Mister Roberts (1955)

Winner for Best Supporting Actor (Jack Lemmon), nominated for Best Picture.

You would think that the Best Supporting acting categories would be a bigger career boost. Not so much with the lead acting categories, as the roles that get nominated there tend to go to more experienced, established actors, but supporting roles should be where new careers are made. But, for whatever reason, a Best Supporting Actor/Actress win doesn't tend to launch a great new career. Sometimes it is because the award goes to an already established actor, but even when the award does go to a newcomer, it seems like most of the time there isn't much of a follow-up. The award is their highlight, and it all goes downhill from there. This film is a notable exception. The winner, Jack Lemmon, was an unknown actor at the time (he had only been in two previous films, both in minor roles), and from here he went on to get 7 subsequent Best Actor nominations (winning for one, Save The Tiger), and to become a legend, one of Hollywood's most respected actors. (The only other supporting actor win that comes close to this record is Robert DeNiro's win for The Godfather, Part II. DeNiro could be argued to be more popular and respected now than Lemmon, but DeNiro, to date, has only 5 Best Actor nominations and 1 win.)

Of course, the Oscar didn't make Lemmon's career. The award was just a sign of the strength of his performance, and the performance was an indicator of the talent and potential that he held. Lemmon gave a truly career-making performance in Mister Roberts. He stole every scene he was in, and was truly a stand-out in the cast. What is really amazing is that this newcomer managed to be such a stand-out against this cast, against such legends as Henry Fonda, James Cagney, and William Powell.

Mister Roberts tells the story of a US Navy cargo ship, stuck in the backwaters of the Pacific in the closing days of World War II. Anchored 5000 miles from the nearest action, the crew stagnates and shirks their duties, bored with the task of loading and unloading supplies and missing out on all of the glory of war. The titular character, played by Henry Fonda, is the lieutenant of the ship, acting as the go-between for the under-stimulated crew and their tyrannical captain while writing weekly letters attempting to get transferred to a more exciting, worthwhile post. The captain, played by Cagney, is harsh and arbitrary, calling down disciplinary actions for the most insignificant breaches of protocol while riding to success on the hard work of his lieutenant. Lemmon plays Ensign Pulver, a brash, libidinous, but ultimately cowardly young officer who dreams and schemes his big plans while doing everything he can to avoid any work or conflict.

Lemmon created a unique niche for himself through his roles. He had an image that projected dignity in the most demeaning circumstances, that commanded respect even while he was being meek or self-deprecating, that reflected morality and decency even when his characters were committing acts that were entirely socially unacceptable. All of this can be seen in the character of Ensign Pulver. In fact, while I certainly don't mean to suggest that Jack Lemmon was a one-note player who made an entire career out of playing the same character repeatedly, but everything that was great and memorable about Lemmon as an actor can be seen in this role.

Movie trivia question: As evidence that Oscar doesn't always award the most iconic nominee, Humphrey Bogart failed to capture the statue for his performance in Casablanca, one of the most memorable film performances of all time. Who did take the Best Actor award for that year? Answer coming soon.