Arts: Are Black-and-White Movies Twice as Likely to Be Nominated for a Best Picture Oscar?

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Brow Beat Are Black-and-White Movies Twice as Likely to Be Nominated for a Best Picture Oscar? By L. V. Anderson Posted Tuesday, Jan 24, 2012, at 08:27 PM ET The Hollywood Reporter responded to The Artist's nomination for the Best Picture Oscar with the following observation: The Artist becomes just the seventh predominately or entirely black-and-white film since 1970 to score a best picture nomination, following in the footsteps of The Last Picture Show (1971), Lenny (1974), The Elephant Man (1980), Raging Bull (1980), Schindler's List (1993, won), and Good Night and Good Luck (2005). Just the seventh black-and-white movie to be nominated? Are seven black-and-white Best Picture nominations really so few when you consider the total number of black-and-white films made since 1970? Slate decided to crunch a few numbers to find out. There are 277 movie titles on the Wikipedia page "List of black-and-white films produced since 1970," including movies that are partially in color (like, for instance, 2005's Sin City) but not including movies that haven't been released yet (Tim Burton's upcoming Frankenweenie). If seven of these 277 were nominated for Best Picture, that puts the nomination rate of modern black-and-white movies at about 2.5%. In other words, one out of every 40 black-and-white movies made over the past 40 years has been nominated for the most prestigious of all Academy Awards. Now, let's consider that number in the context of the total number of films made. It's hard, if not impossible, to get an accurate count of all the feature-length films made since 1970, but the MPAA's most recent report on theatrical market statistics at least ... To continue reading, click here. Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE | READ MESSAGES Also In Slate Gingrich Threatens To Skip Debates if Crowd Can't Cheer Apple's e-Textbook Plan Is Lame. Here's How It Could Really Help Students. Lithwick: Supreme Court's GPS Decision Reveals Startling Rift Between Alito and Scalia	Advertisement
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