…and Introducing…Oscar WINNERS!

Hello and welcome to Cinema Wellman. I am your host David, and today we have the 5th installment in our “...and Introducing…” series. 

Every now and then, people are given a very special “...and Introducing…” credit. 

Sometimes it’s an actor or actress the studio thought was going to be a star and they wanted to showcase.

Sometimes it was the producer’s girlfriend.

So, this credit is absolutely a mixed bag. 

We began the series with Tilly Losch (our very 1st episode!), and later looked at instances where several people were given that credit at the same time in the same movie. Maybe they had a Groupon. 

Our third “...and Introducing…” dealt with what I called the “One and Dones.” They made one film, got that special credit, and were never heard from again!

The most recent “AI” (dare I call it that?!) episode was about people given that credit who later went on to be nominated for an Oscar, and today we’ll do that episode one better.

Today we have eight actors and actresses who were given the “...and Introducing…” credit who later WON an Oscar!

That’s some prescient prognostication there!

That’s Criswell stuff!

And please remember that, like many lists found in Cinema Wellman, this one is made up of movies and performances that I have seen. 

I’m sure there are way more than eight performers out there who have accomplished what we’re going to be discussing today. 

I can’t comment on things I haven’t seen. 

We’ll begin with an actor who won his Oscar as a film producer. 

Tony Bill

“And Introducing” for Come Blow Your Horn (1963)

19 credits: his 1st

1 Oscar Nomination - 1 Win

Oscar Winner for The Sting (1973) - Producer

Years Between “And Introducing” & Oscar Win: 10

Did you ever wonder who gets to take home the Oscar for Best Picture?

It’s the producer (or producers) of the film, and that’s how Tony Bill came into possession of his only Oscar. 

Bill is an actor/director/producer who has been much more active behind the camera than in front of it over the years. 

I watched Come Blow Your Horn because Jill St. John was in it, and that was Tony Bill’s first credit. He even got the “And Introducing” credit on the movie poster!

The Sting remains one of my favorite films, so thank you for producing that, Tony. 

Next up is an actor that I kind of liked until I found out about his politics. 

Still love that ape movie, though!

Charlton Heston

“And Introducing” for Dark City (1950)

74 credits: his 3rd

1 Oscar Nomination - 1 Win

Best Actor Oscar Winner for Ben-Hur (1959)

Years Between “And Introducing” & Oscar Win: 9

Heston’s AIC (That’s what we’ll call it! AIC as in “And Introducing Credit) was for a movie I didn’t particularly like, and his Oscar win was dubious at best. 

Ben Hur? That was acting? He beat Jack Lemmon in Some Like It Hot?

That’s embarrassing!

Heston made a bunch of movies I really enjoyed, including Planet of the Apes, The Omega Man, Soylent Green, Airport 1975, Two Minute Warning…but I have a hard time separating the actor from the politics here, so not really a fan. 

And he didn’t deserve his Oscar. 

Mo’Nique

“And Introducing” for Soul Plane (2004)

19 credits: her 5th

1 Oscar Nomination - 1 Win

Best Supporting Oscar Winner for Precious (2009)

Years Between “And Introducing” & Oscar Win: 5

Soul Plane gets a mention on Cinema Wellman! 

Baltimore native Mo’Nique is a multi-talented performer who has roots in stand-up comedy and is also a writer and producer. 

Mo’Nique may be best known for her comedic work, but her Oscar winning performance was in a film that is anything but comedic. 

I wonder if anyone else connected with Soul Plane has won an Oscar?

Maureen Stapleton

“And Introducing” for Lonelyhearts (1958)

33 credits: her 1st

4 Oscar Nominations - 1 Win

Best Supporting Actress Oscar Winner for Reds (1981)

Years Between “And Introducing” & Oscar Win: 23

Like Tony Bill, Maureen Stapleton got an “AIC” on the poster for her debut movie.

I know they don’t make movies like they used to, but they really don’t make movie posters like they used to!

My favorite Maureen Stapleton movie is Airport, for which she earned an Oscar nomination. 

Stapleton is one of 17 actresses to win the so-called “Triple Crown of Acting” by winning an Oscar, Emmy, and Tony, so she was one of those stars of stage and screen (and little screen). 

And NOT related to Jean “Edith Bunker” Stapleton.

Next up is an actress who was featured on a previous “...and Introducing…” because she was introduced with someone else.

Very talented indeed to make two lists in Cinema Wellman!

Kate Winslet

“And Introducing” for Heavenly Creatures (1994)

50 credits: her 1st

7 Oscar Nominations - 1 Win

Best Actress Oscar Winner for The Reader (2008)

Years Between “And Introducing” & Oscar Win: 14

Kate Winslet is like the “Anti” Kevin Costner here at Cinema Wellman.

As you may recall, I have no use for Kevin Costner. For this reason, I dislike a lot of movies purely because of his appearance.

This means that there are potentially good movies out there that Costner is involved with (Dances with Wolves, Bull Durham, Field of Dreams, No Way Out) that I don’t like JUST because of him.

I think he’s overrated and can’t act, and there’s plenty of proof of the acting piece. Just take a look at The Postman, Waterworld, or Draft Day.

Just dismal.

The Kate Winslet parallel as the “anti” Costner is due to the fact that I think Winslet is a tremendous actress who is extremely talented. 

That being said, I hate a bunch of movies she’s in even though I love her!

Sense and Sensibility, Titanic, The Reader, Avatar: The Way of Water. (She was in that? Was she blue?)

Winslet has received 7 Oscar nominations (1 win), and there’s no doubt that that number will only increase over time. 

I like the choices she makes (most of them), and she isn’t afraid to take extremely challenging roles. 

I expect more greatness from Kate Winslet in the future. 

Geraldine Page

“And Introducing” for Hondo (1953)

30 credits: her 1st

8 Oscar Nominations - 1 Win

Best Supporting Actress Oscar Winner for A Trip to Bountiful (1985)

Years Between “And Introducing” & Oscar Win: 32

I have to admit that I don’t know too much about Geraldine Page. 

I’ve only seen a third of her feature film credits, but I can assure you that she’s very good.

My sample size just isn’t that large.

My personal favorite of Page’s, and it was also one of my mom’s, is The Beguiled in which she plays the head of an all-girls boarding school in the south during the Civil War.

Injured Union soldier Clint Eastwood finds refuge at the school, and I won’t spoil the rest because you really should see it if you haven’t.

It’s a great atmospheric/southern gothic thriller that will give you an idea of how skilled an actress Page was. 

Good stuff. 

Not the remake, though. 

How many times have I said that?

Next up is a three-time Oscar winner who died on her birthday.

Happens more often than you’d think. 

 

Ingrid Bergman

“And Introducing” for Intermezzo (1939)

46 credits: her 12th (and 2nd movie titled Intermezzo!)

7 Oscar Nominations - 3 Wins

Best Actress Oscar Winner for Gaslight (1944)

Best Actress Oscar Winner for Anastasia (1956)

Best Supporting Actress Oscar Winner for Murder on the Orient Express (1974)

Years Between “And Introducing” & 1st Oscar Win: 5

Whenever the topic of all-time greatest actresses is brought up, Ingrid Bergman is mentioned. Usually along with Katherine Hepburn and Meryl Streep, and I have no issues with any of that. 

Bergman was an accomplished actress that could handle any role. She sometimes played the victim, but leaned toward playing strong, intelligent women. She played Joan of Arc twice!

She was also very beautiful which added to her versatility. 

I still think it’s funny that her “AIC” was for Intermezzo (her 12th role!) and her SECOND time playing the same role in a film titled Intermezzo!

Bergman was also in Casablanca, so she immediately became one of my all-time favorites after seeing that for the first time. 

Other Bergman favorites of mine include Gaslight, Spellbound, Notorious, and Cactus Flower.

You really can’t go wrong when you see Ingrid Bergman in the cast of a movie. You know you’ll be guaranteed a quality performance.

And last, but certainly not least on today’s list is one of my all-time favorite actors (and my mom loved him as well!); 8-time Oscar nominee Jack Lemmon. 

Jack Lemmon

“And Introducing” for It Should Happen to You (1954)

55 credits: his 1st

8 Oscar Nominations - 2 Wins

Best Supporting Actor Oscar Winner for Mister Roberts (1955)

Best Actor Oscar Winner for Save the Tiger (1973)

Years Between “And Introducing” & 1st Oscar Win: 1

Mister Roberts, Some Like It Hot, The Apartment, Days of Wine and Roses, The Fortune Cookie, The Odd Couple, Save the Tiger, The Prisoner of Second Avenue, The China Syndrome, Missing…

That list of classic films, some considered among the all-time best, all-star the phenomenal Jack Lemmon. 

Armed with one of the best smiles in the history of smiles, Lemmon excelled when playing the “everyman.” 

He was equally adept at playing a supporting actor or a leading man as is evidenced by his winning Oscars in both categories.

Jack Lemmon was a fantastic comedian whose facial expressions were worth thousands of words, but he was also an exceptional dramatic actor playing multi-layered and complicated characters. 

He co-starred with some of the finest actresses in film history including Shirley MacLaine, Marilyn Monroe, Natalie Wood, Janet Leigh, Rita Hayworth, Lee Remick, Sophia Loren, and Ann Margret.

Lemmon’s best on screen chemistry may have been with someone not on that list. 

Someone much less attractive than those talented women.

Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon worked together on over 10 films, and they were magic together.

The original Odd Couple, the two were lifelong friends and they’re buried about 50 feet from each other.

Lemmon’s headstone simply reads; “Jack Lemmon in” which is pretty cool when you think of it. 

My personal favorites of Lemmon are Mister Roberts, The Days of Wine and Roses, The Apartment, and The Odd Couple.

My mother was a big fan of Shirley MacLaine and loved The Apartment. There were more than a few connections between this list and Jean.

I can’t help but think of my mom whenever I see Jack Lemmon.

She also had a wonderful smile.

Well, that is a wrap from here at Cinema Wellman for “...and Introducing…Oscar Winners!”

We hope you’ll return next week when we look at the Best & Worst movies screened here at the cinema during the month of May.

Spoiler Alert: There will only be ONE film on the Worst list for May because it was so horrible it needs a solo spotlight.

Not sure how some of this stuff gets made.

Enjoy the holiday weekend!

Be safe, have fun, and take care.