12th Academy Awards

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12th Academy Awards
Date February 29, 1940
Site Coconut Grove, The Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles
Host Bob Hope
Highlights
Best Picture Gone with the Wind
Most awards Gone with the Wind (8)
Most nominations Gone with the Wind (13)

The 12th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best in film for 1939. The ceremony was held on February 29, 1940, at a banquet in the Coconut Grove at The Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles.[1] It was hosted by Bob Hope (in his first of nineteen turns as host).

David O. Selznick's production Gone with the Wind received the most nominations of the year with thirteen. Other films receiving multiple nominations included: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington; Wuthering Heights; Goodbye, Mr. Chips; Stagecoach; Love Affair; The Wizard of Oz; The Rains Came; The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex; Ninotchka; Of Mice and Men; and Dark Victory.

This was the first year in which an Academy Award (also known as an Oscar) was awarded in the category of special effects. (Previously, however, "special achievement" awards for effects had occasionally been conferred.) This was also the first time that two awards for cinematography were presented (one for a color film and another for a black-and-white film).

Hattie McDaniel became the first African-American to receive an Academy Award, winning in the Best Supporting Actress category for Gone with the Wind.

Sidney Howard became the first posthumous winner for his screenplay for Gone with the Wind.

Academy Awards of Merit

AMPAS presented Academy Awards of Merit in twenty categories. Nominees for each award are listed below; award winners are listed first and highlighted in boldface.

Outstanding Production Best Director
Poster - Gone With the Wind 01.jpg
Best Actor Best Actress
Robert Donat.jpg
Vivien Leigh Gone Wind Restored.jpg
Best Supporting Actor Best Supporting Actress
Thomas Mitchell in Stagecoach cropped.jpg
1941hattie.jpg
Best Story Best Screenplay
Sidney Coe Howard 1909.jpg
Best Live Action Short Film, One-Reel Best Live Action Short Film, Two-Reel
Best Animated Short Film Best Score
Best Original Score Best Song
Vc41.jpg
Best Sound Recording Best Art Direction
Gone with the wind Leigh and Howard.jpg
Best Cinematography, Black and White Best Cinematography, Color
Clark Gable Gone Wind.jpg
Best Film Editing Best Special Effects

Academy Honorary Awards

Academy Honorary Awards were presented to:

Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award

The Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award was presented to:

Academy Juvenile Award

The Academy Juvenile Award was presented to:

Films receiving multiple nominations and awards

The lead-up to the awards ceremony

Prior to the announcement of nominations, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and Gone with the Wind were the two films most widely tipped to receive a significant number of nominations. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington premiered in Washington with a premier party hosted by the National Press Club who found themselves portrayed unfavourably in the film; the film's theme of political corruption was condemned and the film was denounced in the U.S. Senate. Joseph P. Kennedy, the U.S. Ambassador to Britain urged President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the studio head Harry Cohn to cease showing the film overseas because "it will cause our allies to view us in an unfavourable light". Among those who campaigned in favour of the film were Hedda Hopper who declared it "as great as Lincoln's Gettysburg speech", while Sheilah Graham called it the "best talking picture ever made". Screen Book magazine stated that it "should win every Academy Award". Frank Capra, the director, and James Stewart, the film's star were considered front runners to win awards.

Gone with the Wind premiered in December 1939 with a Gallup poll taken shortly before its release concluding that 56.5 million people intended to see the film. The New York Film Critics Award was given to Wuthering Heights after thirteen rounds of balloting had left the voters deadlocked between Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and Gone with the Wind. The press were divided in their support for the nominated actors. Time magazine favoured Vivien Leigh and used her portrait for their Christmas 1939 edition, and the Hollywood Reporter predicted a possible win by Leigh and Laurence Olivier with the comment that they "are, for the moment, just about the most sacred of all Hollywood's sacred cows". West Coast newspapers, particularly in Los Angeles, predicted Bette Davis would win for Dark Victory. Observing that Davis had achieved four box office successes during the year, one paper wrote, "Hollywood will stick by its favourite home-town girl, Bette Davis".

The ceremony

Capra was the incumbent President of the Academy, and in a first for Academy Awards ceremonies, sold the rights for the event to be filmed. Warner Bros. obtained the rights, for $30,000 to film the banquet and the presentation of the awards, to use as a short, and it was shot by the cinematographer Charles Rosher. Variety Magazine noted the stars in attendance were conscious of being filmed at the event for the first time and the event was marked by glamour with fashion-conscious actresses wearing the best of gowns, furs and jewellery.

The Los Angeles Times printed a substantially accurate list of winners, despite a promise to withhold the results of the voting, so many of the nominees learned before arriving at the ceremony who had won. Among these were Clark Gable and Bette Davis.

Following the banquet, Capra opened proceedings at 11pm with a short speech before introducing Bob Hope who made his first appearance as host of the awards. Looking at a table laden with awards awaiting presentation, he quipped, "I feel like I'm in Bette Davis' living room". Mickey Rooney presented an Academy Juvenile Award to Judy Garland, who then performed Over the Rainbow, a "Best Song" nominee from The Wizard of Oz.

As the evening progressed, Gone with the Wind won the majority of awards, and Bob Hope remarked to David O. Selznick, "David, you should have brought roller skates". Making a speech, Selznick paused to extend praise and gratitude to Olivia de Havilland, a "Best Supporting Actress" nominee, and made it clear in his speech he knew she had not won. Fay Bainter presented the awards for Best Supporting Actor and Actress, prefacing her presentation of the latter award with the knowing comment, "It is a tribute to a country where people are free to honor noteworthy achievements regardless of creed, race or color". Hattie McDaniel became the first black performer to win an Academy Award and in expressing her gratitude promised to be "a credit to my race" before bursting into tears. De Havilland was among those to make their way to McDaniel's table to offer congratulations, though it was reported de Havilland then fled to the kitchen, where she burst into tears. The press reported an irritated Irene Mayer Selznick followed her, and told her to return to their table and stop making a fool of herself.[citation needed]

Robert Donat, the winner for "Best Actor", was one of three nominated actors not present (the others were Irene Dunne and Greta Garbo). Accepting the award for Donat, Spencer Tracy said he was sure Donat's win was welcomed by "the entire motion-picture industry" before presenting the "Best Actress" award to Vivien Leigh. The press noted Bette Davis was among those waiting to congratulate Leigh as she returned to her table.

Post-awards discussion

Further controversy erupted following the ceremony, with the Los Angeles Times reporting that Leigh had won over Davis by the smallest of margins and that Donat had likewise won over James Stewart by a small number of votes. This led Academy officials to examine ways that the voting process, and more importantly, the results, would remain secret in future years.[2] They considered the Los Angeles Times publication of such details as a breach of faith.

Hattie McDaniel received considerable attention from the press with Daily Variety writing, "Not only was she the first of her race to receive an Award, but she was also the first Negro ever to sit at an Academy banquet".[citation needed]

Carole Lombard was quoted as comforting Gable after his loss, with the comment "don't worry, Pappy. We'll bring one home next year". Gable replied that he felt this had been his last chance to which Lombard was said to have replied, "Not you, you self-centered bastard. I meant me."[citation needed]

Academy Award ceremony presenters

The ceremony presenters are listed below in the sequence of awards presented.

Presenter Award(s)
Darryl F. Zanuck Scientific and Technical Awards
Film Editing
Sound Recording
Cinematography
Art Direction
Special Effects
Gene Buck Music awards
Bob Hope Short-subject awards
Mickey Rooney Special Juvenile Academy Award to Judy Garland
Mervyn LeRoy Best Director
Sinclair Lewis Writing awards
Y. Frank Freeman Best Picture
Basil O'Connor Special awards to Jean Hersholt, Ralph Morgan, Ralph Block, and Conrad Nagel
Dr. Ernest Martin Hopkins Irving Thalberg Award
Walter Wanger Commemorative award to Douglas Fairbanks
Fay Bainter Supporting Actor
Supporting Actress
Spencer Tracy Best Actor
Best Actress

See also

References

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