Hollywood’s Greatest Year: The Best Picture Nominees of 1939
A 70th Anniversary Celebration of the Best Picture nominees of 1939
All 10 (yes, 10) of the Best Picture nominees of 1939. Best Prints! Big Screen! Special Surprises and Guests! Great Price!
All features were preceded by one of the year’s animated shorts and a chapter of the 1939 serial “Buck Rogers,” starring Buster Crabbe and Constance Moore.
May 18 – Gone with the Wind
The film version of Margaret Mitchell’s epic Civil War romance was the biggest box office hit of Golden Age Hollywood, presenting Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable in their iconic roles as Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler. 238 mins.
Scheduled special guests: cast members Ann Rutherford, Cammie King, Mickey Kuhn and Patrick Curtis.
June 1 – Stagecoach
John Wayne found his star-making role in this Western classic, teaming up with a colorful supporting cast and director John Ford for non-stop action and adventure.
June 8 – Wuthering Heights
Director William Wyler brought Emily Brontë’s classic Gothic romance to life, with Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon as the star-crossed lovers, Heathcliff and Cathy.
June 15 – Dark Victory
Bette Davis teamed up with rising stars Humphrey Bogart and Ronald Reagan for this classic romantic tearjerker about a young woman facing a tragic fate.
June 22 – Love Affair
Leo McCarey produced, directed and co-wrote this romantic teaming of Charles Boyer and Irene Dunne, which inspired two remakes including McCarey’s own “An Affair to Remember.”
June 29 – Goodbye, Mr. Chips
Robert Donat won the Oscar for his memorable portrayal of a beloved English schoolmaster in this adaptation of James Hilton’s bestseller, with Greer Garson as the love of Chips’s life.
July 13 – Ninotchka
“Garbo Laughs” was the adline for Ernst Lubitsch’s classic romantic comedy, co-written by Billy Wilder, with Greta Garbo as a frosty Russian warmed up by French charmer Melvyn Douglas during a visit to Paris.
July 20 – Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Director Frank Capra sent Senator James Stewart to the nation’s capital to teach his fellow lawmakers a lesson about American ideals in this political comedy-drama.
July 27 – Of Mice and Men
Horror star Lon Chaney Jr. had his greatest dramatic role as Lennie in this moving adaptation of the John Steinbeck classic, co-starring Burgess Meredith.
August 3 – The Wizard of Oz
One of the most beloved of all Hollywood films, an imaginative and tuneful musical fantasy with glorious visuals, classic original songs, and Judy Garland in all her youthful glory.
Constance Moore, Buster Crabbe, and Jackie Moran in a scene from the serial “Buck Rogers”
Event Information
- When
- Monday evenings, May 18 to August 3.
“Buck Rogers” serial chapter at 7 p.m.; feature presentation at 7:30 p.m. - Where
- Samuel Goldwyn Theater
8949 Wilshire Boulevard
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
