1940 Oscars — Special Effects

The Rains Came won Special Effects at the 1940 Oscars. All 7 nominees are listed below, winner first. The other nominees were Gone with the Wind, Only Angels Have Wings, The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex, The Wizard of Oz, Topper Takes a Trip and Union Pacific. Each film links to its complete award history. The links below go to the 1941 Special Effects race.

Last updated August 12, 2026

The Rains Came(1939)
Fred Sersen, E. H. Hansen
Winner
Gone with the Wind(1939)
John R. Cosgrove, Fred Albin, Arthur Johns
Only Angels Have Wings(1939)
Roy Davidson, Edwin C. Hahn
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex(1939)
Byron Haskin, Nathan Levinson
The Wizard of Oz(1939)
A. Arnold Gillespie, Douglas Shearer
Topper Takes a Trip(1938)
Roy Seawright
Union Pacific(1939)
Farciot Edouart, Gordon Jennings, Loren Ryder