1929 Oscars

Awards

Best Actor

Emil Jannings (The Last Command, The Way of All Flesh)

Richard Barthelmess (The Patent Leather Kid & The Noose)

I would have liked to have seen John Barrymore, James Murray, and Charles Farrell nominated. Barrymore did a great mental breakdown scene, Farrell made romantic chemistry with his partner and Murray was more realistic than them all. Emil was fantastic too, but for me, James Murray wins the gong due to his more realistic acting style.

Best Actress

Janet Gaynor (7th Heaven, Street Angel, & Sunrise)

Gloria Swanson (Sadie Thompson)

Louise Dresser (A Ship Comes In)

A resounding yes. I need not say more, except that I think Eleanor Boardman should have been nominated. Swanson was good but I wasn't wowed by Louise.

Best Picture, Production

Wings

7th Heaven

The Racket

Yes to Wings - that was a cinematic masterpiece with great storylines, cinematography, and action and effects. 7th Heaven was good though.

Best Picture, Unique and Artistic Production

Sunrise

Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness

The Crowd

Sunrise - No. I would have liked to have seen The Circus nominated but I loved The Crowd. As there are two awards for Best Picture, I have to choose between Wings and The Crowd, and I enjoyed The Crowd much more and it has less issues with it from a modern eye.

My favourite movies of the year were 1) The Crowd, 2) Joint - 7th Heaven, and The Circus. 3) Wings

Worst Movie of the Year

My least favourite movie of the year award goes to The Patent Leather Kid. It was a snooze fest.

Best Art Direction

William Cameron Menzies (Tempest & The Dove)

Harry Oliver (7th Heaven)

Rochus Gliese (Sunrise)

I couldn't see the Tempest or The Dove but the fantastic elements of Sunrise made this the winner for me.

Best Cinematography

Charles Rosher (Sunrise)

George Barnes (Sadie Thompson, The Devil Dancer, &The Magic Flame)

I'll go with Sunrise but The Crowd was right up there too.

Best Director, Comedy Picture

Lewis Milestone (Two Arabian Knights)

Ted Wilde (Speedy)

I found Speedy to be more humorous and engaging.

Best Director, Dramatic Picture

Frank Borzage (7th Heaven)

Herbert Brenon (Sorrell and Son)

King Vidor (The Crowd)

I preferred all the elements of The Crowd so I think overall the director award should go to Vidor.

Best Effects, Engineering Effects

Roy Pomeroy (Wings)

Nugent Slaughter

Ralph Hammeras

Yup, completely deserved.

Best Writing, Adaptation

7th Heaven (Benjamin Glazer)

Glorious Betsy (Anthony Coldeway)

The Jazz Singer (Alfred A. Cohn)

I preferred the story of The Jazz Singer. I felt it was more cohesive and less melodramatic.

Best Writing, Original Story

Underworld (Ben Hecht)

The Last Command (Lajos Biró)

Honorary Awards

Chaplin won an honorary award for The Circus and his general brilliance. While I agree that he is brilliant, The Circus should have won a Best Picture Oscar in it's own right.

The other honorary award was for the Jazz Singer, which was so revolutionary that I agree it needed a special award.