Academy Awards, USA: 1929

Oscar

Date:	16 May (banquet)
Host:	Douglas Fairbanks; William C. de Mille
Location:	Blossom Room, Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, Los Angeles, California, USA
Notes:	The awards are given for films released between 1 August 1927 and 1 August 1928. Award winners are announced three months in advance of the banquet. All nominees receive 'Honorable Mention' certificates. The attendance is 250 and tickets cost USD 10. For the only time, separate awards for Best Picture are given - for "Production" and "Unique and Artistic Picture." Separate awards are also given in directing, for comedy and drama. For the only time, an award is given for Title Writing - a field which became obsolete with the advent of synchronized sound films. Up to at least 1975 The Last Command (1928) and The Way of All Flesh (1927) were officially listed as nominees in the category "Best Picture, Production" by AMPAS and are listed as such in many contemporary sources. Recent AMPAS listings do not carry those two titles any longer.

Best Picture, Production


Winner:
	Wings (1927) - Paramount Famous Lasky
Other Nominees:
	7th Heaven (1927) - Fox The Racket (1928) - The Caddo Company

Best Picture, Unique and Artistic Production


Winner:
	Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927) - Fox
Other Nominees:
	Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness (1927) - Paramount Famous Lasky The Crowd (1928) - M-G-M

Best Actor in a Leading Role


Winner:
	The Last Command (1928) - Emil Jannings - Also for The Way of All Flesh (1927). - Emil Jannings received his award early due to the fact that he was going home to Europe before the ceremony.
Other Nominees:
	The Noose (1928) - Richard Barthelmess The Patent Leather Kid (1927) - Richard Barthelmess

Best Actress in a Leading Role


Winner:
	7th Heaven (1927) - Janet Gaynor (I) - Also for Street Angel (1928) and Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927).
Other Nominees:
	A Ship Comes In (1928) - Louise Dresser Sadie Thompson (1928) - Gloria Swanson

Best Director, Comedy Picture


Winner:
	Two Arabian Knights (1927) - Lewis Milestone
Other Nominees:
	Speedy (1928) - Ted Wilde (I)

Best Director, Dramatic Picture


Winner:
	7th Heaven (1927) - Frank Borzage
Other Nominees:
	Sorrell and Son (1927) - Herbert Brenon The Crowd (1928) - King Vidor

Best Writing, Original Story

Best Writing, Adaptation


Winner:
	7th Heaven (1927) - Benjamin Glazer
Other Nominees:
	Glorious Betsy (1928) - Anthony Coldeway The Jazz Singer (1927) - Alfred A. Cohn

Best Writing, Title Writing


Winner:
	Joseph Farnham
Other Nominees:
	George Marion Jr. The Private Life of Helen of Troy (1927) - Gerald C. Duffy

Best Cinematography


Winner:
	Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927) - Charles Rosher; Karl Struss
Other Nominees:
	Sadie Thompson (1928) - George Barnes (I) The Devil Dancer (1927) - George Barnes (I) The Magic Flame (1927) - George Barnes (I)

Best Art Direction


Winners:
	Tempest (1928) - William Cameron Menzies The Dove (1927) - William Cameron Menzies
Other Nominees:
	7th Heaven (1927) - Harry Oliver Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927) - Rochus Gliese

Best Effects, Engineering Effects


Winner:
	Wings (1927) - Roy Pomeroy
Other Nominees:
	Ralph Hammeras Nugent Slaughter


Awarded to:
	The Circus (1928) - Charles Chaplin - For versatility and genius in acting, writing, directing and producing The Circus. - Though nominated for best actor, the academy decided to remove Chaplin's name from the competitive classes and instead award him a Special Award. The Jazz Singer (1927) - Warner Bros. - For producing The Jazz Singer, the pioneer outstanding talking picture, which has revolutionized the industry.