This was the first time a Black actor won Best Actor, and the first time a winning film (An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge) had been aired on network television before the ceremony.
Acara tersebut juga pertama kalinya seorang aktor Kulit Hitam memenangkan Aktor Terbaik, dan pertama kali sebuah film yang menang (An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge) sempat ditayangkan di jaringan televisi sebelum acara tersebut.