#19: Bette Davis’ Voting Recount
When: 6th Academy Awards, 1934
It was a fiery performance by none other than Bette Davis in the 1934 film Of Human Bondage that sparked outrage. Hanging for more substantial roles, Davis set the screen ablaze as the ill-fated waitress Mildred. Despite her tour de force performance, Davis was snubbed by the Oscars. Hollywood, incensed by the oversight, erupted into a frenzy, compelling the Academy to introduce the option of write-in votes.
Yet, even with the newfound power, Davis ultimately lost the coveted statuette. The following year, Hal Mohr triumphed as a write-in nominee for his cinematography in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. However, his victory was the swan song for write-in votes, as the Academy swiftly discontinued the practice forevermore.