Oscar History: Academy Award Winning Movies and Actors of 1942

A look at Oscar winners and nominees, behind the scenes on the decisions for best picture, actor, etc for 1942, Mrs. Miniver gets top honors.

1942

Best Picture

NOMINEES: The Invaders, Mrs. Miniver, Kings Row, The Magnificent Ambersons, The Pied Piper, Pride of the Yankees, Random Harvest, Talk of the Town, Wake Island, Yankee Doodle Dandy

THE WINNER: Mrs. Miniver (MGM)

DIRECTOR: William Wyler

PLAYERS: Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon

Best Actor

NOMINEES: Ronald Colman (Random Harvest); Gary Cooper (Pride of the Yankees); James Cagney (Yankee Doodle Dandy); Walter Pidgeon (Mrs. Miniver); Monty Woolley (The Pied Piper)

THE WINNER: James Cagney

Best Actress

NOMINEES: Bette Davis (Now, Voyager); Greer Garson (Mrs. Miniver); Katharine Hepburn (Woman of the Year); Rosalind Russell (My Sister Eileen); Teresa Wright (Pride of the Yankees)

THE WINNER: Greer Garson

Behind the Oscar

Wartime austerity. The gold-plated bronze Oscar was made of plaster this year. Winning for Mrs. Miniver, best actress Greer Garson started her acceptance speech--and couldn't stop. She rambled on for an hour, the longest speech in Academy history.