Lawrence of Arabia is generally the most admired motion picture released in 1962, while The Manchurian Candidate is the most admired strictly political film to come out that year.
Unfairly neglected, however, is Otto Preminger’s political drama Advise & Consent. Wendell Mayes’ literate script (from Allen Drury’s novel) revolves around backstabbing and blackmailing in the American Congress.
The film features mostly excellent performances from Don Murray and several Hollywood veterans (Walter Pidgeon, Burgess Meredith, etc.). And Preminger’s solid directorial hand also contributed to make Advise & Consent one of the most intriguing 1962 releases.
Best Film
Advise & Consent – Dir.: Otto Preminger; Scr.: Wendell Mayes
The Counterfeit Traitor – dir. & Scr.: George Seaton
The Exterminating Angel / El ángel exterminador – Dir.: Luis Buñuel; Scr.: Luis Alcoriza & Luis Buñuel
The Four Days of Naples / Le quattro giornate di Napoli – Dir.: Nanni Loy; Scr.: Carlo Bernari, Pasquale Festa Campanile, Massimo Franciosa & Nanni Loy
The Happy Years of the Thorwalds / Die Glücklichen Jahre der Thorwalds – Dir.: Wolfgang Staudte & John Olden; Scr.: Maria Matay & Answald Krüger
Keeper of Promises / The Given Word / O Pagador de Promessas – Dir.: Anselmo Duarte; Scr.: Anselmo Duarte & Dias Gomes
The Police Commissioner / Il Commissario – Dir.: Luigi Comencini; Scr.: Agenore Incrocci & Furio Scarpelli
That Touch of Mink – Dir.: Delbert Mann; Scr.: Stanley Shapiro & Nate Monaster
To Kill a Mockingbird – Dir.: Robert Mulligan; Scr.: Horton Foote
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? – Dir.: Robert Aldrich; Scr.: Lukas Weller
Best Actress
Elisabeth Bergner – The Happy Years of the Thorwalds
Claire Bloom – The Chapman Report
Leslie Caron – The L-Shaped Room
Joan Crawford – What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
Bette Davis – What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
Patty Duke – The Miracle Worker
Jennifer Jones – Tender Is the Night
Glória Menezes – Keeper of Promises
Lilli Palmer – The Counterfeit Traitor
Irene Papas – Electra / Ilektra
Lee Remick – Days of Wine and Roses
Best Actor
Montgomery Clift – Freud / Freud: The Secret Passion
Cary Grant – That Touch of Mink
William Holden – The Counterfeit Traitor
Burt Lancaster – Birdman of Alcatraz
Jack Lemmon – Days of Wine and Roses
Joel McCrea – Ride the High Country / Guns in the Afternoon
Gregory Peck – To Kill a Mockingbird
Alberto Sordi – Mafioso
Alberto Sordi – The Police Commissioner
Leonardo Villar – Keeper of Promises
Best Supporting Actress
Norma Bengell – Keeper of Promises
Avis Bunnage – The L-Shaped Room
Cicely Courtneidge – The L-Shaped Room
Shirley Knight – Sweet Bird of Youth
Angela Lansbury – The Manchurian Candidate
Audrey Meadows – That Touch of Mink
Thelma Ritter – Birdman of Alcatraz
Barbara Stanwyck – A Walk on the Wild Side
Inga Svenson – Advise & Consent
Susannah York – Freud
Best Supporting Actor
Charles Bickford – Days of Wine and Roses
Victor Buono – What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
Alessandro Cutolo – The Police Commissioner
Alec Guinness – Lawrence of Arabia
Burgess Meredith – Advise & Consent
Don Murray – Advise & Consent
Walter Pidgeon – Advise & Consent
Claude Rains – Lawrence of Arabia
Robert Ryan – Billy Budd
Franchot Tone – Advise & Consent
Best Cinematography
Gianni Di Venanzo, Salvatore Giuliano
Gabriel Figueroa, The Exterminating Angel
Marcello Gatti, The Four Days of Naples
Burnett Guffey, Birdman of Alcatraz
Ernest Haller, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
Leonard Hirschfield, David and Lisa
Milton Krasner, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
Sam Leavitt, Advise & Consent
Jerzy Lipman, Knife in the Water / Nóz w wodzie
Russell Metty, That Touch of Mink
Best Original Score
George Bassman, Ride the High Country
Elmer Bernstein, Birdman of Alcatraz
Georges Delerue, Jules and Jim / Jules et Jim
Frank De Vol, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
Bernard Herrmann, Tender Is the Night
Maurice Jarre, Lawrence of Arabia
Krzysztof Komeda, Knife in the Water
Henry Mancini, Days of Wine and Roses
André Previn, Two for the Seesaw
Carlo Rustichelli, The Four Days of Naples