Best Picture: My Fair Lady
My Fair Lady also won Academy Awards for Best Actor (Rex Harrison), Color Art Direction-Set Decoration (Gene Allen, Cecil Beaton, and George James Hopkins), Color Cinematography (Harry Stradling), Color Costume Design (Cecil Beaton), Directing (George Cukor), Music – Scoring of Music, adaptation or treatment (Andre Previn), and Sound (Warner Bros. Studio Sound Department).
The two musicals nominated for Best Picture, My Fair Lady and Mary Poppins, had something in common – Julie Andrews. Andrews was the star of Mary Poppins – and won the Best Actress category – and had originated the Eliza Doolittle role in the stage version of My Fair Lady.
Bob Hope was the master of ceremonies.
Judy Garland sang a special medley of Cole Porter songs.
This was the last year home viewers would see an Academy Awards ceremony telecast only in black-and-white.
In January 1964, U.S. Surgeon General Luther Leonidas Terry reported that smoking may be hazardous to one's health. The report led to the Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act of 1965.
On January 16, 1964, the musical Hello, Dolly!, starring Carol Channing, opened at the St. James Theatre in New York City.
On February 9, 1964, The Beatles performed on The Ed Sullivan Show, marking their first live performance on American television.
On March 15, 1964, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton were married in Montreal, Canada.
On March 30, 1964, Merv Griffin's television game show Jeopardy! debuted on NBC.
In June 1964, Nelson Mandela and seven others were sentenced to life imprisonment and sent to the Robben Island prison.
On July 2, 1964, President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law, abolishing racial discrimination in the United States.
In September 1964, Goldfinger, the third James Bond film, was released in the U.K. It was released in the U.S. in December 1964.
On September 17, 1964, the television show Bewitched, starring Elizabeth Montgomery, premiered on ABC.
In October 1964, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. At age 35, he was the youngest person ever to receive the award.
On December 6, 1964, the stop-motion animated special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer premiered on NBC.
Honorary Award
To William Tuttle for his outstanding make-up achievement for 7 Faces of Dr. Lao.