1939 (12th Annual Awards)
Nominations and Winners

Listed below are the Academy Award nominations and winners for the year 1939. The symbol appears next to the winner in each category. Click on the name of a film, person or song in the list to display more information about that film, person or song. Or, click on a year in the column on the right to display the nominations and winners from that year.

Outstanding Production

Dark Victory, Warner Bros.-First National.

Gone with the Wind, Selznick International Pictures; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

Goodbye, Mr. Chips, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (British).

Love Affair, RKO Radio.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Columbia.

Ninotchka, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

Of Mice and Men, Hal Roach; United Artists.

Stagecoach, Walter Wanger; United Artists.

The Wizard of Oz, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

Wuthering Heights, Samuel Goldwyn Productions; United Artists.

Best Actor

Robert Donat in Goodbye, Mr. Chips, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (British).

Clark Gable in Gone with the Wind, Selznick International Pictures; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

Laurence Olivier in Wuthering Heights, Samuel Goldwyn Productions; United Artists.

Mickey Rooney in Babes in Arms, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

James Stewart in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Columbia.

Best Actress

Bette Davis in Dark Victory, Warner Bros.-First National.

Irene Dunne in Love Affair, RKO Radio.

Greta Garbo in Ninotchka, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

Greer Garson in Goodbye, Mr. Chips, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (British).

Vivien Leigh in Gone with the Wind, Selznick International Pictures; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

Actor in a Supporting Role

Brian Aherne in Juarez, Warner Bros.

Harry Carey in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Columbia.

Brian Donlevy in Beau Geste, Paramount.

Thomas Mitchell in Stagecoach, Walter Wanger; United Artists.

Claude Rains in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Columbia.

Actress in a Supporting Role

Olivia de Havilland in Gone with the Wind, Selznick International Pictures; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

Geraldine Fitzgerald in Wuthering Heights, Samuel Goldwyn Productions; United Artists.

Hattie McDaniel in Gone with the Wind, Selznick International Pictures; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

Edna May Oliver in Drums Along the Mohawk, 20th Century-Fox.

Maria Ouspenskaya in Love Affair, RKO Radio.

Directing

Gone with the Wind, Selznick International Pictures; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Victor Fleming.

Goodbye, Mr. Chips, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (British). Sam Wood.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Columbia. Frank Capra.

Stagecoach, Walter Wanger; United Artists. John Ford.

Wuthering Heights, Samuel Goldwyn Productions; United Artists. William Wyler.

Art Direction

Beau Geste, Paramount. Hans Dreier and Robert Odell.

Captain Fury, Hal Roach; United Artists. Charles D. Hall.

First Love, Universal. Jack Otterson and Martin Obzina.

Gone with the Wind, Selznick International Pictures; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Lyle Wheeler.

Love Affair, RKO Radio. Van Nest Polglase and Al Herman.

Man of Conquest, Republic. John Victor Mackay.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Columbia. Lionel Banks.

The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex, Warner Bros. Anton Grot.

The Rains Came, 20th Century-Fox. William S. Darling and George Dudley.

Stagecoach, Walter Wanger; United Artists. Alexander Toluboff.

The Wizard of Oz, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Cedric Gibbons and William A. Horning.

Wuthering Heights, Samuel Goldwyn Productions; United Artists. James Basevi.

Cinematography

(Black-and-White)

Stagecoach, Walter Wanger; United Artists. Bert Glennon.

Wuthering Heights, Samuel Goldwyn Productions; United Artists. Gregg Toland.

(Color)

Gone with the Wind, Selznick International Pictures; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Ernest Haller and Ray Rennahan.

The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex, Warner Bros. Sol Polito and W. Howard Greene.

Film Editing

Gone with the Wind, Selznick International Pictures; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Hal C. Kern and James E. Newcom.

Goodbye, Mr. Chips, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (British). Charles Frend.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Columbia. Gene Havlick and Al Clark.

The Rains Came, 20th Century-Fox. Barbara McLean.

Stagecoach, Walter Wanger; United Artists. Otho Lovering and Dorothy Spencer.

Music

(Original Score)

Dark Victory, Warner Bros.-First National. Max Steiner.

Eternally Yours, Walter Wanger; United Artists. Werner Janssen.

Golden Boy, Columbia. Victor Young.

Gone with the Wind, Selznick International Pictures; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Max Steiner.

Gulliver’s Travels, Paramount. Victor Young.

The Man in the Iron Mask, Edward Small; United Artists. Lud Gluskin and Lucien Moraweck.

Man of Conquest, Republic. Victor Young.

Nurse Edith Cavell, RKO Radio. Anthony Collins.

Of Mice and Men, Hal Roach; United Artists. Aaron Copland.

The Rains Came, 20th Century-Fox. Alfred Newman.

The Wizard of Oz, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Herbert Stothart.

Wuthering Heights, Samuel Goldwyn Productions; United Artists. Alfred Newman.

(Scoring)

Babes in Arms, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. George E. Stoll and Roger Edens.

First Love, Universal. Charles Previn.

The Great Victor Herbert, Paramount. Phil Boutelje and Arthur Lange.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame, RKO Radio. Alfred Newman.

Intermezzo, Selznick International Pictures; United Artists. Lou Forbes.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Columbia. Dimitri Tiomkin.

Of Mice and Men, Hal Roach; United Artists. Aaron Copland.

The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex, Warner Bros. Erich Wolfgang Korngold.

She Married a Cop, Republic. Cy Feuer.

Stagecoach, Walter Wanger; United Artists. Richard Hageman, Frank Harling, John Leipold and Leo Shuken.

Swanee River, 20th Century-Fox. Louis Silvers.

They Shall Have Music, Samuel Goldwyn Productions; United Artists. Alfred Newman.

Way Down South, Sol Lesser; RKO Radio. Victor Young.

(Song)

Faithful Forever from Gulliver’s Travels, Paramount. Music by Ralph Rainger; lyrics by Leo Robin.

I Poured My Heart into a Song from Second Fiddle, 20th Century-Fox. Music and lyrics by Irving Berlin.

Over the Rainbow from The Wizard of Oz, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Music by Harold Arlen; lyrics by E. Y. Harburg.

Wishing from Love Affair, RKO Radio. Music and lyrics by Buddy de Sylva.

Short Subjects

(Cartoons)

Detouring America, Warner Bros. [Merrie Melodies Series]

Peace on Earth, Hugh Harmon; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

The Pointer, Walt Disney Productions; RKO Radio. [Mickey Mouse Series] Walt Disney, Producer.

The Ugly Duckling, Walt Disney Productions; RKO Radio. [Silly Symphony Series] Walt Disney, Producer.

(One-reel)

Busy Little Bears, Paramount. [Paragraphics Series]

Information Please, RKO Radio.

Prophet Without Honor, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. [Miniature Series]

Sword Fishing, Warner Bros. [Vitaphone Variety Series]

(Two-reel)

Drunk Driving, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. [Crime Doesn’t Pay Series]

Five Times Five, Pathe; RKO Radio. [Special Series]

Sons of Liberty, Warner Bros. [Historical Featurette Series]

Sound Recording

Balalaika, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studio Sound Department, Douglas Shearer, Sound Director.

Gone with the Wind, Selznick International Pictures; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Samuel Goldwyn Studio Sound Department, Thomas T. Moulton, Sound Director.

Goodbye, Mr. Chips, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (British). Denham Studio Sound Department, A. W. Watkins, Sound Director.

The Great Victor Herbert, Paramount. Paramount Studio Sound Department, Loren L. Ryder, Sound Director.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame, RKO Radio. RKO Radio Studio Sound Department, John Aalberg, Sound Director.

Man of Conquest, Republic. Republic Studio Sound Department, Charles L. Lootens, Sound Director.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Columbia. Columbia Studio Sound Department, John Livadary, Sound Director.

Of Mice and Men, Hal Roach; United Artists. Hal Roach Studio Sound Department, Elmer A. Raguse, Sound Director.

The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex, Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Studio Sound Department, Nathan Levinson, Sound Director.

The Rains Came, 20th Century-Fox. 20th Century-Fox Studio Sound Department, E. H. Hansen, Sound Director.

When Tomorrow Comes, Universal. Universal Studio Sound Department, Bernard B. Brown, Sound Director.

Special Effects

Gone with the Wind, Selznick International Pictures; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. John R. Cosgrove, Fred Albin and Arthur Johns.

Only Angels Have Wings, Columbia. Roy Davidson and Edwin C. Hahn.

The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex, Warner Bros. Byron Haskin and Nathan Levinson.

The Rains Came, 20th Century-Fox. Fred Sersen and E. H. Hansen.

Topper Takes a Trip, Hal Roach; United Artists. Roy Seawright.

Union Pacific, Paramount. Farciot Edouart, Gordon Jennings and Loren Ryder.

The Wizard of Oz, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. A. Arnold Gillespie and Douglas Shearer.

Writing

(Original Story)

Bachelor Mother, RKO Radio. Felix Jackson.

Love Affair, RKO Radio. Mildred Cram and Leo McCarey.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Columbia. Lewis R. Foster.

Ninotchka, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Melchior Lengyel.

Young Mr. Lincoln, Cosmopolitan; 20th Century-Fox. Lamar Trotti.

(Screenplay)

Gone with the Wind, Selznick International Pictures; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Sidney Howard.

Goodbye, Mr. Chips, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (British). R. C. Sherriff, Claudine West and Eric Maschwitz.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Columbia. Sidney Buchman.

Ninotchka, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Charles Brackett, Billy Wilder and Walter Reisch.

Wuthering Heights, Samuel Goldwyn Productions; United Artists. Charles MacArthur and Ben Hecht.

Special Award

To Douglas Fairbanks—recognizing the unique and outstanding contribution of Douglas Fairbanks, first President of the Academy, to the intenational development of the motion picture. [Statuette]

To The Motion Picture Relief Fund—acknowledging the outstanding services to the industry during the past year of the Motion Picture Relief Fund and its progressive leadership. Presented to Jean Hersholt, President; Ralph Morgan, Chairman of the Executive Committee; Ralph Block, First Vice-President; and Conrad Nagel. [Plaque]

To William Cameron Menzies for outstanding achievement in the use of color for the enhancement of dramatic mood in the production of Gone with the Wind. [Plaque]

To The Technicolor Company for its contributions in successfully bringing three-color feature production to the screen. [Statuette]

(Juvenile)

To Judy Garland for her outstanding performance as a screen juvenile during the past year. [Miniature Statuette]

Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award

David O. Selznick

Scientific or Technical Award

(Class III)

To George Anderson of Warner Bros. Studio for an improved positive head for sun arcs.

To John Arnold of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studio for the M-G-M mobile camera crane.

To Thomas T. Moulton, Fred Albin, and the Sound Department of the Samuel Goldwyn Studio for the origination and application of the Delta db test to sound recording in motion pictures.

To Farciot Edouart, Joseph E. Robbins, William Rudolph and Paramount Pictures, Inc. for the design and construction of a quiet portable treadmill.

To Emery Huse and Ralph B. Atkinson of the Eastman Kodak Company for their specifications for chemical analysis of photographic developers and fixing baths.

To Harold Nye of Warner Bros. Studio for a miniature incandescent spot lamp.

To A. J. Tondreau of Warner Bros. Studio for the design and manufacture of an improved sound track printer.

Multiple Award for important contributions in cooperative development of new improved Process Projection Equipment:

F. R. Abbott, Haller Belt, Alan Cook and the Bausch & Lomb Optical Company for faster projection lenses;

The Mitchell Camera Company for a new type process projection head;

Mole-Richardson Company for a new type automatically controlled projection arc lamp;

Charley Handley, David Joy and the National Carbon Company for improved and more stable high-intensity carbons;

Winton Hoch and the Technicolor Motion Picture Corp. for an auxiliary optical system;

Don Musgrave and Selznick International Pictures, Inc. for pioneering in the use of coordinated equipment in the production, Gone with the Wind.