Ranking All The Movies Nominated At The 9th Academy Awards In 1937
“What are the best movies nominated for the 9th Academy Awards held in 1937?” We looked at all 52 movies nominated for an Oscar in 1937 and ranked them again one another to answer that very question!
We took all 52 movies that were nominated for an Academy Award in 1937 and looked at their Rotten Tomato Critic, Rotten Tomato User, IMDB, and Letterboxd scores, ranking them against one another to see which movies came out on top. The movies are ranked on our list below, with the full chart of rankings included at the bottom of the page. We did not use Metacritic scores because of the lack of data for older movies on that site. Metacritic scores will be included when we do rankings for other years in the future.
If you want to see the rankings for additional years you can visit our Academy Award Rankings page.
Happy Viewing!
The Top 1937 Academy Award Movie Rankings
52 ) Dummy Ache
Nominated For:
- Best Short Subject, Two-reel
1936 short film nominated for an Academy Award in the category Best Short Subject, Two Reel.
51 ) The Old Mill Pond
Nominated For:
- Best Short Subject, Cartoons
The fish and frogs gather at the old mill pond to hear a jazz concert.
50 ) Popular Science
Nominated For:
- Best Short Subject, Color
Raising angora rabbits for wool; new marine navigation and safety technology; kitchen gadgets; developing new rose varieties.
49 ) That Girl from Paris
Nominated For:
- Best Sound, Recording
This light-hearted musical romance follows the exploits of Nikki Martin (Lily Pons), a beautiful French opera star who stows away on an ocean liner in hopes of escaping her jealous fiancee. Once aboard, she joins an American swing band and falls in love with its leader (Gene Raymond), who, after hearing her sing, eventually comes to reciprocate her feelings.
48 ) Dancing Pirate
Nominated For:
- Best Dance Direction
In 1820, Jonathan Pride (Collins), a dance teacher from Boston, decides to book passage on a ship to go visit his relatives. However, he is soon kidnapped by a gang of pirates and forced to work in the galley. When the pirate ship docks in the port of Las Palamos, Jonathan manages to steal clothes from one of the pirates and escapes. However, everyone in Las Palamos, including the port’s Governor Alcade (Morgan) and beautiful local Serafina (Duna), believe that Jonathan is the pirate’s leader, leading to some hilarious complications.
47 Tie ) The Gorgeous Hussy
Nominated For:
- Best Actress in a Supporting Role
- Best Cinematography
It’s the early nineteenth century Washington. Young adult Margaret O’Neal, Peggy to most that know her, is the daughter of Major William O’Neal, who is the innkeeper of the establishment where most out-of-town politicians and military men stay when they’re in Washington. Peggy is pretty and politically aware. She is courted by several of those politicians and military men who all want to marry her, except for the one with who she is truly in love.
45 Tie ) La Fiesta de Santa Barbara
Nominated For:
- Best Short Subject, Color
Hollywood stars participate in a Mexican-themed revue and festival in Santa Barbara. Andy Devine, the “World’s Greatest Matador”, engages in a bullfight with a dubious bovine supplied by Señor Keaton, and musical numbers are provided by Joe Morrison and the Garland Sisters.
45 Tie ) Magnificent Brute
Nominated For:
- Best Art Direction
A love triangle forms the basis of this drama. It all begins in a steel mill when a steel worker ignores the besotted gazes of his landlady at the boarding house and falls in love with a gold-digger. His best friend also finds himself smitten by the seductive young woman. But when the one of the workers fritters away a collection that had been taken up for the wife of a deceased co-worker on a foolish bet, he and the vamp take off until the good-hearted landlady intervenes and convinces them to stay and take their lumps.
44 ) The Public Pays
Nominated For:
- Best Short Subject, Two-reel (Win)
A protection racket preying on milk distribution is broken through the persistence of law enforcement and the courage of a local businessman.
41 Tie ) Give Me Liberty
Nominated For:
- Best Short Subject, Color (Win)
Patrick Henry’s rousing speech before the Virginia legislature argues for colonial independence.
41 Tie ) One in a Million
Nominated For:
- Best Dance Direction
American theatrical manager (Menjou) discovers Henie preparing for the Olympics in Switzerland and brings her to Madison Square Garden.
41 Tie ) Sing, Baby, Sing
Nominated For:
- Best Music, Original Song
The “Caliban-Ariel” romance of fiftysomething John Barrymore and teenager Elaine Barrie is spoofed in this delightful 20th Century Fox musical. Adolphe Menjou plays the Barrymore counterpart, a loose-living movie star with a penchant for wine, women, and more wine. Alice Faye plays a nightclub singer hungry for publicity. Her agent (Gregory Ratoff) arranges a “romance” between Faye and Menjou.
40 ) Winterset
Nominated For:
- Best Art Direction
- Best Music, Score
A man is determined to find the real culprit behind the crime for which his father was wrongly executed.
39 ) The Garden of Allah
Nominated For:
- Best Assistant Director
- Best Music, Score
The star-crossed desert romance of a cloistered woman and a renegade monk.
37 Tie ) General Spanky
Nominated For:
- Best Sound, Recording
A small boy is instrumental in a famous Civil War victory in this Our Gang spinoff
37 Tie ) Pigskin Parade
Nominated For:
- Best Actor in a Supporting Role
This hilarious comedy stars Jack Haley and Patsy Kelly as married football coaches. Judy Garland in her first film appearance.
36 ) Double or Nothing
Nominated For:
- Best Short Subject, Two-reel
In this lively musical, an eccentric philanthropist’s will dictates that four people receive $5,000 with the stipulation that the first one who can double the amount– without dishonesty– will win a cool million. Hindering the four are the avaricious relatives of the late millionaire.
35 ) Wanted — A Master
Nominated For:
- Best Short Subject, One-reel
A dog living in a junk yard finds out that all stray dogs will be exterminated by 3 o’ clock that afternoon, so sets off to find a master before the deadline.
33 Tie ) Anthony Adverse
Nominated For:
- Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Win)
- Best Art Direction
- Best Assistant Director
- Best Cinematography (Win)
- Best Film Editing (Win)
- Best Music, Score (Win)
- Best Picture
Anthony Adverse is a 1936 American drama film directed by Mervyn LeRoy. The screenplay by Sheridan Gibney is based on the sprawling 1,224-page novel of the same title by Hervey Allen.
33 Tie ) Valiant Is the Word for Carrie
Nominated For:
- Best Actress in a Leading Role
Carrie Snyder (Gladys George) is a prostitute, who is forced out of the fictional southern town of Crebillon, after forming a friendship with a young boy named Paul (Jackie Moran), whose dying mother (Janet Young) is unable to protest against her son visiting such a woman. After Carrie has left town Paul runs away from his abusive father (John Wray), and meets a girl named Lady (Charlene Wyatt) who has run away from a burning trainwreck, not wanting to go back to the people she was with. Carrie comes back for Paul and ends up taking Paul and Lady to New York with her.
31 Tie ) Banjo on My Knee
Nominated For:
- Best Sound, Recording
A young husband leaves his river shantyboat community in Pecan Point, Tennessee and travels to New Orleans in search of his runaway wife.
31 Tie ) Bored of Education
Nominated For:
- Best Short Subject, One-reel (Win)
Spanky & Alfalfa fake a toothache to get out of school.
30 ) The Last of the Mohicans
Nominated For:
- Best Assistant Director
The story is set in the British province of New York during the French and Indian War, and concerns—in part—a Huron massacre (with passive French acquiescence) of between 500 to 1,500 Anglo-American troops, who had honorably surrendered at Fort William Henry, plus some women and servants; the kidnapping of two sisters, daughters of the British commander; and their rescue by the last Mohicans.
29 ) Gold Diggers of 1937
Nominated For:
- Best Dance Direction
Stage-producer J.J. Horbart, is going to put on a new show, but he doesn’t know that his two partners lost the money at the stock market. Insurance salesman Rosmer Peck falls in love with ex chorus-girl Joan Blondell, who’s friend Genevieve tries to land on one of J.J Horbat’s partners. They come up with the idea to insure J.J. for $1 Million, to get the money back when he dies. Rosmer sells him the policy. After the insurance Company finds out that he’s only a hypochondriac, an attempt to kill him accidently fails, and Genevieve falls in love with J.J. But when J.J. is informed that he is putting on a show with no money he has a breakdown. The only possibility to restore his health is putting on the show, in spite of the lack of money.
28 ) Romeo and Juliet
Nominated For:
- Best Actor in a Supporting Role
- Best Actress in a Leading Role
- Best Art Direction
- Best Picture
Scenes of combat that will stir your pulse…tender haunting romance that will stay ever fresh in your memory…spectacular beauty that will set a feast for your eyes…in the greatest melodramatic romance of all time…presented as it has never been before…the final glorious flower of motion picture achievement.
27 ) The General Died at Dawn
Nominated For:
- Best Actor in a Supporting Role
- Best Cinematography
- Best Music, Score
In revolution-torn China, American mercenary O’Hara is entrusted with a perilous mission, to get arms for the helpless authorities in a province ravaged by warlord General Yang. On the train to Shanghai, he meets Judy Perrie, whose father is in league with Yang. Will Judy regret agreeing to lure O’Hara to his doom, and if so, can she make it up to him? The balance of power seesaws to a perilous conclusion.
26 ) Moscow Moods
Nominated For:
- Best Short Subject, One-reel
1936 Short film nominated for an Academy Award for Best Short Subject, One Reel
25 ) The Country Cousin
Nominated For:
- Best Short Subject, Cartoons (Win)
Morty Citymouse invites his cousin Abner Countrymouse for a visit and shows him the ways of the big city, including traps, eating quietly, and busy traffic.
24 ) The Great Ziegfeld
Nominated For:
- Best Actress in a Leading Role (Win)
- Best Art Direction
- Best Dance Direction (Win)
- Best Director
- Best Film Editing
- Best Picture (Win)
- Best Writing, Original Story
The larger-than-life career of stage genius Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. isaptly celebrated in this marvellous musical biography.
23 ) Pennies from Heaven
Nominated For:
- Best Music, Original Song
Larry Poole, in prison on a false charge, promise an inmate that when he gets out he will look up and help out a family. The family turns out to be a young girl, Patsy Smith, and her elderly grandfather who need lots of help. This delays Larry from following his dream and going to Venice and becoming a gondolier. Instead he becomes a street singer and, while singing in the street, meets a pretty welfare worker, Susan Sprague. She takes a dim view of Patsy’s welfare under the guardianship of Larry and her grandfather, and starts proceedings to have Patsy placed in an orphanage.
22 ) Suzy
Nominated For:
- Best Music, Original Song
A French air ace discovers that his showgirl wife’s first husband is still alive.
20 Tie ) The Texas Rangers
Nominated For:
- Best Sound, Recording
Two down-on-their-luck former outlaws volunteer to be Texas Rangers and find themselves assigned to bring in an old friend, now a notorious outlaw.
20 Tie ) Three Smart Girls
Nominated For:
- Best Picture
- Best Sound, Recording
- Best Writing, Original Story
Three Smart Girls, showcases the teen singing sensation in a heartwarming musical comedy that was nominated for a Best Picture Academy Award. Penny Craig (Deanna Durbin) is a high-spirited girl who conspires with her two sisters to reunite their divorced parents.
17 Tie ) Born to Dance
Nominated For:
- Best Dance Direction
- Best Music, Original Song
Sailor Ted meets and falls in love with Nora Paige, an aspiring Broadway show dancer, at the Lonely Hearts Club. After Ted rescues Lucy James’ Pekinese during a public relations campaign on his submarine, Lucy falls in love with Ted; and Ted’s captain orders him to meet Lucy for a date at a night club breaking a date with Nora. When she sees a picture of Ted and Lucy in the newspaper, Nora, who lives with Jenny and her daughter (Jenny’s husband is Gunny), no longer wants anything to do with Ted.
17 Tie ) Lloyd’s of London
Nominated For:
- Best Art Direction
- Best Film Editing
Blake is in love with an aristocratic woman whose husband seriously injures him. Blake’s friendship with Lord Nelson provides the basis for Blake’s part in the growth of Lloyd’s insurance business following the Battle of Trafalgar. Only very slightly based on history.
17 Tie ) The Trail of the Lonesome Pine
Nominated For:
- Best Music, Original Song
A well-established tale of a long-running feud between two mountain clans. The features of this production were the new three-strip Technicolor process showing the outdoor Californian settings and an energetic young cast. It is said that Li’l Abner was based on Henry Fonda’s performance.
16 ) Cain and Mabel
Nominated For:
- Best Dance Direction
A chorus girl (Marion Davies) and a heavyweight boxer (Clark Gable) are paired romantically as a publicity stunt.
14 Tie ) Come and Get It
Nominated For:
- Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Win)
- Best Film Editing
An ambitious lumberjack abandons his saloon girl lover so that he can marry into wealth, but years later becomes infatuated with the woman’s daughter.
14 Tie ) The Charge of the Light Brigade
Nominated For:
- Best Assistant Director (Win)
- Best Music, Score
- Best Sound, Recording
Errol Flynn and Patrick Knowles are two brothers whose love for the same woman at a perilous Foreign Legion outpost in India leads to the famous “charge” against Surat Kahn.
13 ) Theodora Goes Wild
Nominated For:
- Best Actress in a Leading Role
- Best Film Editing
The small-town prudes of Lynnfield are up in arms over ‘The Sinner,’ a sexy best-seller. They little suspect that author ‘Caroline Adams’ is really Theodora Lynn, scion of the town’s leading family. Michael Grant, devil-may-care book jacket illustrator, penetrates Theodora’s incognito and sets out to ‘free her’ from Lynnfield against her will. But Michael has a secret too, and gets a taste of his own medicine.
12 ) Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor
Nominated For:
- Best Short Subject, Cartoons
In “Popeye Meets Sindbad (Bluto),” Popeye’s perennial enemy almost outshines him. Bluto is in rare form, his rich, bass voice rendering with gusto a catchy tune. He is also charismatic as a comic relief. This cartoon gem, one of Popeye’s best, comes in vibrant colors thanks to having been digitally revamped.
10 Tie ) San Francisco
Nominated For:
- Best Actor in a Leading Role
- Best Assistant Director
- Best Director
- Best Picture
- Best Sound, Recording (Win)
- Best Writing, Original Story
Things really get shaken up when an aspiring opera singer becomes involved with a bawdy saloon owner and his high-society rival during the devastating earthquake of 1906
10 Tie ) The Story of Louis Pasteur
Nominated For:
- Best Actor in a Leading Role (Win)
- Best Picture
- Best Writing, Original Story (Win)
- Best Writing, Screenplay (Win)
In 1860, having helped France solve the problem of sour wine, chemist Louis Pasteur turns to the dangers of childbirth: 20,000 Paris women were dying annually. His germ theory and recommendation that doctors wash their hands and sterilize their instruments meet with derision in the academy, and the emperor himself orders Pasteur to be silent. Ten years later, needing cash to pay for war losses, the government finds that anthrax is killing herds everywhere in the country except Arbois: Pasteur is there, vaccinating sheep. Again the academy is dismissive. When Pasteur is vindicated, he turns his attention to hydrophobia. It is the Russians who realize his genius, and France finally honors him.
9 ) These Three
Nominated For:
- Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Karen and Martha, college roommates, graduate and face the future with no place and no money. Karen, however, has inherited a farmhouse from her grandmother, and gets the idea that she and Martha can turn it into a school for girls. They travel to the farmhouse, which turns out to be quite rundown, and all hope seems lost, until they meet Dr. Joe Cardin, who tells them not to give up, to take out a loan, fix up the farmhouse, and it will work out. All seems to go according to plan, until one student devises a scheme for revenge for being punished by the teachers. Unlike Lillian Hellman’s “The Children’s Hour”, this film has a mostly happy ending and leaves out all references to lesbianism, making it a love triangle instead of a love chain.
8 ) Libeled Lady
Nominated For:
- Best Picture
When an heiress sues a newspaper, the editor hires a reporter to compromise her.
6 Tie ) A Tale of Two Cities
Nominated For:
- Best Film Editing
- Best Picture
Charles Dickens’ classic story is brought to the screen in this Oscar-nominated production. Set during the French Revolution, two men find themselves in love with the same woman.
6 Tie ) Mr. Deeds Goes to Town
Nominated For:
- Best Actor in a Leading Role
- Best Director (Win)
- Best Picture
- Best Sound, Recording
- Best Writing, Screenplay
Longfellow Deeds lives in a small town, leading a small town kind of life. When a relative dies and leaves Deeds a fortune, Longfellow moves to the big city where he becomes an instant target for everyone. Deeds outwits them all until Babe Bennett comes along. When small-town boy meets big-city girl anything can, and does, happen.
5 ) Dodsworth
Nominated For:
- Best Actor in a Leading Role
- Best Actress in a Supporting Role
- Best Art Direction (Win)
- Best Director
- Best Picture
- Best Sound, Recording
- Best Writing, Screenplay
An adaptation of Sinclair Lewis’ novel about a middle-aged American automobile tycoon who retires and goes to Europe, where he and his appearance-conscious, snobbish wife find differing sets of values… and new relationships.
4 ) Swing Time
Nominated For:
- Best Dance Direction
- Best Music, Original Song (Win)
Lucky is tricked into missing his wedding to Margaret by the other members of Pop’s magic and dance act, and has to make $25000 to be allowed to marry her. He and Pop go to New York where they run into Penny, a dancing instructor. She and Lucky form a successful dance partnership, but romance is blighted (till the end of the film at least!) by his old attachment to Margaret and hers for Ricardo, the band leader who won’t play for them to dance together.
3 ) After the Thin Man
Nominated For:
- Best Writing, Screenplay
Married sleuths Nick and Nora Charles try to clear Nora’s cousin of a murder charge.
2 ) Fury
Nominated For:
- Best Writing, Original Story
In this hard-edged exposé of mob violence–young Joe Wilson (Tracy) ismistakenly arrested for a kidnapping while traveling through a smalltown on his way to meet his fiancée.
1 ) My Man Godfrey
Nominated For:
- Best Actor in a Leading Role
- Best Actor in a Supporting Role
- Best Actress in a Leading Role
- Best Actress in a Supporting Role
- Best Director
- Best Writing, Screenplay
A wealthy New York family in the 1930’s brings in a destitute and “Forgotten Man” as their butler. In Vibrant Color!
