18th Academy Awards


The 18th Academy Awards were held on March 7, 1946, at Grauman's Chinese Theatre to honor the films of 1945. Being the first Oscars after the end of World War II, the ceremony returned to the glamour of the prewar years; notably, the plaster statuettes that had been used during the war were replaced by bronze statuettes with gold plating and an elevated base.
Despite the optimistic postwar mood, director Billy Wilder's grim and socially significant drama The Lost Weekend won the major awards of Best Picture and Best Director, as well as two other awards. It was the first film to win both Best Picture and the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Best Actress nominee Joan Crawford was absent due to illness.
This was the first year in which every film nominated for Best Picture won at least one Oscar, and also the first time a sequel was nominated for Best Picture.

Winners and nominees

Awards

Nominations announced on January 27, 1946. Winners are listed first and highlighted in boldface.

  • Billy WilderThe Lost Weekend
  • *Leo McCareyThe Bells of St. Mary's
  • *Clarence BrownNational Velvet
  • *Jean RenoirThe Southerner
  • *Alfred HitchcockSpellbound
  • Ray MillandThe Lost Weekend as Don Birnam
  • *Bing CrosbyThe Bells of St. Mary's as Father Chuck O'Malley
  • *Gene KellyAnchors Aweigh as Joseph "Joe" Brady
  • *Gregory PeckThe [Keys of the Kingdom (film)|The Keys of the Kingdom] as Father Francis Chisholm
  • *Cornel WildeA Song to Remember as Frédéric Chopin
  • Joan CrawfordMildred Pierce as Mildred Pierce Beragon
  • *Ingrid BergmanThe Bells of St. Mary's as Sister Mary Benedict
  • *Greer GarsonThe Valley of Decision as Mary Rafferty
  • *Jennifer JonesLove Letters as Singleton/Victoria Morland
  • *Gene TierneyLeave Her to Heaven as Ellen Berent Harland
  • James DunnA [Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945 film)|A Tree Grows in Brooklyn] as Johnny Nolan
  • *Michael ChekhovSpellbound as Dr Alexander "Alex" Brulov
  • *John DallThe [Corn Is Green (1945 film)|The Corn Is Green] as Morgan Evans
  • *Robert MitchumThe Story of G.I. Joe as Lt/Cpt. Bill Walker
  • *J. Carrol NaishA Medal for Benny as Charley Martin
  • Anne RevereNational Velvet as Mrs Araminty Brown
  • *Eve ArdenMildred Pierce as Ida Corwin
  • *Ann BlythMildred Pierce as Veda Pierce Forrester
  • *Angela LansburyThe [Picture of Dorian Gray (1945 film)|The Picture of Dorian Gray] as Sibyl Vane
  • *Joan LorringThe Corn Is Green as Bessie Watty
  • Marie-LouiseRichard Schweizer
  • *DillingerPhilip Yordan
  • *Music for MillionsMyles Connolly
  • *Salty O'Rourke – Milton Holmes
  • *What Next, Corporal Hargrove?Harry Kurnitz
  • The Lost WeekendCharles Brackett and Billy Wilder from The Lost Weekend by Charles R. Jackson
  • *Mildred PierceRanald MacDougall from Mildred Pierce by James M. Cain
  • *Pride of the MarinesAlbert Maltz from Al Schmid, Marine by Roger Butterfield
  • *The Story of G.I. Joe – Leopold Atlas, Guy Endore and Philip Stevenson from Brave Men and Here Is Your War by Ernie Pyle
  • *A Tree Grows in Brooklyn – Frank Davis and Tess Slesinger from A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
  • The House on 92nd StreetCharles G. Booth
  • *The Affairs of SusanLászló Görög and Thomas Monroe
  • *A Medal for BennyJohn Steinbeck and Jack Wagner
  • *Objective, Burma!Alvah Bessie
  • *A Song to RememberErnst Marischka
  • The True GloryGovernment of the United Kingdom and Federal government of the United States
  • *The Last BombUnited States Army Air Force
  • Hitler LivesGordon Hollingshead
  • *Library of CongressUnited States Office of War Information Overseas Motion Picture Bureau
  • *To the Shores of Iwo JimaUnited States Marine Corps
  • Stairway to LightHerbert Moulton and Jerry Bresler
  • *Along the Rainbow TrailEdmund Reek
  • *Screen Snapshots' 25th AnniversaryRalph Staub
  • *Story of a DogGordon Hollingshead
  • *White RhapsodyGrantland Rice
  • *Your National Gallery – Joseph O'Brien and Thomas Mead
  • Star in the NightGordon Hollingshead
  • *A Gun in His HandChester Franklin and Jerry Bresler
  • *The Jury Goes Round 'N' RoundJules White
  • *The Little Witch – George Templeton
  • Quiet Please!Frederick Quimby
  • *Donald's CrimeWalt Disney
  • *Jasper and the BeanstalkGeorge Pal
  • *Life with FeathersEdward Selzer
  • *Mighty Mouse in Gypsy LifePaul Terry
  • *The Poet and PeasantWalter Lantz
  • *Rippling RomanceScreen Gems
  • SpellboundMiklós Rózsa
  • *The Bells of St. Mary'sRobert Emmett Dolan
  • *Brewster's MillionsLou Forbes
  • *Captain KiddWerner Janssen
  • *The [Enchanted Cottage (1945 film)|The Enchanted Cottage]Roy Webb
  • *Flame of Barbary Coast – Dale Butts and Morton Scott
  • *G. I. HoneymoonEdward J. Kay
  • *Guest in the HouseWerner Janssen
  • *Guest WifeDaniele Amfitheatrof
  • *The Keys of the KingdomAlfred Newman
  • *The Lost WeekendMiklós Rózsa
  • *Love LettersVictor Young
  • *The Man Who Walked AloneKarl Hajos
  • *Objective, Burma!Franz Waxman
  • *Paris UndergroundAlexandre Tansman
  • *A Song to RememberMiklós Rózsa and Morris Stoloff
  • *The SouthernerWerner Janssen
  • *The Story of G.I. JoeLouis Applebaum and Ann Ronell
  • *This Love of OursH. J. Salter
  • *The Valley of DecisionHerbert Stothart
  • *The [Woman in the Window (1944 film)|The Woman in the Window]Hugo Friedhofer and Arthur Lange
  • Anchors AweighGeorgie Stoll
  • *Belle of the YukonArthur Lange
  • *Can't Help SingingJerome Kern and H. J. Salter
  • *Hitchhike to Happiness – Morton Scott
  • *Incendiary BlondeRobert Emmett Dolan
  • *Rhapsody in BlueRay Heindorf and Max Steiner
  • *State FairCharles Henderson and Alfred Newman
  • *Sunbonnet SueEdward J. Kay
  • *The Three CaballerosEdward H. Plumb, Paul J. Smith and Charles Wolcott
  • *Tonight and Every NightMarlin Skiles and Morris Stoloff
  • *Why Girls Leave HomeWalter Greene
  • *Wonder ManLou Forbes and Ray Heindorf
  • "It [Might as Well Be Spring]" from State Fair – Music by Richard Rodgers; Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
  • *"Accentuate the Positive" from Here Come the Waves – Music by Harold Arlen; Lyrics by Johnny Mercer
  • *"Anywhere" from Tonight and Every Night – Music by Jule Styne; Lyrics by Sammy Cahn
  • *"Aren't You Glad You're You?" from The Bells of St. Mary's – Music by James Van Heusen; Lyrics by Johnny Burke
  • *"The Cat and the Canary" from Why Girls Leave Home – Music by Jay Livingston; Lyrics by Ray Evans
  • *"Endlessly" from Earl Carroll Vanities – Music by Walter Kent; Lyrics by Kim Gannon
  • *"I [Fall in Love Too Easily]" from Anchors Aweigh – Music by Jule Styne; Lyrics by Sammy Cahn
  • *"I'll Buy That Dream" from Sing Your Way Home – Music by Allie Wrubel; Lyrics by Herb Magidson
  • *"Linda" from The Story of G.I. JoeMusic and Lyrics by Ann Ronell
  • *"Love Letters" from Love Letters – Music by Victor Young; Lyrics by Edward Heyman
  • *"More and More" from Can't Help Singing – Music by Jerome Kern ; Lyrics by E. Y. Harburg
  • *"Sleighride in July" from Belle of the Yukon – Music by James Van Heusen; Lyrics by Johnny Burke
  • *"So in Love" from Wonder Man – Music by David Rose; Lyrics by Leo Robin
  • *"Some Sunday Morning" from San Antonio – Music by Ray Heindorf and M. K. Jerome; Lyrics by Ted Koehler
  • The Bells of St. Mary'sStephen Dunn
  • *Flame of Barbary CoastDaniel J. Bloomberg
  • *Lady on a TrainBernard B. Brown
  • *Leave Her to HeavenThomas T. Moulton
  • *Rhapsody in BlueNathan Levinson
  • *A Song to RememberJohn P. Livadary
  • *The SouthernerJack Whitney
  • *They Were ExpendableDouglas Shearer
  • *The Three CaballerosC. O. Slyfield
  • *Three Is a FamilyW. V. Wolfe
  • *The UnseenLoren L. Ryder
  • *Wonder ManGordon E. Sawyer
  • Blood on the Sun – Art Direction: Wiard Ihnen; Interior Decoration: A. Roland Fields
  • *Experiment Perilous – Art Direction: Albert S. D'Agostino and Jack Okey; Interior Decoration: Darrell Silvera and Claude E. Carpenter
  • *The Keys of the Kingdom – Art Direction: James Basevi and William S. Darling; Interior Decoration: Thomas Little and Frank E. Hughes
  • *Love Letters – Art Decoration: Hans Dreier and Roland Anderson; Interior Decoration: Samuel M. Comer and Ray Moyer
  • *The Picture of Dorian Gray – Art Direction: Cedric Gibbons and Hans Peters; Interior Decoration: Edwin B. Willis, John Bonar and Hugh Hunt
  • Frenchman's Creek – Art Direction: Hans Dreier and Ernst Fegté; Interior Decoration: Samuel M. Comer
  • *Leave Her to Heaven – Art Direction: Lyle R. Wheeler and Maurice Ransford; Interior Decoration: Thomas Little
  • *National Velvet – Art Direction: Cedric Gibbons and Urie McCleary; Interior Decoration: Edwin B. Willis and Mildred Griffiths
  • *San Antonio – Art Direction: Ted Smith; Interior Decoration: Jack McConaghy
  • *A [Thousand and One Nights (1945 film)|A Thousand and One Nights] – Art Direction: Stephen Goosson and Rudolph Sternad; Interior Decoration: Frank Tuttle
  • The Picture of Dorian GrayHarry Stradling
  • *The Keys of the KingdomArthur C. Miller
  • *The Lost WeekendJohn F. Seitz
  • *Mildred PierceErnest Haller
  • *SpellboundGeorge Barnes
  • Leave Her to HeavenLeon Shamroy
  • *Anchors AweighRobert Planck and Charles P. Boyle
  • *National VelvetLeonard Smith
  • *A Song to RememberTony Gaudio and Allen M. Davey
  • *The Spanish MainGeorge Barnes
  • National VelvetRobert J. Kern
  • *The Bells of St. Mary'sHarry Marker
  • *The Lost WeekendDoane Harrison
  • *Objective, Burma!George Amy
  • *A Song to RememberCharles Nelson
  • Wonder Man – Photographic Effects: John P. Fulton; Sound Effects: Arthur Johns
  • *Captain Eddie – Photographic Effects: Fred Sersen and Sol Halperin; Sound Effects: Roger Heman Sr. and Harry M. Leonard
  • *Spellbound – Photographic Effects: Jack Cosgrove
  • *They Were Expendable – Photographic Effects: A. Arnold Gillespie, Donald Jahraus and R. A. MacDonald; Sound Effects: Michael Steinore
  • *A Thousand and One Nights – Photographic Effects: Lawrence W. Butler; Sound Effects: Ray Bomba
  • Special Awards

    Presenters and performers

    Presenters

    Performers

    Multiple nominations and awards

    NominationsFilm
    8The Bells of St. Mary's
    7The Lost Weekend
    6Mildred Pierce
    6A Song to Remember
    6Spellbound
    5Anchors Aweigh
    5National Velvet
    4The Keys of the Kingdom
    4Leave Her to Heaven
    4Love Letters
    4The Story of G.I. Joe
    4Wonder Man
    3Objective, Burma!
    3The Picture of Dorian Gray
    3The Southerner
    2Belle of the Yukon
    2Can't Help Singing
    2The Corn Is Green
    2Flame of Barbary Coast
    2A Medal for Benny
    2Rhapsody in Blue
    2San Antonio
    2State Fair
    2They Were Expendable
    2A Thousand and One Nights
    2The Three Caballeros
    2Tonight and Every Night
    2A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
    2The Valley of Decision
    2Why Girls Leave Home

    AwardsFilm
    4The Lost Weekend
    2National Velvet