Over the years, theOscars ceremonyorganized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has undergone numerous modifications and changes in its category selection. Some categories have been introduced, while others have been abandoned for various reasons. These changes were driven by the ever-evolving film industry and the Academy’s desire to emphasize different aspects of filmmaking. The Academy also suspended outdated or irrelevant categories. In some cases, categories were merged, or the number of awards was reduced to simplify the awards ceremony.
Nevertheless, the Oscars remain one of the most prestigious awards in the movie industry, recognizing exceptional talent across diverse filmmaking disciplines. Below are a few examples of Oscar categories that have been discontinued, along with explanations for their removal.
Best Title Writing
The Best Title Writing Oscar Award was a category created to recognize exceptional achievement incrafting film titles, including opening and closing credits and other title sequences. It was first presented at the inaugural Academy Awards Ceremony in 1929 to Joseph Farnham, a founding member of the Academy, not for any specific title he had written but in recognition of his overall contributions to the industry. However, the category was short-lived and was discontinued after the 1930 Oscars, as the significance of title writing in filmmaking declined with the increasing emphasis on spoken dialogue. While the award category may have been removed from the Oscars, the industry still acknowledges and celebrates the significance of title design and layout in films.
Best Assistant Director
The Academy Awards introduced the category ofBest Assistant Directorin 1933, recognizing the significant contribution of assistant directors to filmmaking. These professionals coordinated actors, scheduled and ensured the director’s vision was achieved. However, the category was discontinued in 1937 due to the Oscars becoming more focused on popularity and competition rather than recognizing hard work. At the 1993 Academy Awards, the award for Best Assistant Director was given to seven different assistant directors from seven different studios, highlighting their dedication and hard work. However, the nature of the assistant director’s role in filmmaking had changed by then, with specialized assistant directors focusing on specific aspects of filmmaking. This shift made it difficult to judge the contributions of each assistant director, ultimately leading to the category’s discontinuation from the Oscars.
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Best Dance Direction
The Oscars introduced the category ofBest Dance Directionin 1935, which was meant to honor the choreography and direction of dance sequences in movies. This category was included during the golden era of Hollywood musicals, when movies showcased intricate and complex dance numbers. The award was presented for only three years, from 1935 to 1937, with seven nominees competing for the honor each year.
Notable choreographers such as Dave Gould, Seymour Felix, and Hermes Pan won the award for their work in classic musicalsBroadway Melody of 1936, Folies Bergere de Paris, The Great Ziegfeld(1936), andA Damsel in Distress(1937), respectively. However, the category was eventually discontinued in 1937 as the Directors Guild of America took offense to the use of the term “direction,” which they believed should be reserved for the overall guidance of the film. Subsequently, dance sequences were recognized in categories such as Best Original Song and Best Original Score.
Best Engineering Effects
The Academy Awards ceremony first introduced the category of Best Engineering Effects in 1929 to acknowledge outstanding technical accomplishments in films, particularly in relation to sound effects, which were a relatively new aspect of filmmaking at the time. Roy Pomeroy won the only Best Engineering Effects Award in 1929 for his contributions to the 1927 movie Wings, which was the first film to win the Best Picture Academy Award.
Unfortunately, due to the merging of the technical departments responsible for sound effects and special effects, the category of Best Engineering Effects was discontinued after just one year in 1929. However, it was replaced in 1938 by the Best Special Effects category, which recognized both visual and special effects in films. This category has since evolved into the currentBest Visual Effectscategory, which continues to be an integral part of the annual Academy Awards ceremony, acknowledging the groundbreaking contributions of filmmakers in this field.
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Best Original Story
The Best Original Story category at the Academy Awards was an important way to acknowledge the artistic efforts put into creating a captivating plot. Since its inception in 1929, the category celebrated the unique contributions of screenwriters who crafted original stories that captured audiences worldwide. Many famous writers, including Ben Hecht for his work onUnderworld(1927), Orson Welles forCitizen Kane(1941), and Dalton Trumbo forThe Brave One(1956), have won the award.
However, the category was discontinued after the 1957 ceremony, as the Academy shifted its focus to honoring screenplays adapted from existing works. This move was controversial, as many believed original storytelling deserved continued recognition. Nonetheless, the Academy merged the Best Original Story category with theBest Screenplay categoryto prioritize adaptations, reflecting the changing nature of screenwriting with a greater emphasis on the screenplay as a whole. Despite its discontinuation, the Best Original Story category’s legacy endures, as many filmmakers and writers still value originality in their work. It remains a crucial aspect of the film industry, with screenwriters continuing to produce engaging and creative stories that captivate audiences.
Best Director, Comedy Picture
At the start of the Oscar Awards, the Best Director category was divided into Drama and Comedy, which mirrored the Golden Globes. This category recognized directors who displayed exceptional abilities in directing comedic performances and humor on the screen. The inaugural Academy Awards ceremony saw Lewis Milestone receive the Best Director Award for his work in the movieTwo Arabian Nights(1927). In the same year, Ted Wilde was nominated in the same category for his direction of the Harold Lloyd filmSpeedy(1928), but Milestone won the award. However, the category was discontinued the following year due to the merging of the comedy and drama categories. The Best Director Award was subsequently presented to the best director, regardless of the film genre.The Best Director categoryremains one of the most prestigious awards at the Academy Awards, as it acknowledges a director’s vision and leadership in bringing a film to life.
Academy Juvenile Award
The Academy Juvenile Award was an honorary Oscar presented by the AMPAS to recognize young actors and actresses who had made notable contributions to the film industry during their youth. This award was presented intermittently from 1935 to 1961 and was the exclusive responsibility of the Academy’s Board of Governors. The Juvenile Award honored child actors who displayed exceptional talent and promise in their movie performances throughout the year. Unlike the competitive categories, this award was not necessarily given annually, and there could be multiple winners in a given year. Shirley Temple was the first recipient of the Juvenile Award during the 7th Oscar Awards ceremony, and the last award was presented to Hayley Mills in 1960 for her role inPollyanna(1960). In 1961, the Academy discontinued this category, and its recognition was combined with theBest Supporting Actor/Actresscategory.
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Best Unique and Artistic Quality of Production
The Oscar Award for Best Unique and Artistic Quality of Production was first presented during the inaugural Oscar Awards ceremony in 1929. The purpose of the category was to honor exceptional artistic and technical achievements in films that displayed innovation, creativity, and artistic merit, rather than commercial success. This category was created to complement and be on par with the award for Outstanding Picture. The first and only film to win this award wasSunrise: A Song of Two Humans(1927), produced by William Fox and directed by F.W. Murnau. The film’s groundbreaking cinematography, use of light and shadow, and innovative storytelling techniques were widely acclaimed. Despite this success, the category was discontinued after its first year.
The challenge in defining and assessing the term “unique and artistic quality” and the criticism over its eligibility criteria and selection process led to the decision to end the category. TheAcademy Award for Best Picturereplaced the award, which remains the most prestigious award at the Oscars. Although the Best Unique and Artistic Quality of Production award category had a brief existence, it played a crucial role in recognizing films ahead of their time and significantly influenced the film industry.
Best Short Subject - Color
The Best Short Subject Oscar award was initially presented at the Oscars in 1935 to recognize exceptional short films that were shot and exhibited in color. This category was introduced to showcase the latest technology of color film, which was rapidly gaining popularity in the film industry at the time. However, the category was discontinued in 1937, with only two winners, David Miller’sPenny Wisdom(1937) and B. Reeves Eason’sGive Me Liberty(1936). The primary reason for this was the rise of color film as a standard in the industry and the emergence of television, which significantly impacted the film industry. To replace the Best Short Subject category, the Academy Awards introduced theBest Live Action Short Filmcategory, which continues to be a category at the Oscars to this day. In addition to this, the Academy Awards also honors film shorts in the categories Best Animated Short Film and Best Documentary Short Film.
