Flashback: Oscars' Least Exciting Biggest Upset

The least exciting envelope reveal in Oscar's history happened at 1957's 29th Academy Awards ceremony in the 'Best Short Subject Cartoon' category. All the nominees in the category that year were for the same producer, Stephen Bosustow, the same production company, United Productions of America (UPA) and the same theatrical distributor, Columbia Pictures. This was the only time in Oscars' history that all the category nominees were for the same individual. As a result, it left little suspense when the card inside the envelope was finally read aloud.

The nomination sweep itself was the true surprise of these Oscars. Given upstart animator UPA had only begun its foray into theatrical animated shorts seven years earlier. Further, its distribution partner, Columbia Pictures historically had been an also-ran in a field long dominated by the animation divisions of Disney, Warner Bros., MGM, and Paramount. The sweep of nominations was a true David vs. Goliath story, except that David had to defeat four Goliaths. A perfect storm of factors conspired to make the category that year, the least exciting and the biggest upset, both at the same time.

Which Oscar-nominated animated short, that was part of the least exciting envelope reveal, but the biggest upset contest in Oscars' history, is the one you would like to see most?​

Discuss the topic here.