Academy Awards 1939

Best Picture

WINNER:
You Can't Take It with You: (Columbia)

NOMINEES:
The Adventures of Robin Hood: (Warner Bros., First National)
Alexander's Ragtime Band: (20th Century Fox)
Boys Town: (M-G-M)
The Citadel: (M-G-M)
Four Daughters: (Warner Bros., First National)
La grande illusion: (Realization d'Art Cinematographique)
Jezebel: (Warner Bros.)
Pygmalion: (M-G-M)
Test Pilot: (M-G-M)

Best Actor in a Leading Role

WINNER:
Boys Town: Spencer Tracy
Spencer Tracy was not present at the awards ceremony. His wife Louise Treadwell accepted the award on his behalf.

NOMINEES:
Algiers: Charles Boyer
Angels with Dirty Faces: James Cagney
The Citadel: Robert Donat
Pygmalion: Leslie Howard

Best Actress in a Leading Role

WINNER:
Jezebel: Bette Davis
On 19 July 2001 Steven Spielberg purchased Davis' Oscar statuette at a Christie's auction and returned it to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. This was the second time in five years Spielberg did so to protect an Oscar from further commercial exploitation.

NOMINEES:
White Banners: Fay Bainter
Pygmalion: Wendy Hiller
Marie Antoinette: Norma Shearer
Three Comrades: Margaret Sullavan

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

WINNER:
Kentucky: Walter Brennan

NOMINEES:
Four Daughters: John Garfield
Algiers: Gene Lockhart
Marie Antoinette: Robert Morley
If I Were King: Basil Rathbone

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

WINNER:
Jezebel: Fay Bainter

NOMINEES:
Of Human Hearts: Beulah Bondi
Merrily We Live: Billie Burke
You Can't Take It with You: Spring Byington
The Great Waltz: Miliza Korjus

Best Director

WINNER:
You Can't Take It with You: Frank Capra

NOMINEES:
Angels with Dirty Faces: Michael Curtiz
Four Daughters: Michael Curtiz
Boys Town: Norman Taurog
The Citadel: King Vidor

Best Writing, Original Story

WINNER:
Boys Town: Eleanore Griffin, Dore Schary

NOMINEES:
Alexander's Ragtime Band: Irving Berlin
Angels with Dirty Faces: Rowland Brown
Blockade: John Howard Lawson
Mad About Music: Marcella Burke, Frederick Kohner
Test Pilot: Frank Wead

Best Writing, Screenplay

WINNER:
Pygmalion: George Bernard Shaw, Ian Dalrymple, Cecil Lewis, W.P. Lipscomb
George Bernard Shaw was not present at the ceremony. When presenter Lloyd C. Douglas announced that Pygmalion has won the Oscar he joked "Mr. Shaw's story now is as original as it was three thousand years ago". Shaw's reaction to the award was not enthusiastic as he is quoted as saying "It's an insult for them to offer me any honour, as if they had never heard of me before - and it's very likely they never have. They might as well send some honour to George for being King of England". Although popular legend says Shaw never received the Oscar, when Mary Pickford visited him she reported that he was on his mantle. When Shaw died in 1950 his home at Ayot St Lawrence became a museum. By this time his Oscar statuette was so tarnished, the curator believed it had no value and used it as a door stop. It has since been repaired and is now on displayed at the museum.

NOMINEES:
Boys Town: John Meehan, Dore Schary
The Citadel: Ian Dalrymple, Elizabeth Hill, Frank Wead
Four Daughters: Lenore J. Coffee, Julius J. Epstein
You Can't Take It with You: Robert Riskin

Best Cinematography

WINNER:
The Great Waltz: Joseph Ruttenberg

NOMINEES:
Algiers: James Wong Howe
Army Girl: Ernest Miller, Harry J. Wild
The Buccaneer: Victor Milner
Jezebel: Ernest Haller
Mad About Music: Joseph A. Valentine
Merrily We Live: Norbert Brodine
Suez: J. Peverell Marley
Vivacious Lady: Robert De Grasse
You Can't Take It with You: Joseph Walker
The Young in Heart: Leon Shamroy

Best Art Direction

WINNER:
The Adventures of Robin Hood: Carl Jules Weyl

NOMINEES:
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer: Lyle R. Wheeler
Alexander's Ragtime Band: Bernard Herzbrun, Boris Leven
Algiers: Alexander Toluboff
Carefree: Van Nest Polglase
The Goldwyn Follies: Richard Day
Holiday: Stephen Goosson, Lionel Banks
If I Were King: Hans Dreier, John B. Goodman
Mad About Music: Jack Otterson
Marie Antoinette: Cedric Gibbons
Merrily We Live: Charles D. Hall

Best Sound, Recording

WINNER:
The Cowboy and the Lady: Thomas T. Moulton (United Artists SSD)

NOMINEES:
Army Girl: Charles L. Lootens (Republic SSD)
Four Daughters: Nathan Levinson (Warner Bros. SSD)
If I Were King: Loren L. Ryder (Paramount SSD)
Merrily We Live: Elmer Raguse (Hal Roach SSD)
Sweethearts: Douglas Shearer (M-G-M SSD)
Suez: Edmund H. Hansen (20th Century-Fox SSD)
That Certain Age: Bernard B. Brown (Universal SSD)
Vivacious Lady: James Wilkinson (RKO Radio SSD)
You Can't Take It with You: John P. Livadary (Columbia SSD)

Best Film Editing

WINNER:
The Adventures of Robin Hood: Ralph Dawson

NOMINEES:
Alexander's Ragtime Band: Barbara McLean
The Great Waltz: Tom Held
Test Pilot: Tom Held
You Can't Take It with You: Gene Havlick

Best Music, Original Song

WINNER:
The Big Broadcast of 1938: Ralph Rainger (music), Leo Robin (lyrics)
For the song "Thanks for the Memory".

NOMINEES:
Mannequin: Edward Ward (music), Chet Forrest (lyrics), Bob Wright (lyrics)
For the song "Always and Always".
Carefree: Irving Berlin
For the song "Change Partners and Dance with Me".
The Cowboy and the Lady: Lionel Newman (music), Arthur Quenzer (lyrics)
For the song "The Cowboy and the Lady".
Under Western Stars: Johnny Marvin
For the song "Dust".
Going Places: Harry Warren (music), Johnny Mercer (lyrics)
For the song "Jeepers Creepers".
Merrily We Live: Phil Charig (music), Arthur Quenzer (lyrics)
For the song "Merrily We Live".
The Lady Objects: Ben Oakland (music), Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics)
For the song "A Mist Over the Moon".
That Certain Age: Jimmy McHugh (music), Harold Adamson (lyrics)
For the song "My Own".
Alexander's Ragtime Band: Irving Berlin
For the song "Now It Can Be Told".

Best Music, Original Score

WINNER:
The Adventures of Robin Hood: Erich Wolfgang Korngold

NOMINEES:
Army Girl: Victor Young
Blockade: Werner Janssen
Block-Heads: Marvin Hatley
Breaking the Ice: Victor Young
The Cowboy and the Lady: Alfred Newman
If I Were King: Richard Hageman
Marie Antoinette: Herbert Stothart
Pacific Liner: Robert Russell Bennett
Suez: Louis Silvers
The Young in Heart: Franz Waxman

Best Music, Scoring

WINNER:
Alexander's Ragtime Band: Alfred Newman

NOMINEES:
Carefree: Victor Baravalle
Girls' School: Morris Stoloff, Gregory Stone
The Goldwyn Follies: Alfred Newman
Jezebel: Max Steiner
Mad About Music: Charles Previn, Frank Skinner
Storm Over Bengal: Cy Feuer
Sweethearts: Herbert Stothart
There Goes My Heart: Marvin Hatley
Tropic Holiday: Boris Morros
The Young in Heart: Franz Waxman

Best Short Subject, Two-reel

WINNER:
The Declaration of Independence: (Warner Bros.)

NOMINEES:
Swingtime in the Movies: (Warner Bros.)
A Crime Does Not Pay Subject: They're Always Caught: (M-G-M)

Best Short Subject, One-reel

WINNER:
That Mothers Might Live: (M-G-M)

NOMINEES:
The Great Heart: (M-G-M)
Timber Toppers: (20th Century-Fox)

Best Short Subject, Cartoons

WINNER:
Ferdinand the Bull: Walt Disney

NOMINEES:
Brave Little Tailor: Walt Disney
Mother Goose Goes Hollywood: Walt Disney
Good Scouts: Walt Disney
Hunky and Spunky: (Paramount)

Juvenile Award

WINNER:
Deanna Durbin, Mickey Rooney
For their (Durbin/Rooney) significant contribution in bringing to the screen the spirit and personification of youth, and as juvenile players setting a high standard of ability and achievement.

Honorary Award

WINNERS:
Harry M. Warner
In recognition of patriotic service in the production of historical short subjects presenting significant episodes in the early struggle of the American people for liberty (certificate).
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: Walt Disney
For Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, recognized as a significant screen innovation which has charmed millions and pioneered a great new entertainment field (one statuette - seven miniature statuettes).
Sweethearts: Oliver T. Marsh, Allen M. Davey
For the color cinematography of the M-G-M production Sweethearts.
Spawn of the North: Gordon Jennings (special effects), Jan Domela (assistant special effects), Devereaux Jennings (assistant special effects), Irmin Roberts (assistant special effects), Art Smith (assistant special effects), Farciot Edouart (transparencies), Loyal Griggs (assistant transparencies), Loren L. Ryder (sound effects), Harry D. Mills (assistant sound effects), Louis Mesenkop (assistant sound effects), Walter Oberst (assistant sound effects)
For outstanding achievements in creating special photographic and sound effects in the Paramount production Spawn of the North (plaque).
Arthur Ball
For his outstanding contributions to the advancement of color in motion picture photography (certificate).

Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award

WINNER:
Hal B. Wallis

NOMINEES:
Darryl F. Zanuck
Walter Wanger
Joe Pasternak
Samuel Goldwyn
Hunt Stromberg
David O. Selznick

Academy Award of Merit

WINNER:

Not awarded.

Scientific and Engineering Award

WINNER:

Not awarded.

Technical Achievement Award

WINNERS:
John Aalberg (RKO Radio SSD)
For the application of compression to variable area recording in motion picture production.
Byron Haskin (Special Effects Dept. of Warner Bros. Studio)
For pioneering the development and for the first practical application to motion picture production of the triple head background projector.

http://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000003/1939