31st Academy Awards

{{Infobox film awards

| number = 31

| image = 31st Acad Awards.jpg

| caption = People lining the street under the marquee of the Pantages Theater at the 31st Academy Awards.

| award = Academy Awards

| date = April 6, 1959

| site = Pantages Theatre, Hollywood, California, USA

| host = Jerry Lewis, Mort Sahl, Tony Randall, Bob Hope, David Niven, and Laurence Olivier

| producer = Jerry Wald

| director = Alan Handley

| best_picture = Gigi

| most_wins = Gigi (9)

| most_nominations = The Defiant Ones and Gigi (9)

| network = NBC

| duration =

| last = 30th

| next = 32nd

}}

The 31st Academy Awards ceremony was held on April 6, 1959, to honor the best films of 1958. The night was dominated by Gigi, which won nine Oscars, breaking the previous record of eight set by Gone with the Wind and tied by From Here to Eternity and On the Waterfront.

Gigi set a new record for biggest Oscars sweep, winning all nine of its nominations, which would later be tied by The Last Emperor in 1987 and broken, in 2003, when The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King won all 11 of its nominations. Finally, Gigi was the last film until The Last Emperor to win Best Picture without any acting nominations.{{cite web |last1=Shaw |first1=Gabbi |title='Parasite' is the 12th movie in history to win Best Picture with no acting nominations — here are the other 11 |url=https://www.insider.com/movies-that-won-best-picture-oscars-with-no-acting-nominations |website=Insider |publisher=Insider Inc. |access-date=27 March 2023}}

The ceremony was hosted by an ensemble of actors: Jerry Lewis, Mort Sahl, Tony Randall, Bob Hope, David Niven, and Laurence Olivier.

The show's producer, Jerry Wald, started cutting numbers from the show to make sure it ran on time, but cut too much material, and the ceremony ended 20 minutes early, leaving Jerry Lewis to attempt to fill in the time, which he did with a performance of "There's No Business Like Show Business" from all 90 of the participating stars;

{{cite book |last1=Wallechinsky |first1=David |last2=Wallace |first2=Irving |date=1975 |title=The People's Almanac |url=https://archive.org/details/peoplesalmanac00wall/page/840/mode/2up |location=Garden City, New York |publisher=Doubleday & Company, Inc. |page=841 |isbn=0-385-04060-1}} Lewis did impromptu conducting of the number, but some of the stars began to talk among themselves, while others left or bumped into each other in confusion. Eventually, NBC cut to a re-run of a sports show.

__TOC__

Awards

{{multiple image

| align = right

| direction = vertical

| total_width = 150

| image1 = Vincent Minelli - 1950s.jpg

| caption1 = Vincente Minnelli; Best Director winner

| image2 = David Niven (SAYRE 7175).jpg

| caption2 = David Niven; Best Actor winner

| image3 = Susan Hayward - 1940s.jpg

| caption3 = Susan Hayward; Best Actress winner

| image4 = Burl Ives (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof) 1958.jpg

| caption4 = Burl Ives; Best Supporting Actor winner

| image5 = Wendy Hiller in Sailor of the King.jpg

| caption5 = Wendy Hiller; Best Supporting Actress winner

| image6 = Walt Disney 1946.JPG

| caption6 = Walt Disney; Best Live Action Short Film winner

| image7 = André Previn.jpg

| caption7 = André Previn; Best Scoring of a Musical Picture winner

| image8 = Cecil Beaton Photographs- General; Beaton, Cecil IB4287C cropped.jpg

| caption8 = Cecil Beaton; Best Costume Design winner

}}

Nominations announced on February 23, 1959. Winners are listed first and highlighted with boldface.{{Cite web|url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1959 |title=The 31st Academy Awards (1959) Nominees and Winners |access-date=2011-08-21 |work=oscars.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706094137/http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/legacy/ceremony/31st-winners.html |archive-date=July 6, 2011 |url-status=live }}

style="background:#F9EFAA; width:50%" \| Best Motion Picture ! style="background:#F9EFAA; width:50%" \| Best Directing
class=wikitable
valign="top" \| Gigi – Arthur Freed, producer{{double dagger}} Auntie Mame – Jack L. Warner, producer Cat on a Hot Tin Roof – Lawrence Weingarten, producer The Defiant Ones – Stanley Kramer, producer Separate Tables – Harold Hecht, producer \| valign="top" \| Vincente Minnelli – Gigi{{double dagger}} Richard Brooks – Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Stanley Kramer – The Defiant Ones Robert Wise – I Want to Live! Mark Robson – The Inn of the Sixth Happiness
style="background:#F9EFAA" \| Best Actor ! style="background:#F9EFAA" \| Best Actress
valign="top" \| *David Niven – Separate Tables* as Major David Angus Pollock*{{double dagger}} Tony Curtis – The Defiant Ones* as John "Joker" Jackson Paul Newman – Cat on a Hot Tin Roof as Brick Pollitt Sidney Poitier – The Defiant Ones as Noah Cullen Spencer Tracy – The Old Man and the Sea as The Old Man \| valign="top" \| *Susan Hayward – I Want to Live!* as Barbara Graham*{{double dagger}} Deborah Kerr – Separate Tables* as Sibyl Railton-Bell Shirley MacLaine – Some Came Running as Ginny Moorehead Rosalind Russell – Auntie Mame as Mame Dennis Elizabeth Taylor – Cat on a Hot Tin Roof as Margaret "Maggie the Cat" Pollitt
style="background:#F9EFAA" \| Best Actor in a Supporting Role ! style="background:#F9EFAA" \| Best Actress in a Supporting Role
valign="top" \| *Burl Ives – The Big Country* as Rufus Hannassey*{{double dagger}} Theodore Bikel – The Defiant Ones* as Sheriff Max Muller Lee J. Cobb – The Brothers Karamazov as Fyodor Karamazov Arthur Kennedy – Some Came Running as Frank Hirsh Gig Young – Teacher's Pet as Dr. Hugo Pine \| valign="top" \| *Wendy Hiller – Separate Tables* as Pat Cooper*{{double dagger}} Peggy Cass – Auntie Mame* as Agnes Gooch Martha Hyer – Some Came Running as Gwen French Maureen Stapleton – Lonelyhearts as Fay Doyle Cara Williams – The Defiant Ones as Billy's mother
style="background:#F9EFAA" \| Best Writing (Story and Screenplay -- Written Directly for the Screen) ! style="background:#F9EFAA" \| Best Writing (Screenplay -- Based on Material from Another Medium)
valign="top" \| The Defiant Ones – Nedrick Young and Harold Jacob Smith{{double dagger}} The Goddess – Paddy Chayefsky Houseboat – Melville Shavelson and Jack Rose The Sheepman – William Bowers and James Edward Grant Teacher's Pet – Fay Kanin and Michael Kanin \| valign="top" \| Gigi – Alan Jay Lerner from the novella by Colette{{double dagger}} Cat on a Hot Tin Roof – Richard Brooks and James Poe from Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams The Horse's Mouth – Alec Guinness from The Horse's Mouth by Joyce Cary I Want to Live! – Don Mankiewicz and Nelson Gidding from writings by Ed Montgomery and Barbara Graham Separate Tables – John Gay and Terence Rattigan from Separate Tables by Terence Rattigan
style="background:#F9EFAA" \| Best Foreign Language Film ! style="background:#F9EFAA" \| Best Documentary (Feature)
valign="top" \| My Uncle (France){{double dagger}} Arms and the Man (West Germany) Big Deal on Madonna Street (Italy) The Road a Year Long (Yugoslavia) La venganza (Spain) \| valign="top" \| White Wilderness – Ben Sharpsteen{{double dagger}} Antarctic Crossing The Hidden World Psychiatric Nursing
style="background:#F9EFAA" \| Best Documentary (Short Subject) ! style="background:#F9EFAA" \| Best Short Subject (Live Action)
valign="top" \| Ama Girls – Ben Sharpsteen{{double dagger}} Employees Only Journey into Spring The Living Stone Overture \| valign="top" \| Grand Canyon – Walt Disney{{double dagger}} Journey into Spring – Ian Ferguson The Kiss – John Hayes Snows of Aorangi – New Zealand Screen Board T Is for Tumbleweed – James A. Lebenthal
style="background:#F9EFAA" \| Best Short Subject (Cartoon) ! style="background:#F9EFAA" \| Best Music (Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture)
valign="top" \| Knighty Knight Bugs – John W. Burton{{double dagger}} Paul Bunyan – Walt Disney Sidney's Family Tree – William M. Weiss \| valign="top" \| The Old Man and the Sea – Dimitri Tiomkin{{double dagger}} The Big Country – Jerome Moross Separate Tables – David Raksin White Wilderness – Oliver Wallace The Young Lions – Hugo Friedhofer
style="background:#F9EFAA" \| Best Music (Scoring of a Musical Picture) ! style="background:#F9EFAA" \| Best Music (Song)
valign="top" \| Gigi – André Previn{{double dagger}} The Bolshoi Ballet – Yuri Faier and G. Rozhdestvensky Damn Yankees! – Ray Heindorf Mardi Gras – Lionel Newman South Pacific – Alfred Newman and Ken Darby \| valign="top" \| *"Gigi" from Gigi* – Music by Frederick Loewe; Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner*{{double dagger}} "Almost In Your Arms (Love Song from Houseboat)" from Houseboat* – Music and Lyrics by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans "A Certain Smile" from A Certain Smile – Music by Sammy Fain; Lyrics by Paul Francis Webster "To Love and Be Loved" from Some Came Running – Music by Jimmy Van Heusen; Lyrics by Sammy Cahn "A Very Precious Love" from Marjorie Morningstar – Music by Sammy Fain; Lyrics by Paul Francis Webster
style="background:#F9EFAA" \| Best Sound ! style="background:#F9EFAA" \| Best Art Direction
valign="top" \| South Pacific – Fred Hynes{{double dagger}} I Want to Live! – Gordon E. Sawyer A Time to Love and a Time to Die – Leslie I. Carey Vertigo – George Dutton The Young Lions – Carlton W. Faulkner \| valign="top" \| Gigi – Art Direction: William A. Horning (posthumous award) and E. Preston Ames; Set Decoration: Henry Grace and F. Keogh Gleason{{double dagger}} Auntie Mame – Art Direction: Malcolm Bert; Set Decoration: George James Hopkins Bell, Book and Candle – Art Direction: Cary Odell; Set Decoration: Louis Diage A Certain Smile – Art Direction: Lyle R. Wheeler and John DeCuir; Set Decoration: Walter M. Scott and Paul S. Fox Vertigo – Art Direction: Hal Pereira and Henry Bumstead; Set Decoration: Samuel M. Comer and Frank R. McKelvy
style="background:#F9EFAA" \| Best Costume Design ! style="background:#F9EFAA" \| Best Cinematography (Black-and-White)
valign="top" \| Gigi – Cecil Beaton{{double dagger}} Bell, Book and Candle – Jean Louis The Buccaneer – Ralph Jester, Edith Head and John Jensen A Certain Smile – Charles LeMaire and Mary Wills Some Came Running – Walter Plunkett \| valign="top" \| The Defiant Ones – Sam Leavitt{{double dagger}} Desire Under the Elms – Daniel L. Fapp I Want to Live! – Lionel Lindon Separate Tables – Charles Lang The Young Lions – Joseph MacDonald
style="background:#F9EFAA" \| Best Cinematography (Color) ! style="background:#F9EFAA" \| Best Film Editing
valign="top" \| Gigi – Joseph Ruttenberg{{double dagger}} Auntie Mame – Harry Stradling Sr. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof – William Daniels The Old Man and the Sea – James Wong Howe South Pacific – Leon Shamroy \| valign="top" \| Gigi – Adrienne Fazan{{double dagger}} Auntie Mame – William Ziegler Cowboy – William Lyon and Al Clark The Defiant Ones – Frederic Knudtson I Want to Live! – William Hornbeck
colspan="2" style="background:#F9EFAA" \| Best Special Effects
colspan="2" valign="top" \| Tom Thumb – Tom Howard{{double dagger}} Torpedo Run – Visual Effects: A. Arnold Gillespie; Audible Effects: Harold Humbrock

=Honorary Award=

To Maurice Chevalier for his contributions to the world of entertainment for more than half a century.

=Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award=

Jack L. Warner

Presenters and performers

=Presenters=

Buddy Adler (Presenter: Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award)
Eddie Albert and Vincent Price (Presenters: Art Direction Award)
June Allyson and Dick Powell (Presenters: Musical Scoring Awards)
Ingrid Bergman (Presenters: Best Motion Picture)
Dirk Bogarde, Van Heflin, and Elizabeth Taylor (Presenters: Writing Awards)
Red Buttons and Shelley Winters (Presenters: Best Supporting Actress)
James Cagney and Kim Novak (Presenters: Best Actress)
Cyd Charisse and Robert Stack (Presenters: Best Foreign Language Film)
Gary Cooper and Millie Perkins (Presenters: Best Director)
Wendell Corey and Ernie Kovacs (Presenters: Costume Design Award)
Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh (Presenters: Short Subjects Awards)
Bette Davis and Anthony Quinn (Presenters: Best Supporting Actor)
Doris Day and Rock Hudson (Presenters: Cinematography Awards)
Irene Dunne and John Wayne (Presenters: Best Actor)
Louis Jourdan[https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=gigi+wins+film+editing Search. gigi wins film editing] YouTube and Jean Simmons (Presenters: Best Film Editing)
Anthony Franciosa and Eva Marie Saint (Presenters: Music Awards)
Charlton Heston and Jane Wyman (Presenters: Best Sound Recording)
Sophia Loren and Dean Martin (Presenters: Best Original Song)
Shirley MacLaine and Peter Ustinov (Presenters: Best Visual Effects)
Rosalind Russell (Presenter: Honorary Award to Maurice Chevalier)
Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood (Presenters: Documentary Awards)

=Performers=

Lionel Newman – Conductor the Academy Awards orchestra
Nick Adams, Anna Maria Alberghetti, James Darren, Dean Jones, Connie Stevens, and Tuesday Weld ("Almost In Your Arms" from Houseboat)
Joan Collins, Angela Lansbury and Dana Wynter ("It's Great Not to Be Nominated")
Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster ("It's Alright With Us")
Eddie Fisher ("To Love and Be Loved" from Some Came Running)
Rhonda Fleming and Howard Keel ("A Very Precious Love" from Marjorie Morningstar)
Tony Martin ("Gigi" from Gigi)
John Raitt ("A Certain Smile" from A Certain Smile)

Multiple nominations and awards

scope="col" style="width:55px;" \|Nominations ! scope="col" style="text-align:center;" \|Film
class="wikitable" rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;" \|+ Films with multiple nominations
rowspan="2" style="text-align:center" \| 9 \| The Defiant Ones
Gigi
rowspan="1" style="text-align:center" \| 7 \| Separate Tables
rowspan="3" style="text-align:center" \| 6 \| Auntie Mame
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
I Want to Live!
rowspan="1" style="text-align:center" \| 5 \| Some Came Running
rowspan="4" style="text-align:center" \|3 \| A Certain Smile
The Old Man and the Sea
South Pacific
The Young Lions
rowspan="7" style="text-align:center" \|2 \| Bell, Book and Candle
The Big Country
Houseboat
Journey into Spring
Teacher's Pet
Vertigo
White Wilderness

class="wikitable" rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;" \|+ Films with multiple awards
scope="col" style="width:55px;" \|Awards ! scope="col" style="text-align:center;" \|Film
rowspan=1, style="text-align:center" \| 9 \| Gigi
rowspan=2, style="text-align:center" \| 2 \| The Defiant Ones
Separate Tables

class="wikitable" rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"

|+ Films with multiple awards

scope="col" style="width:55px;" |Awards

! scope="col" style="text-align:center;" |Film

rowspan=1, style="text-align:center" | 9

| Gigi

rowspan=2, style="text-align:center" | 2

| The Defiant Ones

Separate Tables