AWARDS 1948

1948
*Hamlet, Laurence Olivier wins best actor. Screen version of Shakespeare's play.


Johnny Belinda. Best Actress: Jane Wyman, Charles Bickford, Agnes Moorhead, nominated. It is the story of a deaf girl, Belinda McDonald, who is befriended by the new doctor Dr. Robert Richardson, who comes to the area of the east coast of Canada, at the end of the nineteenth century. The doctor realizes that, although she cannot hear or speak, Belinda is very intelligent. She lives on a farm with her father, Black McDonald, and her aunt, Aggie McDonald, and rarely goes into town. The family sells farm goods to the nearby town, mainly flour. Her father and aunt resent Belinda because her mother died giving birth to her. Dr. Richardson teaches Belinda sign language and what things are. Over time, his affection for her grows.


The Red Shoes Based on a Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale about a pair of enchanted crimson ballet slippers, "The Red Shoes,"it tells the story of a young ballerina who joins an established ballet company and becomes the lead dancer in a new ballet called The Red Shoes, about a woman who cannot stop dancing.

The Snake Pit, Olivia de Havilland, Anatole Litvak nominated.Olivia stars as an outwardly normal young woman, married to loyal, kindly Mark Stevens. As de Havilland's behavior becomes more and more erratic, however, Stevens comes to the sad conclusion that she needs professional help. She is sent to an overcrowded state hospital for treatment -- a curious set-up, in that, while de Havilland is treated with compassion by soft-spoken psychiatrist she is sorely abused by resentful matrons and profoundly disturbed patients. Throughout the film, she is threatened with being clapped into "the snake pit" -- an open room where the most severe cases are permitted to roam about and jabber incoherently -- if she doesn't realign her thinking.

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Walter Huston wins in Supporting actor role. Humphrey Bogart stars. Once out in the desert, Howard, the old-timer of the group, quickly proves to be by far the toughest and most knowledgeable; he is the one to discover the gold they are seeking. A mine is dug, and much gold is extracted, but greed soon sets in and Dobbs (Humphrey Bogart) begins to lose both his trust and his mind, lusting to possess the entire treasure. The bandits then reappear, pretending, very crudely, to be Federales, which leads to the now-iconic line about not needing to show any "stinking badges". After a gunfight, a real troop of Federales appear and drive the bandits away. But when Howard is called away to assist some local villagers, Dobbs and third partner Curtin have a final confrontation, which Dobbs wins, leaving Curtin lying shot and bleeding. However, as he staggers away through the desert, Dobbs is found and killed by some surviving bandits, who, in their ignorance, scatter the gold to the winds. Curtin is discovered and taken to Howard's village.

Joan of Arc, Ingrid Bergman, nominated. Unlike the play Joan of Lorraine, which is a play-within-a-play about an acting company presenting the story of Joan, the film is a straightforward recounting of the life of the French heroine. It begins with an obviously painted shot of the inside of a church with a shaft of light, possibly descending from heaven, shining down from the ceiling, and a solemn off-screen voice pronouncing the Maid of Orleans. Then, the opening page of what appears to be a church manuscript recounting Joan's life in Latin is shown on the screen, while some uncredited voice over narration sets up the tale. The actual story of Joan then begins, from the time she becomes convinced that she has been divinely called to save France to her being burnt at the stake at the hands of the English and the Burgundians. Numerous versions

Red River Stars John Wayne and Montgomery Clift.
Tom Dunson builds a cattle empire with his adopted son Matthew Garth. Together they begin a massive cattle drive north from Texas to the Missouri rail head. But on the way, new information and Dunson's tyrannical ways cause Matthew to take the herd away from Dunson and head to a new rail head in Kansas. Dunson, swearing vengeance, pursues.

When my Baby Smiles at Me, Starring Betty Grable and Dan Dailey. Vaudeville performers, Dailey and Grable, have marital difficulties when he hits the "Big Time", which are compounded by his drinking problem.

Not listed as a top movie in 1948 BUT listed as a topper for Old Trunks is Mr. Blandings Builds a Dream House starring Cary Grant.

Red Skelton, who later became a TV personality makes movies during this era. Three hundred ninety-seven pictures were released.

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