Best Picture Winner
Hamlet
Best Picture
Director: Laurence Olivier
Studio: Two Cities Films
Laurence Olivier's cinematic adaptation of Shakespeare's tragedy about the Prince of Denmark.
From the Worthy Podcast
To be or not to be a successful film adaptation of one of the most prolific writers in world history. When something so revered in popular culture is transformed through the cinematic medium, there’s a tense feeling in the air. Will this work? Will they be able to capture the human imagination exactly as it has been pictured across hundreds of thousands of minds for centuries? Can the same minimalistic techniques of Shakespeare’s work be recreated in a medium that feeds on detailed depth?
37 total plays, at one point The Guinness Book of Records listed 410 feature-length film and TV versions of William Shakespeare's plays, making Shakespeare the most filmed author ever in any language.
The Internet Movie Database lists Shakespeare as having writing credit on over 1,600 films, including those under production but not yet released. The earliest known production is King John from 1899.
Shakespeare In Film: Is It Fair? Such great stories, that have held the test of time through our culture. Is it one of the ultimate cheat codes to make a good film?
Laurence Olivier?
International films? This is technically the first to win Best Picture-- first Britsh film to win.
All Categories (29)
Best Motion Picture
Hamlet— J. Arthur Rank-Two Cities Films
Winner
Johnny Belinda— Warner Bros.
The Red Shoes— J. Arthur Rank-Archers
The Snake Pit— 20th Century-Fox
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre— Warner Bros.
Actor
Clifton Webb— Sitting Pretty {"Lynn Belvedere"}
Dan Dailey— When My Baby Smiles at Me {"Skid"}
Lew Ayres— Johnny Belinda {"Dr. Robert Richardson"}
Montgomery Clift— The Search {"Ralph Stevenson"}
Actor In A Supporting Role
Cecil Kellaway— The Luck of the Irish {"Horace"}
Charles Bickford— Johnny Belinda {"Black McDonald"}
José Ferrer— Joan of Arc {"The Dauphin, Charles VIII"}
Oscar Homolka— I Remember Mama {"Uncle Chris"}
Actress
Barbara Stanwyck— Sorry, Wrong Number {"Leona Stevenson"}
Ingrid Bergman— Joan of Arc {"Joan of Arc"}
Irene Dunne— I Remember Mama {"Mama"}
Olivia de Havilland— The Snake Pit {"Virginia Stuart Cunningham"}
Actress In A Supporting Role
Agnes Moorehead— Johnny Belinda {"Aggie McDonald"}
Barbara Bel Geddes— I Remember Mama {"Katrin"}
Ellen Corby— I Remember Mama {"Aunt Trina"}
Jean Simmons— Hamlet {"Ophelia"}
Directing
Hamlet— Laurence Olivier
Johnny Belinda— Jean Negulesco
The Search— Fred Zinnemann
The Snake Pit— Anatole Litvak
Writing (Motion Picture Story)
The Search— Richard Schweizer, David Wechsler
Winner
Louisiana Story— Frances Flaherty, Robert Flaherty
Red River— Borden Chase
The Naked City— Malvin Wald
The Red Shoes— Emeric Pressburger
Writing (Screenplay)
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre— John Huston
Winner
A Foreign Affair— Charles Brackett, Billy Wilder, Richard L. Breen
Johnny Belinda— Irmgard Von Cube, Allen Vincent
The Search— Richard Schweizer, David Wechsler
The Snake Pit— Frank Partos, Millen Brand
Cinematography (Black-And-White)
The Naked City— William Daniels
Winner
A Foreign Affair— Charles B. Lang, Jr.
I Remember Mama— Nicholas Musuraca
Johnny Belinda— Ted McCord
Portrait of Jennie— Joseph August
Cinematography (Color)
Joan of Arc— Joseph Valentine, William V. Skall, Winton Hoch
Winner
Green Grass of Wyoming— Charles G. Clarke
The Loves of Carmen— William Snyder
The Three Musketeers— Robert Planck
Music (Music Score Of A Dramatic Or Comedy Picture)
The Red Shoes— Brian Easdale
Winner
Hamlet— William Walton
Joan of Arc— Hugo Friedhofer
Johnny Belinda— Max Steiner
The Snake Pit— Alfred Newman
Music (Scoring Of A Musical Picture)
Easter Parade— Johnny Green, Roger Edens
Winner
Romance on the High Seas— Ray Heindorf
The Emperor Waltz— Victor Young
The Pirate— Lennie Hayton
When My Baby Smiles at Me— Alfred Newman
Art Direction (Black-And-White)
Hamlet— Art Direction: Roger K. Furse; Set Decoration: Carmen Dillon
Winner
Johnny Belinda— Art Direction: Robert Haas; Set Decoration: William Wallace
Art Direction (Color)
The Red Shoes— Art Direction: Hein Heckroth; Set Decoration: Arthur Lawson
Winner
Joan of Arc— Art Direction: Richard Day; Set Decoration: Edwin Casey Roberts, Joseph Kish
Special Effects
Portrait of Jennie— Special Visual Effects by Paul Eagler, J. McMillan Johnson, Russell Shearman, Clarence Slifer; Special Audible Effects by Charles Freeman, James G. Stewart
Winner
Deep Waters— Special Visual Effects by Ralph Hammeras, Fred Sersen, Edward Snyder; Special Audible Effects by Roger Heman
Film Editing
The Naked City— Paul Weatherwax
Winner
Joan of Arc— Frank Sullivan
Johnny Belinda— David Weisbart
Red River— Christian Nyby
The Red Shoes— Reginald Mills
Sound Recording
The Snake Pit— 20th Century-Fox Studio Sound Department, Thomas T. Moulton, Sound Director
Winner
Johnny Belinda— Warner Bros. Studio Sound Department, Col. Nathan O. Levinson, Sound Director
Moonrise— Republic Studio Sound Department, Daniel J. Bloomberg, Sound Director
Costume Design (Black-And-White)
Hamlet— Roger K. Furse
Winner
B. F.'s Daughter— Irene
Costume Design (Color)
Joan of Arc— Dorothy Jeakins, Karinska
Winner
The Emperor Waltz— Edith Head, Gile Steele
Documentary (Feature)
The Secret Land— Orville O. Dull, Producer
Winner
The Quiet One— Janice Loeb, Producer
Documentary (Short Subject)
Toward Independence— United States Army
Winner
Heart to Heart— Herbert Morgan, Producer
Operation Vittles— United States Army Air Force
Special Award
To Ivan Jandl, for the outstanding juvenile performance of 1948, as "Karel Malik" in The Search.
Winner
IRVING G. THALBERG MEMORIAL AWARD
Jerry Wald
To Adolph Zukor, a man who has been called the father of the feature film in America, for his services to the industry over a period of forty years.
To Jean Hersholt - in recognition of his service to the Academy during four terms as president.
Presented on "Jean Hersholt Night," June 26, 1949, at the Academy building.
To Sid Grauman, master showman, who raised the standard of exhibition of motion pictures.
To Walter Wanger for distinguished service to the industry in adding to its moral stature in the world community by his production of the picture Joan of Arc.
Scientific Or Technical Award (Class II)
To VICTOR CACCIALANZA, MAURICE AYERS and the PARAMOUNT STUDIO SET CONSTRUCTION DEPARTMENT for the development and application of "Paralite," a new lightweight plaster process for set construction. [Props]
Winner
To NICK KALTEN, LOUIS J. WITTE and the 20TH CENTURY-FOX STUDIO MECHANICAL EFFECTS DEPARTMENT for a process of preserving and flame-proofing foliage. [Props]
Scientific Or Technical Award (Class III)
To MARTY MARTIN, JACK LANNON, RUSSELL SHEARMAN and the RKO RADIO STUDIO SPECIAL EFFECTS DEPARTMENT for the development of a new method of simulating falling snow on motion picture sets. [Stage Operations]
Winner
To A. J. MORAN and the WARNER BROS. STUDIO ELECTRICAL DEPARTMENT for a method of remote control for shutters on motion picture arc lighting equipment. [Lighting]
Music (Song)
"Buttons And Bows" from The Paleface— Music and Lyrics by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans
Winner
"For Every Man There's A Woman" from Casbah— Music by Harold Arlen; Lyrics by Leo Robin
"It's Magic" from Romance on the High Seas— Music by Jule Styne; Lyrics by Sammy Cahn
"The Woody Woodpecker Song" from Wet Blanket Policy— Music and Lyrics by Ramey Idriss and George Tibbles
"This Is The Moment" from That Lady in Ermine— Music by Frederick Hollander; Lyrics by Leo Robin
Short Subject (Cartoon)
The Little Orphan— Fred Quimby, Producer
Winner
Mickey and the Seal— Walt Disney, Producer
Mouse Wreckers— Edward Selzer, Producer
Robin Hoodlum— United Productions of America
Tea for Two Hundred— Walt Disney, Producer
Short Subject (One-Reel)
Symphony of a City— Edmund H. Reek, Producer
Winner
Annie Was a Wonder— Herbert Moulton, Producer
Cinderella Horse— Gordon Hollingshead, Producer
So You Want to Be on the Radio— Gordon Hollingshead, Producer
You Can't Win— Pete Smith, Producer
Short Subject (Two-Reel)
Seal Island— Walt Disney, Producer
Winner
Calgary Stampede— Gordon Hollingshead, Producer
Going to Blazes— Herbert Morgan, Producer
Samba-Mania— Harry Grey, Producer
Snow Capers— Thomas Mead, Producer
Special Foreign Language Film Award
To Monsieur Vincent - voted by the Academy Board of Governors as the most outstanding foreign language film released in the United States during 1948.
Winner