The 44th Academy Awards were presented April 10, 1972, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles. The ceremonies were presided over by

Helen Hayes Helen Hayes MacArthur ( Brown; October 10, 1900 – March 17, 1993) was an American actress whose career spanned 80 years. She eventually received the nickname "First Lady of American Theatre" and was the second person and first woman to have w ...

Alan King Alan King (born Irwin Alan Kniberg; December 26, 1927 – May 9, 2004) was an American actor and comedian known for his biting wit and often angry humorous rants. King became well known as a Jewish comedian and satirist. He was also a serious a ...

, Sammy Davis Jr., and

Jack Lemmon John Uhler Lemmon III (February 8, 1925 – June 27, 2001) was an American actor. Considered equally proficient in both dramatic and comic roles, Lemmon was known for his anxious, middle-class everyman screen persona in dramedy pictures, leadi ...

. One of the highlights of the evening was the appearance of

Betty Grable Elizabeth Ruth Grable (December 18, 1916 – July 2, 1973) was an American actress, pin-up girl, dancer, model, and singer. Her 42 films during the 1930s and 1940s grossed more than $100 million; for 10 consecutive years (1942–1951) she reign ...

who made one of her last public appearances. She appeared along with one of her leading men from the 1940s, singer

Dick Haymes Richard Benjamin Haymes (September 13, 1918 – March 28, 1980) was an Argentinian singer and actor. He was one of the most popular male vocalists of the 1940s and early 1950s. He was the older brother of Bob Haymes, an actor, television host, ...

, to present the musical scoring awards. Grable died the following year. This was the first time in the history of the Awards in which the nominees were shown on superimposed pictures while being announced.

Winners and nominees

Awards

Nominations announced on February 22, 1972. Winners are listed first, highlighted in boldface and indicated with a double dagger (). Select "1971" in the "Award Year(s)" drop-down menu and press "Search".

Honorary Academy Awards

Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is conside ...

received an honorary award at this ceremony, for "the incalculable effect he has had in making motion pictures the art form of this century". Chaplin, who had been living in self-imposed exile in Switzerland for twenty years, came back to the United States to re-market his older films and to receive this award. When introduced to the audience, Chaplin received a twelve-minute

standing ovation A standing ovation is a form of applause where members of a seated audience stand up while applauding after extraordinary performances of particularly high acclaim. In Ancient Rome returning military commanders (such as Marcus Licinius Crassus a ...

, the longest in Academy Awards history.

Films with multiple wins and nominations

Presenters and performers

Presenters (in order of appearance)

Performers (in order of appearance)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Academy Awards, 44 Academy Awards ceremonies 1971 film awards 1972 in Los Angeles 1972 in American cinema April 1972 events in the United States Television shows directed by Marty Pasetta