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Ranking 1935 Best Picture Nominees

A high number of twelve nominees round up the slate for the 1935 Academy Award for Best Picture. Although there is one stinker here and a couple of middling, solid efforts, most are pretty good, and some are downright phenomenal. Thus, this is one of the more underrated slates when it comes to this category and one of the greatest for this entire decade. The genre diversity is also evident here as these films range from musicals and comedies to epics and serious dramas.

My Ranking of the Nominees:

12. The Lives of a Bengal Lancer

Witnessing the villainous portrayal of Indians and the noble portrayal of brave Englishmen was for me simply too detestable in this historical drama which is easily the most dated and probably the worst Best Picture nominee up until this point in time. I found it technically stellar and very strongly acted, but even though I usually attempt to watch movies in context when it comes to political correctness, this is simply too much even for the most tolerant among us. It is egregiously racist.

11. Broadway Melody of 1936

Broadway Melody of 1936 has not so memorable musical numbers, but the dancing is excellent, especially that of terrific Eleanor Powell. Jack Benny plays his character so well and he’s the comedic highlight of the movie. This flick has so-so storytelling, but its humor is endearing as are some of the characters leading to what is a pretty respectable sequel of sorts to the original which was a heavyweight champion at the 2^nd Academy Awards. I did not expect much so I was pleasantly surprised by this breezy flick.

10. Naughty Marietta

This one is a very solid flick which is adventurous, quite fun to follow and featuring two likable turns from Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy. It’s rarely talked about nowadays given its very dated music which is basically opera in its entirety. And yes, the movie is quaint and very much of its time, but it’s in my opinion much better than ‘One Night of Love’ which was much more dated and weaker in script and the overall entertainment factor which this one most definitely provides.

9. Ruggles of Red Gap

Charles Laughton gets his first spot on this list and here he actually performs in a comedic role which was a nice little departure for him that worked in my book as he is so talented regardless of which role he’s in. The movie itself is well directed and it can be amusing and fun for sure, but overall I wanted more from it given that its premise had potential for more interesting humor and not just the one that got repeated constantly throughout the picture’s run. It’s a solid, but repetitive flick.

8. David Copperfield

Yes, this cinematic adaptation is very slow and theatrically talkative at times. It has too many plot points and characters which is a flaw many of its counterparts share, and by counterparts I mean book adaptations, new or old. However, it’s such a good picture in the end thanks to its grand cinematic quality in many of its sequences. It’s very well made technically across the board and very competent which are qualities this one shares with many flicks on this very cinematic slate overall.

7. Alice Adams

Alice Adams definitely has a less memorable first half and the happy ending is very forced, but the dialogue is terrific, there are some quite moving sequences later on and the protagonist is superbly developed, very complex and beautifully performed by Katharine Hepburn in a powerhouse performance that should have brought her an Oscar. She lost to Bette Davis, but this time undeservedly so. It’s one of the lesser seen Hepburn pictures, but it needs to be appreciated more how good it is.

6. Captain Blood

Captain Blood does have overwhelming action and a familiar storyline with a typical ending, but it is nonetheless a fun and adventurous flick filled with excellent scenery, some great humor, excellent direction and a lot of charm and charisma exhibited in terrific Flynn/de Havilland pairing that works wonders here. It is a fun adventure flick that is very good throughout, but it does pale in comparison to the first spot on this list which blew this one out of the water when all is said and done.

5. Les Miserables

Just like David Copperfield, this film adapts another famous book, but even better overall. Yes, it is uneven at times and the supporting characters are uniformly weaker and more forgettable, but Fredric March himself is great and of course Charles Laughton stole the show in such a powerful villainous role. He demands the screen here in what was a true banner year for this great actor, but the film itself is technically magnificent, very cinematic and immensely epic in its entirety.

4. The Informer

I have to say that The Informer was a much weaker watch for me upon second viewing as it’s too dreary, dark and stuffed with way too many characters and plot points. However, it still remains a beautifully made movie in its silent, expressionist touches as the cinematography is absolutely brilliant. The same goes for its score, direction and the final sequence at the church which is moving and so powerful. But Victor McLaglen made this movie his own and deservedly walked away with the gold statue.

3. A Midsummer Night’s Dream

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is very well adapted from its somewhat overrated source material, though it definitely isn’t a comedy as it needed much more of humor in it. But the fantastical elements all worked splendidly given that the film has such a beautiful otherworldly feel to it. The costumes are superb and the choreography, set design and especially lighting steal the show here. James Cagney as Puck was a revelation as he never played such a comedic role, but he actually excelled at it.

2. Top Hat

Yes, Top Hat is very much a repeat of ‘The Gay Divorcee’ which was a nominee the previous year. However, the second time’s a charm as this is a much better film overall and much more enjoyable. That is thanks to thrilling dance sequences, excellent humor and great supporting characters. The film is silly, but wonderfully so as its screwball elements worked so well. But the biggest reason to see it is for Cheek to Cheek which is a timeless masterpiece of a song that shamefully lost an Oscar.

1. Mutiny on the Bounty

Not only is Mutiny on the Bounty a hugely entertaining adventure flick owing to its charm, great pace and a fun story, but it’s also genuinely effective in its dramatic elements, the main conflict and the character interactions. Charles Laughton, Franchot Tone and Clark Gable all are superb and they made the movie a classic that it is. The same goes for its amazing score, great cinematography and a terrific direction from Frank Lloyd. This is one of the most purely enjoyable, but also grandiose and epic pictures from the thirties and thus one of the most deserved Best Picture winners as it was a clear best for this year.

Films That Should Have Been Nominated:

Anna Karenina – This one is actually one of the best, and probably the very best, adaptations that we got of this famous story. It also features a great turn from Greta Garbo. Given that the Academy loves their historical pictures and adaptations, this was an obvious choice for a nominee, and weirdly enough they passed on it.

Bride of Frankenstein – This one is the complete opposite. While I do like this movie a lot as it’s a lot of fun and again so well made across the board, it’s ultimately inferior to the original which the Academy entirely ignored so it was obvious that they would do the same to its sequel which still remains one of the better sequels out there.

The 39 Steps – Though implausible and flawed, The 39 Steps is still a pretty good thriller with some intense and thrilling moments, many instantly recognizable and perfectly constructed scenes, quite a good humor and great locations. As early Hitchcock goes, it’s one of the best of his efforts so it thus needed more love from the Academy.