1940 (13th Annual Awards)
Nominations and Winners
Listed below are the Academy Award nominations and winners for the year 1940. The symbol appears next to the winner in each category. Click on the name of a film, person or song in the list to display more information about that film, person or song. Or, click on a year in the column on the right to display the nominations and winners from that year.
Outstanding Production
All This, and Heaven Too, Warner Bros.
Foreign Correspondent, Walter Wanger; United Artists.
The Grapes of Wrath, 20th Century-Fox.
The Great Dictator, Charles Chaplin Productions; United Artists.
Kitty Foyle, RKO Radio.
The Letter, Warner Bros.
The Long Voyage Home, Argosy-Wanger; United Artists.
Our Town, Sol Lesser; United Artists.
The Philadelphia Story, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Rebecca, Selznick International Pictures; United Artists.
Best Actor
Charles Chaplin in The Great Dictator, Charles Chaplin Productions; United Artists.
Henry Fonda in The Grapes of Wrath, 20th Century-Fox.
Raymond Massey in Abe Lincoln in Illinois, Max Gordon Plays and Pictures; RKO Radio.
Laurence Olivier in Rebecca, Selznick International Pictures; United Artists.
James Stewart in The Philadelphia Story, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Best Actress
Bette Davis in The Letter, Warner Bros.
Joan Fontaine in Rebecca, Selznick International Pictures; United Artists.
Katharine Hepburn in The Philadelphia Story, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Ginger Rogers in Kitty Foyle, RKO Radio.
Martha Scott in Our Town, Sol Lesser; United Artists.
Actor in a Supporting Role
Albert Basserman in Foreign Correspondent, Walter Wanger; United Artists.
Walter Brennan in The Westerner, Samuel Goldwyn Productions; United Artists.
William Gargan in They Knew What They Wanted, RKO Radio.
Jack Oakie in The Great Dictator, Charles Chaplin Productions; United Artists.
James Stephenson in The Letter, Warner Bros.
Actress in a Supporting Role
Judith Anderson in Rebecca, Selznick International Pictures; United Artists.
Jane Darwell in The Grapes of Wrath, 20th Century-Fox.
Ruth Hussey in The Philadelphia Story, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Barbara O’Neil in All This, and Heaven Too, Warner Bros.
Marjorie Rambeau in Primrose Path, RKO Radio.
Directing
The Grapes of Wrath, 20th Century-Fox. John Ford.
Kitty Foyle, RKO Radio. Sam Wood.
The Letter, Warner Bros. William Wyler.
The Philadelphia Story, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. George Cukor.
Rebecca, Selznick International Pictures; United Artists. Alfred Hitchcock.
Art Direction
(Black-and-White)
The Boys from Syracuse, Mayfair; Universal. John Otterson.
The Dark Command, Republic. John Victor Mackay.
Foreign Correspondent, Walter Wanger; United Artists. Alexander Golitzen.
My Son, My Son!, Edward Small; United Artists. John DuCasse Schulze.
Our Town, Sol Lesser; United Artists. Lewis J. Rachmil.
Rebecca, Selznick International Pictures; United Artists. Lyle Wheeler.
The Sea Hawk, Warner Bros. Anton Grot.
The Westerner, Samuel Goldwyn Productions; United Artists. James Basevi.
(Color)
The Thief of Bagdad, Alexander Korda; United Artists. (UK, USA) Vincent Korda.
Cinematography
(Black-and-White)
Abe Lincoln in Illinois, Max Gordon Plays and Pictures; RKO Radio. James Wong Howe.
All This, and Heaven Too, Warner Bros. Ernest Haller.
Arise, My Love, Paramount. Charles B. Lang, Jr.
Boom Town, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Harold Rosson.
Foreign Correspondent, Walter Wanger; United Artists. Rudolph Maté.
The Letter, Warner Bros. Gaetano (Tony) Gaudio.
The Long Voyage Home, Argosy-Wanger; United Artists. Gregg Toland.
Rebecca, Selznick International Pictures; United Artists. George Barnes.
Spring Parade, Universal. Joseph Valentine.
Waterloo Bridge, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Joseph Ruttenberg.
(Color)
The Thief of Bagdad, Alexander Korda; United Artists. (UK, USA) George Perinal.
Film Editing
The Grapes of Wrath, 20th Century-Fox. Robert E. Simpson.
The Letter, Warner Bros. Warren Low.
The Long Voyage Home, Argosy-Wanger; United Artists. Sherman Todd.
North West Mounted Police, Paramount. Anne Bauchens.
Rebecca, Selznick International Pictures; United Artists. Hal C. Kern.
Music
(Original Score)
Arizona, Columbia. Victor Young.
The Dark Command, Republic. Victor Young.
The Fight for Life, United States Film Service; Columbia. Louis Gruenberg.
The Great Dictator, Charles Chaplin Productions; United Artists. Meredith Willson.
The House of the Seven Gables, Universal. Frank Skinner.
The Howards of Virginia, Frank Lloyd; Columbia. Richard Hageman.
The Letter, Warner Bros. Max Steiner.
The Long Voyage Home, Argosy-Wanger; United Artists. Richard Hageman.
The Mark of Zorro, 20th Century-Fox. Alfred Newman.
My Favorite Wife, RKO Radio. Roy Webb.
North West Mounted Police, Paramount. Victor Young.
One Million B.C., Hal Roach; United Artists. Werner Heymann.
Our Town, Sol Lesser; United Artists. Aaron Copland.
Rebecca, Selznick International Pictures; United Artists. Franz Waxman.
The Thief of Bagdad, Alexander Korda; United Artists. (UK, USA) Miklos Rozsa.
Waterloo Bridge, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Herbert Stothart.
(Scoring)
Arise, My Love, Paramount. Victor Young.
Hit Parade of 1941, Republic. Cy Feuer.
Irene, Imeradio Pictures; RKO Radio. Anthony Collins.
Our Town, Sol Lesser; United Artists. Aaron Copland.
The Sea Hawk, Warner Bros. Erich Wolfgang Korngold.
Second Chorus, National Pictures; Paramount. Artie Shaw.
Spring Parade, Universal. Charles Previn.
Tin Pan Alley, 20th Century-Fox. Alfred Newman.
(Song)
Down Argentine Way from Down Argentine Way, 20th Century-Fox. Music by Harry Warren; lyrics by Mack Gordon.
I’d Know You Anywhere from You’ll Find Out, RKO Radio. Music by Jimmy McHugh; lyrics by Johnny Mercer.
It’s a Blue World from Music in My Heart, Columbia. Music and lyrics by Chet Forrest and Bob Wright.
Love of My Life from Second Chorus, National Pictures; Paramount. Music by Artie Shaw; lyrics by Johnny Mercer.
Our Love Affair from Strike Up the Band, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Music and lyrics by Roger Edens and Arthur Freed.
When You Wish upon a Star from Pinocchio, Walt Disney Productions; RKO Radio. Music by Leigh Harline; lyrics by Ned Washington.
Short Subjects
(Cartoons)
The Milky Way, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. [Rudolph Ising Series]
Puss Gets the Boot, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. [Cat and Mouse Series]
A Wild Hare, Leon Schlesinger; Warner Bros. [Bugs Bunny Series] Leon Schlesinger, Producer.
(One-reel)
London Can Take It, Warner Bros. (UK) [Vitaphone Varieties Series]
More About Nostradamus, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. [Miniature Series]
Quicker ’n a Wink, Pete Smith; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. [Pete Smith Specialties Series] Pete Smith, Producer.
Siege, RKO Radio. [Reelism Series]
(Two-reel)
Eyes of the Navy, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. [Crime Doesn’t Pay Series]
Service with the Colors, Warner Bros. [National Defense Series]
Teddy, the Rough Rider, Warner Bros. [Historical Featurette Series]
Sound Recording
Captain Caution, Hal Roach; United Artists. Hal Roach Studio Sound Department, Elmer A. Raguse, Sound Director.
The Grapes of Wrath, 20th Century-Fox. 20th Century-Fox Studio Sound Department, E. H. Hansen, Sound Director.
The Howards of Virginia, Frank Lloyd; Columbia. General Service Sound Department, Jack Whitney, Sound Director.
North West Mounted Police, Paramount. Paramount Studio Sound Department, Loren L. Ryder, Sound Director.
Our Town, Sol Lesser; United Artists. Samuel Goldwyn Studio Sound Department, Thomas T. Moulton, Sound Director.
Strike Up the Band, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studio Sound Department, Douglas Shearer, Sound Director.
Special Effects
The Blue Bird, 20th Century-Fox. Photographic effects by Fred Sersen; sound effects by E. H. Hansen.
Boom Town, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Photographic effects by A. Arnold Gillespie; sound effects by Douglas Shearer.
The Boys from Syracuse, Mayfair; Universal. Photographic effects by John P. Fulton; sound effects by Bernard B. Brown and Joseph Lapis.
Foreign Correspondent, Walter Wanger; United Artists. Photographic effects by Paul Eagler; sound effects by Thomas T. Moulton.
The Invisible Man Returns, Universal. Photographic effects by John P. Fulton; sound effects by Bernard B. Brown and William Hedgecock.
The Long Voyage Home, Argosy-Wanger; United Artists. Photographic effects by R. T. Layton and R. O. Binger; sound effects by Thomas T. Moulton.
One Million B.C., Hal Roach; United Artists. Photographic effects by Roy Seawright; sound effects by Elmer Raguse.
Rebecca, Selznick International Pictures; United Artists. Photographic effects by Jack Cosgrove; sound effects by Arthur Johns.
Swiss Family Robinson, RKO Radio. Photographic effects by Vernon L. Walker; sound effects by John O. Aalberg.
The Thief of Bagdad, Alexander Korda; United Artists. (UK, USA) Photographic effects by Lawrence Butler; sound effects by Jack Whitney.
Typhoon, Paramount. Photographic effects by Farciot Edouart and Gordon Jennings; sound effects by Loren Ryder.
Women in War, Republic. Photographic effects by Howard J. Lydecker, William Bradford and Ellis J. Thackery; sound effects by Herbert Norsch.
Writing
(Original Screenplay)
Angels over Broadway, Columbia. Ben Hecht.
The Great Dictator, Charles Chaplin Productions; United Artists. Charles Chaplin.
The Great McGinty, Paramount. Preston Sturges.
(Original Story)
Comrade X, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Walter Reisch.
The Westerner, Samuel Goldwyn Productions; United Artists. Stuart N. Lake.
(Screenplay)
The Grapes of Wrath, 20th Century-Fox. Nunnally Johnson.
Kitty Foyle, RKO Radio. Dalton Trumbo.
The Long Voyage Home, Argosy-Wanger; United Artists. Dudley Nichols.
The Philadelphia Story, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Donald Ogden Stewart.
Special Award
To Bob Hope, in recognition of his unselfish services to the motion picture industry. [ [Special Silver Plaque]]
To Colonel Nathan Levinson for his outstanding service to the industry and the Army during the past nine years, which has made possible the present efficient mobilization of the motion picture industry facilities for the production of Army training films. [ [Statuette]]
Scientific or Technical Award
(Class I)
20th Century-Fox Film Corp. for the design and construction of the 20th Century Silenced Camera, developed by Daniel Clark, Grover Laube, Charles Miller, and Robert W. Stevens.
(Class III)
To Warner Bros. Studio Art Department and Anton Grot for the design and perfection of the Warner Bros. water ripple and wave illusion machine.