1978

The 50th Academy Awards | 1978
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
Monday, April 3, 1978
Honoring movies released in 1977
Highlights
Memorable Moments

Winners & Nominees

Actor in a Leading Role

Winner

Richard Dreyfuss

The Goodbye Girl

Nominees

Woody Allen

Annie Hall

Richard Burton

Equus

Marcello Mastroianni

A Special Day

John Travolta

Saturday Night Fever

Actor in a Supporting Role

Winner

Jason Robards

Julia

Nominees

Mikhail Baryshnikov

The Turning Point

Peter Firth

Equus

Alec Guinness

Star Wars

Maximilian Schell

Julia

Actress in a Leading Role

Winner

Diane Keaton

Annie Hall

Nominees

Anne Bancroft

The Turning Point

Jane Fonda

Julia

Shirley MacLaine

The Turning Point

Marsha Mason

The Goodbye Girl

Actress in a Supporting Role

Winner

Vanessa Redgrave

Julia

Nominees

Leslie Browne

The Turning Point

Quinn Cummings

The Goodbye Girl

Melinda Dillon

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Tuesday Weld

Looking for Mr. Goodbar

Art Direction

Winner

Star Wars

Art Direction: John Barry, Norman Reynolds, Leslie Dilley; Set Decoration: Roger Christian

Nominees

Airport '77

Art Direction: George C. Webb; Set Decoration: Mickey S. Michaels

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Art Direction: Joe Alves, Dan Lomino; Set Decoration: Phil Abramson

The Spy Who Loved Me

Art Direction: Ken Adam, Peter Lamont; Set Decoration: Hugh Scaife

The Turning Point

Art Direction: Albert Brenner; Set Decoration: Marvin March

Cinematography

Winner

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Vilmos Zsigmond

Nominees

Islands in the Stream

Fred J. Koenekamp

Julia

Douglas Slocombe

Looking for Mr. Goodbar

William A. Fraker

The Turning Point

Robert Surtees

Costume Design

Winner

Star Wars

John Mollo

Nominees

Airport '77

Edith Head, Burton Miller

Julia

Anthea Sylbert

A Little Night Music

Florence Klotz

The Other Side of Midnight

Irene Sharaff

Directing

Winner

Annie Hall

Woody Allen

Nominees

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Steven Spielberg

Julia

Fred Zinnemann

Star Wars

George Lucas

The Turning Point

Herbert Ross

Documentary (Feature)

Winner

Who Are the Debolts? And Where Did They Get Nineteen Kids?

John Korty, Dan McCann and Warren L. Lockhart, Producers

Nominees

The Children of Theatre Street

Robert Dornhelm and Earle Mack, Producers

High Grass Circus

Bill Brind, Torben Schioler and Tony Ianzelo, Producers

Homage to Chagall--The Colours of Love

Harry Rasky, Producer

Union Maids

James Klein, Julia Reichert and Miles Mogulescu, Producers

Documentary (Short Subject)

Winner

Gravity Is My Enemy

John Joseph and Jan Stussy, Producers

Nominees

Agueda Martinez: Our People, Our Country

Moctesuma Esparza, Producer

First Edition

Helen Whitney and DeWitt L. Sage, Jr., Producers

Of Time, Tombs and Treasure

James R. Messenger and Paul N. Raimondi, Producers

The Shetland Experience

Douglas Gordon, Producer

Film Editing

Winner

Star Wars

Paul Hirsch, Marcia Lucas, Richard Chew

Nominees

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Michael Kahn

Julia

Walter Murch

Smokey and the Bandit

Walter Hannemann, Angelo Ross

The Turning Point

William Reynolds

Foreign Language Film

Winner

Madame Rosa

France

Nominees

Iphigenia

Greece

Operation Thunderbolt

Israel

A Special Day

Italy

That Obscure Object of Desire

Spain

Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award

Winner

Walter Mirisch

Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award

Winner

Charlton Heston

Music (Original Score)

Winner

Star Wars

John Williams

Nominees

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

John Williams

Julia

Georges Delerue

Mohammad - Messenger of God

Maurice Jarre

The Spy Who Loved Me

Marvin Hamlisch

Music (Original Song Score and Its Adaptation or Adaptation Score)

Winner

A Little Night Music

Adaptation Score by Jonathan Tunick

Nominees

Pete's Dragon

Song Score by Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn; Adaptation Score by Irwin Kostal

The Slipper and the Rose--The Story of Cinderella

Song Score by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman; Adaptation Score by Angela Morley

Music (Original Song)

Winner

You Light Up My Life

You Light Up My Life in "You Light Up My Life" Music and Lyrics by Joseph Brooks

Nominees

Pete's Dragon

Candle On The Water in "Pete's Dragon" Music and Lyrics by Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn

The Spy Who Loved Me

Nobody Does It Better in "The Spy Who Loved Me" Music by Marvin Hamlisch; Lyrics by Carole Bayer Sager

The Slipper and the Rose--The Story of Cinderella

The Slipper And The Rose Waltz (He Danced With Me/She Danced With Me) in "The Slipper and the Rose--The Story of Cinderella" Music and Lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman

The Rescuers

Someone's Waiting For You in "The Rescuers" Music by Sammy Fain; Lyrics by Carol Connors and Ayn Robbins

Best Picture

Winner

Annie Hall

Charles H. Joffe, Producer

Nominees

The Goodbye Girl

Ray Stark, Producer

Julia

Richard Roth, Producer

Star Wars

Gary Kurtz, Producer

The Turning Point

Herbert Ross and Arthur Laurents, Producers

Short Film (Animated)

Winner

The Sand Castle

Co Hoedeman, Producer

Nominees

The Bead Game

Ishu Patel, Producer

The Doonesbury Special

John Hubley, Faith Hubley and Garry Trudeau, Producers

Jimmy the C

James Picker, Robert Grossman and Craig Whitaker, Producers

Short Film (Live Action)

Winner

I'll Find a Way

Beverly Shaffer and Yuki Yoshida, Producers

Nominees

The Absent-Minded Waiter

William E. McEuen, Producer

Floating Free

Jerry Butts, Producer

Notes on the Popular Arts

Saul Bass, Producer

Spaceborne

Philip Dauber, Producer

Sound

Winner

Star Wars

Don MacDougall, Ray West, Bob Minkler, Derek Ball

Nominees

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Robert Knudson, Robert J. Glass, Don MacDougall, Gene S. Cantamessa

The Deep

Walter Goss, Dick Alexander, Tom Beckert, Robin Gregory

Sorcerer

Robert Knudson, Robert J. Glass, Richard Tyler, Jean-Louis Ducarme

The Turning Point

Theodore Soderberg, Paul Wells, Douglas O. Williams, Jerry Jost

Special Achievement Award

Winner

Star Wars

Special Award

Special Achievement Award (Sound Effects Editing)

Winner

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Frank E. Warner

Visual Effects

Winner

Star Wars

John Stears, John Dykstra, Richard Edlund, Grant McCune, Robert Blalack

Nominees

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Roy Arbogast, Douglas Trumbull, Matthew Yuricich, Gregory Jein, Richard Yuricich

Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen--based on factual material or on story material not previously published or produced)

Winner

Annie Hall

Woody Allen, Marshall Brickman

Nominees

The Goodbye Girl

Neil Simon

The Late Show

Robert Benton

Star Wars

George Lucas

The Turning Point

Arthur Laurents

Writing (Screenplay--based on material from another medium)

Winner

Julia

Alvin Sargent

Nominees

Equus

Peter Shaffer

I Never Promised You a Rose Garden

Gavin Lambert, Lewis John Carlino

Oh, God!

Larry Gelbart

That Obscure Object of Desire

Luis Buñuel, Jean-Claude Carrière
A
The Absent-Minded Waiter
1 Nomination
Short Film (Live Action) - William E. McEuen, Producer
Agueda Martinez: Our People, Our Country
1 Nomination
Documentary (Short Subject) - Moctesuma Esparza, Producer
Airport '77
2 Nominations
Art Direction - Art Direction: George C. Webb; Set Decoration: Mickey S. Michaels
Costume Design - Edith Head, Burton Miller
Annie Hall
5 Nominations, 4 Wins
* Best Picture - Charles H. Joffe, Producer
* Actress in a Leading Role - Diane Keaton in "Annie Hall"
* Directing - Woody Allen
* Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen--based on factual material or on story material not previously published or produced) - Woody Allen, Marshall Brickman
Actor in a Leading Role - Woody Allen in "Annie Hall"
B
The Bead Game
1 Nomination
Short Film (Animated) - Ishu Patel, Producer
C
The Children of Theatre Street
1 Nomination
Documentary (Feature) - Robert Dornhelm and Earle Mack, Producers
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
9 Nominations, 2 Wins
Art Direction - Art Direction: Joe Alves, Dan Lomino; Set Decoration: Phil Abramson
Music (Original Score) - John Williams
Actress in a Supporting Role - Melinda Dillon in "Close Encounters of the Third Kind"
Film Editing - Michael Kahn
Sound - Robert Knudson, Robert J. Glass, Don MacDougall, Gene S. Cantamessa
Visual Effects - Roy Arbogast, Douglas Trumbull, Matthew Yuricich, Gregory Jein, Richard Yuricich
Directing - Steven Spielberg
* Special Achievement Award (Sound Effects Editing) - Frank E. Warner
* Cinematography - Vilmos Zsigmond
D
The Deep
1 Nomination
Sound - Walter Goss, Dick Alexander, Tom Beckert, Robin Gregory
The Doonesbury Special
1 Nomination
Short Film (Animated) - John Hubley, Faith Hubley and Garry Trudeau, Producers
E
Equus
3 Nominations
Actor in a Supporting Role - Peter Firth in "Equus"
Writing (Screenplay--based on material from another medium) - Peter Shaffer
Actor in a Leading Role - Richard Burton in "Equus"
F
First Edition
1 Nomination
Documentary (Short Subject) - Helen Whitney and DeWitt L. Sage, Jr., Producers
Floating Free
1 Nomination
Short Film (Live Action) - Jerry Butts, Producer
G
The Goodbye Girl
5 Nominations, 1 Win
Actress in a Leading Role - Marsha Mason in "The Goodbye Girl"
Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen--based on factual material or on story material not previously published or produced) - Neil Simon
Actress in a Supporting Role - Quinn Cummings in "The Goodbye Girl"
Best Picture - Ray Stark, Producer
* Actor in a Leading Role - Richard Dreyfuss in "The Goodbye Girl"
Gravity Is My Enemy
1 Win, 1 Nomination
* Documentary (Short Subject) - John Joseph and Jan Stussy, Producers
H
High Grass Circus
1 Nomination
Documentary (Feature) - Bill Brind, Torben Schioler and Tony Ianzelo, Producers
Homage to Chagall--The Colours of Love
1 Nomination
Documentary (Feature) - Harry Rasky, Producer
I
I Never Promised You a Rose Garden
1 Nomination
Writing (Screenplay--based on material from another medium) - Gavin Lambert, Lewis John Carlino
I'll Find a Way
1 Win, 1 Nomination
* Short Film (Live Action) - Beverly Shaffer and Yuki Yoshida, Producers
Iphigenia
1 Nomination
Foreign Language Film - Greece
Islands in the Stream
1 Nomination
Cinematography - Fred J. Koenekamp
J
Jimmy the C
1 Nomination
Short Film (Animated) - James Picker, Robert Grossman and Craig Whitaker, Producers
Julia
11 Nominations, 3 Wins
* Writing (Screenplay--based on material from another medium) - Alvin Sargent
* Actor in a Supporting Role - Jason Robards in "Julia"
* Actress in a Supporting Role - Vanessa Redgrave in "Julia"
Costume Design - Anthea Sylbert
Cinematography - Douglas Slocombe
Directing - Fred Zinnemann
Music (Original Score) - Georges Delerue
Actress in a Leading Role - Jane Fonda in "Julia"
Actor in a Supporting Role - Maximilian Schell in "Julia"
Best Picture - Richard Roth, Producer
Film Editing - Walter Murch
L
The Late Show
1 Nomination
Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen--based on factual material or on story material not previously published or produced) - Robert Benton
A Little Night Music
2 Nominations, 1 Win
* Music (Original Song Score and Its Adaptation or Adaptation Score) - Adaptation Score by Jonathan Tunick
Costume Design - Florence Klotz
Looking for Mr. Goodbar
2 Nominations
Actress in a Supporting Role - Tuesday Weld in "Looking for Mr. Goodbar"
Cinematography - William A. Fraker
M
Madame Rosa
1 Win, 1 Nomination
* Foreign Language Film - France
Mohammad - Messenger of God
1 Nomination
Music (Original Score) - Maurice Jarre
N
Notes on the Popular Arts
1 Nomination
Short Film (Live Action) - Saul Bass, Producer
O
Of Time, Tombs and Treasure
1 Nomination
Documentary (Short Subject) - James R. Messenger and Paul N. Raimondi, Producers
Oh, God!
1 Nomination
Writing (Screenplay--based on material from another medium) - Larry Gelbart
Operation Thunderbolt
1 Nomination
Foreign Language Film - Israel
The Other Side of Midnight
1 Nomination
Costume Design - Irene Sharaff
P
Pete's Dragon
2 Nominations
Music (Original Song) - Candle On The Water in "Pete's Dragon" Music and Lyrics by Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn
Music (Original Song Score and Its Adaptation or Adaptation Score) - Song Score by Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn; Adaptation Score by Irwin Kostal
R
The Rescuers
1 Nomination
Music (Original Song) - Someone's Waiting For You in "The Rescuers" Music by Sammy Fain; Lyrics by Carol Connors and Ayn Robbins
S
The Sand Castle
1 Win, 1 Nomination
* Short Film (Animated) - Co Hoedeman, Producer
Saturday Night Fever
1 Nomination
Actor in a Leading Role - John Travolta in "Saturday Night Fever"
The Shetland Experience
1 Nomination
Documentary (Short Subject) - Douglas Gordon, Producer
The Slipper and the Rose--The Story of Cinderella
2 Nominations
Music (Original Song Score and Its Adaptation or Adaptation Score) - Song Score by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman; Adaptation Score by Angela Morley
Music (Original Song) - The Slipper And The Rose Waltz (He Danced With Me/She Danced With Me) in "The Slipper and the Rose--The Story of Cinderella" Music and Lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman
Smokey and the Bandit
1 Nomination
Film Editing - Walter Hannemann, Angelo Ross
Sorcerer
1 Nomination
Sound - Robert Knudson, Robert J. Glass, Richard Tyler, Jean-Louis Ducarme
Spaceborne
1 Nomination
Short Film (Live Action) - Philip Dauber, Producer
A Special Day
2 Nominations
Foreign Language Film - Italy
Actor in a Leading Role - Marcello Mastroianni in "A Special Day"
The Spy Who Loved Me
3 Nominations
Art Direction - Art Direction: Ken Adam, Peter Lamont; Set Decoration: Hugh Scaife
Music (Original Score) - Marvin Hamlisch
Music (Original Song) - Nobody Does It Better in "The Spy Who Loved Me" Music by Marvin Hamlisch; Lyrics by Carole Bayer Sager
Star Wars
11 Nominations, 7 Wins
Actor in a Supporting Role - Alec Guinness in "Star Wars"
Best Picture - Gary Kurtz, Producer
Directing - George Lucas
Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen--based on factual material or on story material not previously published or produced) - George Lucas
* Art Direction - Art Direction: John Barry, Norman Reynolds, Leslie Dilley; Set Decoration: Roger Christian
* Sound - Don MacDougall, Ray West, Bob Minkler, Derek Ball
* Costume Design - John Mollo
* Visual Effects - John Stears, John Dykstra, Richard Edlund, Grant McCune, Robert Blalack
* Music (Original Score) - John Williams
* Film Editing - Paul Hirsch, Marcia Lucas, Richard Chew
* Special Achievement Award - Special Award
T
That Obscure Object of Desire
2 Nominations
Writing (Screenplay--based on material from another medium) - Luis Buñuel, Jean-Claude Carrière
Foreign Language Film - Spain
The Turning Point
11 Nominations
Actress in a Leading Role - Anne Bancroft in "The Turning Point"
Art Direction - Art Direction: Albert Brenner; Set Decoration: Marvin March
Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen--based on factual material or on story material not previously published or produced) - Arthur Laurents
Directing - Herbert Ross
Best Picture - Herbert Ross and Arthur Laurents, Producers
Actress in a Supporting Role - Leslie Browne in "The Turning Point"
Actor in a Supporting Role - Mikhail Baryshnikov in "The Turning Point"
Cinematography - Robert Surtees
Actress in a Leading Role - Shirley MacLaine in "The Turning Point"
Sound - Theodore Soderberg, Paul Wells, Douglas O. Williams, Jerry Jost
Film Editing - William Reynolds
U
Union Maids
1 Nomination
Documentary (Feature) - James Klein, Julia Reichert and Miles Mogulescu, Producers
W
Who Are the Debolts? And Where Did They Get Nineteen Kids?
1 Win, 1 Nomination
* Documentary (Feature) - John Korty, Dan McCann and Warren L. Lockhart, Producers
Y
You Light Up My Life
1 Win, 1 Nomination
* Music (Original Song) - You Light Up My Life in "You Light Up My Life" Music and Lyrics by Joseph Brooks