1958 Academy Awards

The 1958 Academy Awards were held at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, California on April 6, 1959. These awards were presented to honor the best in film efforts for the year 1958.

Presenters

Jerry Lewis, Bob Hope, and David Niven co-hosted the 31st Annual Academy Awards with Dean Martin, Eddie Fisher, Burt Lancaster, and Kirk Douglas among the performers.

Presenters of the top awards included Ingrid Bergman, Cary Grant, Sophia Loren, Tony Curtis, Janet Leigh, Gary Cooper, and Tony Randall.

The 1958 Academy Awards for Best Picture

Gigi
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Auntie Mame
Separate Tables
The Defiant Ones

GiGi was chosen as Best Picture and became the big winner at the 1958 ceremonies with nine Oscar nominations that led to a win in every nominated category.

Vincente Minnelli was named Best Director and André Previn's, GiGi, was chosen as Best Musical Score. GiGi was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

It is considered the last great MGM musical with Maurice Chevalier's rendition of "Thank Heaven for Little Girls" remaining a classic.

The romantic musical was based on a 1944 novella by Colette and starred Leslie Caron in the lead role as GiGi after Audrey Hepburn turned down the part. None of film's characters receive an Oscar nominations for their work in the film.

The 1958 Academy Awards for Best Actor

David Niven – Separate Tables
Tony Curtis – The Defiant Ones
Paul Newman – Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Sidney Poitier – The Defiant Ones
Spencer Tracy – The Old Man and the Sea

David Niven won the Oscar for Best Actor in "Separate Tables." Paul Newman's role in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" established his long standing career.

Niven was born March 1, 1910 in London, England and died July 29, 1983.
Although best known for his roles as Phileas Fogg in "Around the World in 80 Days" and the Phantom in "The Pink Panther" franchise, Niven's lesser known performance in "Separate Tables" won him his top award.

The 1958 Academy Awards for Best Actress

Susan Hayward – I Want to Live!
Deborah Kerr – Separate Tables
Shirley MacLaine – Some Came Running
Rosalind Russell – Auntie Mame
Elizabeth Taylor – Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

Susan Hayward won the 1958 Oscar for Best Actress in "I Want to Live" with Elizabeth Taylor's performance in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" receiving a nomination.

Susan Hayward was born June 30, 1917 in Brooklyn, New York and died March 14, 1975 at the age of 57. She was happily married to Floyd Eaton Chalkley from 1957 unti his death in 1966.
Hayward was nominated for five Academy Awards winning the Oscar in 1958.

1958 Academy Awards For Best Director

Vincente Minnelli – Gigi
Richard Brooks – Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Robert Wise – I Want to Live!
Stanley Kramer – The Defiant Ones
Mark Robson – The Inn of the Sixth Happiness

1958 Best Supporting Actor Award

Burl Ives – The Big Country
Theodore Bikel – The Defiant Ones
Lee J. Cobb – The Brothers Karamazov
Arthur Kennedy – Some Came Running
Gig Young – Teacher's Pet

1958 Best Supporting Actress Award

Wendy Hiller – Separate Tables
Peggy Cass – Auntie Mame
Martha Hyer – Some Came Running
Maureen Stapleton – Lonelyhearts
Cara Williams – The Defiant Ones

1958 Academy Awards in Costume Design

Gigi – Cecil Beaton
A Certain Smile – Charles LeMaire and Mary Wills
Bell Book and Candle – Jean Louis
Some Came Running – Walter Plunkett
The Buccaneer – Ralph Jester, Edith Head and John Jensen

1958 Oscar for Best Original Song

"Gigi" from Gigi – Music by Alan Jay Lerner; Lyric by Frederick Loewe
"A Certain Smile" from A Certain Smile – Music by Sammy Fain; Lyric by Paul Francis Webster
"Almost In Your Arms (Love Song from Houseboat)" from Houseboat – Music and Lyric by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans
"A Very Precious Love" from Marjorie Morningstar – Music by Sammy Fain; Lyric by Paul Francis Webster
"To Love and Be Loved" from Some Came Running – Music by James Van Heusen; Lyric by Sammy Cahn

1958 Oscar for Best Original Screenplay

The Defiant Ones – Nedrick Young and Harold Jacob Smith
Houseboat – Melville Shavelson and Jack Rose
Teacher's Pet – Fay Kanin and Michael Kanin
The Goddess – Paddy Chayefsky
The Sheepman – William Bowers and James Edward Grant

1958 Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar

Gigi – Alan Jay Lerner
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof – Richard Brooks and James Poe
I Want to Live! – Don Mankiewicz and Nelson Gidding
Separate Tables – John Gay and Terence Rattigan
The Horse's Mouth – Alec Guinness

1958 Academy Awards for Best Cinematography - Black and White

The Defiant Ones – Sam Leavitt
Desire Under the Elms – Daniel L. Fapp
I Want to Live! – Lionel Lindon
Separate Tables – Charles Lang, Jr.
The Young Lions – Joseph MacDonald

1958 Oscar for Best Cinematography in Color

Gigi – Joseph Ruttenberg
Auntie Mame – Harry Stradling, Sr.
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof – William Daniels
South Pacific – Leon Shamroy
The Old Man and the Sea – James Wong Howe

1958 Academy Awards in Art Direction

Gigi – Art Direction: William A. Horning (posthumous award) and Preston Ames; Set Decoration: Henry Grace and Keogh Gleason
A Certain Smile – Art Direction: Lyle R. Wheeler and John DeCuir; Set Decoration: Walter M. Scott and Paul S. Fox
Auntie Mame – Art Direction: Malcolm Bert; Set Decoration: George James Hopkins
Bell Book and Candle – Art Direction: Cary Odell; Set Decoration: Louis Diage
Vertigo – Art Direction: Hal Pereira and Henry Bumstead; Set Decoration: Sam Comer and Frank McKelvy

1958 Academy Awards in Film Editing

Gigi – Adrienne Fazan
Auntie Mame – William Ziegler
Cowboy – William A. Lyon and Al Clark
I Want to Live! – William Hornbeck
The Defiant Ones – Frederick Knudtson

1958 Best Visual Effects Awards

tom thumb – Tom Howard
Torpedo Run – A. Arnold Gillespie and Harold Humbrock

1957 Academy Awards
1959 Academy Awards
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