Nominations & Winners by Category:
Special Effects
Listed below are the Academy Award nominations and winners in the category of Special Effects. The
symbol appears next to the winner for each year. Click on the name of a film or person in the list to display more information about that film or person. Or, click on a category in the column on the right to display the nominees and winners in that category.
1938 (11th)
(Honorary 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. [Plaque]1939 (12th)
Gone with the Wind, Selznick International Pictures; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. John R. Cosgrove, Fred Albin and Arthur Johns.NOTE: Special Effects was a new category in 1939.
1940 (13th)
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. 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.1941 (14th)
Aloma of the South Seas, Paramount. Photographic effects by Farciot Edouart and Gordon Jennings; sound effects by Louis Mesenkop.Flight Command, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Photographic effects by A. Arnold Gillespie; sound effects by Douglas Shearer.I Wanted Wings, Paramount. Photographic effects by Farciot Edouart and Gordon Jennings; sound effects by Louis Mesenkop.The Sea Wolf, Warner Bros. Photographic effects by Byron Haskin; sound effects by Nathan Levinson. [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 mentioned for the achievement. There is no explanation in the files as to why the replacement was made.]That Hamilton Woman, Alexander Korda; United Artists. Photographic effects by Lawrence Butler; sound effects by William H. Wilmarth.Topper Returns, Hal Roach; United Artists. Photographic effects by Roy Seawright; sound effects by Elmer Raguse.A Yank in the R.A.F., 20th Century-Fox. Photographic effects by Fred Sersen; sound effects by E. H. Hansen.Dive Bomber, Warner Bros. [NOTE: 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 the replacement was made.]1942 (15th)
The Black Swan, 20th Century-Fox. Photographic effects by Fred Sersen; sound effects by Roger Heman and George Leverett.Desperate Journey, Warner Bros. Photographic effects by Byron Haskin; sound effects by Nathan Levinson.Flying Tigers, Republic. Photographic effects by Howard Lydecker; sound effects by Daniel J. Bloomberg.Jungle Book, Alexander Korda; United Artists. Photographic effects by Lawrence Butler; sound effects by William H. Wilmarth.Mrs. Miniver, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Photographic effects by A. Arnold Gillespie and Warren Newcombe; sound effects by Douglas Shearer.The Navy Comes Through, RKO Radio. Photographic effects by Vernon L. Walker; sound effects by James G. Stewart.One of Our Aircraft Is Missing, Michael Powell; United Artists (British). Photographic effects by Ronald Neame; sound effects by C. C. Stevens.The Pride of the Yankees, Samuel Goldwyn Productions; RKO Radio. Photographic effects by Jack Cosgrove and Ray Binger; sound effects by Thomas T. Moulton.Reap the Wild Wind, Paramount. Photographic effects by Gordon Jennings, Farciot Edouart and William L. Pereira; sound effects by Louis Mesenkop.1943 (16th)
Air Force, Warner Bros. Photographic effects by Hans Koenekamp and Rex Wimpy; sound effects by Nathan Levinson.Bombardier, RKO Radio. Photographic effects by Vernon L. Walker; sound effects by James G. Stewart and Roy Granville.The North Star, Samuel Goldwyn Productions; RKO Radio. Photographic effects by Clarence Slifer and R. O. Binger; sound effects by Thomas T. Moulton.So Proudly We Hail!, Paramount. Photographic effects by Gordon Jennings and Farciot Edouart; sound effects by George Dutton.Stand By for Action, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Photographic effects by A. Arnold Gillespie and Donald Jahraus; sound effects by Michael Steinore.1944 (17th)
The Adventures of Mark Twain, Warner Bros. Photographic effects by Paul Detlefsen and John Crouse; sound effects by Nathan Levinson.Days of Glory, RKO Radio. Photographic effects by Vernon L. Walker; sound effects by James G. Stewart and Roy Granville.Secret Command, Columbia. Photographic effects by David Allen, Ray Cory and Robert Wright; sound effects by Russell Malmgren and Harry Kusnick.Since You Went Away, Selznick International Pictures; United Artists. Photographic effects by John R. Cosgrove; sound effects by Arthur Johns.The Story of Dr. Wassell, Paramount. Photographic effects by Gordon Jennings and Farciot Edouart; sound effects by George Dutton.Thirty Seconds over Tokyo, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Photographic effects by A. Arnold Gillespie, Donald Jahraus and Warren Newcombe; sound effects by Douglas Shearer.1945 (18th)
Captain Eddie, 20th Century-Fox. Photographic effects by Fred Sersen and Sol Halprin; sound effects by Roger Heman and Harry Leonard.They Were Expendable, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Photographic effects by A. Arnold Gillespie, Donald Jahraus and Robert A. MacDonald; sound effects by Michael Steinore.A Thousand and One Nights, Columbia. Photographic effects by Lawrence W. Butler; sound effects by Ray Bomba.Wonder Man, Beverly Productions; RKO Radio. Photographic effects by John Fulton; sound effects by Arthur W. Johns.1946 (19th)
Blithe Spirit, J. Arthur Rank-Noel Coward-Cineguild; United Artists (British). Special visual effects by Thomas Howard.A Stolen Life, Warner Bros. Special visual effects by William McGann; special audible effects by Nathan Levinson.1947 (20th)
Green Dolphin Street, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Special visual effects by A. Arnold Gillespie and Warren Newcombe; special audible effects by Douglas Shearer and Michael Steinore.Unconquered, Paramount. Special visual effects by Farciot Edouart, Devereux Jennings, Gordon Jennings, Wallace Kelley and Paul Lerpae; special audible effects by George Dutton.1948 (21st)
Deep Waters, 20th Century-Fox. Special visual effects by Ralph Hammeras, Fred Sersen and Edward Snyder; special audible effects by Roger Heman.Portrait of Jennie, Vanguard Films; Selznick Releasing Organization (SRO). Special visual effects by Paul Eagler, J. McMillan Johnson, Russell Shearman and Clarence Slifer; special audible effects by Charles Freeman and James G. Stewart.1949 (22nd)
Mighty Joe Young, ARKO Production; RKO Radio.Tulsa, Walter Wanger; Eagle Lion.1950 (23rd)
Destination Moon, George Pal Productions; Eagle Lion Classics.Samson and Delilah, Cecil B. DeMille Productions; Paramount.1951 (24th)
When Worlds Collide, Paramount.1952 (25th)
Plymouth Adventure, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.1953 (26th)
The War of the Worlds, Paramount.1954 (27th)
Hell and High Water, 20th Century-Fox.Them!, Warner Bros.20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Walt Disney Productions; Buena Vista.1955 (28th)
The Bridges at Toko-Ri, Perlberg-Seaton Production; Paramount.The Dam Busters, Associated British Picture Corporation, Ltd.; Warner Bros. (United Kingdom)The Rains of Ranchipur, 20th Century-Fox.1956 (29th)
1957 (30th)
The Spirit of St. Louis, Leland Hayward-Billy Wilder; Warner Bros. Visual effects by Louis Lichtenfield.1958 (31st)
Tom Thumb, George Pal Productions; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. (United Kingdom/U.S.) Visual effects by Tom Howard.Torpedo Run, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Visual effects by A. Arnold Gillespie; audible effects by Harold Humbrock.1959 (32nd)
Ben-Hur, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Visual effects by A. Arnold Gillespie and Robert MacDonald; audible effects by Milo Lory.Journey to the Center of the Earth, Joseph M. Schenck Enterprises & Cooga Mooga Film Productions, Inc.; 20th Century-Fox. Visual effects by L. B. Abbott and James B. Gordon; audible effects by Carl Faulkner.1960 (33rd)
The Last Voyage, Andrew and Virgina Stone Production; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Visual effects by A. J. Lohman.The Time Machine, Galaxy Films Production; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Visual effects by Gene Warren and Tim Baar.1961 (34th)
The Absent-Minded Professor, Walt Disney Productions; Buena Vista. Visual effects by Robert A. Mattey and Eustace Lycett.The Guns of Navarone, Carl Foreman Production; Columbia. (United Kingdom) Visual effects by Bill Warrington; audible effects by Vivian C. Greenham.1962 (35th)
The Longest Day, Darryl F. Zanuck Productions; 20th Century-Fox. Visual effects by Robert MacDonald; audible effects by Jacques Maumont.Mutiny on the Bounty, Arcola Production; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Visual effects by A. Arnold Gillespie; audible effects by Milo Lory.NOTE: In 1963 the Academy Board of Governors, in recognition of the fact that the best visual effects and the best audible effects each year did not necessarily occur in the same picture, voted to discontinue the Special Effects Award and created two new Awards: The Special Visual Effects Award and the Sound Effects Award (which was renamed in 1976 as Sound Effects Editing, and again in 1979 as Sound Editing).