In 1943, the year the Golden Globe Awards were conceived, the globe was anything but golden. In fact, the world was on fire.
Battles of World War II raged in Sicily and on the Solomon Islands, in the desert heat of North Africa and the frozen hills of Stalingrad. In India, three million died from the war-induced Bengal famine. In Hamburg, Germany, a single bomb raid killed nearly 40,000 civilians, and many burned alive. There were torpedo-spouting U-boats in the Atlantic, and suicide rockets in the Pacific.
Over 90 countries were directly part of the maddening violence. Between 70 and 85 million human beings perished, between battle and fallout from the sprawling war.
Surviving populations suffered too, grappling with the loss of loved ones, trauma, fear, displacement, and shortages of basic needs.
And there was starvation of a different kind. All over the globe, people were hungry for hope, distraction, uplift.
Frank Sinatra got his start and crooned his way into the hearts of millions. Benny Goodman, with an assist from Helen Forrest, was “Taking a Chance on Love.” On Broadway, “Oklahoma” left its mark.
Hollywood, meanwhile, did what it does best: offer dreams, a time-out from reality, and a two-hour therapy session for a few nickels. No wonder Heaven Can Wait was pure heaven, and Lassie Come Home felt like exactly what was needed, serving up a brief feeling that all might end well.
Because the world was at stake. Distress was global, and so was the need for relief, fantasy, and laughter. Hollywood’s remedies could travel far and wide, beyond national borders.
International newspapers, the undisputed media champions in a world without satellites, internet, or TV, demanded stories about those who crafted these great escapes. Many papers employed correspondents in Los Angeles, who tried to get access to the stars of the day.
But individual attempts were often fruitless since powerful publicists deemed talent time extremely precious — often too precious for just one outlet. It was inevitable, then, that some reporters drew the only reasonable conclusion: let’s unite.
In 1943 the Hollywood Foreign Correspondents Association (HFCA) was founded and with it an award that became one of the most famous and prestigious in Hollywood: the Golden Globes.
That was 80 years ago. Now we are celebrating those remarkable decades — from the smoke-filled meeting rooms of the pioneers in 1943 all the way up to the glamorous gala on January 10, 2023.
Eighty years in 80 days: Starting tomorrow, we will dedicate one day to each year, bringing you one event, snippet, and memorable moment.
We hope that this countdown both reflects our global viewpoints and our commitment to diversity and inclusivity, while additionally demonstrating the legacy and importance of the Golden Globe Awards as an indispensable part of Hollywood’s living history. Most of all, we hope you will enjoy the daily read!