Review and Analysis of the 9th Academy Awards
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Review and Analysis of the 9th Academy Awards
The 9th Academy Awards were not all that great, especially when compared to the previous year. Simply the slates overall were quite weak, and they failed to recognize the true great movies of the year at any capacity. Some winners deserved it, but many clearly had no business winning. Let us take a look at each category from this year’s ceremony.
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OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION
The Great Ziegfeld is one of the weakest winners from this decade for sure. It was an unfortunate, obvious choice. The best ones are easily Dodsworth which is a truly terrific, moving drama, Capra classic Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, and also Libeled Lady which is a very funny screwball comedy. Other nominees are your standard book adaptations while the worst ones are easily Three Smart Girls and Anthony Adverse, both incredibly mediocre. You can read my full ranking of the nominees here.
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BEST DIRECTOR
Charlie Chaplin wasn’t even nominated this year for his amazing work on Modern Times. He would probably be my personal pick. Of the nominees, of course Gregory La Cava should have won for the magnificence that is My Man Godfrey. But, I have no problem with Frank Capra winning as Mr. Deeds Goes to Town truly is a remarkable film. Wyler’s work for Dodsworth also got a nod here leading to an overall pretty strong category.
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BEST ACTOR
This was such a mess. Spencer Tracy had no business being nominated, and Paul Muni winning for Pasteur was such a terrible choice in a stacked field with at least three more deserving actors. What Walter Huston did in Dodsworth should have been celebrated, and Gary Cooper himself was also phenomenal. But my pick would easily be William Powell for My Man Godfrey as he gave probably the greatest comedic performance ever in that flick. But the Academy does not like comedies, so him even getting a nomination was a big deal. Also, he should have been double-nominated as his dramatic role in Ziegfeld is also remarkable.
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BEST ACTRESS
Two of the nominees here I have yet to see, but yes, this slate is so much weaker than the above category. Shearer was actually very good as Julia so she deserved her nomination, and Luise Rainer winning is fine with me, but of the nominees, I would personally pick Carole Lombard who was wonderful in Godfrey. The fact remains, though, that Jean Arthur, the clear best actress of the year, wasn’t even nominated for her powerhouse turn in Mr. Deeds. That is baffling to me.
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BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
The first ever supporting categories were added in 1936, and the results were quote solid. Walter Brennan was wonderful in otherwise bland Come and Get It that I am quite happy with his win here. Other nominees are much weaker.
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BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
There were some solid nominees in this slate, but I do find Gale Sondergaard’s win quite deserved as she is one of the brightest spots in what is otherwise one very mediocre movie.
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BEST ORIGINAL STORY
This is absolutely laughable. A travesty by all means. The Story of Louis Pasteur is a biopic about a subject and event that is hugely important, but not at all suitable for the medium of film. So, it winning for screenplay is absolutely ludicrous, and it just goes to show how the Academy was always obsessed with biopics. And all of the other nominees should not be mentioned how weakly plotted they are. Modern Times should have been nominated, and it should have won.
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BEST ADAPTATION
Lol. Is this hilarious or what?? Somehow, Pasteur got this one as well, making it the only double screenplay winner in history. It makes me dislike that otherwise passable movie even more. And the slate itself was otherwise great with Godfrey being the best one, but Dodsworth and Deeds are both phenomenally plotted as well.
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BEST SHORT SUBJECT, CARTOON
This wasn’t the best year for this category as The Country Cousin became another Silly Symphony to win the award, but in reality that flick is solid, but quite messy. Of the nominees, Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor of course should have won instead. You can read my full ranking of the nominees here.
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BEST SCORING
Anthony Adverse won here which is an okay choice as that film is technically polished which is the only good thing about it. I cannot think of the most deserving movie to win here myself as this year wasn’t the best for this particular technical aspect.
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BEST SONG
The Way You Look Tonight, the classic song from Swing Time won for best song, and most deservedly so as it’s such an iconic, wonderfully sung, very romantic number that is the standout scene of that flick.
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BEST SOUND RECORDING
I entirely agree with the Academy’s choice here. San Francisco is a messy film, but it did recreate the 1906 disaster in this city masterfully with phenomenal effects and a fantastic sound.
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BEST ART DIRECTION
Dodsworth won for this category which wasn’t deserved. That film deserved some other awards more in my opinion. If there is one thing that The Great Ziegfeld should have taken home, it’s this one as its sets are spectacular.
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BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Anthony Adverse got this one, but the more deserving nominee and winner once again should have been Modern Times. The way they entirely snubbed Chaplin this year is shameful.
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BEST FILM EDITING
This slate is a mess, the winner Anthony Adverse did not deserve it, and all the others are weak choices too. Again, Godfrey or Modern Times should have won.
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BEST DANCE DIRECTION
The Great Ziegfeld won for this category which is understandable, but maybe Swing Time should have taken it having in mind that that movie is lauded for the best dances ever coming from Astaire and Rogers.
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BEST ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
I have not seen the winner for this odd category nor do I have any idea who should have won. The nominees are overall quite weak.
In the end, this was a mess. It’s probably the weakest Oscar year from the thirties. Some choices are fine admittedly so, but most are certainly not. They snubbed some truly great movies in favor of the standard biopic and adaptation fare. The end result are dated films winning that are not remembered well today at all.
