1932 Oscars

Awards

The winner is at the top of the list - My choice is underlined.

Best Actor

Fredric March – Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as Dr Henry Jekyll/Mr Edward Hyde AND

Wallace Beery – The Champ as Champ - It was a tie.

Alfred Lunt – The Guardsman as The Actor

I loved Fredric March's performance as Dr Jekyll but not so much as Mr Hyde. I liked Wallace Beery in the Champ, but I also liked him in Grand Hotel, and the differences showed his ability. So due to the depths of Beery, I'll go with him. Lunt was good but I agree that he wasn't the best of the nominees.

Best Actress

Helen Hayes – The Sin of Madelon Claudet as Madelon Claudet

Marie Dressler – Emma as Emma Thatcher Smith

Lynn Fontanne – The Guardsman as The Actress

Helen Hayes was amazing in her role and I understand why she won as she carried the whole movie. But for me, Marie Dressler was my favourite actress and it's a shame she didn't live to make many more movies.. I impressed by Miriam Hopkins who I think should have been nominated.

Outstanding Production

Grand Hotel – Irving Thalberg for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Arrowsmith – Samuel Goldwyn for Samuel Goldwyn Prod.

Bad Girl – Winfield Sheehan for Fox Film Corp.

The Champ – King Vidor for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Five Star Final – Hal B. Wallis for First National

One Hour with You – Ernst Lubitsch for Paramount Publix

Shanghai Express – Adolph Zukor for Paramount Publix

The Smiling Lieutenant – Ernst Lubitsch for Paramount Publix

My choice - Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

This one is so tough. I rated DJ&M and Grand Hotel movies exactly the same, with 8 out of 10. I loved DJ&MH with my head and Grand Hotel with my heart. Both had great acting. Both had great cinematography. DJ&MH had a better plot, but Grand Hotel had a better score. I had them as a tie but as time has passed, it's DJ&MH that I remember best and with more affection.

My top three movies of the year were 1) Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, 2) Grand Hotel, and 3) Joint winners - The Guardsman and Emma.

Worst Picture

My least-rated movie was Scratch-As-Catch-Can, but I won't count the shorts. The worst actual movie for me was One Hour With You with a rating of 5.77. I'm not a fan of Chevalier movies!

Best Director

Frank Borzage – Bad Girl

King Vidor – The Champ

Josef von Sternberg – Shanghai Express

I love Sternberg's work but he got so little out of the actors. I would have given it to Borzage if the whole movie was as good as the first half. So I go for King Vidor here, which was solid throughout the whole movie. I'm a fan of all of these directors! My second Oscar for Vidor!

Best Original Story

The Champ – Frances Marion

Lady and Gent – Grover Jones and William Slavens McNutt

The Star Witness – Lucien Hubbard

What Price Hollywood? – Adela Rogers St. Johns and Jane Murfin

I loved the plot of The Star Witness and The Champ but What Price Hollywood? is obviously the first draft of A Star Is Born, which is a classic story throughout the generations. Yes, it's melodramatic, but all of these nominations are, so I'm going with the tried and tested rags to riches but at what cost kinda story.

Best Adaptation

Bad Girl – Edwin J. Burke, based on the novel and play by Viña Delmar

Arrowsmith – Sidney Howard, based on the novel by Sinclair Lewis

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde – Percy Heath and Samuel Hoffenstein, based on Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

I feel The Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was the best representation of the original novel.

Best Art Direction

Transatlantic – Gordon Wiles

À Nous la Liberté – Lazare Meerson

Arrowsmith – Richard Day

Transatlantic had some great set design but it didn't help the feel of the movie. While I loved Meerrson's work, there were more challenges for Day's work, with different continents to explore. There were great choices made so he wins for me.

Best Cinematography

Shanghai Express – Lee Garmes

Arrowsmith – Ray June

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde – Karl Struss

Second year in a row I would vote for Garmes. Beautiful work although all the nominations were warranted.

Best Short Subject, Cartoon

Flowers and Trees – Walt Disney, Walt Disney Productions, United Artists

It's Got Me Again! – Leon Schlesinger, Warner Bros.

Mickey's Orphans – Walt Disney, Walt Disney Productions, Columbia Pictures

Such a beautiful cartoon.

Best Live Action Short Subject, Comedy

The Music Box – Hal Roach

The Loud Mouth – Mack Sennett

Scratch-As-Catch-Can – RKO Radio

Urgh. Not much to choose from. I'll go for Roach as it was more bearable than the others.

Best Live Action Short Subject, Novelty

Wrestling Swordfish – Mack Sennett

Screen Souvenirs – Paramount Publix

Swing High – Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Swing High was the only one I could watch, and it was great, so I'll go that one.