BEST FILM:
THE AWFUL TRUTH - WINNER
DEAD END
EASY LIVING
SHALL WE DANCE
THE PRISONER OF ZENDA
STAGE DOOR
STELLA DALLAS
NOTHING SACRED
It was a good year for screwball comedies as four of my eight nominated films were comedies. It came down to The Awful Truth and Stage Door. And The Awful Truth just edges it out. Irene Dunne and Cary Grant are just perfection in their first film together. And they would make two more together so they may still win some more Monties.
BEST DIRECTOR
LEO McCAREY - THE AWFUL TRUTH
GREGORY LACAVA - STAGE DOOR (WINNER)
WILLIAM WYLER - DEAD END
MITCHELL LEISEN - EASY LIVING
MARK SANDRICH - SHALL WE DANCE
Director Gregory LaCava who missed out last year for getting a Montie for My Man Godfrey picks up one now for his amazing direction of several high powered actresses in Stage Door. He managed to get this sensational cast of Katherine Hepburn, Ginger Rogers, Gail Patrick, Lucille Ball, Eve Arden, Ann Miller, Andrea Leeds and others to gell perfectly. And he did it two years before George Cukor would helm his all female cast in The Women. Congratulations Gregory.
BEST ACTOR
CARY GRANT - THE AWFUL TRUTH (WINNER)
RONALD COLMAN - THE PRISONER OF ZENDA
JOEL MCCREA - DEAD END
ROBERT MONTGOMERY - NIGHT MUST FALL (WINNER)
FREDRIC MARCH - NOTHING SACRED
My favorite actor of all time Cary Grant receives his first Montie. This has been a very good period for Mr. Grant. Just recently winning my favorite classic movie actor tournament and a recent party and now winning his first Montie. And he shares it with Robert Montgomery for his wicked turn in Night Must Fall
BEST ACTRESS
IRENE DUNNE - THE AWFUL TRUTH (WINNER)
JEAN ARTHUR - EASY LIVING
CAROLE LOMBARD - NOTHING SACRED
BARBARA STANWYCK - STELLA DALLAS
GINGER ROGERS - STAGE DOOR
Irene Dunne was not to be denied a Montie for a second time after losing to Carole Lombard last year. Her performance in this year's The Awful Truth is one of the best performances I have ever seen. Her Lucy Warriner is so funny and so fly by the seat of your pants, you don't know what this woman will say or do next. I happily give Irene her first Montie.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
ALAN HALE - STELLA DALLAS
DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS, JR. - THE PRISONER OF ZENDA (WINNER)
HUMPHREY BOGART - DEAD END
RALPH BELLAMY - THE AWFUL TRUTH
RAYMOND MASSEY - THE PRISONER OF ZENDA
This was a tough one to call as one film yielded two great supporting performances. Fairbanks, Jr. and Massey in The Prisoner of Zenda. And while Massey had the better role of Duke Michael, Fairbanks had the flashier one in Count Rupert. And I loved him as this likeable rogue. So step up to the podium Mr. Fairbanks to receive your Montie.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
DAME MAY WHITTY - NIGHT MUST FALL
JANE WYATT - LOST HORIZON
LUCILLE BALL - STAGE DOOR (WINNER)
EVE ARDEN - STAGE DOOR (WINNER)
OLIVIA DE HAVILLAND - IT'S LOVE I'M AFTER
And with this category we come to our first tie. I thought Lucille Ball and Eve Arden each shined greatly in Stage Door, trading wisecracks all day long. In fact they were like the perfect comedic team, bouncing one liners off each other with brilliant timing. So they each receive a Montie.
So the final count: The Awful Truth takes home 3 Monties (Film, Actor, Actress) and Stage Door takes home 3 Monties (Director, Supporting Actress -two).
I'll be back soon with the year 1938.
Stage Door and The Awful Truth are my favorite movies from 1937 as well.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE Stage Door and The Awful Truth! Irene Dunne is amazing and The Awful Truth proves why she is one of the best, most versatile actresses ever. Ginger Rogers is perfection in Stage Door I love how she bites back hard at Katharine Hepburn. Fantastic picks for best films of 1937 I completely agree.
ReplyDeleteThe Awful Truth is also my favorite movie from 1937 =) Other great movies are Nothing Sacred, Easy Living, High, Wide and Handsome and Stella Dallas =) Great, great year <3
ReplyDeleteUnbelieveable how much I am waiting to finally watch Stagedoor..
ReplyDeleteI think Stage Door and The Awful Truth are probably my favourites from 1938 too. Such a tough call for Best Actress though, I haven't seen Jean in Easy Living, but the other four were marvellous! :)
ReplyDeleteAny time I see Eve Arden's name I just get massively over-excited! She didn't seem to age, looking pretty young as far forward as Grease so it was a bit of a surprise for me to see her this far back. Another film I need to watch!
ReplyDeleteYou may find this hard to believe, but I detest The Awful Truth. (Actually, Bringing Up Baby and His Girl Friday are in that same category for me.) While I LOVE Grant and Dunne together in My Favorite Wife and my beloved Penny Serenade, I just couldn't handle The Awful Truth. (I think you know I far prefer drama to comedy.)
ReplyDeleteAlso, I'm going with Barbara Stanwyck on this one. I think Stella Dallas was her finest hour...and she had several fine hours in my opinion. But I ADORE her in Stella Dallas.
So, if it was a Patti instead of a Montie, we'd definitely be awarding differently.