Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role 1937
Gale Sondergaard Anthony Adverse 1937
SEX WORKER ROLE
Marge Williams in Isle of Forgotten Sins 1943
Character Is An Employer Of Prostitutes
(She Was A Former Hooker And Is Now A Madam Of A Brothel)
Gale Sondergaard in Isle of Forgotten Sins 1943
Female owners of brothels are known as madams. They are usually older women who have aged out of prostitution and now use their experience to employ prostitutes to work for them. In the film “Isle of Forgotten Sins,” Gale plays the role of a madam by the name of Marge Williams. Her character presides over a brothel (Isle of Forgotten Sins—the same name as this film). She meets two fortune hunters looking for a cargo of gold worth 3 million. Naturally, Marge wants in on the action, which is when complications arise for all three characters.
Footnote: 1937 introduced a new acting category—Outstanding Performance by Supporting Actors. The first winner of the Supporting Actress Oscar was Gale Sondergaard.
Watch a clip of “Isle of Forgotten Sins” aka Monsoon
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