Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by Audiophilander (A) on February 25, 2008 at 18:37:14

In Reply to: RE: I don't think so posted by rnhood on February 25, 2008 at 03:24:56

While more aspects of film artistry are covered these days the actually awarding of an Oscar for Best Picture was intentionally divided between artistic achievement and financial success initially without preference given to one over the other. Initially the Academy Awards were the idea of artists like Mary Pickford, but it was quickly usurped by the studios who saw the value (and prestige) of awarding their own products and stars as promotion under the 'guise' of artistic achievement.

Original Academy members:

B

* Richard Barthelmess

C

* Charles Christie

D

* Cecil B. DeMille
* Douglas Fairbanks

F

* Joseph Farnham

G

* Cedric Gibbons
* Benjamin Glazer
* Sid Grauman

H

* Jack Holt (actor)

K

* Henry King (director)

L

* Jesse L. Lasky
* Frank Lloyd
* Harold Lloyd

M

* Jeanie MacPherson
* Louis B. Mayer
* Bess Meredyth

N

* Conrad Nagel
* Fred Niblo

P

* Mary Pickford

S

* Joseph Schenck
* Milton Sills
* John M. Stahl

T

* Irving Thalberg

W

* Raoul Walsh
* Harry Warner
* Jack Warner
* Carey Wilson (writer)
* Frank E. Woods

Anyway, you should do a bit more research. Sunrise was a HUGE critical success in 1928, but it only did moderate Box Office, certainly not enough to pay for it's enormous production costs, but it was an enormous prestige maker for Fox and made F.W. Murnau's name a permanent fixture in the pantheon of international directorial geniuses.

AuPh

Edits: 02/25/08