The telecast of the 31st Academy Awards is among the most infamous. The show’s producer Jerry Wald started cutting numbers from the show to make sure it ran on time. Unfortunately, he cut too much material and the ceremony ended 20 minutes early, leaving Jerry Lewis to attempt to fill in the time. Eventually, NBC cut to a re-run of a sports show.

Awards

Best Director : Vincente Minnelli, Gigi

Best Actor : David Niven, Separate Tables

Best Supporting Actor : Burl Ives, The Big Country

Best Actress : Susan Hayward, I Want To Live!

Best Supporting Actress : Wendy Hiller, Separate Tables

Best Original Story and Screenplay : Nedrick Young and Harold Jacob Smith, The Defiant Ones

Best Screenplay Based on Material From Another Medium : Alan Jay Lerner, Gigi