SAG Awards: Hollywood loves Hollywood

Dec. 9, 2015 9:22 AM PT

Hollywood has always loved Hollywood during awards season.

And this year is no exception with “Trumbo” earning three Screen Actors Guild Award nominations Wednesday morning: ensemble, lead male actor for Bryan Cranston as blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo and female supporting actor for Helen Mirren as his archenemy, the conservative and powerful gossip columnist Hedda Hopper.

“Trumbo” chronicles a difficult piece of Hollywood history, the blacklist era, when studios exiled left-wing writers who had a history with the Communist Party of America and many stars and filmmakers “named names” to the notorious House on Un-American Affairs Committee. But the movie has its heroes, including Trumbo, actor Kirk Douglas and director Otto Preminger, who helped break the blacklist.

Four years ago, “The Artist,” the charming black-and-white, nearly silent comedy-drama about the end of the silent era in Tinseltown, also earned three nominations, with Jean Dujardin winning male lead actor. And “The Artist” went on to win five Academy Awards, including film and actor.

Even during the real silent era, filmmakers were shining the spotlight on Hollywood from early Charlie Chaplin comedies such as 1915’s “His New job” to King Vidor’s 1928 classic comedy “Show People” with Marion Davies.

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One of the first big Oscar contenders revolving around Hollywood was William W. Wellman’s terrific 1937 drama “A Star is Born,” starring Janet Gaynor as an actress on her way up who marries a star (Fredric March) on his way down due to a drinking problem.

The film was nominated for seven Oscars including film, actress, actor and director and won for Wellman and Robert Carson’s original story.

The 1954 musical remake with Judy Garland and James Mason earned six nominations, including actor and actress, but walked away empty handed.

Perhaps the best film about Hollywood is Billy Wilder’s 1950 “Sunset Boulevard,” starring Gloria Swanson, William Holden, Erich von Stroheim and Nancy Olson. The film earned 11 Oscar nominations including film, director and four acting honors and picked up three Academy Awards.

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WINNER: male actor in a television movie or miniseries - Idris Elba

(Steffan Hill / AP)

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WINNER: female actor in a television movie or miniseries - Queen Latifah

(Frank Masi / AP)

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WINNER: Male actor in a comedy series - Jeffrey Tambor; NOMINEE: Ensemble in a comedy series;

(Beth Dubber / AP)

Oddly enough, the 1952 musical comedy classic “Singin’ in the Rain,” which like “The Artist” explored the transition from silents to talkies, failed to win the hearts of Academy members. Though considered by many as the greatest movie musical, “Singin’ only received two Academy Award nominations, for supporting actress and scoring of a motion picture.

Robert Altman’s darkly funny, cameo-laden 1992 “The Player,” scored three Oscar nominations including director and adapted screenplay for Michael Tolkin.

Foreign directors have also explored the art of filmmaking. Federico Fellini’s 1963 masterpiece “8 1/2” scored five Academy Award nominations and won for foreign language film and costume design.

And 11 years later, Francois Truffaut’s valentine to cinema, “Day for Night” received the foreign film Academy Award.

Other Hollywood films that scored Oscars and nominations include Vincente Minnelli’s 1952 “The Bad and the Beautiful”; 1998’s “Gods and Monsters”; 1975’s “Shampoo”; 1997’s “L.A. Confidential”; 1973’s “The Way We Were”; and 2002’s “Adaptation.”

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