Oscar Nominees:
Ingrid Bergman … The Bell’s of St. Mary’s
Joan Crawford … Mildred Pierce
Greer Garson … The Valley of Decision
Jennifer Jones … Love Letters
Gene Tierney … Leave Her to Heaven
Mazur Nominees:
Joan Bennett … Scarlet Street
Joan Crawford … Mildred Pierce *
Wendy Hiller … I Know Where I’m Going!
Ann Savage … Detour
Gene Tierney … Leave Her to Heaven
Oscar Winner and Mazur Winner: In a year of weak competition, there was no stopping icon Joan Crawford from deservedly collecting her first and only Academy Award. Bergman was mentioned as a possible upset, but again, bad timing with winning in a previous year (1944 for Gaslight) worked against her. Though Oscar’s choice of leading ladies was a bit uninspired other than Tierney, for those who preferred grit to gloss there was Joan Bennett and Ann Savage, both deliciously fatale in their respective noirs, and Wendy Hiller, romantic and beaming throughout the magic realism of I Know Where I’m Going! Still, Crawford’s pure star charisma in a role perfectly-suited to her steely talents cannot be trumped by anyone this year.