16th Annual Academy Awards Results and Commentary (1944)
©A.M.P.A.S.®
- Date of Ceremony: Thursday, March 2, 1944
- For films released in: 1943
- Host(s): Jack Benny
Comedian Jack Benny hosted the 16th Annual Academy Awards which took place at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre on Thursday, March 2, 1944.
Thw two big winners of the night were The Song of Bernadette with four wins and Casablanca with three including Best Picture.
The ceremony was broadcast overseas for the Armed Forces.
Results
Outstanding Motion Picture
- Casablanca
Warner Bros.
Best Directing
- Casablanca
Michael Curtiz
Best Actor
- Watch on the Rhine
Paul Lukas
Best Actress
- The Song of Bernadette
Jennifer Jones
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
- The More the Merrier
Charles Coburn
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
- For Whom the Bell Tolls
Katina Paxinou
Best Art Direction (Black-and-White)
- The Song of Bernadette
James Basevi [Art Direction], William Darling [Art Direction] and Thomas Little [Interior Decoration]
Best Art Direction (Color)
- Phantom of the Opera
John B. Goodman [Art Direction], Alexander Golitzen [Art Direction], Russell A. Gausman [Interior Decoration] and Ira S. Webb [Interior Decoration]
Best Cinematography (Black-and-White)
- The Song of Bernadette
Arthur Miller
Best Cinematography (Color)
- Phantom of the Opera
Hal Mohr and W. Howard Greene
Best Documentary (Feature)
- Desert Victory
British Ministry of Information
Best Documentary (Short Subject)
- December 7th
United States Navy
Best Film Editing
- Air Force
George Amy
Best Music (Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture)
- The Song of Bernadette
Alfred Newman
Best Music (Scoring of a Musical Picture)
- This Is the Army
Ray Heindorf
Best Music (Song)
- Hello, Frisco, Hello "You'll Never Know"
Harry Warren [Music by] and Mack Gordon [Lyrics by]
Best Short Subject (Cartoon)
- Yankee Doodle Mouse
Frederick Quimby
Best Short Subject (One-reel)
- Amphibious Fighters
Grantland Rice
Best Short Subject (Two-reel)
- Heavenly Music
Jerry Bresler and Sam Coslow
Best Sound Recording
- This Land Is Mine
RKO Radio Studio Sound Department and Stephen Dunn [Sound Director]
Best Special Effects
- Crash Dive
Fred Sersen [Photographic Effects by] and Roger Heman [Sound Effects by]
Best Writing (Original Screenplay)
- Princess O'Rourke
Norman Krasna
Best Writing (Screenplay)
- Casablanca
Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein and Howard Koch
Best Writing (Original Motion Picture Story)
- The Human Comedy
William Saroyan
Special Award
- George Pal
Note: …for the development of novel methods and techniques in the production of short subjects known as Puppetoons.
Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award
- Hal B. Wallis
Scientific or Technical Award (Class II)
- Farciot Edouart, Earle Morgan, Barton Thompson and Paramount Studio Engineering and Transparency Departments
Note: …for the development and practical application to motion picture production of a method of duplicating and enlarging natural color photographs, transferring the image emulsions to glass plates and projecting these slides by especially designed stereopticon equipment. - Photo Products Department and E.I. duPont de Nemours and Co. Inc.
Note: …for the development of fine-grain motion picture films.
Scientific or Technical Award (Class III)
- Daniel J. Bloomberg and Republic Studio Sound Department
Note: …for the design and development of an inexpensive method of converting Moviolas to Class B push-pull reproduction. - Charles G. Clarke and 20th Century-Fox Studio Camera Department
Note: …for the development and practical application of a device for composing artificial clouds into motion picture scenes during production photography. - Farciot Edouart and Paramount Studio Transparency Department
Note: …for an automatic electric transparency cueing timer. - Willard H. Turner and RKO Radio Studio Sound Department
Note: …for the design and construction of the phono-cue starter.