1979

The 51st Academy Awards | 1979
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
Monday, April 9, 1979
Honoring movies released in 1978
Highlights
Memorable Moments
  • The Deer Hunter
    Best Picture winners Michael Deeley, Michael Cimino and Barry Spikings, with presenter John Wayne
  • Christopher Walken
    Supporting Actor winner for The Deer Hunter, with presenters Telly Savalas and Dyan Cannon
  • Jon Voight and Jane Fonda
    Best Actor and Best Actress winners for Coming Home

Winners & Nominees

Actor in a Leading Role

Winner

Jon Voight

Coming Home

Nominees

Warren Beatty

Heaven Can Wait

Gary Busey

The Buddy Holly Story

Robert De Niro

The Deer Hunter

Laurence Olivier

The Boys from Brazil

Actor in a Supporting Role

Winner

Christopher Walken

The Deer Hunter

Nominees

Bruce Dern

Coming Home

Richard Farnsworth

Comes a Horseman

John Hurt

Midnight Express

Jack Warden

Heaven Can Wait

Actress in a Leading Role

Winner

Jane Fonda

Coming Home

Nominees

Ingrid Bergman

Autumn Sonata

Ellen Burstyn

Same Time, Next Year

Jill Clayburgh

An Unmarried Woman

Geraldine Page

Interiors

Actress in a Supporting Role

Winner

Maggie Smith

California Suite

Nominees

Dyan Cannon

Heaven Can Wait

Penelope Milford

Coming Home

Maureen Stapleton

Interiors

Meryl Streep

The Deer Hunter

Art Direction

Winner

Heaven Can Wait

Art Direction: Paul Sylbert, Edwin O'Donovan; Set Decoration: George Gaines

Nominees

The Brink's Job

Art Direction: Dean Tavoularis, Angelo Graham; Set Decoration: George R. Nelson, Bruce Kay

California Suite

Art Direction: Albert Brenner; Set Decoration: Marvin March

Interiors

Art Direction: Mel Bourne; Set Decoration: Daniel Robert

The Wiz

Art Direction: Tony Walton, Philip Rosenberg; Set Decoration: Edward Stewart, Robert Drumheller

Cinematography

Winner

Days of Heaven

Nestor Almendros

Nominees

The Deer Hunter

Vilmos Zsigmond

Heaven Can Wait

William A. Fraker

Same Time, Next Year

Robert Surtees

The Wiz

Oswald Morris

Costume Design

Winner

Death on the Nile

Anthony Powell

Nominees

Caravans

Renie Conley

Days of Heaven

Patricia Norris

The Swarm

Paul Zastupnevich

The Wiz

Tony Walton

Directing

Winner

The Deer Hunter

Michael Cimino

Nominees

Coming Home

Hal Ashby

Heaven Can Wait

Warren Beatty, Buck Henry

Interiors

Woody Allen

Midnight Express

Alan Parker

Documentary (Feature)

Winner

Scared Straight!

Arnold Shapiro, Producer

Nominees

The Lovers' Wind

Albert Lamorisse, Producer

Mysterious Castles of Clay

Alan Root, Producer

Raoni

Jean-Pierre Dutilleux, Barry Williams and Michel Gast, Producers

With Babies and Banners: Story of the Women's Emergency Brigade

Anne Bohlen, Lyn Goldfarb and Lorraine Gray, Producers

Documentary (Short Subject)

Winner

The Flight of the Gossamer Condor

Jacqueline Phillips Shedd and Ben Shedd, Producers

Nominees

The Divided Trail: A Native American Odyssey

Jerry Aronson, Producer

An Encounter with Faces

K.K. Kapil, Producer

Goodnight Miss Ann

August Cinquegrana, Producer

Squires of San Quentin

J. Gary Mitchell, Producer

Film Editing

Winner

The Deer Hunter

Peter Zinner

Nominees

The Boys from Brazil

Robert E. Swink

Coming Home

Don Zimmerman

Midnight Express

Gerry Hambling

Superman

Stuart Baird

Foreign Language Film

Winner

Get Out Your Handkerchiefs

France

Nominees

The Glass Cell

German Federal Republic

Hungarians

Hungary

Viva Italia!

Italy

White Bim Black Ear

Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award

Winner

Leo Jaffe

Music (Adaptation Score)

Winner

The Buddy Holly Story

Joe Renzetti

Nominees

Pretty Baby

Jerry Wexler

The Wiz

Quincy Jones

Music (Original Score)

Winner

Midnight Express

Giorgio Moroder

Nominees

The Boys from Brazil

Jerry Goldsmith

Days of Heaven

Ennio Morricone

Heaven Can Wait

Dave Grusin

Superman

John Williams

Music (Original Song)

Winner

Thank God It's Friday

Last Dance in "Thank God It's Friday" Music and Lyrics by Paul Jabara

Nominees

Grease

Hopelessly Devoted To You in "Grease" Music and Lyrics by John Farrar

Same Time, Next Year

The Last Time I Felt Like This in "Same Time, Next Year" Music by Marvin Hamlisch; Lyrics by Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman

Foul Play

Ready To Take A Chance Again in "Foul Play" Music by Charles Fox; Lyrics by Norman Gimbel

The Magic of Lassie

When You're Loved in "The Magic of Lassie" Music and Lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman

Best Picture

Winner

The Deer Hunter

Barry Spikings, Michael Deeley, Michael Cimino and John Peverall, Producers

Nominees

Coming Home

Jerome Hellman, Producer

Heaven Can Wait

Warren Beatty, Producer

Midnight Express

Alan Marshall and David Puttnam, Producers

An Unmarried Woman

Paul Mazursky and Tony Ray, Producers

Short Film (Animated)

Winner

Special Delivery

Eunice Macaulay and John Weldon, Producers

Nominees

Oh My Darling

Nico Crama, Producer

Rip Van Winkle

Will Vinton, Producer

Short Film (Live Action)

Winner

Teenage Father

Taylor Hackford, Producer

Nominees

A Different Approach

Jim Belcher and Fern Field, Producers

Mandy's Grandmother

Andrew Sugerman, Producer

Strange Fruit

Seth Pinsker, Producer

Sound

Winner

The Deer Hunter

Richard Portman, William McCaughey, Aaron Rochin, Darin Knight

Nominees

The Buddy Holly Story

Tex Rudloff, Joel Fein, Curly Thirlwell, Willie Burton

Days of Heaven

John K. Wilkinson, Robert W. Glass, Jr., John T. Reitz, Barry Thomas

Hooper

Robert Knudson, Robert J. Glass, Don MacDougall, Jack Solomon

Superman

Gordon K. McCallum, Graham Hartstone, Nicolas Le Messurier, Roy Charman

Special Achievement Award (Visual Effects)

Winner

Superman

Les Bowie, Colin Chilvers, Denys Coop, Roy Field, Derek Meddings, Zoran Perisic

Writing (Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium)

Winner

Midnight Express

Oliver Stone

Nominees

Bloodbrothers

Walter Newman

California Suite

Neil Simon

Heaven Can Wait

Elaine May, Warren Beatty

Same Time, Next Year

Bernard Slade

Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen)

Winner

Coming Home

Story by Nancy Dowd; Screenplay by Waldo Salt, Robert C. Jones

Nominees

Autumn Sonata

Ingmar Bergman

The Deer Hunter

Story by Michael Cimino, Deric Washburn, Louis Garfinkle, Quinn K. Redeker; Screenplay by Deric Washburn

Interiors

Woody Allen

An Unmarried Woman

Paul Mazursky
ALL0-9 ABCDEFGHIJ K LMN OPQ RSTUVWX Y Z
A
Autumn Sonata
2 Nominations
Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen) - Ingmar Bergman
Actress in a Leading Role - Ingrid Bergman in "Autumn Sonata"
B
Bloodbrothers
1 Nomination
Writing (Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium) - Walter Newman
The Boys from Brazil
3 Nominations
Music (Original Score) - Jerry Goldsmith
Actor in a Leading Role - Laurence Olivier in "The Boys from Brazil"
Film Editing - Robert E. Swink
The Brink's Job
1 Nomination
Art Direction - Art Direction: Dean Tavoularis, Angelo Graham; Set Decoration: George R. Nelson, Bruce Kay
The Buddy Holly Story
3 Nominations, 1 Win
Actor in a Leading Role - Gary Busey in "The Buddy Holly Story"
Sound - Tex Rudloff, Joel Fein, Curly Thirlwell, Willie Burton
* Music (Adaptation Score) - Joe Renzetti
C
California Suite
3 Nominations, 1 Win
Art Direction - Art Direction: Albert Brenner; Set Decoration: Marvin March
Writing (Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium) - Neil Simon
* Actress in a Supporting Role - Maggie Smith in "California Suite"
Caravans
1 Nomination
Costume Design - Renie Conley
Comes a Horseman
1 Nomination
Actor in a Supporting Role - Richard Farnsworth in "Comes a Horseman"
Coming Home
8 Nominations, 3 Wins
Actor in a Supporting Role - Bruce Dern in "Coming Home"
Film Editing - Don Zimmerman
Directing - Hal Ashby
Best Picture - Jerome Hellman, Producer
Actress in a Supporting Role - Penelope Milford in "Coming Home"
* Actress in a Leading Role - Jane Fonda in "Coming Home"
* Actor in a Leading Role - Jon Voight in "Coming Home"
* Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen) - Story by Nancy Dowd; Screenplay by Waldo Salt, Robert C. Jones
D
Days of Heaven
4 Nominations, 1 Win
Music (Original Score) - Ennio Morricone
Sound - John K. Wilkinson, Robert W. Glass, Jr., John T. Reitz, Barry Thomas
Costume Design - Patricia Norris
* Cinematography - Nestor Almendros
Death on the Nile
1 Win, 1 Nomination
* Costume Design - Anthony Powell
The Deer Hunter
9 Nominations, 5 Wins
* Best Picture - Barry Spikings, Michael Deeley, Michael Cimino and John Peverall, Producers
* Actor in a Supporting Role - Christopher Walken in "The Deer Hunter"
* Directing - Michael Cimino
* Film Editing - Peter Zinner
* Sound - Richard Portman, William McCaughey, Aaron Rochin, Darin Knight
Actress in a Supporting Role - Meryl Streep in "The Deer Hunter"
Actor in a Leading Role - Robert De Niro in "The Deer Hunter"
Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen) - Story by Michael Cimino, Deric Washburn, Louis Garfinkle, Quinn K. Redeker; Screenplay by Deric Washburn
Cinematography - Vilmos Zsigmond
A Different Approach
1 Nomination
Short Film (Live Action) - Jim Belcher and Fern Field, Producers
The Divided Trail: A Native American Odyssey
1 Nomination
Documentary (Short Subject) - Jerry Aronson, Producer
E
An Encounter with Faces
1 Nomination
Documentary (Short Subject) - K.K. Kapil, Producer
F
The Flight of the Gossamer Condor
1 Win, 1 Nomination
* Documentary (Short Subject) - Jacqueline Phillips Shedd and Ben Shedd, Producers
Foul Play
1 Nomination
Music (Original Song) - Ready To Take A Chance Again in "Foul Play" Music by Charles Fox; Lyrics by Norman Gimbel
G
Get Out Your Handkerchiefs
1 Win, 1 Nomination
* Foreign Language Film - France
The Glass Cell
1 Nomination
Foreign Language Film - German Federal Republic
Goodnight Miss Ann
1 Nomination
Documentary (Short Subject) - August Cinquegrana, Producer
Grease
1 Nomination
Music (Original Song) - Hopelessly Devoted To You in "Grease" Music and Lyrics by John Farrar
H
Heaven Can Wait
9 Nominations, 1 Win
* Art Direction - Art Direction: Paul Sylbert, Edwin O'Donovan; Set Decoration: George Gaines
Music (Original Score) - Dave Grusin
Actress in a Supporting Role - Dyan Cannon in "Heaven Can Wait"
Writing (Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium) - Elaine May, Warren Beatty
Actor in a Supporting Role - Jack Warden in "Heaven Can Wait"
Actor in a Leading Role - Warren Beatty in "Heaven Can Wait"
Directing - Warren Beatty, Buck Henry
Best Picture - Warren Beatty, Producer
Cinematography - William A. Fraker
Hooper
1 Nomination
Sound - Robert Knudson, Robert J. Glass, Don MacDougall, Jack Solomon
Hungarians
1 Nomination
Foreign Language Film - Hungary
I
Interiors
5 Nominations
Art Direction - Art Direction: Mel Bourne; Set Decoration: Daniel Robert
Actress in a Leading Role - Geraldine Page in "Interiors"
Actress in a Supporting Role - Maureen Stapleton in "Interiors"
Directing - Woody Allen
Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen) - Woody Allen
L
The Lovers' Wind
1 Nomination
Documentary (Feature) - Albert Lamorisse, Producer
M
The Magic of Lassie
1 Nomination
Music (Original Song) - When You're Loved in "The Magic of Lassie" Music and Lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman
Mandy's Grandmother
1 Nomination
Short Film (Live Action) - Andrew Sugerman, Producer
Midnight Express
6 Nominations, 2 Wins
Best Picture - Alan Marshall and David Puttnam, Producers
Directing - Alan Parker
Film Editing - Gerry Hambling
Actor in a Supporting Role - John Hurt in "Midnight Express"
* Music (Original Score) - Giorgio Moroder
* Writing (Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium) - Oliver Stone
Mysterious Castles of Clay
1 Nomination
Documentary (Feature) - Alan Root, Producer
O
Oh My Darling
1 Nomination
Short Film (Animated) - Nico Crama, Producer
P
Pretty Baby
1 Nomination
Music (Adaptation Score) - Jerry Wexler
R
Raoni
1 Nomination
Documentary (Feature) - Jean-Pierre Dutilleux, Barry Williams and Michel Gast, Producers
Rip Van Winkle
1 Nomination
Short Film (Animated) - Will Vinton, Producer
S
Same Time, Next Year
4 Nominations
Writing (Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium) - Bernard Slade
Actress in a Leading Role - Ellen Burstyn in "Same Time, Next Year"
Cinematography - Robert Surtees
Music (Original Song) - The Last Time I Felt Like This in "Same Time, Next Year" Music by Marvin Hamlisch; Lyrics by Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman
Scared Straight!
1 Win, 1 Nomination
* Documentary (Feature) - Arnold Shapiro, Producer
Special Delivery
1 Win, 1 Nomination
* Short Film (Animated) - Eunice Macaulay and John Weldon, Producers
Squires of San Quentin
1 Nomination
Documentary (Short Subject) - J. Gary Mitchell, Producer
Strange Fruit
1 Nomination
Short Film (Live Action) - Seth Pinsker, Producer
Superman
4 Nominations, 1 Win
Sound - Gordon K. McCallum, Graham Hartstone, Nicolas Le Messurier, Roy Charman
Music (Original Score) - John Williams
Film Editing - Stuart Baird
* Special Achievement Award (Visual Effects) - Les Bowie, Colin Chilvers, Denys Coop, Roy Field, Derek Meddings, Zoran Perisic
The Swarm
1 Nomination
Costume Design - Paul Zastupnevich
T
Teenage Father
1 Win, 1 Nomination
* Short Film (Live Action) - Taylor Hackford, Producer
Thank God It's Friday
1 Win, 1 Nomination
* Music (Original Song) - Last Dance in "Thank God It's Friday" Music and Lyrics by Paul Jabara
U
An Unmarried Woman
3 Nominations
Actress in a Leading Role - Jill Clayburgh in "An Unmarried Woman"
Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen) - Paul Mazursky
Best Picture - Paul Mazursky and Tony Ray, Producers
V
Viva Italia!
1 Nomination
Foreign Language Film - Italy
W
White Bim Black Ear
1 Nomination
Foreign Language Film - Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
With Babies and Banners: Story of the Women's Emergency Brigade
1 Nomination
Documentary (Feature) - Anne Bohlen, Lyn Goldfarb and Lorraine Gray, Producers
The Wiz
4 Nominations
Art Direction - Art Direction: Tony Walton, Philip Rosenberg; Set Decoration: Edward Stewart, Robert Drumheller
Cinematography - Oswald Morris
Music (Adaptation Score) - Quincy Jones
Costume Design - Tony Walton