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1979

Experience over nine decades of the Oscars from 1927 to 2024

The 51st Academy Awards | 1979
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
Monday, April 9, 1979
Honoring movies released in 1978
Highlights
Original Song
"Last Dance" from Thank God It's Friday

Paul Jabara

Honorary Award

Sir Laurence Olivier

Supporting Actress
California Suite

Maggie Smith

Memorable Moments
The Deer Hunter
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Best Picture winners Michael Deeley, Michael Cimino and Barry Spikings, with presenter John Wayne

Christopher Walken
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Supporting Actor winner for The Deer Hunter, with presenters Telly Savalas and Dyan Cannon

Jon Voight and Jane Fonda
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Best Actor and Best Actress winners for Coming Home

WINNERS & NOMINEES
Actor in a Leading Role
Winner
Jon Voight
Coming Home
Nominees
Warren Beatty
Heaven Can Wait
Nominees
Gary Busey
The Buddy Holly Story
Nominees
Robert De Niro
The Deer Hunter
Nominees
Laurence Olivier
The Boys from Brazil
Actor in a Supporting Role
Winner
Christopher Walken
The Deer Hunter
Nominees
Bruce Dern
Coming Home
Nominees
Richard Farnsworth
Comes a Horseman
Nominees
John Hurt
Midnight Express
Nominees
Jack Warden
Heaven Can Wait
Actress in a Leading Role
Winner
Jane Fonda
Coming Home
Nominees
Ingrid Bergman
Autumn Sonata
Nominees
Ellen Burstyn
Same Time, Next Year
Nominees
Jill Clayburgh
An Unmarried Woman
Nominees
Geraldine Page
Interiors
Actress in a Supporting Role
Winner
Maggie Smith
California Suite
Nominees
Dyan Cannon
Heaven Can Wait
Nominees
Penelope Milford
Coming Home
Nominees
Maureen Stapleton
Interiors
Nominees
Meryl Streep
The Deer Hunter
Art Direction
Winner
Heaven Can Wait
Art Direction: Paul Sylbert, Edwin O'Donovan; Set Decoration: George Gaines
Nominees
The Brink's Job
Art Direction: Dean Tavoularis, Angelo Graham; Set Decoration: George R. Nelson, Bruce Kay
Nominees
California Suite
Art Direction: Albert Brenner; Set Decoration: Marvin March
Nominees
Interiors
Art Direction: Mel Bourne; Set Decoration: Daniel Robert
Nominees
The Wiz
Art Direction: Tony Walton, Philip Rosenberg; Set Decoration: Edward Stewart, Robert Drumheller
Cinematography
Winner
Days of Heaven
Nestor Almendros
Nominees
The Deer Hunter
Vilmos Zsigmond
Nominees
Heaven Can Wait
William A. Fraker
Nominees
Same Time, Next Year
Robert Surtees
Nominees
The Wiz
Oswald Morris
Costume Design
Winner
Death on the Nile
Anthony Powell
Nominees
Caravans
Renie Conley
Nominees
Days of Heaven
Patricia Norris
Nominees
The Swarm
Paul Zastupnevich
Nominees
The Wiz
Tony Walton
Directing
Winner
The Deer Hunter
Michael Cimino
Nominees
Coming Home
Hal Ashby
Nominees
Heaven Can Wait
Warren Beatty, Buck Henry
Nominees
Interiors
Woody Allen
Nominees
Midnight Express
Alan Parker
Documentary (Feature)
Winner
Scared Straight!
Arnold Shapiro, Producer
Nominees
The Lovers' Wind
Albert Lamorisse, Producer
Nominees
Mysterious Castles of Clay
Alan Root, Producer
Nominees
Raoni
Jean-Pierre Dutilleux, Barry Williams and Michel Gast, Producers
Nominees
With Babies and Banners: Story of the Women's Emergency Brigade
Anne Bohlen, Lyn Goldfarb and Lorraine Gray, Producers
Documentary (Short Subject)
Winner
The Flight of the Gossamer Condor
Jacqueline Phillips Shedd and Ben Shedd, Producers
Nominees
The Divided Trail: A Native American Odyssey
Jerry Aronson, Producer
Nominees
An Encounter with Faces
K.K. Kapil, Producer
Nominees
Goodnight Miss Ann
August Cinquegrana, Producer
Nominees
Squires of San Quentin
J. Gary Mitchell, Producer
Film Editing
Winner
The Deer Hunter
Peter Zinner
Nominees
The Boys from Brazil
Robert E. Swink
Nominees
Coming Home
Don Zimmerman
Nominees
Midnight Express
Gerry Hambling
Nominees
Superman
Stuart Baird
Foreign Language Film
Winner
Get Out Your Handkerchiefs
France
Nominees
The Glass Cell
German Federal Republic
Nominees
Hungarians
Hungary
Nominees
Viva Italia!
Italy
Nominees
White Bim Black Ear
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award
Winner
Leo Jaffe
Music (Adaptation Score)
Winner
The Buddy Holly Story
Joe Renzetti
Nominees
Pretty Baby
Jerry Wexler
Nominees
The Wiz
Quincy Jones
Music (Original Score)
Winner
Midnight Express
Giorgio Moroder
Nominees
The Boys from Brazil
Jerry Goldsmith
Nominees
Days of Heaven
Ennio Morricone
Nominees
Heaven Can Wait
Dave Grusin
Nominees
Superman
John Williams
Music (Original Song)
Winner
Thank God It's Friday
Last Dance in "Thank God It's Friday" Music and Lyrics by Paul Jabara
Nominees
Grease
Hopelessly Devoted To You in "Grease" Music and Lyrics by John Farrar
Nominees
Same Time, Next Year
The Last Time I Felt Like This in "Same Time, Next Year" Music by Marvin Hamlisch; Lyrics by Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman
Nominees
Foul Play
Ready To Take A Chance Again in "Foul Play" Music by Charles Fox; Lyrics by Norman Gimbel
Nominees
The Magic of Lassie
When You're Loved in "The Magic of Lassie" Music and Lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman
Best Picture
Winner
The Deer Hunter
Barry Spikings, Michael Deeley, Michael Cimino and John Peverall, Producers
Nominees
Coming Home
Jerome Hellman, Producer
Nominees
Heaven Can Wait
Warren Beatty, Producer
Nominees
Midnight Express
Alan Marshall and David Puttnam, Producers
Nominees
An Unmarried Woman
Paul Mazursky and Tony Ray, Producers
Short Film (Animated)
Winner
Special Delivery
Eunice Macaulay and John Weldon, Producers
Nominees
Oh My Darling
Nico Crama, Producer
Nominees
Rip Van Winkle
Will Vinton, Producer
Short Film (Live Action)
Winner
Teenage Father
Taylor Hackford, Producer
Nominees
A Different Approach
Jim Belcher and Fern Field, Producers
Nominees
Mandy's Grandmother
Andrew Sugerman, Producer
Nominees
Strange Fruit
Seth Pinsker, Producer
Sound
Winner
The Deer Hunter
Richard Portman, William McCaughey, Aaron Rochin, Darin Knight
Nominees
The Buddy Holly Story
Tex Rudloff, Joel Fein, Curly Thirlwell, Willie Burton
Nominees
Days of Heaven
John K. Wilkinson, Robert W. Glass, Jr., John T. Reitz, Barry Thomas
Nominees
Hooper
Robert Knudson, Robert J. Glass, Don MacDougall, Jack Solomon
Nominees
Superman
Gordon K. McCallum, Graham Hartstone, Nicolas Le Messurier, Roy Charman
Special Achievement Award (Visual Effects)
Winner
Superman
Les Bowie, Colin Chilvers, Denys Coop, Roy Field, Derek Meddings, Zoran Perisic
Writing (Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium)
Winner
Midnight Express
Oliver Stone
Nominees
Bloodbrothers
Walter Newman
Nominees
California Suite
Neil Simon
Nominees
Heaven Can Wait
Elaine May, Warren Beatty
Nominees
Same Time, Next Year
Bernard Slade
Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen)
Winner
Coming Home
Story by Nancy Dowd; Screenplay by Waldo Salt, Robert C. Jones
Nominees
Autumn Sonata
Ingmar Bergman
Nominees
The Deer Hunter
Story by Michael Cimino, Deric Washburn, Louis Garfinkle, Quinn K. Redeker; Screenplay by Deric Washburn
Nominees
Interiors
Woody Allen
Nominees
An Unmarried Woman
Paul Mazursky

A

Autumn Sonata
2 NOMINATIONS
  • Actress in a Leading Role - Ingrid Bergman
  • Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen) - Ingmar Bergman

B

Bloodbrothers
1 NOMINATION
  • Writing (Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium) - Walter Newman
The Boys from Brazil
3 NOMINATIONS
  • Actor in a Leading Role - Laurence Olivier
  • Film Editing - Robert E. Swink
  • Music (Original Score) - Jerry Goldsmith
The Brink's Job
1 NOMINATION
  • Art Direction - Art Direction: Dean Tavoularis, Angelo Graham; Set Decoration: George R. Nelson, Bruce Kay
The Buddy Holly Story
3 NOMINATIONS, 1 WIN
  • * Music (Adaptation Score) - Joe Renzetti
  • Actor in a Leading Role - Gary Busey
  • Sound - Tex Rudloff, Joel Fein, Curly Thirlwell, Willie Burton

C

California Suite
3 NOMINATIONS, 1 WIN
  • * Actress in a Supporting Role - Maggie Smith
  • Art Direction - Art Direction: Albert Brenner; Set Decoration: Marvin March
  • Writing (Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium) - Neil Simon
Caravans
1 NOMINATION
  • Costume Design - Renie Conley
Comes a Horseman
1 NOMINATION
  • Actor in a Supporting Role - Richard Farnsworth
Coming Home
8 NOMINATIONS, 3 WINS
  • * Actor in a Leading Role - Jon Voight
  • * Actress in a Leading Role - Jane Fonda
  • * Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen) - Story by Nancy Dowd; Screenplay by Waldo Salt, Robert C. Jones
  • Actor in a Supporting Role - Bruce Dern
  • Actress in a Supporting Role - Penelope Milford
  • Directing - Hal Ashby
  • Film Editing - Don Zimmerman
  • Best Picture - Jerome Hellman, Producer

D

Days of Heaven
4 NOMINATIONS, 1 WIN
  • * Cinematography - Nestor Almendros
  • Costume Design - Patricia Norris
  • Music (Original Score) - Ennio Morricone
  • Sound - John K. Wilkinson, Robert W. Glass, Jr., John T. Reitz, Barry Thomas
Death on the Nile
1 WIN, 1 NOMINATION
  • * Costume Design - Anthony Powell
The Deer Hunter
9 NOMINATIONS, 5 WINS
  • * Actor in a Supporting Role - Christopher Walken
  • * Directing - Michael Cimino
  • * Film Editing - Peter Zinner
  • * Best Picture - Barry Spikings, Michael Deeley, Michael Cimino and John Peverall, Producers
  • * Sound - Richard Portman, William McCaughey, Aaron Rochin, Darin Knight
  • Actor in a Leading Role - Robert De Niro
  • Actress in a Supporting Role - Meryl Streep
  • Cinematography - Vilmos Zsigmond
  • Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen) - Story by Michael Cimino, Deric Washburn, Louis Garfinkle, Quinn K. Redeker; Screenplay by Deric Washburn
A Different Approach
1 NOMINATION
  • Short Film (Live Action) - Jim Belcher and Fern Field, Producers
The Divided Trail: A Native American Odyssey
1 NOMINATION
  • Documentary (Short Subject) - Jerry Aronson, Producer

E

An Encounter with Faces
1 NOMINATION
  • Documentary (Short Subject) - K.K. Kapil, Producer

F

The Flight of the Gossamer Condor
1 WIN, 1 NOMINATION
  • * Documentary (Short Subject) - Jacqueline Phillips Shedd and Ben Shedd, Producers
Foul Play
1 NOMINATION
  • Music (Original Song) - Ready To Take A Chance Again in "Foul Play" Music by Charles Fox; Lyrics by Norman Gimbel

G

Get Out Your Handkerchiefs
1 WIN, 1 NOMINATION
  • * Foreign Language Film - France
The Glass Cell
1 NOMINATION
  • Foreign Language Film - German Federal Republic
Goodnight Miss Ann
1 NOMINATION
  • Documentary (Short Subject) - August Cinquegrana, Producer
Grease
1 NOMINATION
  • Music (Original Song) - Hopelessly Devoted To You in "Grease" Music and Lyrics by John Farrar

H

Heaven Can Wait
9 NOMINATIONS, 1 WIN
  • * Art Direction - Art Direction: Paul Sylbert, Edwin O'Donovan; Set Decoration: George Gaines
  • Actor in a Leading Role - Warren Beatty
  • Actor in a Supporting Role - Jack Warden
  • Actress in a Supporting Role - Dyan Cannon
  • Cinematography - William A. Fraker
  • Directing - Warren Beatty, Buck Henry
  • Music (Original Score) - Dave Grusin
  • Best Picture - Warren Beatty, Producer
  • Writing (Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium) - Elaine May, Warren Beatty
Hooper
1 NOMINATION
  • Sound - Robert Knudson, Robert J. Glass, Don MacDougall, Jack Solomon
Hungarians
1 NOMINATION
  • Foreign Language Film - Hungary

I

Interiors
5 NOMINATIONS
  • Actress in a Leading Role - Geraldine Page
  • Actress in a Supporting Role - Maureen Stapleton
  • Art Direction - Art Direction: Mel Bourne; Set Decoration: Daniel Robert
  • Directing - Woody Allen
  • Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen) - Woody Allen

L

The Lovers' Wind
1 NOMINATION
  • Documentary (Feature) - Albert Lamorisse, Producer

M

The Magic of Lassie
1 NOMINATION
  • Music (Original Song) - When You're Loved in "The Magic of Lassie" Music and Lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman
Mandy's Grandmother
1 NOMINATION
  • Short Film (Live Action) - Andrew Sugerman, Producer
Midnight Express
6 NOMINATIONS, 2 WINS
  • * Music (Original Score) - Giorgio Moroder
  • * Writing (Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium) - Oliver Stone
  • Actor in a Supporting Role - John Hurt
  • Directing - Alan Parker
  • Film Editing - Gerry Hambling
  • Best Picture - Alan Marshall and David Puttnam, Producers
Mysterious Castles of Clay
1 NOMINATION
  • Documentary (Feature) - Alan Root, Producer

O

Oh My Darling
1 NOMINATION
  • Short Film (Animated) - Nico Crama, Producer

P

Pretty Baby
1 NOMINATION
  • Music (Adaptation Score) - Jerry Wexler

R

Raoni
1 NOMINATION
  • Documentary (Feature) - Jean-Pierre Dutilleux, Barry Williams and Michel Gast, Producers
Rip Van Winkle
1 NOMINATION
  • Short Film (Animated) - Will Vinton, Producer

S

Same Time, Next Year
4 NOMINATIONS
  • Actress in a Leading Role - Ellen Burstyn
  • Cinematography - Robert Surtees
  • Music (Original Song) - The Last Time I Felt Like This in "Same Time, Next Year" Music by Marvin Hamlisch; Lyrics by Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman
  • Writing (Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium) - Bernard Slade
Scared Straight!
1 WIN, 1 NOMINATION
  • * Documentary (Feature) - Arnold Shapiro, Producer
Special Delivery
1 WIN, 1 NOMINATION
  • * Short Film (Animated) - Eunice Macaulay and John Weldon, Producers
Squires of San Quentin
1 NOMINATION
  • Documentary (Short Subject) - J. Gary Mitchell, Producer
Strange Fruit
1 NOMINATION
  • Short Film (Live Action) - Seth Pinsker, Producer
Superman
4 NOMINATIONS, 1 WIN
  • * Special Achievement Award (Visual Effects) - Les Bowie, Colin Chilvers, Denys Coop, Roy Field, Derek Meddings, Zoran Perisic
  • Film Editing - Stuart Baird
  • Music (Original Score) - John Williams
  • Sound - Gordon K. McCallum, Graham Hartstone, Nicolas Le Messurier, Roy Charman
The Swarm
1 NOMINATION
  • Costume Design - Paul Zastupnevich

T

Teenage Father
1 WIN, 1 NOMINATION
  • * Short Film (Live Action) - Taylor Hackford, Producer
Thank God It's Friday
1 WIN, 1 NOMINATION
  • * Music (Original Song) - Last Dance in "Thank God It's Friday" Music and Lyrics by Paul Jabara

U

An Unmarried Woman
3 NOMINATIONS
  • Actress in a Leading Role - Jill Clayburgh
  • Best Picture - Paul Mazursky and Tony Ray, Producers
  • Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen) - Paul Mazursky

V

Viva Italia!
1 NOMINATION
  • Foreign Language Film - Italy

W

White Bim Black Ear
1 NOMINATION
  • Foreign Language Film - Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
With Babies and Banners: Story of the Women's Emergency Brigade
1 NOMINATION
  • Documentary (Feature) - Anne Bohlen, Lyn Goldfarb and Lorraine Gray, Producers
The Wiz
4 NOMINATIONS
  • Art Direction - Art Direction: Tony Walton, Philip Rosenberg; Set Decoration: Edward Stewart, Robert Drumheller
  • Cinematography - Oswald Morris
  • Costume Design - Tony Walton
  • Music (Adaptation Score) - Quincy Jones
No Films Found