Film Data For 1954

The Film Daily's Ten Best Pictures of 1954 (Selected by the critics of America in a poll conducted by the Film Daily)

1) The Caine Mutiny- 293 votes
2) On the Waterfront- 273
3) Rear Window- 259
4) The Country Girl- 206
5) The High and the Mighty- 191
6) Seven Brides for Seven Brothers- 190
7) Sabrina- 189
8) Executive Suite- 183
9) The Glenn Miller Story- 150
10) Three Coins in the Fountain- 149
                                               

The Honor Role

11) Magnificent Obsession- 132
12) A Star is Born- 113
13) Carmen Jones- 106
14) The Barefoot Contessa- 94
15) Dial M for Murder- 93
16) White Christmas- 89
17) There’s No Business Like Show Business- 66
18) Genevieve - 60
19) Desiree- 59
      Romeo and Juliet-59
21) The Last Time I Saw Paris- 56
22) Knock on Wood- 45
23) Deep in My Heart- 43

24) The Egyptian- 34
25) Vera Cruz- 33
26) Susan Slept Here- 31
27) Suddenly- 28
28) Hondo (1953)- 26
29) Dragnet- 25
30) Carnival Story- 21
31) Knights of the Round Table (1953)- 20
32) Apache- 17
33) Miss Sadie Thompson- 14
34) Johnny Guitar- 12
      Rob Roy- 12
      It Should Happen to You- 12
37) 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea- 11
                                         

Filmdom’s Famous Fives of 1954 (I couldn’t find total votes, but I believe Film Daily listed them in order of preference)

Best Performances by Male Stars
1) Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront
2) Humphrey Bogart in The Caine Mutiny
3) James Mason in A Star is Born
4) James Stewart in Rear Window
5) William Holden in The Country Girl

Best Performances by Female Stars
1) Judy Garland in A Star is Born
2) Jane Wyman in Magnificent Obsession
3) Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina
4) Grace Kelly in Rear Window
5) Eva Marie Saint in On the Waterfront

Best Performances by Supporting Actors
1) Edmond O’Brien in The Barefoot Contessa
2) Karl Malden in On the Waterfront
3) Jose Ferrer in The Caine Mutiny
4) Lee J. Cobb in On the Waterfront
5) Jack Carson in A Star is Born

Best Performances by Supporting Actresses
1) Thelma Ritter in Rear Window
2) Jan Sterling in The High and the Mighty
3) Nina Foch in Executive Suite
4) Agnes Moorehead in Magnificent Obsession
5) Claire Trevor in The High and the Mighty
                                        

Best Performances by Juvenile Actors

1) Kim Charney in Suddenly
2) Lee Aaker in Hondo
3) Vincent Winter in The Little Kidnappers
4) Jon Whitley in The Little Kidnappers
5) Tim Considine in Her 12 Men

Best Performances by Juvenile Actresses
1) Sandy Descher in The Last Time I Saw Paris
2) Judy Nugent in Magnificent Obsession
3) Elsbeth Sigmond in Heidi

Outstanding “Finds” of the Year
1) Eva Marie Saint in On the Waterfront
2) Grace Kelly in Rear Window
3) Jack Lemmon in Pffft!
4) Robert Francis in The Caine Mutiny
5) Dorothy Dandridge in Carmen Jones

The Year’s Outstanding Directors
1) Elia Kazan for On the Waterfront
2) Alfred Hitchcock for Rear Window
3) Edward Dmytryk for The Caine Mutiny
4) William Wellman for The High and the Mighty
5) George Cukor for A Star is Born

The Best Photographed Pictures of the Year
1) Milton Krasner for Three Coins in the Fountain
2) Boris Kaufman for On the Waterfront
3) Loyal Griggs for White Christmas
4) Robert Burks for Rear Window
5) Leon Shamroy for The Egyptian

Best Screenplays of the Year
1) Budd Schulberg for On the Waterfront
2) Stanley Roberts for The Caine Mutiny
3) John Michael Hayes for Rear Window
4) Ernest K. Gann for The High and the Mighty
5) Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett, and Dorothy Kingsley
for Seven Brides For Seven Brothers

Interesting data here. With the stunning exception of Mutiny topping Waterfront for Best Picture and Dandridge missing from the Best Actress lineup, I’ll take the Daily’s choices over Oscar’s (the Garland win, Kelly cited for her Rear Window work instead of The Country Girl, although it's odd to see her listed as a newcomer after 1952's High Noon and an Oscar nod for Mogambo the previous year and, with Marie Saint placing in the Best Actress lineup, the non-nominated Ritter listed at the top of the heap for Supporting Actress).

The National Board of Review (voting results announced on December 20th, 1954)

The Top Ten Films (in order of preference)
1) On the Waterfront
2) Seven Brides For Seven Brothers
3) The Country Girl
4) A Star is Born
5) Executive Suite
6) The Vanishing Prairie
7) Sabrina
8) 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
9) The Unconquered
10) Beat the Devil

Best Director
Renato Castellani for Romeo and Juliet

Best Actor
Bing Crosby for The Country Girl

Best Actress
Grace Kelly for The Country Girl, Dial M for Murder, and Rear Window
                                    

Best Supporting Actor
John Williams for Sabrina and Dial M For Murder

Best Supporting Actress
Nina Foch for Executive Suite

Best Foreign Films (in order of preference)
1) Romeo and Juliet (U.K., Italy)
2) The Heart of the Matter (1953- U.K.)
3) Gate of Hell (1953- Japan)
4) Diary of a Country Priest (1951- France)
5) The Little Kidnappers (1953- U.K.)
6) Genevieve (1953- U.K.)
7) Beauties of the Night (1952- France/Italy)
8) Mr. Hulot’s Holiday (1953- France)
9) The Detective (U.K.)
10) Bread, Love, and Dreams (1953- Italy)

Special Awards
For the choreography of Michael Kidd in
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

For the modernization of traditional Japanese acting
by Machiko Kyo in Ugetsu (1953) and Gate of Hell (1953)

For the new methods of moving puppets in Hansel and Gretel

The New York Film Critics Awards (winners announced on December 28th, 1954. Sources: Tom O'Neil's Movie Awards, 2001 and Donald Lyons, "The Lights of New York," Film Comment, March-April, 1993).

Best Picture
On the Waterfront

Best Director
Elia Kazan for On the Waterfront

Best Actor
Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront (11 votes on ballot I)

Runner-up: James Mason in A Star is Born (3 votes)
3rd Place: Humphrey Bogart in The Caine Munity (1 vote)
                  Edmond O'Brien in The Barefoot Contessa (1 vote)

Best Actress
Grace Kelly in The Country Girl, Rear Window, and Dial M for Murder (12 votes on ballot II)

Runners-up: June Allyson in The Glenn Miller Story (1 vote)
                       Judy Garland in A Star is Born (1 vote)
                       Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina (1 vote)
                       Eva Maire Saint in On the Waterfront (1 vote)
       
Best Foreign Film
Gate of Hell (Japan)

The Golden Globe Awards (Awards were presented on February 24, 1954- haven’t found any nominee data yet)

Best Drama
On the Waterfront

Best Comedy or Musical
Carmen Jones                                               

Best Motion Picture Promoting International Understanding
Broken Lance

Best Director
Elia Kazan for On the Waterfront

Best Actor, Drama
Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront

Best Actress, Drama
Grace Kelly in The Country Girl

Best Actor, Musical or Comedy
James Mason in A Star is Born

Best Actress, Musical or Comedy
Judy Garland in A Star is Born

Best Supporting Actor
Edmond O'Brien in The Barefoot Contessa

Best Supporting Actress
Jan Sterling in The High and the Mighty

Best Screenplay
Billy Wilder and Ernest Lehman for Sabrina

Best Foreign Language Films
Genevieve (1953- England)
Las Mujer de las Camelias(Argentina)
No Way Back (Germany)
Twenty Four Eyes(Japan)

Best Cinematography, Black and White
Boris Kaufman for On the Waterfront
                                                      

Best Cinematography, Color
Joseph Ruttenberg for Brigadoon

Most Promising Newcomer- Male
Jeff Richards

Most Promising Newcomer- Female
Shirley MacLaine, Kim Novak, and Karen Sharpe

World Film Favorites
Audrey Hepburn
Gregory Peck

Special Achievement Awards
Dimitri Tiomkin
Anywhere in Our Time (Germany)

Cecil B. DeMille Award
Jean Hersholt

Pioneer Award
John Ford

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards (Source: "The BAFTA Film Awards" 1989, edited by Bo Smith). (Winners in bold print).

Best Film From Any Source and Best British Film
Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (Mexico)
Bread, Love and Dreams (Italy)
The Caine Mutiny (U.S.)
Carrington, V.C. (Great Britain)
The Divided Heart (G.B.)
Doctor in the House (G.B.)
Executive Suite (U.S.)
For Better, For Worse (G.B.)
Gate of Hell (Japan)
Hobson's Choice (G.B.)- won for Best British Film
How to Marry a Millionaire (U.S.- 1953)
The Maggie (G.B.)
The Moon is Blue (U.S.- 1953)
On the Waterfront (U.S.)
The Purple Plain (G.B.)
Rear Window (U.S.)
Riot in Cell Block 11 (U.S.)
Romeo and Juliet (G.B.)
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (U.S.)
The Wages of Fear (Le Salaire de la Peur) (France)- won for Best Film From Any Source                                    

Best British Actor

Maurice Denham in The Purple Plain
Robert Donat in Lease of Life
John Mills in Hobson's Choice
Kenneth More in Doctor in the House
David Niven in Carrington, V.C.
Donald Wolfit in Svengali

Best British Actress
Brenda de Banzie in Hobson's Choice
Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina Fair (Sabrina)
Margaret Leighton in Carrinton, V.C.
Noelle Middleton in Carrington, V.C.
Yvonne Mitchell in The Divided Heart

Best Foreign Actor
Neville Brand in Riot in Cell Block 11
Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront
Jose Ferrer in The Caine Mutiny
Fredric March in Executive Suite
James Stewart in The Glenn Miller Story

Best Foreign Actress
Shirley Booth in About Mrs. Leslie
Cornell Borchers in The Divided Heart
Judy Holliday in Phffft!
Grace Kelly in Dial "M" for Murder
Gina Lollobrigida in Bread, Love and Dreams

Most Promising Newcomer
David Kossoff in The Young Lovers
Maggie McNamara in The Moon is Blue (1953)
Eva Marie Saint in On the Waterfront

Best British Screenplay
Jack Whittingham for The Divided Heart
Nicholas Phipps for Doctor in the House
David Lean, Norman Spencer and Wynyard Browne for Hobson's Choice
Hugh Mills and Rene Clement for Knave of Hearts
William Rose for The Maggie
Eric Ambler for The Purple Plain
Renato Castellani for Romeo and Juliet
George Tabori and Robin Estridge for The Young Lovers

Best Documentary
Back of Beyond (Australia)
The Great Adventure (Sweden)
Lekko! (Holland)
3-2-1-Zero (U.S.)
Thursday's Children (G.B.)

Special Award
Axel Petersen (Doderhultarn) (Sweden)
The Drawings of Leonardo da Vinci (G.B.)
The Living Desert (U.S.)
The Origin of Coal (Coal Mining as a Craft, Part One) (G.B.)
Powered Flight, The Story of the Century (G.B.)
A Time Out of War (U.S.)

Best Animated Film
Little Brave Heart (USSR)
Power to Fly (G.B.)
Song of the Prairie (Czechoslovakia)
The Unicorn in the Garden (U.S.)

United Nations Award
The Divided Heart (G.B.)
A Time Out of War (G.B.)

Academy Awards (Nominations announced on February 12, 1955. Awards presented on March 30, 1955. Sources: Tom O'Neil's Movie Awards, 2001 and Mason Wiley and Damien Bona's Inside Oscar, 1984). (Winners in bold print).

Best Picture
The Caine Mutiny, Kramer, Columbia. Produced by Stanley Kramer.
The Country Girl, Perlberg-Seaton, Paramount. Produced by William Perlberg.
On the Waterfront, Horizon-American, Columbia. Produced by Sam Spiegel.
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, MGM. Produced by Jack Cummings.
Three Coins in the Fountain, 20th Century-Fox. Produced by Sol C. Siegel.

Best Director
Alfred Hitchcock for Rear Window (Patron, Inc., Paramount).

Elia Kazan for On the Waterfront (Horizon, Columbia).
George Seaton for The Country Girl (Perlberg-Seaton, Paramount).
William Wellman for The High and the Mighty (Wayne-Fellows, Warner Bros.).
Billy Wilder for Sabrina (Paramount).

Best Actor
Humphrey Bogart in The Caine Mutiny (Kramer, Columbia).
Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront (Horizon-American, Columbia).
Bing Crosby in The Country Girl (Perlberg-Seaton, Paramount).
James Mason in A Star is Born (Transcona, Warner Bros.).
Dan O'Herlihy in Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (Dancigers-Ehrlich, UA).

Best Actress
Dorothy Dandridge in Carmen Jones (Preminger, 20th Century-Fox)
Judy Garland in A Star is Born (Transcona, Warner Bros.).
Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina (Paramount).
Grace Kelly in The Country Girl (Perlberg-Seaton, Paramount).
Jane Wyman in Magnificent Obsession (Universal-International).

Best Supporting Actor
Lee J. Cobb in On the Waterfront (Horizon-American, Columbia).
Karl Malden in On the Waterfront (Horizon-American, Columbia).
Edmond O'Brien in The Barefoot Contessa (Figaro, UA).
Rod Steiger in On the Waterfront (Horizon-American, Columbia).
Tom Tully in The Caine Mutiny (Kramer, Columbia).

Best Supporting Actress
Nina Foch in Executive Suite (MGM).
Katy Jurado in Broken Lance (20th Century-Fox).
Eva Marie Saint in On the Waterfront (Horizon-American, Columbia).
Jan Sterling in The High and the Mighty (Wayne-Fellows, Warner Bros.).
Claire Trevor in The High and the Mighty (Wayne-Fellows, Warner Bros.).
                                     
Best Writing (Motion Picture Story)

Bread, Love, and Dreams, Titanus, I.F.E. Releasing Corp. (Italian). Ettore Margadonna.

Broken Lance, 20th Century-Fox. Philip Yordan.

Forbidden Games (1952), Times Film Corp. (French). Francois Boyer.

Night People, 20th Century-Fox. Jed Harris and Tom Reed.
There's No Business Like Show Business, 20th Century-Fox. Lamar Trotti.
 

Best Writing (Screenplay)
The Caine Mutiny, Kramer, Columbia. Stanley Roberts.

The Country Girl, Perlberg-Seaton, Paramount. George Seaton.

Rear Window, Patron, Inc. Paramount. John Michael Hayes.

Sabrina, Paramount. Ernest Lehman, Samuel Taylor, and Billy Wilder.
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, MGM. Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett, and Dorothy Kingsley. 

Best Writing (Story and Screenplay)
The Barefoot Contessa, Figaro, UA. Joseph L. Mankiewicz.

Genevieve, Rank-Sirius, U-I (British). William Rose.

The Glenn Miller Story, U-I. Oscar Brodney and Valentine Davies
Knock on Wood, Dena Prods., Paramount. Norman Panama and Melvin Frank.
On the Waterfront, Horizon-American, Columbia. Budd Schulberg.

Best Cinematography (Black-and-White)

The Country Girl, Perlberg-Seaton, Paramount. John F. Warren.

Executive Suite, MGM. George Folsey.

On the Waterfront, Horizon-American, Columbia. Boris Kaufman.

Rogue Cop, MGM. John Seitz.

Sabrina, Paramount. Charles Lang, Jr.

Best Cinematography (Color)

The Egyptian, 20th Century-Fox. Leon Shamroy. 

Rear Window, Patron, Inc. Paramount. Robert Burks

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, MGM. George Folsey.

The Silver Chalice, Saville, Warner Bros. William V. Skall.

Three Coins in the Fountain, 20th Century-Fox. Milton Krasner.

Best Art Direction-Set Direction (Black-and-White)

The Country Girl, Perlberg-Seaton, Paramount. Hal Pereira and Roland Anderson; Sam Comer and Grace Gregory.

Executive Suite, MGM. Cedric Gibbons and Edward Carfagno; Edwin B. Willis and Emile Kuri.

Le Plaisir, Meyer-Kingsley (French). Max Ophulus.

On the Waterfront, Horizon-American, Columbia. Richard Day. 

Sabrina, Paramount. Hal Pereira and Walter Tyler; Sam Comer and Ray Moyer.

Best Art Direction-Set Direction (Color)

Brigadoon, MGM. Cedric Gibbons and Preston Ames; Edwin B. Willis and Keogh Gleason.

Desiree, 20th Century-Fox. Lyle Wheeler and Leland Fuller; Walter M. Scott and Paul S. Fox. 
Red Garters, Paramount. Hal Pereira and Roland Anderson; Sam Comer and Ray Moyer.

A Star is Born, Trenscona, Warner Bros. Malcolm Bert, Gene Allen and Irene Sharaff; George James Hopkins.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea; Disney, Buena Vista. John Meehan; Emile Kuri.

Best Sound Recording

Brigadoon, MGM. Wesley C. Miller, sound director. 

The Caine Mutiny, Kramer, Columbia. John P. Livadary, sound director. 

The Glenn Miller Story, U-I. Leslie I. Carey, sound director.

Rear Window, Patron, Inc., Paramount. Loren L. Ryder.

Susan Slept Here, RKO Radio. John O. Aalberg, sound director.

Best Song
"Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep"(White Christmas, Paramount); Music and Lyrics by Irving Berlin.
"The High and the Mighty" (The High and the Mighty, Wayne-Fellows, Warner Bros.); Music by Dimitri Tiomkin. Lyrics by Ned Washington.

"Hold My Hand" (Susan Slept Here, RKO Radio); Music and Lyrics by Jack Lawrence and
Richard Myers.
"The Man That Got Away" (A Star is Born, Transcona, Warner Bros.); Music by Harold Arlen. Lyrics by Ira Gershwin.
"Three Coins in the Fountain" (Three Coins in the Fountain, 20th Century-Fox); Music by
Sammy Cahn. Lyrics by Jule Styne.

Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture

The Caine Mutiny, Kramer, Columbia. Max Steiner.

Genevieve, Rank-Sirus, U-I (British). Muir Mathieson.

The High and the Mighty, Wayne-Fellows, Warner Bros. Dimitri Tiomkin.

On the Waterfront, Horizon-American, Columbia. Leonard Bernstein.

The Silver Chalice, Saville, Warner Bros. Franz Waxman.

                                    
Best Scoring of a Musical Picture

Carmen Jones, Preminger, 20th Century-Fox. Herschel Burke Gilbert.

The Glenn Miller Story, U-I. Joseph Gershenson and Henry Mancini.

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, MGM. Adolph Deutsch and Saul Chaplin.

A Star is Born, Transcona, Warner Bros. Ray Heindorf.

Best Film Editing
The Caine Mutiny, Kramer, Columbia. William A. Lyon and Henry Batisa.

The High and the Mighty, Wayne-Fellows, Warner Bros. Ralph Dawson.

On the Waterfront, Horizon-American, Columbia. Gene Milford.

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, MGM. Ralph E. Winters.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea; Disney, Buena Vista. Elmo Williams.

Best Costume Design (Black-and-White)

The Earrings of Madame De . . ., Arlan Pictures (19530 French).

Executive Suite, MGM. Helen Rose

Indiscretion of an American Wife (1953), DeSica, Columbia. Christian Dior.

It Should Happen to You, Columbia. Jean Louis.

Sabrina, Paramount. Edith Head. 

Best Costume Design (Color)

Brigadoon, MGM. Irene Sharaff.

Desiree, 20th Century-Fox. Charles LeMaire and Rene Hubert.

Gate of Hell, Daiel, Edward Harrison (1953- Japanese). Sanzo Wada. 

A Star is Born, Transcona, Warner Bros. Jean Louis, Mary Ann Nyberg and Irene Sharaff.

There's No Business Like Show Business, 20th Century-Fox. Charles LeMaire, Travilla and Miles White.

Best Special Effects

Hell and High Water, 20th Century-Fox.

Them!, Warner Bros.

20,000 League Under the Sea, Walt Disney Studios.

Best Short Subject Cartoon

Crazy Mixed Up Pup, Lantz, U-I. Walter Lantz, producer.

Pigs is Pigs, Disney, RKO Radio. Walt Disney, producer.

Sandy Claws, Warner Bros. Edward Selzer, producer.

Touche, Pussy Cat, MGM. Fred Quimby, producer.

When Magoo Flew, UPA, Columbia, Stephen Bosustow, executive producer.

Best One-Reel Short Subject

The First Piano Quartette, 20th Century-Fox. Otto Lang, producer.

The Strauss Fantasy, MGM. Johnny Green, producer.

This Mechanical Age, Warner Bros. Robert Youngson, producer.

Best Two-Reel Short Subject

Beauty and the Bull, Warner Bros. Cedric Gibbons, producer.

Jet Carrier, 20th Century-Fox. Otto Lang, producer.

Siam, Disney, Buena Vista. Walt Disney, producer.

A Time Out of War, Carnival Prods., Denis and Terry Sanders, producers.

Best Documentary Short Subject

Jet Carrier, 20th Century-Fox. Otto Lang, producer.

Rembrandt: A Self-Portrait, Distributors Corp. of America. Morrie Roizman, producer.

Thursday's Children, British Information Services (British). World Wide Pictures and Morse Films, producers.

Best Documentary Feature

The Stratford Adventure, National Film Board of Canada, Continental (Canadian). Guy Glover, producer.

The Vanishing Prairie, Disney, Buena Vista. Walt Disney, producer.

Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award
Not given this year.

Honorary Awards
Bausch & Lomb Optical Company for their contribution to the advancement of the motion picture industry (statuette). 

Kemp R. Niver for the development of the Renovare Process which has made possible the restoration of the Library of Congress Paper Film Collection (statuette).

Great Garbo for her unforgettable screen performances (statuette).

Danny Kaye for his unique talents, his service to the Academy, the motion picture industry, and the American people (statuette).

Jon Whiteley for his outstanding juvenile performance in The Little Kidnappers (1953)(miniature statuette).

Vincent Winter for his outstanding juvenile performance in The Little Kidnappers (1953)(miniature statuette).

Gate of Hell (1953- Japanese)- Best Foreign Language Film first released in the United States during 1954 (statuette).

Scientific or Technical

Class I (Statuette)

Paramount Pictures Inc., Loren L. Ryder, John R. Bishop and all the members of the technical and engineering staff for developing a method of producing and exhibiting motion pictures known as VistaVision.

Class II (Plaque)

None.

Class III (Citation)

David S. Horsley and the Universal-International Studio Special Photographic Department for a portable remote control device for process projectors.

Karl Freund and Frank Crandell of Photo Research Corp. for the design and development of a direct reading brightness meter.

Wesley C. Miller, J.W. Stafford, K.M. Frierson and the MGM Studio Sound Department for an electronic sound printing comparison device.

John P. Livadary, Lloyd Russell and the Columbia Studio Sound Department for an improved limiting amplifier as applied to sound level comparison devices.

Roland Miller and Max Goeppinger of the Magnascope Corp. for the design and development of a cathode ray magnetic sound track viewer. 

Carlos Rivas, G.M. Sprague and the MGM Studio Sound Department for the design of a magnetic sound editing machine.

Fred Wilson of the Samuel Goldwyn Studio Sound Department for the design of a variable multiple-band equalizer.

P.C. Young of the MGM Studio Projection Department for the practical application of a variable focal length attachment to motion picture projector lenses.

Fred Knoth and Orien Ernest of the Universal-International Studio Technical Department for the development of a hand portable, electric, dry oil-fog machine.

Screen Director’s Guild of America Awards ((Award for Best Director presented February 13, 1955 at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles. Source: Tom O'Neil's Movie Awards)

Best Director
Elia Kazan for On the Waterfront

Quarterly Winners:
Alfred Hitchcock for Rear Window
George Seaton for The Country Girl
William Wellman for The High and the Mighty
Billy Wilder for Sabrina

Other directors mentioned by the Guild:

George Cukor for A Star is Born
Edward Dmytryk for The Caine Mutiny
Stanley Donen for Seven Brides For Seven Brothers
Melvin Frank, Norman Panama for Knock on Wood
Samuel Fuller for Hell and High Water
Alfred Hitchcock for Dial M for Murder
Anthony Mann for The Glenn Miller Story
Jean Negulesco for Three Coins in the Fountain
Don Siegel for Riot in Cell Block 11
Robert E. Wise for Executive Suite
 

Screen Writers Guild of America (Awards were presented on February 28, 1955 at the Moulin Rouge in Los Angeles. Source: Tom O'Neil's Movie Awards). (Winners in bold print).

Best Written Drama

The Barefoot Contessa, Joseph L. Mankeiwicz

The Country Girl, George Seaton, based on the play by Clifford Odets

Executive Suite, Ernest Lehman, based on the novel by Cameron Hawley

On the Waterfront, Budd Schulberg, based on articles by Malcolm Johnson

Rear Window, John Michael Hayes, based on a story by Cornell Woolrich

Best Written Comedy

It Should Happen to You, Garson Kanin

Knock on Wood, Norman Panama, Melvin Frank

The Long, Long Trailer, Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett, based on the novel by Clinton Twiss

Sabrina, Billy Wilder, Samuel Taylor, Ernest Lehman, based on the play Sabrina Fair by Samuel Taylor

Susan Slept Here, Alex Gottlieb, based on the play Susan by Steve Fisher and Alex Gottlieb

Best Written Musical

Carmen Jones, Harry Kleiner, based on the musical play with book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II

The Glenn Miller Story, Valentine Davies, Oscar Brodney

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Albert Hackett, Frances Goodrich, Dorothy Kingsley, based on the story "The Sobbin' Women" by Stephen Vincent Benet

A Star is Born, Moss Hart, based on the 1937 screenplay by Dorothy Parker, Alan Campbell and Robert Carson, adapted from a story by William A. Wellman and Robert Carson

There's No Business Like Show Business, Phoebe Ephron, Henry Ephron, Lamar Trotti

Laurel Award

Robert Riskin

Berlin Film Festival (Source: Film Facts, 1980, edited by Cobbett Steinberg).

Audience Awards:

1) Hobson's Choice (England)

2) Bread, Love and Dreams (1953- Italy)

3) Le Defreque (France)

Cannes Film Festival (Source: Film Facts, 1980, edited by Cobbett Steinberg).

Best Film:

Gate of Hell (1953- Teinosuke Kinugasa, Japan)

Best Director:

Rene Clement, Monsieur Ripois

Best Actor:

Not awarded

Best Actress:

Not awarded

Out of Competition Prize:

From Here to Eternity (1953- Fred Zinnemann, USA)

Venice Film Festival (Source: Film Facts, 1980, edited by Cobbett Steinberg).

Best Film, Lion of St. Mark:

Romeo and Juliet (Renato Castellani, Italy-England)

Best Actor:

Jean Gabin, Touchez par au Grisbi, The Air of Paris (France)

Best Actress:

Not awarded this year

Silver Prize Winners:

On the Waterfront (Elia Kazan, USA)

Seven Samurai (Akira Kurosawa, Japan)

La Strada (Frederico Fellini, Italy)

Sansho the Bailiff (Kenji Mizoguchi, Japan)

Special Jury Prize for Ensemble Acting:

Executive Suite (with William Holden, June Allyson, Barbara Stanwyck, Fredric March, Walter Pidgeon, Shelley Winters)

Time Magazine's "Ten Best" of 1954 (in chronological order) (Source: Film Facts, 1980, edited by Cobbett Steinberg).

Beat the Devil (1953)

Genevieve (1953)        

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

The Earrings of Madame de

On the Waterfront

High and Dry

The Little Kidnappers (1953)

Ugestu (1953)

Carmen Jones

Gate of Hell (1953)

The New York Times' "Ten Best" of 1954 (in chronological order) (Source: Film Facts, 1980, edited by Cobbett Steinberg).

The Glenn Miller Story

Genevieve (1953)

Knock on Wood

Mr. Hulot's Holiday (1953)

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

On the Waterfront

The Little Kipnappers (1953)

Sabrina

The Country Girl

Romeo and Juliet

 

The Top Box-Office Hits of 1954 (According to Variety, January 5, 1955. Includes actual and estimated domestic rentals to theaters in U.S. and Canada, not box-office takes, which would be higher. If the final first-run rental take for films gaining $4,000,000 or more in rentals varies from the total originally listed in 1954, I'm showing that figure after the 1954 total. Final first-run rentals data comes from Variety's January 9, 1957 "All-Time Top Film Grosses" list (only films taking $4,000,000 or more in rentals were mentioned on the "All-Time" list; unfortunately, I have no data for films with a final gross under $4,000,000 that may have ended up with a higher take than shown below). Occasionally a film will end up on the "All-Time" list with a lower rental box-office take than when the film originally appeared on the yearly list of top box-office films. This is due to the estimated rentals, which were sometimes revised to a lower amount for the All-Time list).

1) White Christmas $12,000,000
2) The Caine Mutiny $8,700,000
3) The Glenn Miller Story $7,000,000
4) The Egyptian $6,000,000 (Final first-run rentals of $4,250,000)
5) Rear Window $5,300,000
6) The High and the Mighty $5,200,000 (Final first-run rentals of $6,000,000)
7) Magnificent Obsession $5,000,000 (Final first-run rentals of $5,200,000)
8) Three Coins in the Fountain $5,000,000
9) Seven Brides for Seven Brothers $$4,750,000 (Final first-run rentals of $5,600,000)
10) Desiree $4,500,000
11) Knights of the Round Table $4,400,000
12) Dragnet $4,300,000 (Final first-run rentals of $4,700,000)
13) Demetrius and the Gladiators $4,250,000
      Living it Up $4,250,000
15) On the Waterfront $4,200,000
16) Hondo $4,100,000

17) The Long, Long Trailer $4,000,000
      Sabrina $4,000,000
19) The River of No Return $3,800,000
Broken Lance $3,800,000
21) Knock on Wood $3,500,000
      Money From Home $3,500,000
23) Apache $3,250,000
The Barefoot Contessa $3,250,000
25) Beneath the 12-Mile Reef  $3,600,000 (Reef is listed with a $3,600,000 take but is placed below films with lesser rental takes. Not sure if this is a typo, and the take should be listed as $3,200,000)
26) Garden of Evil $3,100,000
27) Elephant Walk $3,000,000
Woman's World $3,000,000
29) The French Line $2,900,000
Miss Sadie Thompson $2,900,000
31) Executive Suite $2,750,000
32) Dial "M" for Murder $2,700,000
      Hell and High Water $2,700,000
34) King of Khyber Rifles $2,600,000
      Rose Marie $2,600,000
     Prince Valiant $2,600,000
     The Student Prince $2,600,000
     The Living Desert (1953) $2,600,000

 

39) Betrayed $2,500,000
     Black Widow $2,500,000
Calamity Jane $2,500,000
The Command $2,500,000
Johnny Guitar $2,500,000
His Majesty O'Keefe $2,500,000
45) The Eddie Cantor Story $2,300,000
Easy to Love $2,300,000
The Naked Jungle $2,300,000
48) Brigadoon $2,250,000
Saskatchewan $2,250,000
Susan Slept Here $2,250,000
51) Them! $2,200,000
52) Night People $2,150,000
53) King Richard $2,100,000
54) Carnival Story $2,000,000
Here Come the Girls $2,000,000
Kiss Me Kate $2,000,000
57) All the Brothers Were Valiant $1,950,000

The Top Ten Box Office Stars of 1954 (from the Quigley Publishing poll of film exhibitors)

1) John Wayne
2) Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis
3) Gary Cooper
4) James Stewart
5) Marilyn Monroe
6) Alan Ladd
7) William Holden
8) Bing Crosby
9) Jane Wyman
10) Marlon Brando

The Next Fifteen:
11) June Allyson
12) Humphrey Bogart
13) Burt Lancaster
14) Susan Hayward
15) Percy Kilbride & Marjorie Main
16) Jeff Chandler
17) Rock Hudson
18) Doris Day
19) Clark Gable
20) Ava Gardner
21) Gregory Peck
22) Randolph Scott
23) Tony Curtis
24) Audrey Hepburn
25) Esther Williams

The Stars of Tomorrow (according to Quigley Publishing's poll of film exhibitors).

1) Audrey Hepburn

2) Maggie McNamara

3) Grace Kelly

4) Richard Burton

5) Pat Crowley

6) Guy Madison

7) Suzan Ball

8) Elaine Stewart

9) Aldo Ray

10) Cameron Mitchell

Britain's Top Ten British Box-Office Stars of 1954 (according to the Motion Picture Herald's poll of Britain's film exhibitors)
1) Jack Hawkins
2) Dirk Bogarde
3) Norman Wisdom
4) Glynis Johns
5) Kenneth More
6) Alec Guinness
7) Anthony Steel
8) Ronald Shiner
9) Richard Todd
10) John Mills

Britain's Top Ten International Box-Office Stars of 1954 (according to the Motion Picture Herald's poll of Britain's film exhibitors)
1) Alan Ladd
2) James Stewart
3) Gregory Peck
4) Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis
5) Jack Hawkins
6) Danny Kaye
7) Burt Lancaster
8) Doris Day
9) Dirk Bogarde
10) Norman Wisdom

 

Harvard Lampoon's Movie Worst Awards (Source: Film Facts, 1980, edited by Cobbett Steinberg).

Ten Worst:

Hajji Baba

There's No Business Like Show Business

The Egyptian

The High and the Mighty

Magnificent Obsession

Beau Brummel

The Student Prince

Knights of the Round Table (1953)

Demetrius and the Gladiators

White Christmas

Not Worth the Price of Admission:

Three Coins in the Fountain

Most Unconvincing Death Scene in Recent Years:

Stewart Granger in Beau Brummel

Most Fortuitous Drownings:

James Mason in A Star is Born and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

Most Freudian Title:

River of No Return

Best Reason for Healthy Paganism:

Demetrius and the Gladiators

The Silver Chalice

The Greatest Detriment to Anglo-Arabian Relations:

Hajji Baba

Most Thoughtful Deed of 1954:

The director of The Student Prince refusing to allow Mario Lanza to sing before the cameras

Most Convincing Nominee for Brood Mare of 1954:

Barbara Stanwyck, Cattle Queen of Montana

Greatest Mayhem Committed on a Myth:

White Christmas

Best Excuse for Another Thugee Rebellion in India:

The Bengal Brigade

Most Ingenuous Statement of the Year:

Gina Lollobrigida (quote in Look): "I am an actress, not a body"

Great Waste of Gas:

The Long, Long Trailer

Best Argument Against N.R.O.T.C.:

The Caine Mutiny

Saddest Evidence of Rapid Aging:

James Stewart impassively receiving a massage in Rear Window

The Roscoe Award:

Tony Curtis, whose marcelled and Mobilgreased locks have titillated scores of bobby-soxers, and Grace Kelly, who easily earns the title "Ironclad Virgin of 1954"