The 32nd Academy Awards ceremony was held on April 4, 1960, at the RKO Pantages Theatre, to honor the films of 1959.

William Wyler's Bible epic Ben-Hur won 11 Oscars, breaking the record of nine set the previous year by Gigi. This total was later tied by Titanic in 1997 and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King in 2003. Wyler became the third (and most recent) person to win more than two Best Director awards (following Frank Capra and John Ford), as well as the only person to date to direct three Best Picture winners (following Mrs. Miniver in 1942 and The Best Years of Our Lives in 1946).

Most of the stars were absent as a result of an incident involving Jerry Lewis' staging of the closing number at the previous year's Oscars and of a four-week actors' strike. The studios had their final pullout of support for the Academy during the year, in a sentiment echoed by Paramount Pictures, which remarked, "why should Paramount sponsor a show that sponsors only MGM's Ben-Hur?"

A highlight of the ceremony came during the presentation of the award for Best Story and Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen: absent winner Stanley Shapiro (for Pillow Talk) had his co-winner, Maurice Richlin, ask presenter Tony Curtis to read his acceptance speech, which read, "I'm trapped downstairs in the gentleman's lounge. It seems I rented a faulty tuxedo. I'd like to thank you upstairs for this great honor." The audience roared in laughter.

Awards

Nominations announced on February 22, 1960. Winners are listed first and highlighted in boldface.

Ben-Hur – Sam Zimbalist, producer (posthumous award)Anatomy of a Murder – Otto Preminger, producer The Diary of Anne Frank – George Stevens, producer The Nun's Story – Henry Blanke, producer Room at the Top – John Woolf and James Woolf, producers | style="vertical-align:top; width:50%;"| William Wyler – Ben-Hur George Stevens – The Diary of Anne Frank Fred Zinnemann – The Nun's Story Jack Clayton – Room at the Top Billy Wilder – Some Like It Hot Charlton Heston – Ben-Hur as Judah Ben-Hur Laurence Harvey – Room at the Top as Joe Lampton Jack Lemmon – Some Like It Hot as Jerry/"Daphne" Paul Muni – The Last Angry Man as Dr. Sam Abelman James Stewart – Anatomy of a Murder as Paul Biegler Simone Signoret – Room at the Top as Alice Aisgill Doris Day – Pillow Talk as Jan Morrow Audrey Hepburn – The Nun's Story as Sister Luke Katharine Hepburn – Suddenly, Last Summer as Violet Venable Elizabeth Taylor – Suddenly, Last Summer as Catherine Holly Hugh Griffith – Ben-Hur as Sheik Ilderim Arthur O'Connell – Anatomy of a Murder as Parnell McCarthy George C. Scott – Anatomy of a Murder as Claude Dancer Robert Vaughn – The Young Philadelphians as Chester A. "Chet" Gwynn Ed Wynn – The Diary of Anne Frank as Albert Dussell Shelley Winters – The Diary of Anne Frank as Petronella van Daan Hermione Baddeley – Room at the Top as Elspeth Susan Kohner – Imitation of Life as Sarah Jane Juanita Moore – Imitation of Life as Annie Johnson Thelma Ritter – Pillow Talk as Alma Pillow Talk – Story by Russell Rouse and Clarence Greene; Screenplay by Stanley Shapiro and Maurice Richlin The 400 Blows – François Truffaut and Marcel Moussy North by Northwest – Ernest Lehman Operation Petticoat – Story by Paul King, Joseph J. Stone; Screenplay by Stanley Shapiro and Maurice Richlin Wild Strawberries – Ingmar Bergman (Refused Nomination) Room at the Top – Neil Paterson based on the novel by John Braine Anatomy of a Murder – Wendell Mayes based on the novel by Robert Traver Ben-Hur – Karl Tunberg based on the novel by Lew Wallace The Nun's Story – Robert Anderson based on the novel by Kathryn Hulme Some Like It Hot – Billy Wilder and I. A. L. Diamond based on a story by Robert Thoeren and M. Logan Black Orpheus (France) The Bridge (West Germany) The Great War (Italy) Paw (Denmark) The Village on the River (Netherlands) Serengeti Shall Not Die – Bernhard Grzimek The Race for Space  – David L. Wolper Glass – Bert Haanstra Donald in Mathmagic Land – Walt Disney From Generation to Generation – Edward F. Cullen The Golden Fish – Jacques Cousteau Between the Tides – Ian Ferguson Mysteries of the Deep – Walt Disney The Running Jumping & Standing Still Film – Peter Sellers Skyscraper – Shirley Clarke and Willard Van Dyke Moonbird – John Hubley Mexicali Shmoes – John W. Burton Noah's Ark – Walt Disney The Violinist – Ernest Pintoff Ben-Hur – Miklós Rózsa The Diary of Anne Frank – Alfred Newman The Nun's Story – Franz Waxman On the Beach – Ernest Gold Pillow Talk – Frank De Vol Porgy and Bess – André Previn and Ken Darby The Five Pennies – Leith Stevens Li'l Abner – Nelson Riddle and Joseph J. Lilley Say One for Me – Lionel Newman Sleeping Beauty – George Bruns"High Hopes" from A Hole in the Head – Music by Jimmy Van Heusen; Lyrics by Sammy Cahn "The Best of Everything" from The Best of Everything – Music by Alfred Newman; Lyrics by Sammy Cahn "The Five Pennies" from The Five Pennies – Music and Lyrics by Sylvia Fine "The Hanging Tree" from The Hanging Tree – Music by Jerry Livingston; Lyrics by Mack David "Strange Are The Ways of Love" from The Young Land – Music by Dimitri Tiomkin; Lyrics by Ned Washington Ben-Hur – Franklin Milton Journey to the Center of the Earth – Carlton W. Faulkner Libel – A. W. Watkins The Nun's Story – George Groves Porgy and Bess – Gordon E. Sawyer and Fred Hynes The Diary of Anne Frank – Art Direction: Lyle R. Wheeler and George W. Davis; Set Decoration: Walter M. Scott and Stuart A. Reiss Career – Art Direction: Hal Pereira and Walter Tyler; Set Decoration: Samuel M. Comer and Arthur Krams The Last Angry Man – Art Direction: Carl Anderson; Set Decoration: William Kiernan Some Like It Hot – Art Direction: Ted Haworth; Set Decoration: Edward G. Boyle Suddenly, Last Summer – Art Direction: Oliver Messel and William Kellner; Set Decoration: Scott Slimon Ben-Hur – Art Direction: William A. Horning (posthumous award) and Edward Carfagno; Set Decoration: Hugh Hunt The Big Fisherman – Art Direction: John DeCuir; Set Decoration: Julia Heron Journey to the Center of the Earth – Art Direction: Lyle R. Wheeler, Franz Bachelin and Herman A. Blumenthal; Set Decoration: Walter M. Scott and Joseph Kish North by Northwest – Art Direction: William A. Horning (posthumous nomination), Robert F. Boyle, and Merrill Pye; Set Decoration: Henry Grace and Frank R. McKelvy Pillow Talk – Art Direction: Richard H. Riedel (posthumous nomination); Set Decoration: Russell A. Gausman and Ruby R. Levitt The Diary of Anne Frank – William C. Mellor Anatomy of a Murder – Sam Leavitt Career – Joseph LaShelle Some Like It Hot – Charles Lang The Young Philadelphians – Harry Stradling, Sr. Ben-Hur – Robert Surtees The Big Fisherman – Lee Garmes The Five Pennies – Daniel L. Fapp The Nun's Story – Franz Planer Porgy and Bess – Leon Shamroy Some Like It Hot – Orry-Kelly Career – Edith Head The Diary of Anne Frank – Charles LeMaire and Mary Wills The Gazebo – Helen Rose The Young Philadelphians – Howard Shoup Ben-Hur – Elizabeth Haffenden The Best of Everything – Adele Palmer The Big Fisherman – Renié The Five Pennies – Edith Head Porgy and Bess – Irene Sharaff Ben-Hur – Ralph E. Winters and John D. Dunning Anatomy of a Murder – Louis R. Loeffler North by Northwest – George Tomasini The Nun's Story – Walter Thompson On the Beach – Frederic Knudtson Ben-Hur – Visual Effects by A. Arnold Gillespie and Robert MacDonald; Audible Effects by Milo B. Lory Journey to the Center of the Earth – Visual Effects by L. B. Abbott and James B. Gordon; Audible Effects by Carl Faulkner

Honorary Awards To Lee De Forest for his pioneering inventions which brought sound to the motion picture. (Statuette) To Buster Keaton for his unique talents which brought immortal comedies to the screen. (Statuette)

Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award Bob Hope

Presenters and performers

Presenters Richard Conte and Angie Dickinson (Presenters: Art Direction Awards) Gary Cooper (Presenter: Best Motion Picture) Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh (Presenters: Writing Awards) Edward Curtiss (Presenter: Cinematography Awards) Arlene Dahl and Fernando Lamas (Presenters: Costume Design Awards) Doris Day (Presenter: Best Original Song) Olivia de Havilland (Presenters: Best Supporting Actor) Edmond O'Brien (Presenters: Best Supporting Actress) Mitzi Gaynor (Presenter: Documentary Awards) Haya Harareet (Presenter: Best Special Effects) Susan Hayward (Presenter: Best Actor) Rock Hudson (Presenter: Best Actress) Eric Johnston (Presenter: Best Foreign Language Film) B. B. Kahane (Presenter: Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award) Gene Kelly (Presenter: Music Awards) Hope Lange and Carl Reiner (Presenters: Short Subjects Awards) Barbara Rush (Presenter: Best Film Editing) Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood (Presenters: Best Sound Recording) John Wayne (Presenter: Best Director)

Performers André Previn, conductor the Academy Awards orchestra Sammy Davis Jr. ("High Hopes" from A Hole in the Head) Gogi Grant ("Strange Are the Ways of Love" from The Young Land) Joni James ("The Five Pennies" from The Five Pennies) Frankie Laine ("The Hanging Tree" from The Hanging Tree) Frankie Vaughan ("The Best of Everything" from The Best of Everything)

Multiple nominations and awards

+ Films with multiple nominationsNominationsFilm 12 Ben-Hur 8 The Diary of Anne Frank The Nun's Story 7 Anatomy of a Murder 6 Room at the Top Some Like It Hot 5 Pillow Talk4 The Five Pennies Porgy and Bess3 The Big Fisherman Career Journey to the Center of the Earth North by Northwest Suddenly, Last Summer The Young Philadelphians 2 The Best of Everything Imitation of Life The Last Angry Man On the Beach

+ Films with multiple awardsAwardsFilm 11 Ben-Hur 3 The Diary of Anne Frank 2 Room at the Top

See also 17th Golden Globe Awards 1959 in film 2nd Grammy Awards 11th Primetime Emmy Awards 12th Primetime Emmy Awards 13th British Academy Film Awards 14th Tony Awards

References