1960s

For a little over a decade, 1955-1969, the Golden Globes gave an award for Best English Language Foreign Film, an offshoot of the Foreign Film category. That period coincided with the wave of artistic creativity in music, fashion, theater and movies in the United Kingdom.

It was a banner year for movies: Rosemary’s Baby, Planet of the Apes, The Lion in Winter, 2001 A Space Odyssey, Faces, Closely Watched Trains, The Odd Couple, Funny Girl, The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, Night of the Living Dead,  Stolen Kisses, Teorema, The Bride Wore Black, Once Upon a Time in the West, Bullit, Yellow Submarine and The Thomas Crown Affair: All movies that have stood the test if time. And the surprising winner? Oliver!,.

Period pictures featuring real historical characters always enjoyed great popularity, but in the 1960s they literally triumphed at the movies. It is the case of The Lion in Winter, winner of two Golden Globes (Best Drama and Best Actor, Peter O'Toole once more!), out of seven nominations.

Dustin Hoffman has called this Golden Globe winner for best comedy or musical, if not the best film he ever made, certainly the best directed. And in fact, he owes his career to director Mike Nichols, who cast him to play a role which was described as an all-American pretty boy in the novel on which it was based, a role which might’ve gone to Robert Redford.

1968 was Sidney Poitier’s big year: he was the protagonist of two films that made the cinematic history and were both nominated by the HFPA for Golden Globes: In Heat of the Night and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. Never black and white relations in America were dissected and analyzed as in that season, thanks to those two great films, and of course to the social and political environment, ready for a serious discussion.

It was the grand time of period films set in old England with political and religious overtones: A Man for All Seasons won four Golden Globes out of five nominations: Best Picture – Drama, Best Director (Fred Zinnemann), Best Actor – Drama (Paul Scofield) and Best Screenplay by Robert Bolt, who adapted his own theater play. Supporting Actor nominee Robert Shaw was the only “loser” at the Globes that year (Richard Attenborough won, forThe Sand Pebbles).

20th Century Fox premiered The Sound of Music in early March of 1965, and it quickly became the world’s most loved movie and remains so for many today. By the end of the year, it had become the biggest money earner of all time so it was a good likelihood that it would win the Golden Globe as Best Musical or Comedy that year.

Other than being one of the most famous films of all times, David Lean's Doctor Zhivago holds the distinguished record of being the cleanest sweep in Golden Globe history, winning every nominated category: five nominations, five wins. Moreover, co-star Geraldine Chaplin was named Best Promising Newcomer – Female (Elizabeth Hartman was the winner that year for A Patch of Blue).

1964 was the year of My Fair Lady – who was the fairest of them all – winning best picture nods from both the Academy and the New York film critics, in addition to the Golden Globes. George Bernard Shaw’s masterful Pygmalion served as the inspiration for the timeless musical, but Alan Jay Lerner’s lyrics for the show matched the playwright’s unchallenged genius.

Another heavyweight historical religious drama triumphs at the Golden Globes in 1965: Becket, following The Cardinal the previous year (and Ben-Hur and Spartacus before that). There was undoubtedly something in the air in those years, a yearning for big period pieces infused with solemn tones and ideas.