Academy Awards

6th Academy Awards

March 16, 1934Ambassador HotelFilms from 1932–193315 categories
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Best Picture Winner

Cavalcade

Cavalcade

Best Picture

Director: Frank Lloyd

Studio: Fox

Three decades in the lives of an upper-class English family, from the Boer War through World War I.

From the Worthy Podcast

Maybe a recap of the first few films? This is the last double year and see how the Oscars have progressed to this point? (We did five eps so I think it’s a great idea to kinda summarize what we’ve seen so far) This feels like the first film that we can truly start comparing it to other BP winners. Hits on the same thematic elements as Wings and AQOTWF with a similar story structure to Cimarron

World War 1? This is the last film to focus on it pre-WW2 and how war continues to be a central theme for Best Picture winners

Fiction film vs nonfiction and when to split the two

“THE ACADEMY awards met with the approval of Hollywood, there being practically no dissension… The Academy went out of its way to make the results honest and announced that balloting would continue until 8:00 o’clock of the banquet evening… Then many players arrive late and demanded the right to vote… So voting continued until 10 o’clock or for two hours after the ballot boxes were supposed to be closed… It was King Vidor who said: “This year the election is on the level”…Which caused everyone to comment about the other years… Although Katharine Hepburn wasn’t present to receive her Oscar, her constant companion and the gal she resides with in Hollywood, Laura Harding, was there to hear Hepburn get a round of applause for a change…” - Sidney Skolsky, March 16 1934. First mention of the word Oscar

https://qrius.com/how-the-academy-awards-came-to-be-called-the-oscars/ (article with an excerpt from Sidney Skolsky’s book. I checked sources and this seems accurate)

All Categories (15)

Actor

Charles Laughton— The Private Life of Henry VIII {"Henry VIII"}
Winner
Leslie Howard— Berkeley Square {"Peter Standish"} [came in 3rd]
Paul Muni— I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang {"James Allen"} [came in 2nd]

Actress

Katharine Hepburn— Morning Glory {"Eva Lovelace"}
Winner
Diana Wynyard— Cavalcade {"Jane Marryot"} [came in 3rd]
May Robson— Lady for a Day {"Apple Annie"} [came in 2nd]

Directing

Cavalcade— Frank Lloyd
Winner
Lady for a Day— Frank Capra [came in 2nd]
Little Women— George Cukor [came in 3rd]

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

Little Women— Victor Heerman, Sarah Y. Mason
Winner
Lady for a Day— Robert Riskin [came in 2nd]
State Fair— Paul Green, Sonya Levien [came in 3rd]

Writing (Original Story)

One Way Passage— Robert Lord
Winner
Rasputin and the Empress— Charles MacArthur [came in 3rd]
The Prizefighter and the Lady— Frances Marion [came in 2nd]

Cinematography

A Farewell to Arms— Charles Bryant Lang, Jr.
Winner
Reunion in Vienna— George J. Folsey [came in 2nd]
The Sign of the Cross— Karl Struss [came in 3rd]

Art Direction

Cavalcade— William S. Darling
Winner
A Farewell to Arms— Hans Dreier, Roland Anderson [came in 2nd]
When Ladies Meet— Cedric Gibbons [came in 3rd]

Sound Recording

A Farewell to Arms— Paramount Studio Sound Department, Franklin B. Hansen, Sound Director
Winner
42nd Street— Warner Bros. Studio Sound Department, Nathan Levinson, Sound Director
Gold Diggers of 1933— Warner Bros. Studio Sound Department, Nathan Levinson, Sound Director [came in 3rd]
I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang— Warner Bros. Studio Sound Department, Nathan Levinson, Sound Director [came in 2nd]

Scientific Or Technical Award (Class II)

To ELECTRICAL RESEARCH PRODUCTS, INC. for their wide range recording and reproducing system. [Sound]
Winner
To RCA-VICTOR COMPANY, INC. for their high-fidelity recording and reproducing system. [Sound]

Scientific Or Technical Award (Class III)

To FOX FILM CORPORATION, FRED JACKMAN and WARNER BROS. PICTURES, INC., and SIDNEY SANDERS of RKO Studios, Inc., for their development and effective use of the translucent cellulose screen in composite photography. [Special Photographic]
Winner

Assistant Director

William Tummel (Fox)
Winner
Al Alborn (Warner Bros.)
Arthur Jacobson (Paramount)
Benjamin Silvey (United Artists)
Bunny Dull (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)
Charles Barton (Paramount)
Charles Dorian (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)
Dewey Starkey (RKO Radio)
Eddie Killey (RKO Radio)
Frank X. Shaw (Warner Bros.)
Fred Fox (United Artists)
Gordon Hollingshead (Warner Bros.)
Joe McDonough (Universal)
John S. Waters (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)
Percy Ikerd (Fox)
Scott Beal (Universal)
Sidney S. Brod (Paramount)
W. J. Reiter (Universal)

Outstanding Production

Cavalcade— Fox
Winner
42nd Street— Warner Bros.
A Farewell to Arms— Paramount [came in 2nd]
I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang— Warner Bros.
Lady for a Day— Columbia
Little Women— RKO Radio [came in 3rd]
She Done Him Wrong— Paramount
Smilin' Through— Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
State Fair— Fox
The Private Life of Henry VIII— London Films

Short Subject (Cartoon)

The Three Little Pigs— Walt Disney, Producer
Winner
Building a Building— Walt Disney, Producer [came in 2nd]
The Merry Old Soul— Walter Lantz, Producer [came in 3rd]

Short Subject (Comedy)

So This Is Harris— Louis Brock, Producer
Winner
A Preferred List— Louis Brock, Producer [came in 2nd]
Mister Mugg— Warren Doane, Producer [came in 3rd]

Short Subject (Novelty)

Krakatoa— Joe Rock, Producer
Winner
Menu— Pete Smith, Producer [tied for 2nd]
The Sea— Educational [tied for 2nd]
WorthyWorthy

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

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