Did They Get it Right? – Best Picture – Oscars 1950

Here are the five nominees: (Winner in Bold)

All About Eve

Born Yesterday

Father of the Bride

King Solomon’s Mines

Sunset Boulevard

Biggest Snub:

The Magnificent Yankee

My Overall Thoughts:

Three of the five nominees are amazing films and any of them could have won, but the fact that the message of All About Eve can easily touch the hearts of all voting Academy members helped them make the decision to go with a film about Hollywood “insiders”.

My Rankings:

Movies

• 5. – King Solomon’s Mines – In a precursor for the future Indiana Jones series, Granger does a fine job as an explorer/adventurer. The story is quite tame for today’s standards, but must have really surprised them all back then.
• 4. – Father of the Bride – Seems to lack enough bits of humor to make it more appealing. The premise and acting is very good. Surprised that this movie was one of the 5 Best Picture Nominees that year. Feels slightly dated solely because so much has changed in 60+ years.
• 3. – Born Yesterday – What a wonderful premise that works so well here.  Crawford, Holden and Holliday are all superb here and it’s so much fun watching them interact.  The script and dialogue are quite engaging and the lines are so witty that it pays to pay close attention or you may miss some great ones.  Holliday deservingly took home an Oscar for her performance here as a seemingly ignorant woman who transforms herself into something completely different.
• 2. – Sunset Boulevard – Such a cleverly written film that keeps us hooked from beginning to end. Holden and Swanson are both superb here and we are constantly surprised by everything they say and do. Love the way that this film deals with how members of Hollywood perceive their contemporaries depending on whether they are on the way up or down. Yet it also shows us how those people perceive themselves in a different position than they might really be. The plot moves along at a great pace and gives us so much to mull over as things move along. Still seems to (sadly) ring true even after 67 years.
• 1. – All About Eve – Excellently written by Mankiewicz!  The actors all are superb and it’s a thrill watching them deliver his lines.  Says so much about the movie industry and fame.

Do I agree with the Oscar winner? – Most Definitely! AAE is an amazing look at the rise and fall of actors that still rings so true 67 years on.

Let me know what you think about these films and my rankings!