They Shoulda Been Contendahs: Famous Oscar Snubs

Think Martin Scorsese will walk away Oscar-less on on February 25? If so, the six-time nominated director will continue to be in good company, historically. Some of his previous nods include Raging Bull, The Aviator and Gangs of New York. (He lost to Robert Redford for Ordinary People, Clint Eastwood for Million Dollar Baby, and Roman Polanski for The Pianist, respectively.)

Just how many talented denizens of Hollywood have reached for the brass ring, er, gold statue only to pull back an empty, bejeweled hand? More than most of us realize. The following are but a few among many.

If by "vanting to be alone" Greta Garbo was referring to being snubbed by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), then she picked a great tag line. Twice nominated in 1930 for her performances in Anna Christie and Romance, the great Greta lost to Irving Thalberg's wife, Norma Shearer, in The Divorcee. In 1937, after a critically heralded leading role in Camille, she lost again. The winner was Luise Rainer for The Good Earth. When Gone With the Wind swept through the Oscars in 1939, Garbo's last chance, for her turn in Ninotchka, was blown away by Vivien Leigh.

Like so many others, she was eventually awarded a lifetime achievement statuette for her entire body of work. Which is probably better than nothing, but certainly not better than being recognized by one's peers for a single outstanding performance.

If we could only ask Charlie Chaplin, who may have been referring to his own Oscar acting award snub when he stated, "Actors search for rejection. If they don't get it they reject themselves." Ironically, Chaplin never had to reject himself; he received plenty of same from AMPAS. Nominated just two times after receiving a "special award" in 1927 for writing, directing, producing and acting in The Circus, Chaplin would receive a lifetime achievement award in 1971. Though not related to acting and directing, he did receive an individual AMPAS win for Limelight's musical production in 1972.

Yet his Little Tramp, a beloved, iconic American Everyman, never got any respect or acknowledgment from his peers. As with so many others, Chaplin's invention of comedic genius never stood a chance. Whoever said "dying is easy, but comedy is hard" was probably talking about the unlikely chance of comedic actors getting their due when it comes to Hollywood recognition.

Fumbling, bumbling, yet debonair Cary Grant, king of physical comedy and general heartthrob, learned this lesson firsthand. Grant's classic comedic turns in Arsenic and Old Lace, Bringing up Baby and The Philadelphia Story, still fresh and fun today, never registered with the AMPAS crowd. Twice nominated, first for Penny Serenade (1941) and then a lauded dramatic turn in Clifford Odets' None but the Lonely Heart in 1944, Grant had to wait a full 25 years to receive recognition in the form of an honorary award.

Of course, these are actors, not directors, (save Chaplin, who was both) so to narrow the field a bit where Scorsese is concerned, we turn to Oscar's famously snubbed directors.

Leading the pack is Alfred Hitchcock (winner of the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award in 1967). Prior to this win for overall contribution, he'd been nominated for Rebecca, Lifeboat, Rear Window, Spellbound and Psycho - legendary films, one and all. To his credit, Hitchcock's competition - and eventual winners - included such luminaries as Billy Wilder for The Apartment and Elia Kazan for On the Waterfront. No slackers in the bunch. Still, a loss is a loss is a loss, and Hitchcock left this earth never recognized for any of his individual films, all classics still enjoyed today.

Also still to see his own golden statuette for directing is Pedro Almodovar, who did take home a Best Writing, Original Screenplay award for 2002's Hable con Ella (Talk to Her). Yet again this year, with critical darling Volver being shut-out of all categories save a nod for Penelope Cruz in the leading role, he's been ignored. Considering such memorable films as Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown and Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! Almodovar has yet to get his due from Hollywood.

Ditto David Lynch. More iconoclast than Tinsel Town insider, he's received nods for Mulholland Dr. , Blue Velvet and The Elephant Man. Yet he remains Oscar's perennial bridesmaid. With Lynch, one gets the sense he relishes his outsider status and might not even care should he be named a future honorary award recipient. Also, it's arguable his movies are less accessible than those of Hitchcock or Scorsese.

While all of this makes for interesting Oscar fodder, few people realize that the very lives of actors and directors may be at stake when it comes to winning or losing movie gold. According to forbes.com, Donald Redelmeier, a researcher at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto, has sifted and culled AMPAS data, determining that Oscar winners actually live longer than mere nominees. Directors who've taken home Oscar live a full two years longer than their nominated counterparts, and Academy Award-winning actors earn on the average an extra 3.9 years to enjoy polishing their own shiny statuettes.

Will February 25 result in Martin Scorsese outliving The Queen's twice-nominated, empty-handed Steven Frears? At this point, it's still anyone's guess. Win or lose, however, the famed director will be in some great company. And yes, he'll likely see an honorary award for lifetime achievement, regardless of how many more years he lives.