16th Academy Awards

16th Academy Awards
16th Academy Awards
Date	March 2, 1944
Site	Grauman's Chinese Theatre; Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Hosted by	Jack Benny
Highlights
Best Picture	Casablanca
Most awards	The Song of Bernadette(4)
Most nominations	The Song of Bernadette(12)
	←15th; Academy Awards; 17th→;

The16th Academy Awardswere held on March 2, 1944, to honor the films of1943.This was the first Oscar ceremony held at a large public venue,Grauman's Chinese Theatre,and the first ceremony without a banquet as part of the festivities.^[1]^[2]The ceremony was broadcast locally onKFWB,and internationally byCBS Radioviashortwave.Jack Bennyhosted the event, which lasted one hour and 42 minutes.^[3]This was the first ceremony to welcome admissions from the general public.^[1]

For the first time, winners forBest Supporting ActorandBest Supporting Actresswere awarded full-size statuettes, instead of smaller-sized awards mounted on a plaque.^[4]This was the last year until2009to have 10 nominations for Best Picture;The Ox-Bow Incidentis, as of 2023^[update],the last film to be nominated solely in that category.

For Whom the Bell Tollswas the third film to receivenominations in all four acting categories.This was the first year in which each acting category had at least one nominee from a color film.

TheTom and Jerrycartoon series won its first Oscar this year forThe Yankee Doodle Mouse;it would go on to win another six Oscars, including three in a row over the next three years, from a total of 13 nominations.

Winners and nominees

Michael Curtiz,Best Director winner

Paul Lukas,Best Actor winner

Jennifer Jones,Best Actress winner

Charles Coburn,Best Supporting Actor winner

Julius J. Epstein,Best Screenplay co-winner

William Saroyan,Best Original Motion Picture Story winner

Hal Mohr,Best Cinematography, Color co-winner

George Pal,Honorary Academy Award recipient

Awards

Nominees were announced on February 6, 1944. Winners are listed first and highlighted inboldface.^[5]

Outstanding Motion Picture Casablanca–Hal B. WallisforWarner Bros.‡ For Whom the Bell Tolls–Sam WoodforParamount Heaven Can Wait–Ernst Lubitschfor20th Century Fox The Human Comedy–Clarence BrownforMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer In Which We Serve–Noël CowardforTwo Cities Films Madame Curie–Sidney Franklinfor Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer The More the Merrier–George StevensforColumbia The Ox-Bow Incident–Lamar Trottifor 20th Century Fox The Song of Bernadette–William Perlbergfor 20th Century Fox Watch on the Rhine–Hal B. Wallisfor Warner Bros.	Best Director Michael Curtiz–Casablanca‡ Ernst Lubitsch–Heaven Can Wait Clarence Brown–The Human Comedy George Stevens–The More the Merrier Henry King–The Song of Bernadette
Best Actor *Paul Lukas–Watch on the Rhineas Kurt Muller‡ Humphrey Bogart–Casablancaas Rick Blaine Gary Cooper–For Whom the Bell Tollsas Robert Jordan Walter Pidgeon–Madame CurieasPierre Curie Mickey Rooney–The Human Comedy*as Homer Macauley	Best Actress *Jennifer Jones–The Song of BernadetteasBernadette Soubirous‡ Jean Arthur–The More the Merrieras Constance Milligan Ingrid Bergman–For Whom the Bell Tollsas María Joan Fontaine–The Constant Nymphas Tessa Sanger Greer Garson–Madame Curie*asMarie Curie
Best Supporting Actor *Charles Coburn–The More the Merrieras Benjamin Dingle‡ Charles Bickford–The Song of BernadetteasAbbé Dominique Peyramale J. Carrol Naish–Saharaas Giuseppe Claude Rains–Casablancaas Captain Louis Renault Akim Tamiroff–For Whom the Bell Tolls*as Pablo	Best Supporting Actress *Katina Paxinou–For Whom the Bell Tollsas Pilar‡ Gladys Cooper–The Song of Bernadetteas Marie Therese Vauzou Paulette Goddard–So Proudly We Hail!as Lt. Joan O'Doul Anne Revere–The Song of Bernadetteas Louise Casterot Soubirous Lucile Watson–Watch on the Rhine*as Fanny Farrelly
Best Original Screenplay Princess O'Rourke–Norman Krasna‡ Air Force–Dudley Nichols In Which We Serve–Noël Coward The North Star–Lillian Hellman So Proudly We Hail!–Allan Scott	Best Screenplay Casablanca–Julius J. Epstein,Philip G. Epstein,andHoward E. Koch,based onEverybody Comes to Rick'sbyMurray BurnettandJoan Alison‡ Holy Matrimony–Nunnally Johnson,based onBuried AlivebyArnold Bennett The More the Merrier– Richard Flournoy,Lewis R. Foster,Frank Ross,andRobert Russell,based on a story by Frank Ross and Robert Russell The Song of Bernadette–George Seaton,based onthe novelbyFranz Werfel Watch on the Rhine–Dashiell Hammett,based onthe playbyLillian Hellman
Best Original Motion Picture Story The Human Comedy–William Saroyan‡ Action in the North Atlantic–Guy Gilpatric Destination Tokyo–Steve Fisher The More the Merrier–Robert RussellandFrank Ross Shadow of a Doubt–Thornton Wilder	Best Documentary Feature Desert Victory–British Ministry of Information‡ Baptism of Fire–United States Army The Battle of Russia–United States Department of War, Special Service Division Report from the Aleutians–United States Army Pictorial Service War Department Report–United States Office of Strategic Services, Field Photographic Bureau
Best Documentary Short Subject December 7th–John FordandUnited States Navy‡ Children of Mars–RKO Radio Plan for Destruction–Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Swedes in America–United States Office of War Information, Overseas Motion Picture Bureau To the People of the United States–Walter Wanger Tomorrow We Fly–United States Navy Bureau of Aeronautics Youth in Crisis–The March of Time	Best Live Action Short Subject, One-Reel Amphibious Fighters–Grantland Rice‡ Cavalcade of Dance–Gordon Hollingshead Champions Carry On– Edmund Reek Hollywood in Uniform–Ralph Staub Seeing Hands–Pete Smith
Best Live Action Short Subject, Two-Reel Heavenly Music–Jerry BreslerandSam Coslow‡ Letter to a Hero– Frederic Ullman Jr. Mardi Gras– Walter MacEwen Women at War–Gordon Hollingshead	Best Short Subjects – Cartoons The Yankee Doodle Mouse–Fred Quimby‡ The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins–George Pal The Dizzy Acrobat–Walter Lantz Greetings, Bait!–Leon Schlesinger Imagination–Dave Fleischer Reason and Emotion–Walt Disney
Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture The Song of Bernadette–Alfred Newman‡ The Amazing Mrs. Holliday–Hans J. SalterandFrank Skinner Casablanca–Max Steiner Commandos Strike at Dawn–Louis GruenbergandMorris Stoloff The Fallen Sparrow–C. BakaleinikoffandRoy Webb For Whom the Bell Tolls–Victor Young Hangmen Also Die!–Hanns Eisler Hi Diddle Diddle–Philip Boutelje In Old Oklahoma–Walter Scharf Johnny Come Lately–Leigh Harline The Kansan–Gerard Carbonara Lady of Burlesque–Arthur Lange Madame Curie–Herbert Stothart The Moon and Sixpence–Dimitri Tiomkin The North Star–Aaron Copland Victory Through Air Power–Edward H. Plumb,Paul J. Smith,andOliver Wallace	Best Scoring of a Musical Picture This Is the Army–Ray Heindorf‡ Coney Island–Alfred Newman Hit Parade of 1943–Walter Scharf Phantom of the Opera–Edward Ward Saludos Amigos–Edward H. Plumb,Paul J. Smith,andCharles Wolcott The Sky's the Limit–Leigh Harline Something to Shout About–Morris Stoloff Stage Door Canteen–Frederic E. Rich Star Spangled Rhythm–Robert Emmett Dolan Thousands Cheer–Herbert Stothart
Best Original Song "You'll Never Know"fromHello, Frisco, Hello– Music byHarry Warren;Lyrics byMack Gordon‡ "A Change of Heart" fromHit Parade of 1943– Music byJule Styne;Lyrics byHarold Adamson "Happiness is a Thing Called Joe"fromCabin in the Sky– Music byHarold Arlen;Lyrics byE. Y. Harburg "My Shining Hour"fromThe Sky's the Limit– Music byHarold Arlen;Lyrics byJohnny Mercer "Saludos Amigos" fromSaludos Amigos– Music byCharles Wolcott;Lyrics byNed Washington "Say a Pray'r for the Boys Over There" fromHers to Hold– Music byJimmy McHugh;Lyrics byHerb Magidson "That Old Black Magic"fromStar Spangled Rhythm– Music byHarold Arlen;Lyrics byJohnny Mercer "They're Either Too Young or Too Old" fromThank Your Lucky Stars– Music byArthur Schwartz;Lyrics byFrank Loesser "We Mustn't Say Goodbye" fromStage Door Canteen– Music byJames V. Monaco;Lyrics byAl Dubin "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To"fromSomething to Shout About– Music and Lyrics byCole Porter	Best Sound Recording This Land Is Mine–Stephen Dunn‡ Hangmen Also Die!–Jack Whitney In Old Oklahoma–Daniel J. Bloomberg Madame Curie–Douglas Shearer The North Star–Thomas T. Moulton Phantom of the Opera–Bernard B. Brown Riding High–Loren L. Ryder Sahara–John P. Livadary Saludos Amigos–C. O. Slyfield So This Is Washington–J. L. Fields The Song of Bernadette–E. H. Hansen This Is the Army–Nathan Levinson
Best Art Direction – Interior Decoration, Black-and-White The Song of Bernadette– Art Direction:James BaseviandWilliam S. Darling;Interior Decoration:Thomas Little‡ Five Graves to Cairo– Art Direction:Hans DreierandErnst Fegté;Interior Decoration:Bertram Granger Flight for Freedom– Art Direction:Albert S. D'AgostinoandCarroll Clark;Interior Decoration:Darrell SilveraandHarley Miller Madame Curie– Art Direction:Cedric GibbonsandPaul Groesse;Interior Decoration:Edwin B. WillisandHugh Hunt Mission to Moscow– Art Direction:Carl Jules Weyl;Interior Decoration:George James Hopkins The North Star– Art Direction:Perry Ferguson;Interior Decoration:Howard Bristol	Best Art Direction – Interior Decoration, Color Phantom of the Opera– Art Direction:Alexander GolitzenandJohn B. Goodman;Interior Decoration:Russell A. GausmanandIra S. Webb‡ For Whom the Bell Tolls– Art Direction:Hans DreierandHaldane Douglas;Interior Decoration:Bertram Granger The Gang's All Here– Art Direction:James BaseviandJoseph C. Wright;Interior Decoration:Thomas Little This Is the Army– Art Direction:John Hughesand Lt. John Koenig; Interior Decoration:George James Hopkins Thousands Cheer– Art Direction:Cedric GibbonsandDaniel B. Cathcart;Interior Decoration:Edwin B. WillisandJacques Mersereau
Best Cinematography, Black-and-White The Song of Bernadette–Arthur C. Miller‡ Air Force–James Wong Howe,Elmer DyerandCharles A. Marshall Casablanca–Arthur Edeson Corvette K-225–Tony Gaudio Five Graves to Cairo–John F. Seitz The Human Comedy–Harry Stradling Madame Curie–Joseph Ruttenberg The North Star–James Wong Howe Sahara–Rudolph Maté So Proudly We Hail!–Charles Lang	Best Cinematography, Color Phantom of the Opera–Hal MohrandW. Howard Greene‡ For Whom the Bell Tolls–Ray Rennahan Heaven Can Wait–Edward Cronjager Hello, Frisco, Hello–Charles G. Clarkeand Allen Davey Lassie Come Home–Leonard Smith Thousands Cheer–George J. Folsey
Best Film Editing Air Force–George Amy‡ Casablanca–Owen Marks Five Graves to Cairo–Doane Harrison For Whom the Bell Tolls– Sherman Todd andJohn F. Link Sr. The Song of Bernadette–Barbara McLean	Best Special Effects Crash Dive– Photographic Effects:Fred Sersen;Sound Effects:Roger Heman‡ Air Force– Photographic Effects:Hans F. KoenekampandRex Wimpy;Sound Effects:Nathan Levinson Bombardier– Photographic Effects:Vernon L. Walker;Sound EffectsJames G. StewartandRoy Granville The North Star– Photographic Effects:Clarence SliferandRay Binger;Sound Effects:Thomas T. Moulton So Proudly We Hail!– Photographic Effects:Farciot EdouartandGordon Jennings;Sound Effects:George Dutton Stand By for Action– Photographic Effects:A. Arnold GillespieandDonald Jahraus;Sound Effects:Michael Steinore

Academy Honorary Award

George Pal"for the development of novel methods and techniques in the production of short subjects known asPuppetoons".

Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award

Hal B. Wallis

Presenters and performers

Presenters

Donald Crisp(Presenter: Best Supporting Actor)
Howard Estabrook(Presenter: Documentary Awards)
Sidney Franklin(Presenter: Outstanding Motion Picture)
Y. Frank Freeman(Presenter: Best Film Editing, Best Sound Recording, Best Special Effects and the Scientific & Technical Awards)
Greer Garson(Presenter: Best Actress)
James Hilton(Presenter: Writing Awards)
Carole Landis(Presenter: Best Art Direction)
George Murphy(Presenter: Best Actor)
Rosalind Russell(Presenter: Best Cinematography)
Mark Sandrich(Presenter: Best Director)
Dinah Shore(Presenter: Music Awards)
Walter Wanger(Presenter: Short Subject Awards and the Honorary Award)
Teresa Wright(Presenter: Best Supporting Actress)
Darryl F. Zanuck(Presenter: Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award)

Performers

Multiple nominations and awards

Films with multiple nominations
Nominations	Film
12	The Song of Bernadette
9	For Whom the Bell Tolls
8	Casablanca
7	Madame Curie
6	The More the Merrier
6	The North Star
5	The Human Comedy
4	Air Force
	Phantom of the Opera
	So Proudly We Hail!
	Watch on the Rhine
3	Five Graves to Cairo
	Heaven Can Wait
	Sahara
	Saludos Amigos
	This Is the Army
	Thousands Cheer
2	Hangmen Also Die!
	Hello, Frisco, Hello
	Hit Parade of 1943
	In Old Oklahoma
	In Which We Serve
	The Sky's the Limit
	Something to Shout About
	Stage Door Canteen
	Star Spangled Rhythm

Films with multiple awards
Awards	Film
4	The Song of Bernadette
3	Casablanca
2	Phantom of the Opera

References

^^a ^b Wallechinsky, David; Wallace, Irving (1975).The People's Almanac.Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc. p. 836.ISBN 0-385-04060-1.
^"History of the Oscars Presentation"(PDF).Oscars.org.RetrievedMay 3,2023.
^"16th Academy Awards (1943): The Ceremony"(Revised ed.). April 22, 2018.RetrievedMarch 14,2023.
^"Strange tales of the vanished Oscars".
^"The 16th Academy Awards (1944) Nominees and Winners".Oscars.org (Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences).Archivedfrom the original on October 14, 2013.RetrievedOctober 13,2013.

[Oscars_'43_Notes-1] Wallechinsky, David; Wallace, Irving (1975).The People's Almanac.Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc. p. 836.ISBN 0-385-04060-1.

[2] "History of the Oscars Presentation"(PDF).Oscars.org.RetrievedMay 3,2023.

[Cinema_Sight-3] "16th Academy Awards (1943): The Ceremony"(Revised ed.). April 22, 2018.RetrievedMarch 14,2023.

[4] "Strange tales of the vanished Oscars".

[Oscars1944-5] "The 16th Academy Awards (1944) Nominees and Winners".Oscars.org (Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences).Archivedfrom the original on October 14, 2013.RetrievedOctober 13,2013.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]