AND THE OSCAR DOESN’T GO TO… Deborah Kerr

Image from Reel Rundown

Of all the people who never won an Oscar, Deborah Kerr is one of the most surprising ones. Surely one of the most talented actresses of her generation, if not of all time, Deborah Kerr was nominated a whopping 6 times, without ever getting her hands on the golden statuette – apart from her Honorary Award, which we all know is a compensation Oscar. She was one of those people who just happened to be nominated in a very competitive year, every time. I’m actually not sure which movie I would have given her the Oscar for, to be honest. But she should have gotten something at some point, that’s for sure. So what were her 6 nominations and what do they say about the Oscars?

Born in Scotland in 1921, Deborah Kerr originally wanted to be a ballet dancer, but then decided she wanted to be an actress instead. She started her film career in the 1940s, with a string of hits including The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1946), Black Narcissus (1947) and Edward, My Son (1949), for which she received her first Oscar nomination. She lost to Olivia de Havilland for The Heiress (1949). Her second nomination came in 1953, for From Here To Eternity, but Audrey Hepburn won instead for Roman Holiday. Her next nomination was for The King and I (1957). In retrospect, this probably is the movie most people think of when they think of Deborah Kerr. But alas, that was Ingrid Bergman’s big comeback year, and she won for Anastasia. The following year, Kerr was nominated again for Heaven Knows, Mr Allison, but Joanne Woodward took home the Oscar that night for The Three Faces of Eve. Then, she was nominated for Separate Tables, but ended up losing to Susan Hayward for I Want To Live!, which was to be expected. Her last nominated came in 1961, for The Sundowners, which ended up going to Elizabeth Taylor for Butterfield 8, which… let’s not get into that.

Like many of her contemporaries including Cary Grant, Barbara Stanwyck and Thelma Ritter, Deborah Kerr’s Oscar-less nominations are but a baffling piece of trivia that really says nothing about her as an actress. Her versatility, wise career moves and sensitivity as a performer have ensured her place in cinema history and in people’s hearts. It’s the Academy’s loss, as far as I’m concerned.