A Look Back at the First Academy Awards Ceremony

Left to right: Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Mary Pickford

On May 16, 1929, the much beloved Academy Awards held their first ceremony. With the award show now drawing millions worldwide, it's funny to note how low key and small the event was during its first year. Unlike the 86 ceremonies to follow, the first year lacked any of the thrills that the award would develop as time went on. In fact, everyone who showed up to the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles, California already knew the winners. It had been announced three months prior, and this event - with tickets at $5 a head - was merely an excuse to hand out the trophies, which were yet to be called Oscars. With adoring fans waiting outside to motivate the stars, the ceremony took 15 minutes to complete, and it's only become more interesting since.

Best Song: "The Way We Were" (1973)

Scene from The Way We Were

Welcome to Best Song, a new weekly column released on Sunday dedicated to chronicling the Best Original Song category over the course of its many decades. The goal is to listen to and critique every song that has ever been nominated in the category as well as find the Best Best Song and the Best Loser. By the end, we'll have a comprehensive list of this music category and will hopefully have a better understanding not only of the evolution, but what it takes to receive a nomination here. It may seem easy now, but wait until the bad years.

Nothing But the Best: "Wings" (1927)

Scene from Wings

Welcome to the series Nothing But the Best in which I chronicle all of the Academy Award Best Picture winners as they celebrate their anniversaries. Instead of going in chronological order, this series will be presented on each film's anniversary and will feature personal opinions as well as facts regarding its legacy and behind the scenes information. The goal is to create an in depth essay for each film while looking not only how the medium progressed, but how the film is integral to pop culture. In some cases, it will be easy. Others not so much. Without further ado, let's start the show.