1953 (26th Annual Awards)
Nominations and Winners
Listed below are the Academy Award nominations and winners for the year 1953. 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.
Best Motion Picture
From Here to Eternity, Columbia. Buddy Adler, Producer.
Julius Caesar, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. John Houseman, Producer.
The Robe, 20th Century-Fox. Frank Ross, Producer.
Roman Holiday, Paramount. William Wyler, Producer.
Shane, Paramount. George Stevens, Producer.
Best Actor
Marlon Brando in Julius Caesar, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Richard Burton in The Robe, 20th Century-Fox.
Montgomery Clift in From Here to Eternity, Columbia.
William Holden in Stalag 17, Paramount.
Burt Lancaster in From Here to Eternity, Columbia.
Best Actress
Leslie Caron in Lili, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Ava Gardner in Mogambo, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. (USA, UK)
Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday, Paramount.
Deborah Kerr in From Here to Eternity, Columbia.
Maggie McNamara in The Moon Is Blue, Preminger-Herbert Production; United Artists.
Actor in a Supporting Role
Eddie Albert in Roman Holiday, Paramount.
Brandon De Wilde in Shane, Paramount.
Jack Palance in Shane, Paramount.
Frank Sinatra in From Here to Eternity, Columbia.
Robert Strauss in Stalag 17, Paramount.
Actress in a Supporting Role
Grace Kelly in Mogambo, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. (USA, UK)
Geraldine Page in Hondo, Wayne-Fellows Productions; Warner Bros.
Marjorie Rambeau in Torch Song, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Donna Reed in From Here to Eternity, Columbia.
Thelma Ritter in Pickup on South Street, 20th Century-Fox.
Directing
From Here to Eternity, Columbia. Fred Zinnemann.
Lili, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Charles Walters.
Roman Holiday, Paramount. William Wyler.
Shane, Paramount. George Stevens.
Stalag 17, Paramount. Billy Wilder.
Art Direction-Set Decoration
(Black-and-White)
Julius Caesar, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Art direction by Cedric Gibbons and Edward Carfagno; set decoration by Edwin B. Willis and Hugh Hunt.
Martin Luther, Lutheran Church Productions and Luther-Film GmbH; Louis de Rochemont Associates. (West Germany, USA) Fritz Maurischat and Paul Markwitz.
The President’s Lady, 20th Century-Fox. Art direction by Lyle Wheeler and Leland Fuller; set decoration by Paul S. Fox.
Titanic, 20th Century-Fox. Art direction by Lyle Wheeler and Maurice Ransford; set decoration by Stuart Reiss.
(Color)
Knights of the Round Table, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Art direction by Alfred Junge and Hans Peters; set decoration by John Jarvis.
Lili, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Art direction by Cedric Gibbons and Paul Groesse; set decoration by Edwin B. Willis and Arthur Krams.
The Robe, 20th Century-Fox. Art direction by Lyle Wheeler and George W. Davis; set decoration by Walter M. Scott and Paul S. Fox.
The Story of Three Loves, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Art direction by Cedric Gibbons, Preston Ames, Edward Carfagno and Gabriel Scognamillo; set decoration by Edwin B. Willis, Keogh Gleason, Arthur Krams and Jack D. Moore.
Young Bess, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Art direction by Cedric Gibbons and Urie McCleary; set decoration by Edwin B. Willis and Jack D. Moore.
Cinematography
(Black-and-White)
The Four Poster, Stanley Kramer Productions; Columbia. Hal Mohr.
From Here to Eternity, Columbia. Burnett Guffey.
Julius Caesar, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Joseph Ruttenberg.
Martin Luther, Lutheran Church Productions and Luther-Film GmbH; Louis de Rochemont Associates. (West Germany, USA) Joseph C. Brun.
(Color)
All the Brothers Were Valiant, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. George Folsey.
Beneath the 12-Mile Reef, 20th Century-Fox. Edward Cronjager.
Lili, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Robert Planck.
The Robe, 20th Century-Fox. Leon Shamroy.
Shane, Paramount. Loyal Griggs.
Costume Design
(Black-and-White)
The Actress, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Walter Plunkett.
From Here to Eternity, Columbia. Jean Louis.
Roman Holiday, Paramount. Edith Head.
(Color)
The Band Wagon, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Mary Ann Nyberg.
Call Me Madam, 20th Century-Fox. Irene Sharaff.
Young Bess, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Walter Plunkett.
Documentary
(Feature)
The Conquest of Everest, Countryman Films, Ltd. & Group 3 Ltd.; United Artists. (UK) John Taylor, Leon Clore and Grahame Tharp, Producers.
The Living Desert, Walt Disney Productions; Buena Vista. [True Life Adventures Series] Walt Disney, Producer.
A Queen Is Crowned, J. Arthur Rank Organization, Ltd.; Universal-International. (UK) Castleton Knight, Producer.
(Short Subject)
The Alaskan Eskimo, Walt Disney Productions; RKO Radio. [People and Places Series] Walt Disney, Producer.
The Living City, Encyclopaedia Britannica Films, Inc. John Barnes, Producer.
Operation Blue Jay, United States Army Signal Corps.
They Planted a Stone, World Wide Pictures; British Information Services. (UK) James Carr, Producer.
Film Editing
Crazylegs, Hall Bartlett Productions; Republic. Irvine (Cotton) Warburton.
From Here to Eternity, Columbia. William Lyon.
The Moon Is Blue, Preminger-Herbert Production; United Artists. Otto Ludwig.
Roman Holiday, Paramount. Robert Swink.
The War of the Worlds, Paramount. Everett Douglas.
Music
(Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture)
Above and Beyond, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Hugo Friedhofer.
Julius Caesar, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Miklos Rozsa.
Lili, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Bronislau Kaper.
This Is Cinerama, Cinerama Productions Corporation. Louis Forbes.
(Scoring of a Musical Picture)
The Band Wagon, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Adolph Deutsch.
Calamity Jane, Warner Bros. Ray Heindorf.
Call Me Madam, 20th Century-Fox. Alfred Newman.
The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T, Stanley Kramer Productions; Columbia. Frederick Hollander and Morris Stoloff.
(Song)
The Moon Is Blue from The Moon Is Blue, Preminger-Herbert Production; United Artists. Music by Herschel Burke Gilbert; lyrics by Sylvia Fine.
My Flaming Heart from Small Town Girl, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Music by Nicholas Brodszky; lyrics by Leo Robin.
Sadie Thompson’s Song (Blue Pacific Blues) from Miss Sadie Thompson, The Beckworth Corporation; Columbia. Music by Lester Lee; lyrics by Ned Washington.
That’s Amore from The Caddy, York Pictures Corporation; Paramount. Music by Harry Warren; lyrics by Jack Brooks.
Short Subjects
(Cartoons)
Christopher Crumpet, UPA (United Productions of America); Columbia. [Jolly Frolics Series] Stephen Bosustow, Producer.
From A to Z-Z-Z-Z, Warner Bros. Cartoons, Inc.; Warner Bros. [Looney Tunes Series] Edward Selzer, Producer.
Rugged Bear, Walt Disney Productions; RKO Radio. [Donald Duck Series] Walt Disney, Producer.
The Tell Tale Heart, UPA (United Productions of America); Columbia. [UPA Cartoon Special Series] Stephen Bosustow, Producer.
Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom, Walt Disney Productions; RKO Radio. [Adventures in Music Series] Walt Disney, Producer.
(One-reel)
Christ Among the Primitives, Vincenzo Lucci-Chiarissi Production; I.F.E. Releasing Corporation. (Italy) Vincenzo Lucci-Chiarissi, Producer.
Herring Hunt, National Film Board of Canada; RKO Pathe. (Canada) [Canada Carries On Series]
Joy of Living, Art Film Productions; 20th Century-Fox. [Art Film Series] Boris Vermont, Producer.
The Merry Wives of Windsor Overture, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. [Overture Series] Johnny Green, Producer.
Wee Water Wonders, Paramount. [Grantland Rice Sportlights Series] Jack Eaton, Producer.
(Two-reel)
Bear Country, Walt Disney Productions; RKO Radio. [True Life Adventure Series] Walt Disney, Producer.
Ben and Me, Walt Disney Productions; Buena Vista. [Cartoon Special Series] Walt Disney, Producer.
Return to Glennascaul, Dublin Gate Theatre Production; Arthur Mayer-Edward Kingsley, Inc. (Ireland)
Vesuvius Express, 20th Century-Fox. [CinemaScope Shorts Series] Otto Lang, Producer.
Winter Paradise, Warner Bros. [Technicolor Special Series] Cedric Francis, Producer.
Sound Recording
Calamity Jane, Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Studio Sound Department, William A. Mueller, Sound Director.
From Here to Eternity, Columbia. Columbia Studio Sound Department, John P. Livadary, Sound Director.
Knights of the Round Table, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studio Sound Department, A. W. Watkins, Sound Director.
The Mississippi Gambler, Universal-International. Universal-International Studio Sound Department, Leslie I. Carey, Sound Director.
The War of the Worlds, Paramount. Paramount Studio Sound Department, Loren L. Ryder, Sound Director.
Special Effects
The War of the Worlds, Paramount.
Writing
(Motion Picture Story)
Above and Beyond, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Beirne Lay, Jr.
The Captain’s Paradise, London Films; Lopert Films-United Artists. (UK) Alec Coppel.
Little Fugitive, Little Fugitive Production Company; Joseph Burstyn, Inc. Ray Ashley, Morris Engel and Ruth Orkin.
Roman Holiday, Paramount. Dalton Trumbo. [NOTE: The screen credit and award was originally credited to Ian McLellan Hunter, who was a “front” for Dalton Trumbo. On December 15, 1992, the Academy’s Board of Governors voted to change the records and award Mr. Trumbo with the achievement. Ian McLellan Hunter’s name was removed from the Motion Picture Story category.]
Hondo, Wayne-Fellows Productions; Warner Bros. Louis L’Amour. [NOTE: Originally announced on February 15, 1954 as a nominee in this category. On February 17, 1954, letters from the producer and the nominee questioned its inclusion in the (original) motion picture story category, as it was based on the short story, “The Gift of Cochise,” by the nominee, published in Collier’s magazine on July 5, 1952. By waiver, the title of the short story was not included in the film’s credits. The nomination was withdrawn, and only four titles were included on the final ballot.]
(Screenplay)
The Cruel Sea, J. Arthur Rank-Ealing; Universal-International. (UK) Eric Ambler.
From Here to Eternity, Columbia. Daniel Taradash.
Lili, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Helen Deutsch.
Shane, Paramount. A. B. Guthrie, Jr.
(Story and Screenplay)
The Desert Rats, 20th Century-Fox. Richard Murphy.
Take the High Ground, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Millard Kaufman.
Honorary Award
To Pete Smith for his witty and pungent observations on the American scene in his series of “Pete Smith Specialties.” [ [Statuette]]
To 20th Century-Fox Film Corporation in recognition of their imagination, showmanship and foresight in introducing the revolutionary process known as CinemaScope. [ [Statuette]]
To Joseph I. Breen for his conscientious, open-minded and dignified management of the Motion Picture Production Code. [ [Statuette]]
To the Bell and Howell Company for their pioneering and basic achievements in the advancement of the motion picture industry. [ [Statuette]]
Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award
Scientific or Technical Award
(Class I)
To Professor Henri Chretien and Earl Sponable, Sol Halprin, Lorin Grignon, Herbert Bragg and Carl Faulkner of 20th Century-Fox Studios for creating, developing and engineering the equipment, processes and techniques known as CinemaScope.
To Fred Waller for designing and developing the multiple photographic and projection systems that culminated in Cinerama.
(Class II)
To Reeves Soundcraft Corporation for their development of a process of applying stripes of magnetic oxide to motion picture film for sound recording and reproduction.
(Class III)
To Westrex Corporation for the design and construction of a new film editing machine.