“THE OSCAR DERBY”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27026, 10 March 1949, Page 2

“THE OSCAR DERBY”

Hollywood’s first consideration in the new year is always the Academy of Motion Picture Art and Sciences Award Competition, known to the trade as “'the Oscar Derby.” On January 20 a roster of eligible pictures is mailed to the members of the Actors, Writers and Directors' Guild for nominations in each of their categories, and to the members of the academy for nominations in the best picture category. The results are to hand by February 14, when ballots for the final voting go out to the 2000 members of the academy and the awards are announced late in March. > The winners this year will receive their “ Oscar ” statuettes at a presentation ceremony to be held on a sound stage at the Warner Brothers’ studio.

As usual, each studio has its favourite sons and daughters, but the most discussed contest this year is that among actresses for the best performance award. The prophets have already narrowed the race to two entrants, Jane Wyman for “ Johnny Belinda ” and Olivia de Havilland for “ The Snake Pit,” with Miss Wyman slightly ahead as she has never won an award before. Their closest Ihreats are Ingrid Bergman (" Joan of Arc ”), Irene Dunne (“ I Remember Mama"), Jennifer Jones ("Portrait of Jenny ”), and Barbara Stanwyck (*' Sorry, Wrong Number ”). A poll of the studios for their best hopes pretty well covers the competition in other categories. Columbia bravely presents ” The Lovers of Carmen ” as a somewhat forlorn hope. Eagle Lion is deeply interested in its English import, “ The Red Shoes.” M-G-M will concentrate on “ Command Decision ” and Clark Gable but “ The Search ” may be regarded as a reserve offering. Paramount has hopes for “A Foreign Affair ” and “ Sorry, Wrong Number. RKO’s favourite cinematic children are “ Joan of Arc,” “ I Remember Mama,” “ The Pearl,” and “ The Fugitive.” Samuel Goldwyn will not resist any move to honour hi's “ Enchantment.” David O. Selznick is exhibiting his ” Portrait of Jennie" in time to make the picture eligible Twentieth Century-Fox is concentrating on “ Tire Snake Pit,” but the studio has modest hopes for ” Sitting Pretty ” and “Apartment for Peggy.”’, United Artists’ best hope is the Howard Hawks production, ” Red River.” Uni-versal-International has pinned its faith to Sir Laurence Olivier’s ” Hamlet,” a strong British contender, and is keeping "All My Sons,” "Another Part of the Forest ” and " You Gotta Stay Happy ” from the Hollywood plant in reserve. Warner Brothers’ favourite offspring is “ Johnny Belinda,” although there is a strong insurgent movement in Burbank for the earlier “ Treasure of the Sierra Madre,” and an occasional voice at the studio mentions “June Bride,” “Key Largo” or *

Promising opportunities will be available for Australian actors and actresses in Robert Morley’s , production of “ Edward, My Son,” when the famous English actor arrives to stage it for Williamsons late in the year. Morley told an AAP representative in New York: I will take Australians to New Zealand with me after the Australian season. We will play in New Zealandyfor six weeks, and if a tour of South Africa is arranged I will take my Australian cast there, too.

Danny Kaye can arrange to come to Australia, the grapevine says, if he is guaranteed £SOOO a week.

Tenor Rafael Lagares, with the Italian Grand Opera Company which is now in New Zealand, has signed a film contract to play Caruso in a Hollywood production of the life of Enrico Caruso. Signor Lagares said the contract was with Twentieth Century Fox, and that shooting ” would begin in September. • • ®

Don Nicol, the one-time window dresser who became one of the most popular comedians in the history of the Australian stage, died recently. Nicol made his first big J. C. Williamson hit in “ Sally.” He became a popular idol after his performance in “ Balalaika.” His last performance in “ Follow the Girls,” with Lois Green, about three years ago, will always be remembered by Melbourne theatregoers. To “front of the house” patrons he was the worldly sophisticated comedian, but at heart he was always the “ local boy.”

Mae West has brought Diamond Lil ’ back to Broadway, nearly 20 years after her first appearance in it. The critics have scoffed, but the crowds are as big as ever. Miss West shows fewer signs of the passing years than some of her audiences. New York’s normally urbane dramatic critics all turned up at the revival land agreed that the plot was as “ corny ” as ever. Against a background of vice and murder, “ Lil ” has a scandalous association with the political boss of New York’s Bowery. She achieves respectability with a Salvation Army captain who turns out to be a disguised detective. George Jean Nathan, dean of the critics, summed up their attitude: “Mae West isn’t much of an actress by any tony critical standards, and * Diamond LU ’ by any such standards is truck. But they’re disgracefully good sport.” • • • . An English cinema audience at Beading, Berkshire, recently took film criticism into its own hands. It walked out en masse from Mickey Rooney’s musical technicolor film, “ Summer Holiday.’* • • • The Los Angeles police have refused to release the actor, Robert Mitchum, from gaol temporarily so he could finish a film. The film is “ The Big Steal.” Mitchum’s attorney, Jerry Geisler, said that unless Mitchum was released " hundreds of innocent people ” would lose their jobs. The judge replied: "If we tried to take all innocent people into consideration, we would have to pull down all our gaols.” Mitchum, who was sentenced to prison on narcotics charges, appeared in court, but United Press says he did not seem to care whether he was freed or not.