RKO Radio (Samuel Goldwyn Productions)
Oscar Nominations: 11
Picture, produced by Samuel Goldwyn
Actor: Gary Cooper
Actress: Teresa Wright
Screenplay: Herman J. Mankiewicz and Jo Swerling
Story (Original): Paul Gallico
Cinematography (b/w): Rudolph Mate
Interior Decoration (b/w): Perry Ferguson, art direction; Howard Bristol, set decoration
Film Editing: Daniel Mandell
Score (Dramatic or Comedy): Leigh Harline
Sound Recording: Thomas Moulton
Special Effects: Jack Cosgrove and Ray Binger, photographic; Thomas Moulton, sound
Oscar Awards: 1
Film Editing
Oscar Context
Made in the tradition of MGM's glossy pictures, this noble film describes a middle-class English family during WWII. A strong moral booster and reaffirmation of the ideals of human suffering and fortitude in times of crisis, it was Hollywood's version of an “ordinary” family. Easily one of the worst films to have ever won the Best Picture Oscar. In 1942, “Mrs. Miniver” competed against “The Invaders,” “Kings Row,” “The Magnificent Ambersons,” “The Pied Piper,” “The Pride of the Yankees,” “Random Harvest,” “The Talk of the Town,” “Wake Island,” and “Yankee Doodle Dandy.”
Most of these films were patriotic flag-wavers, reflecting the surrounding reality of the U.S. 1941 entry into WWII. Next to “Mrs. Miniver,” the Gary Cooper sports biopic “The Pride of the Yankees,” was the most nominated (11) picture, though it won only one Oscar, for Daniel Mandell's editing.
“Mrs. Miniver” is one of the few films that have garnered nominations in all four acting categories: Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress; in fact, there were two women in the supporting league alone. Teresa Wright joined a small group of Academy actors, have who received lead and supporting nomination in the same year; Wright was also nominated for “Pride of the Yankees.”
The winner of the Best Actor was James Cagney for “Yankee Doodle Dandy.” The Special Effects Oscar went to Cecil B. DeMille's “Reap the Wild Wind.”
