Best Picture: All the King’s Men
All the King’s Men also won Academy Awards for Best Actor (Broderick Crawford) and Best Supporting Actress (Mercedes McCambridge).
Paul Douglas was the master of ceremonies.
In Janurary 1949, the first Emmy Awards were presented at the Hollywood Athletic Club.
On February 10, 1949, Arthur Miller’s play Death of a Salesman, starring Lee J. Cobb, premiered in New York City.
On April 7, 1949, the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific, starring Mary Martin and Ezio Pinza, opened on Broadway.
In June 1949, Hopalong Cassidy, television’s first Western series, aired on NBC.
On October 1, 1949, the People’s Republic of China was formally established.
In November 1949, the ski resort in Squaw Valley, California opened and offered the first double chairlift in the western U.S.
Special Foreign Language Film Award
Italy in The Bicycle Thief – To The Bicycle Thief - voted by the Academy Board of Governors as the most outstanding foreign language film released in the United States during 1949.
Special Award
To Bobby Driscoll, as the outstanding juvenile actor of 1949.
Special Award
To Fred Astaire for his unique artistry and his contributions to the technique of musical pictures.
Special Award
To Cecil B. DeMille, distinguished motion picture pioneer, for 37 years of brilliant showmanship.
Special Award
To Jean Hersholt, for distinguished service to the motion picture industry.