Best Cinematography 1957

1927/28 through 1997
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Which Oscar nominees for Cinematography was the best of 1957?

An Affair to Remember (Milton Krasner)
1
9%
The Bridge on the River Kwai (Jack Hilyard)
7
64%
Funny Face (Ray June)
0
No votes
Peyton Place (William Mellor)
2
18%
Sayonara (Ellsworth Fredericks)
1
9%
 
Total votes: 11

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Re: Best Cinematography 1957

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Precious Doll wrote:I choose not to go by US release, or even country of origin release, due to the number of co-productions. Also, some films are never released in the US or far too many years later. I still need to update some of my 'best of releases' lists because they don't align with my criteria. An example is Atlantic City, which I have on my 1981 list but it was in fact released in some international markets in 1980 (I hate doing that because it means Burt & Susan loose they winning status :| for 1981) but I feel I need to be consistent.
I know what you mean. I keep going back and forth between year of release in either New York or Los Angeles or both and year of release in just New York or just Los Angeles as a point of reference.

I try to base my lists on what I thought at the time or would have thought at the time if I were alive or old enough to make a fair assessment. I don't like using first date shown anywhere in the world because no one could possibly have seen every film released anywhere in the world at the time of their initial releases. It is possible, however, for someone to have seen all the films released in either New York or Los Angeles at the time of their release or to have at least been aware of those releases and chosen to see some, but not all.

In the end, though, I think the fairest assessment when critiquing Oscar nominations is to go by the same release criteria as the Oscars themselves discounting whatever flaky subsidiary rules they had at the time that made it OK to ignore the likes of Scenes from a Marriage and Yi Yi which should have been allowed to compete due to their release dates.

Of course, the Academy has broken its own rules of eligibility on occasion, starting with the first Oscars when it included Street Angel among the films cited for Janet Gaynor's win. That film opened after the 1927/28 cut-off date of July 31, 1928 and, in fact, was properly cited for its cinematography in 1928/29.
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Re: Best Cinematography 1957

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Big Magilla wrote:
Precious Doll wrote:Omissions (mainly B&W) abound including: The Tarnished Angles, Sweet Smell of Success, 3:10 to Yuma, Wild Strawberries, The Cranes are Flying, Black River, The Devil Strikes at Down, Tokyo Twilight, Night of the Demon, A Face in the Crowd, The Seventh Seal, Nights of Cabiria, Il Grido & Kanal.
Most of these were ineligible. The Tarnished Angels, Nights of Cabiria and Curse of the Demon were eligible in 1958, Wild Strawberries, The Seventh Seal and The Devil Strikes at Night in 1959, The Cranes Are Flying in 1960 and Tokyo Twilight in 1972, the years they were released in Los Angeles. Black River wasn't seen in the U.S. until it was shown at the New York Film Festival in 2005. It was never given a regular U.S. release.
I really should put the disclaimer that some of the films may not have been eligible. I go by original commercial release anywhere in the world (and never film festival premieres dates).

I choose not to go by US release, or even country of origin release, due to the number of co-productions. Also, some films are never released in the US or far too many years later. I still need to update some of my 'best of releases' lists because they don't align with my criteria. An example is Atlantic City, which I have on my 1981 list but it was in fact released in some international markets in 1980 (I hate doing that because it means Burt & Susan loose they winning status :| for 1981) but I feel I need to be constient.
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Re: Best Cinematography 1957

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Precious Doll wrote:Omissions (mainly B&W) abound including: The Tarnished Angles, Sweet Smell of Success, 3:10 to Yuma, Wild Strawberries, The Cranes are Flying, Black River, The Devil Strikes at Down, Tokyo Twilight, Night of the Demon, A Face in the Crowd, The Seventh Seal, Nights of Cabiria, Il Grido & Kanal.
Most of these were ineligible. The Tarnished Angels, Nights of Cabiria and Curse of the Demon were eligible in 1958, Wild Strawberries, The Seventh Seal and The Devil Strikes at Night in 1959, The Cranes Are Flying in 1960 and Tokyo Twilight in 1972, the years they were released in Los Angeles. Black River wasn't seen in the U.S. until it was shown at the New York Film Festival in 2005. It was never given a regular U.S. release.
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Re: Best Cinematography 1957

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As Magilla has said this is a pretty good line-up if it were just colour films in consideration. I've only ever seen Sayonara on the big screen but I can't go past the luscious looking Peyton Place. An Affair to Remember & Funny Face and standouts as well.

Omissions (mainly B&W) abound including: The Tarnished Angles, Sweet Smell of Success, 3:10 to Yuma, Wild Strawberries, The Cranes are Flying, Black River, The Devil Strikes at Down, Tokyo Twilight, Night of the Demon, A Face in the Crowd, The Seventh Seal, Nights of Cabiia, Il Grido & Kanal.
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Re: Best Cinematography 1957

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This might have been a perfect group of nominees if it had been for color cinematography, but as much as I love An Affair to Remember and Funny Face, I can't help but think that Witness for the Prosecution, 12 Angry Men, Paths of Glory, Sweet Smell of Success and A Face in the Crowd all got shafted by the lack of a separation of categories between black-and-white and color. I would have nominated them all before An Affair to Remember, Funny Face and Sayonara.

The Bridge on the River Kwai and Peyton Place are the only real choices here. I voted for Bridge.
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Best Cinematography 1957

Post by Big Magilla »

Rules changes for 1957 consolidated categories in writing and music and eliminated the distinction between black-and-white and color in cinematography, art direction and costume design. The changes in cinematography would be reversed the following year, perhaps because although there were still many excellent films being made in black-and-white including two of the five 1957 Best Picture nominees, all the nominees for cinematography were in color.
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