1939:The Greatest Year for Hollywood Films -- But Who Was Its Greatest Star?

Most classic movie fans would agree that 1939 was Hollywood's top year. Consider the 10 films which competed for the Best Picture Oscar:  Dark Victory; Gone With the Wind (The winner); Goodbye, Mr. Chips; Love Affair; Mr. Smith Goes to Washington; Ninotchka; Of Mice and Men; Stagecoach; The Wizard of Oz; and Wuthering Heights. In my opinion, nominating 10 films for Best Picture now is absurd. However, in 1939, I believe the number of quality films released warranted a field of 10. Consider the some of the classic films not nominated that same year:  Babes In Arms; Beau Geste; Destry Rides Again; Dodge City; Drums Along the Mohawk; The Four Feathers; Gunga Din; The Hunchback of Notre Dame; Jesse James; Only Angels Have Wings; The Roaring Twenties; The Strory of Vernon and Irene Castle; The Women; and Young Mr. Lincoln.

Obviously, a number of actors and actresses had great success in 1939. James Stewart, for instance, had two very successful movies, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and Destry Rides Again. Many fans of classic cinema would argue he should have won the Oscar for Best Actor for Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Henry Fonda had a very productive year too. Fonda delivered solid performances in Jesse James, Drums Along the Mohawk, and Young Mr. Lincoln. Judy Garland established herself as a bona fide star in Babes in Arms and The Wizard of Oz. Bette Davis ended the decade as the undisputed Queen of Warner Brothers with Dark Victory, The Old Maid, and Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex.


However, I would have to argue that 1939 belonged to Thomas Mitchell. Mitchell appeared in five great films in 1939. He played Gerald O'Hara in Gone With the Wind, the Oscar winner for Best Picture of 1939. In addition, he costarred in 2 other Best Picture nominees, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and Stagecoach. The other two films which featured Mitchell's talents were The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Only Angels Have Wings. To appear in five major motion pictures in 1939 is in itself an impressive feat. However, for any one actor to have appeared in five memorable films is the true achievement.

Thomas Mitchell was acknowledged for his work in Stagecoach with an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Indeed, Mitchell's portrayal of Doc Boone was both humorous and sincerely endearing. Doc Boone was an alcoholic whose medical skills were questionable. However, Mitchell shows us he is a man with underlying strength and goodness. Ultimately, when Doc Boone is needed to deliver the baby of fellow stagecoach passenger Lucy Mallory, he is able to sober up and use his medical expertise. In the hands of of a lesser actor, Doc Boone could have become simply comic relief -- the man who continually "helped" whiskey salesman Samuel Peacock by sampling his liquor. Instead, Mitchell provided some much needed levity as well as some inspiring moments as a man overcoming his fear of failure.

To me, Thomas Mitchell stood out in 1939 by portraying characters who could have been unlikable or unrelatable if not portrayed deftly. Gerald O'Hara in Gone With the Wind is a tragic figure who has a nervous breakdown after the the death of his wife. Mitchell depicts him not as an idiot but a man lost in his grief and still has a fighting spirit in his lucid moments.

In Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, he played 'Diz' Moore who competed for the affections of Clarissa Saunders(Jean Arthur) with the title character. Moore was a hard-nosed reporter who has the opportunity to ruin Smith with his newspaper articles. However, from the start, Mitchell depicts 'Diz' as street smart and a straight shooter. Therefore, filmgoers accept that Moore would start writing balanced (even favorable) articles about Senator Smith despite the fact that negative articles could rid him of his rival for Saunders.

In The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Mitchell took on the role of Clopin, the leader of the gypsies. In my opinion, this character provided Mitchell with a huge challenge. How can the audience like someone who embraces being anti-establishment and rationalizes a criminal lifestyle? Answer: give the role to an actor who can make the filmgoers dislike the establishment and understand Clopin's motivation. Mitchell once again succeeded in showing the audience the decency in a man of questionable character. As Clopin, Mitchell effectively used his character's speeches to articulate that any deeds commited by him or his followers were for survival. Indeed, he ultimately loses his life in his attempt to save fellow gypsy Esmeralda.

In Only Angels Have Wings, Mitchell played 'Kid' Dabb. Dabb is a pilot for a small airline managed by Geoff Carter(Cary Grant). 'Kid' is a loyal friend and coworker of Carter. Unfortunately, 'Kid' has poor eyesight and has to be grounded. This leads to Geoff hiring Bat MacPherson(Richard Barthelmess) to fly for the airline. MacPherson is hated by 'Kid' because MacPherson's cowardice years earlier caused the death of Dabb's younger brother. In addition, MacPherson married the woman Geoff loved deeply, Judy(Rita Hayworth).Mitchell could have made the part 'Kid' Dabb one note by  focusing on the anger of the character. Instead, the viewers saw a man who desperately wants his good friend Geoff to succeed and be happy. Dabb even warns the woman in love with Geoff, Bonnie Lee(Jean Arthur) that she is in for a hard road because Judy made Geoff suspicious of all women. The moviegoers admire 'Kid' Dabb because in spite of the bad events in that have occurred in his life, he still cares about the people in his life. He ultimately copilots a dangerous mission with his enemy MacPherson because Geoff can not and the mission must be completed to keep the airline in business. In the end, the audience does believe 'Kid' would put his hate of MacPherson aside in order to save his friend's business. I'm not sure that happens with someone else in the role.

I realize that it simply my opinion that Thomas Mitchell was 1939's "Greatest Star." Part of the fun of being a classic movie fan, is hearing other fans' opinions and discussing the different viewpoints. I LOVE Bette Davis and it could be argued that she made four films (Dark Victory, The Private Lives of Elizabeth & Essex, The Old Maid, and Juarez) and three of which showcased her starpower. However, it is more difficult to make an impact as a supporting player than in a starring role, in my opinion. Thomas Mitchell succeeded in creating FIVE memorable roles in films featuring the biggest stars of the era. Think about it, Mitchell costarred with Clark Gable, Cary Grant, Charles Laughton, James Stewart, and John Wayne -- yet HE stood out! I'd say that was quite an accomplishment!