During the Golden Age of Hollywood, actors were managed by what was called, “The Studio System” in which the moguls sought to develop a star’s talent as well as supervise aspects of their lives. Sure the resident studio mogul may make you a star, yet there was a cache with a new image like a possible name change or possible plastic surgery. I mean most of the moguls were Jews who changed their names to fit in so why shouldn’t Jewish, Hispanic, or real joke name sounding actors do the same? Oh, and as for projects, well, the studio chooses what you work in and what characters you play. So if you’re black or Asian, you can hope for a stereotyped supporting role at best. Sometimes they’d try to arrange dates and romances, especially if there’s suspicion if some male heartthrob is secretly gay. But if you get into some sort of trouble like divorce, alcoholism, drugs, adultery, or legal troubles, then the studio will pitch in with hush money. In this selection here are 10 more actors and actresses who never got to beat the Meryl Streep of their day. First, you have Pete Postlethwaite who did a lot of notable films during the last few decades before he croaked a few years ago. Second, you have notable old school British actresses Dame Edith Evans, Dame Gladys Cooper, and Susannah York. Third, there’s ZaSu Pitts whose funny voice was the inspiration for Popeye’s girlfriend Olive Oyl as well as notable 1930s actress Constance Bennett. After them, comes Oliver Reed best known for his drinking and dying during Gladiator. Then you have Herbert Lom most famous for playing Peter Sellers’ crazy boss from The Pink Panther series followed by General Jack D. Ripper portrayer Sterling Hayden. Finally, there’s Betty Grable, best known for her $1 million legs and being a WWII sex symbol. So for your reading pleasure, here are 10 more actors and actresses who never received the gold statuette.

151. Pete Postlethwaite

Personal Life: (1946-2011) Born in Warrington, Cheshire in England. Trained as a teacher at Saint Mary’s College and taught drama at Loreto College before training as an actor at The Old Vic Theater School. Was a smoker from the age of 10. Made his first film in 1975. Married to Jacqueline Morrish for 24 years and had 2 children. Was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1990 and had one testicle removed. Died of pancreatic cancer at 64.
Famous for: British actor known for his character performances in various films. Notable roles are Captain Beams from The Last of the Mohicans, Giuseppe Conlon from In the Name of the Father, Mr. Kobayashi from The Usual Suspects, Magic Man from James and the Giant Peach, Brother Gilbert of Glockenspur from Dragonheart, William S. Holabird from Amistad, John from Between Strangers, Dr. Lorbeer/ Dr. Brandt from The Constant Gardener, Spyros from Clash of the Titans, Maurice Fischer from Inception, and Fergus “Fergie” Colm from The Town.
Nominated for: Postlethwaite was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in 1993 for In the Name of the Father.
Most Crushing Loss: Not being nominated for Best Supporting Actor in 1995 for The Usual Suspects.
Reasons: Postlethwaite was basically burned by the competition the year he was nominated and it was for a film that would be seen as obscure to most Americans.
Trivia: Was advised to adopt a stage name “would never be put up in lights outside theaters because they couldn’t afford the electricity” but decided against it. Told the British Secretary of Energy that he’d return his OBE if a new coal power plant was built, which led to the proposal being shelved.

152. Dame Gladys Cooper

Personal Life: (1888-1971) Born in London. Made her stage debut in 1905 and performed in Edwardian musicals and pantomime as a teenager. Made her first film in 1913. Moved to Hollywood in 1940. Married 3 times and had 3 children. After her third husband died, she returned to Great Britain. Died of pneumonia at Henley-on-Thames at 82.
Famous for: British actress whose career spanned 7 decades on stage, film, and television. Notable roles are Flora MacDonald from Bonnie Prince Charlie, Beatrice Lacy from Rebecca, Mrs. Strafford from Kitty Foyle, Lady Frances Nelson from That Hamilton Woman, Myrna Hartley from The Black Cat, Mrs. Vale from Now, Voyager, Sister Marie Therese Vauzous from The Song of Bernadette, Alice – Dutchess de Brancourt from Mrs. Parkington,
Clarissa Scott from The Valley of Decision, Beatrice Remington from Love Letters, Mrs. Hamilton from The Bishop’s Wife, Mrs. Medlock from The Secret Garden, Mme. Dupuis from Madame Bovary, Mrs. Railton-Bell from Separate Tables, Mrs. Karoudjian from The List of Adrian Messenger, Mrs. Higgins from My Fair Lady, and Aunt Mary from The Happiest Millionaire.
Nominated for: Cooper was nominated 3 times for Best Supporting Actress consisting of: in 1942 for Now, Voyager, 1944 for The Song of Bernadette, and 1965 for My Fair Lady.
Most Crushing Loss: Losing to Theresa Wright in 1942. Seriously, Mrs. Vale is one of the most selfish and least affectionate mothers in movie history.
Reasons: Well, in 1942, there was a war on, which was very good for Mrs. Miniver not much for other nominated movies. Also, Cooper was nominated in very bad years and got burned by the competition.
Trivia: Manager of the Playhouse Theatre from 1917 to 1933. Was in 2 Best Picture winners.

153. Dame Edith Evans

Personal Life: (1888-1976) Born in London. Father was a junior civil servant at the General Post Office. Was apprenticed at 15 to a milliner and soon began attending drama classes which developed into an amateur performing group. Made her first stage appearance in 1910 and her West End debut in 1913. Made her first film in 1915. Married to George Booth for 10 years. Died in Kilndown, Kent at 88.
Famous for: British actress whose career spanned 60 years and played more than 100 roles on stage. Was widely known to portray haughty aristocratic women. Notable roles are Augusta Lady Bracknell from The Importance of Being Earnest, Mrs. Tanner from Look Back in Anger, Rev Mother Emmanuel from The Nun’s Story, Miss Western from Tom Jones, Mrs. St Maugham from The Chalk Garden, Lady Gregory from Young Cassidy, Mrs. Maggie Ross from The Whisperers, Miss Victoria Woodworth from Ftizwilly, Ghost of Christmas Past from Scrooge, Josephine from The Madwoman of Chaillot, and Anne-Marie from A Doll’s House.
Nominated for: Evans was nominated 3 times twice for Best Supporting Actress and once for Best Actress consisting of: in 1963 for Tom Jones, 1964 for The Chalk Garden, and 1967 for The Whisperers.
Most Crushing Loss: Losing to Margaret Rutherford in 1963. I mean Evans was great as Squire Western’s sister. I’m not sure if people still remember The V. I. P.s.
Reasons: Evans was better known on the British stage than in Hollywood. She was also more of a comic actress than a dramatic one.
Trivia: Joined ENSA and entertained troops in Gibraltar during WWII as well as toured with them in Europe, Britain, and India. Received honorary degrees from the universities of London (1950), Cambridge (1951), Oxford (1954) and Hull (1968). Had as sculpted head on display at the Royal Court Theatre for many years and a portrait painted of her. Said to be the greatest stage actress of the 20th century.

154. Susannah York

Personal Life: (1939-2011) Born Susannah Yolande Fletcher in Chelsea, London in England. Father was a merchant banker and a steel magnate. Parents divorced in 1943 and both remarried. Moved with her mother to Scotland. At 13, she was expelled from school for swimming in the pool nude. Trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. Made her first film in 1960. Married to Michael Wells for 16 years and had 2 children before their 1976 divorce. Diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2010 and died the next year at 72.
Famous for: British actress whose appearances in films during the 1960s gave her an international reputation. Notable roles are Ellen from There Was a Crooked Man, Sophie Western from Tom Jones, Candace Trumpey from The 7th Dawn, Madeleine Usher from The Fall of the House of Usher, Margaret More from A Man for All Seasons, Eleanor from Oh! What a Lovely War, Section Officer Maggie Harvey from Battle of Britain, Alice from They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?, Cathryn from Images, Lara from Superman and other films, Jane Turner from The Awakening, Queenie from Alice, Lady Churchill from Yellowbeard, Mrs. Cratchit from A Christmas Carol, and Olivia from Loop.
Nominated for: York was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in 1969 for They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?.
Most Crushing Loss: Not being nominated for Best Supporting Actress in 1966 for A Man for All Seasons, in which she bests Henry VIII in recitation.
Reasons: When nominated for an Oscar, she snubbed the Academy, declaring it offended her without being asked. Of course, nobody asks to be nominated for an Oscar. Also, publicly supported Mordechai Vanunu, the Israeli dissident who revealed Israel’s nuclear weapons program, an incident which still generated a lot of controversy as recent as 2007.
Trivia: Appointed Officier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 1991. Wrote 2 children’s fantasy novels. Patron of Children’s Film Unit.

155. Oliver Reed

Personal Life: (1938-1999) Born in London. Was drafted in the Royal Army Medical Corps. Started his acting career as an extra in the 1950s. Was scarred from a bar fight in 1963. Married twice and had a daughter to Jacquie Daryl. Also had a son to his first wife Kate Byrne. Was known for his alcoholism. Was a tax exile at Guernsey and Ireland from the 1970s. Died of a heart attack in Malta at 61.
Famous for: British actor who exemplified his macho image in “tough guy” roles. Notable roles are Le Bete from The Trap, Billy Sikes from Oliver!, Ivan Dragomiloff from The Assassination Bureau, Gerald Crich from Women in Love, Urban Grandier from The Devils, Hugh Lombard from Ten Little Indians, Frank Hobbs from Tommy, Tom from Blueblood, Ben Rolf from Burnt Offerings, Gen. Rodolfo Graziani from Lion of the Desert, Gerald Kingsland from Castaway, Athos from The Three Musketeers, Hannibal Brooks, Vulcan from The Adventures of Baron Muchausen, and Proximo from Gladiator.
Nominated for: Reed was never nominated for an Oscar.
Most Crushing Loss: Not being nominated for Best Supporting Actor in 2000 for Gladiator.
Reasons: Reed was notorious for his alcoholism and binge drinking that he was often irritated that his appearances on TV talk shows focused more on his drinking feats than his latest film. It didn’t help that there were numerous anecdotes about it. Also appeared in a series of exploitation films.
Trivia: Was filming Gladiator at the time of his death. Nephew of director Sir Carol Reed. Brother was a sports journalist. Recorded some music with limited success.

156. Betty Grable

Personal Life: (1916-1973) Born Elizabeth Ruth Grable in St. Louis, Missouri. Was propelled into show business by her mother and made her first movie in 1929 at 12. Mother then gave her a makeover by bleaching her hair blonde. Was fired for her mother trying to get her a contract using false identification. Married twice with her first husband being Jackie Coogan. Had 2 daughters with second husband Harry James whom she was married to for 22 years before divorcing him in 1965 on grounds of alcoholism and infidelity. Died of lung cancer at 56.
Famous for: American actress, dancer, and singer and popular contract star for 20th Century-Fox during the 1940s and 1950s. Celebrated for having the most beautiful legs in Hollywood. Highest paid US entertainer in 1947. Notable roles are Dance Specialty from The Gay Divorcee, Trio Singer from Follow the Fleet, Laura Watson from Pigskin Parade, Carol Parker from Million Dollar Legs, Lily Blane from Tin Pan Alley, Carol Brown from A Yank in the RAF, Kathryn ‘Kay’ Latimer from Moon Over Miami, Pat Lambert from Footlight Serenade, Vicky Lane from Springtime in the Rockies, Madeline Marlowe/Rosie O’Grady from Sweet Rosie O’Grady, Kate Farley from Coney Island, Lorry Jones/Laura Lorraine from Pin Up Girl, Bonnie Collins from Diamond Horseshoe, Yansci ‘Jenny’ Dolly from The Dolly Sisters, Cynthia Pilgrim from The Shocking Miss Pilgrim, Myrtle McKinley Burt from Mama Wore Tights, Francesca/Angelina from That Lady in Ermine, Winnifred Jones from The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend, Kitty Moran from My Blue Heaven, Kay Hudson from Call Me Mister, Molly Larkins from The Farmer Takes a Wife, and Loco Dempsey from How to Marry a Millionaire.
Nominated for: Grable was never nominated for an Oscar.
Most Crushing Loss: Not receiving an honorary Oscar. Seriously, her legs are iconic.
Reasons: Well, her legs basically made her a sex symbol during the 1940s and 1950s. Also, specialized in musical and romantic comedy.
Trivia: 20th Century Fox took a $1 million insurance policy on her legs with Lloyd’s of London. Iconic bathing suit poster made her the number one pin-up girl of World War II, surpassing Rita Hayworth. Hugh Hefner said her legs inspired him to found Playboy (and you thought it was Marilyn Monroe).

157. Herbert Lom

Personal Life: (1917-2012) Herbert Charles Angelo Kuchačevič ze Schluderpacheru in Prague during the Autro-Hungarian Empire which is now the Czech Republic. Made his film debut in 1938. Moved to the UK in 1939. Took Lom as a stage name because it was the shortest name he could find in a phone book. Was unable to obtain an American visa due to “political reasons” during WWII. Became a British citizen after the war. Married 3 times and had 3 children. Retired in 2004. Died in his sleep at 95.
Famous for: Czech-born British actor whose career lasted for more than 60 years appearing in character roles. Portrayed villains early in his career and played professional men in his later years. Notable roles are Napoleon from The Young Mr. Pitt and War and Peace, Kristo from Night and the City, Louis from The Ladykillers, Maj. DuPaty de Clam from I Accuse!, Tigranes Levantus from Spartacus, Charles Dreyfus from The Pink Panther series, Ben Yussuf from El Cid, Captain Nemo from Mysterious Island, Simon Legree from Uncle Tom’s Cabin,
Shahbandar from Gambit, and Dr. Edward Armstrong from Ten Little Indians.
Nominated for: Lom was never nominated for an Oscar.
Most Crushing Loss: Not being nominated for Best Supporting Actor in 1955 for The Ladykillers. Also not being nominated for Best Supporting Actor for Dreyfus whose breakdown of violent insanity is hysterical.
Reasons: Lom is best known for his comedies and Hammer Horror films. Also he was often typecast as a villain, especially a foreign one. Also, he was from Czechoslovakia.
Trivia: Wrote 2 historical novels. Had a Jewish girlfriend who died in a Nazi concentration camp (and was deported from the UK for not having proper papers, which is even sadder. Not to mention, he didn’t know she was Jewish until then).

158. Sterling Hayden

Personal Life: (1916-1986) Born Sterling Relyea Walter in Montclair, New Jersey. Adopted at 9 by James Hayden after his father died. Grew up on the East Coast. Dropped out of school at 16 and worked as a sailor, fisherman, and fireman. Got his first command at 22. Became a print model and made his first film in 1941. Enlisted in the US Marine Corps as John Hamilton, was commissioned lieutenant, and spent WWII as a US OSS agent sailing supplies from Italy to Yugoslav partisans in Croatia. Married 3 times with his first wife being Madeline Carroll. Had 6 children and married to third wife Catherine Devine McConnell for 26 years. Died of prostate cancer at 70.
Famous for: American actor and author who appeared as a leading man specializing in westerns and film noir. Later became a noted character actor. Notable roles are Norman Williams from Virginia, Bert Donner from El Paso, Dix Handley from The Asphalt Jungle, Pervis DeJong from So Big, Sir Gawain from Prince Valiant, Johnny “Guitar” Logan from Johnny Guitar, Sheriff Tod Shaw from Suddenly, Jim Bowie from The Last Command, Brigadier General Jack D. Ripper from Dr. Strangelove, Captain McCluskey from The Godfather, Russell Tinsworthy from 9 to 5, and his numerous roles in westerns.
Nominated for: Hayden was never nominated for an Oscar.
Most Crushing Loss: Not being nominated for Best Supporting Actor in 1964 for Dr. Strangelove. I mean he’s the kind of guy you didn’t want to be in the same room with as General Ripper.
Reasons: Had a brief membership in the Communist Party after WWII but cooperated with the House Committee on Un-American Activities confessing his ties and naming names, which he thought the committee already knew about. Also during his second divorce, he defied a court order and went on a sailing trip with 4 of his kids from San Francisco Bay to Tahiti with a well-known photographer to document it (he also lied about making a film there and got in trouble with the studio).
Trivia: Received a Silver Star, a Bronze Arrowhead device, and a commendation from Marshal Tito for his services. Was a huge sailing enthusiast and earned his master’s license at 21.

159. Constance Bennett

Personal Life: (1904-1965) Born in New York City from a famous theatrical family. Father was an actor Richard Bennett while mother was an actress and literary agent. Made her first film in 1916 with her parents. Married 5 times and had 3 children. Collapsed and died from a cerebral hemorrhage at Fort Dix, New Jersey at 60.
Famous for: American actress who mostly appeared in movies from the 1920s and 1930s. First Bennett sister to make it into show business. Notable roles are Elise Bascom from What’s Wrong with the Women?, Sally from Sally, Irene, and Mary, Ann Marvin from This Thing Called Love, Sylvia Brenner from Sin Takes a Holiday, Venice Muir from Lady with a Past, Mary Evans from What Price, Hollywood?, Judy Carroll from Rockabye, Duchess of Florence from The Affairs of Cellini, Helen Hall / Raquel from Moulin Rouge, Lorry Evans from Bed of Roses, Marion Kerby from Topper and other films, Gerry Lester from Tail Spin, Joan Madison from Law of the Tropics, Christina Blaine from Escape to Glory, Griselda Vaughn from Two-Faced Woman, Joan Bannister from Madame Spy, Zenia Lascalles from Centennial Summer, and Estelle from Madame X.
Nominated for: Bennett wasn’t nominated for an Oscar.
Most Crushing Loss: Not being nominated for Best Actress in 1932 for What Price, Hollywood? which was a tragic behind the scenes look at the Hollywood studio system. Too bad they only had 3 nominee slots at the time.
Reasons: Most of Bennett’s movies were made before WWII and she didn’t make many movies after that. Was renowned as a drama queen who feuded with the press and enjoyed lawsuits. Also died before she could stage a comeback. Not to mention, she wasn’t as well-known as her sister Joan and was later remembered just as, “Joan Bennett’s sister.”
Trivia: Sister of Joan Bennett. Granddaughter of legendary Jamaican-born Shakespearean actor Lewis Morrison who was of English, Spanish, Jewish, and African ancestry. Founded a cosmetics and clothing company. Helped provide relief and entertainment to US troops stationed in Europe after WWII and won military honors for her services. Fifth husband would become a Brigadier General and be buried beside her at Arlington National Cemetery.

160. ZaSu Pitts

Personal Life: (1894-1963) Born Eliza Susan Pitts in Parsons, Kansas. Father lost a leg while 76th New York Infantry Regiment in the Civil War. “ZaSu” was a childhood nickname as a compromise for her father’s 2 sisters who wanted her to be named after them. Moved to Santa Cruz, California at 9 so her family can seek a warmer climate and job opportunities. Made her stage debut in 1914-1915 in school and community theater. Moved to Los Angeles in 1916. Married twice and adopted 2 children with first husband Thomas Sarsfield Gallery. Married to second husband John Edward “Eddie” Woodall for 30 years. Diagnosed with cancer during the 1950s but continued to work until the very end. Died at 69.
Famous for: American actress who starred in silent dramas and comedies before transitioning into comedy sound films. Often played worrisome spinsters and receptionists. Notable roles are Becky from The Little Princess, Trina from Greed, Polly Jordon from The Great Divide, Maggie Keenan from Pretty Ladies, Hope Durant from Monte Carlo, Camille from Casey at the Bat, Cecelia Schweisser from The Wedding March, Mother Spengler from Sins of the Fathers, Harriet from Paris, Pauline Hastings from No, No, Nanette, Minnie from The Bad Sister, Temperance Worker from Destry Rides Again, Mrs. Dole from Back Street, Matilda Ounce Hemingway from Dames, Cousin Cora Cartwright from Life with Father, Nurse Valerie Humpert from Francis, Olivia from The Thrill of It All, and Gertie from It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.
Nominated for: Pitts was never nominated for an Oscar.
Most Crushing Loss: Not receiving an honorary Oscar for her career which spanned from the silent era to the 1960s.
Reasons: Well, most of Pitts’ career took place during the silent and Pre-Code eras. After that, she just appeared in comedies. Also appeared in Eric Von Stroheim’s Greed which was a massive flop.
Trivia: First name pronounced, “Say Zoo” as she said it. Was the inspiration for Olive Oyl. Wrote a book of candy recipes.

Though my list of Oscar less actors and actresses mostly consist of the Hollywood variety, Americans usually don’t seem aware that Hollywood, California isn’t the only place where people are making movies and never was. In fact, as you may have read, some of these stars were from different countries and spent a certain amount of time working in their local film industry. Sometimes they got their start there. Yet, despite that other countries manage to produce great films throughout movie history, a lot of Americans don’t watch foreign films mostly because watching a film with subtitles commands one’s full attention. Not to mention, most foreign movies are played in select cities which put many out of reach unless they have money. Yet, Americans also fail to notice that the US isn’t the English speaking country making movies either, yet at least they don’t have subtitles to follow. However, even though Americans may not watch foreign movies, this doesn’t mean that they haven’t influenced culture or else Toshiro Mifune wouldn’t be on here since his movies have inspired many American films. Now in this selection, we have 10 more actors and actresses who have never won an Oscar in their careers. First, we have Robert Walker best known as Bruno Anthony from Strangers on a Train as well as John Cazale remembered as Fredo from The Godfather yet both these guys had short careers. Second, we have British actors like Richard Griffiths, Stanley Holloway, Lynn Redgrave, Celia Johnson, and Sir Anthony Quayle who were famous on both sides of the Atlantic doing films in the US and their home country. After that is Betsy Blair best known for being married to Gene Kelly, Marty, and being blacklisted. Then there’s Barbara Bel Geddes who most people remember playing Jimmy Stewart’s smart ass ex-girlfriend from Vertigo. Finally, comes Lee Remick who is best known for playing a deeply disturbed army wife, an alcoholic housewife, and an adoptive mother to the son of Satan. So sit back and relax as I give you 10 more actors who never gave their Oscar speech.

141. Robert Walker

Personal Life: (1918-1951) Born in Salt Lake City, Utah. Parents divorced while he was still a child which emotionally scarred him. Attended American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. Married twice with his first marriage to Jennifer Jones to whom he had 2 sons. Was distraught over Jones’ affair with David O. Selznick and their eventual divorce that he was prone to drinking, emotional outbursts, and a nervous breakdown. Spent time in the Menninger Clinic in 1949 for a psychiatric disorder. Died from and adverse reaction to prescription drugs which followed an emotional outburst at 32.
Famous for: American actor best known for Strangers on a Train. Notable roles are Leonard Purckett from Bataan, David Le Gros from Madame Curie, Corporal William G. “Bill” Smollett II from Since You Went Away, David Thatcher from Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo, Corporal Joe Allen from The Clock, Jimmy Dobson from Her Highness and the Bellboy, Eddie Hatch from One Touch of Venus, and Bruno Anthony from Strangers on a Train.
Nominated for: Walker was never nominated for an Oscar.
Most Crushing Loss: Not being nominated for Best Actor in 1951 for Strangers on a Train.
Reasons: Walker was twice divorced by 30 and suffered from alcoholism and mental illness, especially after his divorce from Jenifer Jones. Not to mention, he died at 32 and was in his twenties for most of his film career.
Trivia: Aunt was president of Botwin Teller.

142. Richard Griffiths

Personal Life: (1947-2013) Born in Yorkshire, England. Father was a steelworker who fought in bars for money. Parents were both death and learned sign language at an early age to communicate with them. Attempted to run away many times and dropped out of school at 15 yet returned after working as a porter. Attended the Manchester Polytechnic School of Drama. Began his acting career in small theaters and radio. Married to Heather Gibson for 33 years. Died from complications from heart surgery at 65.
Famous for: British actor whose career spanned for nearly 40 years. Notable roles are Head Porter at Caius College from Chariots of Fire, Sir Tom from The French Lieutenant’s Woman, Collins from Gandhi, Uncle Monty from Withnail and I, Duncan Phipps from King Ralph, Magistrate Philipse from Sleepy Hollow, Vernon Dursley from the Harry Potter series, Donald from Venus, Hector from The History Boys, King George II from Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, and Monsieur Frick from Hugo.
Nominated for: Griffiths was never nominated for an Oscar.
Most Crushing Loss: Not being nominated for Best Actor in 2006 for The History Boys.
Reasons: Other than appearing on Harry Potter, Griffiths was much more famous in Britain.
Trivia: Performed with Daniel Radcliffe in Equus. Ordered people out of a theater during a performance over their cell phones ringing. Appeared in 2 Best Picture winners for 2 consecutive years.

143. Lee Remick

Personal Life: (1935-1991) Born in Quincy, Massachusetts. Mother was an actress while father owned a department store. Studied acting at Barnard College and the Actors Studio. Debuted on Broadway in 1953 and made her first film in 1957. Married twice and had 2 children to first husband Bill Colleran. Married to second husband William Rory “Kip” Gowans for 21 years. Died of kidney cancer at 55.
Famous for: American actress best known for Anatomy of a Murder (1959), Days of Wine and Roses (1962), and The Omen (1976). Notable roles are Betty Lou Fleckum from A Face in the Crowd, Eula Varner from The Long, Hot Summer, Laura Manion from Anatomy of a Murder, Kirsten Arnesen Clay from Days of Wine and Roses, Stella from The Running Man, Cora Templeton Massingale from The Hallelujah Trail, Karen from The Detective, Katherine Thorn from The Omen, and Eugenia Young from The Europeans.
Nominated for: Remick was nominated for Best Actress in 1962 for Days of Wine and Roses.
Most Crushing Loss: Losing to Anne Bancroft for Best Actress in 1962. Sure I do feel that Bancroft deserved her Oscar. However, Remick’s character is very realistic portrayal of an alcoholic that really had Bette Davis say, “Miss Remick’s performance astonished me, and I thought, if I lose the Oscar, it will be to her.” Turns out the both lost to Mel Brooks’ wife (or future wife at the time).
Reasons: The Miracle Worker was an inspirational film about Helen Keller and her teacher while Days of Wine and Roses was about the dangers and harms associated with alcoholism. Also, she was burned by the competition. Not to mention, she died young. Also was said to be “America’s Answer to Brigitte Bardot” so take that what you will.
Trivia: Great grandmother was an English born preacher. Was the queen of reality based TV movies from the 1970s. Played Eleanor Roosevelt and Lady Jennie Jerome Churchill.

144. John Cazale

Personal Life: (1935-1978) Born in Revere, Massachusetts. Studied drama at Oberlin College and Boston University. Moved to New York City, worked as a messenger for Standard Oil and met Al Pacino. Made his first film in 1972. Was romantically involved with Meryl Streep for 2 years. Died of lung cancer at 42.
Famous for: American actor who appeared in 5 films over his 6 year career which were all nominated for Best Picture. Normally played violent and desperate characters onscreen. Notable roles are Fredo Corleone from The Godfather Trilogy, Stan from The Conversation, Salvatore Naturale from Dog Day Afternoon, and Stanley from The Deer Hunter.
Nominated for: Cazale was never nominated for an Oscar.
Most Crushing Loss: Not being nominated for Best Supporting Actor in 1972 for The Godfather or in 1974 for its sequel.
Reasons: Cazale was a rather promising actor whom the Academy thought would get his chance later. Yet, he died at 42.
Trivia: Was close friends with Al Pacino and live-in boyfriend to Meryl Streep. Has a theater named after him. Said to be a kind and gentle person who was a close friend to most of the actors he worked with.

145. Betsy Blair

Personal Life: (1923-2009) Born Elizabeth Winifred Boger in Cliffside Park, New Jersey. Began her career playing supporting roles. Worked as a child dancer from the age of 8 and was a model at 12. Won a scholarship Sarah Lawrence College but was told to wait one year before she could attend. Yet, she performed as a chorus girl at the International Casino in New York and Billy Rose’s Diamond Horseshoe where she met Gene Kelly. Made her first film in 1947. Married twice and had a daughter with first husband Gene Kelly. Married to Karl Reisz for 39 years. Moved to Europe and London after divorcing Kelly. Retired in 1994. Died of cancer in London at 85.
Famous for: American actress long based in London. Notable roles are Girl in Wig Shop from A Double Life, Birdie Bagtry from Another Part of the Forest, Hester from The Snake Pit, Clara from Marty, Elvia from Il Grido, Mother from Lies My Father Told Me, Emily from All Night Long, Amalia Brentani from Careless, Edna from A Delicate Balance, Helen from Flight of the Spruce Goose, and Gladys Simmons from Betrayed.
Nominated for: Blair was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in 1955 for Marty.
Most Crushing Loss: Losing to Jo Van Fleet in the Best Supporting Actress race in 1955. What’s even more crushing is that her loss might’ve had less to do with her performance in Marty, a role she’s best known for.
Reasons: For lack of a better word, politics for her interest in Marxism led to an investigation by the House Committee on Un-American Activities. She was blacklisted for some time because of this and almost didn’t get to play the school teacher on Marty. Yet, she had to seek work in Europe and Great Britain for her career in the US was damage. It’s also said to ruin her marriage to Gene Kelly.
Trivia: Married Gene Kelly at 17 years old. Performed before Eleanor Roosevelt at 8. Was juror at the 30th Berlin International Film Festival.

146. Barbara Bel Geddes

Personal Life: (1922-2005) Born in New York City. Daughter of stage and industrial designer Norman Bel Geddes. Came to prominence on Broadway in 1946. Made her first film in 1947. Married twice and had a daughter to each husband. Married to second husband Windsor Lewis for 21 years. Underwent a radical mastectomy in the early 1970s. Suffered a massive heart attack in 1983 and underwent triple bypass surgery. Retired in 1990 and settled in her Northeast Harbor home in Maine where she died at 82.
Famous for: American actress whose career spanned 6 decades. Notable roles are Jo Ann from The Long Night, Katrin from I Remember Mama, Leonora Eames from Caught, Nancy Reed from Panic in the Streets, Midge Wood from Vertigo, Marja from Five Branded Women, and Mrs. Todd from The Todd Killings.
Nominated for: Bel Geddes was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in 1948 for I Remember Mama.
Most Crushing Loss: Not being nominated for Best Supporting Actress in 1958 for Vertigo in which she’s the only character you’d want to have a beer with.
Reasons: Her career was stalled during the 1950s because she was on the Hollywood blacklist during an investigation on her by the House Committee on Un-American Activities. Nevertheless, Alfred Hitchcock basically saved her career by casting her in Vertigo and 4 episodes of his TV show Alfred Hitchcock Presents.
Trivia: Wrote 2 children’s books and created a popular line of greeting cards. Was Miss Ellie on Dallas and was the only cast member from the show to win an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe (sorry, Larry Hagman). Honored by Betty Ford for helping raise breast cancer awareness. Played Maggie the Cat in the original production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.

147. Celia Johnson

Personal Life: (1908-1982) Born in Richmond, Surrey in England. Made her first public performance in 1916 in a charity performance to raise funds for returning WWI soldiers. Studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and the Comédie Française. Made her stage debut in 1928. Made her first film in 1941. Married to Peter Fleming for 35 years and had 3 children. Died of a stroke while playing bridge with her friends at 73 in Nettlebed Oxfordshire.
Famous for: British actress whose career spanned 43 years. Notable roles are Mrs. Kinross/Alix from In Which We Serve, Laura Jesson from Brief Encounter, Matty Matheson from I Believe in You, Maud St. James from The Captain’s Paradise, Miss Mackay from The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, and Mrs. Wheeler from The Hostage Tower.
Nominated for: Johnson was nominated for Best Actress in 1945 for Brief Encounter.
Most Crushing Loss: Not being nominated for Best Supporting Actress in 1969 for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.
Reasons: Well, Johnson was just burned by the competition during her nomination and wasn’t as well known to American audiences as her fellow Brit Olivia deHavilland. Also, To Each His Own is about a woman who gets knocked up after a fling and unwittingly gives up her child for adoption while Brief Encounter is about two married people engaging in sympathetic adultery. Not to mention, she was always torn between family and her career.
Trivia: Was James Bond author Ian Fleming’s sister-in-law and since the 1990s, her daughters co-owned his estate. Nicknamed, “Betty.” Nominated for 5 BAFTAs and won twice.

148. Lynn Redgrave

Personal Life: (1943-2010) Born in London to actors Sir Michael Redgrave and Rachel Kempson. Trained at London’s Central School of Speech and Drama. Made professional debut in 1962. Made her first film in 1963. Was a member of the National Theatre at the Old Vic. Debuted on Broadway in 1967. Married to John Clark for 33 years and had 3 children. Divorced him after she found out he fathered a child with her personal assistant who was said to marry and divorce their son Benjamin. The proceedings were acrimonious and made front page news. Became a US citizen. Had health problems associated with bulimia and breast cancer which she was diagnosed with in 2002 and underwent a mastectomy and chemotherapy. Yet, she died from the disease at her Kent, Connecticut home at 67.
Famous for: British American actress who appeared in several films during the 1960s. Notable roles are Susan from Tom Jones, Georgy from Georgy Girl, Virgin from The Deadly Affair, The Queen from Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask), Xaviera Hollander from The Happy Hooker, Gillian from Shine, Hanna from Gods and Monsters, Helen Whittaker from The Next Best Thing, Miss McVane from The Hairy Bird, Cordelia Thornberry from The Wild Thornberrys Movie, Aunt Millicent from Peter Pan, Final Interview Subject from Kinsey, Olga Belinskya from The White Countess, and Mama Sky from The Jane Austen Book Club.
Nominated for: Redgrave was nominated twice once for Best Actress and once for Best Supporting Actress in 1966 for Georgy Girl and 1998 for Gods and Monsters.
Most Crushing Loss: Losing to Dame Judy Dench in 1998. Sure Dench is a great actress but still, she shouldn’t have won for Shakespeare in Love. Seriously, Shakespeare in Love is just a totally historically inaccurate movie. Redgrave should’ve at least lost to Kathy Bates.
Reasons: No matter how talented she was, Redgrave was always best known as “Vanessa Redgrave’s sister.” Also burned out by the competition during both nominations.
Trivia: Sister of Vanessa Redgrave and aunt of Natasha Richardson (meaning she was related to Liam Neeson by marriage). Narrated 20 audiobooks. Only actress to be nominated for a Tony, Oscar, Grammy, and Emmy and not win any of them.

149. Stanley Holloway

Personal Life: (1890-1982) Born in London. Father was a law clerk while mother was a dressmaker. Father deserted family in 1905 and was never seen or heard from again while his mother died the same year. Dropped out of school at 14 to work as a clerk at a boot polish factory and fish market before joining the military. Made his acting debut in 1910. Rejoined the military in 1915 and saw service during the Easter Rising and the French trenches. Married twice and had 5 children with 4 to his first wife of 24 years Alice “Queenie Foran and a son to second wife of over 40 years. Died at 91.
Famous for: British actor, comedian, singer, poet, and monologist. Famous for his comic and character roles on stage and screen. Had a career that spanned for 70 years. Made over 60 films. Notable roles are Policeman from Major Barbara, Alfred Godby from Brief Encounter, Belzanor from Caesar and Cleopatra, Vincent Crummles from Nicholas Nickelby, Gravedigger from Hamlet, Alfred Pendlebury from The Lavender Hill Mob, Mr. Lockit from The Beggar’s Opera, Alfred P. Doolittle from My Fair Lady, Detective William Henry Blore from Ten Little Indians, and Mr. Matthews from Journey Into Fear.
Nominated for: Holloway was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in 1965 for My Fair Lady.
Most Crushing Loss: Losing to Peter Ustinov in the Best Supporting Actor race of 1964. Sure Ustinov was a great actor but he already won an Oscar for Spartacus.
Reasons: Holloway was much better known in Britain than in the US and was more renowned for his comical and character performances mostly in British films.
Trivia: Named after explorer Henry Morton Stanley. Received the Victoria Cross for gallantry. Spent the later part of the war organizing shows to boost morale in France. Performed more than 20 monologues on stage as Sam Small, which he mostly wrote himself. Played Alfred P. Doolittle in the original cast of My Fair Lady and was the only cast member to do his own singing in the movie. Shares a granddaughter with Roald Dahl. Was friends with Maurice Chevalier and Sir Laurence Olivier as well as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Burgess Meredith, and Groucho Marx.

150. Sir Anthony Quayle

Personal Life: (1913-1989) Born in Southport, Lancashire in England. Trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and joined the Old Vic in 1932. Made his first film in 1938. Served as a British officer as a commander in area Auxiliary Units. Later joined the Special Operations Executive as a liaison to Albania. Was aide to the Governor of Gibraltar during General Władysław Sikorski’s plane crash in 1943. Married twice and had 3 children with second wife Dorothy Hyson to whom he was married to for 44 years. Died of liver failure at 76.
Famous for: British actor and director whose career spanned 54 years. Notable roles are Marcellus from Hamlet, Franklin from The Guns of Navarone, Colonel Brighton from Lawrence of Arabia, Verulus from The Fall of the Roman Empire, Sir John Edward Duncombe from Misunderstood, Older Englishman from MacKenna’s Gold, Cardinal Wolsey from Anne of the Thousand Days, Lord Minto from The Nelson Affair, Admiral Canaris from The Eagle Has Landed, Father Noessler from Magdalene, Frank O’Connor from The Wrong Man, and Lord Granville from King of the Wind.
Nominated for: Quayle was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in 1970 for Anne of the Thousand Days.
Most Crushing Loss: Not being nominated for Best Supporting Actor in 1962 for Lawrence of Arabia.
Reasons: Quayle was much better known in the British theater and movie world than among American audiences.
Trivia: Wrote fictionalized memoirs about his wartime experiences. Helped lay the foundation for the Royal Shakespeare Company. Founded his own theater company in 1984. Was knighted in 1985.

Of course, since my Oscar-less actors and actresses series deals mostly with the players from The Golden Age of Hollywood, it should be no surprise that most of the actors featured are white. Old Hollywood was not a great place for people of color during this period since such players would usually get consigned to play rather stereotypical roles, many of which presented who demographics in a negative light. African Americans usually played servants happy to work for their masters during segregation. Hispanics were portrayed as sensuous Latin lovers, banditos, or lazy workers who took after lunch siesta or else suffer from heat exhaustion. And if a main character had an Asian love interest, then he or she was played by a white person because the Hays Code basically banned interracial kissing onscreen. Of course, I featured quite a few movie stars of color from the era since they were basically robbed of any critical attention in their careers. In this selection, I bring you 10 more movie legends you may or may not have heard of. First, we have Dolores Del Rio who was called “The Female Rudolph Valentino” as well as the first Latin American actress to gain international recognition. Second, we have Glenda Farrell and Joan Blondell known funny ladies associated with the Pre-Code Era and the 1930s. Third, comes prolific character actor and Hollywood patriarch John Carradine better known as the father of David Carradine and Keith Carradine who played Frank Lundy from Dexter. After that is Frances Farmer who’s less remembered for her performances than for her time in a mental institution followed by Sylvia Sidney, an actress who played gangster molls and old ladies in Tim Burton movies like Beetlejuice and Mars Attacks!. Then there are Joan Bennett and Linda Darnell who were remembered as film noir dames yet with personal lives marred by scandals that nearly threatened their careers. Next there is Herbert Marshall who starred in many well-regarded films as a leading man despite being a WWI amputee. And last but not least, we have Van Johnson known for playing cheery roles despite his personal life being no bed of roses. So without further adieu, I bring you 10 more actors and actresses who never had a gold statuette on their mantlepieces.

131. Dolores Del Rio

Personal Life: (1905-1983) Born María de los Dolores Asúnsolo López-Negrete in Durango, Mexico. Father was director of the Bank of Durango and parents were members of the ruling class during the Porifirio Diaz regime. Family lost all assets during the Mexican Revolution and were forced to relocate to Mexico City, living under President Francisco I. Madero, who was her mother’s cousin. Attended the Liceo Franco Mexicano and was chosen to dance for a local hospital benefit and eventually marrying the benevolent group’s leader Jaime Martínez del Río y Viñent at 16 with a 2 year honeymoon in Europe. Yet, once they returned, Jaime lost his fortune and his country’s estate due to the bottom falling out in the cotton market and she miscarried (but instructed never to try for another child). Discovered by a First National director who convinced her and her first husband to go to Hollywood. Made her first film in 1925. Married 3 times. Married to third husband Lewis Riley for 24 years. Suffered a severe kidney infection in 1930. Though suffered a pain in her bones since the 1960s she was diagnosed with osteomyelitis in 1978. Diagnosed with Hepatitis B in 1981 caught through expired vitamin injections which developed into cirrhosis. Died of liver disease in Newport Beach, California at 77.
Famous for: Mexican actress who was considered one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood during the 1920s. One of the few silent superstars to make the transition to talkies and noted for her participation in Pre-Code musicals. When her Hollywood career began to decline, she returned to her native country and join the Mexican film industry, which was at its peak, becoming the most important star in the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. First Latin American female star to be recognized internationally. Notable roles are Carlotta Da Silva from Joanna, Charmaine de la Cognac from What Price Glory?, Katyusha Maslova from Resurrection, Carmen from The Loves of Carmen, Ramona, Evangeline, Luana from Bird of Paradise, Madame DuBarry, Belinnha de Rezende from Flying Down to Rio, Inez from Wonder Bar, Josette Martell from Journey into Fear, Maria Candelaria, Mrs. Erlynne from Story of a Bad Woman, María Dolores from The Fugitive, Spanish Woman from Cheyenne Autumn, Gilda “La Doña” from Casa de Mujeres, and Grandma from The Children of Sanchez.
Nominated for: Del Rio was never nominated for an Oscar.
Most Crushing Loss: Not receiving an honorary Oscar as a pioneer for her accomplishments in films in both the US and Mexico, especially since the American Hispanic population is on the rise and most Latinos have Mexican ancestry.
Reasons: For one, de Rio was Mexican. Second, she was a bigger star in Hollywood during the silent and Pre-Code eras and mainly spent the rest of her career in Mexico. Also was suspected of Communism since 1934 when she attended a special screening of a Sergei Eisenstein’s ¡Que viva México! with Ramon Novarro and Lupe Velez. Was also associated with people like Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, Charles Chaplin and Orson Welles who also had some (perceived) ties to communism. Not to mention, she befriended Eva Peron and the Duke of Windsor. She would later be denied to work in the US for 2 years during the 1950s.
Trivia: Romantically linked to Orson Welles. Was a juror at some international film festivals like Cannes Film Festival (1957), Berlin Film Festival (1962), and San Sebastián Film Festival (1976). Co-founder of the Sociedad Protectora del Tesoro Artistico de México (Society for the Protection of the artistic treasures of Mexico) with the philanthropist Felipe García Beraza that was responsible for protecting buildings, paintings, and other works of art and culture in Mexico. Helped found the Cultural Festival Cervantino in Guanajuato. Help found, lead, and support “Rosa Mexicano” that was meant to protect Mexican actresses and their children. Her Coyoacan “La Escondia” was a popular place for celebrities like Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, María Félix, Merle Oberon, David O’Selznick, Jennifer Jones, the Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor and Wallis Simpson, Princess Soraya of Iran and more. Upon her return to Hollywood, Elvis Presley presented her with a bouquet of flowers saying, “Lady, I know exactly who you are. It’s an honor to work with one of the largest and most respected legends of Classic Hollywood. As you will be my mother in the film, I want to ask permission for my ophthalmologist make contact lenses that mimic the color of your eyes.” She took to him and regard him with maternal affection.

132. Joan Blondell

Personal Life: (1906-1979) Born Rose Joan Blondell in New York City to a vaudeville family. Father was one of the original Katzenjammer Kids. Slept in a property trunk as a baby and made her first stage appearance at 4 months being carried onstage in it. Grew up in Dallas, Texas. Attended what’s now the University of North Texas which was a teacher’s college in Denton, where her mother was an actress. Worked as a fashion model, stage hand, and clerk at a New York store before joining a stock company and performing on Broadway, including a play with James Cagney. Both were discovered by Al Jolson in 1930 and made their first film the same year. Married 3 times with second marriage being to Dick Powell and third to Mike Todd (who ran off with her savings) and had 3 children. Died of leukemia at 73.
Famous for: American actress whose career spanned 5 decades. Appeared in 100 movies and TV productions. Notable roles are Myrtle from Sinner’s Holiday, Mamie from The Public Enemy, Maloney from Night Nurse, Nurse Adams, aka Miss Pinkerton from Miss Pinkerton, Mary Keaton from Three on a Match, Carol from Gold Diggers of 1933, Nan from Footlight Parade, Peggy Revere from Stage Struck, Jenny Blake from Lady for a Night, Aunt Sissy from A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Zeena Krumbein from Nightmare Alley, Annie Rawlins from The Blue Veil, Peg Costello from Desk Set, Edith from The Opposite Sex, Molly Hays from Angel Baby, Lady Fingers from The Cincinnati Kid, Vi from Grease, and Dolly Kenyon from The Champ.
Nominated for: Blondell was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in 1951 for The Blue Veil.
Most Crushing Loss: Not being nominated for Best Supporting Actress in 1945 for A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.
Reasons: Well, she was burned by the competition during her nomination. Also, she was known predominantly as a comic actress. Not to mention, she did a few risqué photos during the Pre-Code era when she established herself as a wisecracking blonde.
Trivia: Under the name Rosebud Blondell, she was 1926 Miss Dallas and placed 4th in the Miss America pageant in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Wrote a novel called Center Door Fancy.

133. Glenda Farrell

Personal Life: (1904-1971) Born in Enid, Oklahoma. Began her acting career with at theatrical company at 7. Made her first film in 1925. Married twice and had a son with first husband Thomas Richards. Married to second husband Dr. Henry Ross for 30 years (who was buried with her). Died of lung cancer at 66.
Famous for: American actress best known as Torchy Blane in a 1930s film series. Notable roles are Olga Stassoff from Little Caesar, Mrs. Black, Prisoner at Checkers Table from Three on a Match, Florence Dempsey from Mystery of the Wax Museum, Missouri Martin from Lady for a Day, Marie from I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang, Torchy Blane from Smart Blonde and other films, Jean Fenderson from Prison Break, Mae Blythe Agridowski from Johnny Eager, Regina Rush from The Talk of the Town, Hazel Bixby from I Love Trouble, Maude Snodgrass from Susan Slept Here, Mrs. Nesbit from The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing, Mrs. Winston from Secret of the Incas, and Mrs. Mueller from Middle of the Night.
Nominated for: Farrell was never nominated for an Oscar.
Most Crushing Loss: Not being nominated for Best Supporting Actress in 1932 for I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang since the award didn’t exist. Yet, she played the only person who genuinely cared about Paul Muni in the film.
Reasons: She was basically best known as the career oriented, competent, self-reliant, and intelligent Torchy Blane which got her typecast and partly inspired Nancy Drew and possibly Lois Lane.
Trivia: Second husband was a West Point graduate and member of General Dwight D. Eisenhower’s staff during WWII. Mother of Tommy Farrell. Buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

134. John Carradine

Personal Life: (1906-1988) Born Richmond Reed Carradine in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village in New York City. Father was correspondent for the Associated Press while mother was a surgeon. Grandfather was evangelical author Beverly Carradine. At 2, his father died of tuberculosis. Stepfather was a paper manufacturer who was physically abusive. Ran away from home at 14 but later returned. Studied sculpture at Philadelphia’s Graphic Arts Institute. Was arrested for vagrancy and suffered a broken nose in jail that didn’t set correctly. Made his stage debut at New Orleans in 1925. Shipped bananas from Dallas to Los Angeles and worked as a set designer for Cecil B. DeMille. Made first film in 1930. Retired in 1987. Married 4 times and had 5 sons. Adopted Bruce and had David to first wife Ardanelle McCool Cosner and Christopher, Keith, and Robert to second wife Sonia Sorel. Both these 2 marriages ended in divorce and very acrimonious custody and alimony battles that resulted in his younger children being sent to an abused children’s home as wards of the court as well as himself in jail. Was separated from his third wife Doris Grimshaw when she died in a fire in 1971 started by her burning cigarette. Suffered from crippling arthritis before dying of multiple organ failure in Italy at 82.
Famous for: American actor best known for his role in horror films, westerns, and Shakespeare theater. Member of Cecil B. DeMille’s and later John Ford’s stock company. Was one of the most prolific character actors in movie Hollywood history as well as patriarch of the Carradine family. Made about 227 credit appearances. Notable roles are Enjolras from Les Miserables, Beauty Smith from White Fang, David Rizzio from Mary of Scotland, Jim Farrar from Ramona, Sand Diviner from The Garden of Allah, Gordon from Kidnapped, Bob Ford from Jesse James, Barryman from The Hound of the Baskervilles, Hatfield from Stagecoach, Jim Casy from The Grapes of Wrath, Porter Rockwell from Brigham Young, Nacional from Blood and Sand, Gaston Morel from Bluebeard, Orange Povey from Captain Kidd, Charles Forestier from The Private Affairs of Belle Ami, Old Tom from Johnny Guitar, Fletcher from The Kentuckian, Giacomo from The Court Jester, Bruce Alden from The Patsy, Jeff Blair from Cheyenne Autumn, and other roles in westerns and horror movies.
Nominated for: Carradine was never nominated for an Oscar.
Most Crushing Loss: Not being nominated for Best Supporting Actor in 1940 for Stagecoach. Also, not receiving an honorary Oscar for his sheer volume of work men like Eli Wallach and Mickey Rooney have.
Reasons: Well, other than appearing in westerns and horror movies, his acrimonious custody and alimony battles might have hurt his chances.
Trivia: Was said to be apprentice for Lincoln Monument sculptor Daniel Chester French. Third wife typed the script to The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. Son Christopher is vice president of Disney Imagineering. Had the word “HAM” on his Mercedes-Benz license plate. Had climbed 328 steps of Milan’s Gothic Duomo Cathedral when he was fatally stricken.

135. Joan Bennett

Personal Life: (1910-1990) Born in Fort Lee, New Jersey from a famous theatrical family. Father was an actor Richard Bennett while mother was an actress and literary agent. Made her first film in 1916 with her parents. Attended L’Hermitage, which was a finishing school in Versailles, France. Married 4 times and had 4 children. Married to third husband producer Walter Wanger for 25 years (I’ll get to him later). Retired in 1982. Died of a heart attack at 80.
Famous for: American actress who appeared in more than 70 films from the silent era well into the sound era. Best known for her femme fatale roles in Fritz Lang movies. Had three distinct phases to her long and successful career, first as a winsome blonde ingenue, then as a sensuous brunette femme fatale (with looks that movie magazines often compared to those of Hedy Lamarr), and finally as a warmhearted wife/mother figure. Notable roles are Phyllis Benton from Bulldog Drummond, Lady Clarissa Pevensey from Disraeli, Lucy Blackburn from The Mississippi Gambler, Delores Fenton from Puttin’ on the Ritz, Helen Riley from Me and My Gal, Amy from Little Women, Helen Berkeley from The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo, Brenda Bentley from The House Across the Bay, Princess Maria Theresa from The Man in the Iron Mask, June Delaney from Girl Trouble, Sophia Baumer from Margin for Error, Alice Reed from The Woman in the Window, Katharine “Kitty” March from Scarlet Street, Margaret “Margot” Macomber from The Macomber Affair, Peggy from The Woman on the Beach, Ellie Banks from Father of the Bride and Father’s Little Dividend, Amelie Ducotel from We’re No Angels, Madame Blanc from Suspira, and Elizabeth Collins Stoddard from House of Dark Shadows.
Nominated for: Bennett was never nominated for an Oscar.
Most Crushing Loss: Not being nominated for Best Actress in 1947 for The Macomber Affair in which you really can’t tell whether to love her or hate her.
Reasons: Well, her career went through major damage in a 1961 scandal when her third husband Walter Wanger shot and injured her agent Jennings Lang in the balls over suspicion of him having an affair with his wife at the time (which she flatly denied). This in front of her. Wanger got off on a temporary insanity defense and a 4 month prison stint for assault with intent to kill. Nevertheless, she was virtually blacklisted for this for a time (yet I can’t understand why she stayed married to the jerk for 4 more years. Jesus!)
Trivia: Played Elizabeth Collins Stoddard on the daytime soap opera Dark Shadows. Sister of Constance Bennett. Granddaughter of legendary Jamaican-born Shakespearean actor Lewis Morrison who was of English, Spanish, Jewish, and African ancestry.

136. Herbert Marshall

Personal Life: (1890-1966) Born in London. Parents were stage actors and his father also dabbled in writing and directing. Primarily raised by his aunts yet would occasionally appear on stage with his parents. Worked as an accounting clerk and an assistant manager for a troupe run by his father’s friend as well as a series of backstage jobs. Thus, decided to become an actor. Served in the London Scottish Regiment during WWI but was shot in the right knee by a sniper. His leg would later be amputated after a series of operations and he was in the hospital for 3 months. After he learned to walk with a prosthetic, he decided to return to the theater. Yet, he would suffer from the phantom pain associated with it for the rest of his life. Made his film debut in 1927. Married 5 times and had 2 children to his second and third wives. Suffered from bouts of depression and alcoholism. Suffered from a pulmonary embolism in 1951. Died of heart failure at 75.
Famous for: British actor who starred in many popular and well-regarded Hollywood films in the 1930s and 1940s. After a successful theater career in Britain and North America, became an in-demand Hollywood leading man, frequently appearing in romantic melodramas and occasional comedies. Turned to character acting in his later years. Notable roles are Geoffrey Hammond from The Letter, Edward ‘Ned’ Faraday from Blonde Venus, Gaston Monescu from Trouble in Paradise, Walter Fane from The Painted Veil, Gray Meredith from A Bill of Divorcement, Robert Crosbie from The Letter, Horace Giddens from The Little Foxes, W. Somerset Maugham from The Razor’s Edge, Scott Chavez from Duel in the Sun, Archibald Craven from The Secret Garden, William, Earl of Mackworth from The Black Shield of Falworth, and Lord Robert Dudley from The Virgin Queen.
Nominated for: Marshall was never nominated for an Oscar.
Most Crushing Loss: Not being nominated for Best Supporting Actor in 1946 for The Razor’s Edge.
Reasons: Though he was respected and liked by his colleagues for his professionalism, talent, gentlemanly demeanor, and pleasant attitude, he had a private turbulent life that periodically appeared in gossip columns.
Trivia: Grandfather wrote several books on art and travel while his uncle was a dramatic critic. Great-nephew of Edward Wollstonecraft who was a nephew of Mary Wollstonecraft and cousin of Mary Shelley. Was called “Bart” by his mother because she hated the nickname, “Bertie.” Was visited in the hospital by King George V during WWI and when asked to pick up which of his legs was fake, chose the wrong one. Made numerous appearances on the Armed Forces Radio Services during WWII and helped organize British war relief in Hollywood. Used his own money for travel to visit military hospitals during WWII and particularly focused on encouraging amputee soldiers to keep a positive attitude and not think of themselves as handicapped or limited. He even discussed his own experience with his amputation and gave them tips on how to use their prosthetics. Daughter Ann was Jack Nicholson’s personal assistant. Had an affair with Gloria Swanson. Starred in his own radio series A Man Called “X.”

137. Linda Darnell

Personal Life: (1923-1965) Born Monetta Eloyse Darnall in Dallas, Texas. Father was a postal clerk. Parents’ marriage wasn’t happy and she grew up a shy and reserved girl in a house of domestic turmoil. Mother had big plans for her and thought she was the only one of her children with potential as an actress and ignored rearing her other kids. Mother’s reputation in her neighborhood ranged from “aggressive” to “downright mean.” Worked as a model at 11 and started acting at 13. Also, performed in beauty contests. Spotted by a talent scout from 20th Century Fox in 1937 who invited her for a screen test in Hollywood but was initially rejected for being too young (she was a teenager). At 15, she secured a contract in 1939 but lied about her age (posed as 17 but listed at 19). Made her first film in 1939. Married 3 times and adopted a daughter with first husband Peverell Marley. Died from severe burns sustained in a house fire in Chicago, Illinois at 41, which burned 80-90% of her body.
Famous for: American actress who appeared in supporting roles for big budget films at 20th Century Fox throughout the 1940s and rose to fame co-starring opposite Tyrone Power in adventure films. Established a main character career after her role in Forever Amber. Won critical acclaim for her work in Unfaithfully Yours and A Letter to Three Wives. Notable roles are Carolyn Sayers from Star Dust, Zina Webb – The Outsider from Bringham Young, Lolita Quintero from The Mark of Zorro, Carmen Espinosa from Blood and Sand, Virginia Clemm from The Loves of Edgar Allan Poe, The Virgin Mary from The Song of Bernadette, Dawn Starlight from Buffalo Bill, Netta Longdon from Hangover Square, Stella from Fallen Angel, Tuptim from Anna and the King of Siam, Amber St. Clair from Forever Amber, Chihuahua from My Darling Clementine, Daphne De Carter from Unfaithfully Yours, Lora Mae Hollingsway from A Letter to Three Wives, Edie Johnson from No Way Out, and Edwina Mansfield from Blackbeard the Pirate.
Nominated for: Darnell was never nominated for an Oscar.
Most Crushing Loss: Not being nominated for Best Supporting Actress in 1949 for A Letter to Three Wives in which her portrayal of a social climber is sympathetic and well balanced compared to others.
Reasons: Though she appeared onscreen as The Virgin Mary in The Song of Bernadette, her off-screen lifestyle was particularly notorious and made perfect tabloid fodder. She struggled with alcoholism, weight gain, and mental health issues. She fought legal battles with agents and estranged husbands causing her financial woes as well as distanced herself from her dysfunctional family. She also had a lot of affairs and it’s said Ann Miller was her only friend. This didn’t help that 20th Century Fox wanted her to be a movie sex symbol.
Trivia: Was a witness at Lana Turner’s first wedding to Husband Stephen Crane. Star Dust was basically based on her beginnings in Hollywood. Romantically linked to Mickey Rooney, Howard Hughes, and Joseph L. Mankiewicz.

138. Frances Farmer

Personal Life: (1913-1970) Born in Seattle, Washington. Father was a prominent lawyer. Worked as a movies usher, waitress, tutor and factory worker while attending the University of Washington. Made her first film in 1936 at Paramount. Married 3 times with first marriage to Leif Erickson. Died of esophageal cancer at 56.
Famous for: American actress and TV host. Notable roles are Lotta Morgan/Lotta Bostrom from Come and Get It, Josie Mansfield from The Toast of New York, Ruby Taylor from South of Pago Pago, Linda Chalmers from Flowing Gold, Doris Halliday from Rhythm on the Range, Kitty Carr from World Premiere, Elaine Raden from Among the Living, and Isabel Blake from Son of Fury: The Story of Benjamin Blake.
Nominated for: Farmer was never nominated for an Oscar.
Most Crushing Loss: Not being nominated for Best Supporting Actress in 1936 for Come and Get It, if any.
Reasons: Well, not only was Farmer alleged to be a Communist and an atheist, she had an outspoken style that made her uncooperative and contemptuous. She rebelled against the studio’s control and resisted every attempt they made to glamorize her private life. Refused to attend Hollywood parties or date other stars for the gossip columns. Not to mention, she’s more famous for her dramatic fall from grace when she was arrested on multiple charges and involuntarily committed to a mental hospital twice (with her mother having to assume legal guardianship). However, contrary to popular fictional portrayals, she was never lobotomized.
Trivia: Was agnostic and influenced by the writings of Friedrich Nietzsche according to a high school essay of hers she won $100 in a contest yet she would later convert to Roman Catholicism in 1959. Also won contests to Europe and the Soviet Union during her college years. Romantically linked to Clifford Odets. Had a second career as a daytime TV host in Indiana from 1958-1964.

139. Sylvia Sidney

Personal Life: (1910-1990) Born Sophia Kosow in The Bronx of New York City to Russian and Romanian Jews. Father was a Russian Jewish immigrant who worked as a clothing salesman. Mother would later become a dressmaker. Parents divorced in 1915 and mother remarried a man named Sidney who adopted her. Became an actress at 15 as a way of overcoming shyness and trained in the Theater Guild’s School of Acting, appearing in several theatrical productions during the 1920s. Discovered by a Hollywood talent scout in 1926 and made her first film later that year. Married 3 times and had a son wit second husband Luther Adler, who died of Lou Gehrig’s disease. Was a lifelong smoker. Died of esophageal cancer in New York City at 88.
Famous for: American actress who rose to prominence in the 1930s appearing in numerous crime dramas, often playing a gangster’s girlfriend or sister. Notable roles are Nan Cooley from City Streets, Roberta “Bert” Alden from An American Tragedy, Rose Maurrant from Street Scene, Helen Smith from The Miracle Man, Joan Prentice from Merrily We Go to Hell, Cho-Cho San from Madame Butterfly, Katherine Grant from Fury, Mrs. Verloc from Sabotage, Joan Graham from You Only Live Once, Drina from Dead End, Cecily Harrington from Love from a Stranger, Fantine from Les Miserables, Mrs. Pritchett from Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams, Miss Coral from I Never Promised You a Rose Garden, Juno from Beetlejuice, and Grandma Florence Norris from Mars Attacks!
Nominated for: Sidney was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in 1973 for Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams.
Most Crushing Loss: Not being nominated for Best Supporting Actress in 1977 for I Never Promised You a Rose Garden.
Reasons: Sidney was typecast as gangster molls and sisters early in her career and kindly old ladies in her later years. In 1977, she spoke of how producers came to typecast her as “the girl of the gangster, then the sister who was bringing up the gangster, then later the mother of the gangster, and they always had me ironing somebody’s shirt.” As for her Oscar nomination, she was just burned by the competition. Not to mention, she was a more prominent actress in the theater than in films.
Trivia: Tim Burton was a big fan of hers. Wrote 2 popular books on needle point.

140. Van Johnson

Personal Life: (1916-2008) Born Charles Van Dell Johnson in Newport, Rhode Island. Father was a plumber and real estate salesman. Mother was an alcoholic who left the family when he was a child and he had a chilly relationship with his father. Moved to New York City after graduating from high school and made his stage debut in 1935. Made his first movie in 1940. Was involved in a car crash in 1943 which left him with a metal plate on his forehead and scars on his face that the plastic surgery at the time couldn’t correctly conceal. Also had his scalp nearly sheared off. Yet, he slapped his scalp and crawled 50 yards to get to rescue workers for aid. Injury exempted him from service during WWII. Married to stage actress Eve Abbott for 23 years and had a daughter (though marriage might’ve been a publicity stunt to quell gay rumors). Retired in 1992. Died in New York of natural causes at 92.
Famous for: American actor, singer, and dancer who was a major MGM star during and after WWII. Was the embodiment of “the boy next door wholesomeness” that made him a popular Hollywood star in the 1940s and 1950s. Was one of the last surviving matinee idols of Hollywood’s Golden Age. Notable roles are Marcus Macauley from The Human Comedy, Ted Randall from A Guy Named Joe, Ted Lawson from Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo, Spike McManus from State of the Union, John Alden from Plymouth Adventure, Lt. Stephen Maryk, USNR from The Caine Mutiny, Jeff Douglas from Brigadoon, Maurice Bendix from The End of the Affair, Charles Wills from Last Time I Saw Paris, Al Yearling from Divorce American Style, and Larry from The Purple Rose of Cairo.
Nominated for: Johnson was never nominated for an Oscar.
Most Crushing Loss: Not being nominated for Best Actor in 1954 for The Caine Mutiny.
Reasons: Despite his image as a cheery guy, Johnson was reputed to be morose and moody because of his difficult early life and had little tolerance for unpleasantness. He and his daughter were estranged by his death. Also it’s said he was involved in many homosexual proclivities which were well known within the film industry but mostly covered up due to respect for privacy and Louis B. Mayer’s efforts to quash scandal (yet, this can’t really be proven). Still his marriage ended very bitterly and his life was frequent tabloid fodder.
Trivia: Was friends with Lucille Ball. Usually wore heavy makeup in his roles since 1943 with the sole exception of The Caine Mutiny. Always wore red socks.

I really wanted to get this series in before the Oscars ceremony, yet I completed all the rough work just the Friday before. However, I’m glad that I am already more than halfway through with this series after yesterday so there won’t be much left. In this selection, we look at 10 more film legends who never received the golden statuette like some of last night’s nominees. Some may be bridesmaids but never brides while others may not even get the bridesmaid honor. First, there is Ward Bond, a supporting player who was in some of the most famous films in the Golden Age of Hollywood. Second, we have character legends Beulah Bondi, Marjorie Main, and Spring Byington who were actresses best known for playing matronly older women and/or moms. After that is Peter Lawford best known as a Rat Pack member and onetime brother-in-law to John F. Kennedy followed by Jean Hagen famous for her funny as hell performance as the talentless Lina Lamont from Singin’ in the Rain. Then we have actor James Whitmore who most of us would recognize from The Shawshank Redemption, once I show a picture of him. Next we have Jean Simmons, a British actress whose career spanned over 60 years but is best known as Kirk Douglas’ love interest from Spartacus. Then we have Elsa Lanchester best known as the bride of Frankenstein. And last but not least, there is Dame Judith Anderson, an actress you may not recognize but she was in movies like Rebecca, Laura, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Ten Commandments, and Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. So for your reading pleasure, here are some more actors and actresses who never won Oscars.

121. Ward Bond

Personal Life: (1903-1960) Born Wardell Edwin Bond in Benklemen, Nebraska. Moved to Denver, Colorado in 1919. Attended USC and got into acting as a member of the football team with John Wayne when Ford hired the whole team to do a movie in 1929. Was an epileptic and rejected for the draft during WWII. Married twice. Died of a heart attack in Dallas at 57.
Famous for: American actor whose rugged appearance and easygoing charm were featured in over 200 films mostly in supporting roles. Made 23 films with John Wayne and 25 films with John Ford. Often played policemen and soldiers. Notable roles are Captain Tom from Gone With the Wind, Policeman from The Grapes of Wrath, Franz from The Mortal Storm, Ape from Kit Carson, Townley from Santa Fe Trail, Ike Botkin from Sergeant York, Detective Tom Polhaus from The Maltese Falcon, Morgan Earp from My Darling Clementine, Honey Bragg from Canyon Passage,
‘Boats’ Mulcahey C.B.M. from They Were Expendable, Bert from It’s a Wonderful Life, La Hire from Joan of Arc, Father Peter Lonergan from The Quiet Man, John McIvers from Johnny Guitar, and Pat Wheeler from Rio Bravo.
Nominated for: Bond was never nominated for an Oscar.
Most Crushing Loss: Not receiving an honorary Oscar for the output of his career mostly because he didn’t live long enough.
Reasons: Bond was more of a character actor who mostly appeared in westerns. Also he was heavily involved in right-wing politics and displayed enthusiasm for blacklisting suspected Communists, which earned the enmity of many.
Trivia: Played on the USC football team at the same time as future USC coach Jesse Hill and John Wayne. Was a starting lineman on USC’s first national championship team in 1928. Starred in Wagon Train from 1957 to 1960. Has appeared in More AFI Top 100 Movies than any other actor. Was to attend a football game at the Cotton Bowl between SMU and Texas A&M. John Wayne gave the eulogy at his funeral. Was best friends with John Wayne. Appeared in 30 movies in 1935. Appeared in 3 Best Picture winners.

122. Jean Simmons

Personal Life: (1929-2010) Born in London. Father was a gymnast and phys ed teacher who died when she was 16. Began acting at 14. During WWII, her family was evacuated to Winscombe, Somerset. Discovered while attending the Aida Foster School of Dance, and made her first film in 1944. Married twice with her marriages being to Stewart Granger and Richard Brooks with a daughter from each union. Became a US citizen in 1956. Moved to the East Coast in the 1970s but later returned to Santa Monica, California. Struggled with alcoholism. Retired in 2009. Died of lung cancer at 80.
Famous for: British American actress who appeared predominantly in films she made in Great Britain during and after WWII and in Hollywood from 1950 onwards. Notable roles are Young Estella from Great Expectations, Kanchi from Black Narcissus, Ophelia from Hamlet, Emmeline Foster from The Blue Lagoon, Lavinia from Androcles and the Lion, Princess Elizabeth from Young Bess, Carolyn Parker from Affair with a Stranger, Diana from The Robe, Ruth Gordon Jones from The Actress, Meryt from The Egyptian, Désirée Clary from Desiree, Sergeant Sarah Brown from Guys and Dolls, Julie Maragon from The Big Country, Sharon Falconer from Elmer Gantry, Varinia from Spartacus, Fräulein Rottenmeier from Heidi, Mary Spencer from The Happy Ending, Em Reed from How to Make an American Quilt, and Grandma Sophie from Howl’s Moving Castle.
Nominated for: Simmons was nominated twice, once for Best Actress and once for Best Supporting Actress in 1948 for Hamlet and 1969 for The Happy Ending.
Most Crushing Loss: Not being nominated for Best Actress in 1960 for Elmer Gantry. I mean she was incredibly good as a fanatical, hypocritical, and ambitions self-appointed preacher with a façade of sweetness that perfectly matched with Burt Lancaster’s Elmer Gantry’s fiery zeal and gift for gab.
Reasons: Simmons was nominated in 2 very bad years in which her main competition was Claire Trevor for playing an alcoholic ex-showgirl in Key Largo and Maggie Smith playing a fanatical Fascist teacher in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.
Trivia: Father competed in the 1912 Olympic Games. Spoke up publically about her addiction struggles and was patron of a British drug and human rights charity Release as well as an active supporter of just, humane, and effective drug policies. Was friends with Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn.

123. James Whitmore

Personal Life: (1921-2009) Born in White Plains, New York. Father was a park commission official. Attended Yale on a football scholarship but had to quit due to severe knee injuries. So he started acting in the Yale Drama Society instead. Planned on becoming a lawyer after graduation. Enlisted in the US Marine Corps Reserves during WWII, served in the Pacific, and rose to the rank of lieutenant. After the war, studied at the Actors Studio before appearing on Broadway. Made his first film in 1949. Married 4 times (but twice to the same woman) and had 3 sons with first wife Nancy Mygatt. Retired in 2005. Died of lung cancer at 87.
Famous for: American actor whose career spanned over 50 years. Notable roles are Kinnie from Battleground, Gus Minissi from The Asphalt Jungle, Slug from Kiss Me Kate, Clint Priest from The Outriders, Police Sgt. Ben Peterson from Them!, Mr. Carnes from Oklahoma!, Commander Warren Meredith from The Deep Six, President of the Assembly from Planet of the Apes, Admiral Halsey from Tora! Tora! Tora!, Grandpa from Where the Red Fern Grows,
Harry S Truman from Give Em’ Hell, Harry, Brooks Hatlen from The Shawshank Redemption, and Stan Keller from The Majestic.
Nominated for: Whitmore was nominated twice once for Best Actor and once for Best Supporting Actor in 1950 for Battleground and 1976 for Give Em’ Hell, Harry.
Most Crushing Loss: Not being nominated for Best Supporting Actor in 1994 for The Shawshank Redemption.
Reasons: Appearing in a movie with giant killer ants might’ve really hurt his chances.
Trivia: Was James Dean’s mentor at the Actors Studio. Member of Skull and Bones as well as helped found Yale’s radio station. Was an avid vegetable gardener and served as a pitchman for Miracle-Gro. Son and 2 grandchildren formed their own theater troupe called the Whitmore Electric.

124. Peter Lawford

Personal Life: (1923-1984) Born in London, England. Father was a lieutenant general and an aristocrat. At the time of his birth, his parents were married to other people and his parents’ revelation resulted in a double divorce. Parents wed when he was a year old. Spent his childhood in France but was never formally educated. Made his first movie at 7. At 14, he severely injured his right arm in an accident when it went through a glass door. This compromised the use of his lower arm and hand with irreversible nerve damage. It also prevented his entry into the military to the dismay of his parents, so he decided to pursue acting resulting in him being denied an inheritance from his aunt. Became a US citizen in 1960. Married 4 times with his first wife being Pat Kennedy with whom he had 3 daughters. Years of substance abuse took a toll on him later in life, especially alcoholism. Died from cardiac arrest complicated from kidney and liver failure at 61.
Famous for: British American actor who had a strong presence in popular culture during the 1940s to 1960s and starred in a number of highly acclaimed films. Notable roles are Anthony de Canterville from The Canterville Ghost, Lord Thornley from Mrs. Parkington, David Stone from The Picture of Dorian Gray, Jonathan Harrow III from Easter Parade, Ritchie Lorgan from Julia Misbehaves, Theodore “Laurie” Laurence from Little Women, Lord John Brindale from Royal Wedding, Evan Adams III from It Should Happen to You, Jimmy Foster from Ocean’s 11, Major Caldwell from Exodus, Senator Lafe Smith from Advise and Consent, Frederic Summers from Sylvia, the Senator from Skidoo, and Montague Chippendale from Where Is Parsifal?.
Nominated for: Lawford was never nominated for an Oscar.
Most Crushing Loss: Not being nominated for Best Supporting Actor in 1962 for Advise and Consent. Not to mention, he was in decline after the 1960s.
Reasons: Lawford was more of a hottie who usually appeared in romantic comedies
Trivia: Was romantically linked to Rita Hayworth, Ava Gardner, June Allyson, Lucille Ball, Anne Baxter, Judy Garland, and Lana Turner (or so it’s claimed). Member of the Rat Pack. Onetime brother-in-law to President John F. Kennedy. Did not learn of his illegitimacy until he was 27 years old.

125. Beulah Bondi

Personal Life: (1889-1981) Born Beulah Bondy in Valparaiso, Indiana. Mother was an author and father worked in real estate. Began her acting career at 7. Graduated with a Bachelors and Masters degrees in oratory at Valparaiso University in 1916 and 1918. Made her Broadway debut in 1925 and her first film in 1931. Never married or had children. Die from pulmonary complications caused by broken ribs suffered when she tripped over her cat in her home at 91.
Famous for: American actress who started her career as a young child in the theater and played supporting roles in several films during the 1930s. Played Jimmy Stewart’s mother in 4 movies. Notable roles are Emma Jones from Street Scene, Mrs. Davidson from Rain, Rachel Jackson from The Gorgeous Hussy, Lucy Cooper from Make Way for Tomorrow, Ma Smith from Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Mrs. Sargent from Remember the Night, Mrs. Morgan from Vivacious Lady, Aunt Charlotte from The Buccaneer, Mrs. Webb from Our Town, Miss Oliver from Penny Serenade, Anise from Watch on the Rhine, Mrs. Bailey from It’s a Wonderful Life, Mrs. Greer from The Snake Pit, Mary Wilkins from Of Human Hearts, Granny Nellie from On Borrowed Time, Loma from The Baron of Arizona, and Hannah from The Big Fisherman.
Nominated for: Bondi was nominated twice for Best Supporting Actress in 1936 for The Gorgeous Hussy and 1938 for Of Human Hearts.
Most Crushing Loss: Not being nominated for Best Actress in 1937 for Make Way for Tomorrow.
Reasons: Bondi was usually typecast as mother figures throughout her career. Also was burned by the competition in both nominations.
Trivia: One of the first women nominated for Best Supporting Actress. Changed the “y” to “I” to her name so all the letters could fit on one line of a marquee.

126. Jean Hagen

Personal Life: (1923-1977) Born Jean Shirley Verhagen in Chicago, Illinois. Father was a Dutch immigrant. Moved to Elkhart, Indiana at 12. Studied drama at Northwestern University and made her Broadway debut in 1946. Made her first film in 1949. Married to Tom Seidel and had 2 children which was a marriage full of domestic violence until their 1965 divorce. Spent her later life hospitalized and under medical care as her health declined. Died of esophageal cancer at 54.
Famous for: American actress best known for her role as Lina Lamont from Singin’ in the Rain. Notable roles are Beryl Caighn from Adam’s Rib, Doll Conovan from The Asphalt Jungle, Hariette Sinton from Side Street, Lina Lamont from Singin’ in the Rain, Freeda Daniels from The Shaggy Dog, Marguerite “Missy” LeHand from Sunrise at Campobello, and Dede Marshall from Dead Ringer.
Nominated for: Hagen was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in 1952 for Singin’ in the Rain.
Most Crushing Loss: Losing to Gloria Grahame in 1952 for the Best Supporting Actress race. Sure Grahame was supposed to be annoying in The Bad and the Beautiful but Hagen had more screen time and was simply hysterical as Lina Lamont whose voice sounds like fingernails on a chalkboard.I mean Hagen was very good playing an actress who’s supposed to completely suck and she does it very well. Grahame probably won because her character died in the movie.
Reasons: Her performance as Lina Lamont was for a musical comedy while Gloria Grahame’s was for a drama so you do the math.
Trivia: Was Margaret Williams in Make Room for Daddy who was the first character to be killed off from a TV show or McLeaned as TV Tropes and Idioms would say. Was Judy Holliday’s understudy in Born Yesterday.

127. Dame Judith Anderson

Personal Life: (1897-1992) Born Frances Margaret Anderson in Adelaide, South Australia, in Australia. Began acting in her home country in 1915 before moving to New York in 1918. Made her first film in 1933. Joined the Old Vic in 1937. Married twice. Retired in 1987. Died of pneumonia at 94.
Famous for: Australian actress who had a successful career for over 70 years. Notable roles are Mrs. Danvers from Rebecca, Madame from All Through the Night, Mrs. Ivers from The
Strange Love of Martha Ivers, Emily Brent from And Then There Were None, Ann Treadwell from Laura, Mrs. Harriet Gordon from Kings Row, Gerd Bjarnesen from Edge of Darkness,
Maggie Shoemaker from Why Bother to Knock, Memmet from The Ten Commandments, Buffalo Cow Head from A Man Called Horse, Ida “Big Momma” Pollitt from Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, T’Lar from Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, and The Sister of Purgatory from Impure Thoughts.
Nominated for: Anderson was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in 1940 for Rebecca.
Most Crushing Loss: Not being nominated for Best Supporting Actress in 1958 for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. It would be hard to say whether losing the Oscar to Jane Darwell was crushing since Darwell’s performance of Ma Joad was pretty good, too. Yet, it wouldn’t be hard to say that she was robbed of a nomination as Big Momma.
Reasons: As for her Oscar nomination, Anderson was just burned by the competition
Trivia: Never took the name Judith as a legal name. Became a dame in 1960.

128. Marjorie Main

Personal Life: (1890-1975) Born Mary Tomlinson in Acton, Indiana. Father was a minister and adopted her stage name for this reason. Attended Franklin College. Worked in vaudeville on the Chautauqua and Orpheum Circuits, debuting on Broadway in 1916. Made her first film in 1931. Married to Stanley LaFerve Krebs for 14 years yet they may have separated long before his death in 1935. Retired in the 1960s. Died of lung cancer at 85.
Famous for: American actress and contract player at MGM. Best known for her portrayal as Ma Kettle in a series of 10 movies. Made 6 films with Wallace Beery. Notable roles are Mrs. Martin from Stella Dallas, Katie Matthews from Penitentiary, Mrs. Dolley, Landlady Chestevere Apartments from Another Thin Man, Miss Kitty Wayne from Too Hot to Handle, Lucy, Dude Ranch Owner from The Women, Mrs. Varner from Honky Tonk, Mrs. Maude Fisher from Tennessee Johnson, Mrs. Strable from Heaven Can Wait, Katie from Meet Me in St. Louis, Sonora Cassidy from The Harvey Girls, Ma Kettle from The Egg and I and 9 other films, Esme from Summer Stock, Mrs. Hittaway from The Long, Long Trailer, Lady Jane Dunstock from Rose Marie, and The Widow Hudspeth from Friendly Persuasion.
Nominated for: Main was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in 1947 for The Egg and I.
Most Crushing Loss: Not being nominated for Best Supporting Actress in 1956 for Friendly Persuasion for which she received a Golden Globe nomination.
Reasons: Main was typecast first as upper class dowagers and then as abrasive, domineering salty roles for which her voice was well suited. Also, best known as Ma Kettle in a series that hasn’t aged well. Also may have confided in an interview that she might’ve had 2 lesbian affairs, particularly with Spring Byington.
Trivia: Romantically linked to Spring Byington and Ginger Rogers. Said to sometimes wear a surgical mask and white gloves for fear of germ contamination.

129. Elsa Lanchester

Personal Life: (1902-1986) Born in London. Parents were unmarried bohemian socialists. Studied dance in Paris as a child but had to return to Great Britain due to WWI. Taught dancing at 12 to earn some money for her household. After the war she started the Children’s Theatre and a nightclub called the Cave of Harmony where modern plays and cabaret were performed. Made her first film in 1925. Married to Charles Laughton for 23 years yet never had children (though there were rumors that Laughton was gay {according to her} and she had at least one abortion while performing in burlesque {according to Maureen O’Hara}). Retired in 1980. Suffered 2 strokes within a 30 month timespan which left her totally incapacitated. Died of bronchopneumonia at 84.
Famous for: British character actress whose career spanned 55 years. Made 12 films with husband Charles Laughton. Notable roles are Therese from Potiphar’s Wife, Clickett from David Copperfield, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley / The Monster’s Mate from Bride of Frankenstein, Hendrickje Stoffels from Rembrandt, Anne of Cleves from The Private Life of Henry VIII, Emily Creed from Ladies in Retirement, Mrs. Oates from The Spiral Staircase,
Mrs. Carraclough from Lassie Come Home, Miss Keith from The Razor’s Edge, Martha from The Secret Garden, Madame Magloire from Les Miserables, Megaera from Androcles and the Lion, Amelia Potts from Come to the Stable, Aunt Queenie Holroyd from Bell, Book, and Candle, Miss Plimsoll from Witness for the Prosecution, Katie Nanna from Mary Poppins, and Jessica Marbles from Murder by Death.
Nominated for: Lanchester was nominated for Best Supporting Actress twice in 1949 for Come to the Stable and 1957 for Witness for the Persecution.
Most Crushing Loss: Not being nominated for Best Supporting Actress in 1935 for Bride of Frankenstein since the award didn’t exist. Yet, it would’ve been awesome for her to receive recognition for it for she’s just referred to as “?” in the credits as “The Monster’s Mate.”
Reasons: Lanchester was best known for 2 things such as being Charles Laughton’s wife and playing the Bride of Frankenstein for which she was denied any form of billing or credit, possibly over a personality dispute. Sure she doesn’t appear until the end but still.
Trivia: Brother was a puppeteer with his own marionette company in Stratford-upon-Avon. Studied dance in Paris under Isadora Duncan. In the 1920s, made a few studio recordings for Columbia Records. Appeared on stage with Laughton in a production of Peter Pan in which she played the title role and he portrayed Captain Hook at the London Palladium. They also played a father and daughter on stage as well.

130. Spring Byington

Personal Life: (1886-1971) Born in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Father was an educator and Superintendent of Schools in Colorado who died when she was 5. Mother would later become a doctor and spent part of her elder daughter’s childhood in Canada. Raised by relatives in Denver. Became a professional actress at 14 with the Elitch Garden Stock Company. Mother died in 1907 and she was legally adopted by her aunt. Said she tried reporting for a newspaper but headed to New York City as soon as she could with her inheritance. Joined a repertory company that performed Spanish translated plays in Buenos Aires between 1908 and 1916. Made her first film in 1930. Married to Roy Chandler and had 2 daughters. Retired in 1968. Died of rectal cancer at 84.
Famous for: American actress who was a key MGM contract player appearing in about 60 films between the 1930s and 1960s. Notable roles are Marmee from Little Women, Mrs. Byam from Mutiny on the Bounty, Essie from Ah, Wilderness!, Matey Pearson from Dodsworth, Lady Octavia Warrenton from The Charge of the Light Brigade, Rebecca Perry from Theodora Goes Wild, Dolly Madison from The Buccaneer, Mrs. Kendrick from Jezebel, Penny Sycamore from You Can’t Take It With You, Mrs. Hubbard from The Story of Alexander Graham Bell, Mrs. Mitchell from Meet John Doe, Mary Sunshine from Roxie Hart, Bertha Van Cleve from Heaven Can Wait, Magda from Dragonwyck, Nellie Burke from In the Good Old Summertime, Sister Edwitha from Angels in the Outfield, Justice Amelia Brown from The Rocket Man, and Suzie Robinson from Please Don’t Eat the Daisies.
Nominated for: Byington was nominated for Best Supporting Actress in 1938 for You Can’t Take It With You.
Most Crushing Loss: Possibly losing to Fay Bainter for Best Supporting Actress in 1938 since she played a more original character in You Can’t Take It With You. Also, not receiving nominations for playing against type.
Reasons: Byington was typecast as gentle and adoring middle aged women, particularly mothers.
Trivia: Spoke Spanish she picked up from her performing days in Argentina and later studied Brazilian Portuguese. Acquired a small coffee plantation in Brazil during her later years. Was fascinated by metaphysics and science fiction novels as well as displayed knowledge of Earth’s satellites and constellations of the night sky. Starred in the TV and radio show December Bride.