13th Academy Awards


The 13th Academy Awards honored American film achievements in 1940. This was the first year that sealed envelopes were used to keep secret the names of the winners which led to the famous phrase: "May I have the envelope, please?" The accounting firm of Price Waterhouse was hired to count the ballots, after the fiasco of leaked voting results in 1939 by the Los Angeles Times.
For the first time, the award for Best Screenplay was split into two separate categories: Best Original Screenplay and Best Screenplay.
Independent producer David O. Selznick, who had produced the previous year's big winner Gone with the Wind, also produced the Best Picture winner in 1940, Rebecca – and campaigned heavily for its win. Selznick was the first to produce two consecutive winners of the Best Picture Oscar. Although Rebecca had eleven nominations, it only won for Best Picture and Best Cinematography, marking the last time a film would win Best Picture but not win for either directing, acting, or writing.
The film's distributor – United Artists – was the last of the original film studios to win the Best Picture Oscar. Rebecca was the first American-made film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and the only film from him to win Best Picture. Hitchcock had two films nominated for Best Picture, the other being Foreign Correspondent. Two other directors also had two films in the running this year: Sam Wood and John Ford.
Pinocchio was the first animated film to take home competitive Oscars, for both Best Original Score and Best Original Song, starting a long tradition of animated films winning in these categories.
The Thief of Bagdad received the most Oscars of the evening, three, the first time a film not nominated for Best Picture won the most awards. This and Pinocchio were the first films not nominated for Best Picture to receive multiple awards.

Awards

Nominations announced on February 10, 1941. Winners are listed first and highlighted in boldface.

  • John Ford – The Grapes of Wrath
  • * Sam Wood – Kitty Foyle
  • * William WylerThe Letter
  • * George CukorThe Philadelphia Story
  • * Alfred Hitchcock – Rebecca
  • James Stewart – The Philadelphia Story as Macaulay "Mike" Connor
  • * Charlie Chaplin – The Great Dictator as The Barber/Adenoid Hynkel
  • * Henry FondaThe Grapes of Wrath as Tom Joad
  • * Raymond MasseyAbe Lincoln in Illinois as Abraham Lincoln
  • * Laurence OlivierRebecca as Maximilian de Winter
  • Ginger Rogers – Kitty Foyle as Kitty Foyle
  • * Bette DavisThe Letter as Leslie Crosbie
  • * Joan FontaineRebecca as the second Mrs de Winter
  • * Katharine HepburnThe Philadelphia Story as Tracy Samantha Lord
  • * Martha ScottOur Town as Emily Webb
  • Walter Brennan – The Westerner as Judge Roy Bean
  • * Albert BassermannForeign Correspondent as Van Meer
  • * William GarganThey Knew What They Wanted as Joe
  • * Jack OakieThe Great Dictator as Benzino Napaloni
  • * James StephensonThe Letter as Howard Joyce
  • Jane Darwell – The Grapes of Wrath as Ma Joad
  • * Judith AndersonRebecca as Mrs. Danvers
  • * Ruth HusseyThe Philadelphia Story as Elizabeth Imbrie
  • * Barbara O'NeilAll This, and Heaven Too as Francoise "Fanny" Sebastiani de-Praslin
  • * Marjorie RambeauPrimrose Path as Mamie Adams
  • The Great McGinty – Preston Sturges
  • * Angels Over BroadwayBen Hecht
  • * Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet – Norman Burnstine, Heinz Herald, and John Huston
  • * Foreign CorrespondentCharles Bennett and Joan Harrison
  • * The Great Dictator – Charlie Chaplin
  • The Philadelphia StoryDonald Ogden Stewart, based on the play by Philip Barry
  • * The Grapes of Wrath – Nunnally Johnson, based on the novel by John Steinbeck
  • * Kitty FoyleDalton Trumbo, based on the novel by Christopher Morley
  • * The Long Voyage HomeDudley Nichols, based on the plays The Moon of the Caribees, In the Zone, Bound East for Cardiff, and The Long Voyage Home by Eugene O'Neill
  • * Rebecca – Robert E. Sherwood and Joan Harrison, based on the novel by Daphne du Maurier
  • Arise, My LoveBenjamin Glazer and John S. Toldy
  • * Comrade XWalter Reisch
  • * Edison, the ManHugo Butler and Dore Schary
  • * My Favorite WifeLeo McCarey, Samuel Spewack, and Bella Spewack
  • * The Westerner – Stuart N. Lake
  • Quicker'n a WinkPete Smith and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
  • * London Can Take It! – Warner Bros.
  • * More About Nostradamus – Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
  • * Siege – RKO Radio
  • Teddy, the Rough Rider – Warner Bros.
  • * Eyes of the Navy – Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
  • * Service with the Colors – Warner Bros.
  • The Milky Way – Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
  • * Puss Gets the Boot – Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
  • * A Wild HareLeon Schlesinger and Warner Bros.
  • Pinocchio – Leigh Harline, Paul Smith and Ned Washington
  • * ArizonaVictor Young
  • * Dark Command – Victor Young
  • * The Fight for LifeLouis Gruenberg
  • * The Great DictatorMeredith Willson
  • * The House of the Seven GablesFrank Skinner
  • * The Howards of VirginiaRichard Hageman
  • * The LetterMax Steiner
  • * The Long Voyage Home – Richard Hageman
  • * The Mark of ZorroAlfred Newman
  • * My Favorite WifeRoy Webb
  • * North West Mounted Police – Victor Young
  • * One Million B.C. – Werner R. Heymann
  • * Our TownAaron Copland
  • * RebeccaFranz Waxman
  • * The Thief of BagdadMiklós Rózsa
  • * Waterloo BridgeHerbert Stothart
  • Tin Pan Alley – Alfred Newman
  • * Arise, My Love – Victor Young
  • * Hit Parade of 1941Cy Feuer
  • * IreneAnthony Collins
  • * Our Town – Aaron Copland
  • * The Sea HawkErich Wolfgang Korngold
  • * Second ChorusArtie Shaw
  • * Spring ParadeCharles Previn
  • * Strike Up the BandGeorgie Stoll and Roger Edens
  • "When You Wish Upon a Star" from Pinocchio – Music by Leigh Harline; Lyrics by Ned Washington
  • * "Down Argentine Way" from Down Argentine Way – Music by Harry Warren; Lyrics by Mack Gordon
  • * "I'd Know You Anywhere" from You'll Find Out – Music by Jimmy McHugh; Lyrics by Johnny Mercer
  • * "It's a Blue World" from Music in My HeartMusic and Lyrics by Chet Forrest and Bob Wright
  • * "Love of My Life" from Second Chorus – Music by Artie Shaw; Lyrics by Johnny Mercer
  • * "Only Forever" from Rhythm on the River – Music by James V. Monaco; Lyrics by Johnny Burke
  • * "Our Love Affair" from Strike Up the Band – Music and Lyrics by Roger Edens and Arthur Freed
  • * "Waltzing in the Clouds" from Spring Parade – Music by Robert Stolz; Lyrics by Gus Kahn
  • * "Who Am I?" from Hit Parade of 1941 – Music by Jule Styne; Lyrics by Walter Bullock
  • Strike Up the Band – Douglas Shearer
  • * Behind the News – Charles L. Lootens
  • * Captain CautionElmer Raguse
  • * The Grapes of Wrath – E. H. Hansen
  • * The Howards of VirginiaJack Whitney
  • * Kitty Foyle – John O. Aalberg
  • * North West Mounted Police – Loren L. Ryder
  • * Our Town – Thomas T. Moulton
  • * The Sea HawkNathan Levinson
  • * Spring Parade – Bernard B. Brown
  • * Too Many Husbands – John P. Livadary
  • Pride and PrejudiceCedric Gibbons and Paul Groesse
  • * Arise, My LoveHans Dreier and Robert Usher
  • * ArizonaLionel Banks and Robert Peterson
  • * The Boys from SyracuseJohn Otterson
  • * Dark CommandJohn Victor Mackay
  • * Foreign CorrespondentAlexander Golitzen
  • * Lillian RussellRichard Day and Joseph C. Wright
  • * My Favorite WifeVan Nest Polglase and Mark-Lee Kirk
  • * My Son, My Son!John DuCasse Schulze
  • * Our Town – Lewis J. Rachmil
  • * Rebecca – Lyle R. Wheeler
  • * The Sea HawkAnton Grot
  • * The WesternerJames Basevi
  • The Thief of Bagdad – Vincent Korda
  • * Bitter Sweet – Cedric Gibbons and John S. Detlie
  • * Down Argentine Way – Richard Day and Joseph C. Wright
  • * North West Mounted Police – Hans Dreier and Roland Anderson
  • RebeccaGeorge Barnes
  • * Abe Lincoln in IllinoisJames Wong Howe
  • * All This, and Heaven TooErnest Haller
  • * Arise, My LoveCharles Lang
  • * Boom TownHarold Rosson
  • * Foreign CorrespondentRudolph Maté
  • * The LetterTony Gaudio
  • * The Long Voyage HomeGregg Toland
  • * Spring ParadeJoseph Valentine
  • * Waterloo BridgeJoseph Ruttenberg
  • The Thief of Bagdad – Georges Périnal
  • * Bitter Sweet – Oliver T. Marsh and Allen Davey
  • * The Blue Bird – Arthur C. Miller and Ray Rennahan
  • * Down Argentine WayLeon Shamroy and Ray Rennahan
  • * North West Mounted PoliceVictor Milner and W. Howard Greene
  • * Northwest Passage – Sidney Wagner and William V. Skall
  • North West Mounted PoliceAnne Bauchens
  • * The Grapes of Wrath – Robert L. Simpson
  • * The LetterWarren Low
  • * The Long Voyage Home – Sherman Todd
  • * Rebecca – Hal C. Kern
  • The Thief of Bagdad – Photographic Effects: Lawrence W. Butler; Sound Effects: Jack Whitney
  • * The Blue Bird – Photographic Effects: Fred Sersen; Sound Effects: Edmund H. Hansen
  • * Boom Town – Photographic Effects: A. Arnold Gillespie; Sound Effects: Douglas Shearer
  • * The Boys from Syracuse – Photographic Effects: John P. Fulton; Sound Effects: Bernard B. Brown and Joe Lapis
  • * Dr. Cyclops – Photographic Effects: Farciot Edouart and Gordon Jennings
  • * Foreign Correspondent – Photographic Effects: Paul Eagler; Sound Effects: Thomas T. Moulton
  • * The Invisible Man Returns – Photographic Effects: John P. Fulton; Sound Effects: Bernard B. Brown and William Hedgcock
  • * The Long Voyage Home – Photographic Effects: R. T. Layton and Ray Binger; Sound Effects: Thomas T. Moulton
  • * One Million B.C. – Photographic Effects: Roy Seawright; Sound Effects: Elmer A. Raguse
  • * Rebecca – Photographic Effects: Jack Cosgrove; Sound Effects: Arthur Johns
  • * The Sea Hawk – Photographic Effects: Byron Haskin; Sound Effects: Nathan Levinson
  • * Swiss Family Robinson – Photographic Effects: Vernon L. Walker; Sound Effects: John O. Aalberg
  • * Typhoon – Photographic Effects: Farciot Edouart and Gordon Jennings; Sound Effects: Loren L. Ryder
  • * Women in War – Photographic Effects: Howard J. Lydecker, William Bradford and Ellis J. Thackery; Sound Effects: Herbert Norsch
  • Academy Honorary Awards

  • Bob Hope "in recognition of his unselfish services to the Motion Picture Industry".
  • Colonel Nathan Levinson "for his outstanding service to the industry and the Army during the past nine years, which has made possible the present efficient mobilization of the motion picture industry facilities for the production of Army Training Films".

    1941 Oscar firsts

  • For the first time, names of all winners remained secret until the moment they received their awards.
    Franklin D. Roosevelt gave a six-minute direct radio address to the attendees from the White House. It is the first time an American president participated in the event.

    Multiple nominations and awards

    The following thirty-two film received multiple nominations:
    The following five films received multiple awards: