Evening star., 1953-11-29
The Passing Show
The Passing Show
1t Should Be q Real Riot
When the Judges Try to Select Best Players
In 1853, q Year Reeking With Good Acting
By Joy Cormody

There is bound to be a riot,
verbal type fortunately. when
it comes time to select the best
screen performers for 1858.
A mere preliminary thumb
ing through the years reviews
makes it excitingly clear that
the movies have reeked with
good acting recently. The ex-
planation is rather simple.
With fewer productions by
more than half, studios have
found good actors available.
And, with jobs much more
scarce, those players who have
found work have decided real
ly to get into it.
1t is not enough merely to
behave in front of a camera, at
least it is not as much as it
used to be. AS for glamour, it
has been discovered that the
supply of this in Hollywood far
exceeds the demand. To put
it specifically, and just a bit
odiously, you can get Spencer
Tracy or Van Hef1in so readily
that it is foolish to take, say,
Forrest Tucker or Willard
Parker.
Sinotro q Condidote
Some pretty astonishing
things have happened under
the new dispensation. The
most conspicuous might well,
be Frank Sinatra's candidacy
for top acting honorS for his
performance as Maggie in
From Here to Eternity"
Sinatra may not be the last
Hollywood bantam from whom
such a high-powered perform
ance could be expected, but he
is in the bottom 10.
Prizef1ghters are not the only
humans stimulated by an
empty stomach or diminished
standard of living. There is
not much a whiteface Hereford
can do about the plunge in the,
cattle market, but actors can
think of a few constructive
things.
The mereSt skim through of
a film chart on the drama desk
as this is being written is
startling on this score. It re-
vealS at least 20 films in which
one, or sometimes several, per-
formanceS are of top honorS
caliber. Take, for an example
Of the latter, such compara-
lively modest production as
THE Story of Three Loves"
Even a BoIIerino
There were two stunning
feminine performances in this
dramatic omnibus, that of
MORA Shearer as the dancer,
of Pier Angel as the partner
of acrobat Kirk Douglas.
Nothing could be more exqui-
site than Miss Shearer's balle-
rina, but it is too wispy, no
doubt, for a Hollywood prize.
Or, to go on with the inven-
tory of productions with sew
eral outstanding perform
ances. what of From Here to
Eternity" In addition to
Sinatra's. those of Montgom-
cry Cliff, Burt Lancaster and
Deborah Kerr are the kind on
which Hollywood can use It's
word terrific" without sound
ing intoxicated.
Man on a Tightrope"
abounded in acting excellence
by Fredric March, Cameron
Mitchell. Paul Hartman, and
rather above all, Gloria Gra-
hame. Miss Grahame, who
collected last years supporting
performance award, is the
nearest thing to a cinch this
year-in the same classif1ca-
ton. In addition to this piece
of acting, she has another of
equal potency in "The Big
Heat" If any one beats her out
of first Second-woman acting
honors, it will be a fluke.
A Mob of Condidotes
Selections in all categories
of acting will be difficult. But
by far the most difficult on
the pictures released to date
will be the years best male
performance.
Cliff, who has come close
before, is an obvious eligible.