And the Oscar Goes to... (November, 1930) Quiz

Answer: True

Because the defined period of time to assess nominees ran from August 1st to July 31st, it was decided that a spring awards ceremony was too distant from the end of judging (eight months!). Thus, the move to a fall date (November, 1930) after the 2nd (April) ceremony was made.

Answer: Conrad Nagel

Conrad Nagel (1897-1970) had his breakout role as an actor in 1920's "The Fighting Chance" opposite Anna Q. Nilsson. He made a smooth transition from silent films to talkies, acting in over 100 films over a career spanning 41 years. He hosted three Academy Awards ceremonies in that time, making an impressive gap between host appearances in the process - 21 years.

Answer: Lawrence Tibbett

The Oscar-winner for Best Actor was George Arliss for his role as British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli in "Disraeli" (1929). He was also nominated for playing The Raja in "The Green Goddess" (1930). George Arliss was not present at the ceremony - Darryl F. Zanuck accepted the Award on his behalf.

Maurice Chevalier received two nods for his roles as Count Alfred Renard in "The Love Parade" (1929) and as Pierre Mirande in "The Big Pond" (1930).

The third double-nominee was Ronald Colman who acted as Captain Hugh 'Bulldog' Drummond in "Bulldog Drummond" (1929) and as Michel in "Condemned" (1929).

Lawrence Tibbett received just the one nomination for his role in "The Rogue Song" (1930) as bandit leader Yegor.

The other single nominee for Best Actor was Wallace Beery for playing the part of inmate Butch Schmidt in "The Big House" (1930).

Answer: Norma Shearer

Edith Norma Shearer was born August 10th, 1902, and she passed away on June 12th, 1983. In her heyday, Norma vied with Greta Garbo and Joan Crawford for the best roles and her marriage to Irving Thalberg (executive in charge of production at Universal Studios) in 1927 helped her along. She remained a popular actress until her retirement in 1942.

Shearer won the Oscar for Best Actress for "The Divorcee" (1930), a role that became the first in a string of films wherein she depicted sexually liberal women. The adoption of the Production Code of 1934 limited those kind of roles, and afterwards Shearer played in more period dramas and prestige pictures.

Incidentally, Shearer was also nominated for Best Actress for her role as Lucia 'Lally' Marlett in "Their Own Desire" (1929). So, she won the Oscar, but also lost to herself.

Answer: With Byrd at the South Pole

"With Byrd at the South Pole" (1930) documents Richard E. Byrd, Jr.'s attempt to be the first man to fly over the South Pole. Joseph T. Rucker and Willard Van der Veer accepted the Oscar for their incredible camera work. The film has little sound, apart from an introduction by Byrd, some narration during the flight, and some basic sound effects.

Answer: Paul Whiteman

Paul Whiteman (1890-1967) was an immensely popular band and orchestra leader in the 1920s. He was known for his blending of symphonic and jazz music, and was the man who commissioned a work from George Gershwin that became the famous "Rhapsody in Blue."

"King of Jazz" (1930) was a musical revue film that featured Whiteman and his band, and included a group of singers signed to his band that he called 'The Rhythm Boys' (Bing Crosby, Al Rinker, and Harry Barris). Incidentally, it was also the first feature-length movie filmed entirely in Technicolor.

Herman Rosse (1887-1965) was born in Holland, and after attending the Royal College of Art in London, England, he came to the United States and also attended Stanford. He was commissioned to design the Netherlands pavilion at the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco, and while there, made his first forays into designing theater and stage sets.

Answer: The Big House

"The Big House" (1930) starred Robert Montgomery as a man incarcerated for drunk-driving manslaughter and Wallace Beery as Butch, the hardened career criminal who rules the cellblock.

The Oscar for Best Sound Recording also went to "The Big House" and was received by Douglas Shearer.

Answer: All Quiet on the Western Front

"All Quiet on the Western Front" (1930) received four nominations in total - Best Picture, Best Director (Lewis Milestone), Best Cinematography (Arthur Edeson), and Best Writing (George Abbott, Maxwell Anderson and Del Andrews).

Milestone's previous win had been for Best Director, Comedy Picture. This time, his directing talents went in a completely different direction. "All Quiet on the Western Front" was a study in tragedy, following a class of recruits through their experiences in the German army during the Great War.

Answer: False

"The Love Parade" was nominated for Best Picture, Best Director (Ernst Lubitsch), Best Actor (Maurice Chevalier), Best Sound Recording (Franklin Hansen), Best Cinematography (Victor Milner), and Best Art Direction (Hans Dreier), but did not take home any Oscars.

Best Film Editing was not a category at the third Academy Awards.

Answer: All Quiet on the Western Front

"All Quiet on the Western Front" (1930) is a World War I epic depicting a realistic account of the war from the perspective of a group of young German recruits. The young men are all moved by an impassioned speech to join up and get the glory for "saving the Fatherland."

This tragic film starred Louis Wolheim, Lew Ayres, John Wray, Arnold Lucy and Ben Alexander, and was directed by Lewis Milestone. "All Quiet on the Western Front" received four nominations, and won two Oscars.