A Look Back at the Very First Academy Awards: A Different Era of Hollywood Glitz
The glitz, the glamour, the nail-biting anticipation – the lead-up to the Academy Awards today is a whirlwind of studio campaigns, intense punditry, and actors gracing “For Your Consideration” events. It’s a far cry from the inaugural ceremony in 1929, a much more relaxed affair held a full three months after the winners had already been announced.
Academy President Douglas Fairbanks presided over the May 16, 1929, event, where golden statuettes, conceived a year prior by MGM’s art director Cedric Gibbons, were presented. These accolades recognised the best films of 1927 and 1928 across 12 competitive categories, alongside two special awards.
As we approach the latest Academy Awards ceremony, it’s fascinating to delve into the history of that very first event.
Where Was the Inaugural Ceremony Held?
The first Academy Awards ceremony took place in the Blossom Room of Los Angeles’ Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. It was less of a grand spectacle and more of an intimate dinner party, with 270 attendees and guest tickets costing $5 – a princely sum when a movie ticket was just a quarter. Uniquely, this was the only Oscar ceremony not to be broadcast in any form. The following year, however, its popularity led to a local radio station broadcasting the second Academy Awards live for an hour on April 3, 1930.
The Big Winner: “Wings” Takes Flight
The coveted “Outstanding Picture” award, later to be known as Best Picture, was bestowed upon “Wings.” This powerful drama, starring Charles “Buddy” Rogers and Richard Arlen as World War I fighter pilots, with Clara Bow as their shared love interest, also scooped the award for Best Engineering Effects. Remarkably, “Wings” remains the only silent film to have ever claimed the top honour.
Another significant film of the era, F.W. Murnau’s “Sunrise,” a chilling tale of a farmer persuaded by a city woman to murder his wife, tied for the most Oscars with three wins. These included Best Unique and Artistic Picture, an award category that was discontinued after just one year as the Academy streamlined its awards to seven categories.
For film buffs keen to revisit these early cinematic achievements, both “Wings” and “Sunrise” are currently available to stream on Tubi.
The First Acting Laureates: A Body of Work Recognised
In the early days of the Oscars, actors could be recognised for their performances in a single film, multiple projects, or even their entire body of work.
Best Actress: Janet Gaynor secured the Best Actress award for her compelling performances in “Sunrise,” “7th Heaven,” and “Street Angel.” Her connection to the Academy Awards continued, as she was nominated in the same category again in 1938 for the original “A Star Is Born.”
Best Actor: The Best Actor award went to Swiss-German actor Emil Jannings. His accolades were for his roles in “The Last Command” and “The Way of All Flesh.” Jannings would later star alongside Marlene Dietrich in the 1930 film “The Blue Angel.” However, his Hollywood career ended after World War II due to his involvement with Nazi propaganda films.
Other Notable Wins and Special Honours
The first Academy Awards also saw recognition for directing and groundbreaking technological advancements.
Best Directing: Two Best Directing Oscars were awarded in 1929. Lewis Milestone was honoured for the comedy picture “Two Arabian Nights,” while Frank Borzage received his trophy for “7th Heaven.”
Honorary Oscars: Two highly influential films of the period received special, honorary Oscars. Charlie Chaplin was initially slated for nominations in multiple competitive categories for his film “The Circus,” including Best Actor, Director, Writing, and Outstanding Picture. However, the Academy’s Board of Judges unanimously decided to remove him from the competitive races. Instead, he was presented with a unique award for his “versatility and genius in writing, acting, directing and producing.” A letter from the Academy dated February 19, 1929, stated, “The collective accomplishments thus displayed place you in a class by yourself.” When presenter William C. de Mille accepted the award on Chaplin’s behalf three months later, he explained that Chaplin had “cold feet” and had skipped the ceremony, but had “wired his high appreciation for the honour.”
The other special award was presented to Warner Bros. for their production of “The Jazz Singer” (1927), a film widely regarded as the very first “talkie,” marking a significant shift in filmmaking technology.
