The 25th Academy Awards were held on March 19, 1953, at the RKO Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, and the NBC International Theatre in New York City, to honor the films of 1952. It was the first Oscars ceremony to be televised,
This ceremony was the first to be broadcast on television; the Academy, long resistant of television, paid NBC $100,000 to televise the event.
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- The Greatest Show on Earth – Cecil B. DeMille for Paramount Pictures
- High Noon – Stanley Kramer for United Artists
- Ivanhoe – Pandro S. Berman for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
- Moulin Rouge – John Huston for United Artists
- The Quiet Man – John Ford and Merian C. Cooper for Republic Pictures
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- John Ford – The Quiet Man
- Joseph L. Mankiewicz – Five Fingers
- Cecil B. DeMille – The Greatest Show on Earth
- Fred Zinnemann – High Noon
- John Huston – Moulin Rouge
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- Gary Cooper – High Noon as Marshall Will Kane
- Marlon Brando – Viva Zapata! as Emiliano Zapata
- Kirk Douglas – The Bad and the Beautiful as Jonathan Shields
- José Ferrer – Moulin Rouge as Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec/Comte Alphonse de Toulouse-Lautrec
- Alec Guinness – The Lavender Hill Mob as Henry "Dutch" Holland
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- Shirley Booth – Come Back, Little Sheba as Lola Delaney
- Joan Crawford – Sudden Fear as Myra Hudson
- Bette Davis – The Star as Margaret "Maggie" Elliot
- Julie Harris – The Member of the Wedding as Frankie Addams
- Susan Hayward – With a Song in My Heart as Jane Froman
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- Anthony Quinn – Viva Zapata! as Eufemio Zapata
- Richard Burton – My Cousin Rachel as Philip Ashley
- Arthur Hunnicutt – The Big Sky as Zeb Calloway
- Victor McLaglen – The Quiet Man as Squire "Red" Will Danaher
- Jack Palance – Sudden Fear as Lester Blaine
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- Gloria Grahame – The Bad and the Beautiful as Rosemary Bartlow
- Jean Hagen – Singin' in the Rain as Lina Lamont
- Colette Marchand – Moulin Rouge as Marie Charlet
- Terry Moore – Come Back, Little Sheba as Marie Buckholder
- Thelma Ritter – With a Song in My Heart as Clancy
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- The Greatest Show on Earth – Fredric M. Frank, Theodore St. John and Frank Cavett
- My Son John – Leo McCarey
- The Narrow Margin – Martin Goldsmith and Jack Leonard
- The Pride of St. Louis – Guy Trosper
- The Sniper – Edna Anhalt and Edward Anhalt
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- The Lavender Hill Mob – T. E. B. Clarke
- The Atomic City – Sydney Boehm
- Breaking the Sound Barrier – Terence Rattigan
- Pat and Mike – Ruth Gordon and Garson Kanin
- Viva Zapata! – John Steinbeck
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- The Bad and the Beautiful – Charles Schnee from "Tribute to a Badman" by George Bradshaw
- Five Fingers – Michael Wilson from Operation Cicero by Ludwig Carl Moyzisch
- High Noon – Carl Foreman from "The Tin Star" by John W. Cunningham
- The Man in the White Suit – Roger MacDougall, John Dighton and Alexander Mackendrick from The Man in the White Suit by Roger MacDougall
- The Quiet Man – Frank S. Nugent from "Green Rushes" by Maurice Walsh
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- The Sea Around Us – Irwin Allen
- The Hoaxters – Dore Schary
- Navajo – Hall Bartlett
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- Neighbours – Norman McLaren
- Devil Take Us – Herbert Morgan
- The Garden Spider – Alberto Ancilotto
- Man Alive! – Stephen Bosustow
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- Light in the Window – Boris Vermont
- Athletes of the Saddle – Jack Eaton
- Desert Killer – Gordon Hollingshead
- Neighbours – Norman McLaren
- Royal Scotland – Crown Film Unit
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- Water Birds – Walt Disney
- Bridge of Time – London Film Productions
- Devil Take Us – Herbert Morgan
- Thar She Blows! – Gordon Hollingshead
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- Johann Mouse – Fred Quimby
- Little Johnny Jet – Fred Quimby
- Madeline – Stephen Bosustow
- Pink and Blue Blues – Stephen Bosustow
- The Romance of Transportation in Canada – Tom Daly
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- High Noon – Dimitri Tiomkin
- Ivanhoe – Miklós Rózsa
- The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima – Max Steiner
- The Thief – Herschel Burke Gilbert
- Viva Zapata! – Alex North
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- With a Song in My Heart – Alfred Newman
- Hans Christian Andersen – Walter Scharf
- The Jazz Singer – Ray Heindorf and Max Steiner
- The Medium – Gian Carlo Menotti
- Singin' in the Rain – Lennie Hayton
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- "The Ballad of High Noon ("Do Not Forsake Me, O My Darlin'")" from High Noon – Music by Dimitri Tiomkin; Lyrics by Ned Washington
- "Am I in Love?" from Son of Paleface – Music and Lyrics by Jack Brooks
- "Because You're Mine" from Because You're Mine – Music by Nicholas Brodszky; Lyrics by Sammy Cahn
- "Thumbelina" from Hans Christian Andersen – Music and Lyrics by Frank Loesser
- "Zing a Little Zong" from Just for You – Music by Harry Warren; Lyrics by Leo Robin
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- Breaking the Sound Barrier – London Films Sound Department
- The Card – Pinewood Studios Sound Department
- Hans Christian Andersen – Gordon E. Sawyer
- The Quiet Man – Daniel J. Bloomberg
- With a Song in My Heart – Thomas T. Moulton
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- The Bad and the Beautiful – Art Direction: Cedric Gibbons and Edward Carfagno; Set Decoration: Edwin B. Willis and F. Keogh Gleason
- Carrie – Art Direction: Hal Pereira and Roland Anderson; Set Decoration: Emile Kuri
- My Cousin Rachel – Art Direction: Lyle R. Wheeler and John DeCuir; Set Decoration: Walter M. Scott
- Rashomon – Art Direction: So Matsuyama; Set Decoration: H. Matsumoto
- Viva Zapata! – Art Direction: Lyle R. Wheeler and Leland Fuller; Set Decoration: Thomas Little and Claude Carpenter
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- Moulin Rouge – Art Direction: Paul Sheriff; Set Decoration: Marcel Vertès
- Hans Christian Andersen – Art Direction: Richard Day and Antoni Clavé; Set Decoration: Howard Bristol
- The Merry Widow – Art Direction: Cedric Gibbons and Paul Groesse; Set Decoration: Edwin B. Willis and Arthur Krams
- The Quiet Man – Art Direction: Frank Hotaling; Set Decoration: John McCarthy Jr. and Charles Thompson
- The Snows of Kilimanjaro – Art Direction: Lyle R. Wheeler and John DeCuir; Set Decoration: Thomas Little and Paul S. Fox
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- The Bad and the Beautiful – Robert Surtees
- The Big Sky – Russell Harlan
- My Cousin Rachel – Joseph LaShelle
- Navajo – Virgil Miller
- Sudden Fear – Charles Lang
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- The Quiet Man – Winton C. Hoch and Archie Stout
- Hans Christian Andersen – Harry Stradling
- Ivanhoe – F. A. Young
- Million Dollar Mermaid – George Folsey
- The Snows of Kilimanjaro – Leon Shamroy
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- The Bad and the Beautiful – Helen Rose
- Affair in Trinidad – Jean Louis
- Carrie – Edith Head
- My Cousin Rachel – Charles LeMaire and Dorothy Jeakins
- Sudden Fear – Sheila O'Brien
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- Moulin Rouge – Marcel Vertès
- The Greatest Show on Earth – Edith Head, Dorothy Jeakins and Miles White
- Hans Christian Andersen – Antoni Clavé, Mary Wills and Barbara Karinska
- The Merry Widow – Helen Rose and Gile Steele
- With a Song in My Heart – Charles LeMaire
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- High Noon – Elmo Williams and Harry W. Gerstad
- Come Back, Little Sheba – Warren Low
- Flat Top – William Austin
- The Greatest Show on Earth – Anne Bauchens
- Moulin Rouge – Ralph Kemplen
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Best Special Effects
- Plymouth Adventure – Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Honorary Foreign Language Film Award
- To Forbidden Games (France) - Best Foreign Language Film first released in the United States during 1952.
Honorary Awards
- To George Alfred Mitchell for the design and development of the camera which bears his name and for his continued and dominant presence in the field of cinematography.
- To Joseph M. Schenck for long and distinguished service to the motion picture industry.
- To Merian C. Cooper for his many innovations and contributions to the art of motion pictures.
- To Harold Lloyd, master comedian and good citizen.
- To Bob Hope for his contribution to the laughter of the world, his service to the motion picture industry, and his devotion to the American premise.
Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award
- Cecil B. DeMille
Multiple nominations and awards
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|+Films that received multiple nominations
! Nominations
! Film
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| rowspan="3" style="text-align:center"| 7
| High Noon
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| Moulin Rouge
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| The Quiet Man
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| rowspan="2" style="text-align:center"| 6
| The Bad and the Beautiful
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| Hans Christian Andersen
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| rowspan="3" style="text-align:center"| 5
| The Greatest Show on Earth
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| Viva Zapata!
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| With a Song in My Heart
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| rowspan="2" style="text-align:center"| 4
| My Cousin Rachel
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| Sudden Fear
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| rowspan="2" style="text-align:center"| 3
| Come Back, Little Sheba
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| Ivanhoe
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| rowspan="11" style="text-align:center"| 2
| The Big Sky
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| Breaking the Sound Barrier
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| Carrie
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|Devil Take Us
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| Five Fingers
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| The Lavender Hill Mob
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| The Merry Widow
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| Navajo
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| Neighbours
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| Singin' in the Rain
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| The Snows of Kilimanjaro
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|+
Films that received multiple awards
! Awards
! Film
|-
| style="text-align:center"| 5
| The Bad and the Beautiful
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| style="text-align:center"| 4
| High Noon
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| rowspan="3" style="text-align:center"| 2
| The Greatest Show on Earth
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| Moulin Rouge
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| The Quiet Man
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Presenters and performers
Presenters
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! Name
! Role
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| || Announcer for the 25th Academy Awards
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| (AMPAS president) || Gave opening remarks welcoming guests to the awards ceremony
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| || Presenter of the award for Best Costume Design
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| || Presenter of the Documentary Awards
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| || Presenter of the award for Best Film Editing
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| <br />James Stewart || Presenters of the Art Direction Awards
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| || Presenter of the award for Best Sound Recording
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| <br />Jane Wyman || Presenters of the Short Subject Awards
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| || Presenter of the awards for Best Cinematography
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| || Presenter of the Music Awards
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| <br />Olivia de Havilland || Presenters of the award for Best Director
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| || Presenter of the Writing Awards
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| || Presenter of the award for Best Supporting Actor
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| || Presenter of the award for Best Supporting Actress
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| || Presenter of the award for Best Actor
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| || Presenter of the award for Best Actress
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| || Presenter of the award for Best Motion Picture
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| || Presenter of the award for Best Special Effects
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| || Presenter of the Honorary Foreign Language Film Award
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| Charles Brackett
| Presenter of the Honorary Awards to Joseph M. Schenck and Harold Lloyd
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| || Presenter of the Scientific & Technical Awards
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| Charles Brackett
| Presenter of the Honorary Award to Bob Hope and the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award to Cecil B. DeMille
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Performers
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! Name
! Role
! Performed
|-
| || Musical arranger and conductor || Orchestral
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| <br />Marilyn Maxwell || Performers || “Am I in Love?” from Son of Paleface
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| || Performer || “Because You’re Mine” from Because You're Mine
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| || Performer || “High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darlin’)” from High Noon
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| || Performer || “Thumbelina” from Hans Christian Andersen
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| <br />Johnny Mercer || Performers || “Zing a Little Zong” from Just for You
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| Academy Awards Orchestra
| Performers
| "There's No Business Like Show Business" (orchestral) during the closing credits
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Ceremony information
Broadcast
The 25th Academy Awards ceremony was the first to be broadcast on television: will watch the movie industry's biggest show. It will mark the TV debut for scores of the biggest names in moviedom.
The telecast was prompted by the need to finance the bi-coastal ceremony. When three of the film studios refused to provide their customary financial support, the RCA Victor Division of the Radio Corporation of America agreed to pay AMPAS $100,000 (one source reported $250,000) as a sponsorship fee. NBC telecast the bicoastal ceremony over its 64-station television network and on its 174-station radio system. The Armed Forces Radio Service recorded the proceedings for later broadcast. switching back and forth from host Bob Hope on the West Coast to Conrad Nagel on the East Coast. The late start was made to accommodate those nominees who were performing that night on the Broadway stage. the traditional white shirt would have been too bright.
Notable achievements
The year saw a major upset when the heavily favored High Noon lost Best Picture to Cecil B. DeMille's The Greatest Show on Earth, eventually considered among the worst films to have won the award. Today, it ranks #94 on Rotten Tomatoes' list of the 95 films to win Best Picture, ahead of only The Broadway Melody.
Although it only received two nominations, Singin' in the Rain went on to be named as the greatest American musical film of all time and in the 2007 American Film Institute updated list as the fifth greatest American film of all time, while High Noon ranked twenty-seventh on the same list.
The Bad and the Beautiful won five Oscars, the most wins ever for a film not nominated for Best Picture. It was also the second—and, to date, last—Academy Awards in which a film not nominated for Best Picture received the most awards of the evening, excluding years where there were ties for the most wins.
Until Spotlight won only Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay at the 88th Academy Awards, this was the last year in which the Best Picture winner won just two total Oscars. It was also the second of three years to date in which two films not nominated for Best Picture received more nominations than the winner (The Bad and the Beautiful and Hans Christian Andersen, both with six). This occurred again at the 79th Academy Awards.
Shirley Booth was the last person born in the 19th century to win an Oscar in a Leading Role, and the first woman in her 50s to win Best Actress, at the age of 54 (the second woman in her 50s to win, Julianne Moore, was also 54 when she won at the 87th Academy Awards).
John Ford's fourth win for Best Director set a record for the most wins in this category that remains unmatched to this day. For the first time since the introduction of Supporting Actor and Actress awards in 1936, Best Picture, Best Director, and all four acting Oscars were awarded to six different films. This has happened only three times since, at the 29th Academy Awards for 1956, the 78th for 2005, and the 85th for 2012.
See also
- 1952 in film
- 4th Primetime Emmy Awards
- 5th Primetime Emmy Awards
- 6th British Academy Film Awards
- 7th Tony Awards
- 10th Golden Globe Awards