Best Picture Omissions Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Divine Lady

Based on a novel by E. Barrington, "The Divine Lady" chronicles the love affair between Lord Horatio Nelson and Lady Emma Hamilton. That it was not nominated for Best Picture is puzzling. Not only did it receive nominations for Best Actress (Corinne Griffith) and Best Cinematography, it won for Best Director (Frank Lloyd). Very rarely does a film that wins Best Director not be at least nominated for Best Picture. [Bette Midler is known as "The Divine Miss M".]

Answer: The Westerner

"The Westerner" is about the complex relationship between a drifter (Gary Cooper) and "the hanging judge", Judge Roy Bean (Walter Brennan). In awarding Best Supporting Actor to Brennan, the Academy was recognizing a truly outstanding performance. The film, however, was not nominated for any other top award. Walter Brennan also won Best Supporting Actor for "Come and Get It" (1936) and "Kentucky" (1938). Also for 1940, James Stewart won Best Actor for "The Philadelphia Story", and Ginger Rogers was Best Actress for her role in "Kitty Foyle".

Answer: Key Largo

Based on the play by Maxwell Anderson, "Key Largo" is a magnificent film noir about a former soldier (Bogart) visiting the family of a friend of his killed in the war. His friend's widow (Lauren Bacall) and her father (Lionel Barrymore) run a hotel on Key Largo. With a major hurricane approaching, the hotel has only a few guests left.

The Sheriff (Monte Blue) stops by looking for, but not finding, some escaped convicts. The few guests remaining turn out to be members of a gang run by the notorious Johnny Rocco (Edward G. Robinson); they take the three hostage. (For the dramatic conclusion, see the film; it is one worth viewing.) That "Key Largo" and Bogey and Bacall were all skipped for nominations is almost beyond comprehension.

Not only did the film have an outstanding cast (including Claire Trevor), it was directed by the legendary John Huston (who won Best Director that year, but for "Treasure of the Sierra Madre". Jane Wyman won Best Actress for "Johnny Belinda". Walter Huston (Best Supporting Actor) scored for "The Treasure of The Sierra Madre".

Answer: Stalag 17

Based on a play by Donald Bevan and Edmund Trzcinski, "Stalag 17" concerns a group of US airmen held in a German prison camp. The prisoners suspect that one of their group is an informant, most likely J.J. Sefton (William Holden) who barters openly with the German guards for favors, and tells everyone that it is useless to escape. (Is Sefton the informer? See the movie.

Despite its age, it is still very enjoyable.) "Stalag 17" was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor (Robert Strauss) and Best Director (Billy Wilder).

It did face tough competition for Best Picture nominations (the fifth nominee was "Julius Caesar" with Marlon Brando). "From Here to Eternity" had both Montgomery Clift and Burt Lancaster nominated for Best Actor and Deborah Kerr for Best Actress; all lost, although it did win Best Supporting Actress (Donna Reed) and Best Director (Fred Zinnemann). Audrey Hepburn won Best Actress for "Roman Holiday". [Colonel Klink was in charge of Stalag 13 on "Hogan's Heroes"; that show had a Sergeant Schultz, as did "Stalag 17".]

Answer: A Star Is Born

An adaptation of a 1937 movie, "A Star is Born" traces the complicated relationship between Esther Blodgett, later renamed Vicki Lester (Judy Garland), a talented singer and actress, and Norman Maine (James Mason), a former matinee idol whose career is waning.

As Vicki's movie career flourishes, Norman's hits bottom, but Vicki will not desert him. [No spoiler here. View the film, which also has great music by Harold Arlen and Ira Gershwin, including the haunting song "The Man That Got Away".] "A Star is Born" had nominations for Best Actor (James Mason) and Best Actress (Judy Garland), but inexplicably not for Best Picture. Grace Kelly won Best Actress for "The Country Girl".

Answer: BUtterfield 8

"BUtterfield 8" (a telephone exchange) follows the interesting, volatile and uncertain relationship between Gloria Wandrous (Elizabeth Taylor) and married rich executive Weston Liggett (Laurence Harvey). Both Gloria and Weston have to examine not only their relationship, but also themselves. That the film was not a nominee for Best Picture is not surprising; "BUtterfield 8" was not nominated for any other major awards.

The Academy, however, recognized the superior acting of Elizabeth Taylor for which she received her first Oscar for Best Actress. "Elmer Gantry" won Best Actor (Burt Lancaster) and Best Supporting Actress (Shirley Jones). "Sons and Lovers" was nominated for Best Picture, Actor (Trevor Howard), Supporting Actress Mary Ure), and Director (Jack Cardiff). And "The Alamo," although a Best Picture nominee, had no other major award nominations.

Answer: True Grit

Based on the 1968 novel by Charles Portis, "True Grit" follows the adventures of Mattie Ross (Kim Darby) who hires Marshal Rooster Cogburn to track down Tom Chaney (Jeff Corey), the man who murdered her father. A Texas Ranger, La Boeuf (Glen Campbell), who is also after Chaney, joins them.

Their journey is long and dangerous. Despite his long career, this Oscar was the only one John Wayne received for Best Actor (he had only one other nomination, in 1949 for "Sands of Iwo Jima"). It was also the only major nomination for "True Grit". John Wayne's birth name was Marion Morrison. "Midnight Cowboy" also won Best Director (John Schlesinger); Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight, both nominated for Best Actor, lost. Maggie Smith won Best Actress for "Miss Jean Brodie".

Answer: Save the Tiger

"Save the Tiger" was advertised as: "Juggle the books. Set fire to the factory. Supply women for the clients. Harry Stoner will do anything to get one more season." Stoner (Jack Lemmon) is head of an apparel company that faces ruin. While railing against the complexities of modern life, he takes extreme measures to attempt to save the company. Jack Lemmon won Best Actor, but the only other top nomination was for Best Supporting Actor (Jack Gilford). Glenda Jackson won Best Actress for "A Touch of Class". Neither "The Exorcist" nor "American Graffiti" won any of the top awards. [Tony the Tiger was a spokesbeast for Kellogg's Frosted Flakes.]

Answer: Sophie's Choice

Adapted from the novel by William Styron, "Sophie's Choice" probes the volatile and deadly triangle between Sophie Zawistowski (Meryl Streep), a survivor of Auschwitz, Nathan Landau (Kevin Kline), her emotionally unstable lover, and Stingo (Peter MacNicol), an aspiring novelist. "Sophie's Choice" received no other nominations for the top awards. Dustin Hoffman ("Tootsie"), Jack Lemmon ("Missing"), and Paul Newman ("The Verdict") all lost to Kingsley.

Answer: The Accused

"The Accused" is based on a real gang rape of a woman in a Massachusetts bar, where the rapists were cheered on by other patrons. Sarah Tobias (Jodie Foster)has an extraordinarily difficult time trying to get justice for the attack. Foster won the award for Best Actress, but the film received no other major nominations.

Interestingly, none of the other films nominated for Best Picture won any major award. [Zola wrote "J'Accuse".]