# Should have won the Academy Award but not even nominated

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-have-won-the-academy-award-but-not-even-nominated/997566>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Tags:** movies\
**Created:** [February 14, 2024, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-have-won-the-academy-award-but-not-even-nominated/997566 "2024-02-14T19:40:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\
**Post date:** [February 26, 2024, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-have-won-the-academy-award-but-not-even-nominated/997566/61 "2024-02-26T04:26:16Z")

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I have never seen _My Fair Lady_ but it won big at the Academy Awards for 1964 films including Rex Harrison for Best Actor. You know who wasn’t even nominated but should have won? Henry Fonda as The President in _Fail Safe_.

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**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\
**Post date:** [February 26, 2024, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-have-won-the-academy-award-but-not-even-nominated/997566/62 "2024-02-26T11:07:26Z")

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> [@Rilchiam](#):
>
> Also-rans were Harrison Ford for **Witness** , James Garner for **Murphy’s Romance** , Jack Nicholson for **Prizzi’s Honor** , and Jon Voight for **Runway Train**. So boot out either Garner or Nicholson, and give the Oscar to Voight.

I would have booted Ford - he was fine but it was hardly an Oscar-worthy performance.

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**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\
**Post date:** [February 26, 2024, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-have-won-the-academy-award-but-not-even-nominated/997566/63 "2024-02-26T16:19:20Z")

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> [@Saint\_Cad](#):
>
> I have never seen _My Fair Lady_ but it won big at the Academy Awards for 1964 films including Rex Harrison for Best Actor. You know who wasn’t even nominated but should have won? Henry Fonda as The President in _Fail Safe_.

Actually, _Fail Safe_ was slighted by the Oscars that year with no nominations. Like I said, I didn’t see _MFL_ so I can’t definitively say _FS_ would have won but at the very least nominations for  
Best Picture  
Best Supporting Actor: Dan O’ Herlihy (Gen. Black) or Frank Overton (Gen. Bogan)  
Best Director  
Best Cinematography Black and White  
Best Adapted Screenplay

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