1954 Oscars 26th Academy Awards

1954 Oscars 26th Academy Awards

  • Winners Announced: March 25, 1954
  • Venues: RKO Pantages Theatre, Hollywood, California and NBC Century Theatre, New York City, New York
  • Hosts: Donald O’Connor (Los Angeles) and Fredric March (New York City)
  • Eligibility Year: 1953

Major Wins:

  • From Here to Eternity reigned supreme, taking home the Best Picture award.
  • William Holden secured the Best Actor trophy for his role in Stalag 17.
  • Audrey Hepburn was the night’s darling, winning Best Actress for Roman Holiday.

Directing & Screenplay:

  • Fred Zinnemann scored Best Director for From Here to Eternity.
  • Titanic won for its screenplay, though not the one you’re probably thinking of—this was the 1953 version.

Additional Info:

  • Frank Sinatra, the ultimate triple threat, won Best Supporting Actor for From Here to Eternity.
  • Donna Reed snagged Best Supporting Actress for the same film.

Trivia:

  • This Oscars ceremony was a night to remember for From Here to Eternity, which won eight Oscars.
  • Audrey Hepburn’s win for Roman Holiday was her first nomination and first win.
  • Walt Disney won four Academy Awards this year, including for Best Documentary Feature (The Living Desert) and another for Best Documentary Short Subject (The Alaskan Eskimo).
  • Take our 1954 Quiz!

1954 Oscar Nominees and Winners

Best Motion Picture:
From Here to Eternity – Buddy Adler for Columbia Pictures (WINNER)
Julius Caesar – John Houseman for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
The Robe – Frank Ross for 20th Century Fox
Roman Holiday – William Wyler for Paramount Pictures
Shane – George Stevens for Paramount Pictures
Best Director:
Fred Zinnemann – From Here to Eternity (WINNER)
Charles Walters – Lili
William Wyler – Roman Holiday
George Stevens – Shane
Billy Wilder – Stalag 17
Best Actor:
William Holden – Stalag 17 as J. J. Sefton (WINNER)
Marlon Brando – Julius Caesar as Mark Antony
Richard Burton – The Robe as Marcellus Gallio
Montgomery Clift – From Here to Eternity as Private Robert E. Lee “Prew” Prewitt
Burt Lancaster – From Here to Eternity as First Sergeant Milton Warden
Best Actress:
Audrey Hepburn – Roman Holiday as Princess Ann (WINNER)
Leslie Caron – Lili as Lili Daurier
Ava Gardner – Mogambo as Eloise Kelly
Deborah Kerr – From Here to Eternity as Karen Holmes
Maggie McNamara – The Moon Is Blue as Patty O’Neill
Best Supporting Actor:
Frank Sinatra – From Here to Eternity as Private Angelo Maggio (WINNER)
Eddie Albert – Roman Holiday as Irving Radovich
Brandon deWilde – Shane as Joey Starrett
Jack Palance – Shane as Jack Wilson
Robert Strauss – Stalag 17 as Stanislas “Animal” Kuzawa
Best Supporting Actress:
Donna Reed – From Here to Eternity as Alma Burke/Lorene (WINNER)
Grace Kelly – Mogambo as Linda Nordley
Geraldine Page – Hondo as Angie Lowe
Marjorie Rambeau – Torch Song as Mrs. Stewart
Thelma Ritter – Pickup on South Street as Moe
Best Screenplay:
From Here to Eternity – Daniel Taradash from From Here to Eternity by James Jones (WINNER)
The Cruel Sea – Eric Ambler from The Cruel Sea by Nicholas Monsarrat
Lili – Helen Deutsch from “Love of Seven Dolls” by Paul Gallico
Roman Holiday – Ian McLellan Hunter and John Dighton from a story by Dalton Trumbo
Shane – A. B. Guthrie Jr. from Shane by Jack Schaefer
Best Story and Screenplay:
Titanic – Charles Brackett, Walter Reisch and Richard L. Breen (WINNER)
The Band Wagon – Betty Comden and Adolph Green
The Desert Rats – Richard Murphy
The Naked Spur – Sam Rolfe and Harold Jack Bloom
Take the High Ground! – Millard Kaufman
Best Story:
Roman Holiday – Dalton Trumbo (WINNER) (awarded posthumously as Trumbo was on the Hollywood blacklist)
Above and Beyond – Beirne Lay Jr.
The Captain’s Paradise – Alec Coppel
Hondo – Louis L’Amour (disqualified)
Little Fugitive – Ray Ashley, Morris Engel, and Ruth Orkin
Best Short Subject – Cartoons:
Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom – Walt Disney (WINNER)
Christopher Crumpet
From A to Z-Z-Z-Z
Rugged Bear
The Tell Tale Heart
Best Documentary Feature:
The Living Desert – Walt Disney (WINNER)
The Conquest of Everest
A Queen Is Crowned
Best Documentary Short Subject:
The Alaskan Eskimo – Walt Disney (WINNER)
The Living City
Operation Blue Jay
They Planted a Stone
The Word
Best Live Action Short Subject, One-Reel:
Overture to The Merry Wives of Windsor – Johnny Green (WINNER)
Christ Among the Primitives
Herring Hunt
Joy of Living
Wee Water Wonders
Best Live Action Short Subject, Two-Reel:
Bear Country – Walt Disney (WINNER)
Ben and Me
Return to Glennascaul
Vesuvius Express
Winter Paradise
Best Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture:
Lili – Bronislaw Kaper (WINNER)
Above and Beyond – Hugo Friedhofer
From Here to Eternity – Morris Stoloff and George Duning
Julius Caesar – Miklós Rózsa
This Is Cinerama – Louis Forbes
Best Scoring of a Musical Picture:
Call Me Madam – Alfred Newman (WINNER)
The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. – Frederick Hollander and Morris Stoloff
The Band Wagon – Adolph Deutsch
Calamity Jane – Ray Heindorf
Kiss Me Kate – André Previn and Saul Chaplin
Best Song:
“Secret Love” from Calamity Jane – Music by Sammy Fain; Lyrics by Paul Francis Webster (WINNER)
“The Moon Is Blue” from The Moon Is Blue – Music by Herschel Burke Gilbert; Lyrics by Sylvia Fine
“My Flaming Heart” from Small Town Girl – Music by Nicholas Brodszky; Lyrics by Leo Robin
“Sadie Thompson’s Song” from Miss Sadie Thompson – Music by Lester Lee; Lyrics by Ned Washington
“That’s Amore” from The Caddy – Music by Harry Warren; Lyrics by Jack Brooks
Best Sound Recording:
From Here to Eternity – John P. Livadary (WINNER)
Calamity Jane – William A. Mueller
Knights of the Round Table – A. W. Watkins
The Mississippi Gambler – Leslie I. Carey
The War of the Worlds – Loren L. Ryder
Best Art Direction, Black-and-White:
Julius Caesar – Art Direction: Cedric Gibbons and Edward Carfagno; Set Decoration: Edwin B. Willis and Hugh Hunt (WINNER)
Martin Luther – Art Direction and Set Decoration: Fritz Maurischat and Paul Markwitz
The President’s Lady – Art Direction: Lyle R. Wheeler and Leland Fuller; Set Decoration: Paul S. Fox
Roman Holiday – Art Direction and Set Decoration: Hal Pereira and Walter Tyler
Titanic – Art Direction: Lyle R. Wheeler and Maurice Ransford; Set Decoration: Stuart A. Reiss
Best Art Direction, Color:
The Robe – Art Direction: Lyle R. Wheeler and George Davis; Set Decoration: Walter M. Scott and Paul S. Fox (WINNER)
Knights of the Round Table – Art Direction: Alfred Junge and Hans Peters; Set Decoration: John Jarvis
Lili – Art Direction: Cedric Gibbons and Paul Groesse; Set Decoration: Edwin B. Willis and Arthur Krams
The Story of Three Loves – Art Direction: Cedric Gibbons, E. Preston Ames, Edward Carfagno and Gabriel Scognamillo; Set Decoration: Edwin B. Willis, F. Keogh Gleason, Arthur Krams and Jack D. Moore
Young Bess – Art Direction: Cedric Gibbons and Urie McCleary; Set Decoration: Edwin B. Willis and Jack D. Moore
Best Cinematography, Black-and-White:
From Here to Eternity – Burnett Guffey (WINNER)
The Four Poster – Hal Mohr
Julius Caesar – Joseph Ruttenberg
Martin Luther – Joseph C. Brun
Roman Holiday – Franz Planer and Henri Alekan
Best Cinematography, Color:
Shane – Loyal Griggs (WINNER)
All the Brothers Were Valiant – George Folsey
Beneath the 12-Mile Reef – Edward Cronjager
Lili – Robert Planck
The Robe – Leon Shamroy
Best Costume Design, Black-and-White:
Roman Holiday – Edith Head (WINNER)
The Actress – Walter Plunkett
Dream Wife – Helen Rose and Herschel McCoy
From Here to Eternity – Jean Louis
The President’s Lady – Charles LeMaire and Renié
Best Costume Design, Color:
The Robe – Charles LeMaire and Emile Santiago (WINNER)
The Band Wagon – Mary Ann Nyberg
Call Me Madam – Irene Sharaff
How to Marry a Millionaire – Charles LeMaire and William Travilla
Young Bess – Walter Plunkett
Best Film Editing:
From Here to Eternity – William Lyon (WINNER)
Crazylegs – Irvine (Cotton) Warburton
The Moon Is Blue – Otto Ludwig
Roman Holiday – Robert Swink
The War of the Worlds – Everett Douglas
Academy Honorary Awards:
Pete Smith – “For his witty and pungent observations on the American scene in his series of “Pete Smith Specialties”.”

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation – “In recognition of their imagination, showmanship and foresight in introducing the revolutionary process known as CinemaScope.”

Joseph I. Breen – “For his conscientious, open-minded and dignified management of the Motion Picture Production Code.”

Bell and Howell Company – “For their pioneering and basic achievements in the advancement of the motion picture industry.”

The War of the Worlds for Best Special Effects.

Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award:
George Stevens
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