Awards

1983 Oscars 55th Academy Awards

Posted by Joe Hummel IIIPosted 41 years ago April 11, 1983

1983 Oscars 55th Academy Awards

Winners Announced: April 11, 1983
Held at: Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles, California
Hosts: Liza Minnelli, Dudley Moore, Richard Pryor, Walter Matthau
Eligibility Year: 1982

Trivia

Table of Contents

Host Versatility: The hosting ensemble included a diverse blend of talents. Liza Minnelli represented the musical theater community, Dudley Moore brought comedic flavor, Richard Pryor offered edgier comedy, and Walter Matthau provided dramatic gravitas.
Gandhi’s Grand Night: The film Gandhi swept major categories. Richard Attenborough won Best Director and Ben Kingsley, Best Actor, and the film taking Best Picture.
E.T. Comes Close: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial was a major contender but lost out in some major categories. It did win for Best Original Score, Best Sound, Best Sound Editing, and a Special Achievement Award for Visual Effects.
Historical Win for Louis Gossett Jr.: Louis Gossett Jr. became the first African American to win the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for performing in An Officer and a Gentleman.
Musical Milestone: Up Where We Belong from An Officer and a Gentleman won Best Original Song.
No Visual Effects Category: There was no standard award for Best Visual Effects this year. Instead, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial received a Special Achievement Award for visual effects.
Not Just Movies: The evening honored veterans in the film industry. Mickey Rooney received a special Honorary Award for his lifetime of achievement in film.
Foreign Film Winner: Best Foreign Language Film went to Volver a Empezar (‘To Begin Again’) from Spain.
Celebrating Animation: The short film Tango won Best Animated Short Film, a significant achievement for Polish filmmaker Zbigniew Rybczyński.

1983 Oscar Nominees and Winners

Best Picture:
Gandhi – Richard Attenborough, producer (WINNER)
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial – Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, producers
Missing – Edward Lewis and Mildred Lewis, producers
Tootsie – Sydney Pollack and Dick Richards, producers
The Verdict – David Brown and Richard D. Zanuck, producers

Best Director:
Richard Attenborough – Gandhi (WINNER)
Wolfgang Petersen – Das Boot
Steven Spielberg – E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
Sydney Pollack – Tootsie
Sidney Lumet – The Verdict

Best Actor:
Ben Kingsley – Gandhi as Mahatma Gandhi (WINNER)
Dustin Hoffman – Tootsie as Michael Dorsey/Dorothy Michaels
Jack Lemmon – Missing as Edmund Horman
Paul Newman – The Verdict as Frank Galvin
Peter O’Toole – My Favorite Year as Alan Swann

Best Actress:
Meryl Streep – Sophie’s Choice as Zofia “Sophie” Zawistowski (WINNER)
Julie Andrews – Victor/Victoria as Victoria Grant/Count Victor Grazinski
Jessica Lange – Frances as Frances Farmer
Sissy Spacek – Missing as Beth Horman
Debra Winger – An Officer and a Gentleman as Paula Pokrifki

Best Supporting Actor:
Louis Gossett Jr. – An Officer and a Gentleman as Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley (WINNER)
Charles Durning – The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas as The Governor
John Lithgow – The World According to Garp as Roberta Muldoon
James Mason – The Verdict as Ed Concannon
Robert Preston – Victor/Victoria as Carol “Toddy” Todd

Best Supporting Actress:
Jessica Lange – Tootsie as Julie Nichols (WINNER)
Glenn Close – The World According to Garp as Jenny Fields
Teri Garr – Tootsie as Sandra “Sandy” Lester
Kim Stanley – Frances as Lillian Van Ornum Farmer
Lesley Ann Warren – Victor/Victoria as Norma Cassidy

Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen:
Gandhi – John Briley (WINNER)
Diner – Barry Levinson
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial – Melissa Mathison
An Officer and a Gentleman – Douglas Day Stewart
Tootsie – Larry Gelbart, Murray Schisgal and Don McGuire

Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium:
Missing – Costa-Gavras and Donald E. Stewart based on the book The Execution of Charles Horman: An American Sacrifice by Thomas Hauser (WINNER)
Das Boot – Wolfgang Petersen based on the novel by Lothar G. Buchheim
Sophie’s Choice – Alan J. Pakula based on the novel by William Styron
The Verdict – David Mamet based on the novel by Barry Reed
Victor/Victoria – Blake Edwards based on the film Viktor und Viktoria by Reinhold Schünzel

Best Foreign Language Film:
Begin the Beguine (Spain) (WINNER)
Alsino and the Condor (Nicaragua)
Clean Slate (France)
Flight of the Eagle (Sweden)
Private Life (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics)

Best Documentary Feature:
Just Another Missing Kid – John Zaritsky (WINNER)
After the Axe – Sturla Gunnarsson and Steve Lucas
Ben’s Mill – John Karol and Michel Chalufour
In Our Water – Meg Switzgable
A Portrait of Giselle – Joseph Wishy

Best Documentary Short Subject: Best Live Action Short Film:
If You Love This Planet – Edward Le Lorrain and Terre Nash (WINNER)
Gods of Metal – Robert Richter
The Klan: A Legacy of Hate in America – Charles Guggenheim and Werner Schumann
To Live or Let Die – Freida Lee Mock
Traveling Hopefully – John G. Avildsen

Best Live Action Short Film:
A Shocking Accident – Christine Oestreicher (WINNER)
Ballet Robotique – Bob Rogers
The Silence – Michael Toshiyuki Uno and Joseph Benson
Split Cherry Tree – Jan Saunders
Sredni Vashtar – Andrew Birkin

Best Animated Short Film: Best Original Score:
Tango – Zbigniew Rybczynski (WINNER)
The Great Cognito – Will Vinton
The Snowman – John Coates

Best Original Score:
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial – John Williams (WINNER)
Gandhi – Ravi Shankar and George Fenton
An Officer and a Gentleman – Jack Nitzsche
Poltergeist – Jerry Goldsmith
Sophie’s Choice – Marvin Hamlisch

Best Original Song: Score and Its Adaptation or Adaptation Score
Victor/Victoria – Henry Mancini and Leslie Bricusse (WINNER)
Annie – Adaptation Score by Ralph Burns
One from the Heart – Song Score by Tom Waits

Best Original Song:
“Up Where We Belong” from An Officer and a Gentleman – Music by Jack Nitzsche and Buffy Sainte-Marie; Lyrics by Will Jennings (WINNER)
“Eye of the Tiger” from Rocky III – Music and Lyrics by Jim Peterik and Frankie Sullivan
“How Do You Keep the Music Playing?” from Best Friends – Music by Michel Legrand; Lyrics by Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman
“If We Were In Love” from Yes, Giorgio – Music by John Williams; Lyrics by Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman
“It Might Be You” from Tootsie – Music by Dave Grusin; Lyrics by Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman

Best Sound Effects Editing:
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial – Charles L. Campbell and Ben Burtt (WINNER)
Das Boot – Mike Le Mare
Poltergeist – Stephen Hunter Flick and Richard Anderson

Best Sound:
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial – Robert Knudson, Robert Glass, Don Digirolamo and Gene Cantamessa (WINNER)
Das Boot – Milan Bor, Trevor Pyke and Mike Le Mare
Gandhi – Gerry Humphreys, Robin O’Donoghue, Jonathan Bates and Simon Kaye
Tootsie – Arthur Piantadosi, Les Fresholtz, Dick Alexander and Les Lazarowitz
Tron – Michael Minkler, Bob Minkler, Lee Minkler and James LaRue

Best Makeup:
Quest for Fire – Sarah Monzani and Michèle Burke (WINNER)
Gandhi – Tom Smith

Best Costume Design:
Gandhi – John Mollo and Bhanu Athaiya (WINNER)
La Traviata – Piero Tosi
Sophie’s Choice – Albert Wolsky
Tron – Elois Jenssen and Rosanna Norton
Victor/Victoria – Patricia Norris

Best Art Direction:
Gandhi – Art Direction: Stuart Craig and Robert W. Laing; Set Decoration: Michael Seirton (WINNER)
Annie – Art Direction: Dale Hennesy (posthumous nomination); Set Decoration: Marvin March
Blade Runner – Art Direction: Lawrence G. Paull and David Snyder; Set Decoration: Linda DeScenna
La Traviata – Art Direction: Franco Zeffirelli; Set Decoration: Gianni Quaranta
Victor/Victoria – Art Direction: Rodger Maus, Tim Hutchinson and William Craig Smith; Set Decoration: Harry Cordwell

Best Cinematography:
Gandhi – Billy Williams and Ronnie Taylor (WINNER)
Das Boot – Jost Vacano
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial – Allen Daviau
Sophie’s Choice – Néstor Almendros
Tootsie – Owen Roizman

Best Film Editing:
Gandhi – John Bloom (WINNER)
Das Boot – Hannes Nikel
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial – Carol Littleton
An Officer and a Gentleman – Peter Zinner
Tootsie – Fredric Steinkamp and William Steinkamp

Best Visual Effects:
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial – Carlo Rambaldi, Dennis Muren and Kenneth F. Smith (WINNER)
Blade Runner – Douglas Trumbull, Richard Yuricich and David Dryer
Poltergeist – Richard Edlund, Michael Wood and Bruce Nicholson

Honorary Academy Award:
Mickey Rooney

Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award:
Walter Mirisch