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1953

Experience over nine decades of the Oscars from 1927 to 2024

The 25th Academy Awards | 1953
RKO Pantages Theatre
Thursday, March 19, 1953
Honoring movies released in 1952
Highlights
Best Actor
High Noon

Gary Cooper, accepted by John Wayne

Best Actress
Come Back, Little Sheba

Shirley Booth

Film Editing
High Noon

Elmo Williams and Harry Gerstad

Memorable Moments
Harold Lloyd.
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Honorary Award recipient

Backstage at the Oscars
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Katherine DeMille Quinn (acceptor, Supporting Actor for Anthony Quinn), Cecil B. DeMille (winner, Best Picture, The Greatest Show on Earth and recipient, Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award), and Gloria Grahame (Supporting Actress winner, The Bad and the Beautiful)

Walt Disney and Music Winners
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Alfred Newman (winner for Scoring of a Musical Picture for With a Song in My Heart), Ned Washington (Original Song winner for High Noon), Walt Disney, and Dimitri Tiomkin (winner of Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture and Original Song for High Noon)

WINNERS & NOMINEES
Actor
Winner
Gary Cooper
High Noon
Nominees
Marlon Brando
Viva Zapata!
Nominees
Kirk Douglas
The Bad and the Beautiful
Nominees
José Ferrer
Moulin Rouge
Nominees
Alec Guinness
The Lavender Hill Mob
Actor in a Supporting Role
Winner
Anthony Quinn
Viva Zapata!
Nominees
Richard Burton
My Cousin Rachel
Nominees
Arthur Hunnicutt
The Big Sky
Nominees
Victor McLaglen
The Quiet Man
Nominees
Jack Palance
Sudden Fear
Actress
Winner
Shirley Booth
Come Back, Little Sheba
Nominees
Joan Crawford
Sudden Fear
Nominees
Bette Davis
The Star
Nominees
Julie Harris
The Member of the Wedding
Nominees
Susan Hayward
With a Song in My Heart
Actress in a Supporting Role
Winner
Gloria Grahame
The Bad and the Beautiful
Nominees
Jean Hagen
Singin' in the Rain
Nominees
Colette Marchand
Moulin Rouge
Nominees
Terry Moore
Come Back, Little Sheba
Nominees
Thelma Ritter
With a Song in My Heart
Art Direction (Black-and-White)
Winner
The Bad and the Beautiful
Art Direction: Cedric Gibbons, Edward Carfagno; Set Decoration: Edwin B. Willis, Keogh Gleason
Nominees
Carrie
Art Direction: Hal Pereira, Roland Anderson; Set Decoration: Emile Kuri
Nominees
My Cousin Rachel
Art Direction: Lyle Wheeler, John DeCuir; Set Decoration: Walter M. Scott
Nominees
Rashomon
Art Direction: Matsuyama; Set Decoration: H. Motsumoto
Nominees
Viva Zapata!
Art Direction: Lyle Wheeler, Leland Fuller; Set Decoration: Thomas Little, Claude Carpenter
Art Direction (Color)
Winner
Moulin Rouge
Art Direction: Paul Sheriff; Set Decoration: Marcel Vertes
Nominees
Hans Christian Andersen
Art Direction: Richard Day, Clave; Set Decoration: Howard Bristol
Nominees
The Merry Widow
Art Direction: Cedric Gibbons, Paul Groesse; Set Decoration: Edwin B. Willis, Arthur Krams
Nominees
The Quiet Man
Art Direction: Frank Hotaling; Set Decoration: John McCarthy, Jr., Charles Thompson
Nominees
The Snows of Kilimanjaro
Art Direction: Lyle Wheeler, John DeCuir; Set Decoration: Thomas Little, Paul S. Fox
Cinematography (Black-and-White)
Winner
The Bad and the Beautiful
Robert Surtees
Nominees
The Big Sky
Russell Harlan
Nominees
My Cousin Rachel
Joseph LaShelle
Nominees
Navajo
Virgil E. Miller
Nominees
Sudden Fear
Charles B. Lang, Jr.
Cinematography (Color)
Winner
The Quiet Man
Winton C. Hoch, Archie Stout
Nominees
Hans Christian Andersen
Harry Stradling
Nominees
Ivanhoe
F. A. Young
Nominees
Million Dollar Mermaid
George J. Folsey
Nominees
The Snows of Kilimanjaro
Leon Shamroy
Costume Design (Black-and-White)
Winner
The Bad and the Beautiful
Helen Rose
Nominees
Affair in Trinidad
Jean Louis
Nominees
Carrie
Edith Head
Nominees
My Cousin Rachel
Charles LeMaire, Dorothy Jeakins
Nominees
Sudden Fear
Sheila O'Brien
Costume Design (Color)
Winner
Moulin Rouge
Marcel Vertes
Nominees
The Greatest Show on Earth
Edith Head, Dorothy Jeakins, Miles White
Nominees
Hans Christian Andersen
Clave, Mary Wills, Madame Karinska
Nominees
The Merry Widow
Helen Rose, Gile Steele
Nominees
With a Song in My Heart
Charles LeMaire
Directing
Winner
The Quiet Man
John Ford
Nominees
Five Fingers
Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Nominees
The Greatest Show on Earth
Cecil B. DeMille
Nominees
High Noon
Fred Zinnemann
Nominees
Moulin Rouge
John Huston
Documentary (Feature)
Winner
The Sea around Us
Irwin Allen, Producer
Nominees
The Hoaxters
Dore Schary, Producer
Nominees
Navajo
Hall Bartlett, Producer
Documentary (Short Subject)
Winner
Neighbours
Norman McLaren, Producer
Nominees
Devil Take Us
Herbert Morgan, Producer
Nominees
The Garden Spider (Epeira Diadema)
Alberto Ancilotto, Producer
Nominees
Man Alive!
Stephen Bosustow, Executive Producer
Film Editing
Winner
High Noon
Elmo Williams, Harry Gerstad
Nominees
Come Back, Little Sheba
Warren Low
Nominees
Flat Top
William Austin
Nominees
The Greatest Show on Earth
Anne Bauchens
Nominees
Moulin Rouge
Ralph Kemplen
Honorary Foreign Language Film Award
Winner
Forbidden Games
Special Award
Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award
Winner
Cecil B. DeMille
Music (Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture)
Winner
High Noon
Dimitri Tiomkin
Nominees
Ivanhoe
Miklos Rozsa
Nominees
Miracle of Fatima
Max Steiner
Nominees
The Thief
Herschel Burke Gilbert
Nominees
Viva Zapata!
Alex North
Music (Scoring of a Musical Picture)
Winner
With a Song in My Heart
Alfred Newman
Nominees
Hans Christian Andersen
Walter Scharf
Nominees
The Jazz Singer
Ray Heindorf, Max Steiner
Nominees
The Medium
Gian-Carlo Menotti
Nominees
Singin' in the Rain
Lennie Hayton
Music (Song)
Winner
High Noon
High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darlin') in "High Noon" Music by Dimitri Tiomkin; Lyrics by Ned Washington
Nominees
Son of Paleface
Am I In Love in "Son of Paleface" Music and Lyrics by Jack Brooks
Nominees
Because You're Mine
Because You're Mine in "Because You're Mine" Music by Nicholas Brodszky; Lyrics by Sammy Cahn
Nominees
Hans Christian Andersen
Thumbelina in "Hans Christian Andersen" Music and Lyrics by Frank Loesser
Nominees
Just for You
Zing A Little Zong in "Just for You" Music by Harry Warren; Lyrics by Leo Robin
Best Motion Picture
Winner
The Greatest Show on Earth
Cecil B. DeMille, Producer
Nominees
High Noon
Stanley Kramer, Producer
Nominees
Ivanhoe
Pandro S. Berman, Producer
Nominees
Moulin Rouge
Romulus Films
Nominees
The Quiet Man
John Ford and Merian C. Cooper, Producers
Short Subject (Cartoon)
Winner
Johann Mouse
Fred Quimby, Producer
Nominees
Little Johnny Jet
Fred Quimby, Producer
Nominees
Madeline
Stephen Bosustow, Executive Producer
Nominees
Pink and Blue Blues
Stephen Bosustow, Executive Producer
Nominees
Romance of Transportation
Tom Daly, Producer
Short Subject (One-reel)
Winner
Light in the Window: The Art of Vermeer
Boris Vermont, Producer
Nominees
Athletes of the Saddle
Jack Eaton, Producer
Nominees
Desert Killer
Gordon Hollingshead, Producer
Nominees
Neighbours
Norman McLaren, Producer
Nominees
Royal Scotland
Crown Film Unit
Short Subject (Two-reel)
Winner
Water Birds
Walt Disney, Producer
Nominees
Bridge of Time
London Film Production
Nominees
Devil Take Us
Herbert Morgan, Producer
Nominees
Thar She Blows!
Gordon Hollingshead, Producer
Sound Recording
Winner
Breaking the Sound Barrier
London Film Sound Department
Nominees
Hans Christian Andersen
Samuel Goldwyn Studio Sound Department, Gordon Sawyer, Sound Director
Nominees
The Promoter
Pinewood Studios Sound Department
Nominees
The Quiet Man
Republic Studio Sound Department, Daniel J. Bloomberg, Sound Director
Nominees
With a Song in My Heart
20th Century-Fox Studio Sound Department, Thomas T. Moulton, Sound Director
Special Effects
Winner
Plymouth Adventure
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Writing (Motion Picture Story)
Winner
The Greatest Show on Earth
Fredric M. Frank, Theodore St. John, Frank Cavett
Nominees
My Son John
Leo McCarey
Nominees
The Narrow Margin
Martin Goldsmith, Jack Leonard
Nominees
The Pride of St. Louis
Guy Trosper
Nominees
The Sniper
Edna Anhalt, Edward Anhalt
Writing (Screenplay)
Winner
The Bad and the Beautiful
Charles Schnee
Nominees
Five Fingers
Michael Wilson
Nominees
High Noon
Carl Foreman
Nominees
The Man in the White Suit
Roger MacDougall, John Dighton, Alexander Mackendrick
Nominees
The Quiet Man
Frank S. Nugent
Writing (Story and Screenplay)
Winner
The Lavender Hill Mob
T. E. B. Clarke
Nominees
The Atomic City
Sydney Boehm
Nominees
Breaking the Sound Barrier
Terence Rattigan
Nominees
Pat and Mike
Ruth Gordon, Garson Kanin
Nominees
Viva Zapata!
John Steinbeck

A

Affair in Trinidad
1 NOMINATION
  • Costume Design (Black-and-White) - Jean Louis
Athletes of the Saddle
1 NOMINATION
  • Short Subject (One-reel) - Jack Eaton, Producer
The Atomic City
1 NOMINATION
  • Writing (Story and Screenplay) - Sydney Boehm

B

The Bad and the Beautiful
6 NOMINATIONS, 5 WINS
  • * Actress in a Supporting Role - Gloria Grahame
  • * Art Direction (Black-and-White) - Art Direction: Cedric Gibbons, Edward Carfagno; Set Decoration: Edwin B. Willis, Keogh Gleason
  • * Cinematography (Black-and-White) - Robert Surtees
  • * Costume Design (Black-and-White) - Helen Rose
  • * Writing (Screenplay) - Charles Schnee
  • Actor - Kirk Douglas
Because You're Mine
1 NOMINATION
  • Music (Song) - Because You're Mine in "Because You're Mine" Music by Nicholas Brodszky; Lyrics by Sammy Cahn
The Big Sky
2 NOMINATIONS
  • Actor in a Supporting Role - Arthur Hunnicutt
  • Cinematography (Black-and-White) - Russell Harlan
Breaking the Sound Barrier
2 NOMINATIONS, 1 WIN
  • * Sound Recording - London Film Sound Department
  • Writing (Story and Screenplay) - Terence Rattigan
Bridge of Time
1 NOMINATION
  • Short Subject (Two-reel) - London Film Production

C

Carrie
2 NOMINATIONS
  • Art Direction (Black-and-White) - Art Direction: Hal Pereira, Roland Anderson; Set Decoration: Emile Kuri
  • Costume Design (Black-and-White) - Edith Head
Come Back, Little Sheba
3 NOMINATIONS, 1 WIN
  • * Actress - Shirley Booth
  • Actress in a Supporting Role - Terry Moore
  • Film Editing - Warren Low

D

Desert Killer
1 NOMINATION
  • Short Subject (One-reel) - Gordon Hollingshead, Producer
Devil Take Us
2 NOMINATIONS
  • Documentary (Short Subject) - Herbert Morgan, Producer
  • Short Subject (Two-reel) - Herbert Morgan, Producer

F

Five Fingers
2 NOMINATIONS
  • Directing - Joseph L. Mankiewicz
  • Writing (Screenplay) - Michael Wilson
Flat Top
1 NOMINATION
  • Film Editing - William Austin
Forbidden Games
1 WIN, 1 NOMINATION
  • * Honorary Foreign Language Film Award - Special Award

G

The Garden Spider (Epeira Diadema)
1 NOMINATION
  • Documentary (Short Subject) - Alberto Ancilotto, Producer
The Greatest Show on Earth
5 NOMINATIONS, 2 WINS
  • * Best Motion Picture - Cecil B. DeMille, Producer
  • * Writing (Motion Picture Story) - Fredric M. Frank, Theodore St. John, Frank Cavett
  • Costume Design (Color) - Edith Head, Dorothy Jeakins, Miles White
  • Directing - Cecil B. DeMille
  • Film Editing - Anne Bauchens

H

Hans Christian Andersen
6 NOMINATIONS
  • Art Direction (Color) - Art Direction: Richard Day, Clave; Set Decoration: Howard Bristol
  • Cinematography (Color) - Harry Stradling
  • Costume Design (Color) - Clave, Mary Wills, Madame Karinska
  • Music (Scoring of a Musical Picture) - Walter Scharf
  • Music (Song) - Thumbelina in "Hans Christian Andersen" Music and Lyrics by Frank Loesser
  • Sound Recording - Samuel Goldwyn Studio Sound Department, Gordon Sawyer, Sound Director
High Noon
7 NOMINATIONS, 4 WINS
  • * Actor - Gary Cooper
  • * Film Editing - Elmo Williams, Harry Gerstad
  • * Music (Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture) - Dimitri Tiomkin
  • * Music (Song) - High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darlin') in "High Noon" Music by Dimitri Tiomkin; Lyrics by Ned Washington
  • Directing - Fred Zinnemann
  • Best Motion Picture - Stanley Kramer, Producer
  • Writing (Screenplay) - Carl Foreman
The Hoaxters
1 NOMINATION
  • Documentary (Feature) - Dore Schary, Producer

I

Ivanhoe
3 NOMINATIONS
  • Cinematography (Color) - F. A. Young
  • Music (Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture) - Miklos Rozsa
  • Best Motion Picture - Pandro S. Berman, Producer

J

The Jazz Singer
1 NOMINATION
  • Music (Scoring of a Musical Picture) - Ray Heindorf, Max Steiner
Johann Mouse
1 WIN, 1 NOMINATION
  • * Short Subject (Cartoon) - Fred Quimby, Producer
Just for You
1 NOMINATION
  • Music (Song) - Zing A Little Zong in "Just for You" Music by Harry Warren; Lyrics by Leo Robin

L

The Lavender Hill Mob
2 NOMINATIONS, 1 WIN
  • * Writing (Story and Screenplay) - T. E. B. Clarke
  • Actor - Alec Guinness
Light in the Window: The Art of Vermeer
1 WIN, 1 NOMINATION
  • * Short Subject (One-reel) - Boris Vermont, Producer
Little Johnny Jet
1 NOMINATION
  • Short Subject (Cartoon) - Fred Quimby, Producer

M

Madeline
1 NOMINATION
  • Short Subject (Cartoon) - Stephen Bosustow, Executive Producer
Man Alive!
1 NOMINATION
  • Documentary (Short Subject) - Stephen Bosustow, Executive Producer
The Man in the White Suit
1 NOMINATION
  • Writing (Screenplay) - Roger MacDougall, John Dighton, Alexander Mackendrick
The Medium
1 NOMINATION
  • Music (Scoring of a Musical Picture) - Gian-Carlo Menotti
The Member of the Wedding
1 NOMINATION
  • Actress - Julie Harris
The Merry Widow
2 NOMINATIONS
  • Art Direction (Color) - Art Direction: Cedric Gibbons, Paul Groesse; Set Decoration: Edwin B. Willis, Arthur Krams
  • Costume Design (Color) - Helen Rose, Gile Steele
Million Dollar Mermaid
1 NOMINATION
  • Cinematography (Color) - George J. Folsey
Miracle of Fatima
1 NOMINATION
  • Music (Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture) - Max Steiner
Moulin Rouge
7 NOMINATIONS, 2 WINS
  • * Art Direction (Color) - Art Direction: Paul Sheriff; Set Decoration: Marcel Vertes
  • * Costume Design (Color) - Marcel Vertes
  • Actor - José Ferrer
  • Actress in a Supporting Role - Colette Marchand
  • Directing - John Huston
  • Film Editing - Ralph Kemplen
  • Best Motion Picture - Romulus Films
My Cousin Rachel
4 NOMINATIONS
  • Actor in a Supporting Role - Richard Burton
  • Art Direction (Black-and-White) - Art Direction: Lyle Wheeler, John DeCuir; Set Decoration: Walter M. Scott
  • Cinematography (Black-and-White) - Joseph LaShelle
  • Costume Design (Black-and-White) - Charles LeMaire, Dorothy Jeakins
My Son John
1 NOMINATION
  • Writing (Motion Picture Story) - Leo McCarey

N

The Narrow Margin
1 NOMINATION
  • Writing (Motion Picture Story) - Martin Goldsmith, Jack Leonard
Navajo
2 NOMINATIONS
  • Cinematography (Black-and-White) - Virgil E. Miller
  • Documentary (Feature) - Hall Bartlett, Producer
Neighbours
2 NOMINATIONS, 1 WIN
  • * Documentary (Short Subject) - Norman McLaren, Producer
  • Short Subject (One-reel) - Norman McLaren, Producer

P

Pat and Mike
1 NOMINATION
  • Writing (Story and Screenplay) - Ruth Gordon, Garson Kanin
Pink and Blue Blues
1 NOMINATION
  • Short Subject (Cartoon) - Stephen Bosustow, Executive Producer
Plymouth Adventure
1 WIN, 1 NOMINATION
  • * Special Effects - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
The Pride of St. Louis
1 NOMINATION
  • Writing (Motion Picture Story) - Guy Trosper
The Promoter
1 NOMINATION
  • Sound Recording - Pinewood Studios Sound Department

Q

The Quiet Man
7 NOMINATIONS, 2 WINS
  • * Cinematography (Color) - Winton C. Hoch, Archie Stout
  • * Directing - John Ford
  • Actor in a Supporting Role - Victor McLaglen
  • Art Direction (Color) - Art Direction: Frank Hotaling; Set Decoration: John McCarthy, Jr., Charles Thompson
  • Best Motion Picture - John Ford and Merian C. Cooper, Producers
  • Sound Recording - Republic Studio Sound Department, Daniel J. Bloomberg, Sound Director
  • Writing (Screenplay) - Frank S. Nugent

R

Rashomon
1 NOMINATION
  • Art Direction (Black-and-White) - Art Direction: Matsuyama; Set Decoration: H. Motsumoto
Romance of Transportation
1 NOMINATION
  • Short Subject (Cartoon) - Tom Daly, Producer
Royal Scotland
1 NOMINATION
  • Short Subject (One-reel) - Crown Film Unit

S

The Sea around Us
1 WIN, 1 NOMINATION
  • * Documentary (Feature) - Irwin Allen, Producer
Singin' in the Rain
2 NOMINATIONS
  • Actress in a Supporting Role - Jean Hagen
  • Music (Scoring of a Musical Picture) - Lennie Hayton
The Sniper
1 NOMINATION
  • Writing (Motion Picture Story) - Edna Anhalt, Edward Anhalt
The Snows of Kilimanjaro
2 NOMINATIONS
  • Art Direction (Color) - Art Direction: Lyle Wheeler, John DeCuir; Set Decoration: Thomas Little, Paul S. Fox
  • Cinematography (Color) - Leon Shamroy
Son of Paleface
1 NOMINATION
  • Music (Song) - Am I In Love in "Son of Paleface" Music and Lyrics by Jack Brooks
The Star
1 NOMINATION
  • Actress - Bette Davis
Sudden Fear
4 NOMINATIONS
  • Actor in a Supporting Role - Jack Palance
  • Actress - Joan Crawford
  • Cinematography (Black-and-White) - Charles B. Lang, Jr.
  • Costume Design (Black-and-White) - Sheila O'Brien

T

Thar She Blows!
1 NOMINATION
  • Short Subject (Two-reel) - Gordon Hollingshead, Producer
The Thief
1 NOMINATION
  • Music (Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture) - Herschel Burke Gilbert

V

Viva Zapata!
5 NOMINATIONS, 1 WIN
  • * Actor in a Supporting Role - Anthony Quinn
  • Actor - Marlon Brando
  • Art Direction (Black-and-White) - Art Direction: Lyle Wheeler, Leland Fuller; Set Decoration: Thomas Little, Claude Carpenter
  • Music (Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture) - Alex North
  • Writing (Story and Screenplay) - John Steinbeck

W

Water Birds
1 WIN, 1 NOMINATION
  • * Short Subject (Two-reel) - Walt Disney, Producer
With a Song in My Heart
5 NOMINATIONS, 1 WIN
  • * Music (Scoring of a Musical Picture) - Alfred Newman
  • Actress - Susan Hayward
  • Actress in a Supporting Role - Thelma Ritter
  • Costume Design (Color) - Charles LeMaire
  • Sound Recording - 20th Century-Fox Studio Sound Department, Thomas T. Moulton, Sound Director
No Films Found