| Number: | 38 |
| Award: | Academy Awards |
| Date: | April 18, 1966 |
| Site: | Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica, California |
| Host: | Bob Hope |
| Producer: | Joe Pasternak |
| Director: | Richard Dunlap |
| Best Picture: | The Sound of Music |
| Most Wins: | Doctor Zhivago and The Sound of Music (5) |
| Most Nominations: | Doctor Zhivago and The Sound of Music (10) |
| Network: | ABC |
| Last: | 37th |
| Next: | 39th |
The 38th Academy Awards, honoring the best in film for 1965, were held on April 18, 1966, at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica, California. They were hosted by Bob Hope, and were the first Oscars to be broadcast live in color. Lynda Bird Johnson, daughter of President Lyndon B. Johnson, attended the ceremony, escorted by actor George Hamilton.[1]
The most successful films of the year were The Sound of Music and Doctor Zhivago, each with ten nominations and five wins, with the former winning Best Picture. Both films are in the top 10 inflation-adjusted commercially successful films ever made,[2] and both would go on to appear on the American Film Institute list of the greatest American films of the twentieth century.
The Sound of Music was the first Best Picture winner without a screenwriting nomination since Hamlet, and would be the last until Titanic at the 70th Academy Awards. Othello became the third film (of four to date) to receive four acting nominations without one for Best Picture. William Wyler received the last of his record twelve Best Director nominations for The Collector.
The ceremony was unsuccessful at starting a rivalry between Julie Christie and Julie Andrews, the two British contenders for Best Actress.[1] It also contained what was described as a "moving" film from Patricia Neal, then recovering from a severe, near-fatal, stroke.[1]
Nominees were announced on February 21, 1966. Winners are listed first and highlighted with boldface.[3]
These films had multiple nominations:
The following films received multiple awards.
The following individuals, listed in order of appearance, presented awards or performed musical numbers.
| Name | Role | |
|---|---|---|
| Announcer for the 38th Academy Awards | ||
| (AMPAS President) | Gave opening remarks welcoming guests to the awards ceremony | |
| Presenters of the award for Best Sound | ||
| Presenter of the award for Best Special Visual Effects | ||
| Presenter of the award for Best Supporting Actor | ||
| Presenter of the award for Best Sound Effects | ||
| Presenters of the Costume Design Awards | ||
| Presenters of the Documentary Awards | ||
| Presenters of the Short Subjects Awards | ||
| Presenter of the award for Best Supporting Actress | ||
| Presenter of the award for Best Film Editing | ||
| Presenters of the awards for Best Art Direction | ||
| Presenter of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award to Edmond L. DePatie | ||
| Presenters of the awards for Best Cinematography | ||
| Presenters of the Music Awards | ||
| Presenter of the award for Best Foreign Language Film | ||
| Presenter of the award for Best Song | ||
| Presenter of the award for Best Director | ||
| Presenters of the Writing Awards | ||
| Arthur Freed | Presenter of the Irving J. Thalberg Memorial Award to William Wyler | |
| Presenter of the award for Best Actor | ||
| Presenter of the award for Best Actress | ||
| Arthur Freed | Presenter of the Honorary Gold Medal to Bob Hope | |
| Presenter of the award for Best Picture |
| Name | Role | Performed | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Musical arranger and conductor | Orchestral | ||
| Performers | “The Academy Awards Song (Mr. Oscar)” during the opening presentation | ||
| Performers | "The Ballad of Cat Ballou" from Cat Ballou | ||
| Performers | "I Will Wait for You" from The Umbrellas of Cherbourg | ||
| Performer | "The Shadow of Your Smile" from The Sandpiper | ||
| Performer | "The Sweetheart Tree" from The Great Race | ||
| Performer | "What's New Pussycat?" from What's New Pussycat? |