1934 Oscars 6th Academy Awards

1934 Oscars 6th Academy Awards

  • The 6th Academy Awards occurred on March 16, 1934, and broke with tradition by being held at The Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, California.
  • Will Rogers, the American stage and film actor, took on the role of host for the evening.
  • The eligibility period stretched from August 1, 1932, to December 31, 1933.

Noteworthy Moments:

  • Katharine Hepburn won her first Oscar for Best Actress in Morning Glory, beginning a legendary Academy Awards career.
  • Cavalcade, a drama based on a Noel Coward play, won Best Picture.
  • The ceremony was the first to be held in March, breaking away from the early ceremonies which were usually held in November or April.
  • Cavalcade, A Farewell to Arms, and Lady for a Day each earned 6 nominations.
  • First Oscar “oops!”: Will Rogers presented the Academy Award for Best Director, and when he opened the envelope, he announced, “Come up and get it, Frank!”
    Frank Capra, certain he was the winner, ran to the podium to collect the Oscar, only to discover Rogers had meant Frank Lloyd, who won for Cavalcade, instead. Will then called the third nominee, George Cukor, to join the two Franks on stage. #oops

Trivia:

  1. This year marked the first time that the Academy standardized its “calendar year” eligibility period.
  2. Frank Lloyd won Best Director for Cavalcade but was not nominated for Best Picture.
  3. This was the first ceremony where child actors were acknowledged; Jackie Cooper was 14 years old when he was nominated for Best Actor.
  4. A new category was introduced for Best Film Editing.
  5. This ceremony was the first where short subjects were divided into two categories: Comedy and Novelty, providing more opportunities for recognition.

1934 Academy Award Nominees and Winners

Outstanding Production:
Cavalcade – Winfield Sheehan for Fox Film Co. (WINNER)
42nd Street – Darryl F. Zanuck for Warner Bros.
A Farewell to Arms – Adolph Zukor for Paramount Publix
I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang – Hal B. Wallis for Warner Bros.
Lady for a Day – Frank Capra for Columbia
Little Women – Merian C. Cooper and Kenneth Macgowan for RKO Pictures
The Private Life of Henry VIII – Alexander Korda for London Films
She Done Him Wrong – William LeBaron for Paramount Publix
Smilin’ Through – Irving Thalberg for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
State Fair – Winfield Sheehan for Fox Film Co.
Best Director:
Frank Lloyd – Cavalcade (WINNER)
Frank Capra – Lady for a Day
George Cukor – Little Women
Best Actor:
Charles Laughton – The Private Life of Henry VIII as Henry VIII (WINNER)
Leslie Howard – Berkeley Square as Peter Standish
Paul Muni – I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang as James Allen
Best Actress:
Katharine Hepburn – Morning Glory as Eva Lovelace (WINNER)
May Robson – Lady for a Day as Apple Annie
Diana Wynyard – Cavalcade as Jane Marryot
Best Original Story:
One Way Passage – Robert Lord (WINNER)
The Prizefighter and the Lady – Frances Marion
Rasputin and the Empress – Charles MacArthur
Best Adaptation:
Little Women – Victor Heerman and Sarah Y. Mason, based on the novel by Louisa May Alcott (WINNER)
Lady for a Day – Robert Riskin, based on the story “Madame la Gimp” by Damon Runyon
State Fair – Paul Green and Sonya Levien, based on the novel by Phil Strong
Best Art Direction:
Cavalcade – William S. Darling
A Farewell to Arms – Hans Dreier and Roland Anderson
When Ladies Meet – Cedric Gibbons
Best Cinematography:
A Farewell to Arms – Charles Lang (WINNER)
Reunion in Vienna – George J. Folsey
Sign of the Cross – Karl Struss
Best Live Action Short Subject, Comedy:
So This Is Harris! –Louis Brock and RKO Pictures (WINNER)
Mister Mugg – Warren Doane and Universal Studios
A Preferred List – Louis Brock and RKO Pictures
Best Live Action Short Subject, Novelty:
Krakatoa – Joe Rock and Educational Pictures (WINNER)
Menu – Pete Smith and MGM
The Sea – Educational Pictures
Best Short Subject, Cartoon:
The Three Little Pigs – Walt Disney and United Artists (WINNER)
Building a Building – Walt Disney and United Artists
The Merry Old Soul – Walter Lantz and Universal Studios
Best Sound Recording:
A Farewell to Arms – Franklin Hansen (WINNER)
42nd Street – Nathan Levinson
Gold Deggirs of 1933 – Nathan Levinson
I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang – Nathan Levinson
Best Assistant Director:
Charles Barton – Paramount (WINNER)
Scott Beal – Universal (WINNER)
Charles Dorian – MGM (WINNER)
Fred Fox – United Artists (WINNER)
Gordon Hollingshead – Warner Bros. (WINNER)
Dewey Starkey – RKO (WINNER)
William Tummel – 20th Century Fox (WINNER)
Al Alleborn – Warner Bros.
Sid Brod – Paramount
Orville O. Dull – MGM
Percy Ikerd – 20th Century Fox
Arthur Jacobson – Paramount
Edward Killy – RKO
Joseph A. McDonough – Universal
William J. Reiter – Universal
Frank Shaw – Warner Bros.
Ben Silvey – United Artists
John S. Waters – MGM
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