Won For: On Golden Pond Should Have Won For: The Grapes of Wrath It's shocking to learn that Henry Fonda, one of American cinema's most celebrated actors, was only ever nominated twice for an acting Oscar. Perhaps this was because unlike his often kind or heroic onscreen roles, Fonda was known for being unfriendly and irritating in real life. Whatever the reason, it is a shame that the man who acted so brilliantly in films like 12 Angry Men, The Ox-Bow Incident, Once Upon a Time in the West, and My Darling Clementine got so little recognition by the Academy. They seemed to realize their error when it was almost too late, though. They awarded Fonda an Honorary Oscar in 1981, for being "the consummate actor, in recognition of his brilliant accomplishments and enduring contribution to the art of motion pictures." Then, the next year in March of 1982, they gave Fonda the Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role in On Golden Pond. While it was a certainly a heartfelt performance, this was an obvious make-up award for a lifetime of great roles. Fonda, who was unable to attend the ceremony, died in August of that year. Henry Fonda's only other acting nomination was more than forty years prior to his win for On Golden Pond, and it is the role he definitely should have won for. John Ford directed a stunning adaptation of John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath and Fonda played the lead role of Tom Joad. Both the book and the film are American classics, and Fonda's portrayal of Joad is truly stunning. John Ford won Best Director and Jane Darwell won Best Supporting Actress for playing Ma Joad, but Fonda's calm yet powerful performance regrettably went unrewarded.
