Ustinov's acting

Don't miss his small part in "Spartacus". He played off Charles Laughton quite well.

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In reference to the OP, I'm not so inclined to agree. Ustinov's performance is quite good, to be sure ("endearing" is a word that comes to mind), and he was an ENORMOUSLY talented individual--look at his work as both star and co-writer of the enjoyable HOT MILLIONS just a few years later.

But was it really an Oscar-worthy performance? I don't quite see it. I don't feel like Ustinov does anything with the role that he didn't do in many of his other comic roles. And while I'm glad that a comic performance was honored by the Academy (something they do far too rarely), I think Stanley Holloway's Alfred Doolittle in MY FAIR LADY was the more deserving nominee. He simply, to my mind, creates the more memorable character. Ustinov gives a fun performance in a fun film, but to me it just doesn't rise to the level of award-worthiness. I am interested to see what he did with his Oscar-winning role in SPARTACUS; given that SPARTACUS is a drama, I'd imagine his performance there was more complex.

ditto to that dmcdknf!! 😉

HEAR,HEAR to that dmcdknf.He was brilliant in that movie as was Bogie and Ray.

Completely disagree about Sal Mineo in Exodus. He is the heart and soul of that movie and deserved it more than Ustinov's forgettable performance in Spartacus, not an actors' movie. Mineo even won the Globe. Of course, the truly best (arguably lead) performance that year, Anthony Perkins in Psycho, was snubbed.

I like Peter Ustinov, but I think he was much more distinctive and even award-worthy in Death on the Nile, where he actually had to do something, than in either of his two Oscar-winning roles. Topkapi was such a nothing overall. Perhaps I'm biased because I just watched the original Pink Panther, and I get that Topkapi is more of a serious caper film with touches of humor, but to me it's drawn-out and unmemorable by comparison. The most memorable performance to me was Mercouri's because of her distinctive voice and playfulness in the role.

O'Brien was forgettable in a large, star-studded cast in Seven Days in May. Haven't seen the others but would probably gladly go with Holloway even though it was nothing undeniable and Ustinov had the more memorable career.