Best Actress in a Supporting Role 1959: Ranking

5. Hermione Baddeley in Room at the Top

Hermione Baddeley gives a completely serviceable performance that fulfills the needs of her very limited role, but she's not on screen long enough to make me care about Elspeth and her plight. 

Best scene: Elspeth's outburst at Joe. 

4. Thelma Ritter in Pillow Talk

Thelma Ritter can't escape the heavy limitations of her role, but she still delivers a highly entertaining performance that, while one-dimensional, never becomes excessively broad and adds life and energy to the whole movie.

Best scene: Brad asks Alma for help.

3. Shelley Winters in The Diary of Anne Frank

Shelley Winters completely disappears into the role of Petronella Van Daan and she works wonderfully with the rest of the cast: she shines in the few moments in which the character is given more focus but she also manages to leave a lasting impression while staying in the background thanks to her haunting and unforgettable reactionary moments.

Best scene: Petronella begs Edith to let the Van Daans stay in the attic.

2. Susan Kohner in Imitation of Life

Susan Kohner realistically portrays Sarah Jane's harsh behavior towards her mother but she is amazing in showing the reasons behind it: she is heartbreaking as she shows Sarah Jane's desire to be someone else, as well as the guilt and anguish that comes from her rejection of her mother. It's a very complex character in which Kohner nails every nuance.

Best scene: Sarah Jane and Annie meet for the last time.

1. Juanita Moore in Imitation of Life

Juanita Moore delivers a devastating, raw portrayal of a mother's unconditional love: she portrays Annie's plight with subtlety and poignancy and she is excellent in portraying her physical decay over the course of the movie. It's a heartbreaking, quiet performance in which every emotion rings true.

Best scene: Sarah Jane and Annie meet for the last time.

Honorable Omissions: I know she won the Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role and that many people agree with her placement in that category, but I personally think that Simone Signoret's alluring, subtle and devastating portrayal of the lonely Alice  in Room at the Top should have been nominated in this category instead. Lee Remick is phenomenal in Anatomy of a Murder - she is an extremely seductive and fascinating presence but she also hints at Laura's desperation that lies beneath, suggesting that there is something more to the case than what is being told but without giving away the truth either. Zhanna Prokhorenko delivers a wonderfully luminous turn as the sweet Shura in the fantastic Ballad of a Soldier - she creates one of the loveliest character I have ever seen and she develops an unforgettable chemistry with Vladimir Ivashov. Her final scene is something truly heartbreaking in its quietness. Carolyn Jones has the least flashy role of Career yet she is absolutely fantastic - she is equally funny and touching as the supportive, lonely Shirley and her chemistry with Anthony Franciosa is truly terrific. The 400 Blows belongs to Truffaut's amazing direction but Claire Maurier is very memorable as the main character's selfish, cold mother, making her character both despicable and pathetic as the same, while Eva Marie Saint brings the right amount of charm, mystery and intelligence to her femme fatale in North by Northwest. Edith Evans delivers a very strong performance in The Nun's Story bringing the right amount of gravitas to the role of the Reverend Mother and her final scene with Audrey Hepburn is truly a knockout, while Gusti Huber leaves her own distinctive mark within the cast of The Diary of Anne Frank. Machiko Kyo is outstanding in the amazing Floating Weeds - she's cunning, sly and manipulative but she's also very moving as she portrays the desperation behind her character's actions. I also like Haruko Sugimura's subtle performance in the same movie, as she shares a beautiful, tender chemistry with Ganjiro Nakamura and in their scenes together they nicely convey the history between the two. 

The next year: 1983, as requested.

Predictions: Congratulations to Calvin Law! You can now requested a year.

My Best Supporting Actress Ballot:

1. Simone Signoret, Room at the Top - 5/5
2. Lee Remick, Anatomy of a Murder - 5/5
3. Juanita Moore, Imitation of Life
4. Machiko Kyo, Floating Weeds - 5/5
5. Zhanna Prokhorenko, Ballad of a Soldier - 5/5
6. Carolyn Jones, Career - 4.5/5
7. Susan Kohner, Imitation of Life
8. Shelley Winters, The Diary of Anne Frank
9. Claire Maurier, The 400 Blows - 4/5
10. Edith Evans, The Nun's Story - 4/5