Starting with the 17th Awards, and through the 81st Awards, there will only be five Best Picture nominees to evaluate. After so many years with ten (or even more), this felt light but perhaps this will enable me to get through this a bit quicker. The ceremony honoring films from 1944 took place in March 1945, at the tail end of World War II. This would be the final year in which the statuettes were made of plaster, but it was the first year in which the entire ceremony would be broadcast on national radio; Bob Hope helped with the broadcast and was presented with his second Honorary Academy Award. The big winner of the night was Going My Way (1944), which tied for the highest nominations at ten and won the most Oscars with seven. Barry Fitzgerald, who won the Best Supporting Actor for his role as Father Fitzgibbon in Going My Way, was also nominated for Best Actor... for playing Father Fitzgibbon in Going My Way. This was the first and only time an actor was nominated for both the lead and supporting categories for the same role. The rule would quickly be changed to eliminate this possibility. The other successful film of the night was Wilson (1944), which is the other film in the tie with ten nominations. Although it won five awards, it was considered a box office flop (mostly due to the fact that the production cost surpassed even Gone with the Wind (1939). In any case, the color film from 1944 that most people probably have some sort of knowledge about is not Wilson but rather Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), which didn't get a whole lot of love from Oscar but is still in a lot of people's holiday rotations. Margaret O'Brien, who plays the six-year-old Tootie in St. Louis, did receive the Academy Juvenile Award for her achievements in 1944. I also consider 1944 as the year of the film noir, or at least these mainstream film noirs that garnered Academy Awards. Both Gaslight (1944) and Double Indemnity (1944) are vying for Best Picture and they, along with Best Cinematography winner Laura (1944) are considered some of Hollywood's best of the genre. And the results are:
Best Picture nominees:
Double Indemnity
Gaslight
Going My Way
Since You Went Away
Wilson
What won: Going My Way
It's hard to pinpoint why Leo McCarey's Going My Way took the country by storm in 1944. Not only was it the highest-grossing film at the box office, it also had multiple songs chart throughout the year. Perhaps because Bing Crosby was such a force from the music industry that when he gets a role like this, one that has him going around just being a good guy, audiences would eat it up. The Academy would follow suit by giving him the Best Actor Oscar. It's also a relatively light affair with plenty of music and optimistic scenes that certainly helped brighten the mood during World War II. In fact, Since You Went Away (1944) was the only World War II film to be nominated for Best Picture that year, so there must be something there. The picture was so successful that it warranted a follow up film that features Crosby as Father O'Malley in The Bells of St. Mary's (1945). I will be reviewing that Best Picture nominee in short order.
What should have won: Double Indemnity
The only Best Picture nominee to not win a single Academy Award, Double Indemnity is the perfect film noir. Like I stated earlier, I consider 1944 as the year of the film noir so it is only fitting for the best of the three big film noirs to win my Best Picture award. First and foremost, this is such a vehicle for Barbara Stanwyck, an actress who never got enough love from Oscar. From her introduction in only a towel at the top of the stairs to her donning those iconic sunglasses in the store, she is as beautiful as ever even with that awful wig. The audience can see her playing Fred McMurray like a fiddle every step of the way but she plays every scene with such earnestness that we sometimes get caught up in her scheming. The narration with flashback and dark cinematography are also trademarks of the noir genre, two aspects that are done exquisitely here.
My Best Picture nominee rankings:
1. Double Indemnity (9/10)
2. Gaslight (8/10)
3. Going My Way (7/10)
4. Since You Went Away (7/10)
5. Wilson (6/10)
Best Picture nominees:
Double Indemnity
Gaslight
Going My Way
Since You Went Away
Wilson
What won: Going My Way
It's hard to pinpoint why Leo McCarey's Going My Way took the country by storm in 1944. Not only was it the highest-grossing film at the box office, it also had multiple songs chart throughout the year. Perhaps because Bing Crosby was such a force from the music industry that when he gets a role like this, one that has him going around just being a good guy, audiences would eat it up. The Academy would follow suit by giving him the Best Actor Oscar. It's also a relatively light affair with plenty of music and optimistic scenes that certainly helped brighten the mood during World War II. In fact, Since You Went Away (1944) was the only World War II film to be nominated for Best Picture that year, so there must be something there. The picture was so successful that it warranted a follow up film that features Crosby as Father O'Malley in The Bells of St. Mary's (1945). I will be reviewing that Best Picture nominee in short order.
What should have won: Double Indemnity
The only Best Picture nominee to not win a single Academy Award, Double Indemnity is the perfect film noir. Like I stated earlier, I consider 1944 as the year of the film noir so it is only fitting for the best of the three big film noirs to win my Best Picture award. First and foremost, this is such a vehicle for Barbara Stanwyck, an actress who never got enough love from Oscar. From her introduction in only a towel at the top of the stairs to her donning those iconic sunglasses in the store, she is as beautiful as ever even with that awful wig. The audience can see her playing Fred McMurray like a fiddle every step of the way but she plays every scene with such earnestness that we sometimes get caught up in her scheming. The narration with flashback and dark cinematography are also trademarks of the noir genre, two aspects that are done exquisitely here.
My Best Picture nominee rankings:
1. Double Indemnity (9/10)
2. Gaslight (8/10)
3. Going My Way (7/10)
4. Since You Went Away (7/10)
5. Wilson (6/10)