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Ranking 1940s Best Actress Oscar Winners

The Best Actress wins in the forties were much stronger than the Best Actor ones. There are a couple of questionable choices here, but for the most part the most iconic and best performances won. This is my ranking of all Best Actress Oscar winners based on the actresses’ legacy, the performances in their respective movies and their competition in their respective years.

10. Loretta Young – The Farmer’s Daughter

The Farmer’s Daughter is a forgettable affair that is only notable for one reason today and that is its Oscar win for Loretta Young. Apparently, it was a huge upset as Rosalind Russell was supposed to win, but Young ended up snatching it away from her in an unpredictable turn. And did she deserve to win? Not really. This was a weak year for this category, but there must have been better choices than this one. Young is perfectly solid as this charming, earnest young woman who somehow becomes involved in politics, but the role isn’t well written and her performance suffered as a result. It’s by far the weakest winning performance of the decade.

Actress Who Should Have Won: Dorothy McGuire – Gentleman’s Agreement

Best Actress of the Year: Deborah Kerr – Black Narcissus

9. Jennifer Jones – The Song of Bernadette

Jennifer Jones is one of the youngest winners in this particular category. She was fine as the titular Bernadette, but a bit one-note and undeserving of the win. It’s crazy that she won over all these older movie stars. I would have personally gone with either Ingrid Bergman, who was incredible in Casablanca or Jean Arthur, who was just lovely in The More the Merrier. Similarly to Loretta Young, Jennifer Jones was another name that often appeared throughout this decade on these slates as for some reason the Academy loved these two performers, but nowadays they aren’t as well remembered.

Actress Who Should Have Won: Jean Arthur – The More the Merrier

Best Actress of the Year: Jean Arthur – The More the Merrier

8. Ginger Rogers – Kitty Foyle

This particular performance would often rank lower on other lists, but I personally find the above two wins more problematic. Ginger Rogers won over the likes of Katharine Hepburn, Bette Davis and Joan Fontaine. It remains a contested win, but in my opinion she was worthy of the award as she was so terrific in Kitty Foyle that she elevated the material at hand. Having previously starred in countless fluffy musicals, they were obviously surprised that she could carry a dramatic movie, which she did and then some.

Actress Who Should Have Won: Joan Fontaine – Rebecca

Best Actress of the Year: Joan Fontaine – Rebecca

7. Olivia de Havilland – To Each His Own

Olivia de Havilland won the Academy Award for her work in this movie and I would say that she mostly deserved it. Her Jody is an immensely sympathetic heroine, one that got solid character development. Her arc is fantastic and again you come to really root for her happiness. Havilland was particularly adept at executing the more emotional beats of the story, which were aplenty. While Ingrid Bergman’s tour in Notorious was stronger, she wasn’t even nominated. Celia Johnson was marvelous, but she was happy just to be here. Ultimately, this actress got a much meatier role and Oscar win later down the line, but this one was pretty solid itself.

Actress Who Should Have Won: Celia Johnson – Brief Encounter

Best Actress of the Year: Ingrid Bergman – Notorious

6. Greer Garson – Mrs. Miniver

Greer Garson was an actress who garnered immense fame during the WWII years. This is when she would play confident, powerful women who held it together during the war. Mrs. Miniver is her most signature role that landed her an Oscar win and one that was undeniably deserved. She powered through this movie with such an incredible performance that she basically became synonymous with the film itself. She particularly excelled at depicting the subtle vulnerabilities of the main character. I do realize how some would not gravitate toward the movie itself, but you cannot fault Garson’s evidently superb work, thus she gets the sixth spot on this list.

Actress Who Should Have Won: In Agreement

Best Actress of the Year: In Agreement

5. Joan Fontaine – Suspicion

1941 was a very good year for female acting performances and my pick would have to be Bette Davis as she was iconic in The Little Foxes. She was born to play villains and she killed it in that film. However, Joan Fontaine winning her only Oscar was more than deserved and I am glad that they made that choice given that this is a terrific performance in a very demanding and intense role. It is very funny how she beat her sister this year. This is the only Oscar-winning acting role in a Hitchcock film and I would say that Fontaine also deserves that recognition.

Actress Who Should Have Won: Bette Davis – The Little Foxes

Best Actress of the Year: Bette Davis – The Little Foxes

4. Ingrid Bergman – Gaslight

We also got another stellar Best Actress slate in 1944 and it’s such a shame that Barbara Stanwyck lost here for what is her most iconic turn in Double Indemnity. Still, Ingrid Bergman ended up winning her first Oscar and it was very much deserved. She’s a timeless star and in Gaslight she was gorgeous, but also vulnerable and very sympathetic. This is a very underrated movie that is propelled to greater heights thanks to Bergman’s wonderful work. It’s interesting how many of these winning roles were in a thriller film.

Actress Who Should Have Won: Barbara Stanwyck – Double Indemnity

Best Actress of the Year: Barbara Stanwyck – Double Indemnity

3. Olivia de Havilland – The Heiress

I am very glad that they gave the second Oscar to Olivia de Havilland and this was easily the better of the two winning turns. She was fantastic, believable and compelling in The Heiress, a terrific film that relied heavily on her to carry it through the finish line, which is exactly what she did. This is a rare role and performance that could rival what Davis was doing during this era. It’s crazy that de Havilland won two Oscars in a single decade, but you cannot really deny that achievement as she remains one of Hollywood’s most legendary actresses.

Actress Who Should Have Won: In Agreement

Best Actress of the Year: Setsuko Hara – Late Spring

2. Jane Wyman – Johnny Belinda

The Academy chose wisely by honoring Jane Wyman in 1948. Her work in Johnny Belinda was truly phenomenal. This was the first silent performance to win an Oscar since the very first awards, making it quite unique. She sold so many different emotions through her eyes alone and she will definitely move anyone who watches this underrated drama. This year had a very good slate, but I am so glad that Wyman won and this remains one of the most underrated and best Oscar wins in this category.

Actress Who Should Have Won: In Agreement

Best Actress of the Year: In Agreement

1. Joan Crawford – Mildred Pierce

And of course my number one choice has to be Joan Crawford. This is the only worthy choice for the first spot given that her work in the underrated, marvelous Mildred Pierce is truly iconic. You root for her tragic character how likable she is. The fact that Crawford delivered in a role quite unlike her persona speaks volumes of her talents. She delivered probably the greatest performance of this decade, which was no small feat. This is her only Oscar win and one of the best in the history of the category. Nobody can deny how powerful this performance is.