On this day in history, the 1944 Oscars
Wednesday, March 15, 2017 at 10:18AM Today in 1945, the 17th annual Academy Awards were held with Going My Way (1944) the big winner taking 7 Oscars. This year is a interesting for a couple of reasons...
Ingrid Bergman wins the first of her three Oscars
This is the year where they had to tighten up the rules on who could be nominated for acting (since Barry Fitzgerald was nominated as both lead and supporting for the same performance in Going My Way!) and this is the year where the Academy settled on 5 as the perfect number going forward for a Best Picture shortlist. The previous year was the last (for 60+ years) with 10 nominees. Oscar would stick with 5 as the key number for the next six decade until the Board of Governors expanded the number to 10 again in 2009. And then, they changed it again, agonizingly, in 2011 to our current "any number between 5 and 10....but so far it's only ever been 8 or 9" sloppiness.
But back to 1944. If you've seen Going My Way you might find its big Oscar haul inexplicable given its softness. The movie is pleasant enough but it's not exactly throwing off dramatic sparks! Somethings been lost in translation from the 40s until now, which happens to some pictures. Perhaps its priest as hero was a hugely heartwarming message, especially up against the pessimistic brilliance of Double Indemnity which is the easy champ in the lineup for "Films People Still Care About..."
Best Picture Nominees 1944
- Double Indemnity
- Gaslight
- Going My Way
- Since You Went Away
- Wilson
If Oscar had kept it's 10 wide Best Picture list we might have been looking at these films as Picture nominees as well
- Laura (5 nominations include director)
- Lifeboat (3 nominations including director)
- Meet Me in St Louis (4 nominations including writing + a special juvenile Oscar)
- None but the Lonely Heart (4 nominations)
But beyond that for a tenth nominee, it's anyone's guess.
Other films with multiple Oscar nods in 1944
Kismet and Cover Girl both had a few craft nominations, Mr Skeffington and Mrs Parkington both were liked by actors but not much traction elsewhere. Might it have been [shudder] the yellowface dramatics of Dragon Seed (2 nominations: Supporting Actress and Cinematography)?
Who would get your votes that year among the nominees?
Reader Comments (31)
I luv Ingrid, but Stanwyck is robbed!!! Bergman shld've been nom n won for Notorious 2 yrs later.
The additional 4 pics are worthy best pic. I would sugg David O'Selznick's Since You Went Away which was a huge hit n scored a few noms, incl for Colbert n Jennifer Jones.
Opps, sry din realise Since You Went Away was alr nom for Best Pic.
I wld stop at 9 nominees then. If really they wan to make it a perfect 10, i wld luv to see Preston Sturges The Miracle o Morgan Creek gets it!!! 😀
I would have voted "Double Indemnity" and Barbara Stanwyck. When Leo McCarey, Bing Crosby and Ingrid Bergman won, they were shooting "Bells of St. Marys" and would all be nominated the following year.
Agree. Bergman was good, but Stanwyck was great.
Hmmm, I've never seen Since You Went Away but with that cast maybe I should add it to the (never-ending) queue.
Claran -- OH I LOVE THAT MOVIE. That shoulda been one of them, yup.
There is no doubt in my mind that Meet Me in St. Louis is the film of the year.
I have spent years and years being attacked for disliking Double Indemnity. I've seen it three times -- just to be sure -- at this point, it's a badge of honor. Fuck Double Indemnity.
I haven't seen Going My Way in years. I would be interested in seeing how it holds up. The sequel--The Bells of St Mary's--is an all-time fave. And it's interesting that Bing and Ingrid are paired up the year after their Oscar wins. And both got nominated again for that movie. As for Barry's double nom, there is no logic for that. Period.
I haven't seen Since You Went Away in a while. But the iconic scene at the train station presents Jennifer Jones as a heavenly creature too good for this world. And the scene where she tells off the old biddy--sigh.
I like five for Best Picture. That's a good number.
Deborah -- Meet Me in St Louis is totally the best film of 1944. but i also love Double Indemnity. I'm fascinated to learn that you hate it.
Laura in Best Picture would've been incredible, and I can definitely imagine it as the 6th nominee. Who do you think was 6th in the acting races? I'll guess: Garland (or Bankhead or Tierney even), MacMurray, Lynn (or Tandy), Robinson?
Among the nominees, 'Double Indemnity' easily takes the cake. In fact, the only 1944 film that looks like serious competition for Best of the Year honour is 'Laura'. (Oh, and 'Arsenic and Old Lace', but that might be just a personal indulgence of mine.)
And just to throw in a fun fact: In her memoir 'The Lonely Life', Bette Davis erroneously refers to 'Mr. Skeffington' by the title 'Mrs. Skeffington'. Looking at the poster, though, who could blame her. (I've got this fact from David Thomson's excellent 'Have you seen?'; he goes on with talking about the lovely fantasy of Claude Rains trying to persuade Bette Davis on the set that the film is actually called 'Mr. Skeffington', "only to be crushed by her withering eloquence.")
Ok, Deborah Lipp has given me confidence so I must admit I freaking hate Bing Crosby. In everything, especially High Society and The Country Girl. And except for the leprechaun-in-disguise, Barry Fitzgerald, I disliked Going My Way. Sacrilege, I know.
If the field was wider, I would have voted for Laura for BP, and most most def, Stanwyck for BA.
Lifeboat is my favorite film that year. Unfortunately bad press killed any chance of it winning the awards that year.
"Ooh, Ingrid Bergman, now she's low-maintenance."
Once I finally caught up with Going My Way I was surprised how much I liked it since it had been assailed as a WTF winner for BP. I had expected something completely awful but I found it a charmer. However as a Best Winner a big fat NO.
I love Double Indemnity, and of the nominees it's the obvious winner, but going against the flow my pick would be Lifeboat for BP in a neck and neck fight with Indemity. All the nominees are actually good films...except Wilson which is a beautiful looking, brilliantly cast deadly dull bore.
Besides the ones you suggested as alternates I'd put forth Arsenic and Old Lace and especially Murder, My Sweet which was shorted all over the place, Best Actor for Dick Powell, Supporting Actress for Claire Trevor etc.
Love Ingrid and she's very, very good in Gaslight but no one bested Missy Stanwyck that year. She was award worthy often but this one is unquestionably one where she should have come out on top.
Even with my preferred lineup of nominees for actress:
Tallulah Bankhead-Lifeboat
Ingrid Bergman-Gaslight
Linda Darnell-Summer Storm
Judy Garland-Meet Me in St. Louis
Barbara Stanwyck-Double Indemnity
Barbara would still come out on top.
Additional notes:
Jennifer Jones was originally offered the lead in Laura, but Selznick told her it wasn't for her. David, David.
Greer looks good as a brunette. Mrs Parkington is a lot of fun.
I really stand for Ingrid's win this year. Gaslight is so good, and both her and Boyer are at their peak. That last confrontation scene--goosebumps.
Out of the nominees I'd likely go with Gaslight, but I'd be inclined to pick Laura as the best of the year (although I understand the chorus for Meet Me in St. Louis). Haven't see Lifeboat in ages, but I remember finding it intriguing and liking some the acting quite a good bit. Should revisit that one.
I guess this is as good a place as any to mention the fascination I feel with the term Gaslight and Gaslighting. As far as I know, it comes from this movie (was it a play or book first?). Has it EVER happened that a title from 70 years earlier has been revived and come to mean so much? I can barely even recall anything similar except I hear people say they had to "make a Sophie's Choice" or "take a SIlkwood shower."
And honestly, the idea of Meet Me In St. Louis and Laura getting into the Best Picture race is about the best argument I've seen for having a ten-wide Best Picture lineup. Two stone cold classics that should have gotten in the first time around. I mean Wilson and Since You Went Away? ZZZZzzzz....
Joel6 - love your version of the best actress line-up, Ingrid Bergman was terrific in Gaslight. I would have a harder time choosing than you did. (tie) Sorry Stanwyck fans but if I was absolutely forced to choose I would have gone for Bergman in Gaslight.
Bing Crosby doesn't have much appeal for me either, I thought he was dreadful in High Society.
DaveinHwood - co-signing your preference for the expanded line-up. Meet me in St. Louis and Laura are very well known & loved. What in the world was "Wilson"? Just shows that 5 was too limited.
Double Indemnity!
Stanwyck or Davis. (I would say this was the year of onset Davis Fatigue, supported by a meticulously constructed performance teetering close to the line of self-parody, directed by a man with whom she got romantically involved, as Joan Crawford did when she later worked with him.)
bergman vs. stanwyck this year is always tough. on the one hand bergman has 3 Oscars and stanwyck never won, but it's the only one of bergman's wins that's actually award-worthy (that win for Anastasia. ugh). so I would give it to bergman here and only because in my mind stanwyck would've already won one already from 1941...
Bing was a much better singer than actor, I think. He skates by on charm, but he doesn't have as much of it as someone like Cary Grant. I do like Going My Way, but it wasn't the best picture of the year.
Ingrid Bergman didn't win Oscars for her best performances. She's better in Notorious, for sure.
I love Cover Girl! Gene Kelly and Rita Hayworth are wonderful together.
Gaslight is based on a play. It had been made into a British film in 1940, starring Oscar-nominee Diana Wynyard and Anton Wolbrook. When the film was remade with Boyer-Bergman 4 years later, the studio attempted to literally destroy all prints of the British film. It survived and was eventually released in the US as The Murder in Thornton Square.
I fully agree that Stanwyck should have won. And, as some of you, I am not a fan of Bing Crosby. That Oscar should have gone to Cary Grant.
However, I beg to differ about Ingrid Bergman being so deserving of her win. Towards the end of the final confrontation scene -mentioned here- IMO Bergman overacted and did not sound natural in the least.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVtrTqH5G88
For Best Picture, I'd go with 9 choices:
Double Indemnity
Gaslight
Going My Way
Laura
Lifeboat
The Lodger
The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek
Since You Went Away
The Uninvited
The Uninvited would be my winner. I'm always surprised that it doesn't come up more in discussions about great films from the Forties.
I get the love for Going My Way in 1944. In the context of WWII and the world situation, it has a gentleness and warmth that people were probably craving. The ending is guaranteed to get most reaching for the Kleenex.
Crosby had a great voice and was a good dramatic actor. I think he was the best thing about The Country Girl (1954), despite Grace Kelly's win. But there was nothing to his role as Father O'Malley that merited an Oscar.
" Wilson" seriously? Zanuck and Fox must have had a lot of clout to get that nomination.
"Laura" . "Meet me in St Louis" and "Lifeboat" are all superior choices. Love the poster for "Mr Skeffington"- one of Davis great performances
My 10 for 1944 would be:
Meet Me in St. Louis
Jane Eyre
Laura
To Have and Have Not
The Curse of the Cat People
Since You Went Away
Together Again (an unfairly forgotten comedy with Irene Dunne & Charles Boyer)
Henry V
This Happy Breed
A Canterbury Tale
Delayed U.S. release dates may have kept the 3 last films (all British) out of competition for '44
Amen, Deborah Lipp. I'm also pretty much allergic to "Double Indemnity". MacMurray's terrific in it. But I don't like much else about the film. I'm a Stanwyck fan too but somehow never cared for her in this one. That terrible wig's just one of the problems.
My five actress nominees for '44 would be
Irene Dunne "Together Again"
Ingrid Bergman "Gaslight"
Judy Garland "Meet Me in St. Louis"
Claudette Colbert "Since You Went Away"
Joan Fontaine "Jane Eyre"
which sadly leaves out Lauren Bacall "To Have and Have Not", Gene Tierney "Laura" and Tallulah Bankhead "Lifeboat". I also like Joan Fontaine in "Frenchman's Creek". Jean Parker in "Bluebeard" and Susan Hayward in "The Hairy Ape"
Al in all, a great year!
Marcos, I think Ingrid is expressing Paula's realization that she is not insane, and there is a certain exuberance that rightly comes through. She is also performing for her husband, pretending she is crazy in an exaggerated way to torture him. It's pretty terrific.
Had Bergman not won in 1944. She wld've won the following year for The Bells o St Mary's, thereby robbin ano legend o her only Oscar. Crawford's fans will b screaming for blood!!
Such dilemma!! 😂 I'll stand by tt Bergman shld hav gotten her 1st gold for Notorious!!
Picture
1. „LAURA” (USA)
2. „DOUBLE INDEMNITY“ (USA)
3. „IVAN GROZNYJ I“ (UdSSR)
4. „THE MIRACLE OF MORGAN'S CREEK“ (USA)
5. „MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS“ (USA)
6. „MARÍA CANDELARIA“ (Mexico)
7. „A CANTERBURY TALE“ (Great Britain)
8. „HENRY V” (Great Britain)
9. „LIFEBOAT“ (USA)
10. „HAIL THE CONQUERING HERO“ (USA)
11. „HETS“ (Sweden)
12. „GASLIGHT“ (USA)
13. „THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW“ (USA)
14. „MURDER, MY SWEET“ (USA)
15. „I BAMBINI CI GUARDANO“ (Italy)
16. „PHANTOM LADY“ (USA)
17. „CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY“ (USA)
18. „BLUEBEARD“ (USA)
19. „SUMMER STORM“ (USA)
20. „COBRA WOMAN“ (USA)
Actor
1. Dana Andrews in „LAURA” (USA)
2. Fred MacMurray in „DOUBLE INDEMNITY“ (USA)
3. Laurence Olivier in „HENRY V” (Great Britain)
4. Luciano De Ambrosis in „I BAMBINI CI GUARDANO“ (Italy)
5. Laird Cregar in „THE LODGER“ (USA)
6. Charles Boyer in „GASLIGHT“ (USA)
7. Edward G. Robinson in „THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW“ (USA)
8. Eddie Bracken in „HAIL THE CONQUERING HERO“ (USA)
9. John Carradine in „BLUEBEARD“ (USA)
10. Charles Laughton in „THE SUSPECT“ (USA)
11. Nikolaj Tscherkassow in „IVAN GROZNYJ I“ (UdSSR)
12. Alf Kjellin in „HETS“ (Sweden)
13. Alexander Knox in „WILSON“ (USA)
14. Gregory Peck in „THE KEYS OF THE KINGDOM“ (USA)
15. Spencer Tracy in „THE SEVENTH CROSS“ (USA)
16. Eddie Bracken in „THE MIRACLE OF MORGAN'S CREEK“ (USA)
17. Pedro Armendáriz in „MARÍA CANDELARIA“ (Mexico)
18. George Sanders in „SUMMER STORM“ (USA)
19. Dick Powell in „MURDER, MY SWEET“ (USA)
20. John Hodiak in „LIFEBOAT“ (USA)
Actress
1. Barbara Stanwyck in „DOUBLE INDEMNITY“ (USA)
2. Betty Hutton in „THE MIRACLE OF MORGAN'S CREEK“ (USA)
3. Tallulah Bankhead in „LIFEBOAT“ (USA)
4. Gene Tierney in „LAURA” (USA)
5. Ingrid Bergman in „GASLIGHT“ (USA)
6. Judy Garland in „MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS“ (USA)
7. Joan Fontaine in „JANE EYRE“ (USA)
8. Linda Darnell in „SUMMER STORM“ (USA)
9. Joan Bennett in „THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW“ (USA)
10. Celia Johnson in „THIS HAPPY BREED“ (Great Britain)
11. Dolores del Rio in „MARÍA CANDELARIA“ (Mexico)
12. Claire Trevor in „MURDER, MY SWEET“ (USA)
13. Ella Raines in „PHANTOM LADY“ (USA)
14. Claudette Colbert in „SINCE YOU WENT AWAY“ (USA)
15. Jennifer Jones in „SINCE YOU WENT AWAY“ (USA)
16. Rita Hayworth in „COVER GIRL“ (USA)
17. Sheila Sim in „A CANTERBURY TALE“ (Great Britain)
18. Hedy Lamarr in „EXPERIMENT PERILOUS“ (USA)
19. Deanna Durbin in „CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY“ (USA)
20. Bette Davis in „MR. SKEFFINGTON“ (USA)
Supporting Actor
1. Clifton Webb in „LAURA” (USA)
2. Stig Järrel in „HETS“ (Sweden)
3. William Demarest in „THE MIRACLE OF MORGAN'S CREEK“ (USA)
4. Edward G. Robinson in „DOUBLE INDEMNITY“ (USA)
5. Kevin O'Shea in „WING AND A PRAYER“ (USA)
6. Emilio Cigoli in „I BAMBINI CI GUARDANO“ (Italy)
7. Claude Rains in „MR. SKEFFINGTON“ (USA)
8. Henry Daniell in „JANE EYRE“ (USA)
9. Michail Naswanow in „IVAN GROZNYJ I“ (UdSSR)
10. William Demarest in „HAIL THE CONQUERING HERO“ (USA)
11. William Bendix in „LIFEBOAT“ (USA)
12. Edward Everett Horton in „SUMMER STORM“ (USA)
13. Leonard Strong in „THE KEYS OF THE KINGDOM“ (USA)
14. Vincent Price in „LAURA” (USA)
15. Freddie Steele in „HAIL THE CONQUERING HERO“ (USA)
16. Hume Cronyn in „THE SEVENTH CROSS“ (USA)
17. Walter Slezak in „LIFEBOAT“ (USA)
18. Elisha Cook Jr. in „PHANTOM LADY“ (USA)
19. Sydney Greenstreet in „THE MASK OF DIMITRIOS“ (USA)
20. Paul Lukas in „EXPERIMENT PERILOUS“ (USA)
Supporting Actress
1. Mai Zetterling in „HETS“ (Sweden)
2. Diana Lynn in „THE MIRACLE OF MORGAN'S CREEK“ (USA)
3. Olive Blakeney in „EXPERIMENT PERILOUS“ (USA)
4. Judith Anderson in „LAURA” (USA)
5. Agnes Moorehead in „MRS. PARKINGTON“ (USA)
6. Gale Sondergaard in „CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY“ (USA)
7. Angela Lansbury in „GASLIGHT“ (USA)
8. Serafima Birman in „IVAN GROZNYJ I“ (UdSSR)
9. Jessica Tandy in „THE SEVENTH CROSS“ (USA)
10. Agnes Moorehead in „SINCE YOU WENT AWAY“ (USA)
11. Rose Stradner in „THE KEYS OF THE KINGDOM“ (USA)
12. Isa Pola in „I BAMBINI CI GUARDANO“ (Italy)
13. Hilde Hildebrand in „GROSSE FREIHEIT NR.7“ (Germany)
14. Josephine Hull in „ARSENIC AND OLD LACE“ (USA)
15. Marjorie Main in „MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS“ (USA)
16. Gladys Cooper in „MRS. PARKINGTON“ (USA)
17. Kay Walsh in „THIS HAPPY BREED“ (Great Britain)
18. Agnes Moorehead in „JANE EYRE“ (USA)
19. Margaret O'Brien in „MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS“ (USA)
20. Ludmilla Zelikowskaja in „IVAN GROZNYJ I“ (UdSSR)
Director
1. Otto Preminger für „LAURA” (USA)
2. Billy Wilder für „DOUBLE INDEMNITY“ (USA)
3. Sergei M. Eisenstein für „IVAN GROZNYJ I“ (UdSSR)
4. Preston Sturges für „THE MIRACLE OF MORGAN'S CREEK“ (USA)
5. Emilio Fernández für „MARÍA CANDELARIA“ (Mexico)
6. Vincente Minnelli für „MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS“ (USA)
7. Alfred Hitchcock für „LIFEBOAT“ (USA)
8. Michael Powell und Emeric Pressburger für „A CANTERBURY TALE“ (Great Britain)
9. Preston Sturges für „HAIL THE CONQUERING HERO“ (USA)
10. Fritz Lang für „THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW“ (USA)
11. Alf Sjöberg für „HETS“ (Sweden)
12. John Brahm für „THE LODGER“ (USA)
13. Robert Siodmak für „PHANTOM LADY“ (USA)
14. Helmut Käutner für „GROSSE FREIHEIT NR.7“ (Germany)
15. George Cukor für „GASLIGHT“ (USA)
16. Robert Siodmak für „CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY“ (USA)
17. Edgar G. Ulmer für „BLUEBEARD“ (USA)
18. Laurence Olivier für „HENRY V” (Great Britain)
19. Jacques Tourneur für „EXPERIMENT PERILOUS“ (USA)
20. Vittorio De Sica für „I BAMBINI CI GUARDANO“ (Italy)
Thomas, now THAT is a list! well-done.
Going My Way = a terrible choice for BP. Watched it a couple years ago and whatever charm it held for audiences in the 40's did not survive over the years. Best Picture of the Year? in my estimation it's in the bottom 15 of all the winners (though I'd watch it again before I'd sit through say, Braveheart or The Great Ziegfield again). I agree that the award should have gone to Double Indemnity of the nominees, and that Laura or Lifeboat would have been better nominee picks than GMW or Wilson. To me the fact that we still use the phrase 'Gaslighting' is a testament to the endurance of Gaslight. And I echo the appreciation for The Uninvited above: that's a neat ghost story, very well acted and filmed.