Films Not Nominated as Best Picture
American Film Institute Lists Movies That Were not Oscar Nominees
Jul 25, 2008
The 2007 AFI's 100 top movies has nearly two dozen great films that were not nominated for best picture by the Academy Awards. Here are a few of these.
Here are eight comedy, musical and western films that are more honored today than when they were first released.
Comedy Films Not Nominated for Best Picture
The late 1930s saw the creation of what became to be known as “screwball comedies.” Although they often did well at the box office, many were not recognized by the Academy.
- Bringing Up Baby (1938). Receiving a grand total of zero nominations, this film is recognized today as one of the best in its genre. Starring Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn in her only screwball role, it is the story of a madcap heiress who, along with her pet leopard (Baby) make a mess of a staid zoologist’s life. Ranked #88 overall by the AFI.
- Sullivan’s Travels (1941). Starring Joel McCrea and Veronica Lake, this movie also received no nominations. A combination of slapstick and drama, it is a satire of Hollywood society and filmmaking. It was among the first of director Preston Sturges’s decade-long string of successful comedies. Ranked #61 by the AFI.
- Duck Soup (1933, ranked #60) and A Night at the Opera (1935, #85). The Academy Awards never appreciated the Marx Brothers and their comedy anarchy. Of the dozen movies that the trio appeared in together, only one received any sort of Oscar nomination and that was for dance direction! Duck Soup, a flop when first released, is a brilliant satire on war and Night at the Opera is sheer insanity.
Musical Films Not Nominated for Best Picture
- Singin’ in the Rain (1952). Rated #5 overall by the AFI, it is considered by critic Leonard Maltin as perhaps the best musical films of all time. It is filled with memorable songs and fine dancing by Gene Kelly and Donald O’Connor as well as being a spoof on Hollywood’s transition from the silent era to the talkies. It did receive one nomination for music and for best supporting actress (won by Jean Hagen).
- Swing Time (1936). Considered to be one of the greatest of the Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers movies, it failed to be an Oscar nominee for best picture in a year (1937) when there were ten nominees. It did earn a nomination for best dance direction and “The Way You Look Tonight” won best song. The winner that year was another musical, The Great Ziegfeld. Swing Time is rated #90.
Western Films Not Nominated for Best Picture
Overall, western films have not done well in Oscar history. Only nine have been nominated for best picture, with three winning. Among those not nominated are these.
- The Searchers (1956). This movie is ranked by the AFI as #12 overall and first in the western genre. A story of a years long search by a man (John Wayne) for his niece who was captured by Indians, it is more than a western. It is also a condemnation of racial bigotry and hatred. Wayne considered it his favorite movie and his favorite role. It received no Oscar nominations.
- The Wild Bunch (1969). Director Sam Peckinpah’s tale of the dying days of the Old West and a group of outlaws trying to make one last score has a strong cast led by William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, and Robert Ryan. The film is ultra-violent and not to everyone’s taste. The AFI ranks it #79 overall and #6 in top westerns. It received nominations in music and writing categories.
Related articles: Hitchcock & Chaplin Overlooked by Oscars, Films That Were Not Oscar Nominated.
The copyright of the article Films Not Nominated as Best Picture in Classic Films is owned by John K. Davis. Permission to republish Films Not Nominated as Best Picture in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
