Film Data for 1935

The Film Daily's Ten Best Pictures of 1935 (poll of 451 film critics and reviewers. Comprised of films released from November 1, 1934 to October 31, 1935. Source: The Film Daily 1936 Year Book)

1) David Copperfield- 339 votes

2) Lives of a Bengal Lancer- 278 votes

3) The Informer- 256 votes

4) Naughty Marietta- 250 votes

5) Les Miserables- 235 votes

6) Ruggles of Red Gap- 222 votes

7) Top Hat- 174 votes

8) Broadway Melody of 1936- 166 votes

9) Roberta- 155 votes

10) Anna Karenina- 129 votes

The Honor Roll (films with 10 or more votes):

11) Alice Adams- 115 votes

12) The Dark Angel- 96 votes

13) Imitation of Life (1934)- 89 votes

14) The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934)- 84 votes

      Sequoia (1934)- 84 votes

16) Broadway Bill (1934)- 83 votes

17) G-Men- 80 votes

18) China Seas- 77 votes

19) Escape Me Never- 65 votes

      The Scoundrel- 65 votes

21) Oil for the Lamps of China- 64 votes

22) Becky Sharp- 63 votes

23) Cardinal Richelieu- 62 votes

24) The Crusades- 60 votes

25) Black Fury- 59 votes

26) Private Worlds- 52 votes

27) Diamond Jim- 48 votes

      The Little Minister- 48 votes

29) Clive of India- 46 votes

      Steamboat 'Round the Bend- 46 votes

31) Man of Aran (1934)- 38 votes

32) Love Me Forever- 35 votes

      The 39 Steps- 35 votes

34) She Married Her Boss- 29 votes

35) Barbary Coast- 28 votes

36) The Little Colonel- 26 votes

37) The Farmer Takes a Wife- 25 votes

38) Escapade- 24 votes

39) Curly Top- 20 votes

40) The Last Days of Pompeii- 19 votes

41) Call of the Wild- 18 votes

      The Wedding Night- 18 votes

43) The County Chairman- 17 votes

       Hands Across the Table- 17 votes

       I Live My Life- 17 votes

      The Mighty Barnum (1934)- 17 votes

      Rendezvous- 17 votes

      The White Parade (1934)- 17 votes

49) Life Begins at 40- 16 votes

      The Merry Widow (1934)- 16 votes

      Sanders of the River- 16 votes

52) Accent on Youth- 15 votes

53) Four Hours to Kill!- 14 votes

      The Good Fairy- 14 votes

55) Pursuit of Happiness (1934)- 12 votes

56) Evergreen (1934)- 11 votes

      Transatlantic Tunnel- 11 votes

58) No More Ladies- 10 votes

     The Whole Town's Talking- 10 votes 

 

National Board of Review (Winners announced on December 16, 1935. Source: Tom O'Neil's Movie Awards, 2001)

Best Picture

The Informer

Rest of the Top Ten (Listed in alphabetical order):

Alice Adams

Anna Karenina

David Copperfield

The Gilded Lady

The Lives of a Bengal Lancer

Les Miserables

Mutiny on the Bounty

Ruggles of Red Gap

Who Killed Cock Robin? (cartoon)

Best Foreign Film

Chapayev (U.S.S.R.)

Runners-up (Listed in alphabetical order):

Crime et Chatiment (Crime and Punishment) (France)

Le Dernier Milliardaire (France)

The Man Who Knew Too Much (U.K.- 1934)

Marie Chapdelaine (France)

La Maternelle (France)

The New Gulliver (U.S.S.R.)

Peasants (U.S.S.R.)

Thunder in the East (France)

The Youth of Maxim (The Childhood of Maxim Gorky)(U.S.S.R.)

List based on popular appeal (Source: The 1936 Film Daily Year Book, which stated "The review members of the National Board, over 300 in number, made a list of selections based on popular appeal, which were, in order of choice:")

David Copperfield

Mutiny on the Bounty

The Informer

Lives of a Bengal Lancer

Top Hat

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Naughty Marietta

Les Miserables

Anna Karenina

Ruggles of Red Gap

New York Film Critics Awards (Inaugural ceremony. Winners announced on January 2, 1936. Awards presented on March 2 at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in New York. Source: Tom O'Neil's Movie Awards, 2001 and Donald Lyons, "The Lights of New York," Film Comment, March-April, 1993)

Best Picture

The Informer (unanimous first-ballot choice)

Best Director

John Ford for The Informer (won on ballot II)

Runner-up: Alfred Hitchcock for The 39 Steps and The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934)

Best Actor

Charles Laughton in Mutiny on the Bounty and Ruggles of Red Gap (won on first ballot)

Runner-up: Victor McLaglen (1 vote)

Best Actress

Great Garbo in Anna Karenina (won on ballot II)

Runner-up: Katharine Hepburn in Alice Adams

The Academy Awards (Nominations announced on February 7, 1936. Awards were presented on March 5, 1936 the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles. Sources Tom O'Neil's Movie Awards, Mason Wiley and Damien Bona's Inside Oscar, and the oscars.org website)

Best Picture

Alice Adams, RKO Radio. Produced by Pando S. Berman.

Broadway Melody of 1936, MGM. Produced by John W. Considine, Jr.

Captain Blood, Warner Bros.-Cosmopolitan. Produced by Hal Wallis, with Harry Joe Brown and Gordon Hollingshead. Came in 3rd.

David Copperfield, MGM. Produced by David O. Selznick.

The Informer, RKO Radio. Produced by Cliff Reid. Came in 2nd. 

Les Miserables, 20th Century-Fox, UA. Produced by Darryl F. Zanuck.

Lives of a Bengal Lancer, Paramount. Produced by Louis D. Lighton.

A Midsummer Night's Dream, Warner Bros. Produced by Henry Blanke.

Mutiny on the Bounty, MGM. Produced by Irving Thalberg, with Albert Lewin.

Naughty Marietta, MGM. Produced by Hunt Stromberg.

Ruggles of Red Gap, Paramount. Produced by Arthur Hornblow, Jr.

Top Hat, RKO Radio. Produced by Pando S. Berman.

Best Director

John Ford for The Informer (RKO Radio). 

Henry Hathaway for Lives of a Bengal Lancer (Paramount). Came in 3rd.

Frank Lloyd for Mutiny on the Bounty (MGM). Came in 4th.

Note: Michael Curtiz for Captain Blood came in 2nd as a write-in candidate. 

Best Actor

Clark Gable in Mutiny on the Bounty (MGM). 

Charles Laughton in Mutiny on the Bounty (MGM). Came in 3rd.

Victor McLaglen in The Informer (RKO Radio).

Franchot Tone in Mutiny on the Bounty (MGM). 

Note: Paul Muni in Black Fury came in 2nd as a write-in candidate. 

 

Best Actress

Elisabeth Bergner in Escape in Never (Wilcox, UA). Came in 3rd.

Claudette Colbert in Private Worlds (Paramount).

Bette Davis in Dangerous (Warner Bros).

Katharine Hepburn in Alice Adams (RKO Radio). Came in 2nd. 

Miriam Hopkins in Becky Sharp (Pioneer, RKO Radio).

Merle Oberon in The Dark Angel (Goldwyn, UA).

Best Assistant Director 

Clem Beauchamp and Paul Wing for Lives of a Bengal Lancer (Paramount).

Joseph Newman for David Copperfield (MGM). Came in 3rd.

Eric Stacey for Les Miserables (20th Century-Fox, UA). Came in 4th.

Note: Sherry Shourds for A Midsummer Night's Dream came in 2nd as a write-in candidate.

Writing (Original Story)

Broadway Melody of 1936, MGM. Moss Hart. Came in 3rd.

The Gay Deception, Lasky, Fox. Don Hartman and Stephen Avery. Came in 4th.

The Scoundrel, Paramount. Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur.

Note: Gregory Rogers for G-Men came in 2nd as a write in candidate. 

Writing (Screenplay)

The Informer, RKO Radio. Dudley Nichols.

Lives of a Bengal Lancer, Paramount. Achmed Abdullah, John L. Balderston, Grover Jones, William Slavens McNutt and Waldermar Young. Came in 4th.

Mutiny on the Bounty, MGM. Jules Furthman, Talbot Jennings and Carey Wilson. Came in 2nd. 

Note: Casey Robinson for Captain Blood came in 3rd as a write-in candidate. 

Best Cinematography 

Barbary Coast, Goldwyn, UA. Ray June.

The Crusades, Paramount. Victor Milner. Came in 3rd.

Les Miserables, 20th Centry-Fox., UA. Gregg Toland. Came in 2nd. 

*A Midsummer Night's Dream, Warner Bros. Hal Mohr

*Note: the only write-in winner in Academy Award history. 

Film Editing

David Copperfield, MGM. Robert J. Kern.

The Informer, RKO Radio. George Hively. Came in 3rd.

Les Miserables, 20th Century-Fox, UA. Barbara McLean.

Lives of a Bengal Lancer, Paramount. Ellsworth Hoagland.

A Midsummer Night's Dream, Warner Bros. Ralph Dawson.

Mutiny on the Bounty, MGM. Margaret Booth. Came in 2nd. 

Best Interior Decoration

The Dark Angel, Goldwyn, UA. Richard Day.

Lives of a Bengal Lancer, Paramount. Hans Dreier and Roland Anderson. Came in 3rd.

Top Hat, RKO Radio. Carroll Clark and Van Nest Polglase. Came in 2nd. 

Best Song

"Cheek to Cheek" (Top Hat, RKO Radio); Music and Lyrics by Irving Berlin. Came in 2nd. 

"Lovely to Look At" (Roberta, RKO Radio); Music by Jerome Kern. Lyrics by Dorothy Fields and Jimmy McHugh. Came in 3rd.

"Lullaby of Broadway" (Gold Diggers of 1935, Warner Bros.); Music by Harry Warren. Lyrics by Al Dubin.

Best Score

The Informer, RKO Radio. RKO Radio Studio Music Dept.; Max Steiner, head. Score by Max Steiner.

Mutiny on the Bounty, MGM. MGM Studio Music Dept.; Nat W. Finston, head. Score by Herbert Stothart. Came in 2nd. 

Peter Ibbetson, Paramount. Paramount Studio Music Dept.; Irvin Talbot, head. Score by Ernst Toch.

Note: Captain Blood, Warner Bros. Warner-Bros. First-National Studio Music Department, Leo Forbstein, head. Score by Erich Wolfgang Korngold came in 2nd as a write-in candidate. 

Best Sound Recording

The Bride of Frankenstein, Universal. Gilbert Kurland.

Captain Blood, Warner Bros. Nathan Levinson. Came in 2nd. 

The Dark Angel, Goldwyn, UA. Goldwyn Sound Dept. Thomas T. Moulton.

I Dream Too Much, RKO Radio. Carl Dreher.

Lives of a Bengal Lancer, Paramount. Franklin Hansen. Came in 3rd.

Love Me Forever, Columbia. John Livadary.

Naughty Marietta, MGM. Douglas Shearer.

1,000 Dollars a Minute, republic. Republic Sound Dept.

Thanks a Million, 20th Century-Fox. E.H. Hansen.

Best Dance Direction

Busby Berkeley for "Lullaby of Broadway" number and "The Words Are in My Heart" number from Gold Diggers of 1935 (Warner Bros.). Came in 3rd.

Bobby Connolly for "Latin from Manhattan" number from Go Into Your Dance (Warner Bros.) and "Playboy from Paree" number from Broadway Hostess (Warner Bros.).

David Gould for "I've Got a Feeling You're Fooling" number from Broadway Melody of 1936 (MGM) and "Straw Hat" number from Folies Bergere (20th Century, UA).

Sammy Lee for "Lovely Lady" number and "Too Good to be True" number from King of Burlesque (20th Century-Fox). 

Hermes Pan for "Piccolino" number and "Top Hat" number from Top Hat (RKO Radio). Came in 2nd. 

Leroy Prinz for "Elephant Number- It's the Animal in Me" from Big Broadcast of 1936 (Paramount) and "Viennese Waltz" number from All the King's Horses (Paramount).

B. Zemach for "Hall of Kings" number from She (RKO Radio). 

Best Short Subject Cartoon

The Calico Dragon, Harman-Ising, MGM. Came in 3rd.

Three Orphan Kittens, Disney, UA.

Who Killed Cock Robin?, Disney, UA. Came in 2nd. 

Best Comedy Short Subject

How to Sleep, MGM (Miniatures).

Oh, My Nerves, Columbia (Broadway Comedies). Came in 2nd. 

Tit for Tat, Hal Roach, MGM (Laurel and Hardy). Came in 3rd.

Best Novelty Short Subject

Audioscopiks, MGM. Tied for 2nd.

Camera Thrills, Universal. Tied for 2nd. 

Wings over Mt. Everest, Educational.

Special Award

David Wark Griffith, for his distinguished creative achievements as director and producer and his invaluable initiative and lasting contribution to the progress of the motion picture arts (statuette). 

Scientific or Technical Awards

Class I (Statuette)

None.

Class II (Plaque)

Agfa Ansco Corp. for their development of the Agfa infrared film. 

Eastman Kodak Co. for their development of the Eastman Pola-Screen.

Class III (Citation)

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studio for the development of anti-directional negative and positive development by means of jet turbulation, and the application of the method to all negative and print processing of the entire product of a major producing company. 

William A. Mueller of Warner Bros. - First National Studio Sound Dept. for his method of dubbing, in which the level of the dialogue automatically controls the level of the accompanying music and sound effects.

Mole-Richardson Co. for their development of the "Solar-spot" spot lamps.

Douglas Shearer and MGM Studio Sound Dept. for their automatic control system for cameras and sound recording machines and auxiliary stage equipment.

Electrical Research Products, Inc., for their study and development of equipment to analyze and measure flutter resulting from the travel of the film through the mechanisms used in the recording and reproduction of sound.

Paramount Productions, Inc., for the design and construction of the Paramount transparency air turbine developing machine.

Nathan Levinson, director of Sound Recording for Warner Bros.-First National Studio for the method of intercutting variable density and variable area sound tracks to secure an increase in the effective volume range of sound recorded for motion pictures.

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

Best Foreign Film:

Anna Karenina, Clarence Brown

Best Italian Film:

Casta Diva, Carmine Gallone

Best Direction:

King Vidor, Wedding Night

Best Actor:

Pierre Blanchar, Crime and Punishment

Best Actress:

Paula Wessely, Episode

Best Animated Cartoon:

Three Little Pigs, Walt Disney

Best Screenplay:

The Informer, Dudley Nichols

Best Music:

Bozambo

Best Photography:

The Devil is a Woman

Best Color Film:

Becky Sharp

Best Animated Cartoon:

Band Concert, Walt Disney

The New York Times Ten Best List (Listed in chronological order. Source: Film Facts, 1980, edited by Cobbett Steinberg)

The Informer

Ruggles of Red Gap

David Copperfield

Lives of a Bengal Lancer

Les Miserables

The Scoundrel

Chapayev

The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934)

Sequoia

Love Me Forever

The Top Box-Office Hits of 1935 (According to Variety- lists U.S. and Canadian rental fees up to the end of the calendar year. Source: Film Facts, 1980, edited by Cobbett Steinberg. Totals were not listed.)

China Seas

David Copperfield

Forsaking All Others (1934)

Goin' to Town

Les Miserables

Lives of a Bengal Lancer

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Mutiny on the Bounty

Roberta

She Married Her Boss

Steamboat 'Round the Bend

Top Hat

1935 Films listed on the 1935/36 list:

Anna Karenina

The Bride Comes Home

Broadway Melody of 1936

Captain Blood

The Crusades

In Old Kentucky

The Littlest Rebel

Magnificent Obsession

A Night at the Opera

A Tale of Two Cities

Thanks a Million

The Top Ten Box-Office Stars of 1935 (according to Quigley Publishing's poll of film exhibitors)
1) Shirley Temple

2) Will Rogers

3) Clark Gable

4) Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers

5) Joan Crawford

6) Claudette Colbert

7) Dick Powell

8) Wallace Beery

9) Joe E. Brown

10) James Cagney

The Next Fifteen:

11) Mae West

12) Bing Crosby

13) Fred Astaire

14) Ginger Rogers

15) William Powell

16) Janet Gaynor

17) Jean Harlow

18) Norma Shearer

19) W.C. Fields

20) Ruby Keeler

21) Warner Baxter

22) Grace Moore

23) Katharine Hepburn

24) Buck Jones

25) Frederic March