Oscar Revisionism: 1945

In 1945, Billy Wilder's drama about alcoholism, The Lost Weekend [IMDb: 8.1; RT: 100%], won Best Picture.  It would also take home the most wins for the night, including Adapted Screenplay, Wilder for director, and Ray Milland for Best Actor.  The other nominees included clerical drama The Bells of St. Mary's [IMDb: 7.3; 94%], Alfred Hitchcock film noir thriller Spellbound [IMDb: 7.6; 98%], Michael Curtiz domestic film noir Mildred Pierce [IMDb: 7.9; RT: 82%], and George Sidney musical Anchors Aweigh [IMDb: 7.0; RT: 67%].  But, what if there had been ten nominees?  What would the other five have been?  The year was especially hard to call, as the audio categories had at least ten nominees each, and some of the visual categories were split between black and white, and color.  There wasn't a great deal of consensus either with overlap.  MANY one-offs.  And, keep in mind that we're getting into, if we haven't already arrived, territory where sometimes one or even no nods wouldn't have excluded the infrequent, yet possible film from making it into the Best Picture race.  So, as it goes without saying, there are possibilities that may not be in this post and would have been perfectly viable.  But, most of the likely contenders could surely be culled from the following list.

National Velvet 
Clarence Brown family drama about a trainer, a girl, and her horse starring Mickey Rooney and Elizabeth Taylor.  Costar Anne Revere won for supporting actor, and film editing was another win for its five total nominations.  Box Office: $8.5M.  [IMDb 7.3; 100%]

The Southerner 
Commended by critics, Jean Renoir, who was nominated for his work here, directed this drama about the trials and tribulations of the cotton-farming Tucker family.  The movie scored two more nods.  [IMDb: 7.4; RT: 91%]

A Song to Remember 
Charles Vidor biography about famed composer Frederic Chopin.  Nominated for six awards, including Cornel Wilde's portrayal and film editing.  [IMDb: 6.7]

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn 
Elia Kazan drama about a Brooklyn family dealing with poverty, alcoholism, and scandal.  Nominated for adapted screenplay, it won for supporting actor.  [IMDb: 7.9; RT: 100%]

The Story of G.I. Joe 
A war correspondent examines the lives of soldiers during battle in this biographical drama.  William A. Wellman's film got four nods, including one for acting, as well as its adapted screenplay.
[IMDb: 7.3; RT: 73%]

Leave Her to Heaven
Two people fall in love in the thriller about an obsessive woman with daddy issues.  Nominated for four awards including Best Actress and winning for color cinematography, John M. Stahl directed this film, along with The Keys of the Kingdom.  Box Office: $5.5M.  [IMDb: 7.6; RT: 100%]

The Keys of the Kingdom
Gregory Peck plays a priest in a decades long struggle to set up a Catholic church in China.  From a screenplay written by Joseph L. Mankiewicz and Nunnally Johnson, nominated for four Oscars, including black and white cinematography and lead actor.  [IMDb: 7.1]

The Picture of Dorian Gray
Oscar Wilde's romance horror about that attractive young man who never seems to age ... with the mysterious portrait in his attic.  Nominated for three awards, including Angela Lansbury's supporting turn, it won for black and white cinematography.  [IMDb: 7.6]

The Valley of Decision
Class-based romance drama.  Nominated for two awards, including one for lead actress Greer Garson.  Box Office: $4.1M.  [IMDb: 7.2]

Love Letters
This tale told in the vein of Cyrano de Bergerac, except with a murderous twist, did not go over well with critics.  Yet, William Dieterle (The Life of Emile Zola) directed this to four Oscar nominations, including lead actress Jennifer Jones.  Box Office: $3.2M.  [IMDb: 7.0]

Pride of the Marines
Biographical war drama directed by Delmer Daves, nominated for Adapted Screenplay.  [IMDb: 7.1]

The Corn is Green
With the odds stacked against her, Bette Davis plays a woman who starts a school in a small mining town.  Nominated for two supporting acting nods.  [IMDb: 7.4]

Marie-Louise
The Swiss German drama was the winner of Original Screenplay.  [IMDb: 5.1]

Wonder Man
In this musical comedy, the ghost of a murder witness and his twin help the police solve a gangster's crimes.  Nominated for four awards, it won for visual effects.  [IMDb: 7.1]

Objective, Burma!
Soldier infiltrate a Japanese base located in Burma in this war film.  Nominated for three awards, including film editing.  [IMDb: 7.3]

A Medal for Benny [IMDb: 6.7]
Irving Pichel directed this drama to two award nominations, including supporting actor.

State Fair
Walter Lang musical romance, nominated for two Oscars, winner of Best Song.  Box Office: $3.8M.  [IMDb: 6.9]