clift's performance in "a place in the sun" (1951) is regarded as one of his signature method acting performances. he worked extensively on his character, and was again nominated for an academy award for best actor. for his character's scenes in jail, clift spent a night in a real state prison. he also refused to go along with director george stevens' suggestion that he do "something amazing" on his character's walk to the electric chair. instead, he walked to his death with a natural, depressed facial expression. his main acting rival (and fellow omaha, nebraska, native), marlon brando, was so moved by clift's performance that he voted for clift to win the academy award for best actor, and was sure that he would win. that year, clift voted for brando in "a streetcar named desire". "a place in the sun" was critically acclaimed; charlie chaplin called it "the greatest movie made about america". the film received added media attention due to the rumours that clift and co-star elizabeth taylor were dating in real life. they were billed as "the most beautiful couple in hollywood". many critics still call clift and taylor "the most beautiful hollywood movie couple of all time". after a break, clift committed himself to three more films, all of which premiered during 1953: "i confess", to be directed by alfred hitchcock; vittorio de sica's "terminal station"; and fred zinnemann's "from here to eternity", which earned clift his third oscar nomination.