Although 1939 is seen as one of the greatest calendar years for movies, one film stood out to break the record for most wins when Gone with the Wind (1939) won eight merit awards. That doesn't count the Honorary Award for its use of color nor the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award presented to its producer, David O. Selznick. It doesn't seem like the most competitive of years but because of the Los Angeles Times' reporting of the results, we know just how close the Best Actress race was when Vivien Leigh held on over Bette Davis (in Dark Victory (1939)). In fact, this would be the last time the Academy provided information to newspapers before the ceremony. Too many details were leaked, including the list of winners, so for the next and all subsequent years, the Academy would use a tabulating firm and keep the results under lock and key until the actual presentations of the awards. The 12th Awards was the first ceremony to be filmed as Warner Bros. obtained the rights to shoot the proceedings. As a result, the attendants were much more cognizant of their fashion choices; this was the genesis of the elaborate red carpet/fashion extravaganza the ceremony is today. This was also the first ceremony to be hosted by long-running host Bob Hope (he would host eighteen more times!). There were also some new categories added to the arsenal of Oscar - this is the first year the Best Special Effects Award was presented as a merit award as well as the split of the Best Cinematography Award into Black-and-White and Color. Best Art Direction would follow suit with this split the following year. One of the most important firsts of all came in the form of the Best Supporting Actress win - Hattie McDaniel. McDaniel became the first black performer to not only be nominated but win as she triumphed over fellow Gone with the Wind actress Olivia de Havilland. Her speech brought me to tears as she hopes to be a "credit to her race." Credit to her race she is indeed. And the results are:
Best Picture nominees:
Dark Victory
Gone with the Wind
Goodbye, Mr. Chips
Love Affair
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Ninotchka
Of Mice and Men
Stagecoach
The Wizard of Oz
Wuthering Heights
What won: Gone with the Wind
The Academy dreams of this scenario nowadays - the highest-grossing film also winning the top prize. You can tell how amped people were in 1939 with Technicolor with this and The Wizard of Oz garnering a lot of praise. A color film wouldn't win the top award for over a decade but it gives this Southern classic the glory people associate it with. The performances from Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable, Hattie McDaniel, and Olivia de Havilland stand out in the nearly four hour runtime. However, that runtime is a major hurdle as I believe the adaptation of Margaret Mitchell's novel was too literal and needed some major editing, but the grandeur achieved by the epic production design and narrative makes up for this. The controversy surrounding the Lost Cause mentality and the depiction of slavery and the Old South with rose-tinted glasses is an obvious stain to modern audiences, but there is still an artistic quality about this film that is unavoidable. Perhaps because of the controversy, or perhaps because it's so technically ahead of it's time, or even perhaps because of it's length, this is a film that will undoubtedly spur discussion and contemplation for hours on end. For that, I admire the Best Picture winner of the laughably-stacked group of 1939.
What should have won: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
As you can imagine, this was another difficult selection. I had the same conundrum as 1938 - I either want to reward the evergreen fun Movie-with-a-capital-"M" or the more cerebral film that takes a chance and executes on its ideas well. In 1938, I went with the glitz and glamour of The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) as that was the earliest incarnation of achieving story, set design, action, and performances at a high level with Technicolor. I passed on Grand Illusion (1937) even though I thought that the objectively better film. Here, I have my two contenders reversed in my rankings below but I am ultimately deciding on the bold black-and-white political masterpiece over the wonderfully colorful musical. Of course I am talking about Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and The Wizard of Oz, respectively. Seeing Frank Capra evolve from his positively optimistic "Capra-corn" pictures (see: the actual winner for 1938) to ones that can express a more realistic outlook on life (with still a dash of optimism) is one of the rewarding moments of the Project. Mr. Smith is everything I want in a film. It shows us a risky perspective that Washington is corrupt and does it in an entertaining and enlightening way. Although James Stewart would see Oscar gold the following year, he is my pick to win it for this role as well. He plays the timid and inexperienced Senator role so well and evolves over the course of the picture until he's confidently proclaiming within the Senate and filibusters his way to cinema glory. He has an excellent supporting cast with two Best Supporting Actor nominees (Claude Rains and Harry Carey) as well as the Best Supporting Actor winner (Thomas Mitchell won for his role in Stagecoach). His chemistry with Jean Arthur is delightful as well. Perhaps I would have selected Oz if I didn't pick Robin Hood for 1938, but in any case, I am ecstatic to welcome the first Capra picture in my canon of Best Picture winners despite me kicking out two of his actual winners for 1934 and 1938.
My Best Picture nominee rankings:
1. The Wizard of Oz (10/10)
2. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (9/10)
3. Gone with the Wind (9/10)
4. Stagecoach (8/10)
5. Of Mice and Men (8/10)
6. Goodbye, Mr. Chips (8/10)
7. Wuthering Heights (7/10)
8. Ninotchka (7/10)
9. Dark Victory (7/10)
10. Love Affair (7/10)
Guest Reviewer: Andrew Dunfee
With the 1939 Awards, I brought in a guest reviewer to give a second opinion on the highlights of one of the greatest years in cinema history. He watched and reviewed six of these Best Picture nominees and is also making his choice for what should have won Best Picture at the 12th Academy Awards.
When the question of best years for Oscar nominated films is brought up, 1939 is normally near the top of most lists. I believe your perception of this year in terms of its place in history depends on your opinion of the film which dominated those Academy Awards, Gone with the Wind. Because I’m in the camp that finds that movie lacking as a Best Picture winner, I cannot place 1939 in the upper echelon of years in film. There are two classics in The Wizard of Oz and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and one of the fathers of the American western in Stagecoach. However, that is not enough to put it in the same class of film years such as 1975 (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Jaws, Dog Day Afternoon) and 1976 (Taxi Driver, Network, All the President’s Men) or modern-day examples like 2007 (There Will be Blood, No Country for Old Men, Michael Clayton) and some personal favorites of mine in 2015 and 2019.
As far as whether the Academy got it right in 1939, I obviously don’t think so with my general apathy towards Gone with the Wind. Goodbye, Mr. Chips and Wuthering Heights are both perfectly fine films, but do not belong in the Best Picture discussion either. And, while it’s a father of the western genre, Stagecoach is not quite of the caliber of the top two films of this year.
That leaves The Wizard of Oz and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington as the top two films of this year for me. Mr. Smith is one of the finest films by one of America’s great filmmakers. It provided a star making turn for Jimmy Stewart and touches on subject matter and themes that are still resonant today.
However, my choice for Best Picture of 1939 would have to be The Wizard of Oz. It is a film that has lost none of its all-age appeal in the last 80 years. It is my father’s favorite movie and is loved by my kids today. The cinematography was ahead of its time and the production design helped create a world that still seems real today. Though none were awarded, all key performances were exceptional. It is truly one of the great American fantasy stories of all time.