When the 15th Academy Awards kicked off at the Cocoanut Grove nightclub at the Ambassador Hotel on the evening of March 4, 1943, MGM's Mrs. Miniver was up for a staggering dozen nominations, and ended up walking away with six, including top of the marquee trophies for best picture, director, actress, supporting actress and screenplay. Greer Garson gave a record-setting six-minute acceptance speech; the next longest was given by Hilary Swank in 2000, winning best actress for playing what we'd now be obliged to call a trans man in Boys Don't Cry. Mrs. Miniver was up against The Magnificent Ambersons,...