Best Special Effects

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Category Details

Category Active: 1938 – 1962

Decade Shortcuts

1960s | 1950s | 1940s | 1930s

1960s

1962 (35th)

SPECIAL EFFECTS

The Longest Day – Visual Effects by Robert MacDonald; Audible Effects by Jacques Maumont
Mutiny on the Bounty – Visual Effects by A. Arnold Gillespie; Audible Effects by Milo Lory

1961 (34th)

SPECIAL EFFECTS

The Absent Minded Professor – Visual Effects by Robert A. Mattey, Eustace Lycett
The Guns of Navarone – Visual Effects by Bill Warrington; Audible Effects by Vivian C. Greenham

1960 (33rd)

SPECIAL EFFECTS

The Last Voyage – Visual Effects by A.J. Lohman
The Time Machine – Visual Effects by Gene Warren, Tim Baar

1950s

1959 (32nd)

SPECIAL EFFECTS

Ben-Hur – Visual Effects by A. Arnold Gillespie, Robert MacDonald; Audible Effects by Milo Lory
Journey to the Center of the Earth – Visual Effects by L. B. Abbott, James B. Gordon; Audible Effects by Carl Faulkner

1958 (31st)

SPECIAL EFFECTS

tom thumb – Visual Effects by Tom Howard
Torpedo Run – Visual Effects by A. Arnold Gillespie; Audible Effects by Harold Humbrock

1957 (30th)

SPECIAL EFFECTS

The Enemy Below – Audible Effects by Walter Rossi
The Spirit of St. Louis – Visual Effects by Louis Lichtenfield

1956 (29th)

SPECIAL EFFECTS

Forbidden Planet – A. Arnold Gillespie, Irving Ries, Wesley C. Miller
The Ten Commandments – John Fulton

1955 (28th)

SPECIAL EFFECTS

The Bridges at Toko-Ri – Paramount Studio
The Dam Busters – Associated British Picture Corporation, Ltd.
The Rains of Ranchipur – 20th Century-Fox Studio

1954 (27th)

SPECIAL EFFECTS

Hell and High Water – 20th Century-Fox Studio
Them! – Warner Bros. Studio
20,000 Leagues under the Sea – Walt Disney Studios

1953 (26th)

SPECIAL EFFECTS

The War of the Worlds – Paramount Studio

1952 (25th)

SPECIAL EFFECTS

Plymouth Adventure – Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

1951 (24th)

SPECIAL EFFECTS

When Worlds Collide – Paramount

1950 (23rd)

SPECIAL EFFECTS

Destination Moon – George Pal Productions
Samson and Delilah – Cecil B. DeMille Productions

1940s

1949 (22nd)

SPECIAL EFFECTS

Mighty Joe Young – ARKO Productions
Tulsa – Walter Wanger Pictures

1948 (21st)

SPECIAL EFFECTS

Deep Waters – Special Visual Effects by Ralph Hammeras, Fred Sersen, Edward Snyder; Special Audible Effects by Roger Heman
Portrait of Jennie – Special Visual Effects by Paul Eagler, J. McMillan Johnson, Russell Shearman, Clarence Slifer; Special Audible Effects by Charles Freeman, James G. Stewart

1947 (20th)

SPECIAL EFFECTS

Green Dolphin Street – Special Visual Effects by A. Arnold Gillespie, Warren Newcombe; Special Audible Effects by Douglas Shearer, Michael Steinore
Unconquered – Special Visual Effects by Farciot Edouart, Devereux Jennings, Gordon Jennings, Wallace Kelley, Paul Lerpae; Special Audible Effects by George Dutton

1946 (19th)

SPECIAL EFFECTS

Blithe Spirit – Special Visual Effects by Thomas Howard
A Stolen Life – Special Visual Effects by William McGann; Special Audible Effects by Nathan Levinson

1945 (18th)

SPECIAL EFFECTS

Captain Eddie – Photographic Effects by Fred Sersen, Sol Halprin; Sound Effects by Roger Heman, Harry Leonard
Spellbound – Photographic Effects by Jack Cosgrove
They Were Expendable – Photographic Effects by A. Arnold Gillespie, Donald Jahraus, Robert A. MacDonald; Sound Effects by Michael Steinore
A Thousand and One Nights – Photographic Effects by Lawrence W. Butler; Sound Effects by Ray Bomba
Wonder Man – Photographic Effects by John Fulton; Sound Effects by Arthur W. Johns

1944 (17th)

SPECIAL EFFECTS

The Adventures of Mark Twain – Photographic Effects by Paul Detlefsen, John Crouse; Sound Effects by Nathan Levinson
Days of Glory – Photographic Effects by Vernon L. Walker; Sound Effects by James G. Stewart, Roy Granville
Secret Command – Photographic Effects by David Allen, Ray Cory, Robert Wright; Sound Effects by Russell Malmgren, Harry Kusnick
Since You Went Away – Photographic Effects by John R. Cosgrove; Sound Effects by Arthur Johns
The Story of Dr. Wassell – Photographic Effects by Gordon Jennings, Farciot Edouart; Sound Effects by George Dutton
Thirty Seconds over Tokyo – Photographic Effects by A. Arnold Gillespie, Donald Jahraus, Warren Newcombe; Sound Effects by Douglas Shearer
Wilson – Photographic Effects by Fred Sersen; Sound Effects by Roger Heman

1943 (16th)

SPECIAL EFFECTS

Air Force – Photographic Effects by Hans Koenekamp, Rex Wimpy; Sound Effects by Nathan Levinson
Bombardier – Photographic Effects by Vernon L. Walker; Sound Effects by James G. Stewart, Roy Granville
Crash Dive – Photographic Effects by Fred Sersen; Sound Effects by Roger Heman
The North Star – Photographic Effects by Clarence Slifer, R. O. Binger; Sound Effects by Thomas T. Moulton
So Proudly We Hail! – Photographic Effects by Gordon Jennings, Farciot Edouart; Sound Effects by George Dutton
Stand By for Action – Photographic Effects by A. Arnold Gillespie, Donald Jahraus; Sound Effects by Michael Steinore

1942 (15th)

SPECIAL EFFECTS

The Black Swan – Photographic Effects by Fred Sersen; Sound Effects by Roger Heman, George Leverett
Desperate Journey – Photographic Effects by Byron Haskin; Sound Effects by Nathan Levinson
Flying Tigers – Photographic Effects by Howard Lydecker; Sound Effects by Daniel J. Bloomberg
Invisible Agent – Photographic Effects by John Fulton; Sound Effects by Bernard B. Brown
Jungle Book – Photographic Effects by Lawrence Butler; Sound Effects by William H. Wilmarth
Mrs. Miniver – Photographic Effects by A. Arnold Gillespie, Warren Newcombe; Sound Effects by Douglas Shearer
The Navy Comes Through – Photographic Effects by Vernon L. Walker; Sound Effects by James G. Stewart
One of Our Aircraft Is Missing – Photographic Effects by Ronald Neame; Sound Effects by C. C. Stevens
The Pride of the Yankees – Photographic Effects by Jack Cosgrove, Ray Binger; Sound Effects by Thomas T. Moulton
Reap the Wild Wind – Photographic Effects by Gordon Jennings, Farciot Edouart, William L. Pereira; Sound Effects by Louis Mesenkop

1941 (14th)

SPECIAL EFFECTS

Aloma of the South Seas – Photographic Effects by Farciot Edouart, Gordon Jennings; Sound Effects by Louis Mesenkop
Dive Bomber – Photographic Effects by Byron Haskin; Sound Effects by Nathan Levinson [1]
Flight Command – Photographic Effects by A. Arnold Gillespie; Sound Effects by Douglas Shearer
I Wanted Wings – Photographic Effects by Farciot Edouart, Gordon Jennings; Sound Effects by Louis Mesenkop
The Invisible Woman – Photographic Effects by John Fulton; Sound Effects by John Hall
The Sea Wolf – Photographic Effects by Byron Haskin; Sound Effects by Nathan Levinson [2]
That Hamilton Woman – Photographic Effects by Lawrence Butler; Sound Effects by William H. Wilmarth
Topper Returns – Photographic Effects by Roy Seawright; Sound Effects by Elmer Raguse
A Yank in the R.A.F. – Photographic Effects by Fred Sersen; Sound Effects by E. H. Hansen

1940 (13th)

SPECIAL EFFECTS

The Blue Bird – Photographic Effects by Fred Sersen; Sound Effects by E. H. Hansen
Boom Town – Photographic Effects by A. Arnold Gillespie; Sound Effects by Douglas Shearer
The Boys from Syracuse – Photographic Effects by John P. Fulton; Sound Effects by Bernard B. Brown, Joseph Lapis
Dr. Cyclops – Photographic Effects by Gordon Jennings, Farciot Edouart
Foreign Correspondent – Photographic Effects by Paul Eagler; Sound Effects by Thomas T. Moulton
The Invisible Man Returns – Photographic Effects by John P. Fulton; Sound Effects by Bernard B. Brown, William Hedgecock
The Long Voyage Home – Photographic Effects by R. T. Layton, R. O. Binger; Sound Effects by Thomas T. Moulton
One Million B.C. – Photographic Effects by Roy Seawright; Sound Effects by Elmer Raguse
Rebecca – Photographic Effects by Jack Cosgrove; Sound Effects by Arthur Johns
The Sea Hawk – Photographic Effects by Byron Haskin; Sound Effects by Nathan Levinson
Swiss Family Robinson – Photographic Effects by Vernon L. Walker; Sound Effects by John O. Aalberg
The Thief of Bagdad – Photographic Effects by Lawrence Butler; Sound Effects by Jack Whitney
Typhoon – Photographic Effects by Farciot Edouart, Gordon Jennings; Sound Effects by Loren Ryder
Women in War – Photographic Effects by Howard J. Lydecker, William Bradford, Ellis J. Thackery; Sound Effects by Herbert Norsch

1930s

1939 (12th)

SPECIAL EFFECTS

Gone with the Wind – John R. Cosgrove, Fred Albin, Arthur Johns
Only Angels Have Wings – Roy Davidson, Edwin C. Hahn
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex – Byron Haskin, Nathan Levinson
The Rains Came – Fred Sersen, E. H. Hansen
Topper Takes a Trip – Roy Seawright
Union Pacific – Farciot Edouart, Gordon Jennings, Loren Ryder
The Wizard of Oz – A. Arnold Gillespie, Douglas Shearer

1938 (11th)

SPECIAL AWARD

For outstanding achievement in creating Special Photographic and Sound Effects in the Paramount production, Spawn of the North. Special Effects by Gordon Jennings, assisted by Jan Domela, Dev Jennings, Irmin Roberts and Art Smith. Transparencies by Farciot Edouart, assisted by Loyal Griggs. Sound Effects by Loren Ryder, assisted by Harry Mills, Louis H. Mesenkop and Walter Oberst.

ACADEMY NOTES

1. [NOTE: THIS IS NOT AN OFFICIAL NOMINATION. Originally announced as a nominee on February 9, 1942, but sometime between the 10th and the 19th of February, this title was dropped and replaced by another Warner Bros. production, The Sea Wolf, with the same people credited for the nomination. There is no explanation in the files as to why this replacement was made.]
2. [NOTE: Not originally one of the nominees announced on February 9, 1942. Dive Bomber, another Warner Bros. production, was on the list, but sometime between the 10th and 19th of February, the Dive Bomber nomination was replaced by The Sea Wolf, with the same people credited for the achievement. There is no explanation in the files as to why the replacement was made.]