It's Oscar season, and, naturally, cinephiles are interested in the classics that paved the road for many of our newer favorites. In this article, we'll explore the very first Best Picture Oscar winner.
When Was the First Best Picture Oscar Awarded?
The first-ever Academy Awards ceremony was held in 1929.
Since the first Oscars did not yet follow a calendar year, the eligible films had been released between July 1927 and August 1928.
The two movies to earn the most awards (three each) were two synchronized sound romantic dramas, 7th Heaven and Sunrise.
Wings: The First Best Picture Oscar Winner
The first movie to win an Academy Award for Best Picture was Wings, a 1927 American silent film.
Wings was directed by William A. Wellman and featured Clara Bow, Charles (Buddy) Rogers, Richard Arlen, and Gary Cooper in the main roles.
This is a WWI film featuring Jack Powell (Rogers) and David Armstrong (Arlen) who both like the same girl, Sylvia (Ralston), with Jack failing to realize that Mary (Bow) is in love with him.
Things become complicated when Jack and David both enlist as combat pilots and take their rivalry to the battlefield, while forced to share living quarters.
While many contemporary viewers might hesitate to watch a silent film, Wings is the first Best Picture Oscar winner for a reason.
Director William A. Wellman was not only a filmmaker but also a military pilot. His experience, interest, and deep understanding of aviation are evident in Wings.
Indeed, in a 1927 review, critic Sid Silverman said:
When the action [...] settles on terra firma there is nothing present that other war supers haven’t had [...] But nothing has possessed the graphic descriptive powers of aerial flying and combat that have been poured into this effort.
Since 1927, technology has progressed immensely, allowing for never-seen-before spectacles.
Even so, it is impressive to see what Wings achieved with the limited technology of the time, as some of its airplane sequences remain impressive to this day.
The film balances these action scenes with more intimate ones that weave a tale of rivalry, forgiveness, and unexpected love.
Wings was the only silent film to win a Best Picture Oscar.
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