Oscars Returning To The Era Of Judy Garland

By Rob Christopher in Arts & Entertainment on Jun 24, 2009 9:40PM

Did you know that in the 30's and 40's there were frequently ten nominees for Best Picture? Neither did we. The practice ended in 1943, when Casablanca took home the Oscar. Since then it's always been winnowed to a list of five. But this morning AMPAS President Sid Ganis announced that the bigger list is being revived for next year's awards. There will once again be ten nominees. Said Ganis, "Having ten Best Picture nominees is going to allow Academy voters to recognize and include some of the fantastic movies that often show up in the other Oscar categories, but have been squeezed out of the race for the top prize. The final outcome, of course, will be the same - one Best Picture winner." The other categories will remain unchanged.

Many people make the case that 1939 was Hollywood's zenith, and looking at the list of Best Picture nominees it's hard to disagree: Gone With the Wind, which won, Stagecoach, Wuthering Heights, Love Affair, Goodbye, Mr. Chips, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Of Mice and Men, Dark Victory, Ninotchka, and The Wizard of Oz.

Speaking of Oz, you can go "over the rainbow" this Pride with the help of the Chicago Gay Men's Chorus. The CGMC honors the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots and the legend that is Judy Garland with their new show, Over the Rainbow. There are four performances only: June 26 and 27 at the Lakeshore Theater and July 2 at Mayslake Peabody Estate in Oak Brook. So buy your ticket now before they sell out!