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Review and Analysis of the 6th Academy Awards

The 6th Academy Awards are mostly satisfactory in my opinion. This awards season encompassed the films released in the second half of 1932 and the entirety of 1933 so it’s the last split year thankfully and having in mind it’s a year and a half, it resulted in full ten Best Picture Nominees. A lot of them are fun comedies. As for the other categories, they are overall passable with some great choices, but some really bad ones.

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OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION

Cavalcade ended up taking Best Picture which was a very bad choice as it’s one of the weakest nominees here. It’s not one of the worst ever Oscar winners in my opinion, but still it did not deserve to win obviously. The Private Life of Henry VIII is one of the best movies here and I would have been fine with it winning, but obviously I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang is the best and most serious and important nominee of this bunch and it is my pick here for sure. But I liked some other, more fun and light films such as 42nd Street and She Done Him Wrong. Overall, it’s a pretty good slate, but the winner was unfortunate. You can read my full ranking of the nominees here.

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BEST DIRECTOR

This is a very weak slate of nominees and I personally wouldn’t give the award to either of the three nominees. Frank Lloyd of course was a bad choice as Cavalcade simply isn’t a great movie. Frank Capra did not do a great job in Lady for a Day unfortunately and George Cukor did very well on Little Women, but nothing overly remarkable. I would have nominated and rewarded Mervin LeRoy for his terrific direction in I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang.

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BEST ACTOR

This is by far the best choice and the one I am most content with in this entire ceremony. Paul Muni was absolutely stupendous in I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang and I would have been fine with him taking it as well, but Charles Laughton was so powerful and charismatic in the role of Henry VIII as he made him both funny and human.

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BEST ACTRESS

This one was unfortunate. Katharine Hepburn was simply overly theatrical in Morning Glory and she was much better, but still flawed in Little Women. Diana Wynyard did not deserve her nomination also as she overacted the hell out of her role. Of the nominees, May Robson should have won for Lady for a Day as she’s so great there, but I would have nominated and rewarded Marlene Dietrich for her wonderful performance in Blonde Venus.

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BEST ORIGINAL STORY

This was a ridiculous slate as none of the three movies are known to me as they’re so obscure. They should have nominated and rewarded King Kong as that movie proved very influential in the adventure genre and it’s a classic, great story.

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BEST ADAPTATION

Lady for a Day did not really deserve its nomination here and State Fair’s nomination is ludicrous as that movie’s not well written at all. Little Women did definitely deserve to win out of the three and I did like how well it was adapted and how cinematic it was, but of course I would have picked I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang as clearly the best adaptation of the year.

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BEST ART DIRECTION

Cavalcade won here and undeservedly so, although it does look very strong. A Farewell to Arms also did not deserve its nod. Personally I would pick either King Kong or The Invisible Man or Little Women.

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BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

I actually really appreciate them rewarding A Farewell to Arms as that movie is beautifully and sumptuously shot leading to a very sensual feeling film. But probably Gold Diggers of 1933 or even 42nd Street should have taken this one for their very inventive takes.

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BEST SHORT SUBJECT, CARTOON

The second year for this category proved to be a strong one. The Merry Old Soul isn’t that great, but Building a Building is one of the best Mickey Mouse shorts of earlier years. The award eventually went to the Disney/Silly Symphony juggernaut Three Little Pigs and I am more than happy for it as it’s not only my favorite 30s animated short flick, but in my opinion the greatest animated short ever created. You can read my full ranking of the nominees here.

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BEST SOUND RECORDING

A Farewell to Arms ludicrously won here when either of the rest of the nominees should have been nominated as 42nd Street, Gold Diggers of 1933 and I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang all sound absolutely amazing.

In the end, I am bothered by many categories this year. I personally liked the nominees in many slates, but most of the winners, excluding of course Best Actor and Best Animated Short Film, were poorly chosen, though some were solid choices. Overall, I liked this stacked year, but they should have picked much better winners.