A noteworthy Oscar fact, The Best Cover Songs of 2018, part 5 & This Week's Statistics

Hello again, my friends! For various reasons (pleasant, unpleasant, and otherwise,) I haven’t written a new story in two weeks. Well, I’m back with a piece of Oscar statistics that you probably won’t find anywhere else, which will give you ammunition to silence the annoying Oscar-know-it-all at the next party that you attend. Also, today, finally, the ultimate part of the list with the best cover songs of 2018, as well as the week's statistics.

Richard Burton

You all know that Meryl Streep is the actor with the most Oscar nominations and that Katharine Hepburn is the actor with the most Oscar wins – but do you know the film characters with the most nominations and wins? A few years ago I didn’t but I was curious to find out. So, I did a little research and developed a list. A list that stayed the same – until a couple of weeks ago. So, without further ado, here are the movie characters with the most Oscar nominations or wins.

A king of England was the first character that managed three nominations or wins to his name: the colorful Henry VIII. Charles Laughton won the Best Actor Oscar in 1932-33 portraying King Henry VIII in The Private Life of Henry VIII. Here is a scene from the film:

Robert Shaw was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in 1966 for his own take in A Man For All Seasons:

Finally, three years later, Richard Burton was nominated for Best Actor as Henry VIII in Anne Of A Thousand Days:

Henry VIII wore this crown for more than 30 years before he had to share it with his daughter, Elizabeth I. In 1998, Elizabeth had two nominations. Judi Dench portrayed the monarch in advanced age in Shakespeare in Love and won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar:

That same year, Cate Blanchett was nominated for Best Actress portraying a much younger Elizabeth in the film called, quite simply, Elizabeth:

Finally, in 2007, Elizabeth had as many nominations as her father. It was Cate Blanchett again who was nominated for Best Actress in Elizabeth: The Golden Age:

A real-life father and daughter held the scepter until a few days ago when a fictitious husband and wife also rose to the podium. All four versions of A Star is Born were nominated for various Oscars but Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson failed to get acting nominations. The other three couples did, however.

In 1937 both Janet Gaynor and Fredric March were nominated:

The same happened in 1954, in my favorite version, which got Judy Garland James Mason nominated:

All it needed was for Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper to receive Oscar nominations this year, which they did. Here they are, singing the Best Song Oscar favorite, Shallow:

These are the only movie characters with three nominations each. Do you want to know which characters have received two nominations? Here they are:

Vito Corleone was Marlon Brando’s second Best Actor Oscar, in 1972’s The Godfather:

Two years later, Robert De Niro won the Supporting Actor Oscar for The Godfather: part II:

Michael Corleone was Vito’s favorite son. He too received two nominations, both for Al Pacino. In 1972, a Supporting Actor nomination for The Godfather:

And in 1974, a Best Actor nomination for The Godfather: part II:

It wasn’t only the A Star is Born couple that climbed to a higher position this year: it was also Vincent Van Gogh, who was first nominated for Best Actor, through Kirk Douglas’ performance, in 1956, for Lust For Life:

It was Willem Dafoe turn to be nominated for Best Actor this year, for At Eternity’s Gate:

Also with two nominations, two fictitious characters called Joe Pendleton and Max Corkle. The former had two Best Actor nominations, while the latter had two Supporting Actor nominations. It was first achieved by Robert Montgomery and James Gleason, in 1941, for Here Comes Mr. Jordan:

Then again, in 1978, by Warren Beatty and Jack Warden, for Heaven Can Wait:

W. Somerset Maugham created a strong female character in the hit stage play The Letter with Leslie Crosbie – and the two actresses who portrayed her both earned Best Actress nominations. In 1929, Jeanne Eagels received the first posthumous Academy Award nomination for an actor:

… Then, in 1940, the fabulous Bette Davis totally inhabited the role:

The character of Henry Higgins was created for George Bernard Shaw’s play Pygmalion and also used at the smash hit musical My Fair Lady, which was adapted from Pygmalion. Both versions made it to screen – and each time Henry Higgins received a Best Actor nomination. In 1938, it was Leslie Howard for Pygmalion:

… And in 1964, it was Rex Harrison for My Fair Lady:

Mr. Chips aka Arthur Chipping was a character in a best-selling novel that became a movie twice – the second time as a musical – called Goodbye Mr. Chips. Robert Donat won the Best Actor Oscar in 1939:

… And Peter O’Toole received a Best Actor nomination in 1969:

… More Peter O’Toole for you: he was actually nominated for Best Actor for portraying King Henry II of England twice, in two completely different films. First came Becket, in 1964:

… And in 1968, it was The Lion In Winter:

A third King of England named Henry appears on our list. It’s Henry V. In 1945, it was Laurence Olivier who received a Best Actor nomination:

… In 1989, it was Kenneth Branagh’s turn:

So far we’ve had 4 English monarchs, we also have two Presidents of the USA. In 1940, Raymond Massey received a Best Actor nomination for portraying Abraham Lincoln in Abe Lincoln In Illinois:

In 2012, Daniel Day Lewis became a 3-time Best Actor winner for Lincoln:

From a famous to an infamous president: In 1995, Anthony Hopkins received a Best Actor nomination for portraying Richard Nixon in the film called Nixon:

In 2008, it was Frank Langella who did the same, the film was Frost/Nixon:

A fierce warrior with the heart of a poet and an enormous nose - Cyrano de Bergerac was the vehicle for a Best Actor Oscar win for Jose Ferrer in 1950:

Gerard Depardieu was nominated for portraying the same character in 1989:

One of Paul Newman’s early Best Actor nominations came in 1961 for his portrayal of “Fast Eddie" Felson in The Hustler:

… Then, in 1986, he reprised the role for The Color Of Money, which brought him the coveted Oscar win:

John Wayne was a Best Actor winner for portraying Rooster Cogburn in 1969’s True Grit:

The Coen brothers’ remake in 2010 gave Jeff Bridges a Best Actor nomination for playing the same character:

The movie Iris (2001) was about writer Iris Murdoch. The older Iris was portrayed by Judi Dench, while the younger was played by Kate Winslet. They both received Oscar nominations (for Best Actress and Supporting Actress respectively):

Similarly, Rose DeWitt Bukater was portrayed by two actresses in Titanic (1997). Kate Winslet (again) was young Rose DeWitt Bukater, while Gloria Stuart was the old version of the same character. They both received Oscar nominations (for Best Actress and Supporting Actress respectively):

Reclusive billionaire Howard Hughes is also on the list. His first Oscar nomination came in 1980 when Jason Robards was nominated for Supporting Actor for the film Melvyn And Howard:

… And in 2004, Leonardo DiCaprio was nominated for Best Actor for the film The Aviator:

Finally, there are also men of religion on this list. Bing Crosby portrayed Father Chuck O'Malley both in Going My Way (1944) and The Bells Of St. Mary’s (1945). He won a Best Actor Oscar for the former:

… And was nominated for one for the latter:

Technically, Going My Way merits one more mention. In 1944, Barry Fitzgerald was nominated both for Best Actor andSupporting Actor for his turn in Going My Way. It seems that the voters had a hard time making up their mind. He eventually won for Supporting Actor. This was the only time such a phenomenon happened at the Oscars.

Now, let’s conclude the list with the best cover songs of 2018:

10. Zayn covering Can’t Help Falling in Love.

Can’t Help Falling in Love has gotten a whole lot of attention from a whole lot of artists over the years but former One Directioner Zayn Malik’s cover goes in a new direction, and a very welcome one. The song’s melody is massaged, the volume moves all around as instruments drop in and out, and Zayn’s voice glides around and through the sound like it’s only lived there all its life. Result: a sensuous R&B with a magic chill to it. He may have a boy-band background, but Zayn’s cover is the work of a mature artist, and we can’t help falling in love with it. – Patrick Robbins

This is the original version by Elvis Presley:

9. Cake covering Reincarnation.

Cake is that odd, loveable band that manages to succeed with sounds that, wielded in lesser hands, might come across as cheesy. Case in point: their cover of the Roger Miller song Reincarnation. The sharp vocals and guitar, combined with easy drums and harmonies, cross the decades to make an oldie sound pretty new. It’s nothing groundbreaking, but it’s a worthy tribute to a great voice in honky-tonk history. – Angela Hughey

This is the original version by Roger Miller:

8. Bronze Avery covering Never Gonna Give You Up.

The definition of “pop” may change over time, but a song’s romantic appeal does not. Rick Astley may be old enough to be Bronze Avery’s father, but that doesn’t matter when Avery sinks his teeth into Astley’s immortal hit. Instead of the original’s meme-able 1980s dance moves, aerial body shots by the pool incite the kind of drooling that happens with true pop music fantasy romance. Given Bronze Avery’s hip-hop leanings, his daring move to cover this classic is an admirable one. Just like Astley’s seductive looks through aviator shades melted our ’80s hearts, Avery’s smooth, belting vocals will sweep anyone off their feet, no matter the time period. – Elizabeth Erenberg

This is the original version by Rick Astley:

7. Meshell Ndegeocello covering Sometimes It Snows In April.

If imitation is but flattery, then this version, dragged back to the pure essence of the song, is surely sincere. Ndegeocello, never a stranger to classy cover versions, effortlessly adds by subtraction. Jump to the 2:40 mark, where she breaks briefly into upper key and it is just wonderful. Altogether less fancy than the original, however restrained it is by Prince standards, this is truly a masterclass in control. – Seuras Og

This is the original version by Prince:

Listen to it here.

6. The Melvins covering I Want to Hold Your Hand.

Melvins have taken I Want to Hold Your Hand, a song that made 1960s teenagers pass out from screaming, and allowed modern-day teenagers to also pass out from screaming – but for very different reasons. They bring in squealing guitars and heavy-metal drums, while still keeping the classic vocal harmonies of John Lennon and Paul McCartney. That’s all you can ask for in a situation like this. It inspired me to listen to the original right afterward, and then go back to this one again. So uniquely different and yet friendly to one another. One of the top YouTube comments says: “This is how you do a cover.” I tend to agree. – Elizabeth Erenberg

This is the original version by the Beatles:

5. Sugarland covering Tony.

A good year for “Tony covers” means a bad year for America. Patty Griffin’s powerful, painful story of homophobia and self-hatred remains sadly relevant these days. Americana singer-songwriter Mark Erelli covered the tune in January on his covers album as a stripped-down stomper in the mold of The Band. Country music powerhouses Sugarland, though, go big in a chill-inducing live performance. The pomp and circumstance of the arena-sized production only give the raw and brutal lyrics that much more power. Bonus credit due, too, for a band not just preaching to the choir. Country music remains just about the only genre left where a chunk of the audience leans right on social issues, so performing this particular song shows the band taking a stand on a subject where it counts. – Ray Padgett

This is the original version by Patty Griffin:

4. Choir! Choir! Choir! ft. David Byrne covering Heroes.

This version of Heroes boasts more performers than the other forty-nine covers here combined. That’s because it’s performed by a large crowd of amateurs. Their voices may not be any great shakes alone, but when properly guided and raised en masse, they channel great waves of emotion. Floating above them all is the voice of a man who does know how to sing, and in David Byrne, the song has the perfect vehicle for the expression of self-belief – still gawky and earnest after all these years, still knowing the key that will set listeners free. No song this year caused more goosebumps and moist eyes on my person than this one. – Patrick Robbins

This is the original version by David Bowie:

3. Hot 8 Brass Band covering Love Will Tear Us Apart.

Oh no, not another cover of this old staple, say you. Hang on, say I, I can guarantee this is nothing like any of the others. For a start it is cheerful and upbeat, making a joyful mockery of the lyrical sentiment. But if you dance at funerals – the origin and epitome of the New Orleans marching band tradition – hell, yeah, this makes for more counter-intuitive sense than you could ever shake a leg at. Hot 8 have history here and this takes them to another level. – Seuras Og

This is the original version by the Joy Division:

2. Biffy Clyro covering Modern Love.

One of the year’s more irreverent covers – and, from my limited research playing this for people, one of the most polarizing. A screamo take on David Bowie will do that, I suppose. Scottish trio Biffy Clyro’s pulverizing hard rock works wonderfully for me, though, remaking a great lyric and melody in the band’s image. Having deliberately chosen a Bowie song that sounded nothing like them, they dispense entirely with the original’s swing, and the gospel choir, in favor of a pummeling rage. Singer Simon Neil tempers the throat-shredding verses with more melodic choruses, providing moments of welcome relief from the hollering. Releasing this as part of a Bowie tribute set, they surely knew they would piss off some Bowie fans. Their willingness to go full-throttle anyway puts this above just about any other Bowie cover released since his death. – Ray Padgett

This is the original version by David Bowie:

1. John Prine ft. The Secret Sisters covering I Just Called to Say I Love You.

What John Prine did to I Just Called To Say I Love You is amazing. He didn’t just remake it; he had to crack through both the tremendously thick crust of schmaltz around the song and the long-stewing resentment against the song. In Prine’s hands, it’s not a joke anymore; it actually means something. I went into listening to his performance with a healthy dose of cynicism; I came out with my cynicism destroyed, replaced by a sense of wonder. If like me, you don’t think you want to hear it at first on account of all that you associate with it, I’m asking you to give it the chance it deserves. It may be the only cover I’ve ever heard that has the power to make you a better person. – Patrick Robbins

This is the original version by Stevie Wonder:

Finally, these are our statistics; As far as countries are concerned, the United States, Australia, and Cambodia see their all-time rates rise, while France, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Cyprus experience minor losses. The rest of the major players keep their percentages stable.

Here are this week's Top 10 countries:

1. the United States

2. the United Kingdom

3. Canada

4. Germany

5. Australia

6. France

7. Italy

8. Cambodia

9. Brazil

10. Greece

Here are the other countries that graced us with their presence since our last statistics (alphabetically): Algeria, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Austria, the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Bermuda, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Bulgaria, Central African Republic, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, FYR Of Macedonia, Georgia, Ghana, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad & Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, US Virgin Islands, Venezuela, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe. Happy to have you all!

And here's the all-time Top 10:

1. the United States = 32.9%

2. France = 17.0%

3. the United Kingdom = 11.3%

4. Greece = 8.0%

5. Russia = 2.7%

6. Germany = 1.9%

7. Canada = 1.9%

8. Italy = 0.90%

9. Australia = 0.90%

10. Cyprus = 0.81%

That's all for today, folks. Till the next one!