16th Academy Awards


The 16th Academy Awards were held on March 2, 1944, to honor the films of 1943. This was the first Oscar ceremony held at a large public venue, Grauman's Chinese Theatre, and the first ceremony without a banquet as part of the festivities. The ceremony was broadcast locally on KFWB, and internationally by CBS Radio via shortwave. Jack Benny hosted the event, which lasted one hour and 42 minutes. This was the first ceremony to welcome admissions from the general public.
For the first time, winners for Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress were awarded full-size statuettes, instead of smaller-sized awards mounted on a plaque. This was the last year until 2009 to have 10 nominations for Best Picture; The Ox-Bow Incident is, as of 2023, the last film to be nominated solely in that category.
For Whom the Bell Tolls was the third film to receive nominations in all four acting categories. This was the first year in which each acting category had at least one nominee from a color film.
The Tom and Jerry cartoon series won its first Oscar this year for The Yankee Doodle Mouse; it would go on to win another six Oscars, including three in a row over the next three years, from a total of 13 nominations.

Winners and nominees

Awards

Nominees were announced on February 6, 1944. Winners are listed first and highlighted in boldface.

  • Michael CurtizCasablanca
  • * Ernst LubitschHeaven Can Wait
  • * Clarence BrownThe Human Comedy
  • * George StevensThe More the Merrier
  • * Henry KingThe Song of Bernadette
  • Paul LukasWatch on the Rhine as Kurt Muller
  • * Humphrey BogartCasablanca as Rick Blaine
  • * Gary CooperFor Whom the Bell Tolls as Robert Jordan
  • * Walter PidgeonMadame Curie as Pierre Curie
  • * Mickey RooneyThe Human Comedy as Homer Macauley
  • Jennifer JonesThe Song of Bernadette as Bernadette Soubirous
  • * Jean ArthurThe More the Merrier as Constance Milligan
  • * Ingrid BergmanFor Whom the Bell Tolls as María
  • * Joan FontaineThe Constant Nymph as Tessa Sanger
  • * Greer GarsonMadame Curie as Marie Curie
  • Charles CoburnThe More the Merrier as Benjamin Dingle
  • * Charles BickfordThe Song of Bernadette as Abbé Dominique Peyramale
  • * J. Carrol NaishSahara as Giuseppe
  • * Claude RainsCasablanca as Captain Louis Renault
  • * Akim TamiroffFor Whom the Bell Tolls as Pablo
  • Katina PaxinouFor Whom the Bell Tolls as Pilar
  • * Gladys CooperThe Song of Bernadette as Marie Therese Vauzou
  • * Paulette GoddardSo Proudly We Hail! as Lt. Joan O'Doul
  • * Anne RevereThe Song of Bernadette as Louise Casterot Soubirous
  • * Lucile WatsonWatch on the Rhine as Fanny Farrelly
  • Princess O'RourkeNorman Krasna
  • * Air ForceDudley Nichols
  • * In Which We ServeNoël Coward
  • * The North StarLillian Hellman
  • * So Proudly We Hail!Allan Scott
  • CasablancaJulius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein, and Howard E. Koch, based on Everybody Comes to Rick's by Murray Burnett and Joan Alison
  • * Holy MatrimonyNunnally Johnson, based on Buried Alive by Arnold Bennett
  • * The More the Merrier – Richard Flournoy, Lewis R. Foster, Frank Ross, and Robert Russell, based on a story by Frank Ross and Robert Russell
  • * The Song of BernadetteGeorge Seaton, based on the novel by Franz Werfel
  • * Watch on the RhineDashiell Hammett, based on the play by Lillian Hellman
  • The Human ComedyWilliam Saroyan
  • * Action in the North AtlanticGuy Gilpatric
  • * Destination TokyoSteve Fisher
  • * The More the MerrierRobert Russell and Frank Ross
  • * Shadow of a Doubt – Gordon McDonell
  • Desert VictoryBritish Ministry of Information
  • * Baptism of FireUnited States Army
  • * The Battle of RussiaUnited States Department of War, Special Service Division
  • * Report from the AleutiansUnited States Army Pictorial Service
  • * War Department ReportUnited States Office of Strategic Services, Field Photographic Bureau
  • December 7thJohn Ford and United States Navy
  • * Children of MarsRKO Radio
  • * Plan for DestructionMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer
  • * Swedes in AmericaUnited States Office of War Information, Overseas Motion Picture Bureau
  • * To the People of [the United States]Walter Wanger
  • * Tomorrow We FlyUnited States Navy Bureau of Aeronautics
  • * Youth in CrisisThe [March of Time (radio program)|The March of Time]
  • Amphibious FightersGrantland Rice
  • * Cavalcade of DanceGordon Hollingshead
  • * Champions Carry On – Edmund Reek
  • * Hollywood in UniformRalph Staub
  • * Seeing HandsPete Smith
  • Heavenly MusicJerry Bresler and Sam Coslow
  • * Letter to a Hero – Frederic Ullman Jr.
  • * Mardi Gras – Walter MacEwen
  • * Women at WarGordon Hollingshead
  • The Yankee Doodle MouseFred Quimby
  • * The 500 Hats of Bartholomew CubbinsGeorge Pal
  • * The Dizzy AcrobatWalter Lantz
  • * Greetings, Bait!Leon Schlesinger
  • * ImaginationDave Fleischer
  • * Reason and EmotionWalt Disney
  • The Song of BernadetteAlfred Newman
  • * The Amazing Mrs. HollidayHans J. Salter and Frank Skinner
  • * CasablancaMax Steiner
  • * Commandos Strike at DawnLouis Gruenberg and Morris Stoloff
  • * The Fallen SparrowC. Bakaleinikoff and Roy Webb
  • * For Whom the Bell TollsVictor Young
  • * Hangmen Also Die!Hanns Eisler
  • * Hi Diddle DiddlePhilip Boutelje
  • * In Old OklahomaWalter Scharf
  • * Johnny Come LatelyLeigh Harline
  • * The KansanGerard Carbonara
  • * Lady of BurlesqueArthur Lange
  • * Madame CurieHerbert Stothart
  • * The [Moon and Sixpence (film)|The Moon and Sixpence]Dimitri Tiomkin
  • * The North StarAaron Copland
  • * Victory Through Air PowerEdward H. Plumb, Paul J. Smith, and Oliver Wallace
  • This Is the ArmyRay Heindorf
  • * Coney IslandAlfred Newman
  • * Hit Parade of 1943Walter Scharf
  • * Phantom of the OperaEdward Ward
  • * Saludos AmigosEdward H. Plumb, Paul J. Smith, and Charles Wolcott
  • * The [Sky's the Limit (1943 film)|The Sky's the Limit]Leigh Harline
  • * Something to Shout AboutMorris Stoloff
  • * Stage Door CanteenFrederic E. Rich
  • * Star Spangled RhythmRobert Emmett Dolan
  • * Thousands CheerHerbert Stothart
  • "You'll Never Know" from Hello, Frisco, Hello – Music by Harry Warren; Lyrics by Mack Gordon
  • * "A Change of Heart" from Hit Parade of 1943 – Music by Jule Styne; Lyrics by Harold Adamson
  • * "Happiness is a Thing Called Joe" from Cabin in the Sky – Music by Harold Arlen; Lyrics by E. Y. Harburg
  • * "My Shining Hour" from The Sky's the Limit – Music by Harold Arlen; Lyrics by Johnny Mercer
  • * "Saludos Amigos" from Saludos Amigos – Music by Charles Wolcott; Lyrics by Ned Washington
  • * "Say a Pray'r for the Boys Over There" from Hers to Hold – Music by Jimmy McHugh; Lyrics by Herb Magidson
  • * "That Old Black Magic" from Star Spangled Rhythm – Music by Harold Arlen; Lyrics by Johnny Mercer
  • * "They're Either Too Young or Too Old" from Thank Your Lucky Stars – Music by Arthur Schwartz; Lyrics by Frank Loesser
  • * "We Mustn't Say Goodbye" from Stage Door Canteen – Music by James V. Monaco; Lyrics by Al Dubin
  • * "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To" from Something to Shout AboutMusic and Lyrics by Cole Porter
  • This Land Is MineStephen Dunn
  • * Hangmen Also Die!Jack Whitney
  • * In Old OklahomaDaniel J. Bloomberg
  • * Madame CurieDouglas Shearer
  • * The North StarThomas T. Moulton
  • * Phantom of the OperaBernard B. Brown
  • * Riding HighLoren L. Ryder
  • * SaharaJohn P. Livadary
  • * Saludos AmigosC. O. Slyfield
  • * So This Is WashingtonJ. L. Fields
  • * The Song of BernadetteE. H. Hansen
  • * This Is the ArmyNathan Levinson
  • The Song of Bernadette – Art Direction: James Basevi and William S. Darling; Interior Decoration: Thomas Little
  • * Five Graves to Cairo – Art Direction: Hans Dreier and Ernst Fegté; Interior Decoration: Bertram Granger
  • * Flight for Freedom – Art Direction: Albert S. D'Agostino and Carroll Clark; Interior Decoration: Darrell Silvera and Harley Miller
  • * Madame Curie – Art Direction: Cedric Gibbons and Paul Groesse; Interior Decoration: Edwin B. Willis and Hugh Hunt
  • * Mission to Moscow – Art Direction: Carl Jules Weyl; Interior Decoration: George James Hopkins
  • * The North Star – Art Direction: Perry Ferguson; Interior Decoration: Howard Bristol
  • Phantom of the Opera – Art Direction: Alexander Golitzen and John B. Goodman; Interior Decoration: Russell A. Gausman and Ira S. Webb
  • * For Whom the Bell Tolls – Art Direction: Hans Dreier and Haldane Douglas; Interior Decoration: Bertram Granger
  • * The Gang's All Here – Art Direction: James Basevi and Joseph C. Wright; Interior Decoration: Thomas Little
  • * This Is the Army – Art Direction: John Hughes and Lt. John Koenig; Interior Decoration: George James Hopkins
  • * Thousands Cheer – Art Direction: Cedric Gibbons and Daniel B. Cathcart; Interior Decoration: Edwin B. Willis and Jacques Mersereau
  • The Song of BernadetteArthur C. Miller
  • * Air ForceJames Wong Howe, Elmer Dyer and Charles A. Marshall
  • * CasablancaArthur Edeson
  • * Corvette K-225Tony Gaudio
  • * Five Graves to CairoJohn F. Seitz
  • * The Human ComedyHarry Stradling
  • * Madame CurieJoseph Ruttenberg
  • * The North StarJames Wong Howe
  • * SaharaRudolph Maté
  • * So Proudly We Hail!Charles Lang
  • Phantom of the OperaHal Mohr and W. Howard Greene
  • * For Whom the Bell TollsRay Rennahan
  • * Heaven Can WaitEdward Cronjager
  • * Hello, Frisco, HelloCharles G. Clarke and Allen Davey
  • * Lassie Come HomeLeonard Smith
  • * Thousands CheerGeorge J. Folsey
  • Air ForceGeorge Amy
  • * CasablancaOwen Marks
  • * Five Graves to CairoDoane Harrison
  • * For Whom the Bell Tolls – Sherman Todd and John F. Link Sr.
  • * The Song of BernadetteBarbara McLean
  • Crash Dive – Photographic Effects: Fred Sersen; Sound Effects: Roger Heman
  • * Air Force – Photographic Effects: Hans F. Koenekamp and Rex Wimpy; Sound Effects: Nathan Levinson
  • * Bombardier – Photographic Effects: Vernon L. Walker; Sound Effects James G. Stewart and Roy Granville
  • * The North Star – Photographic Effects: Clarence Slifer and Ray Binger; Sound Effects: Thomas T. Moulton
  • * So Proudly We Hail! – Photographic Effects: Farciot Edouart and Gordon Jennings; Sound Effects: George Dutton
  • * Stand By for Action – Photographic Effects: A. Arnold Gillespie and Donald Jahraus; Sound Effects: Michael Steinore
  • Special Award

    • To George Pal for the development of novel methods and techniques in the production of short subjects known as Puppetoons.

    Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award

    Presenters and performers

    Presenters

    Performers

    Multiple nominations and awards

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

    AwardsFilm
    4The Song of Bernadette
    3Casablanca
    2Phantom of the Opera