Save this article to read it later.
Find this story in your accountsSaved for Latersection.
Before that, youd have to go all the way back to 1977 forAnnie Hallto find another example.
The early days of the Oscars found the Academy still defining what its awards would be.
The first ceremony, held in May of 1929, couldnt be more different than its modern version.
About 270 celebrities and producers attended the private dinner, paying $5 a ticket.
The following year brought several changes.
The awards were streamlined and the ceremony went from 12 prizes to 7.
This was not the last time comedy would have its own category at the Academy Awards, though.
In 1934,La Cucaracha,a musical-comedy short, took the prize.
4, the first to allow full color.
The short was filmed in two days and resulted in several more Benchley-penned shorts being rushed into production.
So, why dont the Oscars have a comedy category today?
As a cost-saving measure, they invented the double feature.
With a few exceptions, the days of the not-quite-a-feature, two-reel comedy were over.
It received an Oscar because of the specific comedy category.
The Academy has established again and again that its awards need to evolve.
But for once, maybe they got it right the first time, way back in 1932.
