Today's question: Several films have earned two Best Actor nominations (e.g., Network (1976), Giant (1956), From Here to Eternity (1953), and Going My Way (1944), among others). Name a film which earned three Best Actor nominations.
Pictured: Amadeus (1984), which earned both F. Murray Abraham and Tom Hulce nominations for the Best Actor prize (won by the former).
Well, in 1964 Peter Sellers was apparently nominated for one best actor oscar for playing three different roles in the same film (Dr Strangelove), but I guess that's not the answer you're looking for ...
Posted by: Jacqueline Lipton | February 16, 2010 at 12:25 PM
That's a tough one because it means one must think of a film with many men in leading roles. This narrows the field to either "war" pictures or possibly sci fi. Possibilities may include "Glory," "A Soldier's Story," "Apocolypse Now," or "Mutiny on the Bounty."
Posted by: Kelly Anders | February 16, 2010 at 12:32 PM
Another guess would be "Saving Private Ryan."
Posted by: Kelly Anders | February 16, 2010 at 12:34 PM
Jacqui: very interesting! The website listed below states: "Peter Sellers is the only actor to be nominated (as Best Actor) for playing three entirely-different roles in the same film ...." (Rex Harrison captured the award.)
Source: http://www.filmsite.org/bestactor.html
One of my favorite "multiple roles in the same film" movies is Kind Hearts and Coronets, in which Alec Guinness plays EIGHT characters!
Source: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041546/
Posted by: Tim Zinnecker | February 16, 2010 at 12:35 PM
Also, Network would count as having three nominations if we weren't being gender-specific, because Faye Dunaway was nominated as Best Actress....
Posted by: Jacqueline Lipton | February 16, 2010 at 12:40 PM
Good guesses, Kelly!
Jacqui: a future question will address a point you make in your NETWORK observation -- multiple acting nominations for a film.
Posted by: Tim Zinnecker | February 16, 2010 at 12:45 PM
I think the answer is Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) - Charles Laughton, Franchot Tone and Clark Gable.
Posted by: Jacqueline Lipton | February 16, 2010 at 12:49 PM
We have a winner!
Victor McGlaglen, for his work in THE INFORMER, took home the prize. Clark Gable won the award the year before [IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT] and he would be nominated again for GONE WITH THE WIND (losing to Robert Donat, in GOODBYE, MR. CHIPS).
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academy_Award_for_Best_Actor
And with eight "comments," I can count this blog post as "scholarship." That's the rule, isn't it?
Posted by: Tim Zinnecker | February 16, 2010 at 01:04 PM
This is most DEFINITELY scholarship - or at very least "As Good As It Gets".
Posted by: Jacqueline Lipton | February 16, 2010 at 01:54 PM