1939 – Edna May Oliver
Drums Along the Mohawk
The first movie I ever remember seeing Edna May Oliver in was 1930’s Cimarron, where she played a crotchety, but good natured old lady. Well, here, she played the exact same character. But darn if she didn’t embody that character so perfectly. She had the right look, the right sound, the right temperament, and the right mannerisms. She was gruff, but generous, cantankerous, but likeable. I understand it was a bit of a contradiction, but somehow, she could pull it off.
And I get it. I agree that her performance in this movie was worthy of an Oscar nomination. She played the part of Sarah McKlennar, the old widow who is, as I said, gruff and almost grouchy, but who is actually kind-hearted and well-meaning, helping others around her. Not only that, but she had enough spunk to take up a gun and fight alongside the men defending the fort from the Loyalists and their Native American allies. Unfortunately, during the battle, she is mortally wounded and has her own little dramatic death scene.
But I liked that there were multiple facets to her character. At one point, she is drinking and partying during a village celebration. She becomes flirtatious with a man who is clearly affectionate towards her. And there was an almost comedic scene where Native American raiders break into her house and begin to burn it down. Instead of running in fear, she starts yelling at the attackers, and attempts to shoo them out of her home. Even after the walls are set ablaze, she sits on her bed and refuses to leave until the man who is sweet on her picks her up and carries her to safety over his shoulder. I think it was done for laughs, but it actually said something about her character at the same time.
But there is one scene that stood out to me as deeper and more intense than others. It is when Mrs. McKlennar shows true empathy for a respected member of the community as he faces the prospect of having one of his legs amputated. And the sadness and despair she feels, when we learn that he has bled out and died, was incredibly real and very in-the-moment. All these things and more were perfectly brought to life by the exceptional performance of Edna May Oliver.