14th Academy Awards — American Motion Picture Academy film award ceremony
The 14th Academy Awards is remembered for Citizen Kane losing Best Picture to How Green Was My Valley, despite later being considered the greatest film ever made.
Key Facts
- Ceremony date
- February 26, 1942
- Venue
- Biltmore Hotel, Los Angeles
- Citizen Kane nominations
- 9 nominations, 1 win (Best Original Screenplay)
- John Ford Best Director wins
- 3rd win; first to win in consecutive years
- Best Actress winner
- Joan Fontaine for Suspicion
- The Little Foxes nominations
- 9 nominations, 0 wins (record at the time)
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The 14th Academy Awards honored film achievements from 1941. The ceremony was briefly cancelled following Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, before ultimately proceeding. The Best Picture race featured notable films including Citizen Kane, How Green Was My Valley, and The Little Foxes.
The ceremony was held at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles on February 26, 1942. How Green Was My Valley, directed by John Ford, won Best Picture over Citizen Kane. Ford took his third Best Director award, and Joan Fontaine won Best Actress for Suspicion, defeating her sister Olivia de Havilland.
Citizen Kane's near-shutout, winning only Best Original Screenplay despite nine nominations, became one of Hollywood's most discussed upsets as the film was later widely regarded as the greatest ever made. The Little Foxes set a then-record of nine nominations with no wins, a benchmark later surpassed by other films.