This is probably one of the weaker years for Oscar films. Many were repetitive of films that had come through previously, and there were few real stand outs or even movies that felt strong enough to leave a mark, like so many of the years around 1938 had. That's not to say there weren't any films that were worthwhile - Grand Illusion is the first foreign film to be nominated for Best Picture and, to be frank, that's the least remarkable thing about it. It's a wonderful, moving film which makes many of the other nominees look small and quaint in their interests.
Test Pilot, Jezebel, Vivacious Lady were all films that retread old territory, but went beyond their predecessors to leave a mark all of their own, while films like Alexander's Ragtime Band, The Big Broadcast of 1938 and The Great Waltz similarly retread to a totally forgettable effect.
It's also worth noting that three of the four acting winners were repeat offenders - Spencer Tracy won Best Actor for Boys Town this year and had won the year prior for Captains Courageous. Bette Davis won Best Actress for Jezebel and had won three years earlier for Dangerous. Walter Brennan won Best Supporting Actor for Kentucky and had won in the same category two years earlier for Come and Get It. The only new winner was Fay Bainter, for her supporting role in Jezebel, who interestingly was also nominated for Best Actress for White Banners (and lost out to Davis). It represents, I think, a real mark in years for the Awards, but also that sort of suite of a-listers who would continue to be nominated and winning across the board.
Five Movies to Watch from the 11th Oscars
1. Grand Illusion (1937). Tremendously moving, forward thinking and entirely heartbreaking, this account of prisoner's of war during World War I is more tender, more philosophical and more urgent than any movie of it's kind.
2. Holiday (1938). And now for something completely different, this romcom starring Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn is a straight up delight, and one of the few romances of the time that were neither love at first sight nor a hatred turning into love. They connect, before anything else, and that connection is magic on the screen.
3. Pygmalion (1938). Every bit as wonderful if not more so than My Fair Lady. Leslie Howard and Wendy Hiller have a crackling chemistry, and orbit this tight story beautifully. It's terrific.
4. Test Pilot (1938). The story of Spencer Tracy and Myrna Loy loving Clark Gable's reckless pilot is compelling and moving, even more so as it watches as a gay-straight love triangle - a fact Spencer Tracy himself noted.
5. Jezebel (1938). Would any list about this year of Oscars films be complete without this Bette Davis vehicle? It's a great film that lets Davis do what she does best - chew scenery and command attention. She's willful, strong and brilliant.
Three Movies to Miss
1. Under Western Stars (1938). It was a slog to get through this strange and very twee Western film which was basically a masterclass in overacting. Avoid this guy.
2. Suez (1938). Slow and reminiscent of many films before it, Suez offers little in original thought or concept, particularly for a heavily fictionialised biographical film.
2. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1938). Look, it's not that bad, but this was an era where 'child protagonist' was a concept synonymous with hideously precocious.
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