14th Academy Awards

Award ceremony for films of 1941

← 13th
Academy Awards
15th →

The 14th Academy Awards honored film achievements in 1941 and were held at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, California. The ceremony was briefly cancelled due to the Pearl Harbor attack on December 7, 1941.^[1]

The ceremony is now considered notable as the year in which Citizen Kane failed to win Best Picture, losing to John Ford's How Green Was My Valley. Later regarded as the greatest film ever made, Citizen Kane was nominated for nine awards but won only one, for Best Original Screenplay.

John Ford won his third Best Director award for How Green Was My Valley, becoming the second to do so (after Frank Capra), and the first to win the award in consecutive years (following The Grapes of Wrath in 1940).

Much public attention was focused on the Best Actress race between sibling rivals Joan Fontaine, for Alfred Hitchcock’s Suspicion, and Olivia de Havilland, for Hold Back the Dawn. Fontaine won, becoming the only acting winner from a film directed by Hitchcock.

The Little Foxes set a record by receiving nine nominations without winning a single Oscar; this mark was matched by Peyton Place in 1957, and exceeded by The Turning Point and The Color Purple, both of which received 11 nominations without a win.

Winners and nominees

Darryl F. Zanuck; Best Picture winner

John Ford; Best Director winner

Gary Cooper; Best Actor winner

Joan Fontaine; Best Actress winner

Donald Crisp; Best Supporting Actor winner

Mary Astor; Best Supporting Actress winner

Herman J. Mankiewicz; Best Original Screenplay co-winner

Orson Welles; Best Original Screenplay co-winner

Bernard Herrmann; Best Original Score winner

Jerome Kern; Best Original Song co-winner

Oscar Hammerstein II; Best Original Song co-winner

Cedric Gibbons; Best Art Direction, Color co-winner

Ernest Palmer; Best Cinematography, Color co-winner

Leopold Stokowski; Honorary Academy Award recipient

Walt Disney; Honorary Academy Award and Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award recipient

Awards

Nominations were announced on February 6, 1942. Winners are listed first, highlighted in boldface, and marked with a dagger symbol (‡).^[2]

Outstanding Motion Picture How Green Was My Valley – Darryl F. Zanuck for 20th Century Fox‡ Blossoms in the Dust – Irving Asher for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Citizen Kane – Orson Welles for RKO Radio Here Comes Mr. Jordan – Everett Riskin for Columbia Hold Back the Dawn – Arthur Hornblow Jr. for Paramount The Little Foxes – Samuel Goldwyn for RKO Radio The Maltese Falcon – Hal B. Wallis for Warner Bros. One Foot in Heaven – Hal B. Wallis for Warner Bros. Sergeant York – Hal B. Wallis and Jesse L. Lasky for Warner Bros. Suspicion – Alfred Hitchcock for RKO Radio	Best Director John Ford – How Green Was My Valley‡ Orson Welles – Citizen Kane Alexander Hall – Here Comes Mr. Jordan William Wyler – The Little Foxes Howard Hawks – Sergeant York
Best Actor *Gary Cooper – Sergeant York* as Alvin C. York*‡ Cary Grant – Penny Serenade* as Roger Adams Walter Huston – All That Money Can Buy as Mr Scratch Robert Montgomery – Here Comes Mr. Jordan as Joe Pendleton Orson Welles – Citizen Kane as Charles Foster Kane	Best Actress *Joan Fontaine – Suspicion* as Lina McLaidlaw Aysgarth*‡ Bette Davis – The Little Foxes* as Regina Hubbard Giddens Olivia de Havilland – Hold Back the Dawn as Emmy Brown Greer Garson – Blossoms in the Dust as Edna Kahly Gladney Barbara Stanwyck – Ball of Fire as Katherine "Sugarpuss" O'Shea
Best Supporting Actor *Donald Crisp – How Green Was My Valley* as Gwilym Morgan*‡ Walter Brennan – Sergeant York* as Pastor Rosier Pile Charles Coburn – The Devil and Miss Jones as John P. Merrick James Gleason – Here Comes Mr. Jordan as Max "Pop" Corkle Sydney Greenstreet – The Maltese Falcon as Kasper Gutman	Best Supporting Actress *Mary Astor – The Great Lie* as Sandra Kovak*‡ Sara Allgood – How Green Was My Valley* as Mrs Beth Morgan Patricia Collinge – The Little Foxes as Birdie Hubbard Teresa Wright – The Little Foxes as Alexandra Giddens Margaret Wycherly – Sergeant York as Mary Brooks York
Best Original Screenplay Citizen Kane – Herman J. Mankiewicz and Orson Welles‡ The Devil and Miss Jones – Norman Krasna Sergeant York – John Huston, Howard Koch, Abem Finkel, and Harry Chandlee Tall, Dark and Handsome – Karl Tunberg and Darrell Ware Tom, Dick and Harry – Paul Jarrico	Best Screenplay Here Comes Mr. Jordan – Sidney Buchman and Seton I. Miller, based on the play Heaven Can Wait by Harry Segall‡ Hold Back the Dawn – Charles Brackett and Billy Wilder, based on "Memo to a Movie Producer" by Ketti Frings How Green Was My Valley – Philip Dunne, based on the novel by Richard Llewellyn The Little Foxes – Lillian Hellman, based on the play by Lillian Hellman The Maltese Falcon – John Huston, based on the novel by Dashiell Hammett
Best Original Story Here Comes Mr. Jordan – Harry Segall‡ Ball of Fire – Billy Wilder and Thomas Monroe The Lady Eve – Monckton Hoffe Meet John Doe – Richard Connell and Robert Presnell Sr. Night Train to Munich – Gordon Wellesley	Best Documentary Short Subject Churchill's Island – National Film Board of Canada and United Artists‡ Adventure in the Bronx – Film Associates Bomber: A Defense Report on Film – U.S. Office for Emergency Management Film Unit and Motion Picture Committee Cooperating for National Defense Christmas Under Fire – British Ministry of Information and Warner Bros. A Letter from Home – British Ministry of Information and United Artists Life of a Thoroughbred – Truman Talley and 20th Century Fox Norway in Revolt – The March of Time and RKO Radio A Place to Live – Philadelphia Housing Authority and Philadelphia Housing Association Russian Soil – Amkino Soldiers of the Sky – Truman Talley and 20th Century Fox War Clouds in the Pacific – National Film Board of Canada and MGM
Best Live Action Short Subject, One-Reel Of Pups and Puzzles – MGM‡ Army Champions – Pete Smith and MGM Beauty and the Beach – Paramount Down on the Farm – Paramount Forty Boys and a Song – Warner Bros. Kings of the Turf – Warner Bros. Sagebrush and Silver – 20th Century Fox	Best Live Action Short Subject, Two-Reel Main Street on the March! – Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer‡ Alive in the Deep – Woodard Productions, Inc. Forbidden Passage – Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer The Gay Parisian – Warner Bros. The Tanks Are Coming – U.S. Army and Warner Bros.
Best Short Subjects – Cartoons Lend a Paw – Walt Disney Productions and RKO Radio‡ Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B – Walter Lantz Productions and Universal Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt – Leon Schlesinger and Warner Bros. How War Came – Columbia The Night Before Christmas – MGM Rhapsody in Rivets – Leon Schlesinger and Warner Bros. Rhythm in the Ranks – George Pal Productions and Paramount The Rookie Bear – MGM Superman – Fleischer Studios and Paramount Truant Officer Donald – Walt Disney Productions and RKO Radio	Best Scoring of a Dramatic Picture All That Money Can Buy – Bernard Herrmann‡ Back Street – Frank Skinner Ball of Fire – Alfred Newman Cheers for Miss Bishop – Edward Ward Citizen Kane – Bernard Herrmann Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde – Franz Waxman Hold Back the Dawn – Victor Young How Green Was My Valley – Alfred Newman King of the Zombies – Edward J. Kay Ladies in Retirement – Morris Stoloff and Ernst Toch The Little Foxes – Meredith Willson Lydia – Miklós Rózsa Mercy Island – Cy Feuer and Walter Scharf Sergeant York – Max Steiner So Ends Our Night – Louis Gruenberg Sundown – Miklós Rózsa Suspicion – Franz Waxman Tanks a Million – Edward Ward That Uncertain Feeling – Werner R. Heymann This Woman is Mine – Richard Hageman
Best Scoring of a Musical Picture Dumbo – Frank Churchill and Oliver Wallace‡ All-American Co-Ed – Edward Ward Birth of the Blues – Robert Emmett Dolan Buck Privates – Charles Previn The Chocolate Soldier – Herbert Stothart and Bronisław Kaper Ice-Capades – Cy Feuer The Strawberry Blonde – Heinz Roemheld Sun Valley Serenade – Emil Newman Sunny – Anthony Collins You'll Never Get Rich – Morris Stoloff	Best Original Song *"The Last Time I Saw Paris" from Lady Be Good* – Music by Jerome Kern; Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II*‡ "Baby Mine" from Dumbo* – Music by Frank Churchill; Lyrics by Ned Washington "Be Honest With Me" from Ridin' on a Rainbow – Music and Lyrics by Gene Autry and Fred Rose "Blues in the Night" from Blues in the Night – Music by Harold Arlen; Lyrics by Johnny Mercer "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B" from Buck Privates – Music by Hugh Prince; Lyrics by Don Raye "Chattanooga Choo Choo" from Sun Valley Serenade – Music by Harry Warren; Lyrics by Mack Gordon "Dolores" from Las Vegas Nights – Music by Louis Alter; Lyrics by Frank Loesser "Out of the Silence" from All-American Co-ed – Music and Lyrics by Lloyd B. Norlin "Since I Kissed My Baby Goodbye" from You'll Never Get Rich – Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter
Best Sound Recording That Hamilton Woman – Jack Whitney‡ Appointment for Love – Bernard B. Brown Ball of Fire – Thomas T. Moulton The Chocolate Soldier – Douglas Shearer Citizen Kane – John O. Aalberg The Devil Pays Off – Charles L. Lootens How Green Was My Valley – E. H. Hansen The Men in Her Life – John P. Livadary Sergeant York – Nathan Levinson Skylark – Loren L. Ryder Topper Returns – Elmer Raguse	Best Art Direction – Interior Decoration, Black-and-White How Green Was My Valley – Art Direction: Richard Day and Nathan H. Juran; Interior Decoration: Thomas Little‡ Citizen Kane – Art Direction: Perry Ferguson and Van Nest Polglase; Interior Decoration: Al Fields and Darrell Silvera The Flame of New Orleans – Art Direction: Martin Obzina and Jack Otterson; Interior Decoration: Russell A. Gausman Hold Back the Dawn – Art Direction: Hans Dreier and Robert Usher; Interior Decoration: Samuel M. Comer Ladies in Retirement – Art Direction: Lionel Banks; Interior Decoration: George Montgomery The Little Foxes – Art Direction: Stephen Goosson; Interior Decoration: Howard Bristol Sergeant York – Art Direction: John Hughes; Interior Decoration: Fred M. MacLean The Son of Monte Cristo – Art Direction: John DuCasse Schulze; Interior Decoration: Edward G. Boyle Sundown – Art Direction: Alexander Golitzen; Interior Decoration: Richard Irvine That Hamilton Woman – Art Direction: Vincent Korda; Interior Decoration: Julia Heron When Ladies Meet – Art Direction: Cedric Gibbons and Randall Duell; Interior Decoration: Edwin B. Willis ~~Sis Hopkins~~ – N/A (Nomination withdrawn)
Best Art Direction – Interior Decoration, Color Blossoms in the Dust – Art Direction: Cedric Gibbons and Urie McCleary; Interior Decoration: Edwin B. Willis‡ Blood and Sand – Art Direction: Richard Day and Joseph C. Wright; Interior Decoration: Thomas Little Louisiana Purchase – Art Direction: Raoul Pene Du Bois; Interior Decoration: Stephen Seymour	Best Cinematography, Black-and-White How Green Was My Valley – Arthur Miller‡ The Chocolate Soldier – Karl Freund Citizen Kane – Gregg Toland Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde – Joseph Ruttenberg Here Comes Mr. Jordan – Joseph Walker Hold Back the Dawn – Leo Tover Sergeant York – Sol Polito Sun Valley Serenade – Edward Cronjager Sundown – Charles Lang That Hamilton Woman – Rudolph Maté
Best Cinematography, Color Blood and Sand – Ernest Palmer and Ray Rennahan‡ Aloma of the South Seas – Wilfred M. Cline, Karl Struss, and William Snyder Billy the Kid – William V. Skall and Leonard Smith Blossoms in the Dust – Karl Freund and W. Howard Greene Dive Bomber – Bert Glennon Louisiana Purchase – Harry Hallenberger and Ray Rennahan	Best Film Editing Sergeant York – William Holmes‡ Citizen Kane – Robert Wise Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde – Harold F. Kress How Green Was My Valley – James B. Clark The Little Foxes – Daniel Mandell
Best Special Effects I Wanted Wings – Photographic Effects Farciot Edouart and Gordon Jennings; Sound Effects: Louis Mesenkop‡ Aloma of the South Seas – Photographic Effects: Farciot Edouart and Gordon Jennings; Sound Effects: Louis Mesenkop Flight Command – Photographic Effects: A. Arnold Gillespie; Sound Effects: Douglas Shearer The Invisible Woman – Photographic Effects: John P. Fulton; Sound Effects: John D. Hall The Sea Wolf – Photographic Effects: Byron Haskin; Sound Effects: Nathan Levinson That Hamilton Woman – Photographic Effects: Lawrence W. Butler; Sound Effects: William H. Wilmarth Topper Returns – Photographic Effects: Roy Seawright; Sound Effects: Elmer Raguse A Yank in the R.A.F. – Photographic Effects: Fred Sersen; Sound Effects: Edmund H. Hansen Dive Bomber – Photographic Effects: Byron Haskin; Sound Effects: Nathan Levinson (disqualified)

Academy Honorary Award

Rey Scott for Kukan
The British Ministry of Information for Target for Tonight
Leopold Stokowski for Fantasia
Walt Disney, William Garity, John N. A. Hawkins, and the RCA Manufacturing Company for Fantasia

Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award

Walt Disney

Multiple nominations and awards

Films with multiple nominations
Nominations	Film
11	Sergeant York
10	How Green Was My Valley
9	Citizen Kane
9	The Little Foxes
7	Here Comes Mr. Jordan
6	Hold Back the Dawn
4	Ball of Fire
	Blossoms in the Dust
	That Hamilton Woman
3	The Chocolate Soldier
	Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
	The Maltese Falcon
	Sun Valley Serenade
	Sundown
	Suspicion
2	All-American Co-Ed
	All That Money Can Buy
	Aloma of the South Seas
	Blood and Sand
	Buck Privates
	The Devil and Miss Jones
	Dumbo
	Ladies in Retirement
	Louisiana Purchase
	Topper Returns
	You'll Never Get Rich

Films with multiple awards
Awards	Film
5	How Green Was My Valley
2	Here Comes Mr. Jordan
Sergeant York
Fantasia

Ceremony information

This year marked the debut of the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

Bette Davis had sought to open the ceremony to the public for the benefit of the American Red Cross, but was turned down and she ended up resigning from her post as President of AMPAS over this.^[1]

A portion of the ceremony was broadcast by CBS Radio.^[3]

References

^ ^a ^b Wallechinsky, David; Wallace, Irving (1975). The People's Almanac. Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc. p. 835. ISBN 0-385-04060-1.
^ "The 14th Academy Awards (1942) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Archived from the original on July 6, 2011. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
^ Dunning, John (1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio (Revised ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. pp. 4–5. ISBN 978-0-19-507678-3. Retrieved September 10, 2019.

Academy Awards

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS)

Awards of Merit

Proposed awards	Popular Film

Special awards

Governors Awards	Academy Honorary Award Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award Special Achievement Academy Award
Academy Scientific and Technical Awards	Academy Award of Merit (non-competitive) Scientific and Engineering Award Technical Achievement Award John A. Bonner Medal of Commendation Gordon E. Sawyer Award
Student Awards	Student Academy Award