1946 (19th Annual Awards)
Nominations and Winners

Listed below are the Academy Award nominations and winners for the year 1946. 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 Motion Picture

The Best Years of Our Lives, Samuel Goldwyn Productions; RKO Radio.

Henry V, J. Arthur Rank-Two Cities Films; United Artists (British).

It’s a Wonderful Life, Liberty Films; RKO Radio.

The Razor’s Edge, 20th Century-Fox.

The Yearling, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

Best Actor

Fredric March in The Best Years of Our Lives, Samuel Goldwyn Productions; RKO Radio.

Laurence Olivier in Henry V, J. Arthur Rank-Two Cities Films; United Artists (British).

Larry Parks in The Jolson Story, Columbia.

Gregory Peck in The Yearling, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

James Stewart in It’s a Wonderful Life, Liberty Films; RKO Radio.

Best Actress

Olivia de Havilland in To Each His Own, Paramount.

Celia Johnson in Brief Encounter, J. Arthur Rank-Cineguild-Prestige; Universal-International (British).

Jennifer Jones in Duel in the Sun, Vanguard Films; Selznick Releasing Organization (SRO).

Rosalind Russell in Sister Kenny, RKO Radio.

Jane Wyman in The Yearling, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

Actor in a Supporting Role

Charles Coburn in The Green Years, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

William Demarest in The Jolson Story, Columbia.

Claude Rains in Notorious, RKO Radio.

Harold Russell in The Best Years of Our Lives, Samuel Goldwyn Productions; RKO Radio.

Clifton Webb in The Razor’s Edge, 20th Century-Fox.

Actress in a Supporting Role

Ethel Barrymore in The Spiral Staircase, RKO Radio.

Anne Baxter in The Razor’s Edge, 20th Century-Fox.

Lillian Gish in Duel in the Sun, Vanguard Films; Selznick Releasing Organization (SRO).

Flora Robson in Saratoga Trunk, Warner Bros.

Gale Sondergaard in Anna and the King of Siam, 20th Century-Fox.

Directing

The Best Years of Our Lives, Samuel Goldwyn Productions; RKO Radio. William Wyler.

Brief Encounter, J. Arthur Rank-Cineguild-Prestige; Universal-International (British). David Lean.

It’s a Wonderful Life, Liberty Films; RKO Radio. Frank Capra.

The Killers, Mark Hellinger Productions; Universal. Robert Siodmak.

The Yearling, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Clarence Brown.

Art Direction-Interior Decoration

(Black-and-White)

Anna and the King of Siam, 20th Century-Fox. Art direction by Lyle Wheeler and William Darling; interior decoration by Thomas Little and Frank E. Hughes.

Kitty, Paramount. Art direction by Hans Dreier and Walter Tyler; interior decoration by Sam Comer and Ray Moyer.

The Razor’s Edge, 20th Century-Fox. Art direction by Richard Day and Nathan Juran; interior decoration by Thomas Little and Paul S. Fox.

(Color)

Caesar and Cleopatra, J. Arthur Rank-Gabriel Pascal; United Artists (British). John Bryan.

Henry V, J. Arthur Rank-Two Cities Films; United Artists (British). Paul Sheriff and Carmen Dillon.

The Yearling, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Art direction by Cedric Gibbons and Paul Groesse; interior decoration by Edwin B. Willis.

Cinematography

(Black-and-White)

Anna and the King of Siam, 20th Century-Fox. Arthur Miller.

The Green Years, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. George Folsey.

(Color)

The Jolson Story, Columbia. Joseph Walker.

The Yearling, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Charles Rosher, Leonard Smith and Arthur Arling.

Documentary

(Short Subject)

Atomic Power, March of Time; 20th Century-Fox. [March of Time Series]

Life at the Zoo, Artkino (U.S.S.R.).

Paramount News Issue #37 (Twentieth Anniversary Issue! 1927 . . . 1947), Paramount.

Seeds of Destiny, United States Department of War.

Traffic with the Devil, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. [Theatre of Life Series] Herbert Morgan, Producer.

Film Editing

The Best Years of Our Lives, Samuel Goldwyn Productions; RKO Radio. Daniel Mandell.

It’s a Wonderful Life, Liberty Films; RKO Radio. William Hornbeck.

The Jolson Story, Columbia. William Lyon.

The Killers, Mark Hellinger Productions; Universal. Arthur Hilton.

The Yearling, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Harold Kress.

Music

(Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture)

Anna and the King of Siam, 20th Century-Fox. Bernard Herrmann.

The Best Years of Our Lives, Samuel Goldwyn Productions; RKO Radio. Hugo Friedhofer.

Henry V, J. Arthur Rank-Two Cities Films; United Artists (British). William Walton.

Humoresque, Warner Bros. Franz Waxman.

The Killers, Mark Hellinger Productions; Universal. Miklos Rozsa.

(Scoring of a Musical Picture)

Blue Skies, Paramount. Robert Emmett Dolan.

Centennial Summer, 20th Century-Fox. Alfred Newman.

The Harvey Girls, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Lennie Hayton.

The Jolson Story, Columbia. Morris Stoloff.

Night and Day, Warner Bros. Ray Heindorf and Max Steiner.

(Song)

All Through the Day from Centennial Summer, 20th Century-Fox. Music by Jerome Kern; lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II.

I Can’t Begin to Tell You from The Dolly Sisters, 20th Century-Fox. Music by James Monaco; lyrics by Mack Gordon.

Ole Buttermilk Sky from Canyon Passage, Walter Wanger; Universal. Music by Hoagy Carmichael; lyrics by Jack Brooks.

On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe from The Harvey Girls, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Music by Harry Warren; lyrics by Johnny Mercer.

You Keep Coming Back Like a Song from Blue Skies, Paramount. Music and lyrics by Irving Berlin.

Short Subjects

(Cartoons)

The Cat Concerto, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. [Tom & Jerry Series] Frederick Quimby, Producer.

Chopin’s Musical Moments, Universal. [Musical Miniatures Series] Walter Lantz, Producer.

John Henry and the Inky Poo, Paramount. [George Pal Puppetoon Series] George Pal, Producer.

Squatter’s Rights, Walt Disney Productions; RKO Radio. [Mickey Mouse Series] Walt Disney, Producer.

Walky Talky Hawky, Warner Bros. [Merrie Melodies Series] Edward Selzer, Producer.

(One-reel)

Dive-Hi Champs, Paramount. [Grantland Rice Sportlights Series] Jack Eaton, Producer.

Facing Your Danger, Warner Bros. [Sports Parade Series] Gordon Hollingshead, Producer.

Golden Horses, 20th Century-Fox. [Ed Thorgersen’s Sports Review Series] Edmund Reek, Producer.

Smart as a Fox, Warner Bros. [Vitaphone Varieties Series] Gordon Hollingshead, Producer.

Sure Cures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. [Pete Smith Specialty Series] Pete Smith, Producer.

(Two-reel)

A Boy and His Dog, Warner Bros. [Featurettes Series] Gordon Hollingshead, Producer.

College Queen, Paramount. [Musical Parade Series] George B. Templeton, Producer.

Hiss and Yell, Columbia. [All Star Comedies Series] Jules White, Producer.

The Luckiest Guy in the World, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. [Crime Doesn’t Pay Series] Jerry Bresler, Producer.

Sound Recording

The Best Years of Our Lives, Samuel Goldwyn Productions; RKO Radio. Samuel Goldwyn Studio Sound Department, Gordon Sawyer, Sound Director.

It’s a Wonderful Life, Liberty Films; RKO Radio. RKO Radio Studio Sound Department, John Aalberg, Sound Director.

The Jolson Story, Columbia. Columbia Studio Sound Department, John Livadary, Sound Director.

Special Effects

Blithe Spirit, J. Arthur Rank-Noel Coward-Cineguild; United Artists (British). Special visual effects by Thomas Howard.

A Stolen Life, Warner Bros. Special visual effects by William McGann; special audible effects by Nathan Levinson.

Writing

(Original Motion Picture Story)

The Dark Mirror, Universal-International. Vladimir Pozner.

The Strange Love of Martha Ivers, Hal Wallis Productions; Paramount. Jack Patrick.

The Stranger, International Pictures; RKO Radio. Victor Trivas.

To Each His Own, Paramount. Charles Brackett.

Vacation from Marriage, London Films; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (British). Clemence Dane.

(Original Screenplay)

The Blue Dahlia, Paramount. Raymond Chandler.

Children of Paradise, Pathe-Cinema; Tricolore Films (French). Jacques Prevert.

Notorious, RKO Radio. Ben Hecht.

Road to Utopia, Paramount. Norman Panama and Melvin Frank.

The Seventh Veil, J. Arthur Rank-Sydney Box-Ortus; Universal (British). Muriel Box and Sydney Box.

(Screenplay)

Anna and the King of Siam, 20th Century-Fox. Talbot Jennings and Sally Benson.

The Best Years of Our Lives, Samuel Goldwyn Productions; RKO Radio. Robert E. Sherwood.

Brief Encounter, J. Arthur Rank-Cineguild-Prestige; Universal-International (British). David Lean, Anthony Havelock-Allan and Ronald Neame.

The Killers, Mark Hellinger Productions; Universal. Anthony Veiller.

Open City, Minerva Films; Mayer-Burstyn (Italian). Sergio Amidei and F. Fellini.

Special Award

To Laurence Olivier for his outstanding achievement as an actor, producer and director in bringing Henry V to the screen. [Statuette]

To Harold Russell for bringing hope and courage to his fellow veterans through his appearance in The Best Years of Our Lives. [Statuette]

To Ernst Lubitsch for his distinguished contributions to the art of the motion picture. [Scroll]

(Juvenile)

To Claude Jarman, Jr., outstanding child actor of 1946. [Miniature Statuette]

Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award

Samuel Goldwyn

Scientific or Technical Award

(Class III)

To Harlan L. Baumbach and the Paramount West Coast Laboratory for an improved method for the quantitative determination of hydroquinone and metol photographic development.

To Herbert E. Britt for the development and application of formulas and equipment for producing cloud and smoke effects.

To Burton F. Miller, the Warner Bros. Studio Sound Department and the Warner Bros. Studio Electrical Department for the design and construction of a motion picture arc lighting generator filter.

To Carl Faulkner of the 20th Century-Fox Studio Sound Department for the reversed bias method, including a double bias method for light valve and galvanometer density recording.

To the Mole-Richardson Company for the Type 450 super high density carbon arc lamp.

To Arthur F. Blinn, Robert O. Cook, C. O. Slyfield and the Walt Disney Studio Sound Department for the design and development of an audio finder and track viewer for checking and locating noise in sound tracks.

To Burton F. Miller and the Warner Bros. Studio Sound Department for the design and application of an equalizer to eliminate relative spectral energy distortion in electronic compressors.

To Marty Martin and Hal Adkins of the RKO Radio Studio Miniature Department for the design and construction of equipment providing visual bullet effects.

To Harold Nye and the Warner Bros. Studio Electrical Department for the development of the electronically controlled fire and gaslight effect.