The film **Shock Corridor** (1963), directed by Samuel Fuller, was not a major awards contender in the United States upon its initial release, where it was often dismissed as "sensationalist" or "trash." However, it received significant international acclaim, particularly from European critics and festivals, and was eventually recognized as a masterwork by American preservationists.
### **Major Awards and Nominations**
* **Golden Globe Awards (1964):**
* **Nominee:** Actor **Larry Tucker** was nominated for **Most Promising Newcomer – Male** (also known as the "New Star of the Year – Actor") for his role as Pagliacci, the opera-singing inmate.
* **Valladolid International Film Festival (Spain, 1966):**
* **Winner:** The film won the **Golden Spike (Espiga de Oro)** for **Best Film**. This remains the film's most prestigious competitive international award.
### **Film Festival and Foreign Critical Honors**
* **Belgian Film Critics Association (1964):**
* **Winner:** The film shared the **Grand Prix** (or a similar high-ranking award for artistic excellence) from the Belgian film critics. It was famously recognized alongside Ingmar Bergman's *The Silence*.
* **San Sebastian Film Festival (Spain):**
* **Special Note:** According to Samuel Fuller's autobiography, *A Third Face*, the festival committee offered the film a **"Special Humanitarian Award."** Fuller famously declined the honor, stating, *"This isn't a goddamn humanitarian film, it's a hard-hitting action-packed melodrama. Give your award to Ingmar Bergman."*
* **Cahiers du Cinéma (France, 1964):**
* The influential French magazine ranked *Shock Corridor* **#7** on its annual **Top 10 Films of the Year** list for 1964.
* Individually, director **Jean-Luc Godard** placed the film at **#5** on his personal annual list.
* **Edinburgh Film Festival (1969):**
* The film was the centerpiece of a major **Fuller Tribute**, which played a critical role in the "discovery" of Fuller by a new generation of British and American cinephiles.
### **Significant Legacy and Preservation Awards**
* **National Film Registry (1996):**
* In 1996, the Library of Congress selected *Shock Corridor* for preservation in the **National Film Registry**. This is the highest honor for an American film, granted to works that are "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."
* **The Criterion Collection:**
* While not an "award" in the traditional sense, its early induction into the Criterion Collection (Laserdisc in 1989; DVD in 1998; Blu-ray in 2011) is widely regarded as a formal recognition of the film's artistic status and technical achievement, particularly for **Stanley Cortez’s** cinematography.
### **Summary Table**
| Award Body | Year | Category | Result |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **Golden Globes** | 1964 | New Star of the Year – Actor (Larry Tucker) | Nominated |
| **Valladolid Film Festival** | 1966 | Golden Spike (Best Film) | **Won** |
| **Belgian Film Critics** | 1964 | Grand Prix for Best Film | **Won** |
| **Cahiers du Cinéma** | 1964 | Annual Top 10 Films (#7) | Recognized |
| **National Film Registry** | 1996 | Preservation Status (NFR) | **Selected** |