Nominations Announcement

Nominations Announcement Date: Saturday, February 18, 1956
Nominations Presenters: Frederic March

Ceremony Details

Awards Ceremony Date/Time: Wednesday, March 21, 1956, 7:30pm
Location: RKO Pantages Theatre, Hollywood; NBC Century Theatre, New York
Televised On: NBC
Host: Jerry Lewis (in Hollywood), Claudette Colbert (in New York), Joseph L. Mankiewicz (in New York)
Length: 1 hours, 30 minutes

Presenters

Documentary Short Subject: Eleanor Parker
Documentary Feature: Eleanor Parker
Sound Mixing: Sal Mineo
Scientific & Technical Awards: Claire Trevor, Mel Ferrer
Animated Short Film: Arthur O’Connell, Jo Van Fleet, Marisa Pavan
Live Action Short Film (One-Reel): Arthur O’Connell, Jo Van Fleet, Marisa Pavan
Live Action Short Film (Two-Reel): Arthur O’Connell, Jo Van Fleet, Marisa Pavan
Production Design: Jack Lemmon, Peggy Lee (NOTE: Both Black-and-White and Color awards presented together)
Costume Design: Susan Hayward (NOTE: Both Black-and-White and Color awards presented together)
Cinematography: Cantinflas (on film) (NOTE: Both Black-and-White and Color awards presented together)
Special Effects: James Cagney
Foreign Language Film: Claudette Colbert
Film Editing: Jerry Lewis (on film), Mr. Magoo (on film)
Writing: Motion Picture Story: Joe Mantell
Writing: Screenplay: Anna Magnani (on film)
Writing: Story and Screenplay: Ernest Borgnine
Music: Drama or Comedy Score: Frank Sinatra
Music: Musical Score: Frank Sinatra
Directing: Jennifer Jones (on film)
Original Song: Maurice Chevalier
Supporting Actor: Eva Marie Saint
Supporting Actress: Edmond O’Brien
Actor: Grace Kelly
Actress: Marlon Brando (on film)
Picture: Audrey Hepburn (on film)

Previous Acting & Directing Winners

The tradition of prior acting winners returning the subsequent year to present the opposite-gender category is a long one. Each year, we look to see whether the prior winners returned. There was an intermittent tradition where the prior directing winner returned as well, but this was a rare occurrence.

Actor – Marlon Brando: Yes
Actress – Grace Kelly: Yes
Supporting Actor – Edmond O’Brien: Yes
Supporting Actress – Eva Marie Saint: Yes
Directing – Elia Kazan: No

Song Performances

I’ll Never Stop Loving You: Jane Powell
Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing: Eddie Fisher
(Love Is) the Tender Trap: Dean Martin
Something’s Gotta Give: Maurice Chevalier
Unchained Melody: Harry Belafonte, Millard Thomas

Original Song Film Performers

Was the song performed at the Oscars by the same individuals who performed it in the film?

I’ll Never Stop Loving You: No (Performed in the Film by: Doris Day)
Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing: No (Performed in the Film by: Chorus)
(Love Is) the Tender Trap: No (Performed in the Film by: Frank Sinatra)
Something’s Gotta Give: No (Performed in the Film by: Fred Astaire)
Unchained Melody: No (Performed in the Film by: Todd Duncan)

Ceremony Production Staff

Announcer: Frank Barton, Mel Ferrer
Conductor / Musical Arranger: André Previn
Director: George Seaton (Overall), William A. Bennington (NBC), Richard Schneider (in New York)
Producer: Robert Emmett Dolan, William Kayden (NBC)
Writer: Richard L. Breen, Jack Rose, Melville Shavelson