Film Awards Bestowed

From The Times: March 1, 1940

Two English motion-picture players won the highest awards last night from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

They are Vivien Leigh for her performance in "Gone With the WInd," a Selznick International production, and Robert Donat for "Goodbye, Mr. Chips," which was produced in England by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

"Gone With the WInd" was voted the best production of the 1939 season. This too, a Selznick International production.

Top Honors to Selznick

The picture, "Gone With the Wind," taken from the book by Margaret Mitchell, won, in all, 10 different awards. Its producer, David O. Selznick, was given the most coveted honor of all, the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award.

The awards, with which gold statuettes more commonly known as "Oscars," were presented last night at the 12th annual academy banquet in the Cocoanut Grove at the Ambassador Hotel. The honored received their tokens from a vote comprising 12,000 motion-picture people, including actors, actresses, directors, writers, technicians, producers and, for the first time, extras.

Mitchell Honored

Thomas Mitchell, for his performance in "Stagecoach," produced by Walter Wanger, won the award for the supporting actor.

For the first time a Negress was given the highest award for supporting actress, which went to Hattie McDaniel for "Gone With the WInd."

Direction honors went to Victor Fleming for "Gone With the Wind."

Original story: Lewis R. Foster for "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington."

Screenplay: Sydney Howard for "Gone With the WInd."

Art dIrection: Lyle Wheeler for "Gone With the WInd."

Special effects: Fred Sersen and E. H. Hansen for "The Rains Came," from 20th Century Fox.