'Not Even Nominated': Nesconset writer John DiLeo looks at Cary Grant, Tom Hanks, more in Oscar-worthy roles

What do Mia Farrow, Maggie Smith, Cary Grant and Tom Hanks all have in common? To borrow from Marlon Brando in "On the Waterfront," they all coulda been contenders for the Oscar in a film in which one of their co-stars won the coveted prize instead. On top of that, none even earned a nomination for their roles in, respectively, "Rosemary's Baby," "The V.I.P.'s," "The Philadelphia Story" and "Bridge of Spies."

Nesconset-raised film historian John DiLeo makes a case for them and 36 other actors who suffered the same fate in his eighth book, “Not Even Nominated” (G Letters, $33.25). DiLeo, who lives in Milford/, Pennsylvania, will head back to Long Island for a book event at Barnes & Noble at Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove at 2 p.m. on Nov. 9. He recently spoke to Newsday from his home about the book and his passion for movies.

How did you come up with the idea?

I really wanted to do a book on the Oscars, but … I didn’t want to just do a book on my choices for who should have won or the history behind the scenes. So I thought, what could be a good spin on it and I remember thinking about two performances in particular and how it always rankled me that Jean Simmons wasn’t up for “Elmer Gantry” when Burt Lancaster won. He’s great in it, but she’s even greater. And the other one was “Captains Courageous,” with Spencer Tracy winning for a role [as a Portuguese fisherman] that he’s not really suited for, while the kid, Freddie Bartholomew, carries the entire movie and he’s the reason we’re crying at the end. … Those two had been in my mind for years, and then I thought that could be the book if there are enough other examples.

Obviously there were. Was there someone who didn’t quite make the cut?

One of the obvious ones I figured would be in the book would be Audrey Hepburn in “My Fair Lady” since it won pretty much every other award and she wasn’t nominated. I tried to make a case for her, and then I thought, I don’t think I really can. She’s charming in her scenes, but the dubbing is so intrusive that every time’s she musical, it’s like the character vanishes.

You picked Cary Grant for “The Philadelphia Story,” and while I agree he was more deserving of a nomination than Jimmy Stewart, who won the Oscar that year, I’m not sure I’d have nominated him either.

It was just a case of you’re telling me that this guy is the best, but you’re then telling me that this guy right next to him is not in the top five? They both should have been up for best actor and they both would have lost since they would have canceled each other out. It’s really Katharine Hepburn’s movie, but both men are flawless at what they’re asked to do.

This wasn’t the take you put on the book, but is there an actor who was never ever nominated at all for an Oscar that should have been?

Myrna Loy is one, and she got included here for “The Best Years of Our Lives,” and the other is Edward G. Robinson for “Key Largo.” These are the two most important golden age stars who were never nominated for an Oscar, one man and one woman. They both had many chances to be nominated but for whatever reason it just never happened. Robinson played many gangsters, but I think that’s the greatest performance of his as a gangster.

Obviously coming to the Smith Haven Mall is going to be like coming home for you.

Yes, I grew up around the corner from there. … I was there when the mall opened. We moved there in ’68 and the mall opened in '69, so I was there all the time. I saw so many movies at the theater there when it was just a single theater. I went to that Waldenbooks store. My film book collection, 80% would be from that bookstore, which no longer exists. The mall was a major part of my moviegoing and book buying.