And The Oscar Goes to… Our continuing journey through the history of the Academy Awards! (1931)
The Fourth Annual Academy Awards was celebrated on November 10, 1931 and it covered movies that were released between August 1, 1930 and July 31, 1931. For the first time the awards moved venues and was now being held at the Biltmore Hotel also in Los Angeles and was hosted by English actor Lawrence Grant.
This year’s ceremony presented 9 awards as the writing award was split in two, separating original works from film adaptations. The movie “Cimarron” dominated and was the first movie to ever win 3 awards stemming from 7 nominations and was the first and only Western to win for 50 years (until Dances With Wolves). This year’s ceremony included the youngest nominee for a lead acting role as nine-year-old Jackie Cooper was nominated for his role as Skippy Skinner in the movie “Skippy”. Cimarron and Skippy both moved into the Top-10 All-Time with 10 and 5 points. With her nomination for her role in “A Free Soul” Norma Shearer moved into the top spot in the acting category with 4 points. In directing Lewis Milestone’s nomination for “The Front Page” gave him sole possession of the top spot with 5 points now.
Movies-
Cimarron- 10 Points (Best Movie or Outstanding Production)
Skippy- 5 Points
Morocco- 4 Points
A Free Soul- 4 Points
The Front Page- 3 Points
Holiday- 2 Points
Svengali- 2 Points
Min and Bill- 2 Points
The Dawn Patrol- 2 Points
Taboo- 2 Points
East Lynne- 1 Point
Trader Horn- 1 Point
The Royal Family of Broadway- 1 Point
The Doorway to Hell- 1 Point
Laughter- 1 Point
The Public Enemy- 1 Point
Smart Money- 1 Point
The Criminal Code- 1 Point
Little Caesar- 1 Point
Just Imagine- 1 Point
Whoopie!- 1 Point
The Right to Love- 1 Point
Movies- All-Time Top 10
1. Cimarron- 10 Points
2. 7th Heaven — 8 Points
3. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans — 7 Points
4. The Love Parade- 6 Points
5. All Quiet on the Western Front- 6 Points
6. The Big House- 6 Points
7. The Patriot- 6 points
8. In Old Arizona- 6 Points
9. Skippy- 5 Points
10. The Divorcee- 5 Points
Acting
Lionel Barrymore- 2 Points
Marie Dressler- 2 Points
Jackie Cooper- 1 Point
Richard Dix- 1 Point
Frederick March- 1 Point
Adolphe Menjou- 1 Point
Marlene Dietrich- 1 Point
Irene Dunne- 1 Point
Ann Harding- 1 Point
Norma Shearer- 1 Point
Acting- All-Time Top 10
1. Norma Shaerer- 4 Point
2. George Arliss- 3 Point
3. Lionel Barrymore- 2 Points
4. Marie Dressler- 2 Points
5. Emil Jannings- 2 Point
6. Janet Gaynor- 2 Point
7.Warner Baxter- 2 Point
8. Mary Pickford- 2 Point
9. Ruth Chatterton- 2 Point
10. Gloria Swanson- 2 Points
Directing
Norman Taurog- 2 Points
Wesley Ruggles- 1 Point
Clarence Brown- 1 Point
Lewis Milestone- 1 Point
Josef von Sternberg- 1 Point
Directing- All-Time Top 10
1. Lewis Milestone- 5 Points
2. Frank Lloyd- 4 Points
3. Clarence Brown- 3 Points
4. Norman Taurog- 2 Points
5. Frank Borzage- 2 Points
6. King Vidor- 2 Points
7. Ernst Lubitsch- 2 Points
8. Josef von Sternberg- 1 Point
9. Wesley Ruggles- 1 Point
10. Robert Z. Leonard- 1 Point