Oscar History: Academy Award Winning Movies and Actors of 1944

A look at Oscar winners and nominees, behind the scenes on the decisions for best picture, actor, etc for 1944, Going My Way gets top honors.

1944

Best Picture

NOMINEES: Double Indemnity, Gaslight, Going My Way, Since You Went Away, Wilson

THE WINNER: Going My Way (Paramount)

DIRECTOR: Leo McCarey

PLAYERS: Bing Crosby

Best Actor

NOMINEES: Charles Boyer (Gaslight); Bing Crosby (Going My Way); Barry Fitzgerald (Going My Way); Cary Grant (None but the Lonely Heart); Alexander Knox (Wilson)

THE WINNER: Bing Crosby

Best Actress

NOMINEES: Ingrid Bergman (Gaslight); Claudette Colbert (Since You Went Away); Bette Davis (Mr. Skeffington); Greer Garson (Mrs. Parkington); Barbara Stanwyck (Double Indemnity)

THE WINNER: Ingrid Bergman

Behind the Oscar

Darryl F. Zanuck and 20th Century-Fox spent a fortune promoting Wilson, determined to have it win the best picture award. Wilson lost. Going My Way won. Zanuck was bitter. Three years later, accepting another award, he was still bitter enough to say, "This award will make up for previous disappointments."