

In her first scenes with Montgomery Clift, Elizabeth Taylor establishes Catherine as a character who is not only not crazy but seems to be much more aware of everything than everyone else.

She openly talks about all the things that she is accused of and she seems to be rather amused by it. She takes a rebellious attitude to the things that happened to her – if people do think that she is crazy, then she wants to be crazy. Only when Dr. Cukrowicz shows himself to be a much more sensitive and intelligent person than she is used to see and she realizes that he seems to be on her side, her surprise changes her character. Catherine seems to know what everything is about but at the same time she does not. The memory of the terrible events during her vacation with Sebastian is inside her but the shock she suffered prevents her from experiencing it again. She is only hunted by fragments, by sounds, by images.

Catherine is probably only considered crazy because she is the only one of the characters in the movie who really and openly talks about the truth without pretending. It’s clear that her “insanity” is only a shock reaction and that she sees everything quite clearly. She knows why her aunt sent her away in this asylum, she knows how her greedy family will behave. Just like Mrs. Venable spends a lot of time talking about Catherine, Catherine spends a lot of time talking about Mrs. Venable and for the viewer it is clear that Catherine is the one to trust.

Just like Katharine Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor is given a lot monologues but she is never able to fill them with as much passion and dedication. While her overacting fits the style of the movie and works for the character, it sometimes reduces the impact of Liz’s performance.

But even though one can’t deny that the sheer difficulty of the role is a real challenge for every actress and Elizabeth Taylor certainly did an impressive job in bringing this character alive.

The highlight of her performance is without a doubt her final scene when Catherine remembers what happens last summer. In a never-ending close-up, Elizabeth Taylor shows the horror and the truth of Sebastian’s death and performs it with astonishing rawness and dedication that is almost exhausting to watch.

Even though Catherine is the most central character, Elizabeth Taylor doesn’t leave the same lasting impression as Katharine Hepburn but she still gives a formidable piece of work that gets

Best Actress 1959: Katharine Hepburn in "Suddenly, Last Summer"

It’s always hard to judge a performance from your favorite actress because it’s very easy to let personal preference cloud your judgment. But I think that so far I have been very fair when it comes to judging performances by Kate so I trust that I am also fair in this case.

Suddenly, Last Summer is a grim, gothic tale of homosexuality, cannibalism and mental disease. If the viewer wants camp, then Suddenly, Last Summer is the ultimate revelation. But it’s all done in such a serious way with so much talent involved that the outcome is still a fascinating, gripping tale, as ridiculous at the plot may seem.

Both Katharine Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor are the natural stand-outs in the movie since they have the showy, flashy and wonderfully-written parts that only Tennessee Williams could write for women. And both women also perfectly understood the material they worked with and how to interpret their parts.

Katharine Hepburn plays Mrs. Violet Venable, a woman who mourns the loss of her son who died last summer on vacation in Greece. The only witness to his death was his cousin Catherine who has apparently gone mad since then and spends her days in an asylum. Mrs. Venable is very eager to have Montgomery Clift’s Dr. Cukrowicz perform a lobotomy on Catherine to stop her madness – but it is clear right from the start that Catherine seems to know something about Sebastian, Mrs. Venable’s beloved son, and his death that Mrs. Venable wants to be kept secret and a lobotomy seems to be the only way to guarantee it. But since Mrs. Venable is the richest woman in town and waves a new hospital in front of Dr. Cukrowicz’s face it seems to be only a matter of time before she gets her wish.

Katharine Hepburn obviously knows that the whole movie is camp and that her part is a borderline caricature. Catherine may be the one who is officially crazy but Katharine Hepburn leaves little doubt that Mrs. Venable is actually the one close to a mental breakdown. But she chose to avoid any grand gestures or crazy facial work and instead decided to play the part as straight-forward and subtle as possible without ever making it too subtle – the craziness is always there but in a very controlled and hidden way which makes the whole performance incredibly mesmerizing.

Overall, this is one of Katharine Hepburn’s most fascinating performances. Her entrance is among the great movie entrances ever. The first thing we hear is her voice while she is slowly coming down in an elevator. Her voice has an echo which makes it even more haunting and the way her secretary says “She’s on her way down” seems to announce the arrival of a queen. And considering the power and wealth of Mrs. Venable, the description “Queen” might even fit. The first word we hear her say is the name of her son, Sebastian. She will say that name a lot more times. It becomes clear very quickly that her whole life was build around him – she tells Dr. Cukrowicz with pride that she and her son were rather known as a couple than mother and son, people referred to them as “Viola and Sebastian” when they were on their yearly trips. Mrs. Venable seems to have worshipped the ground her son walked on, maybe she was even in love with him...

Everything that is so typical about Katharine Hepburn, her way of talking, her mannerism, her slight arrogance fits together perfectly in this performance. She makes Mrs. Venable a crazy mess without ever letting her appear like that – she carefully avoids all clichés and shows that Mrs. Venable is a woman who knows her power and her position and is used to get what she wants. Mrs. Venable may slowly go crazy but she still knows what she is doing. Katharine Hepburn wonderfully shows that in the mind of Mrs. Venable everything she does makes sense and has an irrevocably logic. She dominates the screen with self-security and self-assurance but there is always a desperation and loneliness behind her façade that gets her closer and closer to the edge of insanity.

Mrs. Venable lives in the past and the memory of her dead son is all that seems to keep herself alive. Her first appearance in the movie is basically a 30-minutes long monologue where she constantly talks about her son, his life, his work, his views and his experiences. And from time to time she lets her niece and her hope for an operation drop in. Katharine Hepburn does all this in a grandly nonchalant way but when she talks about a trip to the Galapagos islands she did with her son and she describes the cruelty of nature, then her acting becomes incredibly intense and holds the viewer on the edge of the seat.

Only when the talk comes to the death of her son, Mrs. Venable lets her masque drop. Katharine Hepburn shows that there is obviously something wrong with his death, something that she is trying to hide. But this secrets is so upsetting to her that it seems impossible for her to hide its existence. But maybe Mrs. Venable can’t hide the existence of the secret but she can hide its meaning and since Mrs. Venable is used to always get her will there doesn’t seem to be a problem.

Kate is not the central character in Suddenly, Last Summer and  she is gone for a long part in the middle and never gets as much focus again as in her first big scene but Mrs. Venable’s presence is so strong and her influence over the whole story so dominating that the power of her character can’t be denied.

At the end; Katharine Hepburn is even able to top her entrance with one of the most exhilarating exits in movie history. That whole scene could have so easily been overdone but again, Kate chose to simply play it totally straightforward without any doubt or signs of craziness and that way makes Mrs. Venable’s descent into madness even more tragic and frightening.

Despite all the evilness of the character, Katharine also shows enough pathetic and tragic parts in Mrs. Venable that she becomes an altogether pitiful character.

This is easily one of Kate’s greatest achievements and for this she gets

Best Actress 1959: Simone Signoret in "Room at the Top"

Room at the Top tells the story of Joe Lampton, a young and ambitious man who tries to make it to the top by getting close to Susan, the daughter of a powerful man but he also falls in love with Alice, an older and unhappily married woman.

Everything in Room at the Top is very British – the actors, the locations, the whole atmosphere. So the casting of French actress Simone Signoret in the part of Alice was a genius idea – it perfectly underlines that Alice is a woman who sticks out from all the other people in the movie and also points out the loneliness of the character. Alice is a woman in a world that does not fit her. When she talks about her youth in Paris, it’s clear that she did not imagine that life would bring her in some English town as the wife of a British snob who (almost openly) cheats on her.

Alice is different and that differences makes her an incredibly fascinating woman. A lot of this is owed to the fact that Simone Signoret is a very unique presence of the screen. Her wonderful voice, her captivating accent and her unique beauty help immensely to give Alice all the qualities the script demands from her. Her no-nonsense and thoughtful approach to this passionate character is very unique. Simone wonderfully underplays all the emotions of Alice and gives a very subtle performance of a very passionate character.

This underplaying of Alice is the most fascinating aspect of Simone’s performance. The loneliness of her life seems to have made her a rather withdrawn woman but at the same time, Simone constantly hints that there is a very loving and living character beneath the calm surface. As another character in the movie puts it: “Alice is all woman.”

Simone Signoret’s ability to turn Alice into such a complex character is wonderful to watch. And she is also able to bring the much needed tragic quality to Alice – because Alice is a woman who is mostly sad and Simone’s sad smile is an unforgettable image. Simone is flawlessly able to show melancholy and tragic in every second of her performance but at the same time, she never overplays the sadness of the character. She doesn’t use Alice’s unhappy life and marriage to create any sympathy for her and instead, she suffers quietly inside. Despite the passion that Alice possesses, she is also a rather logical and matter-of-fact character and her suffering is only another matter-of-fact circumstance that doesn’t need any accentuation.

But Alice is also longing for love and passion. And she finds happiness in an affair with 25-year old Joe. Joe is a very complicated character. On the one hand, he likes to shout out loud that he is proud to be a member of the working class but on the other hand he tries everything to get ahead and leave this class. And he envies the rich and powerful just as much as he seems to despise them – so his love to Susan is never a real love. The only real love that Joe experiences is with Alice because with her he can be just as he is. There is no pretending between the two and Alice knows that. She knows how much their loves is worth and that she, even though she is older than him and they have to hide their love, can give him more than any other woman. Simone Signoret is able to portray this by making Alice an incredibly mature character – she is far beyond girlish romance but instead she knows life and love and what it all means. Simone wonderfully balances two aspects of Alice – on the one hand, she is mature and grown-up and it’s obvious that Joe isn’t her first lover and her quiet confidence seems to show a strong character but on the other hand her constant melancholy drive her into a state of dependency from Joe and the love she has for him goes far beyond a casual affair. Simone’s ability to mix strength with weakness and toughness with loving softness keep Alice a believable character.

To see Simone Signoret express so much with so little is amazing. She would have a lot of opportunities to show big emotions and break downs. Her break-up with Joe could have been such a scene but she chose to simply sit on a chair and talks very quiet and calm, but the viewer can see her heart breaking inside. During their whole time together she helped him to develop himself and become a better person. As the more mature and experienced of the two, she seemed to take the lead but at the same time she needed love and protection herself but he ultimately chose his own interests over her. When she tells him how wrong he is, her eyes are so reproachful that she can make Joe feel ashamed of all his behaviors without having even to raise her voice.

This voice is another big plus in Simone’s performance. Her French accent works wonderfully to turn Alice into this passionate woman whose voice sounds sad and hungry for life at the same time.

It’s an unforgettable portrayal that doesn’t need any big outbursts or break-downs – Simone's ability to show any kind of feeling or emotion only with her eyes is enough to stay in the viewer's mind.

The only thing that works against Simone is the script that unfortunately reduces Alice to one of two love-interests of Joe without any life beside him.

Still, a marvelous performance from one of the great actresses that gets

Best Actress 1959: Doris Day in "Pillow Talk"

Doris Day received the only Oscar nomination of her career for her performance as Jan Morrow, a very blond and self-reliant interior decorator who falls in love with an innocent man from Texas not knowing that he is also the annoying macho with whom she has to share her telephone line.

Pillow Talk is probably the quintessential Doris Day-movie and it’s very fitting that she received her Oscar nomination for this even though she has given a lot of more impressive performances in her career.

Jan Morrow combines everything that Doris Day is famous for – she is a little naïve, pure and innocent, apparently independent and happy without a man while secretly desperate to meet one.

Pillow Talk is very much like Doris Day’s performance – sweet and innocent but at the same time full of sex. It’s a cheerful, colorful and amusing story that is able to mention sex and lust in almost every moment without ever losing its innocence. And Doris Day was always perfectly able to show the same thing in her performances – childlike innocence mixed with a good deal of sex (but of course, not in the way that Carroll Baker did in Baby Doll). The way she runs through her apartment makes her look like a little girl but she has the confidence and the intelligence of a grown woman.

The first thing we ever see of Jan is her naked leg. Finally, the camera pulls away and we see Jan, wearing only her underwear, sitting on her bed. These images contrast sharply with the conservative, independent and old-fashioned woman she turns out to be. And it just as much contrasts with Brad Allen – they both share the same telephone line and whenever she tries to make a call he is on the line, sweet talking different women around the clock. Doris Day shows how much dislike Jan has for this man very effectively – it’s a combination of jealousy, regret for her own state and the simple fact that Brad is a womanizer while she is looking for a perfect Mr. Right.

Of course, officially Jan is very happy without a man – at least, that’s what she says but considering that this is 1959 and a Doris-Day-movie it’s obvious right from the start that this woman is never complete without a man.

Pillow Talk is a real treasure – it’s old-fashioned, but also very sexy and incredibly funny thanks to the hilarious work from both Rock Hudson who looked never better and was never funnier and Thelma Ritter who had a simple role but was still able to steal all her scenes away from everyone else. Unfortunately, Doris Day never gets the same chances to shine as these two – her Jan is the straight character in this story who mostly reacts to her surroundings.

But there is still a lot to be appreciate in her performance. Her overwhelmingly charming personality was never put to better use and she acts with ease and simplicity throughout the movie that allows it to be always much more sophisticated and elegant than your average sex comedy. Doris's confident portrayal also helps to make the ending in which Brad, who could have every woman he wants but choses Jan, as believable as it is romantic.

Doris Day is also able to play a rather naïve woman without ever making her appear dumb or simple. The audience knows that Brad is joking with her and pretends to be a shy guy from Texas but there is never the need to look down on Jan for being fooled thanks to Doris’s honest, goodhearted and straight-forward characterization of Jan as a woman who is longing for love and who is overwhelmed when it finally happens. Of course, the chemistry between Rock Hudson and Doris Day is the key to the success of the movie and they both sparkle together.

Doris starts her performance as a symbol of efficiency, righteousness and goodness but it’s clear that handling men is not one of her strength. When Brad says that she listens to him on the phone to brighten up her drab life, she angrily answers “If I could make a call every once in a while my life wouldn’t be so drab” without even noticing what she says. When Tony, the son of a client, is almost trying to rape her in the car, her reaction is a simple “Oh, control yourself!” and then she even agrees to have a drink with him so he will stop.

As I said, Doris’s Jan is a mostly observing character who only takes initiative when a man tricked her into doing that. This surely reduced every depth in the character and basically turns her into a man’s object of affection who willingly takes that part but Doris Day also gets the most funny moments of her performance out of these reactions. When Brad pretends to be gay or she learns the truth about his identity, Doris’s wide-eyed reaction shots are the most memorable moments of her performance.

Overall, it’s an engaging, but also harmless performance that gets