The Film Daily (1931)

THE Wednesday, Nov. 11, 1931 ■^^ DAILV 11 * Bests' of the Year Picked by Academy Merit Awards Announced At Annual Dinner In Hollywood (.Continued from Page 1) opened the ballot boxes, counted the votes, and announced the winners of merit awards for the best achievements in the past year as selected by the Academy's membership of more than 700. Principal honor guest of the occasion was the Hon. Charles Curtis, Vice-President of the United States. Others among the invited notables included Will H. Hays, Governor James Rolph, Jr., of California and a group of about 150 members of the American Newspaper Ass'n. Also among the important speakers on the program were M. C. Levee, new president of the Academy; Conrad Nagel, William C. De Mille and several more. Lawrence Grant was master of ceremonies. Interest in this year's balloting on the part of members of the Academy was the keenest in the four years that this event has been in progress. In the first eight days of voting more than half of the membership of 700 had filled out and mailed the ballots, all of which were kept sealed until last night's banquet. Arrangements for the gala dinner were handled by a committee headed by Harry Rapf and including Lawrence Grant, Reginald Barker, Nathan Levison, Julien Josephson, Albert Lewin, Arch Reeve, Joseph Johnson, Mitchell Lewis, Donald Crisp, Arthur Edeson. Frank Woods, Clinton Wunder and Howard Strickling, M. C. Levee also assisted in the arrangements. AWARDS COMMITTEE Louis B. Mayer. Ch'irman B. P. Schulberg. Vice-Chairman Al Cohn Ralph H-"»"neras lean Hersholt I. T. Reed John Robertson King Vidor Lois Wilson Waldemar Young Committee of Arrangements Harry Rapf, Chairman Reginald Barker Joseph Johnson Fred W. Beetson l"''l" lo'^Phso" Nsth'n Levinson Donald Crisp Mitchell Lewis Arthur Edeson Frank Woods Lawrence Grant Clinton Wunder Committee on Best Scientific Achievement Carl Dreher, Chairman Karl Struss Weslev C. Miller I. M. Nickolaus ?^'.'^°'"' , , _ „ t. H. Hansen '• A Ball Louis Kolb Nugent H. Slaughter J. T. Reed Vir?il Miller Roy Pomeroy Origin and Progress of the Academy The original idea of the Academy started at a private dinner at Louis B. Mayer's house. Present were Louis B. Mayer, Fred Niblo, Conrad Nagel, Fred Beetson. Formation dinner, Jan. 11, 1927; 33 artists present. Plan and scope committee appointed ]an. 11, 1927: Louis B. Mayer, chairman; Fred Niblo, first vice-chairman; Conrad Nagel, second vice-chairman; Milton Sills, Joseph M. Schenck, Carey Wilson, Jeanie Macpherson, M. C. Levee, Frank Lloyd, Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford, Frank Woods, Harold Lloyd, Henry King. Chartered May 4, 1927 Founded May 11, 1927, Biltmore Hotel, Los Angeles Original membership 231 Present membership over 700 Branches of the Academy: Actors, Directors, Assistant Director's Section, Producers, Technicians, Writers, Special Honorary memberships: George Eastman, Thomas A. Edison. Life memberships: William C. de Mille, Frank Woods, Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. Technicians' Branch includes: Art Directors, Cinematographers, Sound Engineers, Electrical Engineers, Laboratory Engineers, etc. Principal achievements: Standard release print; minimum contract; most complete existing library about motion pictures, maintained for use of industry; actor-producer arbitration system; monthly bulletin on technical developments; co-operation with colleges in establishing photoplay technique courses; tenweek course in fundamentals of sound given to 900 employes of 17 studios, then published in book form; sponsoring of experiments in educational films. Complete List of Candidates On Which the Academy Voted Publicity Committee Howard Strickling Arch Reeve Full list of the candidates on which members of the Academy voted for the awards is given below: Best Performance, Actress: Marlene Dietrich, "Morocco" (Paramount); Marie Dressier, "Min and Bill" (M-G-M); Irene Dunne, "Cimarron" (RKO); Ann Harding, "Holiday" (RKO Pathe); Norma Shearer, "A Free Soul" (M-G-M). Best Performance, Actor: Lionel Barrymore, "A Free Soul" (M-G-M); Jackie Cooper, "Skippy" (Paramount) ; Richard Dix "Cimarron" (RKO); Fredric March, "The Royal Family of Broadway" (Paramount); Adolphe Menjou, "The Front Page" (Caddo-United Artists). Best Direction: "A Free Soul" (M-G-M), Clarence Brown; "The Front Page" (Caddo-United Artists), Lewis Milestone; "Cimarron (RKO), Wesley Ruggles; "Morocco" (Paramount), Josef von Sternberg; "Skippy" (Paramount); Norman Taurog. Best Produced Picture: "Cimarron" (RKO); "East Lynne" (Fox); "The Front Page" (Caddo-United Artists); "Skippy" (Paramount); "Trader Horn" (M-G-M). Best Original Motion Picture Story: "Doorway to Hell" (WarnerFirst National), Rowland Brown; "The Dawn Patrol" (Warner-First National), John Monk Saunders; "Laughter" (Paramount), Douglas Doty, Harry d'Abbadie d'Arrast and Donald Ogden Stewart; "The Public Enemy" (Warner-First National), Kubec Glasmon and John Bright; "Smart Money" (Warner-First National), Lucien Hubbard and Joseph Jackson. Best Adaptation: "Cimarron" (RKO), Howard Estabrook; "The Criminal Code" (Columbia), Seton Miller and Fred Niblo, Jr.; "Little Caesar" (Warner-First National), Robert N. Lee and Francis Faragoh; "Holiday" (RKO Pathe), Horace Jackson; "Skippy" (Paramount), Sam Mintz and Joseph Mankiewicz. Best Photography: "Cimarron" (RKO), Edward Cronjager; "The Right to Love" (Paramount), Charles Lang; "Morocco" (Paramount), Lee Games; "Svengali" (Warner-First National), Barney "Chick" McGill; "Tabu" (Paramount), Floyd Crosby. Best Art Direction: "Cimarron" (RKO), Max Ree; "Just Imagine" (Fox), Ralph Hammeres and Stephen Gooson; "Morocco" (Paramount), Hans Dreier; "Svengali" (Warner-First National), Anton Grot; "Whoopee" (Sam GoldwynUnited Artists), Richard Day. Best Work in Sound Reproduction: M-G-M, Paramount, RKO, Sam Goldwyn-United Artists. Best Scientific Achievement: Reflex Types of Microphone Concentrators, Electrolytic Recovery of Silver, Silent Recording, Super-speed Film, Synchro-projection Photography, The Ribbon Microphone, The Dynamic Microphone. Awards Made by Academy In Three Previous Years Awards made by the Academy of M. P. Arts and Sciences in the three previous years of this annual event are as follows: 1928 Performance, Actress: Janet Gavnor for "Seventh Heaven," "Street AnRel," "Sunrise." Performance, Actor: Erail Jannings for "Way of AU Flesh," "The Last Command." Direction : Frank Borzage for "Seventh Heaven"; (Comedy) Lewis Milestone for "Two Arabian Knights." Outstanding Picture: Pararaount's "Wings." Artistic Quality of Picture. Fox's "Sunrise." Original Story: Ben Hecht, "Underworld." Adaptation: Benjamin Clazer. "Seventh Heaven." Cinematography : Charles Rosher and Karl Struss, "Sunrise," Art Direction: William Cameron Menzies, "The Tempest" and "The Dove." Title Writing: Joe W. Farnham, "Telling the World" and "Fair Co-Ed." Engineering: Roy J. Pomeroy. "Wings." Special Awards — 1928 Warner Brothers for producing "The Jazz Singer," marking an epoch in motion picture history ; Charles Chaplin for his versatility and genius in writing, acting, directing and producing "The Circus." 1929 Performance, Actress: Mary Pickford. "Coquette." Performance, Actor: Warner Baxter. "In Old Arizona." Direction : Frank L'oyd. "Weary River." "The Divine Lady." "The Drag." Outstanding Production: M-G-M. "The Broadway Melody." Writer: Hans Kraly, "The Patriot." Cinematographer : Clyde DeVinna, "White Shadows in the South Seas." Art Director: Cedric Gibbons. "The Bridge of San Luis Rey." 1930 Performance, Actress : Norma Shearer. "The Divorcee." Performance, Actor: George Arliss. "Disraeli." Directing: Lewis Milestone, "All Quiet on the Western Front." Outstanrline Production: "All Quiet on the Western Front." Original Story: Frances Marion, "The Big House." Sound Rec-irding: M-G-M. Douelas Shearer, chief engineer, "The Big House." Cinematography : Joseph T. Rucker and Willarri Vander Veer, "With Byrd at the South Pole." Art Direction: Herman Rosse, "The King of Jazz." ACADEMY OFFICERS 193r-32 President M. C. Levee Vice President Conrad Nsgel Secretary Fred Niblo Treasurer Frank Lloyd Executive Vice-Pres Clinton Wunder Executive Secretary Lester Cowen Actor-Producer Relations William Conklin Past Presidents Douglas Fairbanks 1927-1929 William C. de Mille 1929-1931 Directors. 1931-1932 lean Hersholt Irving Thalberg Lawrence Grant Ipseph lohnson ... , Karl Struss Conrad Nagel Nugent H. Slaughter Donald Crisp Max Ree Frank Lloyd Waldemar Young Frank Capra Al Cohn M. C. Levee Benjamin Clazer