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1978

Experience over nine decades of the Oscars from 1927 to 2024

The 50th Academy Awards | 1978
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
Monday, April 3, 1978
Honoring movies released in 1977
Highlights
Cinematography
Close Encounters of the Third Kind

Vilmos Zsigmond

Costume Design
Star Wars

John Mollo

Screenplay Winners
Annie Hall and Julia

presented by Paddy Chayefsky

Memorable Moments
Ben Burtt
Image

Special Achievement Award for Star Wars, with presenters Anthony Daniels as C-3PO and Mark Hamill

Vanessa Redgrave
Image

Supporting Actress winner for Julia

John Williams
Image

Original Score winner Star Wars, with presenters Olivia Newton-John and Henry Mancini

WINNERS & NOMINEES
Actor in a Leading Role
Winner
Richard Dreyfuss
The Goodbye Girl
Nominees
Woody Allen
Annie Hall
Nominees
Richard Burton
Equus
Nominees
Marcello Mastroianni
A Special Day
Nominees
John Travolta
Saturday Night Fever
Actor in a Supporting Role
Winner
Jason Robards
Julia
Nominees
Mikhail Baryshnikov
The Turning Point
Nominees
Peter Firth
Equus
Nominees
Alec Guinness
Star Wars
Nominees
Maximilian Schell
Julia
Actress in a Leading Role
Winner
Diane Keaton
Annie Hall
Nominees
Anne Bancroft
The Turning Point
Nominees
Jane Fonda
Julia
Nominees
Shirley MacLaine
The Turning Point
Nominees
Marsha Mason
The Goodbye Girl
Actress in a Supporting Role
Winner
Vanessa Redgrave
Julia
Nominees
Leslie Browne
The Turning Point
Nominees
Quinn Cummings
The Goodbye Girl
Nominees
Melinda Dillon
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Nominees
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
Nominees
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Art Direction: Joe Alves, Dan Lomino; Set Decoration: Phil Abramson
Nominees
The Spy Who Loved Me
Art Direction: Ken Adam, Peter Lamont; Set Decoration: Hugh Scaife
Nominees
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
Nominees
Julia
Douglas Slocombe
Nominees
Looking for Mr. Goodbar
William A. Fraker
Nominees
The Turning Point
Robert Surtees
Costume Design
Winner
Star Wars
John Mollo
Nominees
Airport '77
Edith Head, Burton Miller
Nominees
Julia
Anthea Sylbert
Nominees
A Little Night Music
Florence Klotz
Nominees
The Other Side of Midnight
Irene Sharaff
Directing
Winner
Annie Hall
Woody Allen
Nominees
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Steven Spielberg
Nominees
Julia
Fred Zinnemann
Nominees
Star Wars
George Lucas
Nominees
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
Nominees
High Grass Circus
Bill Brind, Torben Schioler and Tony Ianzelo, Producers
Nominees
Homage to Chagall--The Colours of Love
Harry Rasky, Producer
Nominees
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
Nominees
First Edition
Helen Whitney and DeWitt L. Sage, Jr., Producers
Nominees
Of Time, Tombs and Treasure
James R. Messenger and Paul N. Raimondi, Producers
Nominees
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
Nominees
Julia
Walter Murch
Nominees
Smokey and the Bandit
Walter Hannemann, Angelo Ross
Nominees
The Turning Point
William Reynolds
Foreign Language Film
Winner
Madame Rosa
France
Nominees
Iphigenia
Greece
Nominees
Operation Thunderbolt
Israel
Nominees
A Special Day
Italy
Nominees
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
Nominees
Julia
Georges Delerue
Nominees
Mohammad - Messenger of God
Maurice Jarre
Nominees
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
Nominees
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
Nominees
The Spy Who Loved Me
Nobody Does It Better in "The Spy Who Loved Me" Music by Marvin Hamlisch; Lyrics by Carole Bayer Sager
Nominees
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
Nominees
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
Nominees
Julia
Richard Roth, Producer
Nominees
Star Wars
Gary Kurtz, Producer
Nominees
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
Nominees
The Doonesbury Special
John Hubley, Faith Hubley and Garry Trudeau, Producers
Nominees
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
Nominees
Floating Free
Jerry Butts, Producer
Nominees
Notes on the Popular Arts
Saul Bass, Producer
Nominees
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
Nominees
The Deep
Walter Goss, Dick Alexander, Tom Beckert, Robin Gregory
Nominees
Sorcerer
Robert Knudson, Robert J. Glass, Richard Tyler, Jean-Louis Ducarme
Nominees
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
Nominees
The Late Show
Robert Benton
Nominees
Star Wars
George Lucas
Nominees
The Turning Point
Arthur Laurents
Writing (Screenplay—based on material from another medium)
Winner
Julia
Alvin Sargent
Nominees
Equus
Peter Shaffer
Nominees
I Never Promised You a Rose Garden
Gavin Lambert, Lewis John Carlino
Nominees
Oh, God!
Larry Gelbart
Nominees
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
  • * Actress in a Leading Role - Diane Keaton
  • * Directing - Woody Allen
  • * Best Picture - Charles H. Joffe, Producer
  • * 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

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
  • * Cinematography - Vilmos Zsigmond
  • * Special Achievement Award (Sound Effects Editing) - Frank E. Warner
  • Actress in a Supporting Role - Melinda Dillon
  • Art Direction - Art Direction: Joe Alves, Dan Lomino; Set Decoration: Phil Abramson
  • Directing - Steven Spielberg
  • Film Editing - Michael Kahn
  • Music (Original Score) - John Williams
  • Sound - Robert Knudson, Robert J. Glass, Don MacDougall, Gene S. Cantamessa
  • Visual Effects - Roy Arbogast, Douglas Trumbull, Matthew Yuricich, Gregory Jein, Richard Yuricich

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 Leading Role - Richard Burton
  • Actor in a Supporting Role - Peter Firth
  • Writing (Screenplay--based on material from another medium) - Peter Shaffer

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
  • * Actor in a Leading Role - Richard Dreyfuss
  • Actress in a Leading Role - Marsha Mason
  • Actress in a Supporting Role - Quinn Cummings
  • Best Picture - Ray Stark, Producer
  • Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen--based on factual material or on story material not previously published or produced) - Neil Simon
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
  • * Actor in a Supporting Role - Jason Robards
  • * Actress in a Supporting Role - Vanessa Redgrave
  • * Writing (Screenplay--based on material from another medium) - Alvin Sargent
  • Actor in a Supporting Role - Maximilian Schell
  • Actress in a Leading Role - Jane Fonda
  • Cinematography - Douglas Slocombe
  • Costume Design - Anthea Sylbert
  • Directing - Fred Zinnemann
  • Film Editing - Walter Murch
  • Music (Original Score) - Georges Delerue
  • Best Picture - Richard Roth, Producer

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
  • 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 Score and Its Adaptation or Adaptation Score) - Song Score by Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn; Adaptation Score by Irwin Kostal
  • Music (Original Song) - Candle On The Water in "Pete's Dragon" Music and Lyrics by Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn

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
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
  • Actor in a Leading Role - Marcello Mastroianni
  • Foreign Language Film - Italy
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
  • * Art Direction - Art Direction: John Barry, Norman Reynolds, Leslie Dilley; Set Decoration: Roger Christian
  • * Costume Design - John Mollo
  • * Film Editing - Paul Hirsch, Marcia Lucas, Richard Chew
  • * Music (Original Score) - John Williams
  • * Sound - Don MacDougall, Ray West, Bob Minkler, Derek Ball
  • * Special Achievement Award - Special Award
  • * Visual Effects - John Stears, John Dykstra, Richard Edlund, Grant McCune, Robert Blalack
  • Actor in a Supporting Role - Alec Guinness
  • Directing - George Lucas
  • Best Picture - Gary Kurtz, Producer
  • Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen--based on factual material or on story material not previously published or produced) - George Lucas

T

That Obscure Object of Desire
2 NOMINATIONS
  • Foreign Language Film - Spain
  • Writing (Screenplay--based on material from another medium) - Luis Buñuel, Jean-Claude Carrière
The Turning Point
10 NOMINATIONS
  • Actor in a Supporting Role - Mikhail Baryshnikov
  • Actress in a Leading Role - Anne Bancroft, Shirley MacLaine
  • Actress in a Supporting Role - Leslie Browne
  • Art Direction - Art Direction: Albert Brenner; Set Decoration: Marvin March
  • Cinematography - Robert Surtees
  • Directing - Herbert Ross
  • Film Editing - William Reynolds
  • Best Picture - Herbert Ross and Arthur Laurents, Producers
  • Sound - Theodore Soderberg, Paul Wells, Douglas O. Williams, Jerry Jost
  • Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen--based on factual material or on story material not previously published or produced) - Arthur Laurents

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
No Films Found