Looking at Film from Every Angle

24th Academy Awards (1951): The Ceremony

Nominations Announcement

Nominations Announcement Date: Monday, February 11, 1952

Ceremony Details

Awards Ceremony Date/Time: Thursday, March 20, 1952, 8:00pm
Location: RKO Pantages Theatre, Hollywood
Host: Danny Kaye
Length: 1 hours, 53 minutes

Presenters

Special Effects: Sally Forrest
Documentary Short Subject: Janice Rule
Documentary Feature: Janice Rule
Film Editing: Constance Smith
Costume Design: Zsa Zsa Gabor (NOTE: Both Black-and-White and Color awards presented together)
Scientific & Technical Awards: George Murphy
Production Design: Gower Champion, Marge Champion (NOTE: Both Black-and-White and Color awards presented together)
Animated Short Film: Lucille Ball
Live Action Short Film (One-Reel): Lucille Ball
Live Action Short Film (Two-Reel): Lucille Ball
Sound Mixing: Cyd Charisse
Cinematography: Vera-Ellen (NOTE: Both Black-and-White and Color awards presented together)
Foreign Language Film: Leslie Caron
Honorary Award: Gene Kelly: Charles Brackett
Irving G. Thalberg Award: Arthur Freed: Darryl F. Zanuck
Music: Drama or Comedy Score: Donald O’Connor
Music: Musical Score: Donald O’Connor
Original Song: Donald O’Connor
Writing: Motion Picture Story: Claire Booth Luce
Writing: Screenplay: Claire Booth Luce
Writing: Story and Screenplay: Claire Booth Luce
Directing: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Supporting Actor: Claire Trevor
Supporting Actress: George Sanders
Actor: Greer Garson
Actress: Ronald Colman
Picture: Jesse Lasky

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 – Jose Ferrer: No
Actress – Judy Holliday: No
Supporting Actor – George Sanders: Yes
Supporting Actress – Josephine Hull: No
Directing – Joseph L. Mankiewicz: Yes

Song Performances

A Kiss to Build a Dream On: Kay Brown
In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening: Danny Kaye, Jane Wyman
Never: Dick Haymes
Too Late Now: Jane Powell
Wonder Why: Howard Keel

Original Song Film Performers

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

A Kiss to Build a Dream On: Partial (Kay Brown only) (Performed in the Film by: Louis Armstrong, Mickey Rooney, William Demarest, Kay Brown)
In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening: Partial (Jane Wyman only) (Performed in the Film by: Bing Crosby, Jane Wyman)
Never: No (Performed in the Film by: Dennis Day)
Too Late Now: Yes (Performed in the Film by: Jane Powell)
Wonder Why: No (Performed in the Film by: Jane Powell, Vic Damone)