Oscar Oddity #20: W.S. Van Dyke

Over the years, some directors have had a couple films in contention at the Oscars in the same year. Notable examples are Steven Spielberg, Alfred Hitchcock, Tim Burton, Steven Soderbergh, Mel Brooks, Francis Ford Coppola, and Howard Hawks. None of them have had as many as W.S. Van Dyke, who had four films nominated in 1934. That'll never be broken, even by someone as prolific as Woody Allen.

Here's a breakdown of Van Dyke's nominated films:

The Thin Man

Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Adaptation

Eskimo

Best Film Editing (won)

Hide-Out

Best Original Story

Manhattan Melodrama

Best Original Story (won)