On This Day

On this day in 1929, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences handed out its first awards. The event was a dinner party for around 250 people held at the Blossom Rom of the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, CA.

At the time of the ceremony, sound was just being introduced into film. The Warner Bros. movie The Jazz Singer was not allowed to compete for Best Picture because it was a "talkie" film. The Academy decided it was unfair to let movies with sound compete with silent films. The first official Best Picture winner was Wings. It also was the only silent film to win Best Picture.