The honorees will be announced in September. Who do you think should and will be honored?

I am boycotting this concept now that the Academy has deemed them to be second rate. I hope someone turns it down to show them what he or she thinks of this insult.

And you'd better hope someone you want to win doesn't, since you will see little or none of the presentation. These people are old and don't draw ratings, so they don't matter anymore.

ANGELA. ****!NG. LANSBURY.

I wrote a few letters, with the reasoning that the new Mrs. Lovett, Helena BC, oughta present it to the original at the 80th Oscars.

Pity such a perfect idea was disregarded for some composer who, while great, just gave further ammunition to Oscar criticizers.

Either way, I hope some more women get honored, because something's amiss.

The difference of course is that Morricone is one of the great masters of cinema, while Angela Lansbury did her best work on stage and TV, with her film work being mainly supporting, including a handful of stand-out performances.

If this debate is going to start again, please will some Lansbury supporter try to make the case that she is anywhere close to the stature of those actors who have previously won this award? (The one exception would be Ralph Bellamy - who was at her level, albeit with a lot more roles, but won in part because of his service to the community).

I'd have been happy if Lansbury had won for supporting in one of her chances. Getting honorary would be a joke. She does not deserve it.

Curious that the post above makes reference to a stage role Lansbury played - who cares (in terms of Oscars) that she was in Sweeney Todd? That has nothing to do with her film career. That and Jessica Fletcher are her biggest claims to fame - so give her Tonys and Emmys. Not an Oscar.

(And so everyone knows - I am a fan of her film work. There just isn't enough to justify an honorary award.)

This message has been edited. Last edited by: seanflynn,

It would be nice if someone made a movie with a supporting role for her to win after all these years.

As well as some form of an Emmy award.

And don't insult Jessica Fletcher by calling her Miss Marple!

I agree with WithATentInMyPants that Angela Lansbury should get an Honorary Oscar or Emmy but i agree with seanflynn that there is another deserving honoree.

If only she won in 1962 for The Manchurian Candidate. I felt she should have won rather than Patty Duke.

Again, would some Lansbury performer try to make the case that she has anything close to the career that anyone (other than Ralph Bellamy) has had? I don't mean a handful of great roles - I mean a sustained career.

These are the actors who have won honorary Oscars with citations saying it was at least in part for their acting careers (+ indicates citation lists other factors besides acting)

Fred Astaire
Gene Kelly (+)
Harold Lloyd (+)
Bob Hope (+)
Greta Garbo
Danny Kaye (+)
Maurice Chevalier
Buster Keaton (+)
Gary Cooper
Stan Laurel
Cary Grant
Lillian Gish
Orson Welles (+)
Charles Chaplin (+)
Groucho Marx
Edward G. Robinson
Laurence Olivier (+)
Barbara Stanwyck
Mickey Rooney
Henry Fonda
James Stewart
Paul Newman
Ralph Bellamy (+)
Sophia Loren
Myrna Loy
Debprah Kerr
Kirk Douglas
Sidney Poitier
Robert Redford (+)
Peter O'Toole

Again, I'd be interested in someone making the case - based on Academy precedent - and come up with 10 great roles (which is easily done for any of the above who were dramatic actors; a few of the comics were iconic perhaps in fewer films, but legendary) OR what else Lansbury has done that could be added to the citation.

Again, she's a terrific actress. But she has not remotely had the film career that justifies the award.

I'd be happy to be convinced otherwise. But I'd need to see some evidence.

And if someone with a smaller career should get it, then Gena Rowlands deserves it far more anyway. But I'd still be opposed to her getting it, because her career does not support it.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: seanflynn,

Doris Day has been mentioned before, at least
by me. I know she'd never attend to accept which
plays a huge part in who they honor but I'd
love to see her get one. They missed out on my
other favorite, Glenn Ford. But I'll probably
end up 0-2.

They've missed with so many.

Robert Mitchum and Richard Widmark were totally iconic, great actors, and it never happened for them either.

(One of the reason fewer women have won or been overlooked is because they, coming out of a smaller pool and greater chance thus of being winners and unfortunately having fewer roles overall, have had a better chance of winning).

If an actress, though, Jeanne Moreau is the perfect choice.

Sean Flynn I hate to say this, but I think you answered yourself when you made your list of the past winners. You posted a + and said that it meant they won for other factors besides acting. Well, Angela could win based on her entire body of work not just in the film world.

The other work was related to activities in the film community and/or charitable work, never to acting in other media.

Sorry that wasn't clear, but you can go to the Academy's website and read all the reasons. Work in theatre and TV has never been a reason, nor of course should it.

One of the last great "movie stars" that has never won a competitive Academy Award...although nominated only once....She was a huge box office star....the biggest in the late 50's and early 60's....she has a couple of "classics"...so i think its about time for

DORIS DAY

WE have this conversation every year (For about the last 7!!!) and everytime people insist on Angela Lansbury despite her having nothing remotely like the stature of someone who should win this award.

Doris Day is far and away the most deserving candidate closely followed by Lauren Bacall and the Jean Simmons.

Everyone of them a classic movie star from Hollywoods golden age with multiple classic movies to their names.

Now just sit back and watch them give it to Burt Reynolds.

To me the most glaring omission from the list of past winners is Irene Dunne. Absolutely shameful she was never rewarded but Sophia Loren was(For some nonsense about being a treasure of world cinema???)

Lauren Bacall deserves it as little or even less than Angela Lansbury.

Yes, she was great in the two Howard Hawks/Bogart film, and well used in other Warners 1940s features.

But she did not remotely sustain an award-worthy career, and ended up in occasional supporting roles.


I certainly agree about Irene Dunne though.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: seanflynn,

Albert Finney
Debbie Reynolds
Gena Rowlands

quote:

Originally posted by seanflynn:
Lauren Bacall deserves it as little or even less than Angela Lansbury.

Yes, she was great in the two Howard Hawks/Bogart film, and well used in other Warners 1940s features.

But she did not remotely sustain an award-worthy career, and ended up in occasional supporting roles.


I certainly agree about Irene Dunne though.

Don't be ridic. Love her or loathe her Lauren Bacall has sustained and extremely successful film career for 65 years. She may not be the greatest actress but she is consumate 'movie star' and has stamped her mark on movie history in numerous films.

Are you actually saying that Angela Lansbury's meagre film career comes close to matching Lauren Bacall's???

If Sophia Loren and her crappy CV can get one than Lauren Bacall should be a shoo in. In fact she has a better list of films than Doris Day...

To Have and Have Not
The Big Sleep
Key Largo
Young Man With A Horn
How To Marry A Millionaire
The Cobweb
Blood Alley
Written ON The Wind
Designing Woman
Harper
Murder On The Orient Express
The Shootists
HealtH
Misery
Pret A Porter
The Mirror Has Two Faces
Dogville

Is more than enough to warrant that. Add to that her legendary marriage and screen partnership with Bogie and her all time shocker of an Oscar loss it's incomprehensible that she hasn't already won.

I mean seriously is that collection of films any worse than Mickey Rooney's or Robert Redford's.

Do you really think Robert Mitchum or Richard Widmark would have been more deserving???

She's movie icon of the first rank.

According to Tom the reason she lost in '96 and has never been awarded this has nothing to do with her career or performances but because she's a 'notorious c**t!!!'

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Baby Clyde,

Yes I do think Mickey Rooney was more worthy. He defined an era as a child and young adult actor and managed to sustain an adult career. He showed talent as a comedic, dramatic and musical actor.

Richard Widmark absolutely also was far more accomplished.

Redford's win was a joke, but also was for far more than just acting.

Bacall managed to appear in a lot of good to very good movies. But for the most part she was not even a lead in them (which of course is usually something career honoraries have been.)

If you took out To Have and Have Not and The Big Sleep - in which her performance was just about totally Howard Hawks' creation, not her own, and which she then repeated often - no one would be considering her. She was indeed iconic in those.

She's a great screen presence. An actress, decent, but not remotely at honorary award level.

(And Health and Pret a porter were embarassments for all concerned).

Loren should not have received an honorary award after already having won. But have you seen many of her Italian language films? That was a big part in her winning. She is a much better actress than Bacall.

In any event, to this day she has never overcome the negative feelings toward her going back to Bogart's death. It shouldn't matter, but people have long (often unfair) memories.

LATER ADDITION (because you do present a strong case) - thinking about the significant credits of hers you cite, the one thing is striking to me is how in nearly all cases, hers is not the standout performance/presence remembered today, at least by me, but I suspect I am not alone.

Key Largo - Bogart, Robinson, Trevor all more memorable

Young Man With a Horn - I sure recall Kirk Douglas; Bacall, not so much

How to Marry a Millionaire - Marilyn Monroe's film

The Cobweb - one of Widmark's greatest performances

Blood Alley - the John Wayne show, although not at his greatest

Written on the Wind - She comes in fourth behind Rock Hudson, Dorothy Malone and Robert Stack

Designing Woman - Gregory Peck dominated that movie

Harper - Paul Newman in peak form

The Shootist - Magnificent work by John Wayne and James Stewart

In each of those films, she could have been expendable; the other performances, don't think so.

I guess that more than any other reason - that she never came close to her teenage work - is why I question her worthiness for this. When she was co-starring with the greats, she did OK, but she didn't stand out. An honorary winner should.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: seanflynn,

quote:

Originally posted by flaming tail:
Albert Finney
Debbie Reynolds
Gena Rowlands

Agree for Albert Finney and I think he deserve so.

I'm also thinking of Lauren Bacall but I'm also worrying about many people will raise their eye brows!

I think Olivia de Haviland, who won two Oscars in the 40s should get one.

Not a chance, nor should it happen - as you said, she already has two Oscars. So many people have none deserve it b