31st Annual
ACADEMY AWARDS OF MERIT
For Achievements During 1958

VOTING RULES

ONE

The Awards Year

Academy Awards of Merit shall be bestowed for achievements in connection with motion pictures first publicly exhibited for paid admission (previews excluded) in a regular commercial motion picture theatre in the Los Angeles area (defined as Los Angeles, West Los Angeles or Beverly Hills), between January 1, 1958 and midnight of December 31, 1958, such exhibition being for a consecutive run of not less than a week after an opening prior to midnight of December 31st, following normal exploitation and advertising utilized by the producer for his other pictures within the dates specified. Entertainment Short Subjects which qualify under Rule Eighteen, distributed by a recognized distributing organization on a rental basis to 35mm. theatres for the profit of the producer and distributor, anywhere in Los Angeles County for a definite first paid play date of three consecutive days during the aforesaid period shall be eligible for consideration for the Awards.

Pictures which qualify under the above rule, but which have also been exhibited in another medium are not to be excluded from eligibility, provided their first exhibition in another medium has occurred during the same Awards year.

TWO

The Annual Awards

Subject to the inability of the producer to comply herewith, every Award shall be conditioned upon the delivery to the Academy of one print of every film nominated for final balloting for all Academy Awards, and such print shall become the property of the Academy, with the proviso, however, that the Academy shall not use such print for commercial gain. Such print shall be deposited with the Academy and, subject to matters not within its control, shall be screened by the Academy for the membership in advance of distribution of final ballots.

Awards of Merit in the form of gold statuettes shall be conferred for the following achievements:

ACTING:	For the best performance by an actor. For the best performance by an actor in a supporting role. For the best performance by an actress. For the best performance by an actress in a supporting role.
ART DIRECTION:	For the best achievement in art direction. (The Academy statuette shall be given to the Set Decorators on the picture which wins the Art Direction Award.)
BEST PICTURE:	For the best motion picture of the year.
CINEMATOGRAPHY:	For the best achievement in cinematography of a black-and-white picture. For the best achievement in cinematography of a color picture.
COSTUME DESIGN:	For the best achievement in costume design.
DIRECTING:	For the best achievement in directing.
FILM EDITING:	For the best achievement in film editing.
FOREIGN LANGUAGE PICTURE:	For the best foreign language picture of the year.
MUSIC:	For the outstanding achievements in music in connection with motion pictures: (a) Best scoring of a musical picture (b) Best score of a dramatic or comedy picture (c) Best song
SHORT SUBJECTS:	For the best achievements in each of two classifications: (a) Cartoons, 3,000 feet or less. (b) Live action subjects, 3,000 feet or less.
SOUND:	For the best achievement by a studio sound department.
SPECIAL EFFECTS:	For the best achievement in special effects.
WRITING:	For the best screenplay—based on material from another medium. For the best story and screenplay—written directly for the screen.

THREE

Other Awards

Not necessarily given each year.

1. Achievements or pictures eligible for Awards listed in Rule Two cannot qualify for Honorary Awards or Other Awards with the exception of the Documentary Awards and the Honorary Juvenile Award.
2. SCIENTIFIC OR TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT: For a device, method, formula, discovery, or invention of special and outstanding value to the arts and sciences of motion pictures, and actually employed in the motion picture industry during the Awards year. The Class I Award (Academy statuette) shall be conferred for basic achievements which have a definite influence upon the advancement of the industry; the Class II Award (Academy plaque) for those achievements which exhibit a high level of engineering or technical merit and which are important contributions to the progress of the industry; the Class III Award (Certificate of Honorable Mention) for those accomplishments which are valuable contributions to the progress of the industry. (See Rule Seventeen.)
3. IRVING G. THALBERG MEMORIAL AWARD (Thalberg head): Shall be given at such times as in the judgment of the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences there is a deserving recipient, but not necessarily each year. It shall be given to the individual who has been responsible for the most consistent high quality of motion picture production for the current Awards year and the four preceding years. (See Rule Twenty-one.)
4. DOCUMENTARY ACHIEVEMENT (Statuette): For the best Feature-length Documentary film and for the best Documentary Short Subject. (See Rule Thirteen.)
5. JEAN HERSHOLT HUMANITARIAN AWARD (Statuette): Shall be given at such times as in the judgment of the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences there is a deserving recipient, but not necessarily each year. It shall be given to an individual in the motion picture industry whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the industry.

FOUR

Honorary Awards

1. For outstanding achievements not strictly within the categories listed in Rules Two and Three. Honorary Awards shall only be given, however, for superlative and distinguished service in the making of motion pictures or for outstanding service to the Academy.
2. Achievements voted Honorary Awards may be in connection with foreign as well as domestic productions and are not limited to the Awards year. Achievements or pictures eligible for Awards listed in Rule Two cannot qualify for Honorary Awards with the exception of the Honorary Juvenile Award.
3. Honorary Awards shall be in such form as the Academy Board of Governors may decide.
4. HONORARY JUVENILE AWARD (not necessarily given each year): Shall be voted by the Academy Board of Governors for the most outstanding juvenile performance during the Awards year, when in the judgment of the Board of Governors there is a deserving recipient.

FIVE

General Rules

1. Final balloting on all achievements shall be restricted to active Academy members.
2. The established gold statuette trophy of the Academy shall be conferred for all achievements listed in Rule Two, for the Class I Scientific or Technical Awards, for the Documentary Awards, and for the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. The Academy plaque shall be given for the Class II Scientific or Technical Awards. The Thalberg head shall be given for the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award. Trophies to be given for all Honorary Awards shall be determined by the Academy Board of Governors.
3. Final voting for Awards shall be by secret ballot. Printed forms and ballots shall be supplied by the Academy and shall be returned unsigned.
4. Ballots shall be opened and counted by a firm of certified public accountants designated by the Academy President.
5. Awards shall be conferred at an Awards Presentation Ceremony.
6. In the event that an achievement voted an Award was done in collaboraation [sic], each of the collaborators shall receive an Award trophy. In the event of a tie for first place in the final balloting, Awards shall be given for both achievements.
7. In the nominations voting, the marking and tabulation of all ballots shall be according to the preferential or proportional system. No “write-in” votes shall be counted on the final ballots.
8. The Board of Governors shall provide for such meetings, sub-committees and special showings as may be desirable to insure a full and fair consideration of the merits of all eligible achievements.
9. It being the intention that motion pictures from all countries shall be eligible for consideration for the Awards listed under Rule Two, the rules shall be construed liberally to include such motion pictures, except that they must have been shown in the Los Angeles area (defined as Los Angeles, West Los Angeles, or Beverly Hills) within the Awards year, must be in English or with English titles, and the producers or distributors shall provide prints when necessary for review showings. Exceptions to this rule shall be made for the Foreign Language Film Award, for which pictures need not be in English or have English titles and need not have been shown in the United States (see Rule Fifteen), and for the Short Subjects Award (see Rule Eighteen).
10. If any picture has been recut, re-edited or changed after its first commercial release so as to alter the Awards eligibility of any achievement therein, the Academy Board of Governors may require proof that the changes have been made in all domestic release prints before ruling on the Awards eligibility of achievements affected by the re-release of the picture.

SIX

General Rules for Nominations Voting

1. Each branch shall be permitted to formulate its own Special Rules, provided nominations voting is restricted to Academy members of the branch concerned, that the final ballot presents not more than five achievements and that final voting in each category is restricted to active Academy members. All branches shall present their Special Rules for approval of the Board of Governors before putting them into operation.
2. Academy craft branch members who are also active members of another craft or guild, shall be permitted to vote on nominations in those categories for which they are qualified, subject to branch approval.
3. No more than five nominations shall be made for each Award. In all cases nominations shall be announced and placed on the final ballot in alphabetical order.
4. Each nomination shall refer only to the motion picture in which the achievement was made, and not to any individual responsible except in the case of nominations for Acting which name both the individual and the one picture in which the achievement occurred.
5. The Academy shall prepare reminder lists of all eligible pictures, but before distribution to voters, studios must check and assume full responsibility for errors, omissions and designations of actors as stars or supporting players.
6. Eligibility for all Awards shall first be determined by credits as they appear on the screen and/or as certified to the Academy by the producing companies, but final determination in any event shall be made by the Academy Board of Governors.

SEVEN

Special Rules for the Acting Awards

1. A reminder list including the casts of all eligible pictures shall be sent with the nominations ballots to all members of the Academy Actors Branch, who shall vote in the order of their preference for five Acting achievements in each category: Best Performance by an Actor, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Performance by an Actress, Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role.
2. The five acting achievements in each category receiving the highest number of votes shall become the nominations for final voting for the Acting Awards.
3. In the event that two achievements by an actor or actress shall receive sufficient votes to be nominated in the same category, only the one which, in the preferential tabulation process, first receives the quota (number of votes required to be nominated) shall be nominated. The votes for the second achievement shall thereupon be redistributed.
4. Performances by an actor or actress in any leading role shall be eligible for nomination only for the Best Acting Award. However, if performances or a performance by any actor or actress should receive sufficient votes to be nominated for both the Best Acting Award and the Award for Supporting Player, only the achievement which, in the preferential tabulation process, first receives the quota shall be placed on the ballot. The votes for the second achievement shall thereupon be redistributed.
5. Final balloting for the Acting Awards shall be restricted to active Academy members.

EIGHT

Special Rules for the Art Direction Award

1. Reminder lists of all eligible black-and-white and color pictures shall be sent with a preliminary ballot to all art director and set decorator members of the Academy Art Directors Branch, who shall vote in the order of their preference, for one or more, but not more than five black-and-white productions, and one or more, but not more than five color productions.
2. The five black-and-white and five color productions receiving the greatest number of votes from this preliminary balloting shall then be screened to give all members of the Art Directors Branch an opportunity to see them under the same conditions.
3. Following the screenings, a nominations ballot, listing the ten productions in alphabetical order, shall be sent to all members of the Art Directors Branch who shall vote for not more than five productions in the order of their preference. The five productions receiving the greatest number of votes shall become the nominations for final voting for the Art Direction Award.
4. Final voting for the Art Direction Award shall be restricted to active Academy members.

5. Recognition in the form of an Academy statuette shall be given to the set decorators of the production which receives the award for Achievement in Art Direction.

NINE

Special Rules for the Best Picture of the Year Awards

1. A reminder list of all eligible pictures shall be sent with a nominations ballot to all active members of the Academy, who shall vote in the order of their preference for five Best Picture achievements.
2. The five pictures receiving the highest number of votes shall become the nominations for final voting for the Best Picture Award.
3. Final voting for the Best Picture Award shall be restricted to active Academy members.

TEN

Special Rules for the Cinematography Awards

1. A reminder list of all eligible black-and-white pictures shall be sent with a preliminary ballot to all members of the Academy Cinematographers Branch who shall vote in the order of their preference, for one or more, but not more than ten productions.
2. The ten productions receiving the greatest number of votes from this preliminary balloting shall then be screened to give all members of the Cinematographers Branch an opportunity to see them under the same conditions.
3. Following the screenings, a nominations ballot listing the ten productions, shall be sent to all members of the Cinematographers Branch who shall vote for not more than five productions in the order of their preference. The five productions receiving the greatest number of votes shall become the nominations for final voting for the Black-and-White Cinematography Award.
4. Final voting for the Black-and-White Cinematography Award shall be restricted to active Academy members.

5. The voting procedure for the award for Color Cinematography shall be the same as specified in the rules above governing the Black-and-White Cinematography Award.

ELEVEN

Special Rules for the Costume Design Award

1. Reminder lists of all eligible black-and-white and color pictures shall be sent with a preliminary ballot to all costume designer members of the Academy Art Directors Branch, who shall vote in the order of their preference, for one or more, but not more than four black-and-white productions, and one or more, but not more than six color productions.
2. The four black-and-white and six color productions receiving the greatest number of votes from this preliminary balloting shall then be screened to give all members of the Art Directors Branch an opportunity to see them under the same conditions.
3. Following the screenings, a nominations ballot listing the ten productions, in alphabetical order, shall be sent to all members of the Art Directors Branch who shall vote for not more than five productions in the order of their preference. The five productions receiving the greatest number of votes shall become the nominations for final voting for the Costume Design Award.
4. Final voting for the Costume Design Award shall be restricted to active Academy members.

TWELVE

Special Rules for the Directing Award

1. A reminder list of all eligible pictures shall be sent with a nominations ballot to all members of the Academy Directors Branch, who shall vote in the order of their preference for five directing achievements.
2. The five directing achievements receiving the highest number of votes shall become the nominations for final voting for the Directing Award.
3. In the event that two achievements by one director shall receive sufficient votes to be nominated, only the one which, in the preferential tabulation process, first receives the quota (number of votes required to be nominated), shall be nominated. The votes for the second achievement shall thereupon be redistributed.
4. Final balloting for the Directing Award shall be restricted to active Academy members.

THIRTEEN

Special Rules for the Documentary Awards

1. Documentary films are defined as those dealing with significant historical, social, scientific, or economic subjects, either photographed in actual occurrence or re-enacted, and where the emphasis is more on factual content than on entertainment. The purely instructional film will not be considered.
2. Films eligible for Documentary Awards shall be divided into two groups:
   1. Documentary Features—films over 3,000 feet in length.
   2. Documentary Short Subjects—films of 3,000 feet or less.
3. Only one entry in each classification will be accepted from each producing unit.
4. To be eligible, a Documentary Film must have been exhibited for the first time in the United States during the calendar year by having been projected in an auditorium, theatre or other room in which there was assembled the audience for which the subject was made. Pictures which have also been exhibited in another medium but which qualify under the above rule are not to be excluded from eligibility, provided the first exhibition in another medium has occurred during the same Awards year.
5. Entries in the Documentary field will be limited to films either produced in, or enlarged to, 35mm, in which significant dialogue is in English or which have English sub-titles.
6. All entries must first be submitted in writing, with a description of the subject, to the Academy office, 9038 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood 46, California not later than January 2, 1959. Screenings will begin December 1, 1958 and will be completed during January 1959. Notification of acceptance by the Committee will be sent by telephone or telegraph, and prints may then be forwarded for viewing. This rule is intended to avoid unnecessary shipping.
7. The Documentary Committee will sift all films entered in the competition and the Committee’s selections will then become the nominations. The nominations shall be screened for the active Academy membership, whose balloting will determine the Awards.
8. Any member of the Documentary Committee who has actively participated in the making of any entry shall not be permitted to vote on films in that category. (Short Subjects or Features.)
9. Prints of all entries accepted by the Committee should be received in the Academy office, 9038 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood 46, California as soon as possible after notification of acceptance. Screenings will begin Friday, December 1, 1958 and no film will be accepted for screening after Wednesday, January 14, 1959. All subjects must remain with the Academy for screening until the presentation of the Awards in April 1959. Films should be shipped express prepaid, and those not chosen as nominations for final balloting by the active Academy membership will be returned to the sender, express prepaid by the Academy. The Academy cannot pay import or customs duties on foreign films submitted for Documentary competition. Our responsibility for return shipping costs applies only to transportation within the United States.
10. “Subject to the inability of the producer to comply herewith, every Award shall be conditioned upon the delivery to the Academy of one print of every film nominated for final balloting for all Academy Awards, and such print shall become the property of the Academy with the proviso, however, that the Academy shall not use such prints for commercial gain. Such prints shall be deposited with the Academy and, subject to matters not within its control, shall be screened by the Academy for the membership in advance of distribution of final ballots.” (Academy By-Laws, Article 8, Section 1, (f).) Unless notified to the contrary, the Academy will retain for its archives every print chosen as a nomination for final balloting on the Documentary Awards.
11. Short Subjects Documentaries entered for these Awards may also be submitted for the Short Subjects competition, provided they qualify as Short Subject films. (See Short Subjects Rules 1 and 2.) Feature length Documentaries entered for these Awards are also eligible for the other Awards for feature length pictures, providing they qualify.
12. Both Documentary trophies shall be statuettes.

FOURTEEN

Special Rules for the Film Editing Award

1. A reminder list of all eligible pictures shall be sent with a preliminary ballot to all members of the Academy Film Editors Branch who shall vote in the order of their preference, for one or more, but not more than ten productions.
2. The ten productions receiving the greatest number of votes from this preliminary balloting shall then be screened to give all members of the Film Editors Branch an opportunity to see them under the same conditions.
3. Following the screenings, a nominations ballot listing the ten productions, shall be sent to all members of the Film Editors Branch who shall vote for not more than five productions in the order of their preference. The five productions receiving the greatest number of votes shall become the nominations for final voting for the Film Editing Award.
4. Final voting for the Film Editing Award shall be restricted to active Academy members.

FIFTEEN

Special Rules for the Foreign Language Film Award

1. This Award, (Academy Statuette) will be given for the best feature-length motion picture (over 3,000 feet) produced by a foreign company with a non-English sound track, first released from January 1, 1958, to December 31, 1958, and shown in a commercial theatre for the profit of the producer and exhibitor. The picture need not have been released in the United States, and English sub-titles are not required. However, if a print is available with titles in English the Academy will be glad to have that print submitted for voting. Prints will not be accepted with dialogue track other than in the original language. A story synopsis of the picture written in English must be sent to Hollywood when the film is submitted for Awards consideration whether the print shipped to us has the original language sound track or English sub-titles.
2. Every country shall be invited to submit its best film to the Academy in Hollywood. Selection of the best picture from each country shall be made by one group or organization, or by a jury or committee composed of representatives from several organizations in the country. Only one picture will be accepted from each country. The Academy cannot accept pictures as entries for the Award later than Friday, January 9, 1959.
3. All foreign films sent to the Hollywood Academy will be screened by the Academy committee on the Foreign Language Film Award. Their vote, by secret ballot, will nominate five foreign language pictures for the Award.
4. Final voting by secret ballot, to determine the Award for the Best Foreign Language Film of the year shall be done by the entire Academy membership. The five nominated pictures will be screened for the Academy members in Hollywood in the same manner as all other Academy nominated films are shown.
5. Entry blanks from each country are provided to give the Academy full information on every picture. All questions must be answered as fully as possible. Any other cast, credit, or fact sheets available should also be sent. A synopsis of the film written in English must be sent with each entry for the convenience of Customs.
6. After five foreign language films have been nominated, one representative of the producing company, to be designated by that company, will be invited to come to Hollywood for the Awards presentations in April 1959. The Statuette will be awarded to the picture and not to anyone individual.

SIXTEEN

Special Rules for the Music Awards

1. All Nominations balloting for the Scoring Awards and Best Song Award shall be restricted to members of the Academy Music Branch, but recognition of achievements shall not be limited to members of the Academy Music Branch.
2. A meeting of the Academy Music Branch shall be held to pass on the eligibility of the productions and to classify achievements as Musicals or Dramatic or Comedy Pictures.

3. A reminder list of all eligible productions shall be sent with a Preliminary Ballot to all members of the Academy Music Branch who shall vote in the order of their preference, for one or more, but not more than ten productions.
4. The ten productions receiving the highest score on this Preliminary Ballot shall then be screened for the entire Music Branch to give them an opportunity to see the ten pictures under the same conditions.
5. After the screenings have been scheduled, a Nominations Ballot, listing the ten productions, shall be sent to all Music Branch members of the Academy who shall vote for not more than five productions in the order of their preference. The five productions receiving the highest score shall become the nominations for final voting for the Best Scoring of a Musical Picture Award.
6. If credits are incomplete on scores listed as eligible on the Official Credits sheets sent to the Academy, those scores shall be declared ineligible, if after the Academy office has contacted all possible sources, they are unable to obtain proper credits.

7. The voting procedure for the Award for the Best Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture shall be the same as outlined in the rules governing the Best Scoring of a Musical Picture Award.

8. To be eligible for the Best Song Award, a song must be used vocally in an eligible motion picture. A visual rendition of the song is not essential, and if the rendition is interrupted by dramatic action at any time, a significant portion of the song must be heard in the picture. The song must have both lyric and melody and both must be used professionally for the first time in the same picture. Musical accompaniment is not essential, and the song must be recorded for use either in the body of an eligible picture or under the titles prior to any public performance in, or exploitation through, any of the following or similar media: radio, television, stage, night club, literary material, phonograph records or tapes, and publication in sheet music form available for purchase by the public.
9. “Public performance” as used above is interpreted to mean any public performance for profit; public performance at a benefit where admission is charged; or public performance where admission is free, but open to the general public.
10. Commercial recordings may be made only after the song is legally committed to the picture. Phonograph records, tapes, or any other form of mechanical or electronic reproduction of the song may not be released for sale to the public until after the song has been recorded for its use in the picture.
11. A song shall not be considered “used” in a picture if it is cut from that picture prior to the first regular commercial run of the film, even though it may have appeared at studio-arranged previews or trade showings. Such a song shall be eligible for an Award when used in another motion picture provided it is not exploited in any other medium or publicly performed as provided above prior to its use in the second picture.
12. If a song includes a substantial portion of lyric or music previously used in a motion picture, or exploited in any other medium so that the present use becomes what is known in the trade as an adaptation rather than a work original as to both music and lyric, or publicly performed as provided above, the song is not eligible for an Award.
13. In the case of songs transferred from one language to another, when the lyric in the second language is properly an adaptation, the adapter does not share in the Award. Decision as to whether a second language lyric is an adaptation or an original work shall be made by the Executive Committee of the Music Branch under guidance from properly selected language experts. The decision of the Executive Committee of the Music Branch shall be final. When, however, the lyric in the second language is a totally new concept (a totally original lyric including a new title) then the second writer shall share the nomination and/or Award with the original writer or writers.
14. A meeting of the Academy Music Branch shall be held to pass on the eligibility of the songs. After this meeting, a reminder list of all eligible achievements shall be sent with a Preliminary Ballot to all members of the Academy Music Branch who shall vote for one or more, but not more than ten achievements in the order of their preference.
15. The ten achievements receiving the highest score on this Preliminary Ballot shall then be screened for the entire Music Branch to give them an opportunity to see the ten pictures in which the songs are used, under the same conditions.
16. After the screenings have been scheduled, a Nominations Ballot, listing the ten songs, shall be sent to all Music Branch members of the Academy who shall vote for not more than five songs in the order of their preference. The five songs receiving the highest score shall become the nominations for final voting for the Best Song Award.
17. If credits are incomplete on songs listed as eligible on the Official Credits sheets sent to the Academy, those songs shall be declared ineligible, if after the Academy office has contacted all possible sources, they are unable to obtain proper credits.
18. The active Academy membership as a whole shall vote for final selection in each category: Best Scoring of a Musical Picture, Best Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture, and Best Song.

SEVENTEEN

Special Rules for Awards for Scientific or Technical Achievement

1. Academy Awards for Scientific or Technical Achievement shall be made by the Board of Governors, upon recommendation of a Scientific or Technical Awards Committee, for devices, methods, formulas, discoveries or inventions of special and outstanding value to the arts and sciences of motion pictures, and actually employed in the motion picture industry.
2. The Scientific or Technical Awards Committee shall consist of at least two representatives for each classification in which there are entries, and no more than six members-at-large.
3. Awards for Scientific or Technical Achievement may be granted in any of the three following classifications:

   THE CLASS I AWARD—Academy Statuette
   For basic achievements which have a definite influence upon the advancement of the industry.

   THE CLASS II AWARD—Academy Plaque
   For those achievements which exhibit a high level of engineering or technical merit and which are important contributions to the progress of the industry.

   THE CLASS III AWARD—Certificate
   For those accomplishments which are valuable contributions to the progress of the industry.

4. The Committee shall endeavor to acquaint itself with the motion picture scientific or technical achievements of the Awards year. To assist the Committee, letters shall be sent to all individuals, groups of individuals, or organizations engaged in scientific or technical developments for motion pictures, requesting them to submit entries for these awards.
5. Where entries are covered by patents, copies of the patent shall be made available to the Committee upon request. In submitting entries, full claim for originality and development of the achievement must be established with the Committee, and the person or persons claiming such credit must be named. If any controversy should arise as to the origin or development of the achievement in question, the Academy Board of Governors shall set such entry aside until full credit shall have been established to the satisfaction of the Board.
6. A list of all entries received shall be widely publicized to permit anyone with claims of prior art or with devices similar to those under consideration to bring them to the attention of the Committee.
7. The Committee shall then conduct a series of meetings, examinations, and demonstrations in order to evaluate such achievements and make recommendations for action by the Board of Governors.
8. In reviewing the entries the Committee shall, to the best of its knowledge, also give consideration to devices, methods, formulas, discoveries, or inventions not entered for consideration but similar to one or more of the entries received.
9. If, in the opinion of the Committee, a device or invention shall merit consideration and has not been entered, it shall be at the discretion of the Committee to so consider the device.
10. The Committee may notify all individuals and/or organizations credited with participation in each achievement, and each individual and/or organization may be requested to confirm the individual or joint credit as set forth in the entry; this confirmation to expressly state whether in the opinion of that individual and/or organization the achievement is a single or joint credit.
11. It shall be the responsibility of those submitting entries to arrange demonstrations for the Committee. If this is not feasible because of the nature of the entry or due to its location, the Committee shall be furnished with full and detailed information on the entry.
12. The Committee shall appoint subcommittees for each technical classification in which entries have been submitted. Each subcommittee shall consist of one representative from each studio, and additional representatives as may be required. The Chairman of each subcommittee shall be one of the members of the subcommittee and shall conduct its demonstrations, meetings, and discussions.
13. Each subcommittee shall consider all entries in its classification. The subcommittees shall not make recommendations as to award classification on the entries they consider, but shall evaluate them by completing prepared questionnaires. These evaluations shall be forwarded to the Scientific or Technical Awards Committee.
14. All voting by the Scientific or Technical Awards Committee shall be by written secret ballot and all decisions as to awards recommendations and classification shall require a two-thirds majority vote. The members of the Committee having a personal connection with an entry shall not be present at the discussion of such entry. Members of the Committee who are affiliated with the studio represented in the entry may be present at the discussion and voting, but may not vote on the entry.
15. The Committee shall recommend to the Academy Board of Governors the person, persons and/or organizations to whom an Award shall be bestowed, and the type of Award.
16. In recommending Awards, the Committee will judge to the best of its ability the scientific or technical merit of the achievements, but does not warrant that the person or persons named in the entry are responsible for the origin and development of the achievement named in the Award.
17. It shall be within the discretion of the Committee to recommend no Awards if, in its judgment, there has been no achievement worthy of recognition.
18. Such other rules as may be considered necessary for the proper conduct of this Award shall be put into effect by the Scientific or Technical Awards Committee, subject to the approval of the Academy Board of Governors.

EIGHTEEN

Special Rules for the Short Subjects Awards

1. Short Subjects eligible for these Awards shall be limited to a maximum of 3,000 feet in length; shall have been made and distributed for the profit of the producer, distributor and exhibitor, and must be distributed on the same basis by a recognized distributing organization to 35mm. theatres. To compete for these Awards, short subjects must be released in the Los Angeles County for a definite first paid play date of three consecutive days during the Awards year. Newsreels, previews, and films made for advertising purposes shall be excluded.
2. The producer or distributor of any short subject must furnish proof of commitments for general distribution at the time the picture is submitted for Awards consideration. Any picture disqualified under this rule will be accepted for the following year if it then qualifies.
3. Nominations may be submitted in two classifications :
   1. Cartoons, of 3,000 feet or less, utilizing animation or other cartoon techniques as the basic medium of entertainment.
   2. Live Action subjects of 3,000 feet or less, utilizing live action techniques as the basic medium of entertainment.
4. Any films on which there are questions as to eligibility or classification, as defined in Rule Three above, shall be screened by the Short Subjects Branch Executive Committee before the preliminary screenings are held. A majority vote of the Committee shall decide these questions, but the Committee may, at its discretion, request that a special showing be held for the full Branch. In this case, a majority vote of Branch members who attend the screening shall be decisive.
5. Short Subjects producers shall be permitted one entry from each series of shorts produced for regular release, i.e., if a studio has two or three series of cartoons, several series of live action shorts, then one short from each series may be presented for nominations balloting.
6. Short Subjects entered for these Awards may also be submitted for Documentary Short Subjects Awards, providing they qualify as Documentary Films.
7. Entry prints must be available for screening in Hollywood on dates to be specified.
8. All entries shall be screened by the Short Subjects Nominations Committee [see (a) below]. The running order of subjects in each classification shall be determined by lot.
   1. The Nominations Committee shall consist of all active members of the Academy Short Subjects Branch, plus three members from each of the following Academy branches: Actors, Art Directors, Cinematographers, Directors, Film Editors, Music, Producers, Sound and Writers, who shall be chosen by lot from a cadre of these branches. The Point System of voting, i.e., 10, 8, 6, is to be used at this Preliminary Screening only. (10 Excellent; 8 Good; 6 Fair.)
   2. Nominations for final balloting shall be not more than five in each category, but may be reduced to less than five by the procedure outlined in (c) below.
   3. If, in the tabulation of the nominations ballots (after the preliminary screening), the subjects which place fifth and/or fourth on the list do not achieve a total score of 8.0 (the mean average in the point system of 10, 8, 6), these subjects shall not be declared nominated and the nominations for final balloting may, by this method, be reduced to four or three in either category. If, however, the subject which places third on the list has a total score of less than 8.0 it shall be declared a nomination. The intent of this rule is to present at least three nominations for final balloting in both short subject categories.
9. The final vote shall be taken at a special exhibition of the nominated subjects for Academy members and guests. All active Academy members present shall participate in the final voting, and shall vote for only one entry in each classification. The running order for the final judging shall be: Cartoons and Live Action Subjects, the order of showing within each group being decided by lot.
10. In both preliminary and final voting, the excellence of the entries shall be judged on the basis of entertainment, originality and production quality, without regard to cost of production or subject matter.

NINETEEN

Special Rules for the Sound Award

1. A reminder list of all eligible pictures shall be sent with a preliminary ballot to all members of the Academy Sound Branch, who shall vote in the order of their preference, for one or more, but not more than ten productions.
2. The ten productions receiving the greatest number of votes shall then be screened for the Academy Sound Branch membership, augmented by a sufficient number of qualified sound technicians to assure that there are at least two representatives from each studio sound department. The augmented group shall constitute the Sound Award Nominating Committee, who shall attend the screenings of all pictures chosen in the preliminary balloting. To be qualified to vote, each member of the Committee must be present at the screenings of all productions under consideration.
3. Pictures shown for the committee shall be standard release prints and shall be judged on their dramatic and technical values.
4. Before screening, the representatives of the two pictures to be shown each evening may run portions of their pictures to determine fader settings for the screening. However, at the actual screening, but only during the first 1,000 ft. of dialogue, each representative may make any adjustments he deems necessary. No further fader adjustments may then be made.
5. After all productions have been screened, a final meeting shall be held, at which time a 1,000 ft. excerpt from each production shall be screened. The excerpts shall be shown in the same order of running as the full productions. Excerpts of pictures which require the use of special projection equipment will not be run for the committee.
6. Following the screenings, a nominations ballot, listing the ten productions under consideration, shall be given to each member of the Sound Award Nominating Committee, who shall vote for not more than five productions in the order of his preference. The five productions receiving the greatest number of votes shall become the nominations for final voting for the Sound Award.
7. Such other rules as may be necessary for the proper conduct of this Award shall be adopted by the Sound Award Committee, subject to the approval of the Academy Awards Rules Committee.
8. Final voting for the Sound Award shall be restricted to active Academy members.

TWENTY

Special Rules for the Special Effects Award

1. Achievements being considered for nomination for the Special Effects Award shall be judged for:
   1. The necessity of the special photographic and/or sound effects employed to overcome economic infeasibility and/or physical impracticability.
   2. The skill with which the illusion of absolute reality was accomplished so that the mechanics of the effect mediums were not apparent in the final result.
2. The Special Effects Award Nominating Committee shall consist of two special photographic effects representatives and one special sound effects representative from each major production company, appointed by the Academy President. This committee shall be charged with the responsibility of nominating two productions, representing, in their judgment, the best special effects work of the year.
3. Entries for this award may be submitted for one or more of the following special photographic effects: Full-Sized Mechanical, Matte Paintings, Miniatures, Optical, and Transparency Projection; and Sound Effects. Motion pictures or sequences that are principally cartoons are not eligible for this award. Effect animation used in live-action pictures may be considered in the optical effects category.
4. Representatives of each submitted production shall prepare excerpts and provide a brief written description of the special effects in the picture. The description shall indicate which of the effects categories are being submitted and shall name the one person principally responsible for the work in each category. Categories retained through committee balloting will thus automatically indicate who shall receive the award, or awards, when the winning picture is selected by the final vote of the full Academy membership. Copies of the descriptions of the special effects will be made available to the committee in advance of a meeting at which the Nominations voting will be conducted.
5. When all entries have been received, the Special Effects Award Nominating Committee shall be expanded to include two special photographic effects representatives and one special sound effects representative for each entry. To be qualified to participate in the voting each member of the Committee must view all sequences during one meeting in the same auditorium. Any member of the Committee who is unable to attend may send a technically qualified substitute.
6. At the Nominations voting meeting, excerpts from each of the productions entered for consideration shall be screened. The Committee shall be provided with forms on which to make notes. The order of screening shall be determined by lot before the meeting.
7. After all of the excerpts have been run, the voting shall be conducted in two steps:
   1. Ballots for each of the productions under consideration, listing all of the visual categories in which the picture has been entered, shall be distributed to the Photographic Effects members of the Committee. Each Photographic member shall check the one visual category on each ballot which he feels represents the best achievement in the picture. After the visual effects category ballots have been marked, they shall be collected and tabulated. The category in each picture receiving the highest number of votes shall be the one to be considered in the final step of the Nominations voting. If there is a tie for first place, the two categories thus tied shall become the ones to be considered. If there is no tie, but the next highest visual category is within four votes of the first place category, both categories shall then be considered. If a picture is entered in only one visual category, no category balloting will be necessary and it will automatically be considered. A picture is not eligible which is not entered in at least one visual category.
   2. Ballots listing all productions which have been entered for sound effects consideration shall be distributed to all sound effects members of the committee, who shall vote by simple majority whether to retain the sound effects category for each production.
   3. After the results of the category balloting have been made known to the Committee, Nominations ballots shall be distributed and the Committee shall vote for five productions in the order of their preference. The two productions receiving the highest number of votes in the preferential tabulation process shall become the Nominations for the Special Effects Award.
8. Such other rules as may be considered necessary for the proper conduct of this award shall be adopted by the Special Effects Award Nominating Committee subject to the approval of the Academy Awards Rules Committee.
9. Final voting for the Special Effects Award shall be restricted to active Academy members.

TWENTY-ONE

Special Rules for the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award

1. The Board of Governors shall review the achievement records of individuals responsible for motion picture production and verbal nominations shall be made from the floor.
2. When the nominations are completed, a written secret ballot shall be taken, and if one candidate receives a majority vote of the Governors present he shall receive the Thalberg Award.
3. If, on the first ballot, no candidate receives a majority vote of the Governors present, a second ballot shall be distributed, listing the two candidates who received the highest number of votes on the first ballot. If a tie for second place occurs on the first ballot, the second ballot shall list three names.
4. If one of the candidates on the second ballot receives the majority vote of the Governors present at the meeting, he shall be declared the winner of the Thalberg Award. However, if the second ballot should result in a tie for first place, a third and final ballot shall be taken on the two names tied for first place.
5. If no candidate receives the majority vote of the Governors present on the second or third ballot, no Thalberg Award shall be given that year.
6. No proxies shall be permitted in balloting for the Thalberg Award.
7. No individual shall be eligible to receive the Thalberg Award more than once every three years.

TWENTY-TWO

Special Rules for the Writing Awards

1. A reminder list showing the pictures eligible in each category: Best Screenplay—based on material from another medium, and Best Story and Screenplay—written directly for the screen, shall be sent with nominations ballots to all members of the Academy Writers Branch, who shall vote in the order of their preference for five writing achievements in each category.
2. The five writing achievements in each category receiving the highest number of votes shall become the nominations for final voting for the Writing Awards.
3. In the event that two achievements by a writing team or writer without collaborator shall receive sufficient votes to be nominated in the same category, only the one which, in the preferential tabulation process, first receives the quota (number of votes required to be nominated) shall be nominated. The votes for the second achievement shall thereupon be redistributed.
4. Final balloting for the writing Awards shall be restricted to active Academy members.

Thirty-first Annual Awards - 1958 Calendar Year
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

AWARD	NOMINATIONS BALLOTING		FINAL BALLOTING
	MAXIMUM NUMBER OF NOMINATIONS	NOMINATING GROUPS
ACTOR ACTRESS SUPPORTING ACTOR SUPPORTING ACTRESS	5 5 5 5	Academy Actors Branch Members.
ART DIRECTION	5	Preliminary Balloting by Art Director and Set Decorator members of the Academy Art Directors Branch. Nominations Balloting by all members of the Academy Art Directors Branch.
BEST PICTURE	5	All Active Academy Members.
CINEMATOGRAPHY   BLACK-AND-WHITE   COLOR	5 5	Preliminary and Nominations Balloting by Academy Cinematographers Branch Members.
COSTUME DESIGN	5	Preliminary Balloting by Costume Designer Members of the Academy Art Directors Branch. Nominations Balloting by all members of the Academy Art Directors Branch.
DIRECTING	5	Academy Directors Branch Members.
FILM EDITING	5	Preliminary and Nominations Balloting by Academy Film Editors Branch Members.
FOREIGN LANGUAGE   FILM AWARD	5	Foreign Language Film Award Nominating Committee.
MUSIC:   SCORING OF A     MUSICAL PICTURE   MUSIC SCORE     OF A DRAMATIC OR     COMEDY PICTURE   BEST SONG	5 5 5	Preliminary and Nominations Balloting by Academy Music Branch Members.
SHORT SUBJECTS:   CARTOONS, 3,00 feet   or less   LIVE ACTION   SUBJECTS, 3,000 feet   or less	5 5	Academy Short Subjects Branch plus three each from Actors, Art Directors, Cinematographers, Directors, Film Editors, Music, Producers, Sound and Writers Branches.
SOUND	5	Sound Branch members who attend all screenings, augmented by sufficient number of qualified sound technicians to assure two representatives from each studio sound department.
SPECIAL EFFECTS	2	Special Effects Award Nominating Committee.
WRITING:   SCREENPLAY—based on   material from another   medium   STORY AND SCREENPLAY—   written directly for the   screen	5 5	Academy Writers Branch Members.

OTHER AWARDS:
DOCUMENTARY AWARDS	Nominations by Special Committee—Final Voting by Active Academy Membership at Special Screening.
JEAN HERSHOLT HUMANITARIAN AWARD	Voted by Board of Governors.
SCIENTIFIC OR TECHNICAL AWARDS	Voted by Board of Governors, Based on Recommendations of Special Committee.
THALBERG MEMORIAL AWARD	Voted by Board of Governors.

HONORARY AWARDS:
HONORARY JUVENILE AWARD	Voted by Board of Governors.
ALL OTHER HONORARY AWARDS