The Movies of 1937: My Take on Oscar's Ballot
★ = My Favorite Nominee /
★ = Oscar's Winner, if Different
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Best Picture
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| The Awful Truth - Any screwball comedy in Best Picture counts as a win |
| Captains Courageous - Surprisingly rich, considering dubious foundations |
| ★ | Dead End - Tough and expansive vision, deep-focus photography, punchy impact |
| The Good Earth - Some very impressive spectacles but too many hoary devices |
| In Old Chicago - Film exists to come down in flames, which it does, memorably |
| ★ | The Life of Émile Zola - Alas—the stodgiest, least memorably directed film won |
| Lost Horizon - Many odd missteps and outdated types but a serious, fascinating text |
| One Hundred Men and a Girl - A fun Hollywood cuddle with classical music |
| Stage Door - Charming, moving, democratically distributed, till its wobbly last act |
| A Star Is Born - The '54 version is many people's favorite, but this is fabulous |
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Best Director
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| William Dieterle, The Life of Émile Zola - At least Oscar voters refrained here |
| Sidney Franklin, The Good Earth - No great cineaste, but handles set-pieces well |
| ★ | Gregory La Cava, Stage Door - Beautifully negotiates large cast, dynamic tableaus |
| ★ | Leo McCarey, The Awful Truth - Loose, with odd rhythms, all by comic design |
| William Wellman, A Star Is Born - A reliable Hollywood pro hit an apex here |
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Best Actress
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| Irene Dunne, The Awful Truth - Her best comic showcase, affectations and all |
| ★ | Greta Garbo, Camille - Did anyone ever play high-romantic drama better than this? |
| Janet Gaynor, A Star Is Born - A delicious comeback, playing a rising star |
| ★ | Luise Rainer, The Good Earth - Nutso casting, but Rainer acts with sensitivity |
| Barbara Stanwyck, Stella Dallas - Deftly plays coarseness without slipping into it |
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Best Actor
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| Charles Boyer, Conquest - Has charisma and magnificent dyspepsia as Napoleon |
| ★ | Fredric March, A Star Is Born - Versatile leading man nails all sides of risky role |
| Robert Montgomery, Night Must Fall - Muted turn as serial killer grew on me |
| Paul Muni, The Life of Émile Zola - I've seen Muni hammier, but he's still fussy |
| ★ | Spencer Tracy, Captains Courageous - Cast worse than Rainer, but resourceful |
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Best Supporting Actress
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| ★ | Alice Brady, In Old Chicago - Fizzy comedienne wins as a melancholy mom |
| Andrea Leeds, Stage Door - Several touching moments; sometimes a tad maudlin |
| Anne Shirley, Stella Dallas - Fulfills her task, but hard to recall next to Stanwyck |
| ★ | Claire Trevor, Dead End - Etches a bruised, tough Trevor type in mere minutes |
| May Whitty, Night Must Fall - Solid work by acting titan who can handle more |
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Best Supporting Actor
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| Ralph Bellamy, The Awful Truth - Perfects his typecasting, serving the greats |
| Thomas Mitchell, The Hurricane - More good work from a dependable presence |
| ★ | Joseph Schildkraut, The Life of Émile Zola - Most poignant thing in the movie |
| H.B. Warner, Lost Horizon - Fine, but more yellowface in an Oscar year full of it |
| ★ | Roland Young, Topper - Not really a supporting role, but sweet, funny, adroit |
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