National Board Of Review Of Motion Pictures Article Index for
National Board
Website Links For
National Board
 

Information About

National Board Of Review Of Motion Pictures




Its stated purpose was to endorse films of merit and champion the new "art of the people," which was transforming America's cultural life. In an effort to avoid government censorship of films, the National Board became the unofficial clearinghouse for new movies. From 1916 into the 1950 s thousands of motion pictures carried the legend "Passed by the National Board of Review" in their main titles. However, the Board was a de facto censorship organization. Producers submitted their films to the Board before making release prints; they agreed to cut out any footage that the Board found objectionable, up to and including destroying the entire film.Robert Sklar, Movie-Made America: A Cultural History of American Movies. New York: Vintage, 1975 (1994 edition), p. 31

In , which published its first issue in 1950. Influencing generations of filmmakers and film lovers, these journals have fostered commentary on all aspects of cinema production and history, counting among contributors Alfred Hitchcock , Fritz Lang , Harold Robbins , Tennessee Williams , Dore Schary , William Saroyan , James Agee , Manny Farber , William K. Everson , Alistair Cooke , and Pearl Buck .

To determine the NBR's annual awards, ballots are sent in by the 125-strong
membership- composed of knowledgeable film buffs and academics in the
New York metropolitan area - and subsequently tabulated by a certified public accountancy firm in order to decide the winners. In addition, the Exceptional Photoplay Committee helps to determine the special achievement awards presented at the annual gala.


AWARD CATEGORIES


''Note: Until 1945 , there were only awards for Best Picture and intermittent awards for Best Documentary and Best Foreign Film.''


AWARD CEREMONIES



NOTES



EXTERNAL LINK