Of the film""s seven Academy Awards nominations, it won three major honors: Crawford won the Best Actor statuette, Rossen (as producer) won the Best Picture Oscar, and Best Supporting Actress went to Mercedes McCambridge (in her screen debut).Although Clay fought valiantly, he was almost killed when Jason pushed his face toward the wood chipper.In the General Merchandise/Post Office store in Bodega Bay, she mimics Mitch""s first words to her: "I wonder if you could help me" when asking the friendly, accommodating postal clerk (John McGovern) (in a caged-off, claustrophobically-cluttered section of the store) where Mitchell Brenner can be located.Film scholars agree, however, that it is the single most important and key film of all time in American movie history - it contains many new cinematic innovations and refinements, technical effects and artistic advancements, including a color sequence at he end.