26th Academy Awards

26th Academy Awards
Date March 25, 1954
Site RKO Pantages Theatre
Hollywood, California
NBC Century Theatre
New York City, New York
Hosted by Donald O'Connor (Los Angeles)
Fredric March (New York City)
Highlights
Best Picture From Here to Eternity
Most awards From Here to Eternity (8)
Most nominations From Here to Eternity (13)
TV in the United States
Network NBC

The 26th Academy Awards honored the best in films of 1953.

The second national telecast of the Awards show drew an estimated 43 million viewers. Shirley Booth, appearing in a play in Philadelphia, presented the Best Actor award through a live broadcast cut-in, and privately received the winner's name over the telephone from co-host Donald O'Connor. (Actor Fredric March co-hosted from New York City.) Gary Cooper filmed his presentation of the Best Actress award in advance on a set in Mexico, with O'Connor announcing the winner's name.

All the major winners in this year were black-and-white films. The big winner was Fred Zinnemann's From Here to Eternity, with thirteen nominations and eight awards including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Director, Best Screenplay (Daniel Taradash), Best Cinematography (Burnett Guffey), Best Sound, and Best Film Editing. All five of its major actors and actresses were nominated, with secondary players Donna Reed and Frank Sinatra taking home Oscars. The candid film was based on James Jones' controversial, best-selling novel about Army life on a Hawaiian (Oahu) military base just prior to the Pearl Harbor attack and World War II, illustrating the conflict between an individualistic private (Montgomery Clift) and rigid institutional authority (exemplified by the Army). Its achievement of eight awards matched the then record held by Gone with the Wind (1939). The record would be tied again the following year by On the Waterfront (1954). Walt Disney won four awards, which remains the record for the most Oscars won in the same year.

William Holden's speech for Best Actor for his role in Stalag 17 was simply "Thank You", making it one of the shortest speeches ever; the TV broadcast had a strict cutoff time which forced Holden's quick remarks. The frustrated Holden personally paid for advertisements in the Hollywood trade publications to thank everyone he wanted to on Oscar night. He also remarked that he felt that either Burt Lancaster or Montgomery Clift should have won the Best Actor Oscar for From Here to Eternity, instead of him.

Awards

Winners are listed first and highlighted in boldface.[1]

Best Motion Picture Best Director
Best Actor Best Actress
Best Supporting Actor Best Supporting Actress
Best Story and Screenplay Best Screenplay
Best Story Best Animated Short Film
Best Documentary Feature Best Documentary Short
Best Live Action Short Film, One-Reel Best Live Action Short Film, Two-Reel
Best Dramatic or Comedy Score Best Musical Score
Best Original Song Best Sound Recording
Best Art Direction, Black and White Best Art Direction, Color
Best Cinematography, Black and White Best Cinematography, Color
Best Costume Design, Black and White Best Costume Design, Color
Best Film Editing Best Visual Effects

Academy Honorary Awards

Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award

Presenters and performers

Presenters

Performers

Multiple nominations and awards

These films had multiple nominations:

  • 13 nominations: From Here to Eternity
  • 10 nominations: Roman Holiday
  • 6 nominations: Lili, Shane
  • 5 nominations: Julius Caesar, The Robe
  • 3 nominations: The Band Wagon, The Moon is Blue, Stalag 17, Calamity Jane, The War of the Worlds
  • 2 nominations: Above and Beyond, Call Me Madam, Knights of the Round Table, Martin Luther, Mogambo, The President's Lady, Titanic, Young Bess

The following films received multiple awards.

  • 8 wins: From Here to Eternity
  • 3 wins: Roman Holiday
  • 2 wins: The Robe

See also

References

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