Not made of stone

The Hunchback of Notre Dame

(1939)

Yes, everyone knows how poignant and stunning Charles Laughton's performance is in a role that Lon Chaney made his own in the silent version 16 years earlier, but what I want to talk about is: has any supporting actor ever had a better year than Thomas Mitchell had in 1939? Not only did he win the Oscar® in that category, but this was no better than his 4th-best role, maybe 5th-best, pending my taking another look at Only Angels Have Wings.