Here is an alphabetical list of the movies I watched this year with a quick review and score. When I have completed watching all of them, I'll give my take on who should have won for the Oscar's categories.
A Wild Hare
This was so much fun! Very funny! This was the first of so many classics - I'm hunting wabbits, What's up Doc, etc. I definitely prefer Bugs to Mickey. Just so much more humour. This one is going to be hard to beat for any other cartoon of this year.
8/10.
Abe Lincoln in Illinois
I didn't like this one as much as the critics. The last film I watched was Young Lincoln, and I preferred that one to this one. I definitely preferred Fonda to Massey as well. The acting was good, but in my opinion, not excellent. I just felt disappointed with the whole movie really. Everything was ok without being great. I liked the scene with the projection on the town hall. But it all felt a bit bland and unbelievable. I disagree with the nominations for Best Actor and Best Cinematography.
6.8/10.
All This, and Heaven Too
This movie was too long, but there was a lot to like about it. I think Boyer and Davis both did great jobs, but not perfection by any means. The supporting cast were really good, and I enjoyed O'Neil's performance, even if it was a little hammy at times. I though the cinematography was beautiful for a lot of shots, and I was also really impressed with the score. I think the score was my favourite thing about this film. I thought the child actors did a good job, and I was moved by the scenes of the young boy when he was sick and when the Mademoiselle had to leave, both which featured the children. This was nominated for Bett Picture (I don't think I will agree), Best Supporting Actress (agree but not sure about the win at this point), and Best Cinematography (definitely agree). Take more time off this movie and show a bit more emotion and this would have been nearer to perfect but still a good watch.
7.4/10.
Angels Over Broadway
Interesting. The plot kept me really interested and it was a nice quick movie. I though Fairbanks Jnr was good, and Hayworth was decent (and so like Marilyn Monroe!), but I was most impressed with Qualen. It had some nice visuals and good score. This movie kept me guessing and I didn't know how it was going to end. I found the poker game to be very thrilling. I was a bit upset with the ending, but I guess it made sense. In a way, I guess everyone won. Entertaining. I think it definitely deserved the nomination for writing, but I think maybe Qualen could have been nominated for Best Supporting Actor too. His work when he was pretending to be a bad actor was really effective.
7.2/10.
Arise, My Love
Not terrible. I was so shocked to see this revolve around WWII so early into the war (and before the US officially joined). It was quite confronting really. I think the leads did a fantastic job with a pretty incredulous plot, but understandable for the time. They both handled the comedy just as well as the drama, and for that reason, it was quite a good watch. My favourtie part was Tony coming out of the train with the band-aid on his nose. A few laughs and a few thought-provoking moments. It didn't score super well for me, but I'm still glad I watched it. This won for Best Writing (hmmm, not sure I agree here), best cinematography (don't agree), Art Direction (don't agree), and Music, Score (no, not this one either). If anything, I would have liked to see the stars nominated but hard in a semi-comedic movie.
6.9/10.
Arizona
I don't usually like Westerns, but I loved this movie!! I though Jean Arthur's performance was absolutely magnificent, and Holden's was pretty good too. I was also super impressed with William as the villain. The plot was engaging the whole way through. I loved the theme of a tough woman in the Old West, combating setback and crime. All the supporting actors did a great job too. The score was good, and the whole movie looked polished and professional. My favourite so far (yeah, ok, this is like Movie 6 so far for the year, so I won't get too excited). My favourite scene was after the wedding. Arthur's performance was fantastic. I'm a fan. I felt genuinely tense near the conclusion. And I want to move to her ranch. I don't know why I loved it more than other critics - I just did. This was nominated for Best Art Direction (yeah, agree) and Best Score (yep, agree). But IMO, Arthur should have been nominated for Best Actress. She was amazing!
7.6/10
Behind the News
Eh. It took way too long to get going. The acting was bearable. Nothing much good to say. I did enjoy the plot, but they waited far too long to put it all together. They could have started it from the prank forward. I liked the fight scene with the flying tackles. There were a few laughs, but this was overall pretty poor. This was nominated for Best Sound Recording, but I don't see it. Not recommended.
5.5/10.
Bitter Sweet
Eh. Not a lot to like about this film. I enjoyed the costumes at the end number of the film. That's about it. I didn't feel the usual chemistry between McDonald and Eddy. The songs weren't cute or emotive. It didn't feel realistic for the time period. Juts overall, fell flat for me. This was nominated for Best Cinematography (Colour) - disagree strongly - and Best Art Direction - also a big no. I wouldn't recommend this one to anyone but an Eddy/McDonald completist.
A generous 6.3/10
Boom Town
Man, I love Spencer Tracey! This movie wasn't too bad. The plot dragged a bit near the end, and I wanted a different ending so badly! I didn't like Colbert's acting in this one, Morgan, Lamarr, and Gable ware good, but Tracey was amazing. So wonderful to watch. There were some good effects/artistic choices with the oil well montages and things, but it felt a little clunky at times. My favourite scenes were fighting the oil fire. That was genuinely interesting and tense. This was nominated for Best Cinematography and Best Effects and I'm ok with these nominations and interested how they will compare to the others.
7.41/10.
Captain Courageous
Groan. This was such a boring movie! I don't look up facts about the movie before I watch - in fact I don't look up any information until after I've written my review and I sum up. So, I have no idea what this could have been nominated for, because everything was so ho-hum, boring, and unexciting. Maybe Mature (who I thought was Jack Buchanen)? Maybe writing? The acting was mediocre, the plot ridiculous, and the effects were average. Maybe it's due to the underwater shot? Got me beat. There is nothing about this movie that I think I will remember by the end of the week (and it's Friday). So now I've looked it up, and the Oscar nomination was for Sound Recording. Well, I kinda get that because in my scoring, that category was one of the highest. So actually, I'm fine with this nomination, but oof, not a great movie.
5.38/10
Comrade X
I didn't like this movie as much as I wanted too. The acting was ok (my favourite being the few scenes with Arden, although Lamarr was gorgeous). I couldn't handle some of the accents. The plot was ok at times, but I couldn't make myself care about the characters. Maybe too political for my taste? I didn't think there was anything special about the way it was filmed. My favourite part was the fight between Lamarr and Gable, which looked like a lot of fun to make. This was nominated for Best Writing. I'm not sure how I feel about that, but I guess I'm ok with it because there were some really unique aspects.
6.31/10
Dark Command
Man, I really liked this one. I don't normally like Westerns, but so far this year, two of my favourite movies sit comfortably in that genre. The acting in this was superb! Can't fault any of them. Top notch! The story was good all the way through with only a few implausible things that took me out of it a little. I thought the movie had a lot of character and morals and I genuinely loved it. My favourite scenes were when Mary looks around the house and realizes the stories about Cantrell are true, the scenes with Cantrell's mother, and I loved the witty (and quite frankly sometimes bitchy) dialogue. The art direction was sooo good and the cinematography was above average compared to the other movies I've watched from this year so far. I'd recommend this one to people who like Westers or John Wayne. I'm glad I got to see it. I liked this one so much more than the critics. I'm not sure what they didn't like. This was nominated for Art Direction (completely agree) and Best Music Score (eh, ok).
7.67/10.
Down Argentine Way
This was quite fun. The plot is definitely nothing special, but the music was fun and upbeat. The acting was good enough, and there were quite a few laughs. The costumes they put Grable in were amazing. It's the first movie I've watched in this year where it just screams 1940's. Very modern for its time, I think. My favourite scene would be the song and dance when they first meet. Lots of fun. This was nominated for Best Cinematography (um, ok), Best Art Direction (agree), and Best Song for Down Argentine Way (ok at this point, not sure of the competition.)
6.33/10
Dr. Cyclops
Hmmm. I didn't mind this movie as it is so different to what I usually watch. My score is a little harsh but warranted I think because it certainly had a lot of flaws. The acting was pretty bad, the art design very lacklustre at times, and the plot was very thin. But what this movie showcases so well is some really great special effects. I think they were very well done and it's worth watching this movie just for those. My favourite scenes were the ones where the old guy was in the crazy guy's hand and being measured and things. It had some cute use of small things looking large, especially the background. I think it was clever for its time. But due to most other aspects of the film being below average, this gets a low score from me. I would only recommend this one to anyone interested in early movie special effects or "horror'. This was nominated for Best Special Effects, and I completely agree with the nomination.
4.91/10 (soz)
Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet
I enjoyed this one a lot more than I thought I would. First, I think Robinson did a fantastic job. I forgot it was him quickly and focused on the character he was portraying, which I think he did very well. I was impressed with the story, as it’s not a life I knew anything about. They explained what he discovered very well, so I understood what was going on throughout the movie, which is good in a scientific film. All aspects of the movie were done well, and it kept my interest throughout. My favourite scene was the rebellion scene where the doctor administers the medicine to all the children. This movie isn’t going to appeal to all, but I’m glad I watched it. This movie was nominated for Best Writing, and I agree with that nomination, but I think Robinson should have been nominated for Best Actor as well.
7.25/10
Edison, the Man
I watched this one directly after Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet, and this movie came off all the poorer for it. I felt like Tracy wasn’t really believable, and the scientific advances were not explained very well. There were some good lighthearted moments, but for me, this movie is ultimately quite forgettable. I know the war was coming, but the end speeches were a bit over the top. My favourite scene was when Edison first comes to the city and needs to sleep in the workshop. This was nominated for Best Writing and I’m ok with the nomination.
6.00/10
Eyes of the Navy
Painful. I think what I found so difficult about it was knowing that what they were selling at this point would not be what would be reality for any trainees within such a short amount of time. Hindsight shows this preparation for war would be active service within such a short space of time. It made an uncomfortable to watch. This is nothing more than a navy advert for recruits.
4.90/10.
Foreign Correspondent
Interesting. I wanted to like this a lot more than I did. McRae did a good job, as did Day, but there was something about Sanders that stole the screen for me. I really liked some of the cinematography choices – great close ups and moody lighting – and the art design was good too. The score was adequate, and the sound was good, even if I felt the British actors talked so fast it made it hard for me to understand every word. The plot was good but predictable and took sooo long to get going. What annoyed me most was that I couldn’t care enough about the characters to keep the movie interesting. I did care about Van Meer and his performance in the hotel room was very good, but I couldn’t care about the main characters. It was almost great but missed the mark for me. The ending seemed superfluous, and it should have ended after the newspaper printing. Favourite scenes were being in the water and the windmill saga. This was nominated for a lot! Best Picture (I’ll work that out once I’ve watched more movies, but I think ok), Best Supporting Actor for Albert Bassermann (agree – he was probably the best in this movie out of all the actors), Best Writing (yeah), Best Cinematography (ok), Best Art Direction (ok), and Best Effects (yep). I think the nominations are warranted but we’ll have to see once I’ve seen all the year’s movies to judge the winning.
7.44/10.
Hit Parade of 1941
Have I found my worst rated movie of the year? This one was deplorable. The plot was of no substance, the quality of everything was poor, and I didn't really like any of the songs that much. The shop was interesting. The plot had a bit of a link to Singing in the Rain with the voice dubbing. Nothing to note here. This was nominated for Original Song for Who Ami I (which I'm ok with as it's the best song in the movie) and Best Music (disagree). Not recommended.
3.73/10.
Irene
I left this a bit long between watching and commenting so there are parts I don't remember. This movie in general isn't memorable, apart from the ball scene changing to colour, which I thought made it very special. The movie was mediocre but entertaining enough. There wasn't enough chemistry between actors, but the costumes were divine, and I liked the performances of some of the supporting cast, like Burke and Robinson. This was nominated for Best Music, Score. I disagree as it wasn't anything special.
6.54/10.
Kitty Foyle
There were some absolutely magical scenes with Ginger in this movie, but other times, her acting left me cold. The male actors were ok, but I didn't feel the chemistry. What I liked most about this movie was the interesting storyline. My favourite scenes were her hospitalisation, and when she met the little boy. But overall, I didn't like this movie as much as I wanted to. Bit too fanciful at times but overall, not bad. This was nominated for Best Picture, and I disagree with that, but I'm not mad as I can see why. It was a very different film for its time so I'm glad it got recognised, even if I didn't love it. Ginger won Best Actress and I agree with the nomination, but I'm yet to decide if the win was warranted. It was nominated for Best Director, which I'm ok with, Best Writing, which I absolutely agree with, and Best Sound (yeah, why not). I would recommend this film because it's so different, but I know it's not everyone's cup of tea.
7.19/10.
Lillian Russell
A bit boring. Alice Faye is so pretty! And I like Don Ameche and Fonda too. But overall, this left me very flat. The songs weren't that interesting, there wasn't a lot of chemistry, the acting was dry, and the story too boring. Not a lot to recommend here. I'm not sure I even have a favourite scene. The costumes were well done. And it's not the worst movie I've seen for the year. But that's about all I have to say. This was nominated for Best Art Direction, which I'm ok with as the costumes were great.
6.42/10.
London Can Take It!
This was really hard-hitting. The commentary was so well done and delivered with such dignity. It really moved me, and it felt really inspiring. Seeing the people sleeping in the bomb shelters and then seeing the damage the next day. It must have been terrifying. Good to see King George and Queen Elizabeth surveying the ruins. Packed a punch with a just under 9-minute runtime. This was nominated for Best Short One Reel, and I totally agree.
7.30/10.
Music In My Heart
What can I say? I like musicals. This one wasn't too bad. I really quite like Tony Martin. I thought he acted well, sang beautifully, and was nice to look at. Usually, I like Rita Hayworth, but I was underwhelmed here. No chemistry coming from her side. The art direction was pretty good. The story was lackluster but at least it was a bit unusual, and it had some comedic moments. My favourite scene was the song when he was singing on the radio. This was nominated for Best Song for It's a Blue World, and I agree. That was the best bit of the movie. Otherwise, turn your brain off and it's pleasant.
6.79/10.
My Favorite Wife
I loved this movie!!! This is easily the best movie I've watched for the year so far. Such fun. Cary Grant is amazing in this film. I never really realised what a fantastic comedic actor he really is. And Irene Dunn was an absolute hoot. They completely made this film. Their timing, faces, and most importantly, their chemistry, but this movie a pure delight. I had so many laugh out loud moments. I loved the scenes in the hotel. I loved all the scenes by the swimming pool. And I loved the Santa ending. Great writing and dialogue and it was a great length that kept me interested the whole way. This was nominated for Best Writing (agree), Best Art Direction (eh, ok), and Best Music (no). But I think it was robbed as I would have it nominated for Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Actress!
7.73/10.
My Son, My Son!
Interesting. Don't get me wrong - I hated most of the movie. There were some very inappropriate things happening here. But part of me wonders if we were meant to feel so disturbed. The son really freaked me out!! This good performance was the only thing that made me think in this redemptive arc story. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone. When it's not boring, it's cringey. This was nominated for Best Art Direction, and while it was ok, I don't think it really warranted the nomination.
6.12/10.
North West Mounted Police
Eh. I just couldn't get into this movie. There were some funny lines, and it was good to see Garry Cooper in colour, but I just got bored. There were some good effects, like the hole in the bugle, but I don't think I'll remember anything about this movie. I enjoyed the scene with Chaney Jnr and the enemies to friend battle. This was nominated for Best Cinematography - Colour (eh, maybe), Best Art Direction - Colour (ditto), Best Sound Recording (I completely disagree), Best Film Editing (alright), and Best Music (um, ok). Bring on the next movie.
6.15/10.
Northwest Passage
Another one where I liked the movie a lot more than the critics. This is one of the best movies I've seen for this year so far. I think a lot of that comes down to the excellent performance of Spencer Tracey. He was believable and brought such gravitas to the role. There were a lot of exciting scenes, my favourites being the human chain across the river, and the abandoned post with Tracey's emotional scene. The whole thing just worked for me, and while maybe a touch too long, I was interested the whole way through. This was nominated for Cinematography - Colour, which I agree with, but Spencer should have been nominated for Best Actor.
7.68/10.
One Million B.C.
I saw the terrible IMDB rating for this and expected the worst. And it was it was pretty bad, but it wasn’t the worst I’ve seen this year. The acting was terrible, the animal cruelty was repulsive, incorrect history, and the lauded special effects to my eyes looked primitive. What appealed to me in this movie was the theme that a society is only as “advanced” as the way it treats its weakest member. I loved when the woman brought the injured elder to the prime position, and I loved the way they chose to serve women and children first. There were lots of stereotypes but in an almost silent movie, it was helpful. The whole thing felt like a Year 8 drama class school project. I can’t believe this was the top grossing movie made that year, but I guess it was a movie you could take the whole family to, even if it did cause nightmares in the littlies. This was nominated for Special Effects (agree it warrants the nomination, even though I was unimpressed for most of it, with the exception of when the monitor lizard was trying to catch Mature as I couldn’t see how they did that), and Score (agree, and this movie needed it).
5.5/10.
Our Town
Weird. I enjoyed the last ten minutes but I found the rest to be boring. I'm not sure the goal of the theme that they were aiming for, but I felt like it was a good motivation to stop being so busy and relish the time we have we those we love. My issue is I felt they made the characters too idyllic. I wanted a bit of grit. I thought we were going to get it with the pastor, but that turned out to be almost a dead end. I liked the main actress but overall, I couldn't summon any interest in the characters. It was too apple pie, America is wonderful, and I wanted more nuance. This could of been amazing but instead, I was bored but still appreciated the ending. The cinematography was good (I especially liked the graveyard scene) and the score was good but the sound quality was terrible. I couldn't understand all they were saying.
This was nominated for a heap - Best Picture (disagree), Best Actress (yep, nomination warranted), Best Art Direction (eh), Best Sound (disagree), Best Music Score (ok with the nom) and Best Music, Original (yep).
6.54/10
Pinocchio
So very cute. There was a lot to like about this movie. I resonated with the themes of being brave, honest, and of good moral character. The songs were entertaining. What I liked the best were the attention to detail in the clocks of the workshop and the animation of the ocean scenes. I felt it went on a little bit too long (some bits could have been shorter) but overall, this is one I would very happily let kids watch over and over. This was nominated for Best Music, Original Song (agree) and Best Music, Original Score (agree). Of course, I don't think there is a best animated movie category yet in the Oscars at this time, but if there was, this should have been nominated.
7.44/10
Pride and Prejudice
I was worried about this one because I absolutely adore the modern version, but I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed this one too (although nowhere near as much). I found it interesting how it took a different spin on some things and had more focus on some parts of the story compared with the modern version. I thought the costumes were absolutely stunning - I know it's not time appropriate, but I didn't care. It was a stunning movie to watch and a real feast for the eyes. For me, this movie was let down by casting. I enjoyed the performances of Boland and Gwenn, but others left me flat. Cooper as Collins wasn't annoying enough, Oliver (who I usually love) wasn't domineering enough, Olivier didn't bring any heart throb qualities here (we need the tension, ok?), and Garson was just too old to be believable. But I still enjoyed it, but maybe I just enjoy the story combined with the costumes from this film. This was nominated for Best Art Direction (completely agree).
7.37/10.
Primrose Path
Oh dear. I have had a break from the Oscar watching and didn’t review this one before the break, so I’m trying to remember this movie two months on! I’ll do my best.
I liked Joel McRae in this. He wasn’t amazing, but I think he portrayed the character well. I preferred Ginger in this movie than Kitty Foyle, and I really enjoyed Marjorie Rambeau appearances. For me, those two made this movie. I thought the movie was well-shot. I had major issues with the storyline, but it was still enjoyable. I don’t think the soundtrack did anything for me. I wish I could remember more. It was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for Rambeau, which I agree with, but I feel Rogers should have been nominated for this over Kitty Foyle.
6.75/10.
Puss Gets the Boot
Fun. I was surprised that Tom was originally Jasper! He wasn’t as well animated as he would later be, but the pecking order of the family was well established here. A lot of emotion and plot was shown in the faces of these characters. I loved how the tension was built up several times. I particularly liked where Tom (Jasper) put down the pillows. The only thing that went against this for me is that it wasn’t super funny. But I’m glad I’ve got to see it.
7.5/10.
Quicker'n a Wink
I really enjoyed this. I didn’t know what to expect. The photography of the fan was interesting, but I got more and more interested as it went along. I particularly liked the bubble popping. I think this would have been amazing to see back in the day, before slow motion became commonplace.
8/10.
Rebecca
I wanted to like this more than I did, but I couldn’t get into it. My real issue was with Joan Fontaine. I found her acting to be very cardboard cutout for some scenes, and completely overacted for others. No consistency. Also, zero chemistry between her and Olivier. And this is a shame because the other actors were really good. Olivier was good, but in the scene where he explains the murder, I thought he was excellent. Judith Anderson as Mrs Danvers was super creepy as she was meant to be, Florence Bates was fantastic, and I must admit to liking the villain played by George Sanders too much! I found the use of the models and terrible stages too obviously unrealistic, and the music was used too much, too dramatic and spoiled the effect. I also wished the storyline showed more of the parent role that Danvers had for the first wife in the novel, because it didn’t really come across in the movie and made that relationship not make any sense. But I loved the lighting and cinematography – very dark and suspenseful. This was nominated for Best Picture (sorry but I disagree – not even in my top ten for the year), Best Actor for Olivier (agree), Best Actress for Fontaine (a resounding no), Best Supporting Actress for Anderson (agree), Best Director (ok), Best Writing (no), Best Cinematography (absolutely), Best Art Direction (um, no), Best Film Editing (yup), Best Effects (gosh, no), and Best Music (no).
I understand why this film was so impactful for the time, and it was done really well. I just didn’t love it personally.
6.95/10.
Rhythm on the river.
Man, I love Bing. His voice is so beautiful. I could watch him on screen all day. Miller was good too. And it was a type of role I haven’t seen Rathbone in before. He was good too. The music was absolutely lovely, and I loved the Always Forever song. It was fun and fluffy. I particularly liked the ambition speech. Costumes were nice too. This was nominated for best Song, and I agree with that nomination.
6.50/10.
Second Chorus
Terrible. The story is absolutely ridiculous. Goddard’s acting was woeful. Burgess is a good actor, but I feel he is terribly miscast in the movie. This is definitely not Astaire’s best. There should be way more dancing, not music. If you want it to be about the music, get a proper singer and real musicians. And cast that have similar ages to actual college students. This potentially could have worked with better casting, but it would still be flawed by a plot that makes almost zero sense. This was nominated for Best Song and Best Score, and while the music was ok, and would have been very new and innovative for the time, it felt mismatched to me. No noms for this movie in my book.
5.41/10.
Service with the Colors
Boring propaganda. The acting was pretty terrible and there was nothing entertaining here. It did look pretty when the soldiers marched in unison though. This film made it look cushy to be in the army and with the benefit of knowing the horrors to come, it felt silly to have this film that doesn’t show any preparation for combat or war.
4.67/10.
Siege
Very hard hitting. Watching this straight after Service with the Colors was even more impactful. I can’t imagine how shocking this would be to watch in the cinema. The scenes in the potato field were particularly harrowing. This belongs in a documentary category but obviously that doesn’t exist yet. It was well narrated. It was interesting watching the people talk. It would have been interesting to have the conversation recorded and translated, more like an interview. It showed what was going on, without really delving into politics. Gut wrenching.
6.81/10.
Spring Parade
Fits the bill of a Durbin musical. This would have been fantastic for fans of Durbin, but because I’m not, it was very average. Musical score is quite good but really repetitive, so I got annoyed after a while. Most of it was only ok. There were some good effects/cinematography, which should a bit of effort there, but the story was so boring! Durbin’s singing is nice, but you can tell it’s starting to feel old fashioned. There was some moments of good dialogue, so it sits in the middle of the road for me.
This was nominated for Best Cinematography (I’m ok with the nom, knowing there is better though), Best Sound Recording (um, ok), Best Music for Original Song (ok), and Best Music, Score (yeah, alright).
6.38/10.
Strike Up the Band
I often wonder if Rooney and Garland would have been happily if they became a couple in real life. The acting was solid, if a little hammy, but I feel that’s ok in a movie like this. There was a large variety of music. I was particularly impressed with Rooney’s drum playing. I hope it was real. The dance sequences were visually entertaining. There were some heartfelt moments, but overall the plot was a bit same-same as other movies. My favourite bit of the movie was the fruit orchestra. That was amazing!
This was nominated for Best Sound Recording (nah), Best Music, Orignal Song for Our Love Affair (didn’t grab me), and Best Music, Score (agree).
6.90/10.
Swiss Family Robinson
I love the parallels it deliberately draws between Napolean and Hitler. I empathise with this film so much because I’d love to escape modern life and run off to a deserted island. I felt sorry for the animals in the ocean. The shipwreck was exciting but too easy to see the ship was a model. Just needed to tighten it up a tiny bit to be more seamless. But the house and the storms were done really well, as were the trips back to the ship. It was really thrilling at times.
I loved Mitchell’s performance. Understated and strong. Not perfect, but very good. He made this film, I didn’t like Best’s performance at all. Sure, her character was deliberately annoying but she could have done so much more with it. The kids also were overacting to blazes. I loved the sets and they way it was put together. Cinematography and editing was only so-so. I enjoyed this more than the critics, probably because of my desire to live that kind of lifestyle. My favourite scenes were the spiderweb cave (looked impressive), the trip back to the boat to get supplies, and the ending. This was nominated for Best Effects, and I think it totally warrants the nomination.
7.06/10.
Teddy, the Rough Rider
I can’t believe how bad this is. It’s one big political propaganda advertisement. Boring, self-gratuitous. I give it a few points for how much the actor looked like the president, but that’s all. Not recommended! This was nominated for Best Two-Reel short and I whole-heartedly disagree.
4.34/10.
The Blue Bird
I really enjoyed the story and the moral of this movie. Sure, Shirley Temple can’t really act, but this movie was really unusual so far compared to others I’ve seen, and I resonated with it. The actors that played the dog and the cat did good jobs. The effects were pretty good too, especially the fire. I loved the premise that you won’t find happiness in the past or the future, and that luxuries can just distract you from simple joys. The part with the unborn children was really different, although I’m not sure why it looked like Ancient Greece. My favourite scenes were with the grandparents, and how they live through the memories. This was nominated for Best Cinematography – Color (I agree) and Best Effects (agree). But maybe it should have been nominated for screenplay too.
6.71/10.
The Boys from Syracuse
What! This movie was terrible. I know it’s meant to be satire and comedy, but there’s nothing to laugh at. What I got from this movie was how much these actors reminded me of other people. Butterworth (who I thought was quite good in this movie) reminds me of Steve Coogan, and Penner (who I didn’t like in this movie) reminded me of Jerry Lewis. The only actors I thought were good were Mowbray and Blore (and Butterworth). The singing was annoying, especially the song with Raye. There were a few gags that I could see the humour rather than feel it, but overall, I wouldn’t recommend this movie to anyone. My favourite scenes were the ones at the start in the tailor’s shop. This was nominated for Best Art Direction (I can see why but no), and Best Effects (clever use of split screen, but no as well).
4.62/10.
The Fight for Life
I actually really liked this. I think it was a really good historical point of view of maternal care. Sometimes it came across as patronising, but I learned a lot from it. I’m so grateful for better care, as in diagnostics. It would have been so hard back then. It hid the gritty part of childbirth but it was scary enough without it. My favourite scenes (or at least the ones that will stay with me) where the shots of the slums and how they laid all the newspapers out. A very interesting short. This was nominated for Best Music but I can’t recall that I thought it was special. But definitely worth a Best Documentary nomination if they had them.
6.14/10.
The Grapes of Wrath
Wow, wow, wow! The cinematography in this is sooo beautiful! Absolutely stunning and breathtaking. Not a lot to fault in this movie. The acting was superb by almost all the actors. I especially loved Ford, Darwell, Carradine, and Qualen. I loved the use of long shots, as well as the camera angles. The lighting was absolutely exquisite, with such moody lighting and types of illumination. The story was pretty good – having read the book, I know cinema of the time wouldn’t allow some of it to be mentioned, let alone shown, but they did a good job. My only downside was the “happy” ending. It felt rushed. I loved the feel of the relationship between Ma and Tom, and it reminded me so much of me and my son. My favourite scenes where when they see the valley and Ma explains that Grandma’s gone, how she wakes up and asks Tom if he was going to say goodbye, the scene in the truck stop where the people show empathy, and the Muley scenes at the beginning. Oh, and the one that always almost makes me cry – when Ma brings up the earrings to her ears and looks at herself in the mirror. I imagine she’s thinking of a different life she wished she had, where wearing those fancy earrings would be a usual occurrence. Instead, she’s got no home and no money. So sad! This is easily going to be one of my favourite movies of all time. This was nominated for Best Picture (agree), Best Actor for Fonda (agree), Best Actress for Darwell (agree), Best Director for Ford (agree), Best Writing (um, ok), Best Sound (um, no, I didn’t hear anything special here), and Best Editing (agree). I think it should have had a cinematography and Art Design nod too though.
8.46/10.
The Great Dictator
This wasn’t as good as I remembered but I think this movie is genius and before it’s time. I can’t believe how much chop Chaplin got for this movie when he was right all along. His acting is satirical and heartfelt, and that last speech is everything. Goddard spoils the movie a bit, just too hammy. I loved Chaplin’s artistic choices in this movie, especially dancing and playing with the blow-up globe, the frypan scene (even if it goes on too long), and the clever names. This movie is art, pure and simple, but does lose a few points on entertainment value.
This was nominated for Best Picture (agree), Best Actor (agree), Best Supporting Actor (disagree – clever but not in the movie enough), Best Writing (agree – even if just for the speech), Best Music (absolutely).
8.28/10.
The Great McGinty
I wasn’t expecting much coming into this movie, but I really enjoyed it. I had a few genuine laughs. I thought the main actor and actress did stellar jobs, but what shines here is the story and dialogue. My favourite scenes were him reading the novels to his step kids, the marriage proposal at the beginning, and how he goes and votes like 37 times. Very clever stuff. The music was really good too and I thought it might be nominated for that, but I’m not surprised it was nominated for Writing, because it was a fantastic story. I agree with the nomination entirely.
7.82/10.
The House of the Seven Gables
What an ending! I wasn’t sure what to expect from this one, but I am a George Sands fan and I enjoyed Vincent Price’s performance in this too. They aged the characters pretty well. But what I liked the most was the story. It was very entertaining. I love the murderer line. Made me giggle and it was so well delivered. This was nominated for Best Music, Scoring and I agree with the nomination because the music was fantastic.
7.28/10.
The Howards of Virginia
Yikes. I love Cary Grant but I don’t love Cary Grant in this. His accent was all over the place. And he certainly wasn’t believable in this period piece. I am certainly not the movie’s demographic audience here. I found the story boring. My favourite scenes were when he finally accepted Peyton and when the wife comes out to join the party. This one won’t be memorable for me. It was nominated for Best Sound Recording (um, no) and Best Music, Original Score (yeah, the music was pretty good. I’m ok with that).
5.91/10.
The Invisible Man Returns
I can handle this level of horror. I thought the story and effects were quite clever. I felt the actors let this movie down a bit, but I enjoyed Grey’s performance. The ending with the different levels of body structure showing was really impressive. Also, the part where he takes of his sunglasses was creepy. The cigar smoke was a cool reveal, and the gas mask escape was clever. I got a bit bored in the middle, but the beginning and ending were great. This was nominated for Best Special Effects, and I agree with that. Great for the time.
6.79/10.
The Letter
This was very enjoyable. I have seen the 1929 version but couldn’t remember enough to feel like I’d seen this plot before. First of all, I have a love hate relationship with Davis. I either think she’s brilliant in a movie or absolutely terrible. I liked her in this movie, but I feel like something was missing. People say they feel sorry for her character, but I felt sorry for Bob in this movie. I had no sympathy for Davis’ character. And if that is what I am meant to feel, the well acted, Bette. But if not, then she didn’t convey anything other than just not being a very nice person. I think Marshall did a good job. What I liked about this movie was great sets and some lovely cinematography. I can tell the cinematographer really loved lines and checks. My favourite scenes when the knife was missing and the ending where the camera pans away and draws back to show the lively house with the not so lively Mrs Crosbie. This was nominated for a lot! Best Picture (um, not for me but I can see why), Best Actress for Davis (ok), Best Supporting Actor for Stephenson (um, I suppose), Best Director (he did a good job but no), Best Cinematography (I agree), Best Film Editing (I agree), and Best Music (sure).
7.33/10.
The Long Voyage Home
Well, I was shocked that this was nominated for so many Oscars. My husband and I sat down to watch this, and I expected something a bit more action packed so that was my first mistake. There was a lot of noise going on around us and we had the issue that the talking parts were too quiet and the action parts too loud. As a consequence, we both had no idea what was going on. I got so bored in this movie waiting for something interesting to happen. And I guess we missed the point. I thought the death scene was touching, even if the usually amazing Mitchell overplayed it. The washing around of the sailors was impressive camera work. But other than that, I didn’t like it. This was nominated for Best Picture (disagree), Best Writing (disagree), Best Cinematography (yeah, ok), Best Editing (um, ok), Best Effects (agree) and Best Music (disagree). Maybe hearing the whole movie would have helped but I don’t want to have to watch it again for that to happen.
6.70/10.
The Mark of Zorro
This does what it says on the box. I wanted to love Tyrone Power more but there were spots of brilliance. I loved it when he played the dandy at the dinner! Oh, and when his hair was all tousled – yum. But I gotta say – I loved Rathbone. He makes the best villain. Overall, this was a very enjoyable movie. Nothing special in any department but a lot of fun. This was nominated for Best Music Score, but I disagree because I noticed a distinct lack of music, so I don’t agree.
7.03/10.
The Milky Way
I thought this cartoon was fantastic. It was cute and a lot of the milk jokes were funny. I loved the milk of magnesia, the fuel pump of grade A milk, and the way they all didn’t want milk by the end. It was all visual comedy and aimed purely at the littlies but I thought it was quite clever.
8/10.
The Philadelphia Story
Man, I love this movie! I could watch it over and over again. All the actors and actresses in it were absolutely amazing! I can’t fault them. The art design is beautiful, cinematography very decent, but I think what stands out here is the screenplay. Perfection! This movie is so witty and engrossing. My favourite scenes is where Hepburn says “hello, George” in a gruff voice, the kiss between Stewart and Hepburn, the wedding announcement scene, and when Hepburn fake laughs then goes to straight face. Perfection. I can’t rave about this movie enough. This was nominated for Best Picture (completely agree), Best Actor for Stewart (agree), Best Actress for Hepburn (completely agree), Best Supporting Actress for Hussey (completely agree), Best Director for Cukor (completely agree), and Best Writing (completely agree). Fabulous!
7.98/10.
The Sea Hawk
Not my kind of movie but it did have a lot of redeeming features. The Art Design of this movie was immaculate. The music was the best I’ve heard in a while. And I loved the acting from Flora Robson. Other than that, it was a standard Flynn movie. I like how the cinematographer used the shadows of the more prominent characters to show they were there. I probably won’t remember anything from this film though. This was nominated for Best Art Direction (completely agree), Best Sound (eh), Best Effects (also, eh), and Best Music Score (completely agree).
7.08/10.
The Thief of Bagdad
OK, so again, this isn’t my style of movie. It felt sort of 50’s, maybe due to the colour. This had some fascinating art design elements, and some great use of colours. I was particularly taken with the God with all the arms. The effects were ….. interesting. You really have to take off the modern lens because to 21st century eyes, the effects were awful, but at the time, it was probably groundbreaking. The big genie with the terrifying foot, the flying carpet – probably would have been amazing if you were a kid back then. But I can’t get away from the terrible acting and boring storyline. Complete snoozefest. At least they used some culturally appropriate people in some roles. Goes down the bottom of the list for me. This was nominated for Best Cinematography – Colour (nah), Best Effects (agree), and Best Music (um, ok).
5.42/10.
The Westerner
I enjoyed this movie, which I don’t often expect from a Western. All the actors did a fantastic job. The story was interesting, although it did have some lulls in the action. I loved the scene where the curtain went up. I like how the bad guy had nuance and wasn’t one-dimensional. Not the best movie of the year but a very enjoyable Western. This was nominated for Best Supporting Actor (agree), Best Writing (agree) and Best Art Direction (eh, ok).
7.11/10
They Knew What They Wanted
Hmmm, interesting. My biggest issue is that the sound quality was so bad that I couldn’t hear what was going on, which for a character movie was kinda essential! So I didn’t’ understand what the frick was going on most of the time. I loved Laughton and I thought he was very believable. Not sure if he meant to convey someone on the spectrum, but if he did, he did a good job. The story was a bit too unbelievable, but it had some decent themes. But I don’t think any scenes in particular will live on in my memory here. This was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for Gargan, but I don’t think I agree. Laughton could have been nominated for Best Actor, but it was a big year for actors.
6.61/10.
Tin Pan Alley
Boring. I wasn’t a fan of Oakie in this. It seemed serviceable but overall unbelievable with no redeeming features. Too patriotic and just felt weird. I don’t think I’ll remember anything from this movie. It was nominated for Best Music Score, but I disagree.
6.06/10.
Too Many Husbands
Eh. This one had a lot of similarities to My Favourite Wife, but it was no where near as clever. The characters ending up coming across as annoying. I thought McMurray and Arthur did a good job. Nothing to special about this movie, expect maybe the lovely pajamas they were wearing and some pretty special hats. Nothing too memorable about this one. This was nominated for Best Sound Recording and I agree as it was pretty good.
6.18/10.
Typhoon
Snore. I couldn’t get into this movie. The beginning was exciting but it just became predictable with average effects and songs for no reason. Too unrealistic. The most memorable thing for me in this movie will be Lamour’s hair. And maybe the chimp. This was nominated for Best Effects but I disagree because I’ve seen a lot better from this year.
5.52/10
Waterloo Bridge
Hmmm, interesting. The acting was great without being fantastic. Taylor is a real good-looking man. I was impressed with Virginia Field’s acting too actually. I liked the mother-in-law character. But for me, the story was too melodramatic. One of these movies where a simple conversation could have solved everything. I wanted to like it more, but I found it a bit ho-hum. I’ll remember the last scenes with the hospital trucks going by on the bridge but that’s about it. This was nominated for Best Cinematography (um, ok) and Best Music Score (um, nah).
7.18/10.
Women at War
Hmmm. I like Barrie’s performance as well as Janis. My biggest issue with this movie was the terrible storyline. Just some predictable and dare I say boring. I hate movies where the central premise could be avoided with a conversation. I don’t think I’ll remember anything from this movie. It was nominated for Best Effects, which I’m ok with as they were the best bit of the movie, probably.
5.62/10
You’ll Never Find Out
Oh dear. What a terrible way to end the 1941 Oscar’s. What a waste of talented actors like Karloff and Lorre. This was absolutely cringeworthy. Without that Kay bloke and the terrible jokes, this might have been watchable. But as is, it was nauseating. A shame. This was nominated for Original Song for I’d Know You Anywhere. I disagree. Nothing would make me listen to this movie or song again.
5.19/10
Below is the list of nominees with the winner at the top but my choice is underlined.
Outstanding Production
Rebecca – David O. Selznick for Selznick International and United Artists
All This, and Heaven Too – Jack L. Warner, Hal B. Wallis, and David Lewis for Warner Bros.
Foreign Correspondent – Walter Wanger for Walter Wanger Productions and United Artists
The Grapes of Wrath – Darryl F. Zanuck and Nunnally Johnson for 20th Century Fox
The Great Dictator – Charles Chaplin for Charlie Chaplin Productions and United Artists
Kitty Foyle – David Hempstead for RKO Radio
The Letter – Hal B. Wallis for Warner Bros.
The Long Voyage Home – John Ford for Argosy Films, Walter Wanger Productions, and United Artists
Our Town – Sol Lesser for Sol Lesser Productions and United Artists
The Philadelphia Story – Joseph L. Mankiewicz for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
For me, the Best Picture of the Year for me was The Grapes of Wrath. Fantastic cinematography, great acting, and had something meaningful to say. This rated 8.46 for me, with No. 2 being The Philadelphia Story (7.98), and No. 3 being The Great Dictator (7.82).
My least favourite movie of the year was Hit Parade of 1941 (3.73/10).
Best Director
John Ford – The Grapes of Wrath
Sam Wood – Kitty Foyle
William Wyler – The Letter
George Cukor – The Philadelphia Story
Alfred Hitchcock – Rebecca
This was a two-horse race for me between Ford and Cukor. And I'm going to go with the Academy. While they both did brilliant work, I was impressed with every aspect of TGOW, so I'll go with Ford.
Best Actor
James Stewart – The Philadelphia Story as Macaulay "Mike" Connor
Charles Chaplin – The Great Dictator as The Barber/Adenoid Hynkel
Henry Fonda – The Grapes of Wrath as Tom Joad
Raymond Massey – Abe Lincoln in Illinois as Abraham Lincoln
Laurence Olivier – Rebecca as Maximilian de Winter
Man, I'm so conflicted here. Out of those nominated, I would go Olivier, but my favourite wasn't nominated. I would have voted for Cary Grant in My Favourite Wife (and The Philadelphia Story too I suppose). I think comedy acting is underrated. It would be so hard! And yet, Cary did it with aplomb and comes across as believable and intelligent, even when generating laughs. I know that's not going to be a popular opinion, but it's mine, so bleh.
Best Actress
Ginger Rogers – Kitty Foyle as Kitty Foyle
Bette Davis – The Letter as Leslie Crosbie
Joan Fontaine – Rebecca as the second Mrs de Winter
Katharine Hepburn – The Philadelphia Story as Tracy Samantha Lord
Martha Scott – Our Town as Emily Webb
No conflict here. Hepburn all the way. She made that movie hers. It's my second Oscar for Hepburn so far. As a side note, I think Rogers should have been nominated for Primrose Path instead of Kitty Foyle, as I think she was much better in that movie.
Best Supporting Actor
Walter Brennan – The Westerner as Judge Roy Bean
Albert Bassermann – Foreign Correspondent as Van Meer
William Gargan – They Knew What They Wanted as Joe
Jack Oakie – The Great Dictator as Benzino Napaloni
James Stephenson – The Letter as Howard Joyce
I'm going controversial again and not picking any of those nominated and the actor I am choosing only played a very small part in the movie, but it moved me so much and was so well acted that I'm going to chosse him. James Qualen for Muley in the Grapes of Wrath. A pretty weak year for Supporting Actors.
Best Supporting Actress
Jane Darwell – The Grapes of Wrath as Ma Joad
Judith Anderson – Rebecca as Mrs. Danvers
Ruth Hussey – The Philadelphia Story as Elizabeth Imbrie
Barbara O'Neil – All This, and Heaven Too as Francoise "Fanny" Sebastiani de-Praslin
Marjorie Rambeau – Primrose Path as Mamie Adams
Tricky because I saw this as a bigger role than Supporting, but she gets the nod for me. Honorable mention to Hussey though.
Best Original Screenplay
The Great McGinty – Preston Sturges
Angels Over Broadway – Ben Hecht
Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet – Norman Burnstine, Heinz Herald, and John Huston
Foreign Correspondent – Charles Bennett and Joan Harrison
The Great Dictator – Charles Chaplin
Ben Hecht for me bu tit was quite a strong year. All of these were good.
Best Screenplay
The Philadelphia Story – Donald Ogden Stewart, based on the play by Philip Barry
The Grapes of Wrath – Nunnally Johnson, based on the novel by John Steinbeck
Kitty Foyle – Dalton Trumbo, based on the novel by Christopher Morley
The Long Voyage Home – Dudley Nichols, based on the plays The Moon of the Caribees, In the Zone, Bound East for Cardiff, and The Long Voyage Home by Eugene O'Neill
Rebecca – Robert E. Sherwood and Joan Harrison, based on the novel by Daphne du Maurier
Completely agree. Again, a strong field, but The Philadelphia Story was witty, interesting, and weirdly believable.
Best Original Story
Arise, My Love – Benjamin Glazer and John S. Toldy
Comrade X – Walter Reisch
Edison, the Man – Hugo Butler and Dore Schary
My Favorite Wife – Leo McCarey, Samuel Spewack, and Bella Spewack
The Westerner – Stuart N. Lake
I loved My Favourite Wife. A good year for Oscar worthy comedies!
Best Live Action Short Subject, One-Reel
Quicker'n a Wink – Pete Smith and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
London Can Take It! – Warner Bros.
More About Nostradamus – Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Siege – RKO Radio
Agreed. Some interesting entertainment here.
Best Live Action Short Subject, Two-Reel
Teddy, the Rough Rider – Warner Bros.‡
Eyes of the Navy – Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Service with the Colors – Warner Bros.
I can't express how much I disliked all of these. None rated over 5. But this was the best of a bad lot.
Best Short Subject – Cartoons
The Milky Way – Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Puss Gets the Boot – Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
A Wild Hare – Leon Schlesinger and Warner Bros.
All of these were absolutely fantastic, but the humor of A Wild Hare was really entertaining. Funny even as an adult.
Best Original Score
Pinocchio – Leigh Harline, Paul Smith and Ned Washington
Arizona – Victor Young
Dark Command – Victor Young
The Fight for Life – Louis Gruenberg
The Great Dictator – Meredith Willson
The House of the Seven Gables – Frank Skinner
The Howards of Virginia – Richard Hageman
The Letter – Max Steiner
The Long Voyage Home – Richard Hageman
The Mark of Zorro – Alfred Newman
My Favorite Wife – Roy Webb
North West Mounted Police – Victor Young
One Million B.C. – Werner R. Heymann
Our Town – Aaron Copland
Rebecca – Franz Waxman
The Thief of Bagdad – Miklós Rózsa
Waterloo Bridge – Herbert Stothart
So many nominees. For me, I loved the effect the score had with the action in The Great Dictator so that wins for me.
Best Scoring
Tin Pan Alley – Alfred Newman
Arise, My Love – Victor Young
Hit Parade of 1941 – Cy Feuer
Irene – Anthony Collins
Our Town – Aaron Copland
The Sea Hawk – Erich Wolfgang Korngold
Second Chorus – Artie Shaw
Spring Parade – Charles Previn
Strike Up the Band – Georgie Stoll and Roger Edens
My runaway winner for a score this year was Korngold. I love a score that makes me notice it. That's my second nod for Korngold.
Best Original Song
"When You Wish Upon a Star" from Pinocchio – Music by Leigh Harline; Lyrics by Ned Washington
"Down Argentine Way" from Down Argentine Way – Music by Harry Warren; Lyrics by Mack Gordon
"I'd Know You Anywhere" from You'll Find Out – Music by Jimmy McHugh; Lyrics by Johnny Mercer
"It's a Blue World" from Music in My Heart – Music and Lyrics by Chet Forrest and Bob Wright
"Love of My Life" from Second Chorus – Music by Artie Shaw; Lyrics by Johnny Mercer
"Only Forever" from Rhythm on the River – Music by James V. Monaco; Lyrics by Johnny Burke
"Our Love Affair" from Strike Up the Band – Music and Lyrics by Roger Edens and Arthur Freed
"Waltzing in the Clouds" from Spring Parade – Music by Robert Stolz; Lyrics by Gus Kahn
"Who Am I?" from Hit Parade of 1941 – Music by Jule Styne; Lyrics by Walter Bullock
I've got to go with the Academy here, just because of how popular this song was and still is. It truly has lasted the test of time. But honorable mention to Only Forever which I think is a truly beautiful song.
Best Sound Recording
Strike Up the Band – Douglas Shearer
Behind the News – Charles L. Lootens
Captain Caution – Elmer Raguse
The Grapes of Wrath – E. H. Hansen
The Howards of Virginia – Jack Whitney
Kitty Foyle – John O. Aalberg
North West Mounted Police – Loren L. Ryder
Our Town – Thomas T. Moulton
The Sea Hawk – Nathan Levinson
Spring Parade – Bernard B. Brown
Too Many Husbands – John P. Livadary
Too Many Husbands was the only one where I feel it deserved to be nominated.
Best Art Direction, Black-and-White
Pride and Prejudice – Cedric Gibbons and Paul Groesse
Arise, My Love – Hans Dreier and Robert Usher
Arizona – Lionel Banks and Robert Peterson
The Boys from Syracuse – John Otterson
Dark Command – John Victor Mackay
Foreign Correspondent – Alexander Golitzen
Lillian Russell – Richard Day and Joseph C. Wright
My Favorite Wife – Van Nest Polglase and Mark-Lee Kirk
My Son, My Son! – John DuCasse Schulze
Our Town – Lewis J. Rachmil
Rebecca – Lyle R. Wheeler
The Sea Hawk – Anton Grot
The Westerner – James Basevi
So many great choices here and I'm a sucker for historical outfits, but my vote is the Sea Hawk as it seemed to be the best at trying to be time appropriate. The sets and costumes were great. This is my second nod to Grot.
Best Art Direction, Color
The Thief of Bagdad – Vincent Korda
Bitter Sweet – Cedric Gibbons and John S. Detlie
Down Argentine Way – Richard Day and Joseph C. Wright
North West Mounted Police – Hans Dreier and Roland Anderson
Tricky. I really liked Gibbons for Northwest Passage but thinking back, I'm not getting the same vibe. Out of those nominated, the only one I though worthy was Down Argentine Way, although I agree the colours were amazing in The Thief of Bagdad. My second nod for Day.
Best Cinematography, Black-and-White
Rebecca – George Barnes
Abe Lincoln in Illinois – James Wong Howe
All This, and Heaven Too – Ernest Haller
Arise, My Love – Charles Lang
Boom Town – Harold Rosson
Foreign Correspondent – Rudolph Maté
The Letter – Tony Gaudio
The Long Voyage Home – Gregg Toland
Spring Parade – Joseph Valentine
Waterloo Bridge – Joseph Ruttenberg
How in good gravy is The Grapes of Wrath not nominated here!! It was far and away my favourite cinematography for the year. Gregg Toland for TGOW wins for me hands down. Oscar No. 3 from me for Toland now!
Best Cinematography, Color
The Thief of Bagdad – Georges Périnal
Bitter Sweet – Oliver T. Marsh and Allen Davey
The Blue Bird – Arthur C. Miller and Ray Rennahan
Down Argentine Way – Leon Shamroy and Ray Rennahan
North West Mounted Police – Victor Milner and W. Howard Greene
Northwest Passage – Sidney Wagner and William V. Skall
It will be great when color catches up to the quality of black and white. It's obviously not 1940 movies. But my favourite was Wagner and Skall.
Best Film Editing
North West Mounted Police – Anne Bauchens
The Grapes of Wrath – Robert L. Simpson
The Letter – Warren Low
The Long Voyage Home – Sherman Todd
Rebecca – Hal C. Kern
Best Special Effects
The Thief of Bagdad – Photographic Effects: Lawrence W. Butler; Sound Effects: Jack Whitney
The Blue Bird – Photographic Effects: Fred Sersen; Sound Effects: Edmund H. Hansen
Boom Town – Photographic Effects: A. Arnold Gillespie; Sound Effects: Douglas Shearer
The Boys from Syracuse – Photographic Effects: John P. Fulton; Sound Effects: Bernard B. Brown and Joe Lapis
Dr. Cyclops – Photographic Effects: Farciot Edouart and Gordon Jennings
Foreign Correspondent – Photographic Effects: Paul Eagler; Sound Effects: Thomas T. Moulton
The Invisible Man Returns – Photographic Effects: John P. Fulton; Sound Effects: Bernard B. Brown and William Hedgcock
The Long Voyage Home – Photographic Effects: R. T. Layton and Ray Binger; Sound Effects: Thomas T. Moulton
One Million B.C. – Photographic Effects: Roy Seawright; Sound Effects: Elmer A. Raguse
Rebecca – Photographic Effects: Jack Cosgrove; Sound Effects: Arthur Johns
The Sea Hawk – Photographic Effects: Byron Haskin; Sound Effects: Nathan Levinson
Swiss Family Robinson – Photographic Effects: Vernon L. Walker; Sound Effects: John O. Aalberg
Typhoon – Photographic Effects: Farciot Edouart and Gordon Jennings; Sound Effects: Loren L. Ryder
Women in War – Photographic Effects: Howard J. Lydecker, William Bradford and Ellis J. Thackery; Sound Effects: Herbert Norsch
What a massive list! Difficult to pick. While I didn't enjoy the movie, I was really impressed with the effects in Dr Cyclops, so I'm going to go with that one.
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