And the winners were . . . the first Oscar ceremony in 1929

Read Time:1 Minute, 49 Second

Tomorrow the 83rd Academy Awards take place in Los Angeles and is Hollywood’s biggest night, it is the hottest ticket in town. The show will be watched in 200 countries by hundreds of millions of movie fans. Unlike the very first ceremony.

The 1st Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 1927 and 1928 and took place on May 16, 1929, at a private dinner held at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, in Los Angeles, California. AMPAS president Douglas Fairbanks hosted the show. Tickets cost five dollars, 270 people attended to the event and the ceremony lasted fifteen minutes. Awards were created by Louis B. Mayer, founder of Louis B. Mayer Pictures Corporation (at present merged into Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer). It is the only ceremony not to be broadcast either on radio or television.

During the ceremony the AMPAS presented Academy Awards in twelve categories. Winners were announced three months before the live event. Some nominations were announced without reference to a specific film, such as for Ralph Hammeras and Nugent Slaughter, who received nominations in the now defunct category of Engineering Effects.

Outstanding Picture, Production – Wings

Unique and Artistic Production – Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans

Best Director, Comedy Picture – Two Arabian Knights – Lewis Milestone

Best Director, Dramatic Picture – Seventh Heaven – Frank Borzage

Best Actor in a Leading Role – Emil Jannings – The Last Command and The Way of All Flesh

Best Actress in a Leading Role – Janet Gaynor – Seventh Heaven, Street Angel and Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans

Best Writing, Original Story – Underworld – Ben Hecht

Best Writing, Adapted Story – Seventh Heaven – Benjamin Glazer

Best Cinematography – Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans – Charles Rosher and Karl Struss

Best Art Direction – The Dove and Tempest – William Cameron Menzies

Best Engineering Effects – Wings – Roy Pomeroy

Best Writing, Title Writing – (No specific film) – Joseph Farnham

Honorary Award – Charlie Chaplin – “For versatility and genius in acting, writing, directing and producing The Circus”

Honorary Award – Warner Brothers Production – “For producing The Jazz Singer, the pioneer outstanding talking picture, which has revolutionized the industry”.