1940s Famous People

For those of you who missed it, the Oscar's were last Sunday. The once a year chance for those in Hollywood to be recognized for their work in the film industry and for the rest of us to see those amazing dresses walking down the red carpet. My cousin holds an annual Oscar party where you have to dress to the nines to attend. Her pictures from the evening were fantastic!

All the buzz had me thinking about the Oscar winners from the 1940s. Who won, what were the films about, where there any repeats?  My curiosity was bubbling over.  I went in search of three categories for each year: best film, best actor, and best actress. (See a full list of awards at Classic Movies)

1940
Picture            Rebecca
Actor              James Stewart – The Philadelphia Story
Actress           Ginger Rogers – Kitty Foyle

1941

Picture            How Green was my Valley
Actor              Gary Cooper – Sergeant York
Actress           Joan Fontaine – Suspicion

1942

Picture            Mrs. Miniver
Actor              James Cagney – Yankee Doodle Dandy
Actress           Greer Garson – Mrs. Miniver

1943

Picture            Casablanca
Actor              Paul Lukas – Watch on the Rhine
Actress           Jennifer Jones – The Song of Bernadette

1944

Picture            Going my Way
Actor              Bing Crosby –Going my Way
Actress           Ingrid Bergman – Gaslight

1945

Picture            The Lost Weekend
Actor              Ray Milland -  The Lost Weekend
Actress           Joan Crawford – Mildred Pierce

1946

Picture            The Best Years of Our Lives
Actor              Fredric March – The Best Years of Our Lives
Actress           Olivia de Havilland – To Each His Own

1947

Picture            Gentleman’sAgreement
Actor              Ronald Colman – A Double Life
Actress           Loretta Young – The Farmer’s Daughter

1948

Picture            Hamlet
Actor              Laurence Olivier – Hamlet
Actress           Jane Wyman – Johnny Belinda

1949

Picture            All the King’s Men
Actor              Broderick Crawford – All the King’s Men
Actress           Olivia de Havilland– The Heiress


Only one repeat winner in 10 years!  Olivia de Havilland started the decade on the 1939 hit Gone with the Wind and left with 2 Oscars for best actress.  Wow!

Many of these movies I have not seen, but there is one on the list that was a favorite of mine as a child, Yankee Doodle Dandy.  I watched this movie over, and over again.  I knew every line, and every song, and I am pretty sure I wore the tape out.  Until this evening I did not know that James Cagney had won the Oscar for it, and I am sure it was not only for his tap dancing down the steps of the White House in the end of the film. 

Seeing as everyone is in the 1940 US Census, who will you look up?  I think I may look up a few of the actors listed above to see what they were doing before they won their golden statuette. 

*Images from wikimedia:  Academy award vinto da maximilian schell come miglior attore protagonista, 1961

Actors Gary Cooper and Joan de Havilland holding their Oscars at Academy Awards after party, 1942

screenshot of James Cagney from the trailer for the film Yankee Doodle Dandy