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Sidney Skolsky, Citizen News, Hollywood, Cal., March 1, 1941.

Sidney Skolsky

(...) Photo, Box Office Digest, Hollywood, Nov. 9, 1946

„You can‘t double-feature compromise with courage“

Editorial content. „Sidney Skolsky

      The Week in Review

      Event of the Week: The Academy Dinner. On the marquee

of the Biltmore Hotel, where the event took place, there was

a large neon Oscar. This was the first outward sign that this year‘s

affair was going to be different from the previous ones.

Then President Roosevelt spoke over the radio to the gathering,

and after President Roosevelt finished his speech, the

newsreels took pictures of the crowd listening to the President

and applauding various statements. . . . Walter Wanger,

president of the Academy, started the actual proceedings. Wanger

was not as nervous as he was last year, doing the same

task, . . .“ (...)

      „Wanger introduced Lieut.-Col. Darryl Zanuck, who distributed

the technical awards. (...( This Academy dinner was showing

the military trend of the times. Next, Wanger introduced Private

Bob Hope. Hope‘s opening remark was, ,Isn‘t this some

party? I‘m telling you this is some party. Who‘s Rex St. Cyr?‘

Hope then went on to say that all the big studios had

tables at this affair. Metro had a table. Paramount had a table.

Warner had a table. Monogram had a stool.

      . . . . . .

      HOPE was getting howls, and he kept going. He said that

every columnist had tried to learn the winners before

hand, but without success. In fact, when the last envelope

was sealed, Price-Waterhouse had to open it again

to let Sidney Skolsky out. . . .“  (...) 

      FRANK CAPRA presented the Oscar for the best direction

of the year, and placed himself in an embarrassing

position. There were five contestants: John Ford, Sam Wood,

William Wyler, George Cukor, and Alfred Hitchcock.

They were all present with the exception of John Ford. Capra

had them come up on the platform, so the audience

could see them, while he slowly opened the envelope and read

the name of the winner. The winner was the little man

who wasn‘t there, John Ford for The Grapes of Wrath. Capra

and his crew certainly looked like five directors in search

of a director.“ (...)

      „Walter Wanger closed the party with another trend of the

times remark. Wanger said that the motion picture industry

and the Government must work together and that we have learned

,you can‘t double-feature compromise with courage.‘“

      The Great Dictator: Four nominations. No award. 

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