best film: Dr. Strangelove is his best film though Anatomy of a Murder is excellent and Patton, of course, is an all-timer of a biopic. It’s not quick on the level of those three but Rossen’s The Hustler is an outstanding film that almost any actor would be proud to have as his or hers fourth best films. Dr. Strangelove is so important for Scott because it’s not only one of the best comedies of all-time, and a hell of a performance from him, but it gives him such diversity in his filmography. He’s so deadly serious in Patton, Anatomy of a Murder, The Hustler and The Hospital. He wouldn’t be on this level without showing he can do broad comedy like he does here. He’s uproarious and if you showed someone the 10 of the best moments in the film, five of them would feature Scott.
best performance: Patton. Scott’s performance is a behemoth. That opening—his address to his troops in front of the flag in 70mm is transformative acting. Give him the Oscar right there (and he did win it). The writing (Francis Ford Coppola) is up to Scott’s channeling of the great general. Nobody else can play Patton to this day. It’s PSH doing Capote, De Niro doing LaMotta (ok close) or Denzel doing Malcolm X.
stylistic innovations/traits: Scott is deserving of his four acting noms (Patton, The Hospital, Anatomy of a Murder, The Hustler) and the size of his accomplishment in Patton and in Dr. Strangelove make up for the comparatively lack of depth in the filmography (only 11 total films). He did battle with Jimmy Stewart (Anatomy of a Murder) and Paul Newman (The Hustler). Few actors would have the stature to stand up to them and not look small. Strangelove gives him versatility like I said above though nobody could do cranky and stern better than George C. Scott.
directors worked with: Nobody more than once here but we have Kubrick, Preminger (talk about a demanding 1-2), John Huston and Paul Schrader.
Top 5 Performances:
- Patton
- Dr. Strangelove
- The Hustler
- Anatomy of a Murder
- The Hospital
Archiveable films
| 1959- Anatomy of a Murder |
| 1959- The Hanging Tree |
| 1961- The Hustler |
| 1964- Dr. Strangelove |
| 1966- The Bible: In the Beginning… |
| 1968- Petulia |
| 1970- Patton |
| 1971- The Hospital |
| 1979- Hardcore |
| 1980- The Changeling |
| 1981- Taps |
He’s great in A Christmas Carol(1984).That film should definitely be in the archives.
@Janith- I can’t remember if I’ve seen this version. I’ve seen the 1938 and 1951 versions for sure. I’ll keep an eye out for it next Christmas. Thanks for the heads up
He worked with Franklin Schaffner your 232rd best director of all time in his signature performance. And Schaffner ain’t a one hit wonder either. He has Papillon and Planet of the Apes on his resume.
@Malith- Thanks. I may change my mind later and expand the “directors worked with” sections but for now I’m good with keeping Schaffner off this
Do you think he should have won Oscars for the best actor in a supporting role for Anatomy of a Murder (1959) and The Hustler (1961)?
…Not to mention a little film called Dr. Strangelove.
@RK- are you talking about just those that were nominated? If it is completely open, my best supporting actor of 1959 is Dean Martin for Rio Bravo. In 1961 it is Fernando Rey.
Talking about completely open. Thanks for the reply, agree on 1961 but in my opinion he should have won the Oscar for the best supporting actor in 1959.
@RK- Well George C. Scott is superb here- I wouldn’t argue much with either.