Cineliteracy 1944: You Must Remember This….Events, Trends, Movies, Stars
My Oscar Book:
Top-grossing films (U.S.) of 1944
1 Going My Way Paramount Pictures $6,500,000
2 Meet Me in St. Louis Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer $5,016,000
3 Since You Went Away UA/Selznick International Pictures $4,900,000
4 Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer $4,297,000
5 The White Cliffs of Dover $4,045,000
6 A Guy Named Joe $3,970,000
7 Hollywood Canteen Warner Bros. $3,831,000
8 To Have and Have Not $3,652,000
9 Frenchman’s Creek Paramount Pictures $3,500,000
10 Up in Arms RKO/Goldwyn Productions $3,334,000
Oscar Year: 1944
Best Picture Nominees
Double Indemnity
Gaslight
Going My Way
Since You Went Away
Wilson
N.Y. Film Critics Circle: Going My Way
Movie Events
March 10 –
MGM’s A Guy Named Joe, starring Spencer Tracy and Irene Dunne, is released in US, and is huge success.
May 3 –
Going My Way, directed by Leo McCarey and starring Bing Crosby and Barry Fitzgerald, premieres. The year’s highest-grossing picture, it goes on to win 7 Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Original Song for “Swinging on a Star”.
May 13 –
Dale Evans appears in first film with future husband, Roy Rogers, Cowboy and the Senorita.
July 20
Since You Went Away is released.
September 6
Double Indemnity is released.
November 22
MGM’s Meet Me in St. Louis, starring Judy Garland and Margaret O’Brien premieres. Hugely popular with audiences and critics, the film is nominated for 4 Oscars.
Awards
Category/Organization
January 20, 1945 17th Academy Awards
Best Film Going My Way
Best Director Leo McCarey, Going My Way
Best Actor Bing Crosby, Going My Way
Best Actress Ingrid Bergman, Gaslight
Best Supporting Actor Barry Fitzgerald, Going My Way
Best Supporting Actress Ethel Barrymore, None but the Lonely Heart
Top Ten Money Making Stars
Rank Actor/Actress
1. Bing Crosby
2. Gary Cooper
3. Bob Hope
4. Betty Grable
5. Spencer Tracy
6. Greer Garson
7. Humphrey Bogart
8. (tie) Bud Abbott
Lou Costello
9. Cary Grant
10. Bette Davis
Box-Office Hits
Going My Way $6.5 (million)
Meet Me in St. Louis 5.2
Since You Went Away 4.9
30 Seconds Over Tokyo 4.5
Hollywood Canteen 4.2
Guy Named Joe 4.1
White Cliffs of Dover 4.1
National Velvet 4.1
Other Hits and Significant Films
Arsenic and Old Lace
The Story of Dr. Wassel
None But the Lonely Heart
Mrs. Parkington
Pin-Up Girl
Best Actress: Awards
Oscar: Ingrid Bergman, Gaslight
N.Y. Film Critics Circle: Tallulah Bankhead, Lifeboat
Best Actor: Awards
Oscar: Bing Crosby, Going My Way
N.Y. Film Critics Circle: Barry Fitzgerald, Going My Way
Research in Progress (April 21, 2021)
