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. Typically, these are older women who have retired from prostitution and now leverage their experience to hire prostitutes and oversee their sex transactions. They collect a portion of the profits from every job.
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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