11th Academy Awards: choose your alternate nominees (1938)
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Classic Film
sheetsadam1 — 2 months ago(February 03, 2026 04:19 PM)
The idea is this: what if the nominees for Best Picture each year weren't nominated? Which films should have taken their place in that scenario? Pick your alternate selections for Best Picture and, if you wish, mention anybody who you feel was overlooked in any other category. No need to confine yourself to the types of films which typically get nominated or to English-language cinema. If you missed the previous years, they can be found on the classic film board.
All films released in 1938 are eligible.
The nominees were:
You Can't Take It With You- Frank Capra
The Adventures of Robin Hood - Michael Curtiz & William Keighley
Alexander's Ragtime Band - Henry King
Boys Town - Norman Taurog
The Citadel - A. J. Cronin
Four Daughters - Michael Curtiz
Grand Illusion - Jean Renoir
Jezebel - William Wyler
Pygmalion - Anthony Asquith
Test Pilot - Victor Fleming
I've watched five of these and would probably go with
The Adventures of Robin Hood
. It's still the definitive film version of the Robin Hood legend all these decades later, although I do have a bit of a soft spot for the 1973 animated version.
My alternate picks:
Bringing Up Baby - Howard Hawks
The Lady Vanishes - Alfred Hitchcock
Angels with Dirty Faces - Michael Curtiz
Alexander Nevsky - Sergei Eisenstein
What an underrated director Michael Curtiz is!
Four Daughters
is one of the nominees I haven't watched, but both the Academy and I are in agreement that he directed two movies worthy of a Best Picture nomination that year. And likely three!
"Praise be to Allah." - President Donald J. Trump, Easter Sunday 04/05/2026
- Frank Capra
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PygmyLion — 2 months ago(February 03, 2026 06:42 PM)
1938 has 2 of my all-time favorite movies in
Pygmalion
and
Holiday
.
From the original list I would keep:
You Can't Take it with You
,
The Adventures of Robin Hood
,
Grand Illusion
, and
Pygmalion
.
The Citadel
is a nice movie.
From your list,
The Lady Vanishes
is a definite keeper.
Bringing up Baby
is a pretty good screwball comedy.
Vivacious Lady
is another nice screwball comedy. We have the version of
A Christmas Carol
that many like. Errol Flynn is doing a new version of
Dawn Patrol
with David Niven.
The Shopworn Angel
with Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullavan is nice.
Merrily We Live
is another good screwball comedy.
Three Comrades
is another good one.
My Nominees:
Pygmalion- Anthony Asquith
Holiday - George Cukor
The Adventures of Robin Hood - Michael Curtiz & William Keighley
The Lady Vanishes - Alfred Hitchcock
Grand Illusion - Jean Renoir
You Can't Take It With You - Frank Capra
Bringing Up Baby - Howard Hawks
Vivacious Lady - George Stevens
The Dawn Patrol - Edmund Goulding
Merrily We Live - Norman Z. McLeod
Pymalion
wins with
Holiday
a close 2nd
- Anthony Asquith