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The vagaries of the Oscars are difficult to predict, but it often happens that bright young actors are forced to wait to get their Oscar. Al Pacino didn’t receive his best actor trophy until 1993, when he ho-ah’ed her path to victory with “Scent of a Woman”. Jessica Lange was nominated five times before finally winning for “Blue Sky.” Glenn Close has been nominated eight times and is still waiting to hear her name read on stage at the Dolby Theater.
And yet, sometimes a performer is so ineffably talented — and cast in the perfect role — that Oscar voters have no choice but to let them jump the line. This was certainly the case for Audrey Hepburnwho charmed the world with her joyful and innocent portrayal of Princess Ann in William Wyler’s romantic comedy classic, “Roman Holiday.” She was still a newcomer to the industry, but her otherworldly elegance and out-of-this-world beauty in this film (in which she sparked with the often stiff Gregory Peck) were undeniable. She was easily the only choice for best actress of 1954 (although it should be noted that her only real competition that year was Deborah Kerr in “From Here to Eternity”). It was her first nomination and first win, but although she would be nominated four more times, it proved to be her only win.
I think this is a minor Oscar parody, because in 1967 she gave perhaps her best performance as a blind woman living in an apartment and tormented by ruthless criminals in Terence Young’s adaptation of Frederick Knott’s play “Wait Until Dark.” The film aspires to be a harrowing thriller, and it succeeds magnificently on that front thanks in large part to Hepburn’s transformation from prey to provocative predator.
Audrey Hepburn gave an Oscar-worthy performance in Wait Until Dark
Hepburn was the only member of the “Wait Until Dark” cast and crew to receive a nomination, and that’s a shame. It’s a skillfully staged suspense film that skillfully tightens the screws to its terrifying climax. It was certainly more worthy of a Best Picture nomination than the platitudinous problem film “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?” or the bloated musical “Doctor Dolittle.” (If you want to know more about this pivotal year in cinema, I highly recommend reading Mark Harris’s. “Images during a revolution”.)
Hepburn still faced competition in 1968. Faye Dunaway in “Bonnie and Clyde” and Anne Bancroft in “The Graduate” were also deserving. Unfortunately, the Oscar went to Katharine Hepburn in “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?” for a truly exceptional performance.
Audrey, for her part, played against her glamorous and radiant character as a vulnerable woman whose lack of eyesight is exploited by thug Harry Roat (Alan Arkin), in search of a doll stuffed with heroin. Initially, she has no idea why these men want the doll (it was brought home by her husband, then stolen by a neighbor), but it eventually dawns on her that Roat is not leaving without it. And even if he succeeds, there is no guarantee that the switchblade bag will allow him to survive.
The narrative gets a little convoluted, but Hepburn, Arkin and the other men searching for the doll (played by Richard Crenna and Jack Weston) are superb throughout, while Young, best known for his James Bond films “Dr. No”, “From Russia with Love” and “Thunderball” constitute the best film of his career. It’s not a masterpiece, but “Wait Until Dark” is a sensationally entertaining thriller with an unforgettable finale.
