9th Academy Awards


The 9th Academy Awards were held on March 4, 1937, at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, California to honor films released in 1936. They were hosted by George Jessel, with music by the Victor Young Orchestra, with Spike Jones on drums. This year marked the introduction of the Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress categories, and was the first year that the awards for directing and acting were fixed at five nominees per category.
Jessel assigned the wrong awards to the right winners of the newly-introduced supporting categories. The Great Ziegfeld was not a popular choice for Best Picture among members of the press, who felt that voters had been brainwashed by its lush gaudiness; they also felt that Luise Rainer's win of Best Actress for her performance was unjustified due to the short length of her role in the film.
My Man Godfrey became the first film to receive nominations in all four acting categories, but did not win in any category. It is the only such film to not receive a nomination for Best Picture, and was the only one to lose all of its nominations until Sunset Boulevard at the 23rd Academy Awards and American Hustle at the 86th. It was also the first of four films to receive four acting nominations without one for Best Picture, followed by I Remember Mama, Othello, and Doubt.

Winners and nominees

Awards

Nominees were announced on February 7, 1937. Winners are listed first and highlighted in boldface.

  • Frank CapraMr. Deeds Goes to Town
  • * William WylerDodsworth
  • * Robert Z. LeonardThe Great Ziegfeld
  • * Gregory La CavaMy Man Godfrey
  • * W. S. Van DykeSan Francisco
  • Paul MuniThe Story of Louis Pasteur as Louis Pasteur
  • * Gary CooperMr. Deeds Goes to Town as Longfellow Deeds
  • * Walter HustonDodsworth as Sam Dodsworth
  • * William PowellMy Man Godfrey as Godfrey
  • * Spencer TracySan Francisco as Father Tim Mullin
  • Luise RainerThe Great Ziegfeld as Anna Held
  • * Irene DunneTheodora Goes Wild as Theodora Lynn/"Caroline Adams"
  • * Gladys GeorgeValiant Is the Word for Carrie as Carrie Snyder
  • * Carole LombardMy Man Godfrey as Irene Bullock
  • * Norma ShearerRomeo and Juliet as Juliet
  • Walter BrennanCome and [Get It (1936 film)|Come and Get It] as Swan Bostrom
  • * Mischa AuerMy Man Godfrey as Carlo
  • * Stuart ErwinPigskin Parade as Amos
  • * Basil RathboneRomeo and Juliet as Tybalt
  • * Akim TamiroffThe General Died at Dawn as General Yang
  • Gale SondergaardAnthony Adverse as Faith Paleologus
  • * Beulah BondiThe Gorgeous Hussy as Rachel Jackson
  • * Alice BradyMy Man Godfrey as Angelica Bullock
  • * Bonita GranvilleThese Three as Mary Tilford
  • * Maria OuspenskayaDodsworth as Baroness Von Obersdorf
  • The Story of Louis PasteurPierre Collings and Sheridan Gibney
  • * FuryNorman Krasna
  • * The Great ZiegfeldWilliam Anthony McGuire
  • * San FranciscoRobert Hopkins
  • * Three Smart GirlsAdele Comandini
  • The Story of Louis PasteurPierre Collings and Sheridan Gibney
  • * After the Thin ManFrances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, based on a story by Dashiell Hammett
  • * DodsworthSidney Howard, based on the play by Howard and the novel by Sinclair Lewis
  • * Mr. Deeds Goes to TownRobert Riskin, based on the story "Opera Hat" by Clarence Budington Kelland
  • * My Man GodfreyEric Hatch and Morris Ryskind, based on the story "1101 Park Avenue" by Hatch
  • Bored of EducationHal Roach and MGM
  • * Moscow MoodsParamount
  • * Wanted – A MasterPete Smith and MGM
  • The Public PaysMGM
  • * Double or NothingWarner Bros.
  • * Dummy AcheRKO Radio
  • Give Me LibertyWarner Bros.
  • * La Fiesta de Santa Barbara – Louis Lewyn and MGM
  • * Popular Science J-6-2Paramount
  • The Country CousinWalt Disney Productions and United Artists
  • * The Old Mill PondHarman-Ising and MGM
  • * Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the SailorFleischer Studios and Paramount
  • Anthony AdverseWarner Bros. Studio Music Department
  • * The [Charge of the Light Brigade (1936 film)|The Charge of the Light Brigade] – Warner Bros. Studio Music Department
  • * The [Garden of Allah (1936 film)|The Garden of Allah]Selznick International Pictures Music Department
  • * The General Died at DawnParamount Studio Music Department
  • * WintersetRKO Radio Studio Music Department
  • "The Way You Look Tonight" from Swing Time – Music by Jerome Kern; Lyrics by Dorothy Fields
  • * "Did I Remember" from Suzy – Music by Walter Donaldson; Lyrics by Harold Adamson
  • * "I've Got You [Under My Skin (song)|I've Got You Under My Skin]" from Born to DanceMusic and Lyrics by Cole Porter
  • * "A Melody From the Sky" from Trail of the Lonesome Pine (1936 film)|Trail of the Lonesome Pine] – Music by Louis Alter; Lyrics by Sidney Mitchell
  • * "Pennies from Heaven" from Pennies from Heaven – Music by Arthur Johnston; Lyrics by Johnny Burke
  • * "When Did You Leave Heaven" from Sing, Baby, Sing – Music by Richard A. Whiting; Lyrics by Walter Bullock
  • San FranciscoDouglas Shearer
  • * Banjo on My KneeEdmund H. Hansen
  • * The Charge of the Light BrigadeNathan Levinson
  • * DodsworthThomas T. Moulton
  • * General SpankyElmer A. Raguse
  • * Mr. Deeds Goes to TownJohn P. Livadary
  • * The Texas RangersFranklin Hansen
  • * That Girl from ParisJohn Aalberg
  • * Three Smart GirlsHomer G. Tasker
  • DodsworthRichard Day
  • * Anthony AdverseAnton Grot
  • * The Great ZiegfeldCedric Gibbons, Eddie Imazu, and Edwin B. Willis
  • * Lloyd's of LondonWilliam S. Darling
  • * The Magnificent BruteAlbert S. D'Agostino and Jack Otterson
  • * Romeo and JulietCedric Gibbons, Fredric Hope, and Edwin B. Willis
  • * WintersetPerry Ferguson
  • Anthony AdverseTony Gaudio
  • * The General Died at DawnVictor Milner
  • * The Gorgeous HussyGeorge J. Folsey
  • Anthony AdverseRalph Dawson
  • * Come and Get ItEdward Curtiss
  • * The Great ZiegfeldWilliam S. Gray
  • * Lloyd's of LondonBarbara McLean
  • * A Tale of Two CitiesConrad A. Nervig
  • * Theodora Goes WildOtto Meyer
  • The Great ZiegfeldSeymour Felix
  • * Born to DanceDave Gould
  • * Cain and MabelBobby Connolly
  • * Dancing PirateRussell Lewis
  • * Gold Diggers of 1937Busby Berkeley
  • * One in a Million – Jack Haskell
  • * Swing TimeHermes Pan
  • The Charge of the Light BrigadeJack Sullivan
  • * Anthony AdverseWilliam Cannon
  • * The Garden of AllahEric G. Stacey
  • * The [Last of the Mohicans (1936 film)|The Last of the Mohicans]Clem Beauchamp
  • * San FranciscoJoseph M. Newman
  • Special Awards

    Multiple nominations and awards

    NominationsFilm
    7Anthony Adverse
    7Dodsworth
    7The Great Ziegfeld
    6My Man Godfrey
    6San Francisco
    5Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
    4Romeo and Juliet
    4The Story of Louis Pasteur
    3The Charge of the Light Brigade
    3The General Died at Dawn
    3Three Smart Girls
    2Born to Dance
    2Come and Get It
    2The Garden of Allah
    2The Gorgeous Hussy
    2Lloyd's of London
    2Swing Time
    2A Tale of Two Cities
    2Theodora Goes Wild
    2Winterset

    AwardsFilm
    4Anthony Adverse
    3The Great Ziegfeld
    3The Story of Louis Pasteur