RKO (Goldwyn Production)
Oscar Nominations: 9
Picture, produced by Samuel Goldwyn
Director: William Wyler
Screenplay: Lillian Hellman
Actress: Bette Davis
Supporting Actress: Patricia Collinge
Supporting Actress: Teresa Wright
Interior Decoration (b/w): Stephen Gooson, art direction; Howard Bristol, set decoration
Editing: Daniel Mandell
Scoring (Dramatic): Meredith Wilson
Oscar Awards: None
Oscar Context:
John Ford's “How Green Was My Valley” was selected by the Academy as Best Picture while the U.S. had already been involved in the War. The film's warmly sympathetic depiction of family unity must have hit deep chords in the country's collective consciousness, which may explain, at least in part, why its two major competitors, Orson Welles's masterpiece, “Citizen Kane” and William Wyler's “The Little Foxes,” each with nine nominations, were the losers. Both films, particularly “Little Foxes,” represented dark and somber visions of the American family. Once again, the “right” contents and ideological approach made the difference, though it's noteworthy that “How Green” was as visually distinguishable as it was thematically acceptable.
The most nominated film in 1941 was Howard Hawks' patriotic saga, “Sergeant York,” which received 11 nominations and won two: Gary Cooper as Best Actor and Film Editing for William Holmes.
In 1941, “The Little Foxes” competed for the Best Picture Oscar with “Blossoms in the Dust,” “Citizen Kane,” “Here Comes Mr. Jordan,” “Hold Back the Dawn,” “How Green Was My Valley,” “The Maltese Falcon,” “One Foot in Heaven,” “Sergeant York,” and “Suspicion.”
