At just 90 minutes, Marty became the shortest film to win Best Picture, as well as the second to have also won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival (after The Lost Weekend in 1945). All of the various winners, with the exception of Anna Magnani, collected their Oscars.[1]
Grace Kelly, soon to be Princess of Monaco, attended the ceremony as a presenter on her way toward retirement from acting.[1] She was chided by Louella Parsons for failing to acknowledge Lewis' tribute to her from the film business. Parsons wrote, "it seems she might have taken a moment to thank him, give him a little kiss or something before leaving the stage so abruptly."[1]