Prior to "Schindler's List", what had been the last black and white film to win the Oscar for Best Picture?

Prior to "Schindler's List", the last black and white film to win the Oscar for Best Picture was "The Apartment" (1960). "Schindler's List" is a 1993 American epic historical period drama which was directed and co-produced by Steven Spielberg. The screenplay for the film was written by Steven Zaillian. There was a period of 33 years between these two films becoming Best Picture Oscar winners, where each of the motion pictures was made in black-and-white cinematography. By making the films in this way, it provided greater authenticity by allowing each film to represent a specific period in time (history) in a true way, with people showing their real natures, beliefs, and fears.

"The Apartment" (1960) is a romantic comedy that was produced and directed by Billy Wilder, from a screenplay Wilder co-wrote with I. A. L. Diamond. The film was the recipient of five 1960 Academy Awards (out of ten nominations), including Best Picture. According to Newsweek, "writer/director Wilder is at his scathing, satirical best, and has made one of the finest comedies Hollywood has turned out". "Bud" Baxter (Jack Lemmon) knows the way to success in business...it's through the door of his apartment! By providing a perfect hideaway for philandering bosses, the ambitious young employee (Bud) reaps a series of undeserved promotions.

Shot in widescreen black and white, “The Apartment” highlights both the grayness of New York during Christmas time and the loneliness of Wilder's subjects.