16th Academy Awards

16th Academy Awards
Date	March 2, 1944
Site	Grauman's Chinese Theatre Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Host	Jack Benny
Highlights
Best Picture	Casablanca
Most awards	The Song of Bernadette (4)
Most nominations	The Song of Bernadette (12)

The 16th Academy Awards, in 1944, was the first Oscar ceremony held at a large public venue, Grauman’s Chinese Theater. Free passes were given out to men and women in uniform. Originating on KFWB, the complete ceremony was internationally broadcast by CBS Radio via shortwave. Jack Benny served as master of ceremonies for the event, which lasted fewer than 30 minutes.^[1]

The serial cartoon Tom and Jerry won its first Oscar this year for The Yankee Doodle Mouse after two failed nominations in a row. It would go on to win another six Oscars, including three in a row for the next three years, and gained a total of 13 nominations.

For the first time, supporting actors and actresses took home full-size statuettes, instead of smaller-sized awards mounted on a plaque.

For Whom the Bell Tolls was the third film to receive nominations in all four acting categories.

This was the last year until 2009 to have 10 nominations for Best Picture; The Ox-Bow Incident is, as of 2015, the last film to be nominated solely in that category.

Awards

Winners are listed first and highlighted in boldface.^[2]

Outstanding Motion Picture	Best Director
Casablanca For Whom the Bell Tolls Heaven Can Wait The Human Comedy In Which We Serve Madame Curie The More the Merrier The Ox-Bow Incident The Song of Bernadette Watch on the Rhine	Michael Curtiz – Casablanca George Stevens – The More the Merrier Ernst Lubitsch – Heaven Can Wait Henry King – The Song of Bernadette Clarence Brown – The Human Comedy
Best Actor	Best Actress
Paul Lukas – Watch on the Rhine Humphrey Bogart – Casablanca Gary Cooper – For Whom the Bell Tolls Walter Pidgeon – Madame Curie Mickey Rooney – The Human Comedy	Jennifer Jones – The Song of Bernadette Jean Arthur – The More the Merrier Ingrid Bergman – For Whom the Bell Tolls Joan Fontaine – The Constant Nymph Greer Garson – Madame Curie
Best Supporting Actor	Best Supporting Actress
Charles Coburn – The More the Merrier Charles Bickford – The Song of Bernadette J. Carrol Naish – Sahara Claude Rains – Casablanca Akim Tamiroff – For Whom the Bell Tolls	Katina Paxinou – For Whom the Bell Tolls Gladys Cooper – The Song of Bernadette Paulette Goddard – So Proudly We Hail! Anne Revere – The Song of Bernadette Lucile Watson – Watch on the Rhine
Best Original Screenplay	Best Adapted Screenplay
Princess O'Rourke – Norman Krasna In Which We Serve – Noël Coward The North Star – Lillian Hellman Air Force – Dudley Nichols So Proudly We Hail! – Allan Scott	Casablanca – Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein and Howard Koch Watch on the Rhine – Lillian Hellman and Dashiell Hammett Holy Matrimony – Nunnally Johnson The More the Merrier – Richard Flournoy, Lewis R. Foster, Frank Ross and Robert Russell The Song of Bernadette – George Seaton
Best Story	Best Documentary Feature
The Human Comedy – William Saroyan Shadow of a Doubt – Thornton Wilder The More the Merrier – Robert Russell and Frank Ross Destination Tokyo – Steve Fisher Action in the North Atlantic – Guy Gilpatric	Desert Victory Baptism of Fire The Battle of Russia Report from the Aleutians War Department Report
Best Documentary Short	Best Animated Short Film
December 7th Children of Mars Plan for Destruction Swedes in America To the People of the United States Tomorrow We Fly Youth in Crisis	Yankee Doodle Mouse The Dizzy Acrobat The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins Greetings, Bait! Imagination Reason and Emotion
Best Live Action Short Film, One-Reel	Best Live Action Short Film, Two-Reel
Amphibious Fighters – Grantland Rice Cavalcade of Dance – Gordon Hollingshead Champions Carry On – Edmund Reek Hollywood in Uniform – Ralph Staub Seeing Hands – Pete Smith	Heavenly Music – Jerry Bresler and Sam Coslow Letter to a Hero – Frederic Ullman, Jr. Mardi Gras – Walter MacEwen Women at War – Gordon Hollingshead
Best Dramatic Score	Best Musical Score
The Song of Bernadette – Alfred Newman The Fallen Sparrow – C. Bakaleinikoff and Roy Webb Hi Diddle Diddle – Philip Boutelje The Kansan – Gerard Carbonara The North Star – Aaron Copland Hangmen Also Die – Hanns Eisler Commandos Strike at Dawn – Louis Gruenberg and Morris Stoloff Johnny Come Lately – Leigh Harline Lady of Burlesque – Arthur Lange Victory Through Air Power – Edward H. Plumb, Paul J. Smith and Oliver Wallace The Amazing Mrs. Holliday – Hans J. Salter and Frank Skinner In Old Oklahoma – Walter Scharf Casablanca – Max Steiner Madame Curie – Herbert Stothart The Moon and Sixpence – Dimitri Tiomkin For Whom the Bell Tolls – Victor Young	This Is the Army – Ray Heindorf Star Spangled Rhythm – Robert Emmett Dolan The Sky's the Limit – Leigh Harline Coney Island – Alfred Newman Saludos Amigos – Edward H. Plumb, Paul J. Smith and Charles Wolcott Stage Door Canteen – Frederic E. Rich Hit Parade of 1943 – Walter Scharf Something to Shout About – Morris Stoloff Thousands Cheer – Herbert Stothart Phantom of the Opera – Edward Ward
Best Original Song	Best Sound Recording
"You'll Never Know" from Hello, Frisco, Hello – Music by Harry Warren; Lyric by Mack Gordon "That Old Black Magic" from Star Spangled Rhythm – Music by Harold Arlen; Lyric by Johnny Mercer "A Change of Heart" from Hit Parade of 1943 – Music by Jule Styne; Lyric by Harold Adamson "Happiness is a Thing Called Joe" from Cabin in the Sky – Music by Harold Arlen; Lyric by E. Y. Harburg "My Shining Hour" from The Sky's the Limit – Music by Harold Arlen; Lyric by Johnny Mercer "Saludos Amigos" from Saludos Amigos – Music by Charles Wolcott; Lyric by Ned Washington "Say a Pray'r for the Boys Over There" from Hers to Hold – Music by Jimmy McHugh; Lyric by Herb Magidson "They're Either Too Young or Too Old" from Thank Your Lucky Stars – Music by Arthur Schwartz; Lyric by Frank Loesser "We Mustn't Say Goodbye" from Stage Door Canteen – Music by James V. Monaco; Lyric by Al Dubin "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To" from Something to Shout About – Music and Lyric by Cole Porter	This Land Is Mine – Stephen Dunn, RKO Radio Studio Sound Department Sahara – John Livadary, Columbia Studio Sound Department Madame Curie – Douglas Shearer, MGM Studio Sound Department Riding High – Loren L. Ryder, Paramount Studio Sound Department So This Is Washington – J. L. Fields, RCA Sound In Old Oklahoma – Daniel J. Bloomberg, Republic Studio Sound Department The North Star – Thomas T. Moulton, Samuel Goldwyn Studio Sound Department Hangmen Also Die – Jack Whitney, Sound Service, Inc. The Song of Bernadette – E. H. Hansen, Fox Studio Sound Department Phantom of the Opera – Bernard B. Brown, Universal Studio Sound Department Saludos Amigos – C. O. Slyfield, Walt Disney Studio Sound Department This Is the Army – Nathan Levinson, Warner Bros. Studio Sound Department
Best Art Direction, Black and White	Best Art Direction, Color
The Song of Bernadette – Art Direction: James Basevi and William S. Darling; Set Decoration: Thomas Little Flight for Freedom – Art Direction: Albert S. D'Agostino and Carroll Clark; Set Decoration: Darrell Silvera and Harley Miller Five Graves to Cairo – Art Direction: Hans Dreier and Ernst Fegte; Set Decoration: Bertram Granger The North Star – Art Direction: Perry Ferguson; Set Decoration: Howard Bristol Madame Curie – Art Direction: Cedric Gibbons and Paul Groesse; Set Decoration: Edwin B. Willis and Hugh Hunt Mission to Moscow – Art Direction: Carl Weyl; Set Decoration: George J. Hopkins	Phantom of the Opera – Art Direction: Alexander Golitzen and John B. Goodman; Set Decoration: Russell A. Gausman and Ira S. Webb The Gang's All Here – Art Direction: James Basevi and Joseph C. Wright; Set Decoration: Thomas Little For Whom the Bell Tolls – Art Direction: Hans Dreier and Haldane Douglas; Set Decoration: Bertram Granger Thousands Cheer – Art Direction: Cedric Gibbons and Daniel Cathcart; Set Decoration: Edwin B. Willis and Jacques Mersereau This Is the Army – Art Direction: John Hughes and Lt. John Koenig; Set Decoration: George J. Hopkins
Best Cinematography, Black and White	Best Cinematography, Color
The Song of Bernadette – Arthur C. Miller Casablanca – Arthur Edeson Corvette K-225 – Tony Gaudio The North Star – James Wong Howe Air Force – James Wong Howe, Elmer Dyer and Charles A. Marshall So Proudly We Hail! – Charles Lang Sahara – Rudolph Maté Madame Curie – Joseph Ruttenberg Five Graves to Cairo – John Seitz The Human Comedy – Harry Stradling	Phantom of the Opera – Hal Mohr and W. Howard Greene Hello, Frisco, Hello – Charles G. Clarke and Allen Davey Heaven Can Wait – Edward Cronjager Thousands Cheer – George Folsey For Whom the Bell Tolls – Ray Rennahan Lassie Come Home – Leonard Smith
Best Film Editing	Best Special Effects
Air Force – George Amy Five Graves to Cairo – Doane Harrison Casablanca – Owen Marks The Song of Bernadette – Barbara McLean For Whom the Bell Tolls – Sherman Todd and John F. Link Sr.	Crash Dive – Photography: Fred Sersen; Sound: Roger Heman So Proudly We Hail! – Photography: Farciot Edouart and Gordon Jennings; Sound: George Dutton Stand By for Action – Photography: A. Arnold Gillespie and Donald Jahraus; Sound: Michael Steinore Air Force – Photography: Hans F. Koenekamp and Rex Wimpy; Sound:Nathan Levinson The North Star – Photography: Clarence Slifer and Ray Binger; Sound: Thomas T. Moulton Bombardier – Photography: Vernon L. Walker; Sound: James G. Stewart and Roy Granville

Academy Honorary Award

• George Pal

Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award

• Hal B. Wallis

Presenters

• Donald Crisp (Presenter: Best Supporting Actor)
• Howard Estabrook (Presenter: Documentary Awards)
• Sidney Franklin (Presenter: Best Picture)
• Y. Frank Freeman (Presenter: Best Film Editing, Best Sound Recording, Best Special Effects, and Scientific & Technical Awards)
• Greer Garson (Presenter: Best Actress)
• James Hilton (Presenter: Writing Awards)
• Carole Landis (Presenter: Best Art Direction)
• George Murphy (Presenter: Best Actor)
• Rosalind Russell (Presenter: Best Cinematography)
• Mark Sandrich (Presenter: Best Director)
• Dinah Shore (Presenter: Music Awards)
• Walter Wanger (Presenter: Short Subject Awards and Honorary Award)
• Teresa Wright (Presenter: Best Supporting Actress)
• Darryl F. Zanuck (Presenter: Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award)

Performers

• Edgar Bergen & Charlie McCarthy
• Ray Bolger
• Susanna Foster
• Mitzi Gerber
• Lena Horne
• Betty Hutton
• Kay Kyser & His Band
• Red Skelton

Multiple nominations and awards

These films had multiple nominations: 12 nominations: The Song of Bernadette 9 nominations: For Whom the Bell Tolls 8 nominations: Casablanca 7 nominations: Madame Curie 6 nominations: The More the Merrier, The North Star 5 nominations: The Human Comedy 4 nominations: Air Force, Phantom of the Opera, So Proudly We Hail!, Watch on the Rhine 3 nominations: Five Graves to Cairo, Heaven Can Wait, Sahara, Saludos Amigos, This is the Army, Thousands Cheer 2 nominations: Hangmen Also Die, Hello, Frisco, Hello, Hit Parade of 1943, In Old Oklahoma, In Which We Serve, The Sky's the Limit, Something to Shout About, Stage Door Canteen, Star Spangled Rhythm

The following films received multiple awards. 4 wins: The Song of Bernadette 3 wins: Casablanca 2 wins: Phantom of the Opera

See also

• 1st Golden Globe Awards
• 1943 in film

References

1. Dunning, John (1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 4. ISBN 978-0-19-507678-3.
2. "The 16th Academy Awards (1944) Nominees and Winners". Oscars.org (Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences). Archived from the original on 2013-10-14. Retrieved 2013-10-04.