You Can't Take It With You competed for the Best Picture with none other films: The Adventures of Robin Hood, Alexander's Ragtime Band, Boys Town, The Citadel, Four Daughters, La Grande Illusion (Grand Illusion, Renoir's French film), Jezebel, Pygmalion, and Test Pilot. Frank Capra became the first filmmaker to win three Director Oscars—in a very short period of time (1934, 1936, 1938).

In 1933, “Cavalcade” competed with nine other films for the Best Picture Oscar: “A Farewell to Arms,” Forty-Second Street,” “I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang,” Lady for a Day,” “Little Women,” “The Private Life of Henry VIII,” She Done Him Wrong,” “Smiling Through,” and “State Fair.”

Edmund Goulding's “Grand Hotel” was nominated for only one Oscar, Best Picture. Strangely, no performer of its distinguished cast (Garbo, John and Lionel Barrymore, Crawford) was singled out by the Academy.

The first Oscar winner (for 1927 and 1928) was nominated for two awards, Best Picture and Engineering Effects, winning in both categories. It was directed by William A. Wellman, who would have a distinguished career in the sound era, but was not nominated for this silent feature.

John Wayne's status as an actor somewhat changed after winning the Best Actor Award for True Grit in 1969. Wayne was nominated twice for the Actor Oscar. His first Best Actor nomination, for Sands of Iwo Jima, did not do much for his recognition as a performer. But 1949 was a year of strong male performances, with Broderick Crawford winning for All the King's Men, over stiff competition from Kirk Douglas in Champion, Gregory Peck in Twelve O'clock High, who won the New York Film Critics award, and Richard Todd in The Hasty Heart.