This Sunday (26 Feb 2017) marks the 89th Annual Academy Awards. Shhhh, don’t tell anybody, but I never watch them. Too many long drawn out speeches. That said, I do have my favorites for Best Picture: Lion, Manchester by the Sea, Hidden Figures.

Rose didn’t watch the Academy Awards either. (Of course, she didn’t! There wasn’t TV, dodo!)

There were awards, though. The First academy awards were held on May 16, 1929. These were a private affair, held at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, with only 270 people in attendance.  Tickets to the after-party were only $5 per person (equivalent to $70 in 2017). The winners, however, had been announced to the media three months earlier. (Apparently, the Awards Gurus realized their mistake, because the following year, the Awards Ceremony was broadcast live on radio.) I’m also certain the speeches weren’t quite so long back then; the entire ceremony only took 15 minutes. [1]

So, what won best picture at that first ceremony? (I know you’re dying to find out; it’s written all over your face.) The 1927/1928 Best Picture, announced that first year, was the only silent movie ever to win Best Picture. Here’s a clip…

Two young men—one rich, one middle class—who are in love with the same woman, become fighter pilots in World War I. [2]

Did Rose see the movie? You bet she did! She loves Clara Bow and Harold wouldn’t have complained at all since there were fighter pilots, and planes, and dogfights!

Sources and Notes

[1] from Wikipedia: 1st Academy Awards

[2] from IMBD: Wings

[3] Also from IMBD, the Remastered movie trailer for Wings

[4] In case you’d like to see the first Dogfight Scene (using real WWI pilots!)