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Oscar ceremonies until early 1940s were
quite different from what they are today. The statuettes were presented not in
theaters, but during banquets, held at hotels. Also prior to 1941 the winners
were not kept secret: the results were handed out to press so that they could be
published by 11 p.m. on the Oscar night.
Today, 1939 is considered the most
celebrated year in American film history - because of the number of outstanding
movies that were produced that year. Even though "Gone with the Wind"
had been a very strong candidate for the Oscar contest, some of the other great
works included: "The Wizard of Oz", "Mr. Smith goes to Washington",
"Ninotchka", "Stagecoach", "Wuthering Heights",
"Destry Rides Again", "Goodbye Mr. Chips", "Dark
Victory" and many, many others.
It was "Gone with the Wind" though, that swept most of the Oscars that
night. At some point, the host called the occasion, a "benefit for David O.
Selznick". GWTW with the total of 13
nominations, won
8 competetive
Oscars and
2
special Awards. Notice that back then there were only 20
categories.
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The 12th Academy Awards were held on Thursday,
February
28th, 1939 at the Cocoanut Grove of the famous
Ambassador Hotel.
The ceremony was covered in a live radio broadcast. That year the results were
printed by Los Angeles Times in their 8:45 p.m. edition (which led to adopting
the sealed envelope system the following year). Among the most notable absentees
was Leslie Howard, who had returned to England.
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CATEGORIES IN WHICH GONE WITH THE WIND WON
==BEST PICTURE==
The nominees:
DARK VICTORY
produced by
David Lewis
*GONE WITH THE WIND - David O. Selznick
GOODBYE, MR. CHIPS - Victor Saville
LOVE AFFAIR - Leo McCarey
MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON - Frank Capra
OF MICE AND MEN - Lewis Mileston
NINOTCHKA - Sidney Franklin
WIZARD OF OZ - Mervyn LeRoy
STAGECOACH - Walter Wanger
WUTHERING HEIGHTS - Samuel Goldwyn
and the Oscar went to:
David O. Selznick and GONE WITH THE WIND
(the first film in color to win Best Picture).
David's acceptance speech unfortunately didn't survive on tapes.
==BEST DIRECTION==
The nominees:
*VICTOR FLEMING - Gone with the Wind
SAM WOOD - Goodbye, Mr. Chips
FRANK CAPRA - Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
JOHN FORD - Stagecoach
WILLIAM WYLER - Wuthering Heights
The Oscar was presented by Melvyn LeRoy and the Oscar went to:
VICTOR FLEMING for Gone with the Wind
Victor Fleming's acceptance speech:
"I cannot accept this without paying tribute to those really responsible for much of the picture's success. The crew behind the camera to whom I'm deeply grateful. Thank you."
==BEST ACTRESS==
The nominees:
BETTE DAVIS - Dark Victory
*VIVIEN LEIGH - Gone with the Wind
GREER GARSON - Goodbye, Mr. Chips
GRETA GARBO - Ninotchka
IRENE DUNNE - Love Affair
The Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role was presented by Spencer Tracy:
"Ladies and Gentlemen, need I say, this is a privilege and an honor to announce this winner.
Ms. VIVIEN LEIGH in Gone with the Wind."
Vivien's acceptance speech:
"Ladies and Gentlemen,
Please forgive me if my words are inadequate in thanking you for your very great kindness. If I were to mention all those, who've shown me such wonderful generosity through Gone with the Wind, I should have to entertain you with an oration as long as Gone with the Wind itself. So, if I may, I should like to devote my thanks on this occasion to that complaisant figure of energy, courage and very great kindness, in whom all points of Gone with the Wind meet: Mr. David Selznick."
(supposedly she also thanked Margaret Mitchell and Spencer Tracy, but only this part of the recording is known).
==BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE==
The nominees:
EDNA MAY OLIVER - Drums Along the Mohawk
MARIA OUSPENSKAYA - Love Affair
*HATTIE McDANIEL - Gone with the Wind
*OLIVIA DE HAVILLAND - Gone with the Wind
GERALDINE FITZGERALD - Wuthering Heights
The award was presented by Fay Bainter:
"It is a tribute to a country where people are free to honor noteworthy achievements regardless of creed, race or color. I present the Academy Award for the best performance of an actress in supporting role during 1939:
HATTIE McDANIEL for Gone with the Wind"
(When her name was called Hattie exclaimed "Hallelujah!". She became the first African American to win an Oscar).
Hattie McDaniel's acceptance speech:
"Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Fellow members of the motion picture industry, and honored quests,
This is one of the happiest moments of my life and I want to thank each one of you who had a part in selecting me for one of the awards for your kindness; it has made me feel very, very humble and I shall always hold it as a beacon for anything that I may be able to do in the future. I sincerely hope I shall always be a credit to my race and to the motion picture industry. My heart is too full to tell you just how I feel. And may I say thank you and God bless you."
==BEST WRITING, SCREENPLAY==
The nominees:
*SIDNEY HOWARD - Gone with the Wind
ERIC MASCHWITZ; R.C. SHERRIFF; CLAUDINE WEST - Goodbye, Mr. Chips
SIDNEY BUCHMAN - Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
CHARLES BRACKETT; WALTER REISCH; BILLY WILDER - Ninotchka
BEN HECHT; CHARLES MacARTHUR - Wuthering Heights
The Oscar was presented by Sinclair Lewis and the Oscar went to:
SIDNEY HOWARD for Gone with the Wind
(It was the first Oscar to be awarded posthumously; Howard died in 1939 in a farm accident. Among many writers that worked on the script of gwtw his contributions were deemed most important, and he alone received credit for the final version).
==BEST COLOR CINEMATOGRAPHY==
Ernest Haller, Ray Rennahan
==BEST ART DIRECTION==
Lyle R. Wheeler
==BEST FILM EDITING==
Hal C. Kern; James E. Newcom
HONORARY AWARDS FOR GONE WITH THE WIND
William Cameron Menzies
For outstanding achievement in the use of color for the enhancement of dramatic mood in the production of Gone with the Wind.
David. O. Selznick
Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award
OSCARS WHICH GONE WITH THE WIND WAS NOMINATED FOR AND DIDN'T WIN
==BEST ACTOR==
The nominees:
MICKEY ROONEY - Babes in Arms
ROBERT DONAT - Goodbye, Mr. Chips
*CLARK GABLE - Gone with the Wind
JAMES STEWART - Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
LAURENCE OLIVIER - Wuthering Heights
and the Oscar went to:
ROBERT DONAT for Goodbye, Mr. Chips
(One thing bothered Selznick
for the rest of the night, namely "How come they didn't get the award for Gable? He figured that it was the campaign that failed, and took it out on his publicity director, R. Birdwell).
==BEST SOUND RECORDING==
Thomas T. Moulton
nominated
Oscar went to
Bernard B. Brown for When Tomorrow Comes
==BEST SPECIAL EFFECTS==
Jack Cosgrove
(photographic); Fred Albin
(sound); Arthur Johns
(sound) nominated
Oscar went to Edmund H. Hansen; Fred Sersen for The Rains Came
==BEST MUSIC, ORIGINAL SCORE==
Max Steiner
nominated
Oscar went to Herbert Stothart for The Wizard of Oz
==BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS==
Olivia de Havilland
nominated
(She was so disappointed at losing that she had to go to the hotel kitchen and shed a few tears before she could come back and congratulate Hattie McDaniel.)
Other than that, Thomas Mitchell,
who portrayed Gerald O'Hara in Gone with the Wind, won an Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance in
Stagecoach.
GWTW AND THE OSCARS OVER THE YEARS
Gone with the Wind still remains one of the most awarded movies in Oscar history.
In terms of the number of Oscars won, it held the record alone till 1953 when it was tied by From Here to Eternity. It was outdone in 1958 by Gigi, who won 9 Oscars. Today's record was set in 1959 by Ben Hur, which received 11 Awards is now is shared by Titanic.
In terms of nominations, the same number was reached in 1942 by Mrs. Miniver. The new record of 14 nominations was set in 1950 by All Above Eve, which remains a record until today, together with Titanic.
GWTW is not among the films that made history by getting the Big Five (Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, Best Script).
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