31 Days of Oscar Blogathon 2016

“I’m very enthusiastic about the Academy Awards because if there were no Oscars, we wouldn’t have as many good movies as we do have.” – Robert Osborne

The Oscars – both maligned and praised are always cause for celebration and we’re here to do just that.

1937
1937 Oscars held at the Biltmore Bowl of the Biltmore Hotel on Thursday, March 4

For the fourth consecutive year Once Upon a Screen (@CitizenScreen) joins forces with Kellee (@IrishJayHawk66) of Outspoken & Freckled and Paula (@Paula_Guthat) of Paula’s Cinema Club for the 31 Days of Oscar Blogathon.  We started this event to coincide with Turner Classic Movie’s 31 Days of Oscar marathon during which the network shines the spotlight on the storied history of the Academy Awards.  This year the network is presenting Oscar-themed movies with a twist on the “Six degrees of Kevin Bacon” parlor game where each film will be linked by a common performer to the one following it with the last film presented on the 31st day linked back to the first.  No doubt the “360 Degrees of Oscar” will be a fun journey through film connections in Oscar’s storied history.  You can download the TCM February schedule here.  And while you’re planning your viewing schedule plan your entry to the blogathon!

Apt
Billy Wilder with his three Oscars for writing, directing and producing Best Picture winner, THE APARTMENT (1960)

Most of you know the drill – during the month-long event tell us about which films, actors or directors deserved an Oscar nod and were ignored or about which films inspire you with their music or lighting. Any Oscar-related topic is fair game.  We are not limiting this event to classic film fare, we want to see and hear it all from the golden man’s glitter- and scandal-filled history – including information and commentaries on this year’s nominees.  The only restriction is we prefer no previously published posts.

Just as we’ve done in previous years, which proved big successes, we will be focusing on a different Oscars topic each week — note that you can join us at any time during the month and submit as many entires as you want!  We will promote posts according to topics as follows:

February 6 – Hosted by Aurora on Once Upon a Screen – THE ACTORS!

31Days 3

 

February 13 – Hosted by Kellee at Outspoken & Freckled – OSCAR SNUBS!

31Days 2

 

February 20 – Hosted by Paula at Paula’s Cinema Club – THE CRAFTS! (Music, Costumes, Cinematography, Writing, etc.)

31Days 1

 

February 27 – Hosted by Kellee THE MOTION PICTURES and Aurora THE DIRECTORS!

31Days 4

We hope you join us!

You can submit topics either by leaving comments on any of our blogs, via twitter or by email. We ask that you please include the following:

  • Title and link to your blog
  • contact information
  • Topic
  • Event banner in your post and link to host blog(s)

SO – write to your heart’s desire! Write one post or several on each topic. But write!

In the meantime…

Here’s to Oscar, to TCM and to YOU!

Happy blogging!

FM
Francis Marion accepts Oscar for Best Writing Achievement for THE BIG HOUSE (1930) in 1931 from Jack Cunningham

If you’re interested take a look at all of the previous years’ entries to the 31 Days of Oscar Blogathon here.

Oscar

Participating Blogs and Chosen Topics by Week and Category:

February 6

THE ACTORS!

 

Take a look at the ACTOR entries here.

February 13

OSCAR SNUBS!

 

The SNUBS are available here.

 

February 20

THE CRAFTS! (Music, Costumes, Cinematography, Writing, etc.)

30 Years On – Jerry Goldsmith

Comet Over Hollywood – Bernard Herrmann

The Wonderful World of Cinema – Screenplay for LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE (2006)

Wolffian Classics Movies Digest – Cinematography BLACK NARCISSUS (1947)

Aperture Reviews – Dimitri Tiomkin

Phyllis Loves Classic Movies – Timeline of Award-Winning Costumes

Comet Over Hollywood – Edith Head winning Best Costume for SABRINA (1954)

Silver Screen Modes – Costume Design TBD

 

February 27

THE MOTION PICTURES

Old Hollywood Films – HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY (1941)

Cracked Rear Viewer – THE FRENCH CONNECTION (1971)

Comet Over Hollywood – WITH A SONG IN MY HEART (1952)

Comet Over Hollywood – NAUGHTY MARIETTA (1935)

Comet Over Hollywood – MOTHER WORE TIGHTS (1947)

Wolffian Classics Movies Digest – IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT (1967)

Defiant Success – JUDGMENT AT NUREMBERG (1961)

Jack Deth at Paula’s Cinema Club – 1987 Films

 

THE DIRECTORS

Silver Screenings – Frank Borage and 7TH HEAVEN (1927)

Danny’s Reviews – Lina Wertmuller/Giancarlo Giannini chemistry

The Wonderful World of Cinema – Robert Wise

Leading Auteur Directors – Howard Hawks at War

85 thoughts

  1. Aurora, I love this blogathon! Sadly, I can only contribute one post, but would love post on the last day – director Frank Borzage, who won the first Best Director Oscar for 7th Heaven.

    Yay! This is such a fun blogathon!

    Reply

  2. Hey, just wondering if we can do people who never won for performance but were finally given “special Oscars,” or if that disqualifies them. I think the diss still stands, but you make the rules…

    Reply

    1. Absolutely!! The diss for competitive Oscars is the snub/diss in my opinion. Myrna Loy comes to mind and her special Oscar recognition was far too little far too late. But don’t get me started! 🙂

      Reply

      1. No need to change if you want to do Karloff and Whale, two amazing choices!! We’ll just promote them during “Snubs” weekend. It’s up to you. Anything you do is sure to be fantastic!

        Reply

      1. Oops–the reply went up above yr comment… chalk this up to the Department of Redundancy Department:

        stet Stanwyck as Snub
        cancel Karloff; sub Elizabeth Taylor as Actor
        and cancel Whale, with another director or movie possibly to be named

        grazi mille…

        Reply

  4. The week of February 20th, I’ll have a post on “The Under-Honored Jerry Goldsmith.” My favorite movie composer with only one Oscar to his name. I love February, and your blogathon is one of my new favorite
    reasons why.

    Reply

  5. I plan on doing several blog posts throughout the month. So far, I plan on making each of my Musical Monday posts films that won an Academy Award so that will be Feb. 8, 15, 22 and 29.

    I also plan on doing a post on composer Bernard Herrmann’s Oscar and relationship with the Academy.

    Will those be okay? Can’t wait!

    Reply

    1. That’s fantastic, Jessica!

      I’m putting Herrmann under “crafts,” but it seems all the others will fall under “Picture.” You can post those on your scheduled dates as noted, but then we would promote during the weekend for “picture.” Does that make sense?

      Aurora

      Reply

      1. In order, so far I know for sure I’m doing: With a Song in My Heart (1952) and Naughty Marietta (1935). I’m still determining Feb. 15, but will let y’all know 🙂

        Reply

          1. I have an update for you 🙂 My Monday, Feb. 22, Musical Monday will be on “Mother Wore Tights.” I also would like to add another piece–The “Edith Head winning Best Costume for “Sabrina” when the bulk of the costumes were designed by Givenchy” debacle. Obviously, I’ll be able to throw in other topics as the month rolls along but wanted to toss that out there before I forgot! 🙂

          2. Hi Jessica – I’m pretty sure I have you listed for all entries correctly, but let me know if there’s something off. Thanks!

  6. Hi, this is Amanda from Old Hollywood Films.

    For week one I can do an overview of the 1941 best actor race.

    For week four I can review 1941 best picture winner How Green Was My Valley

    Thanks

    Reply

  7. Hey Aurora, can I sign on to cover William Cameron Menzies, who won the very first Art Direction award for his work on “Tempest”? Thank you! This should be tons of fun. 😀

    Reply

  8. I would like to sign up for Norma Shearer in the Actors Category and her film that won her the Oscar and was nominated for Best Picture, “The Divorcee” in the Motion Pictures Category. I am looking forward to doing this again!! 🙂

    Reply

  9. So happy that this blogathon is back, I had so much fun last year! 🙂
    My blog is The Wonderful World of Cinema: https://thewonderfulworldofcinema.wordpress.com
    And here are my choices for each categories
    Actors: Anne Bancroft in The Miracle Worker
    Oscar Snubs: Joan Fontaine’s Oscar Snubs for Rebecca
    The Crafts: Little Miss Sunshine’s Screenplay
    The Directors/Pictures: Robert Wise, Winner of Two Musicals (West Side Story and The Sound of Music)
    Thanks! 🙂

    Reply

  10. I’m so looking forward to reading these! I blog about behind the scenes gossip of early Hollywood, but will be doing an Oscars special on Monday 29th Feb!

    Reply

  11. So happy this blogathon is back, I had so much fun last year!
    Actor:Sidney Poitier wins Best Actor Oscar for Lilies of the Field
    Oscar Snubs: Jean Arthur for talk of the town
    The Crafts:Cinematography of Black Narcissus
    Picture:In the Heat of the Night
    The Directors:Norman Jewison
    So cannot wait take part. My blog is wolffian classic movies digest. thanks so much

    Reply

    1. Added you to the list! Fantastic choices all around. Just one question – are you doing separate posts for IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT and Norman Jewison?

      Reply

  13. Hi, Aurora!
    I have an idea but I’m not sure about which category it belongs to: I want to write about Brazil in the Oscar – how excited we always get, but how we never won so far. Would it fit the “snubs” category, maybe?
    Kisses!
    Le

    Reply

  17. I’m already doing a History of the Academy Awards throughout the month as well as several other blogathons but I would like to attempt a “Timeline of Award-Winning Costumes.” It would cover up to 1966, the last year for both b&w and color categories. Let me know it that’s ok!

    Reply

  19. I’d like to do a piece on one of my favorites, Jane Eyre 1943 — I think it belongs in the Oscar Snubs category — I cannot find that it received even a nomination for anything. Unbelievable if it’s true. If you know differently, maybe you could tell me. Anyway, that’s my bid!

    Reply

  21. I have already committed to do Peter O’Toole as Best Actor in my own Oscar Snubs Blogathon. ( http://midnitedrive-in.blogspot.com/2015/11/announcing-oscars-snubs-blogathon.html ) But it occurred to me that another great Oscar Snubs entry would be for “The Guns of Navarone” (1961) which was nominated for 7 Oscars but only won one. I’m already over-committed to afford time for any of your other blogathon weeks, but I’d like to do this one if I can.

    Reply
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  25. Hey Aurora—I will as usual be posting late in the day, like, this evening… is there a cutoff time for being linked for the day’s posts, or a recap or something? I’ve been working on it for days but have to attend a meeting this afternoon and will lose several hours.

    Thanks!

    Reply
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  40. For TCM’s 31Days I’ve just been watching one of their movies once every day. Right now I’m a day behind with 21st movie but at least I’ve been posting a review once a day for the films I have seen.

    I like your challenge and wish I could do it too, but I’ve got my own personal challenge I’m working on

    Reply
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