As mentioned in my introduction to Oscarless character actresses, the Best Supporting Actress award is sometimes erroneously referred to as the “old lady’s” award. Even though Oscars for supporting actors have gone more frequently to older men than Oscars for supporting actresses have gone to older women, no one refers to the Best Supporting Actor award as the “old man’s” award.
Ironically, the oldest winner of the Best Supporting Actress award was Peggy Ashcroft who was 77 when she won for A Passage to India. The oldest winner of the Best Supporting Actor award was Christopher Plummer who was five years older at 82 when he won for Beginners. Plummer also holds the record for oldest nominee for the award. He was 88 when he was nominated six years later for All the Money in the World. The record for the oldest nominee among the ladies is Gloria Stuart who was 11 years younger at 77 when she was nominated for Titanic.
Actors who were either old or heavily made up to appear old who have won this award include its first winner, Walter Brennan who won three Oscars in five years for playing men older than himself. Other actors who were either elderly or playing elderly who have won this award include Thomas Mitchell, Donald Crisp, Charles Coburn, Barry Fitzgerald, Edmund Gwenn, Walter Huston, Burl Ives, Ed Begley, Melvyn Douglas (twice), Jack Albertson, John Mills, Ben Johnson, John Houseman, George Burns, John Gielgud, Don Ameche, Sean Connery, Jack Palance, James Coburn, Jim Broadbent, Morgan Freeman, Alan Arkin, and Christopher Plummer. That makes two dozen winners with 27 Oscars between them.
Then there were these half dozen veteran actors who were not as lucky, although four of the six have a combined total of ten Oscar nominations between them:
Ward Bond (1903-1960) was Hollywood’s busiest character actor for more than thirty years, acting in 10-20 films per year. His record was 30 in 1935. He was in 13 films nominated for a Best Picture Oscar including Lady for a Day, Dead End, You Can’t Take It with You, Gone with the Wind, The Grapes of Wrath, The Maltese Falcon, It’s a Wonderful Life, The Quiet Man, and Mister Roberts. His greatest roles were in three films directed by John Ford starring John Wayne: Fort Apache In which he played Wayne’s superior and Shirley Temple’s father, The Quiet Man in which he played the village priest, and The Searchers in which he again played Wayne’s superior and Vera Miles’ father. He ended his career as star of the TV series, Wagon Train.
Arthur Kennedy (1914-1990) made his film debut as James Cagney’s brother in 1940’s City for Conquest and received his first of five Oscar nominations as Kirk Douglas’ brother in 1949’s Champion. He won the New York Film Critics award for 1951’s Bright Victory for which he received his second Oscar nomination and his only one in the lead role. He was subsequently nominated for Trial, Peyton Place, and Some Came Running. He continued to give outstanding performances in such films as A Summer Place, Elmer Gantry, Hemingway’s Adventures of a Young Man, Barabbas, Lawrence of Arabia, Cheyenne Autumn, and Nevada Smith. His last film was 1990’s Grandpa in which he played the title role.
Peter Lorre (1904-1964) achieved stardom as the child killer in Fritz Lang’s 1931 German film, M, a 1933 release in the U.S. In England for Alfred Hitchcock’s 1934 film, The Man Who Knew Too Much, he came to the U.S. in 1935 and was immediately given starring roles in Mad Love and Crime and Punishment. He then starred in a series of Mr. Moto films in 1938 and 1939. He later appeared in mostly supporting roles in such films as The Maltese Falcon, Casablanca, Arsenic and Old Lace, Hotel Berlin, Black Angel, The Beast with Five Fingers, Beat the Devil, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Around the world in 80 Days, Silk Stockings, The Story of Mankind, The Big Circus, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Raven, Muscle Beach Party, and The Patsy.
Frank Morgan (1890-1949) followed his older brother Ralph into acting. He made his film debut in 1916 and worked steadily until his death 33 years later. Oscar nominated for 1934’s The Affairs of Cellini and 1942’s Tortilla Flat, he is probably best remembered for playing the title role in 1939’s The Wizard of Oz. His many other films include The Kiss Before the Mirror, When Ladies Meet, Bombshell, There’s Always Tomorrow, The Good Fairy, Enchanted April, Naughty Marietta, The Great Ziegfeld, The Shop Around the Corner, The Mortal Storm, Boom Town, The Human Comedy, The White Cliffs of Dover, Green Dolphin Street, Summer Holiday, The Three Musketeers, The Stratton Story, and Any Number Can Play.
Basil Rathbone (1892-1967) began his film career in 1921. A noted stage actor, he became of the screen’s best character actors with a trio of 1935 classics, David Copperfield, Anna Karenina, and A Tale of Two Cities. Oscar nominated for 1936’s Romeo and Juliet and 1938’s If I Were King, he was unforgettable in 1938’s The Adventures of Robin Hood, 1939’s Son of Frankenstein, The Hound of the Baskervilles, and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, 1940’s The Mark of Zorro, 1941’s The Black Cat, and from 1942-1946, a series of modern dress Sherlock Holmes films. Much on TV after that, his infrequent later films included 1955’s We’re No Angels, 1956’s The Court Jester, 1958’s The Last Hurrah, and 1962’s The Magic Sword.
Roland Young (1887-1953) began his stage career in his native London in 1908, moving to the U.S. in 1912 where he became a Broadway fixture, appearing in several silent films and making his first talkie in 1929. Unforgettable in 1931’s The Guardsman, 1932’s One Hour with You, 1935’s David Copperfield and Ruggles of Red Gap, he received his only Oscar nomination for 1937’s Topper in which he played the title role. He was equally unforgettable in 1938’s The Young in Heart, 1940’s Irene and The Philadelphia Story, 1941’s No, No, Nanette, 1943’s Forever and a Day, and 1945’s And Then There Were None. His later films included 1949’s The Great Lover, 1950’s Let’s Dance, 1951’s St. Benny the Dip, and 1953’s That Man from Tangier.
