The Life of Emile Zola (1937)

Directed by William Dieterle

Starring Paul Muni, Gale Sondergaard, Joseph Schildkraut, Gloria Holden, Donald Crisp, Erin O'Brien-Moore, John Litel, Morris Carnovsky, Louis Calhern, Ralph Morgan, Robert Barrat, Vladimir Sokoloff, Grant Mitchell, and Harry Davenport

A fairly mediocre biopic, The Life of Emile Zola does not really stand out for any reason among Best Picture winners, good or bad. Not many films released in 1937 are really considered "classics" these days, but The Awful Truth and Captains Courageous stand out as alternative winners. Paul Muni and Joseph Schildkraut do fine work, but to be honest, I've seen this movie at least twice, and I'm having trouble remembering a whole lot of specific things from it. It's lack of staying power probably makes the Academy wish they could have it back.

Other nominees: The Awful Truth (Leo McCarey), Captains Courageous (Victor Fleming), Dead End (William Wyler), The Good Earth (Sidney Franklin, Victor Fleming, Gustav Machaty, and Sam Wood), In Old Chicago (Henry King), Lost Horizon (Frank Capra), One Hundred Men and a Girl (Henry Koster), Stage Door (Gregory La Cava), and A Star Is Born (William A. Wellman and Jack Conway)