Marty: 1955 Best Picture

Perhaps it was the simple love story, perhaps it was the triumph over the meddling relatives or a combination of both. Whatever it was, the love story of the Bronx butcher Marty Piletti with Clara, the Plain Jane school teacher, won the hearts of the American public. “Marty” also won 4 out of its 8 nominations at the 28th Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Ernest Borgnine) and Best Adapted Screenplay (Paddy Chayefsky).

The other 4 films in the Best Picture category were:

“Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing”, starring Jennifer Jones and William Holden. It won 3 out of 7 nominations: Best Costume Design, Color; Best Musical Score (Dramatic or Comedy); and Best Song (same title as the film).
“Mister Roberts” starred Henry Fonda, James Cagney, William Powell and Jack Lemmon, who picked up its only win for Best Supporting Actor.
“Picnic”, a romantic comedy featuring William Holden and Kim Novak, won 2 out of 6 nominations: Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color and Best Film Editing
“The Rose Tattoo” got 8 nominations. It starred Burt Lancaster and Anna Magnani. who won Best Actress for her fiery performance as the widow Seraphina Della Rose. The 2 other wins were for Best Cinematography and Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, both in the Black-and-White categories. Jo Van Fleet had a role in “The Rose Tattoo” but the performance she was won Best Supporting Actress for this year was as Kate in “East of Eden”.

Other memorable films of the year included: “Rebel Without a Cause”, “Blackboard Jungle”, “The Man with the Golden Arm”, “Oklahoma!” and “Guys and Dolls”. Jerry Lewis and Marisa Pavan are the only presenters at the 1956 ceremony who are still with us and Harry Belafonte is the only performer.

Jeopardy! clues on “Marty”
REMEMBERING ERNEST BORGNINE $600: You might say Borgnine really butchered this 1955 film & won a Best Actor Oscar for the effort
THE OSCARS $1200: Paddy Chayefsky won an Oscar for his very first screenplay–this 1955 Ernest Borgnine film
HEAVENS TO BETSY! $800: Betsy Blair was nominated for a 1955 Oscar for playing Ernest Borgnine’s shy girlfriend in this film
CANNES PALME D’OR WINNERS $1000: Herb Stempel, a contestant in “Quiz Show”, may be able to tell you this film won for 1955
BEST ACTOR OSCAR WINNERS $1600: 1955 for “Marty”

More Jeopardy! clues on 1955 films:
MOVIE NICKNAMES $800: A character nicknamed Nicely Nicely sings “Sit down you’re rocking the boat” in this 1955 movie
FILMS OF THE ’50s $800: Frank Sinatra played lovable gambler Nathan Detroit in this 1955 movie musical
WHAT HATH TODD WROUGHT? $1200: He promoted the wide-screen process Todd-AO, first used in the 1955 movie “Oklahoma!”
BOB HOPE $1000: This 1955 movie musical about Vaudevillian Eddie Foy & his performing family starred Bob Hope & Jerry Mathers
FONDA THE MOVIES $600: In 1955 Henry recreated for the movies his stage role as this restless cargo officer
A MOVIE & A MEAL $1600: For the “Moonglow” dance scene in this 1955 film, William Holden practiced his dance steps in Kansas roadhouses
MOVIES AT SEA $2000: Jack Lemmon was Ensign Pulver, in charge of laundry & morale aboard a ship called The Reluctant, in this 1955 film
MOVIES BY THE NUMBERS $800: In this 1955 film Marilyn Monroe says, “When it’s hot like this, you know what I do? I keep my undies in the icebox!”
THE NUMBER 7 $800: The scene where the subway blows Marilyn’s skirt up is in this 1955 film
MOVIE KISSES $600: A mutt & a cocker spaniel slurp spaghetti & smooch in this 1955 classic
“SUMMER” FUN $2000: (Sarah of the Clue Crew reports from Caffe Florian in Venice, Italy.) It was right here at Caffe Florian in Venice where Katharine Hepburn met Rosanno Brazzi in this classic 1955 film
MOVIE MUSICALS $600: This 1955 film about gamblers is tops on my list of Marlon Brando musicals
1950s MOVIE HOUSE $1600: In this classic 1955 film, James Dean gets in a fight at the Griffith Observatory
“LONG” FILMS $1600: This 1955 Fred Astaire movie had been filmed in 1919, 1931 & as “Curly Top” in 1935
THE AFI’S 100 GREATEST LOVE STORIES $400: “Beauty and the Beast” & this 1955 Disney film about puppy love both made the list
LUCKY “SEVEN” $600: Tom Ewell fantasizes about Marilyn Monroe in this 1955 film
THEIR FINEST “HOUR” $1000: Fredric March & Humphrey Bogart starred in this tense 1955 film about escaped convicts which terrorize a family
THE CINEMA $500: This dancer introduced “Something’s Gotta Give” in his 1955 film “Daddy Long Legs”
MAY-DECEMBER MOVIES $1000: The 1955 film “Daddy Long Legs” paired Fred Astaire & this French actress 32 years younger
SO FUNNY IT’S SCARY $200: In a 1955 film set in Egypt, this monster chases Abbott & Costello after Lou eats its medallion
MOVIE CLASSICS $500: Susan Strasburg played Kim Novak’s little sister in this 1955 film based on a William Inge play
CINEMATIC SIBLINGS $500: Richard Davalos’ screen debut in this 1955 film was overshadowed by James Dean, who played his brother
MARLON BRANDO $1000: He took a gamble & made his musical debut in this 1955 film, & he did his own singing, too
MOVIE TEENS $300: In a classic 1955 film, he was the “Rebel Without a Cause”
“JUNGLE” JIVE $300: “Rock Around the Clock” was theme song for this controversial 1955 film
LOVE $600: 1955 Jennifer Jones-William Holden film whose title song became #1 for the 4 Aces