The only ‘Best Picture’ Oscar winner to receive no other nominations
The Academy Awards still hold considerable influence over the film industry despite the fact that many of us find ourselves frustrated by the institution’s exclusionary politics, so often prioritising clear Oscar bait, white male filmmakers, and specific genres. Yet, despite this, if you’re interested in cinema or pop culture, you’ll likely find yourself tuning in (or catching up online) to catch the juiciest moments and the most shocking snubs.
It’s Hollywood’s biggest night, and whether we agree with the Academy’s decisions to award certain titles or find them disappointing, they set the tone for the industry that year. For example, the success of biopics, historical epics, and even musicals at the Oscars has led to an increase in the number of these movies being made, likely in the hopes that they will earn nominations.
The biggest category is ‘Best Picture’, which crowns one movie the best of the year. We sit eagerly waiting for the winner to be announced, and sometimes this results in drama or backlash, like when La La Land was mistakenly given the award instead of Moonlight, or when movies that just aren’t that good take home the prize, like Green Book or 2004’s Crash.
Most of the time, the movie that wins ‘Best Picture’ will scoop up various other awards, such as an acting or screenwriting accolade, and sometimes even ‘Best Director’. Take Titanic, for example, which earned 14 nominations, winning 11, including ‘Best Picture’, ‘Best Director’, ‘Best Score’, and ‘Best Cinematography’.
There has only ever been one instance in which a movie won ‘Best Picture’ without, very strangely, earning any other nominations. Grand Hotel, released in 1932, managed to take home the big prize without any other nominations, although there is a reason why this was likely the case. It was the 5th Academy Awards, so there were considerably fewer categories for movies to contend in – just 12. Meanwhile, the upcoming Academy Awards ceremony has 23 different accolades to be won.
Back then, there was also a smaller amount of movies in circulation compared to today, where many terrific movies won’t even get a look-in at the Oscars. Thus, there was less backing needed for a film to earn a nomination. Now, you’ll need the strength of other nominations, like ‘Best Original Screenplay’ or ‘Best Actor’, if you want to be in with a chance of winning ‘Best Picture’. The fact that this feat was achieved by Grand Hotel and has never been beaten is proof of the ever-changing landscape of the industry.
The movie starred icons like Greta Garbo (who said her famous line “I want to be alone” in the film), Joan Crawford, John Barrymore, and Lionel Barrymore, with direction executed by Edmund Goulding. Grand Hotel followed a group of wildly different individuals as they stay in a German hotel, with various issues, from emotional drama to money, causing plenty of entertainment. It was even remade in 1945 as Week-End at the Waldorf, with Ginger Rogers and Lana Turner starring.
It’s interesting that Grand Hotel didn’t earn any of its prestigious actors an Oscar nomination, because the leading actors of a ‘Best Picture’ nominee almost always earn acting nods, too. To some viewers, the movie simply wasn’t worthy of taking home the top prize, but who knows why the Academy chose the film over its competitors, like Shanghai Express and Bad Girl? The institution is unpredictable, but who can really blame them for awarding a movie with such a stacked ensemble cast?
