I Never Forget a Face
Encyclopedia
I Never Forget a Face is an Oscar-nominated 1956 documentary
short film produced by famed silent comedy
enthusiast and filmmaker Robert Youngson
.
The film consists of a series of classic silent clips with narration by well-known (at the time) radio annoucer, Dwight Weist, and veteran film narrator Ward Wilson.
The film was nominated for the 1956 Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film
(one-reel sub-category) but did not win. With the revamping of the category the following year, including the elimination of the one-reel and two-reel sub-categories, there was a clear emphasis on contemporary topics rather than retrospectives. Youngson's This Mechanical Age
in 1954 was the last retrospective compilation to win and "I Never Forget a Face" in 1956 was the last to receive a nomination. Despite this, Youngson continued producing comedy retrospectives for the rest of his life.
Documentary
A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...
short film produced by famed silent comedy
Silent comedy
Silent comedy refers to a style of acting, related to but distinct from mime, invented to bring comedy into the medium of film in the silent film era before a sound track on film was technologically practicable...
enthusiast and filmmaker Robert Youngson
Robert Youngson
Robert Youngson was a film producer, director, and screenwriter.Born in Brooklyn, New York, he was responsible for reacquainting movie audiences with the work of the great silent comedians. His feature-film compilations The Golden Age of Comedy and When Comedy Was King were popular successes...
.
About the Film
Robert Youngson wrote, directed, and produced over fifty comedy short and feature length film documentaries covering comedies from the silent era through the 1940s. Five of his short films, beginning with Blaze Busters in 1950, were nominated for Academy Awards (two won) with "I Never Forget a Face" being his last to receive a nomination.The film consists of a series of classic silent clips with narration by well-known (at the time) radio annoucer, Dwight Weist, and veteran film narrator Ward Wilson.
The film was nominated for the 1956 Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film
Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film
This name for the Academy Award for Live Action Short Film was introduced in 1974. For the three preceding years it was known as "Short Subjects, Live Action Films." The term "Short Subjects, Live Action Subjects" was used from 1957 until 1970. From 1936 until 1956 there were two separate...
(one-reel sub-category) but did not win. With the revamping of the category the following year, including the elimination of the one-reel and two-reel sub-categories, there was a clear emphasis on contemporary topics rather than retrospectives. Youngson's This Mechanical Age
This Mechanical Age
This Mechanical Age is a 1954 short documentary film produced by Robert Youngson. It won an Academy Award in 1955 for Best Short Subject ....
in 1954 was the last retrospective compilation to win and "I Never Forget a Face" in 1956 was the last to receive a nomination. Despite this, Youngson continued producing comedy retrospectives for the rest of his life.