19th Academy Awards — award ceremony presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences for achievement in filmmaking in 1946
The 19th Academy Awards notably saw Harold Russell become the only person in Oscar history to receive two awards for the same performance.
Key Facts
- Date
- March 13, 1947
- Best Picture
- The Best Years of Our Lives
- Wins by top film
- 7 out of 8 nominations
- Harold Russell Oscars
- Two Oscars for the same performance
- Host
- Jack Benny
- Films honored
- Films released in 1946
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Following a year of significant postwar Hollywood filmmaking in 1946, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences convened to recognize outstanding cinematic achievements. The Best Years of Our Lives, a drama addressing the struggles of returning World War II veterans, emerged as the dominant contender with eight nominations.
Held on March 13, 1947, and hosted by Jack Benny, the ceremony saw The Best Years of Our Lives win seven awards including Best Picture and Best Director. WWII veteran Harold Russell received both an Honorary Oscar and the competitive Best Supporting Actor award for the same role, an unprecedented outcome. Best Actress winner Olivia de Havilland publicly rebuffed a handshake from her sister Joan Fontaine.
Harold Russell became the only individual in Academy history to win two Oscars for a single performance, a record that has never been repeated. The ceremony cemented The Best Years of Our Lives as one of the most decorated films of its era and brought lasting public attention to the rivalry between de Havilland and Fontaine, as well as to veteran reintegration themes in postwar cinema.