Favorite Non-Oscar Nominated Performances: Actor, 1968

[SelwynMcGinty]

As the title of the thread suggests, we're looking to pinpoint the Next Best Celebrated Acting Performances of film history. Plenty of great turns get ignored or forgotten through the sands of time, and this is a quick way to review and vote for our favorites.

This is for the North American calendar release year of 1968, so to save us clicking on Wikipedia, the following Oscar nominees are exempt:

Best Actor - Cliff Robertson, Charly
Alan Arkin, The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter
Alan Bates, The Fixer
Ron Moody, Oliver!
Peter O'Toole, The Lion in Winter

Best Supp. Actor - Jack Albertson, The Subject Was Roses
Seymour Cassel, Faces
Daniel Massey, Star!
Jack Wild, Oliver!
Gene Wilder, The Producers

Anything else is fair game! You may notice that the choices are primarily Leading roles, but I'm not going to disallow other selections. It doesn't seem fair or sensible to quibble about Lead/Supporting categories.

Feel free to discuss these or other choices, 1968 the movie year in general, or any other rankings or opinions.

[Alan T]

Steve McQueen, Bullitt

[BerC]

Malcolm McDowell for "If…."

[Cruel Angel]

Charlton Heston, Planet of the Apes

[Beckford]

My choice for Best Actor in '68, Peter O'Toole was actually nominated so no problem there (though, of course I wish he'd won).
My favorite unnominated male performance came in the supporting category.
Comedian Norman Wisdom was a very popular box office star in Britain in the 50's - though none of his films made much of a dent in America. I kind of like "Up in the World"('56). He did find some success on Broadway in '66 starring in a musical version of "Hobson's Choice" called "Walking Happy". That gig netted him some nice reviews and a Tony nomination.
Not long after, Mr. Wisdom showed up rather unexpectedly in a key supporting role in William Friedkin's raucous but very accomplished "The Night They Raided Minsky's" a tale of the early days of burlesque. Jason Robards, Britt Ekland and Elliott Gould all make good impressions. But it's Wisdom - as a baggy pants comic - who really emerges as best in show, funny, likeable and ultimately very touching. His contribution went a long way toward making "Minsky's" the very fine show it was.

[SelwynMcGinty]

Originally Posted by Beckford

My choice for Best Actor in '68, Peter O'Toole was actually nominated so no problem there (though, of course I wish he'd won).
My favorite unnominated male performance came in the supporting category.
Comedian Norman Wisdom was a very popular box office star in Britain in the 50's - though none of his films made much of a dent in America. I kind of like "Up in the World"('56). He did find some success on Broadway in '66 starring in a musical version of "Hobson's Choice" called "Walking Happy". That gig netted him some nice reviews and a Tony nomination.
Not long after, Mr. Wisdom showed up rather unexpectedly in a key supporting role in William Friedkin's raucous but very accomplished "The Night They Raided Minsky's" a tale of the early days of burlesque. Jason Robards, Britt Ekland and Elliott Gould all make good impressions. But it's Wisdom - as a baggy pants comic - who really emerges as best in show, funny, likeable and ultimately very touching. His contribution went a long way toward making "Minsky's" the very fine show it was.

...another interesting, thoughtful choice. Thought I remember reading somewhere that Wisdom was a sentimental favorite of the Beatles. Don't remember Minsky's well, but I'm absolutely adding it to the ever-growing re-watch queue.

Meanwhile, voted for Burt Lancaster in the wacky, dated but somehow endearing The Swimmer, narrowly winning my internal race over Henry Fonda, Tony Curtis and J.P. Leaud.

[Starman22]

Definitely Jack Lemmon from The Odd Couple.

[RFK]

Voted for Vincent Price, Witchfinder General, however Lancaster was excellent in The Swimmer.

[Lord-Oakbeard]

Vincent Price, Witchfinder General - he was so nasty in this!

Fabulous list of great actors though.

[DR Herbert West]

McQueen, Bullitt