The 34th Academy Awards, honoring the best in film for 1961, were held on April 9, 1962, hosted by Bob Hope at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica, California.

Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins became the first Best Director co-winners for West Side Story. The film won 10 of its 11 nominations, including Best Picture and both supporting acting Oscars, becoming the most successful musical in Oscars history. For the second time in history, all four acting winners were first-time nominees.

Legendary filmmaker Federico Fellini received his first Best Director nomination for La Dolce Vita, while Sophia Loren became the first Italian actress to win for Best Actress in an Italian-language film as well as the first individual to win for a foreign-language performance. Directors Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins became the first pair to share an Oscar for the same film. George C. Scott became the first actor to refuse an award in advance, insisting that the Best Supporting Actor nomination for his performance in The Hustler be revoked. It was not, and he lost.

The most memorable event of the night came when Stan Berman, a New York City cabdriver famous for crashing celebrity parties, evaded security and made his way onstage to award Hope a homemade Oscar.

Awards

Nominations are announced on February 26, 1962. Winners are listed first and highlighted with boldface.

West Side Story – Robert Wise, producer Fanny – Joshua Logan, producer The Guns of Navarone – Carl Foreman, producer The Hustler – Robert Rossen, producer Judgment at Nuremberg – Stanley Kramer, producer Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins – West Side Story Federico Fellini – La Dolce Vita J. Lee Thompson – The Guns of Navarone Robert Rossen – The Hustler Stanley Kramer – Judgment at Nuremberg Maximilian Schell – Judgment at Nuremberg as Hans Rolfe Charles Boyer – Fanny as César Paul Newman – The Hustler as Eddie Felson Spencer Tracy – Judgment at Nuremberg as Dan Haywood Stuart Whitman – The Mark as Jim Fuller Sophia Loren – Two Women as Cesira Audrey Hepburn – Breakfast at Tiffany's as Holly Golightly Piper Laurie – The Hustler as Sarah Packard Geraldine Page – Summer and Smoke as Alma Winemiller Natalie Wood – Splendor in the Grass as Wilma Dean "Deanie" Loomis George Chakiris – West Side Story as Bernardo Montgomery Clift – Judgment at Nuremberg as Rudolph Peterson Peter Falk – Pocketful of Miracles as Joy Boy Jackie Gleason – The Hustler as Minnesota Fats George C. Scott – The Hustler as Bert Gordon Rita Moreno – West Side Story as Anita Fay Bainter – The Children's Hour as Mrs. Amelia Tilford Judy Garland – Judgment at Nuremberg as Irene Hoffmann-Wallner Lotte Lenya – The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone as Contessa Una Merkel – Summer and Smoke as Mrs. Winemiller Splendor in the Grass – William Inge Ballad of a Soldier – Valentin Yezhov and Grigori Chukhrai La Dolce Vita – Federico Fellini, Tullio Pinelli, Ennio Flaiano and Brunello Rondi General Della Rovere – Sergio Amidei, Diego Fabbri and Indro Montanelli Lover Come Back – Stanley Shapiro and Paul Henning Judgment at Nuremberg – Abby Mann Breakfast at Tiffany's – George Axelrod The Guns of Navarone – Carl Foreman The Hustler – Robert Rossen and Sidney Carroll West Side Story – Ernest Lehman Through a Glass Darkly (Sweden) Harry and the Butler (Denmark) Immortal Love (Japan) The Important Man (Mexico) Plácido (Spain) Sky Above and Mud Beneath – Arthur Cohn and René Lafuite The Grand Olympics – dell Istituto Nazionale Luce, Comitato Organizzatore Del Giochi Della XVII Olimpiade Project Hope – Frank P. Bibas Breaking the Language Barrier – United States Air Force Cradle of Genius – Jim O'Connor and Tom Hayes Kahl – Dido-Film-GmbH The Man in Gray – Benedetto Benedetti Seawards the Great Ships – Templar Film Studios The Face of Jesus – John D. Jennings Play Ball! – Ciné-Documents Rooftops of New York – Robert Gaffney Very Nice, Very Nice – National Film Board of Canada Surogat – Zagreb Film Aquamania – Walt Disney Beep Prepared – Chuck Jones Nelly's Folly – Chuck Jones The Pied Piper of Guadalupe – Friz Freleng Breakfast at Tiffany's – Henry Mancini El Cid – Miklós Rózsa Fanny – Morris Stoloff and Harry Sukman The Guns of Navarone – Dimitri Tiomkin Summer and Smoke – Elmer Bernstein West Side Story – Saul Chaplin, Johnny Green, Sid Ramin and Irwin Kostal Babes in Toyland – George Bruns Flower Drum Song – Alfred Newman and Ken Darby Khovanshchina – Dmitri Shostakovich Paris Blues – Duke Ellington "Moon River" from Breakfast at Tiffany's – Music by Henry Mancini; Lyric by Johnny Mercer "Bachelor in Paradise" from Bachelor in Paradise – Music by Henry Mancini; Lyric by Mack David "Love Theme from El Cid (The Falcon and the Dove)" from El Cid – Music by Miklós Rózsa; Lyric by Paul Francis Webster "Pocketful of Miracles" from Pocketful of Miracles – Music by Jimmy Van Heusen; Lyric by Sammy Cahn "Town Without Pity" from Town Without Pity – Music by Dimitri Tiomkin; Lyric by Ned Washington West Side Story – Gordon E. Sawyer and Fred Hynes The Children's Hour – Gordon E. Sawyer Flower Drum Song – Waldon O. Watson The Guns of Navarone – John Cox The Parent Trap – Robert O. Cook The Hustler – Art Direction: Harry Horner; Set Decoration: Gene Callahan The Absent-Minded Professor – Art Direction: Carroll Clark; Set Decoration: Emile Kuri and Hal Gausman The Children's Hour – Art Direction: Fernando Carrere; Set Decoration: Edward G. Boyle La Dolce Vita – Art Direction and Set Decoration: Piero Gherardi Judgment at Nuremberg – Art Direction: Rudolph Sternad; Set Decoration: George Milo West Side Story – Art Direction: Boris Leven; Set Decoration: Victor A. Gangelin Breakfast at Tiffany's – Art Direction: Hal Pereira and Roland Anderson; Set Decoration: Samuel M. Comer and Ray Moyer El Cid – Art Direction and Set Decoration: Veniero Colasanti and John Moore Flower Drum Song – Art Direction: Alexander Golitzen and Joseph C. Wright; Set Decoration: Howard Bristol Summer and Smoke – Art Direction: Hal Pereira and Walter H. Tyler; Set Decoration: Samuel M. Comer and Arthur Krams The Hustler – Eugen Schüfftan The Absent-Minded Professor – Edward Colman The Children's Hour – Franz Planer Judgment at Nuremberg – Ernest Laszlo One, Two, Three – Daniel L. Fapp West Side Story – Daniel L. Fapp Fanny – Jack Cardiff Flower Drum Song – Russell Metty A Majority of One – Harry Stradling One-Eyed Jacks – Charles Lang La Dolce Vita – Piero Gherardi The Children's Hour – Dorothy Jeakins Claudelle Inglish – Howard Shoup Judgment at Nuremberg – Jean Louis Yojimbo – Yoshirō Muraki West Side Story – Irene Sharaff Babes in Toyland – Bill Thomas Back Street – Jean Louis Flower Drum Song – Irene Sharaff Pocketful of Miracles – Edith Head and Walter Plunkett West Side Story – Thomas Stanford Fanny – William H. Reynolds The Guns of Navarone – Alan Osbiston Judgment at Nuremberg – Frederic Knudtson The Parent Trap – Philip W. Anderson The Guns of Navarone – Visual Effects by Bill Warrington; Audible Effects by Vivian C. Greenham The Absent-Minded Professor – Visual Effects by Robert A. Mattey and Eustace Lycett

Honorary Awards To William L. Hendricks for his outstanding patriotic service in the conception, writing and production of the Marine Corps film, A Force in Readiness, which has brought honor to the Academy and the motion picture industry. To Fred L. Metzler for his dedication and outstanding service to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. To Jerome Robbins for his brilliant achievements in the art of choreography on film.

Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award George Seaton

Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award Stanley Kramer

Presenters and performers

Presenters Eddie Albert and Dina Merrill (Presenters: Costume Design Awards) Fred Astaire (Presenter: Best Picture) Carroll Baker and Richard Chamberlain (Presenters: Art Direction Awards) Charles Brackett (Presenter: Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award to George Seaton) Macdonald Carey and Shirley Knight (Presenters: Best Special Effects) George Chakiris and Carolyn Jones (Presenters: Documentary Awards) Cyd Charisse and Tony Martin (Presenters: Music Awards) Wendell Corey (Presenter: Honorary Award to Fred L. Metzler) Joan Crawford (Presenter: Best Actor) Angie Dickinson and Rod Taylor (Presenter: Best Film Editing) Vince Edwards and Shelley Winters (Presenters: Cinematography Awards) Anthony Franciosa and Joanne Woodward (Presenters: Best Sound Recording) Arthur Freed (Presenter: Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award to Stanley Kramer) Greer Garson (Presenter: Honorary Award to William L. Hendricks George Hamilton and Glynis Johns (Presenters: Short Subjects Awards) Rock Hudson (Presenter: Best Supporting Actress) Eric Johnston (Presenter: Best Foreign Language Film) Shirley Jones (Presenter: Best Supporting Actor) Gene Kelly (Presenter: Honorary Award to Jerome Robbins) Burt Lancaster (Presenter: Best Actress) Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick (Presenters: Writing Awards) Debbie Reynolds (Presenter: Best Original Song) Rosalind Russell (Presenter: Best Director)

Performers Ann-Margret ("Bachelor in Paradise" from Bachelor in Paradise) Gogi Grant ("Pocketful of Miracles" from Pocketful of Miracles) Johnny Mathis ("Love Theme from El Cid (The Falcon and the Dove)" from El Cid) Gene Pitney ("Town Without Pity" from Town Without Pity) Andy Williams ("Moon River" from Breakfast at Tiffany's)

Multiple nominations and awards

+ Films with multiple nominationsNominationsFilm 11 Judgment at Nuremberg West Side Story 9 The Hustler 7 The Guns of Navarone 5 Breakfast at Tiffany's The Children's Hour Fanny Flower Drum Song 4 La Dolce Vita Summer and Smoke 3 The Absent-Minded Professor El Cid Pocketful of Miracles 2 Babes in Toyland The Parent Trap Splendor in the Grass

+ Films with multiple awardsAwardsFilm 10 West Side Story 2 Breakfast at Tiffany's The Hustler Judgment at Nuremberg

See also 19th Golden Globe Awards 1961 in film 4th Grammy Awards 13th Primetime Emmy Awards 14th Primetime Emmy Awards 15th British Academy Film Awards 16th Tony Awards

References

External links The 34th Annual Academy Awards at IMDb List of winners at Infoplease