75th Golden Globe Awards

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.

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) hosted a very special British reception in celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Golden Globe Awards at the May Fair Hotel in London. Attendees included Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Barbara Broccoli, Caitriona Balfe, Celia Imrie, Christian Slater, Christine Baranski, Gillian Anderson, Jason Issacs, Jenna Colman, Jim Sturgess, Joanne Froggatt, Lesley Manville, Mark Stanley, Nahuel Pérez, Biscayart, Peter Morgan,  Rami Malek, Robin Campillo, Rosamund Pike, Sam Heughen, Shazad Latif, Sonequa Martin-Green, Sophie Gardiner and Tobias Menzies.

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.

1964 marked the return of awarding only one Golden Globe for musical or comedy.  Ironically, it was a pretty good year for Hollywood musicals and comedies.

Director Otto Preminger’s The Cardinal was the HFPA members’ choice to win the Golden Globe for Best Picture Drama and Best Supporting Actor for John Huston. There were other notable films that year - Ralph Nelson’s Lilies of the Field and Elia Kazan's America, America in the drama section, while Tom Jones won as best comedy over Irma La Douce.

The last bifurcated Golden Globe award for Best Comedy and Musical was given in 1963. The winners that year were The Music Man and That Touch of Mink.

“Aqaba!” screams Peter O'Toole as British Lieutenant T. E.