1927

	Best Actor Robert Donat: Goodbye Mr. Chips		Best Actress Vivian Leigh: Gone With the Wind
Donat's victory was a huge surprise, and the result of a very close race. While his film was a modest hit with audiences, he was not the favorite to win the big prize. By winning, the two top acting prizes went to British stars, a fact that wasn't lost on American patriots.		While today, Vivian Leigh's win seems like a given, at the time it was a bit of a surprise. Many expected that Bette Davis would win her third Oscar.
	Nominee Clark Gable: Gone With the Wind		Nominee Bette Davis: Dark Victory
The ever popular screen idol said that if he didn't win this one, he would never get another chance. He was right.		Davis' third nomination marked her first time losing the award. By this time she was a huge star, ranked as the second most popular actress in America, second only to Shirley Temple.

	Nominee James Stewart: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington		Nominee Greta Garbo: Ninotchka
Critics seemed to agree on Stewart as the obvious choice. The up and coming star made a huge splash in this Capra vehicle.		Garbo loved, spoke, and finally laughed in Ninotchka. It would be her last time in the nominees list. She would retire from films shortly after.

	Nominee Laurence Olivier: Wuthering Heights		Nominee Irene Dunne: Love Affair
Olivier didn't only have to contend with the fact that he lost the coveted Best Actor Oscar, but the rising star had to face the media as Mr. Vivian Leigh.		Dunne turned to romantic soap opera for her fourth nomination. It would be her third in a row.

	Nominee Mickey Rooney: Babes In Arms		Nominee Greer Garson: Goodbye Mr. Chips
Rooney was a huge star by this time and no doubt his nomination was partly a result of that. This would mark his only time in the final five, and the beginning of the end of his time on top.		Garson was a relative newcomer to Hollywood, and would soon become a favorite of Oscar voters.

	Best Supporting Actor Thomas Mitchell: Stagecoach		Best Supporting Actress Hattie McDaniel: Gone With the Wind
Mitchell, no doubt, got to benefit from the Gone With the Wind frenzy. He played Scarlett's father in the film, but his nomination was for another well known film. Voters may have easily have cast their vote for either picture.		Remember that in 1939, blacks were not allowed to attend Oscar ceremonies - unless they were working. McDaniel's win was a giant step forward in race relations. Of course we still had a long way to go.
	Nominee Brian Aherne: Juarez		Nominee Edna May Oliver: Drums Along the Mohawk
This British character actor started in silent films. Juarez was truly his greatest performance, as he was most often cast in uneventful roles.		Oliver was truly one of the great unknowns. Her comic abilities, combined with her unusual looks made her a wonderful supporting actress.
	Nominee Claude Rains: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington		Nominee Geraldine Fitzgerald: Wuthering Heights
Rains was on his way to bigger things, and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington was just the ticket to get him there. He would become a huge star in the 1940's.		The plucky Irish beauty never quite rose to stardom, despite several good performances. She was rebellious on the set, and many believe that the studios held her back.
	Nominee Harry Carey: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington		Nominee Maria Ouspenskaya: Love Affair
A well known talent in the silent era, Carey graduated to character parts in the 1930's. His performance in Mr. Smith capped a very impressive career.		The character actress would soon graduate to horror and B-pictures, as no doubt, her definitive looks held her back from playing the good parts.
	Nominee Brian Donlevy: Beau Geste		Nominee Olivia de Havilland: Gone With the Wind
I think Leonard Maltin said it best: "He was an unlikely leading man. Short (he wore platform shoes), stocky (he wore a girdle), with wavy brown hair (he wore a toupee), flashing smile (he wore false teeth), and piercing blue eyes (those were real), Donlevy had already carved a niche for himself as one of Hollywood's most dependable heavies ..."		de Havilland wanted to win that Oscar, and admitted that when she lost she raced back to the kitchen to cry. It took her weeks to get over the loss, and to finally accept that fact that her co-stars victory meant something much bigger.