Jerm Ranks the 1960s Oscar Winners and Critiques the Classics

In an opinion column, Jerm argues that 1960s films closely mirror the political unrest and social upheaval of the 2020s. The essay asserts that the decade of the 1960s stands out as a foundational era for both lavish musicals and raw, gritty counterculture cinema that still resonates with modern audiences.

Jerm Ranks 1960s Best Picture and Director Oscar Winners

The column provides a personal ranking of Academy Award winners from the 1960s across major categories, starting with Best Picture selections. Jerm places My Fair Lady at the top of the Best Picture list, followed by West Side Story, The Sound of Music, The Apartment, In the Heat of the Night, Lawrence of Arabia, Tom Jones, Oliver!, Midnight Cowboy, and A Man for All Seasons.

For the Best Director category, the essay ranks George Cukor for My Fair Lady first, followed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins for West Side Story, David Lean for Lawrence of Arabia, and Billy Wilder for The Apartment. The remaining director rankings include Robert Wise for The Sound of Music at fifth, Mike Nichols for The Graduate sixth, John Schlesinger for Midnight Cowboy seventh, Carol Reed for Oliver! eighth, Tony Richardson for Tom Jones ninth, and Fred Zinnemann for A Man for All Seasons tenth.

Acting and Screenplay Selections Across the Decade

The feature continues with rankings for lead and supporting acting winners. Best Actor winners listed in the column range from Sidney Poitier for Lilies of the Field down to Lee Marvin for Cat Ballou, while Best Actress choices span from Julie Andrews for Mary Poppins to Patricia Neal for Hud. Supporting actor and actress rankings feature performers such as George Kennedy for Cool Hand Luke and Patty Duke for The Miracle Worker.

In the screenplay categories, Jerm ranks Original Screenplay winners with The Apartment leading Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Producers, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, and Darling. The author notes omitting several titles from that list, including Splendor in the Grass and Divorce Italian Style, because they have not been seen. Adapted Screenplay rankings place To Kill a Mockingbird at the top, followed by Judgment at Nuremberg, Elmer Gantry, and subsequent winners.

Controversial Criticisms of Prominent Classics

The essay acknowledges that several placements may spark debate among film enthusiasts, particularly regarding acclaimed titles like Lawrence of Arabia and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. Jerm writes that despite strong direction and cinematography, Lawrence of Arabia felt boring, while the performances in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? provoked intense irritation.

Despite the great directing and breathtaking cinematography, Lawrence of Arabia is BORING. And despite the raved-about performances of Burton, Taylor, Dennis, and Segal in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, they are all so annoying that the screeching begins to feel like nails on a chalkboard.

The column concludes by inviting readers to submit their own rankings of 1960s films, shifting the focus to audience participation.