| The Finals for Best Supporting Actress: Female |
| It looks like epics and comedy are the themes of the first performance awards. With double nominations for both Miriam Cooper and Mae Marsh, the Griffith team looks to be in prime position. But Edna Purviance is clocking in with a double nomination of her own, and could be medal bound. Meanwhile, the Euro crowd is calling out "Italia!" "Italia!" hoping to snag a medal and prevent another sweep by the United States. There are several other contenders waiting in the wings and also hoping for some Olympian hardware, so this should get interesting. And now, the finalists: |
| � Miriam Cooper: The Birth of a Nation (1915) (USA) Cooper's wonderful performance is both subtle and heartbreaking. Her dark eyes expressed pain and sorrow and gave a sense of dignity to a film where, great as it was, dignity was often hard to come by. A wonderful actress. � Lila Lee: Male & Female (1919) (USA) Lee put her vaudeville roots to good work, putting in a strong comedic performance. She was one of the highlights of an outstanding cast, and the crowd laughs and applauds her great work as she goes toe to toe with Gloria Swanson in the battle for the affections of the butler, Crichton. � Mae Marsh: The Birth of a Nation (1915) (USA) Despite misgivings about how she was ultimately used in the film, Marsh gave an outstanding performance. She went from innocent youth to mature adult, portraying innocence and frailty, tempered by compassion and strength. Taken outside of the political context, this was one of the decade's truly outstanding performances. � Mae Marsh: Intolerance (1916) (USA) Marsh excelled at the type of dramatic roles available under Griffith, and under his tutelage, she has become a one of this era's greatest actresses. She is tender and moving in the strong modern sequence, as the grief stricken wife, another innocent who must grow up to face a cruel world. � Italia Almirante-Manzini: Cabiria (1914) (Italy) Giving hope to Europe, Italia Almirante-Manzini gives a performance that would stand on its own even without the "local favorite" status. She is a strong woman in an age dominated by men. She is seductive and shrewd, in a multi-faceted performance that is a highlight in a complex epic that would be easy to get lost in. She is a villain that is easy to relish. � Edna Purviance: Shoulder Arms (1918) (USA) Finally, the allure of slapstick comedy cannot be denied. Purviance has served as Charles Chaplin's cinematic love interest, straight woman and comedic cohort throughout the teens. She has been a fine actress and strong comic who shines in whatever role he asks her to play. While her part is small in Shoulder Arms, she adds a great deal to the film, as not only love-interest, but also engaging in some top-notch comedy of her own. All right folks, these women are the first ever performers to make it to the Cinema Olympics finals. Let's give out some medals, shall we? |
| And the medals go to... Bronze: Edna Purviance: Shoulder Arms (1918) (USA) Chaplin has taken on the aspect of the "every man" and we relate to him as an extension of ourselves. As his leading lady, Purviance could be seen as ours as well. Thus this award is a symbol of her status in our hearts, as well as her talents as a top-notch comic performer. Hopefully, this is a sign of things to come, and slapstick will continue to do well in these games. Silver: Italia Almirante-Manzini: Cabiria (1914) (Italy) Almirante-Manzini turned in a marvelously decadent and wicked performance, that remains, for your Scintillated Chairman, one of the highlights of this excellent film. Like her character, she refused to be overshadowed and battled the finest the United States had to offer on the way to Italy's first medal. There are many reasons to check out Cabiria, but when you do, be sure to watch out for her marvelous performance. She truly rises above the crowd. Gold: Mae Marsh: Intolerance (1916) (USA) The Intolerance juggernaut rolls on! If she does nothing else, this role will ensure a lasting legacy for Mae Marsh, one of a handful of truly great actresses as we finish the first quarter century of film, and a deserving gold medal winner. |
| So day five has ended, with Intolerance seeming to be an unstoppable force, with 3 straight Gold medals in the competitive categories. Europeans were somewhat mollified with the silver for Italia Almirnate-Manzini, but the United States has opened a commanding lead in medal count with 10 (compared to 2 for France and Great Britain and 1 each for Italy and Russia.) |