Academy Awards

4th Academy Awards

November 10, 1931Biltmore HotelFilms from 1930–193112 categories
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Best Picture Winner

Cimarron

Cimarron

Best Picture

Director: Wesley Ruggles

Studio: RKO Radio

An adventurous family moves to the Oklahoma frontier during the land rush of 1889.

From the Worthy Podcast

Before we start this episode, we thought it would be inappropriate to begin a discussion on the 1930/31 Best Picture winner, Cimarron, without a full disclaimer that this movie uses racist sterotypes and depicts racist agendas. These racist moments were supported by the Academy, as they made the decision to award the film as its top honor of Best Picture. We will discuss technical aspects of the film that we did like, but it would not be right, nor courteous to move forward without making it known that we do not condone what is depicted in Cimarron.

"To encourage equitable representation on and off screen in order to better reflect the diversity of the movie-going audience," films will have to meet minimum requirements pertaining to representation and inclusion to be eligible for the best picture Oscar beginning with the 96th Oscar race (which will recognize achievements from 2024 and be held in 2025), the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Tuesday.

Scott Feinberg -- Hollywood Reporter September 8th, 2020

Lots of great stats here: don’t have a subscription, can you send screenshots? https://www.ft.com/content/ca2e8368-48e6-11ea-aeb3-955839e06441

I will then summarize this article: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/film-academy-sets-inclusion-requirements-for-oscars-will-take-full-effect-in-2024

Talk about the Academy Museum (opening April 30, 2021). There should be a place talking about the films that were not only nominated, but won Oscars that had racism and sexism. Especially about Cimarron and how it did win Best Picture.

All Categories (12)

Actor

Lionel Barrymore— A Free Soul {"Stephen Ashe"}
Winner
Adolphe Menjou— The Front Page {"Walter Burns"}
Fredric March— The Royal Family of Broadway {"Tony Cavendish"}
Jackie Cooper— Skippy {"Skippy Skinner"}
Richard Dix— Cimarron {"Yancey Cravat"}

Actress

Marie Dressler— Min and Bill {"Min"}
Winner
Ann Harding— Holiday {"Linda Seton"}
Irene Dunne— Cimarron {"Sabra Cravat"}
Marlene Dietrich— Morocco {"Amy Jolly"}
Norma Shearer— A Free Soul {"Jan Ashe"}

Directing

Skippy— Norman Taurog
Winner
A Free Soul— Clarence Brown
Cimarron— Wesley Ruggles
Morocco— Josef Von Sternberg
The Front Page— Lewis Milestone

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

Cimarron— Howard Estabrook
Winner
Holiday— Horace Jackson
Little Caesar— Francis Faragoh, Robert N. Lee
Skippy— Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Sam Mintz
The Criminal Code— Seton I. Miller, Fred Niblo, Jr.

Writing (Original Story)

The Dawn Patrol— John Monk Saunders
Winner
Laughter— Harry d'Abbadie d'Arrast, Douglas Doty, Donald Ogden Stewart
Smart Money— Lucien Hubbard, Joseph Jackson
The Doorway to Hell— Rowland Brown
The Public Enemy— John Bright, Kubec Glasmon

Cinematography

Tabu— Floyd Crosby
Winner
Cimarron— Edward Cronjager
Morocco— Lee Garmes
Svengali— Barney "Chick" McGill
The Right to Love— Charles Lang

Art Direction

Cimarron— Max Rée
Winner
Just Imagine— Stephen Goosson, Ralph Hammeras
Morocco— Hans Dreier
Svengali— Anton Grot
Whoopee!— Richard Day

Sound Recording

Paramount Publix Studio Sound Department
Winner
This award was not associated with any specific film title.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studio Sound Department
This nomination was not associated with any specific film title.
RKO Radio Studio Sound Department
This nomination was not associated with any specific film title.
Samuel Goldwyn - United Artists Studio Sound Department
This nomination was not associated with any specific film title.

Scientific Or Technical Award (Class I)

To ELECTRICAL RESEARCH PRODUCTS, INC., RCA-PHOTOPHONE, INC. and RKO RADIO PICTURES, INC., for noise reduction recording equipment. [Sound]
Winner
To DuPONT FILM MANUFACTURING CORP. and EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY for super-sensitive panchromatic film. [Film]

Scientific Or Technical Award (Class II)

To FOX FILM CORP. for effective use of synchro-projection composite photography. [Sound]
Winner

Scientific Or Technical Award (Class III)

To ELECTRICAL RESEARCH PRODUCTS, INC. for moving coil microphone transmitters. [Sound]
Winner
To RCA-PHOTOPHONE, INC. for ribbon microphone transmitters. [Sound]
To RKO RADIO PICTURES, INC. for reflex type microphone concentrators. [Sound]

Outstanding Production

Cimarron— RKO Radio
Winner
East Lynne— Fox
Skippy— Paramount Publix
The Front Page— The Caddo Company
Trader Horn— Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
WorthyWorthy

The breakdown of every Best Picture winner from past to present.

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