[sabotai]

1928 in Review

The sound era is just about dead. We'll keep seeing silent movies pop up due to some's refusal to embrace sound (like Charlie Chaplin). Studios also were reluctant to put their top stars out there as they saw stars drop off like flies when the public rejected them in sound form.

I cut 1928 a bit short. I cut out Laugh, Clown, Laugh and The Crowd. Those I can find on YouTube, but not DVD. I tried to watch them, but sitting in a computer chair watching a movie is not a fun way to spend 2 hours. The problem of having some of the best movies from a year not being on DVD will soon be over though.

A Look At The Oscars

For the first few years of the Oscars, they award movies that were released from August of one year to the end of July of the next, so these lists will include movies from 2 years for a bit.

The 1929 Awards were for movies released from 1 August 1927 to 1 August 1928.

Best Picture, Production
Winner: Wings (My Rating: 8)
Nominee: 7th Heaven (Not Rated)
Nominee: The Racket (Not Rated)

Best Picture, Unique and Artistic Production
Winner: Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (My Rating: 8)
Nominee: Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness (My Rating: 5)
Nominee: The Crowd (Not Rated)

Best Actor in a Leading Role
Winner: Emil Jennings for The Last Command and The Way Of The Flesh (Not Rated)
Nominee: Richard Barthelmess for The Noose (Not Rated)
Nominee: Richard Barthelmess for The Patent Leather Kid (Not Rated)

Best Actress in a Leading Role
Winner: Janet Gaynor for 7th heaven (NR), Street Angel (6), and Sunrise (8)
Nominee: Louise Dresser for A Ship Comes In (NR)
Nominee: Gloria Swanson for Sadie Thompson (NR)

Best Director, Comedy Picture
Winner: Lewis Milestone for Two Arabian Nights (NR)
Nominee: Ted Wilde for Speedy (9)

Best Director, Dramatic Picture
Winner: Frank Borzage for 7th Heaven (NR)
Nominee: Herbert Brenon for Sorrell and Son (NR)
Nominee: King Vidor for The Crowd (NR)

Best Writing, Original Story
Winner: Ben Hecht for Underworld (NR)
Nominee: Lajos Biró for The Last Command (NR)

Best Writing, Adaptation
Winner: Benjamin Glazer for 7th Heaven (NR)
Nominee: Anthony Caldeway for Glorious Betsy (NR)
Nominee: Alfred A Cohn for The Jazz Singer (7)

Best Cinematography
Winner: Charles Rosher and Karl Strauss for Sunrise (8)
Nominee: George Barnes for Sadie Thompson (NR), The Devil Dancer (NR) and The Magic Flame (NR)

Best Art Direction
Winner: William Cameron Menzies for The Tempest (4) and The Dove (NR)
Nominee: Harry Oliver for 7th Heaven (NR)
Nominee: Richard Gliese for Sunrise (8)

Best Effects, Engineering Effects
Winner: Roy Pomeroy for Wings (8)
Nominee: Ralph Hammeras for The Private Life of Helen of Troy (NR)
Nominee: Nugent Slaughter for The Jazz Singer (7)

Honorary Awards
Charlie Chaplin - The Circus (7)
- For versatility and genius in acting, writing, directing and producing The Circus.
The Jazz Singer (7)
- For producing The Jazz Singer, the pioneer outstanding talking picture, which has revolutionized the industry.