The 2nd Academy Awards (1930)
Held at the Cocoanut Grove of the Ambassador Hotel on Thursday, April 3, 1930,
honoring movies released from August 1, 1928 – July 31, 1929.
Hans Kraly, William C. de Mille, Mary Pickford, and Warner Baxter at the 2nd Academy Awards ceremony.
The Year
- Best Picture: "The Broadway Melody"
- Awards were presented in only seven categories.
- No distinction was made in the voting between sound and silent films. All awards went to films with sound.
- The award presentations were made by the new Academy president, William C. de Mille.
- The first radio broadcast from an Academy Awards ceremony (by local L.A. station KNX) took place.
- Frank Lloyd received consideration for his direction of three films, "The Divine Lady," "Drag" and "Weary River"; he won the Directing award for "The Divine Lady."
- Hans Kraly won for writing for "The Patriot"; his work on "The Last of Mrs. Cheyney" was also considered by the judges.
- In September 1928, Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin.
- On November 6, 1928, Herbert Hoover won the U.S. presidential election.
- In November 1928, the Boston Garden opened in Boston.
- In March 1929, the San Francisco Bay Toll Bridge opened; it was the longest bridge in the world at the time.
- In July 1929, Pope Pius XI emerged from the Vatican and entered St. Peter’s Square after the ratification of the Lateran Treaty, which established Vatican City as a sovereign state. The pope’s appearance ended nearly 60 years of papal self-imprisonment within the Vatican.
