# Greatest Film Performance Ever? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 19, 2004, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-film-performance-ever/270057 "2004-10-19T17:00:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Roseworm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df788c/32.png) [@Roseworm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roseworm)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-film-performance-ever/270057/1 "2004-10-19T17:00:22Z")
Greetings, everyone, Here is my nominee for the greatest film performance of all time: \*\*Frank Faylen \*\* in \*The Lost Weekend \* (1945) Frank Faylen was one of Hollywood’s most versatile and dependable character actors. Prolific, too. In 1939 (Hollywood’s “Platinum Year”), he appeared in 18 films, then beat that in 1943 with 24 films. He is best known for his role as Herbert T. Gillis, the father of the title character on the TV show “The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis” (1959-1963). But in 1945 he burned up the screen in \*The Lost Weekend \* as “Bim” Nolan, a sadistic male nurse who can barely disguise his contempt for the patients in a drunk tank. In a mesmerizing (and disturbing) performance he cruelly taunts Ray Milland’s character for his alcoholism. He also pulls off what is arguably the most difficult acting trick of all - he subtly hints at Bim’s homosexuality without ever being “swishy.” On a minute-per-minute basis, this is easily the greatest film performance ever. I also want to call attention to two other great performances: \*\*Isabell Jewell \*\* in \*A Tale of Two Cities \* (1935) Isabell Jewell is best known for her role as Emmy Slattery in \*Gone With The Wind \* (1939). In \*A Tale of Two Cities \* she plays an unfortunate seamstress who accompanies Sidney Carton (Ronald Colman) to the guillotine. Her character is a sweet, simple soul, innocent of politics, who has no idea why she has been condemned. It is a beautiful, heartbreaking performance. \*\*George Sanders \*\* in \*Samson and Delilah \* (1949) Born to play cynical cads, George Sanders won Best Supporting Actor for _All About Eve_ (1950). Sanders was also a notorious ham. So when he appeared as the Saran of Gaza in _Samson and Delilah_, directed by Cecile B. DeMille (not known for his subtle technique) one could be forgiven for expecting some real scenery-chewing. Instead, Sanders surprised everyone by delivering a beautifully understated performance. Although the Saran is the “villain” of the piece, Sanders makes him intelligent, sympathetic and utterly believable. Who is your nominee? I _lov_e to watch truly great acting. Respectfully, [Roseworm234@yahoo.com](mailto:Roseworm234@yahoo.com) ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-film-performance-ever/270057/2 "2004-10-19T18:25:34Z")
Just off the top of my head . . . Lillian Gish in **The Wind** Mae Marsh in **Intolerance** Constance Talmadge in **Intolerance** Clara Bow in **It** Rudolph Valentino in **Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse** Henry B. Walthall in **Birth of a Nation** Geo. O’Brien in **Sunrise** Max Linder in **Max Doesn’t Speak English** Maria Falconetti **La Passion de Jeanne d’Arc** Mary Pickford in **Stella Maris** Marion Davies in **Show People** Lemme think, now, the talkies . . . ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-film-performance-ever/270057/3 "2004-10-19T18:32:03Z")
Jack Lemmon in **Some Like It Hot** Marlon Brando in **The Godfather** Tom Berenger in **Sniper** (j/k) ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-film-performance-ever/270057/4 "2004-10-19T18:42:53Z")
**Steve Martin** in **All of Me**. He had me believing Lily Tomlin was inside of him for real. ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-film-performance-ever/270057/5 "2004-10-19T19:04:04Z")
**Humphy Bogart** in _Treaure of the Sierra Madre_. Totally tight, controlled, subtle performance, against type. You can’t help but root for Fred C. Dobbs, even after it’s clear that he’s a sociopathic asshole. **Walter Huston** ’s turn as Howard in the same movie is also one of the greatest supporting performances in movie history. I’ll also nominate **Billy Bob Thornton** in _Slingblade_, **John Hurt** in _The Elephant Man_, **Katherine Hepburn** in _The African Queen_, and **Jack Nicholson** in _One Flew Over the Cucoo’s Nest_, and **Steve Martin** in _Pennies from Heaven_. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-film-performance-ever/270057/6 "2004-10-19T19:18:16Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > Clara Bow in **It** See, I thought Tim Curry really gave the standout performance in this one. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Sayid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@Jack\_Sayid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Sayid)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-film-performance-ever/270057/7 "2004-10-19T19:21:44Z")
I’m gonna have to go with **Robert Downey, Jr.** in _Chaplin_. **Uma Thurman** in _Hysterical Blindness_ comes in at a close second. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-film-performance-ever/270057/8 "2004-10-19T19:26:00Z")
> [@Jack Sayid](#): > > I’m gonna have to go with **Robert Downey, Jr.** in _Chaplin_. Yeah, but **Charlie Chaplin** was pretty good in _Downey_, too. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-film-performance-ever/270057/9 "2004-10-19T19:42:58Z")
**Anthony Hopkins** in _The Silence of the Lambs_ ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-film-performance-ever/270057/10 "2004-10-19T19:47:27Z")
Oh, that’s simple. **Vivien Leigh** in _A Streetcar Named Desire_. Thank you for asking. ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-film-performance-ever/270057/11 "2004-10-19T20:03:29Z")
Al Pacino in **The Merchant of Venice** and **Scent of a Woman** Tom Hanks in **Philadelphia** and **Forrest Gump** (perhaps an unpopular choice but I stand by it) Jack Nicholson in **One Flew over the cuckoos next** Marlon Brando in **Godfather** Sean Penn, Naomi Watts, Benicio Del Toro in **21 Grams** I don’t know about picking one performance above all others but these are what came to my mind. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-film-performance-ever/270057/12 "2004-10-19T20:07:12Z")
> [@F. U. Shakespeare](#): > > **Anthony Hopkins** in _The Silence of the Lambs_ It’s in my top five at least. Damn, I _knew_ he was an actor, that it was _just a movie_, and that even if it _was_ true he was either strapped down or behind inch thick glass. But Hopkins scared the crap out of me in that movie, before there was even a drop of blood. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-film-performance-ever/270057/13 "2004-10-19T21:02:20Z")
Hear, hear. His performance seemed to cross the line from horror (where someone you care about is in danger), to terror, where _you’re_ in danger. > [@Baker](#): > > It’s in my top five at least. Damn, I _knew_ he was an actor, that it was _just a movie_, and that even if it _was_ true he was either strapped down or behind inch thick glass. But Hopkins scared the crap out of me in that movie, before there was even a drop of blood. ---
**Author:** ![Just1Lurk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c0e974/32.png) [@Just1Lurk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just1Lurk)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-film-performance-ever/270057/14 "2004-10-19T21:20:10Z")
Another great scary performance: Alan Arkin as Hal Roach, Jr. in **Wait Until Dark**. Creepy, creepy creepy! Come to think of it, Alan Arkin also gave one of the funniest film performances I’ve ever seen in the vastly underrated **The In-Laws**. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-film-performance-ever/270057/15 "2004-10-19T23:07:31Z")
Geoffrey Rush in _Quills_. Orson Welles in _Compulsion_. Charlize Theron in _Monster_. Dah. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-film-performance-ever/270057/16 "2004-10-20T02:28:02Z")
> [@Just1Lurk](#): > > Another great scary performance: Alan Arkin as Hal Roach, Jr. in **Wait Until Dark**. Creepy, creepy creepy! Alan Arkin played a character named [Roat](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0062467/combined). [Hal Roach, Jr.](http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0729984/) was a movie producer. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-film-performance-ever/270057/17 "2004-10-20T02:43:42Z")
The ones that always stand out for me are the supporting performances where someone’s on screen for a small part of the movie but just steals the show. Anthony Hopkins in “The Silence of the Lambs” is an obvious choice - yes, I know he won the Best Actor award, but he really was a supporting actor. But man, he was something, wasn’t he? Robert Shaw in “Jaws” was wonderful, just wonderful. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-film-performance-ever/270057/18 "2004-10-20T03:01:30Z")
Meryl Streep in _Sophie’s Choice_ Massimo Troisi in _Il Postino_ ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-film-performance-ever/270057/19 "2004-10-20T03:08:22Z")
Paul Newman in **The Hustler** George C. Scott, **Patton** Charlize Theron, **Monster** Robert DeNiro, **Raging Bull** Robert DeNiro, **Taxi Driver** Kenneth Branagh, **Henry V** Al Pacino, **The Godfather, I and II** And just to throw a wildcard out there… Max Shrek, _Nosferatu_ ---
**Author:** ![Ilsa\_Lund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a6a055/32.png) [@Ilsa\_Lund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ilsa_Lund)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2004, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-film-performance-ever/270057/20 "2004-10-20T03:23:38Z")
I’ll second all of **Eve’s** nominations and add: Mary Pickford: _My Best Girl_ Emily Watson: _Breaking The Waves_ John Murray: _The Crowd_ Orson Welles: _Touch Of Evil_ Dana Andrews: _The Ox-Bow Incident_ Virginia Cherill: _City Lights_ Possibles: Janet Gaynor: _Sunrise_ & _A Star Is Born_ Rita Hayworth: _The Lady From Shanghai_ Zazu Pitts: _Greed_ Lillian Gish: _La Boheme_ James Dean: _East Of Eden_ & _Rebel Without A Cause_ Bette Davis: _Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?_ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-film-performance-ever/270057.md?page=2)