1978 (51st Annual Awards)
Nominations and Winners

Listed below are the Academy Award nominations and winners for the year 1978. 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.

Best Picture

Coming Home, Jerome Hellman Enterprises Production; United Artists. Jerome Hellman, Producer.

The Deer Hunter, EMI Films/Michael Cimino Film Production; Universal. Barry Spikings, Michael Deeley, Michael Cimino and John Peverall, Producers.

Heaven Can Wait, Dogwood Productions; Paramount. Warren Beatty, Producer.

Midnight Express, Casablanca Filmworks Production; Columbia. (UK, USA) Alan Marshall and David Puttnam, Producers.

An Unmarried Woman, 20th Century-Fox Production; 20th Century-Fox. Paul Mazursky and Tony Ray, Producers.

Actor in a Leading Role

Warren Beatty in Heaven Can Wait, Dogwood Productions; Paramount.

Gary Busey in The Buddy Holly Story, Innovisions-ECA Production; Columbia.

Robert De Niro in The Deer Hunter, EMI Films/Michael Cimino Film Production; Universal.

Laurence Olivier in The Boys from Brazil, ITC Entertainment Production; 20th Century-Fox. (UK, USA)

Jon Voight in Coming Home, Jerome Hellman Enterprises Production; United Artists.

Actress in a Leading Role

Ingrid Bergman in Autumn Sonata, Personafilm GmbH Production; Sir Lew Grade-Martin Starger-ITC Entertainment Presentation; New World Pictures. (Sweden, France, West Germany, UK)

Ellen Burstyn in Same Time, Next Year, Walter Mirisch-Robert Mulligan Production; Mirisch Corporation/Universal Pictures Presentation; Universal.

Jill Clayburgh in An Unmarried Woman, 20th Century-Fox Production; 20th Century-Fox.

Jane Fonda in Coming Home, Jerome Hellman Enterprises Production; United Artists.

Geraldine Page in Interiors, Jack Rollins and Charles H. Joffe Production; United Artists.

Actor in a Supporting Role

Bruce Dern in Coming Home, Jerome Hellman Enterprises Production; United Artists.

Richard Farnsworth in Comes a Horseman, Robert Chartoff-Irwin Winkler Production; United Artists.

John Hurt in Midnight Express, Casablanca Filmworks Production; Columbia. (UK, USA)

Christopher Walken in The Deer Hunter, EMI Films/Michael Cimino Film Production; Universal.

Jack Warden in Heaven Can Wait, Dogwood Productions; Paramount.

Actress in a Supporting Role

Dyan Cannon in Heaven Can Wait, Dogwood Productions; Paramount.

Penelope Milford in Coming Home, Jerome Hellman Enterprises Production; United Artists.

Maggie Smith in California Suite, Ray Stark Production; Columbia.

Maureen Stapleton in Interiors, Jack Rollins and Charles H. Joffe Production; United Artists.

Meryl Streep in The Deer Hunter, EMI Films/Michael Cimino Film Production; Universal.

Directing

Coming Home, Jerome Hellman Enterprises Production; United Artists. Hal Ashby.

The Deer Hunter, EMI Films/Michael Cimino Film Production; Universal. Michael Cimino.

Heaven Can Wait, Dogwood Productions; Paramount. Warren Beatty and Buck Henry.

Interiors, Jack Rollins and Charles H. Joffe Production; United Artists. Woody Allen.

Midnight Express, Casablanca Filmworks Production; Columbia. (UK, USA) Alan Parker.

Art Direction-Set Decoration

The Brink’s Job, William Friedkin Film/Universal Production; Dino De Laurentiis Presentation; Universal. Art direction by Dean Tavoularis and Angelo Graham; set decoration by George R. Nelson and Bruce Kay.

California Suite, Ray Stark Production; Columbia. Art direction by Albert Brenner; set decoration by Marvin March.

Heaven Can Wait, Dogwood Productions; Paramount. Art direction by Paul Sylbert and Edwin O’Donovan; set decoration by George Gaines.

Interiors, Jack Rollins and Charles H. Joffe Production; United Artists. Art direction by Mel Bourne; set decoration by Daniel Robert.

The Wiz, Motown/Universal Pictures Production; Universal. Art direction by Tony Walton and Philip Rosenberg; set decoration by Edward Stewart and Robert Drumheller.

Cinematography

Days of Heaven, OP Production; Paramount. Nestor Almendros.

The Deer Hunter, EMI Films/Michael Cimino Film Production; Universal. Vilmos Zsigmond.

Heaven Can Wait, Dogwood Productions; Paramount. William A. Fraker.

Same Time, Next Year, Walter Mirisch-Robert Mulligan Production; Mirisch Corporation/Universal Pictures Presentation; Universal. Robert Surtees.

The Wiz, Motown/Universal Pictures Production; Universal. Oswald Morris.

Costume Design

Caravans, Ibex Films-F.I.D.C.I. Production; Universal. (Iran, USA) Renie Conley.

Days of Heaven, OP Production; Paramount. Patricia Norris.

Death on the Nile, John Brabourne-Richard Goodwin Production; Paramount. (UK) Anthony Powell.

The Swarm, Warner Bros. Production; Warner Bros. Paul Zastupnevich.

The Wiz, Motown/Universal Pictures Production; Universal. Tony Walton.

Documentary

(Feature)

The Lovers’ Wind, Ministry of Culture & Arts of Iran. (Iran, France) Albert Lamorisse, Producer.

Mysterious Castles of Clay, Survival Anglia Ltd. Production. Alan Root, Producer.

Raoni, Franco-Brazilian Production. (France, Brazil, Belgium) Jean-Pierre Dutilleux, Barry Williams and Michel Gast, Producers.

Scared Straight!, Golden West Television Production. Arnold Shapiro, Producer.

With Babies and Banners: Story of the Women’s Emergency Brigade, Women’s Labor History Film Project Production. Anne Bohlen, Lyn Goldfarb and Lorraine Gray, Producers.

(Short Subject)

The Divided Trail: A Native American Odyssey, Jerry Aronson Production. Jerry Aronson, Producer.

An Encounter with Faces, Films Division, Government of India. (India) K. K. Kapil, Producer.

The Flight of the Gossamer Condor, Shedd Production. Jacqueline Phillips Shedd and Ben Shedd, Producers.

Goodnight Miss Ann, August Cinquegrana Films Production. August Cinquegrana, Producer.

Squires of San Quentin, The J. Gary Mitchell Film Company. J. Gary Mitchell, Producer.

Film Editing

The Boys from Brazil, ITC Entertainment Production; 20th Century-Fox. (UK, USA) Robert E. Swink.

Coming Home, Jerome Hellman Enterprises Production; United Artists. Don Zimmerman.

The Deer Hunter, EMI Films/Michael Cimino Film Production; Universal. Peter Zinner.

Midnight Express, Casablanca Filmworks Production; Columbia. (UK, USA) Gerry Hambling.

Superman, Dovemead Ltd. Production; Alexander Salkind Presentation; Warner Bros. (USA, UK, Canada, Switzerland) Stuart Baird.

Foreign Language Film

Get Out Your Handkerchiefs, Les Films Ariane-C.A.P.A.C. Production. (France, Belgium)

The Glass Cell, Roxy Film Production. (West Germany, Portugal)

Hungarians, Dialog Studio Production. (Hungary)

Viva Italia!, Dean Film Production. (Italy)

White Bim Black Ear, Central Studio of Films for Children and Youth Production. (Soviet Union)

Music

(Adaptation Score)

The Buddy Holly Story, Innovisions-ECA Production; Columbia. Joe Renzetti.

Pretty Baby, Louis Malle Film Production; Paramount. Jerry Wexler.

The Wiz, Motown/Universal Pictures Production; Universal. Quincy Jones.

(Original Score)

The Boys from Brazil, ITC Entertainment Production; 20th Century-Fox. (UK, USA) Jerry Goldsmith.

Days of Heaven, OP Production; Paramount. Ennio Morricone.

Heaven Can Wait, Dogwood Productions; Paramount. Dave Grusin.

Midnight Express, Casablanca Filmworks Production; Columbia. (UK, USA) Giorgio Moroder.

Superman, Dovemead Ltd. Production; Alexander Salkind Presentation; Warner Bros. (USA, UK, Canada, Switzerland) John Williams.

(Original Song)

Hopelessly Devoted to You from Grease, Robert Stigwood/Allan Carr Production; Paramount. Music and lyrics by John Farrar.

Last Dance from Thank God It’s Friday, Casablanca-Motown Production; Columbia. Music and lyrics by Paul Jabara.

The Last Time I Felt Like This from Same Time, Next Year, Walter Mirisch-Robert Mulligan Production; Mirisch Corporation/Universal Pictures Presentation; Universal. Music by Marvin Hamlisch; lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman.

Ready to Take a Chance Again from Foul Play, Miller-Milkis/Colin Higgins Picture Production; Paramount. Music by Charles Fox; lyrics by Norman Gimbel.

When You’re Loved from The Magic of Lassie, Lassie Productions; The International Picture Show Company. Music and lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman.

Short Films

(Animated)

Oh My Darling, Nico Crama Productions. (Netherlands) Nico Crama, Producer.

Rip Van Winkle, Will Vinton Productions. Will Vinton, Producer.

Special Delivery, National Film Board of Canada. (Canada) Eunice Macaulay and John Weldon, Producers.

(Live Action)

A Different Approach, Jim Belcher/Brookfield Production. Jim Belcher and Fern Field, Producers.

Mandy’s Grandmother, Illumination Films. Andrew Sugerman, Producer.

Strange Fruit, The American Film Institute. Seth Pinsker, Producer.

Teenage Father, New Visions Inc. for the Children’s Home Society of California. Taylor Hackford, Producer.

Sound

The Buddy Holly Story, Innovisions-ECA Production; Columbia. Tex Rudloff, Joel Fein, Curly Thirlwell and Willie Burton.

Days of Heaven, OP Production; Paramount. John K. Wilkinson, Robert W. Glass, Jr., John T. Reitz and Barry Thomas.

The Deer Hunter, EMI Films/Michael Cimino Film Production; Universal. Richard Portman, William McCaughey, Aaron Rochin and Darin Knight.

Hooper, Warner Bros. Production; Warner Bros. Robert Knudson, Robert J. Glass, Don MacDougall and Jack Solomon.

Superman, Dovemead Ltd. Production; Alexander Salkind Presentation; Warner Bros. (USA, UK, Canada, Switzerland) Gordon K. McCallum, Graham Hartstone, Nicolas Le Messurier and Roy Charman.

Special Achievement Award

(Visual Effects)

Superman, Dovemead Ltd. Production; Alexander Salkind Presentation; Warner Bros. (USA, UK, Canada, Switzerland) Les Bowie, Colin Chilvers, Denys Coop, Roy Field, Derek Meddings and Zoran Perisic.

Writing

(Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium)

Bloodbrothers, Warner Bros. Production; Warner Bros. Walter Newman.

California Suite, Ray Stark Production; Columbia. Neil Simon.

Heaven Can Wait, Dogwood Productions; Paramount. Elaine May and Warren Beatty.

Midnight Express, Casablanca Filmworks Production; Columbia. (UK, USA) Oliver Stone.

Same Time, Next Year, Walter Mirisch-Robert Mulligan Production; Mirisch Corporation/Universal Pictures Presentation; Universal. Bernard Slade.

(Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen)

Autumn Sonata, Personafilm GmbH Production; Sir Lew Grade-Martin Starger-ITC Entertainment Presentation; New World Pictures. (Sweden, France, West Germany, UK) Ingmar Bergman.

Coming Home, Jerome Hellman Enterprises Production; United Artists. Story by Nancy Dowd; screenplay by Waldo Salt and Robert C. Jones.

The Deer Hunter, EMI Films/Michael Cimino Film Production; Universal. Story by Michael Cimino, Deric Washburn, Louis Garfinkle and Quinn K. Redeker; screenplay by Deric Washburn.

Interiors, Jack Rollins and Charles H. Joffe Production; United Artists. Woody Allen.

An Unmarried Woman, 20th Century-Fox Production; 20th Century-Fox. Paul Mazursky.

Honorary Award

To Walter Lantz for bringing joy and laughter to every part of the world through his unique animated motion pictures. [ [Statuette]]

To The Museum of Modern Art, Department of Film for the contributions it had made to the public’s perception of movies as an art form. [ [Statuette]]

To Laurence Olivier for the full body of his work, for the unique achievements of his entire career, and for his lifetime of contribution to the art of film. [ [Statuette]]

To King Vidor for his incomparable achievements as a cinematic creator and innovator. [ [Statuette]]

To Linwood G. Dunn, Loren L. Ryder and Waldon O. Watson in appreciation for outstanding service and dedication in upholding the high standards of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. [ [Medal of Commendation]]

Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award

Leo Jaffe

Scientific or Technical Award

(Academy Award of Merit)

To Eastman Kodak Company for the research and development of a Duplicating Color film for Motion Pictures.

To Stefan Kudelski of Nagra Magnetic Recorders, Incorporated, for the continuing research, design and development of the Nagra Production Sound Recorder for Motion Pictures.

To Panavision, Incorporated, and its engineering staff under the direction of Robert E. Gottschalk, for the concept, design and continuous development of the Panaflex Motion Picture Camera System.

(Scientific and Engineering Award)

To Ray M. Dolby, Ioan R. Allen, David P. Robinson, Stephen M. Katz and Philip S. J. Boole of Dolby Laboratories, Incorporated, for the development and implementation of an improved Sound Recording and Reproducing System for Motion Picture Production and Exhibition.

(Technical Achievement Award)

To Karl Macher and Glenn M. Berggren of Isco Optische Werke for the development and introduction of the Cinelux-ULTRA Lens for 35mm Motion Picture Projection.

To David J. Degenkolb, Arthur L. Ford and Fred J. Scobey of DeLuxe General, Incorporated, for the development of a Method to Recycle Motion Picture Laboratory Photographic Wash Waters by Ion Exchange.

To Kiichi Sekiguchi of CINE-FI International for the development of the CINE-FI Auto Radio Sound System for Drive-In Theaters.

To Leonard Chapman of Leonard Equipment Company, for the design and manufacture of a small, mobile, motion picture camera platform known as the Chapman Hustler Dolly.

To James L. Fisher of J. L. Fisher, Incorporated, for the design and manufacture of a small, mobile, motion picture camera platform known as the Fisher Model Ten Dolly.

To Robert Stindt of Production Grip Equipment Company, for the design and manufacture of a small, mobile, motion picture camera platform known as the Stindt Dolly.