Looking at Film from Every Angle

29th Academy Awards (1956): The Ceremony

Nominations Announcement

Nominations Announcement Date: Monday, February 18, 1957

Ceremony Details

Awards Ceremony Date/Time: Thursday, March 27, 1957, 7:30pm
Location: RKO Pantages Theatre, Hollywood; NBC Century Theatre, New York
Televised On: NBC
Host: Jerry Lewis (in Hollywood), Celest Holme (in New York)
Length: 3 hours, 8 minutes

Presenters

Scientific & Technical Awards: Mercedes McCambridge, Robert Stack
Documentary Short Subject: Mercedes McCambridge, Robert Stack
Documentary Feature: Mercedes McCambridge, Robert Stack
Live Action Short Film (One-Reel): Mickey Rooney
Live Action Short Film (Two-Reel): Mickey Rooney
Animated Short Film: Patty McCormack
Supporting Actor: Nancy Kelly
Sound Mixing: Dorothy Malone
Costume Design: Elizabeth Taylor (NOTE: Both Black-and-White and Color awards presented together)
Special Effects: Dorothy Dandridge
Film Editing: Kirk Douglas (on film)
Supporting Actress: Jack Lemmon
Production Design: Gower Champion, Marge Champion (NOTE: Both Black-and-White and Color awards presented together)
Music: Drama or Comedy Score: Eva Marie Saint
Music: Musical Score: Rock Hudson (on film)
Cinematography: Claire Trevor (NOTE: Both Black-and-White and Color awards presented together)
Honorary Award: Eddie Cantor: George Seaton
Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award: Y. Frank Freeman: George Seaton
Irving G. Thalberg Award: Buddy Adler: George Seaton
Foreign Language Film: George Seaton
Directing: Ingrid Bergman (on film)
Writing: Motion Picture Story: Deobrah Kerr
Writing: Adapted Screenplay: Deobrah Kerr
Writing: Original Screenplay: Deobrah Kerr
Original Song: Carroll Baker
Actor: Anna Magnani
Actress: Ernest Borgnine
Picture: Janet Gaynor

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 – Ernest Borgnine: Yes
Actress – Anna Magnani: Yes
Supporting Actor – Jack Lemmon: Yes
Supporting Actress – Jo Van Fleet: No
Directing – Delbert Mann: No

Song Performances

Friend Persuasion (Thee I Love): Tommy Sands
Julie: Dorothy Dandridge
True Love: Bing Crosby (on film)
Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera): Gogi Grant
Written on the Wind: The Four Aces

Original Song Film Performers

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

Friendly Persuasion (Thee I Love): No (Performed in the Film by: Pat Boone)
Julie: No (Performed in the Film by: Doris Day)
True Love: Partial (Bing Crosby only) (Performed in the Film by: Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly)
Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera): No (Performed in the Film by: Doris Day)
Written on the Wind: Yes (Performed in the Film by: The Four Aces (Al Alberts, Dave Mahoney, Lou Silvestri, Rosario “Sod” Vaccaro))