I am now doubly ashamed for never yet having viewed this.
Any more shame and I'm going to require the confessional services of Father O'Malley - or at a discount, Father Mike Conroy. 

Ian Kerstein wrote:

I'm hanging my head in shame, sir. 

Hmmm!

Ian Kerstein wrote:

Pantelis Kavouras wrote:

The Country Girl is by far Bing's greatest films and one of the best films I have ever seen in general.

It is indeed a masterpiece.

Who was more deserving of that year's Oscar?
Brando or Bing? 
 

I'm glad I wasn't around in 1954/55 and had to cast my vote. 
The other nominees were
Bing for The Country Girl
Humphrey Bogart for The Caine Mutiny
James Mason for A Star is Born
and Dan O'Herlihy for Robinson Crusoe.

I cannot comment on Dan O'Herlihy as I've never seen the film. I'd imagine he was nominated simply because he would have had to hold your attention on his own for most of the film - a bit like Spencer Tracy in The Old Man and the Sea.

However, Bing and Bogie are outstanding with material outside of their usual style. Either man deserved it over Brando just for attempting something different. Mason was also superb in his role of course. 

Brando is good but compared to the performances of Bing and Bogie - not sure it stacks up in hindsight. On the Waterfront was probably the right film at the right time and therefore that added weight to the decision of the Oscar panel. 

Maybe Brando was chosen because Bing & Bogie had already won. James Mason and Dan O'Herlihy may have been overlooked because they weren't American. Mason did go on to be nominated two more times in his career, but as supporting actor: Georgy Girl (1966) & The Verdict (1982).

Georgy Girl has a connection to Australia - the popular folk group, The Seekers provided the performance for the title song.

Bing's performance in The Country Girl is so beautifully layered. So, Ian, you must watch this film. It is absolutely essential Crosby viewing. Not only for Bing - Grace and Bill Holden are brilliant too.

Ian, I also will be one of the cacophony of voices saying that you should see The Country Girl the nearest time you can find a couch and a TV remote to put it on..! It’s my favorite Crosby film hands down. There are others I return to more often, but this one is simultaneously what I find to be his best and by extension my favorite. Last semester at college I ended up writing a whole essay on the play because of how much I liked the film.

Ian Kerstein wrote:

A very interesting and nuanced analysis, Aaron. Thank you.
I've only ever seen the full film of The Caine Mutiny and was extremely impressed with Bogie's performance. He's my favourite male star actor, so I must confess I can watch him in almost anything. It's just a shame the film had such a needless love story unbalancing the rest of it.
I have the feeling that Brando's performance so dazzled the academy because it was a revolutionary type of raw acting style quite new to film. 

Of Dan O'Herlihy, I am not at all familiar but James Mason was always convincing with his umistakable voice and quite minimalist approach which still appears so impressively contemporary when set against others from that era - such as Greer Garson.

I anticipate I'm going to be very impressed with Bing's performance. Bias will clearly be at work, here because I am such an admirer but nonetheless, I have heard so much of what a departure this was for him.

I've recently had a discussion with a friend over Bob Hope's dramatic capabilities and Oscar worthiness which (despite his number of "honorary" statuettes and citations) I felt were not at all strong. A superlative film comedian, pioneer of standup, amusing dancer and decent singer, I just don't think he was living proof that generally great comedians make good actors. He seemed to lack the required depths whenever he gave it half a go in for example "The Seven Little Foys" and "Beau James". However, his performance singing with the superb Shirley Ross "Thanks for the Memory" from "The Big Broadcast of 1938" is so beautifully effecting. 

Bing seemed to be a completely different proposition. With the same friend, I mentioned that I thought the very best acting Western World world male singing superstar was Sinatra (I think he could have been a great acting star had he never sung a note) and the two very worst (oh why not, while we're at it?) being Tony Bennett and Sting. 

 

I know how much you like Bob Hope. I responded to David and your post on Bob Hope under "Bing's Co-Workers". I'll use here, Ian, to direct you there as I have left a YouTube link of a Bob Hope interview from Australian TV.

Hope you find it.

Last edited by Aaron Tickner (Today 6:50 am)

Ian Kerstein wrote:

Thank you for your voice, John.
Wow! Now that's dedication. 
Without spoiling the ending of the film, what were your main observations of the play?
Was the film a loyal adaptation? 

I feel that the film develops Frank Elgin (Bing’s role) in a way that makes the drama more compelling and a richer piece of commentary. Beyond that, the film is fairly loyal, the motions of the story are the same and a lot of the lines are retained, but the addition of musical numbers, and a slight change to the backstory, I think improves upon Odets’ original play.

Ian Kerstein wrote:

Pantelis Kavouras wrote:

The Country Girl is by far Bing's greatest films and one of the best films I have ever seen in general.

It is indeed a masterpiece.

Who was more deserving of that year's Oscar?
Brando or Bing? 
 

This is an easy question. Bing Crosby gave one of the greatest performances in the history of cinema as Frank Elgin in The Country Girl, although Brando gave the best performance of his career and was worthy of the Award Bing undeniably had a stronger claim that year.

Pantelis Kavouras wrote:

Ian Kerstein wrote:

Pantelis Kavouras wrote:

The Country Girl is by far Bing's greatest films and one of the best films I have ever seen in general.

It is indeed a masterpiece.

Who was more deserving of that year's Oscar?
Brando or Bing? 
 

This is an easy question. Bing Crosby gave one of the greatest performances in the history of cinema as Frank Elgin in The Country Girl, although Brando gave the best performance of his career and was worthy of the Award Bing undeniably had a stronger claim that year.

WOW!!! This is praise indeed, Pantelis. Thank you. I am becoming giddy with even higher expectations over this one. I certainly need to see "On the Waterfront" too, co-starring the recently gathered Eva Marie Saint. I thought she was going to with us forever. 
 

ModernBingFan0377 wrote:

Well, Odets didn’t actually have a hand in the film, outside of writing the source text. The script was adapted for the screen by George Seaton, who also directed it, with William Perlberg producing it. This same pairing are best known for their work on Miracle On 34th Street, and they also did Little Boy Lost. I haven’t found any comment that Odets made about the film, but it is something that intrigues me too.

I've just taken delivery this week of "Little Boy Lost" on DVD. I've never seen that, either. Was this the first of Bing's non-onscreen singing dramatic roles? 
 

Aaron Tickner wrote:

Ian Kerstein wrote:

Pantelis Kavouras wrote:

This is an easy question. Bing Crosby gave one of the greatest performances in the history of cinema as Frank Elgin in The Country Girl, although Brando gave the best performance of his career and was worthy of the Award Bing undeniably had a stronger claim that year.

WOW!!! This is praise indeed, Pantelis. Thank you. I am becoming giddy with even higher expectations over this one. I certainly need to see "On the Waterfront" too, co-starring the recently gathered Eva Marie Saint. I thought she was going to with us forever. 
 

On the Waterfront is better than A Streetcar Named Desire, although both are classics. 

If you want a great performance from Brando - try "Bedtime Story". His co-star was David Niven. Shirley Jones was the leading lady. You would know the remake - Dirty Rotten Scoundrels with Michael Caine and Steve Martin. Although the original flopped and the remake is hailed as a classic, I do think the original is so much better for Brando's very straight performance compared to Steve Martin's mugging. As true English gents, Niven and Caine are quite comparable.

That's interesting, Aaron. I must admit, I have tended to tiptoe around Brando's comedy performances. I thought it was an odd one he gave in "The Teahouse of the August Moon" and I've tried twice, now to watch him with Sophia Loren in Chaplin's final completed film, "A Countess From Hong Kong", where it seems to me the old master would have been far better to have cast Doris Day and Rock Hudson and just put his feet up. I am fond of David Niven, though and so on your recommendation, will give it a go. I have seen "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" and enjoyed Steve Martin's mugging - but to be fair, that's what I was expecting. 

Last edited by Ian Kerstein (Today 8:54 am)

Thank you, Pantelis. This just sounds better and better. Do you know if this was the most satisfactory project of George Seaton's career? 

Yes, I saw "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" on general release at the cinema. It helped that I went as a Steve Martin admirer. Had I not been and if I had seen "Bedtime Story" first, I may well have shared your view, Stepo. I certainly would easily place Steve Martin's performance in the remake of "Father of the Bride" way behind Spencer Tracy's in the original. The irony here was that the head of MGM at the time wanted another comedian, Jack Benny for the role. Jack wanted it even more. 

Last edited by Ian Kerstein (Today 12:07 pm)