While going through Letterbox, I found this account, Cláudio Alves that has put together a list of films eligible for Oscars throughout the entire history of the Academy Awards. And I was incredibly impressed and thrilled to find such lists.

And such lists got me thinking: I've often ranted about how the Oscars get it wrong, every year, and have always done so. So how would I have done it? If I had been presented with these ballots every year, how would I have voted every time? In contrast, not taking into consideration Academy eligibility rules, which are often confusing and contradictory, what films would have stood out to me each year? So, this list was born.

This list will be part of an ongoing personal project where I go through every Academy Awards and make two lists: The first, a retrospective ballot based off actual eligible films and using official categories for that ceremony. The second will be a retrospective of my own personal awards that I choose each year, without taking into consideration Academy eligibility or how the Academy defines the release of each film.

This is my retrospective ballot for the Seventh Academy Awards.

Special note here, the list of eligible Oscar nominees does not include short films so, I'm using the release date to give myself as best an idea of what to pick from as I can, so what I choose may not completely accurately reflect what was eligible at the time since eligibility for shorts is weird a lot of the times. But it's the best I can do.

Partner to the Retrospective Golden Hourglass Awards: 1934 List

Nominees taken from: boxd.it/ct41a

Categories:
Outstanding Picture:

Imitation of Life ***Winner***
The Barretts of Wimpole Street
The Case of the Howling Dog
The Count of Monte Cristo
The Gay Divorcee
Of Human Bondage
It Happened One Night
Queen Christina
Sons of the Desert
The Thin Man
Treasure Island
Viva Villa!

Best Director:

John M. Stahl - Imitation of Life***Winner***
Sidney Franklin - The Barretts of Wimpole Street
Rowland V. Lee - The Count of Monte Cristo

Best Actor:

Robert Donat - The Count of Monte Carlo***Winner***
Charles Laughton - The Barretts of Wimpole Street
Warren William - The Case of the Howling Dog

Best Actress:

Louise Beavers - Imitation of Life***Winner***
Bette Davis - Of Human Bondage
Norma Shearer - The Barretts of Wimpole Street

Best Original Story:

Sons of the Desert***Winner***
Flying Down to Rio
Queen Christina

Best Adaptation:

It Happened One Night ***Winner***
Imitation of Life
The Thin Man

Best Live Action Short Subject, Comedy:

King for a Day ***Winner***
Babes in the Goods
The Live Ghost

Best Live Action Short Subject, Novelty:

The Spectacle Maker ***Winner***
The Camera Speaks
City of Wax

Best Short Subject, Cartoon:

Two-Gun Mickey ***Winner***
Hell's Fire
Poor Cinderella

Best Scoring

The Gay Divorcee ***Winner***
Bright Eyes
Flying Down to Rio

Best Song

The Continental - The Gay Divorcee ***Winner***
Flying Down to Rio - Flying Down to Rio
Mr. and Mrs. Is the Name - Flirtation Walk

Best Sound Recording

The Gay Divorcee ***Winner***
Flirtation Walk
Imitation of Life
The Lost Patrol
Sons of the Desert
Tarzan and His Mate
Treasure Island
Viva Villa!

Best Art Direction:

Queen Chrstina ***Winner***
The Barretts of Wimpole Street
Cleopatra

Best Cinematography:

Imitation of Life ***Winner***
The Case of the Howling Dog
The Count of Monte Cristo

Best Film Editing

The Thin Man ***Winner***
The Gay Divorcee
Viva Villa!

--
Films with multiple nominations:
6: Imitation of Life
5: The Barretts of Wimpole Street, The Gay Divorcee
4: The Count of Monte Cristo
3: The Case of the Howling Dog, Queen Christina, Sons of the Desert, The Thin Man, Viva Villa!, Flying Down to Rio
2: Of Human Bondage, It Happened One Night, Treasure Island, Flirtation Walk

Films with multiple wins
4: Imitation of Life
3: The Gay Divorcee