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1941
Details
ACADEMY AWARD FOR BEST PICTURE FOR HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY
1941
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Picture, Oscar presented to Darryl F. Zanuck for the film How Green Was My Valley (20th Century Fox). The gold plated Oscar statuette stands on a reel of film atop a circular black lacquered base. The rectangular brass plaque on base reads, "Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences First Award 1941" the rear plaque reads "ACADEMY FIRST AWARD TO TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX FILM CORPORATION FOR THE PRODUCTION OF HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY." Zanuck founded Twentieth Century Films in 1933, with the help of Louis B. Mayer and Joseph M. Schenk, later absorbing the bankrupt Fox studio. Zanuck reigned over Twentieth Century Fox for decades and became known as on of the most "hands on" of the studio bosses.
Deftly adapted to the screen by writer Philip Dunne, Ford commented that Dunne's screenplay adaptation was, "nearly perfect a script as could be possible." This intense human drama story faced tough competition that year as it was up against both John Huston's The Maltese Falcon (Warner Bros.) and Orson Welles' Citizen Kane (RKO). Citizen Kane was nominated for an impressive nine Academy Awards, receiving only one, for Best Original Screenplay, considered by many to be one of the biggest upsets in Oscar history. Ironically sixty-three years since the release of both films, Citizen Kane is now ranked at number one on the American Film Institute's top one hundred films of all time, while How Green Was My Valley failed to make the list.
Zanuck produced this masterpiece directed by fellow Academy Award winner John Ford. This was Ford's third Academy Award for Best Director with his wins for The Grapes of Wrath (20th Century Fox) in 1940 and The Informer (RKO) in 1935. How Green Was My Valley was nominated for a remarkable ten Oscars, winning five for: Best Director, John Ford; Best Supporting Actor, Donald Crisp; Best Art Direction-Interior; Best Cinematography, Black and White, Arthur C. Miller; and Best Picture.
Although How Green Was My Valley was shot in black and white, runs for a total of 118 minutes, and was shot on an eighty acre set in the Santa Monica mountains; it was originally intended to be a four hour Technicolor epic, filmed on location in South Wales. The film had to be re-located to southern California with the outbreak of WWII. The film was shot in black and white, abandoning the idea of creating a Technicolor epic to rival Gone With the Wind (MGM) because the Californian terrain did not match the color of the Welsh countryside.
1941
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Picture, Oscar presented to Darryl F. Zanuck for the film How Green Was My Valley (20th Century Fox). The gold plated Oscar statuette stands on a reel of film atop a circular black lacquered base. The rectangular brass plaque on base reads, "Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences First Award 1941" the rear plaque reads "ACADEMY FIRST AWARD TO TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX FILM CORPORATION FOR THE PRODUCTION OF HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY." Zanuck founded Twentieth Century Films in 1933, with the help of Louis B. Mayer and Joseph M. Schenk, later absorbing the bankrupt Fox studio. Zanuck reigned over Twentieth Century Fox for decades and became known as on of the most "hands on" of the studio bosses.
Deftly adapted to the screen by writer Philip Dunne, Ford commented that Dunne's screenplay adaptation was, "nearly perfect a script as could be possible." This intense human drama story faced tough competition that year as it was up against both John Huston's The Maltese Falcon (Warner Bros.) and Orson Welles' Citizen Kane (RKO). Citizen Kane was nominated for an impressive nine Academy Awards, receiving only one, for Best Original Screenplay, considered by many to be one of the biggest upsets in Oscar history. Ironically sixty-three years since the release of both films, Citizen Kane is now ranked at number one on the American Film Institute's top one hundred films of all time, while How Green Was My Valley failed to make the list.
Zanuck produced this masterpiece directed by fellow Academy Award winner John Ford. This was Ford's third Academy Award for Best Director with his wins for The Grapes of Wrath (20th Century Fox) in 1940 and The Informer (RKO) in 1935. How Green Was My Valley was nominated for a remarkable ten Oscars, winning five for: Best Director, John Ford; Best Supporting Actor, Donald Crisp; Best Art Direction-Interior; Best Cinematography, Black and White, Arthur C. Miller; and Best Picture.
Although How Green Was My Valley was shot in black and white, runs for a total of 118 minutes, and was shot on an eighty acre set in the Santa Monica mountains; it was originally intended to be a four hour Technicolor epic, filmed on location in South Wales. The film had to be re-located to southern California with the outbreak of WWII. The film was shot in black and white, abandoning the idea of creating a Technicolor epic to rival Gone With the Wind (MGM) because the Californian terrain did not match the color of the Welsh countryside.
Further details
The black stone base of this Oscar should be noted as pre-war. During World War II, when materials were scarce, the Academy started using plaster for their Oscar bases as it was less expensive. After the war, spun brass was used and still is today, making these vintage black stone bases rare.