The 37th Academy Awards were held on April 5, 1965, to honor film achievements of 1964. The ceremony was produced by MGM's Joe Pasternak and hosted, for the 14th time, by Bob Hope.
The Best Picture winner, George Cukor's My Fair Lady, was an adaptation of a 1956 stage musical of the same name, which was itself based on George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion, which had been nominated for Best Picture in 1938. Audrey Hepburn was controversially not nominated for Best Actress for her starring role as Eliza Doolittle; the unpopularity of her replacing Julie Andrews—who had originated the role on Broadway, and who was seen by producer Jack Warner as having lacked star quality—as well as the revelation that the majority of her singing was dubbed by Marni Nixon (which wasn't approved by Hepburn herself) were seen as the main reasons for the snub. This was said to have "split the committee into two camps, pro and con, for and against the two ladies", and even led to talk of a write-in campaign for Hepburn. Despite her having not been nominated, Hepburn was in attendance at the ceremony, with camera work playing up the tension between the two considerably. Andrews won the Best Actress Oscar, but My Fair Lady was said to have "made off awfully well, too."
The ceremony saw the first recipient of the Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling, William J. Tuttle for 7 Faces of Dr. Lao, albeit as an Honorary Award; it would not become a competitive category until 1981.
This year was the first in which three films received 10 or more nominations (repeated at the 50th, 92nd and 96th Academy Awards), and the only time in Oscar history that three films received 12 or more nominations: Becket and My Fair Lady each received 12, while Mary Poppins received 13. Also, the five Best Director nominees corresponded to their films in the Best Picture category, for only the second occurrence throughout the era (1944–2008) in Oscar history, where the latter category was limited to five nominees only. Additionally, for the first time all Best Picture nominees received corresponding directing and writing nominations.
Becket tied the record set by Johnny Belinda for most Oscars losses with 11 (both movies won 1 out of 12 nominations). It was later equalled by The Turning Point in 1977 (0 for 11), The Color Purple in 1985 (0 for 11), The Power of the Dog in 2021 (1 for 12), and Emilia Pérez in 2024 (2 for 13).
Awards
Nominations were announced on February 23, 1965. Winners are listed first and highlighted in boldface. Select "1964" in the "Award Year(s)" drop-down menu and press "Search".
My Fair Lady – Jack L. Warner, producer Becket – Hal B. Wallis, producer Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb – Stanley Kubrick, producer Mary Poppins – Walt Disney and Bill Walsh, producers Zorba the Greek – Michael Cacoyannis, producer | style="vertical-align:top; width:50%;"|
George Cukor – My Fair Lady Peter Glenville – Becket Stanley Kubrick – Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb Robert Stevenson – Mary Poppins Michael Cacoyannis – Zorba the Greek Rex Harrison – My Fair Lady as Professor Henry Higgins Richard Burton – Becket as Thomas Becket Peter O'Toole – Becket as King Henry II of England Anthony Quinn – Zorba the Greek as Alexis Zorba Peter Sellers – Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb as Captain Lionel Mandrake / President Merkin Muffley / Dr. Strangelove Julie Andrews – Mary Poppins as Mary Poppins Anne Bancroft – The Pumpkin Eater as Jo Armitage Sophia Loren – Marriage Italian Style as Filumena Marturano Debbie Reynolds – The Unsinkable Molly Brown as Molly Brown Kim Stanley – Séance on a Wet Afternoon as Myra Savage Peter Ustinov – Topkapi as Arthur Simon Simpson John Gielgud – Becket as King Louis VII of France Stanley Holloway – My Fair Lady as Alfred P. Doolittle Edmond O'Brien – Seven Days in May as Senator Ray Clark Lee Tracy – The Best Man as Art Hockstader Lila Kedrova – Zorba the Greek as Madame Hortense Gladys Cooper – My Fair Lady as Mrs. Higgins Edith Evans – The Chalk Garden as Mrs. St. Maugham Grayson Hall – The Night of the Iguana as Judith Fellowes Agnes Moorehead – Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte as Velma Cruther Father Goose – S. H. Barnett, Peter Stone, and Frank Tarloff A Hard Day's Night – Alun Owen One Potato, Two Potato – Orville H. Hampton and Raphael Hayes The Organizer – Agenore Incrocci, Furio Scarpelli, and Mario Monicelli That Man from Rio – Jean-Paul Rappeneau, Ariane Mnouchkine, Daniel Boulanger, and Philippe de Broca Becket – Edward Anhalt from Becket by Jean Anouilh Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb – Stanley Kubrick, Terry Southern, and Peter George from Red Alert by Peter George Mary Poppins – Bill Walsh and Don DaGradi from Mary Poppins by P. L. Travers My Fair Lady – Alan Jay Lerner from My Fair Lady by Alan Jay Lerner and Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw Zorba the Greek – Michael Cacoyannis from The Life of Alexis Zorba by Nikos Kazantzakis Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (Italy) Raven's End (Sweden) Sallah Shabati (Israel) The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (France) Woman in the Dunes (Japan) Jacques-Yves Cousteau's World Without Sun – Jacques-Yves Cousteau 14-18 – Jean Aurel The Finest Hours – Jack Le Vien Four Days in November – Mel Stuart The Human Dutch – Bert Haanstra Nine from Little Rock – Charles Guggenheim 140 Days Under the World – Geoffrey Scott and Oxley Hughan Breaking the Habit – Henry Jacobs and John Korty Children Without – Charles Guggenheim Eskimo Artist: Kenojuak – National Film Board of Canada Casals Conducts: 1964 – Edward Schreiber Help! My Snowman's Burning Down – Carson Davidson The Legend of Jimmy Blue Eyes – Robert Clouse The Pink Phink – David H. DePatie and Friz Freleng Christmas Cracker – National Film Board of Canada How to Avoid Friendship – William L. Snyder Nudnik #2 – William L. Snyder Mary Poppins – Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman Becket – Laurence Rosenthal The Fall of the Roman Empire – Dimitri Tiomkin Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte – Frank De Vol The Pink Panther – Henry Mancini My Fair Lady – André Previn A Hard Day's Night – George Martin Mary Poppins – Irwin Kostal Robin and the 7 Hoods – Nelson Riddle The Unsinkable Molly Brown – Robert Armbruster, Leo Arnaud, Jack Elliott, Jack Hayes, Calvin Jackson, and Leo Shuken "Chim Chim Cher-ee" from Mary Poppins – Music and Lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman "Dear Heart" from Dear Heart – Music by Henry Mancini; Lyrics by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans "Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte" from Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte – Music by Frank De Vol; Lyrics by Mack David "My Kind of Town" from Robin and the 7 Hoods – Music by Jimmy Van Heusen; Lyrics by Sammy Cahn "Where Love Has Gone" from Where Love Has Gone – Music by Jimmy Van Heusen; Lyrics by Sammy Cahn My Fair Lady – George Groves Becket – John Cox Father Goose – Waldon O. Watson Mary Poppins – Robert O. Cook The Unsinkable Molly Brown – Franklin Milton Goldfinger – Norman Wanstall The Lively Set – Robert Bratton Zorba the Greek – Art Direction and Set Decoration: Vassilis Photopoulos The Americanization of Emily – Art Direction: George Davis, Hans Peters, and Elliot Scott; Set Decoration: Henry Grace and Robert R. Benton Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte – Art Direction: William Glasgow; Set Decoration: Raphaël Bretton The Night of the Iguana – Art Direction and Set Decoration: Stephen B. Grimes Seven Days in May – Art Direction: Cary Odell; Set Decoration: Edward G. Boyle My Fair Lady – Art Direction: Gene Allen and Cecil Beaton; Set Decoration: George James Hopkins Becket – Art Direction: John Bryan and Maurice Carter; Set Decoration: Patrick McLoughlin and Robert Cartwright Mary Poppins – Art Direction: Carroll Clark and William H. Tuntke; Set Decoration: Emile Kuri and Hal Gausman The Unsinkable Molly Brown – Art Direction: George Davis and E. Preston Ames; Set Decoration: Henry Grace and Hugh Hunt What a Way to Go! – Art Direction: Jack Martin Smith and Ted Haworth; Set Decoration: Walter M. Scott and Stuart A. Reiss Zorba the Greek – Walter Lassally The Americanization of Emily – Philip H. Lathrop Fate Is the Hunter – Milton Krasner Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte – Joseph Biroc The Night of the Iguana – Gabriel Figueroa My Fair Lady – Harry Stradling Becket – Geoffrey Unsworth Cheyenne Autumn – William Clothier Mary Poppins – Edward Colman The Unsinkable Molly Brown – Daniel L. Fapp The Night of the Iguana – Dorothy Jeakins A House Is Not a Home – Edith Head Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte – Norma Koch Kisses for My President – Howard Shoup The Visit – René Hubert My Fair Lady – Cecil Beaton Becket – Margaret Furse Mary Poppins – Tony Walton The Unsinkable Molly Brown – Morton Haack What a Way to Go! – Edith Head and Moss Mabry Mary Poppins – Cotton Warburton Becket – Anne V. Coates Father Goose – Ted J. Kent Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte – Michael Luciano My Fair Lady – William Ziegler Mary Poppins – Peter Ellenshaw, Eustace Lycett, and Hamilton Luske 7 Faces of Dr. Lao – Jim Danforth
Honorary Award To William Tuttle for his outstanding make-up achievement for 7 Faces of Dr. Lao.
Presenters and performers The following individuals, listed in order of appearance, presented awards or performed musical numbers.
Presenters Name Role Announcer for the 37th Academy Awards (AMPAS President) Gave opening remarks welcoming guests to the awards ceremony Steve McQueen Presenters of the awards for Best Sound Presenter of the award for Best Sound Effects Presenter of the award for Best Special Visual Effects Presenter of the award for Best Supporting Actor Martha Raye Presenters of the awards for Best Documentary Feature and Best Documentary Short Subject Merle Oberon Presenter of the awards for Best Live Action Short Subject and Best Short Subject — Cartoons Dick Van Dyke Presenters of the awards for Best Costume Design Presenter of the awards for Best Music Score — Substantially Original and Best Scoring of Music — Adaptation or Treatment Presenter of the Scientific or Technical Awards Presenter of the award for Best Foreign Language Film Presenter of the Honorary Award to William Tuttle Presenter of the award for Best Supporting Actress Vince Edwards Presenters of the award for Best Film Editing Jean Simmons Presenters of the awards for Best Cinematography Macdonald Carey Presenters of the awards for Best Art Direction Introducer of the performance of the tribute to Cole Porter Presenter of the award for Best Song Presenter of the awards for Best Story and Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen and Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium Presenter of the award for Best Actor Presenter of the award for Best Actress Presenter of the award for Best Director Presenter of the award for Best Picture
Performers Name Role Performed Roger Edens Musical arrangers Orchestral Performers "Chim Chim Cher-ee" from Mary Poppins Performer "Dear Heart" from Dear Heart Performer "Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte" from Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte Performer "My Kind of Town" from Robin and the 7 Hoods Performer "Where Love Has Gone" from Where Love Has Gone Performer Cole Porter Medley:"Use Your Imagination""Night and Day""I Get a Kick Out of You""You're the Top""Let's Do It, Let's Fall in Love""Don't Fence Me In""You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To""It's De-Lovely""My Heart Belongs to Daddy""So in Love""From This Moment On""Night and Day" (reprise) Performers "That's Entertainment" during the closing credits
Multiple nominations and awards
These films had multiple nominations:
13 nominations: Mary Poppins 12 nominations: Becket and My Fair Lady 7 nominations: Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte and Zorba the Greek 6 nominations: The Unsinkable Molly Brown