Best Films – 1962

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 & 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, Elektra / Electra.
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 & 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 & Claude Rains, Lawrence of Arabia.
Burgess Meredith, Don Murray, Walter Pidgeon & Franchot Tone, Advise & Consent.
Robert Ryan, Billy Budd.

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.