1953 (the nominees and the winner in alphabetical order):
Leslie Caron – Lili (Lili Daurier)
Ava Gardner – Mogambo (Eloise “Honey Bear”
Kelly)
Audrey Hepburn – Roman holiday (Princess
Ann) - WINNER
Deborah Kerr – From here to eternity (Karen
Holmes)
Maggie McNamara – The moon is blue (Patty
O’Neill)
1953 – My rankings:
1. Audrey Hepburn – Roman holiday
This performance is a fine, faultless character development from the young, enchanting Miss Hepburn. Though she had not to play Her Highness at all as she was the picture of a princess, yet she just shined naturally, without the smallest effort in every scene (especially in those ones when her character can forget who she really is for a day). This story could be about anybody; it doesn’t necessary that the person must be a princess being unsatisfied with her fate and obligations. Who doesn’t want to escape from their gloomy everyday life just to do and experience something else; so everyone can relate to this story and character. Sitting on the terrace of a café, changing the hair-style, dancing on a romantic evening or just walking in the rain and falling in love in the meanwhile.
I put her in front of Leslie Caron because although both actresses managed to achieve character development – I so prefer – Miss Hepburn’s performance was more dramatic (and for me it is an essential condition of Oscar nomination and winning).
Three extraordinary rise above the others: the one is when after the dancing chaos we are in Joe Bradley’s room and the lovers are looking at each other for long then they fall into each other’s arms; the other one is when they say goodbye to each other in front of the palace in the car and the third one is at the end of the press conference.
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2. Leslie Caron – Lili
Principally I could compare this performance to Shirley Booth’s from the previous year; it was so cute. But while Booth’s performance was captivating in its adult and dramatic manner, this had a childish, innocent appeal. Caron’s acting was very believable to me from beginning to end – this was much more a coming-of-age than Julie Harris’ performance also from the previous year. This movie was a short little “still life” that could entirely carry me away – we laugh and cry with the innocent Lili. The movie also showcases brilliantly what a ballerina-turned-actress was capable of in those classic years: her scenes as the waitress are little gems – first she moves awkwardly, then in her fantasy she transforms into a seductive waitress and woman from her mousy attitude. The last dance sequence is also full of emotions – what joy shines on her face when she discovers real love inside of her that differs from the sudden crush she felt for the Magician and that can only be expressed by dance so magnificently!
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The remaining three nominations are riddles to me and I put them in tie – all of them were uninteresting and not worth even the nomination:
Ava Gardner – Mogambo
Miss Gardner has incredibly good acting qualities – kind/chirping voice, impressive/sexy look, beautiful face – and she could use these to the maximum in this movie. Mogambo is a very silly movie with beautiful landscape scenery, so there is nothing much to expect from the performances. Gardner plays a jealous woman who is saved from escaping into desperation and self-pity only by her own sharp tongue and modern way of thinking, when her safari knight breaks up with her in the favor of the newly arrived, innocent looking blonde. Probably the lack of drama was the main reason that this character could not unfold, so that’s why it just stuck in a kind of mediocrity that is not worthy of an Oscar nomination. The only better performance is by Grace Kelly who was nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category but lost to Donna Reed.
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Deborah Kerr – From here to eternity
It is obvious that this performance was nominated due to the film’s popularity and not because this was something outstanding. Nothing extra, no change in emphasis, no character development – absolutely one-dimensional, almost boring performance. It is true that Miss Kerr played real “lady-like” characters before this and this one (the slut cheating on his husband whenever she has the chance) meant a turning point in her career; but it was not enough for an Oscar nomination.
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Maggie McNamara – The Moon is blue
The character of a talkative, slightly jolly yet outspoken young woman really suited this Audrey Hepburn look-alike actress, but unfortunately it remained as uninteresting as the film itself. She played the character with no depth or scope; she just rattled off her lines as they were written. And that’s it.
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