Every Best Picture Winner In Oscar History

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The ’40s

Even as World War II raged all over the world, movies continued to be made. Unsurprisingly, art reflected life in movies like CasablancaMrs. Miniver, and The Best Years of Our Lives.

The Winners

1940: Rebecca

  • Rebecca also won Best Cinematography, but Alfred Hitchcock, Joan Fontaine, and Laurence Olivier lost the Best Director, Best Actress in a Leading Role, and Best Actor in a Leading Role categories.

1941: How Green Was My Valley

  • How Green Was My Valley took home five total awards: Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography for Black-and-White, Best Director (John Ford), and Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Donald Crisp).

1942: Mrs. Miniver

  • Greer Garson won the Best Actress in a Leading Role Oscar, and Mrs. Miniver added to its haul with Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Teresa Wright), Best Director (William Wyler), Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Cinematography for Black-and-White.

1943: Casablanca

  • No, Humphrey Bogart did not win a Best Actor Oscar for this. (He did get nominated.) Casablanca did take wins for Best Director for Michael Curtiz and Best Adapted Screenplay, though.

1944: Going My Way

  • Going My Way snagged six more wins: Best Actor in a Leading Role (Bing Crosby), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Barry Fitzgerald), Best Director (Leo McCarey), Best Original Screenplay, and Best Music for Original Song.

1945: The Lost Weekend

  • The Lost Weekend had a few more wins in Best Actor in a Leading Role (Ray Milland), Best Director (Billy Wilder), and Best Adapted Screenplay.

1946: The Best Years of Our Lives

  • The Best Years of Our Lives swept the actor categories with Fredric March in Leading Role and Harold Russell in Supporting Role, then added Best Director (William Wyler); Best Film Editing; Best Music, Scoring; and Best Adapted Screenplay.

1947: Gentleman’s Agreement

  • Elia Kazan won Best Director, and Celeste Holm won Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Gentleman’s Agreement.

1948: Hamlet

  • Laurence Olivier won Best Actor in a Leading Role for his turn as the Prince of Denmark; Hamlet also took home Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design, both in the Black-and-White category.

1949: All the King’s Men

  • Broderick Crawford picked up a Best Actor win in the Leading Role category. Mercedes McCambridge snagged a Best Actress win in the Supporting category.

Key Picks

Casablanca and All the Kings Men are perhaps the most timely of the films represented here, considering the current political climate. However, Sir Laurence Olivier knew his Shakespeare, and his Hamlet deserves a watch, as does the adaptation of Rebecca that won in 1940.