STACK #233 March 2024

MOVIE FEATURE

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the first ceremony, prior to which this information was released in advance). There are several contradictory claims made as to how and when the gold-plated, Academy Award of Merit statuette was given the nom de plume "Oscar". There are two oft-repeated versions. The first says that Academy librarian Margaret Herrick, when shown the award for the first time in 1931, remarked: "It's the spitting image of my Uncle Oscar." The second version goes that the back of the statuette reminded two-time Academy Award winner and actress Bette

This month marks the 96th anniversary of the Academy Awards ceremony, which is now almost a sacred ritual in American culture. Words Bob J

Davis of the rear end of her then-husband Harmon Oscar Nelson. In 1934, Walt Disney used the

term "Oscar" in public for the first time during his acceptance speech for an award for his cartoon Three Little Pigs ('Best Short Subject'), and by the end of the 1930s the Academy itself was using the name officially, which gave the

Oscars 1929: Douglas Fairbanks and Janet Gaynor

statuette its unique identity. Each year the Oscars ceremony is televised across the world, and huge audiences watch in fascination: the posturing movie celebrities, the false tears, the upsets, the snubs, and the endless ‘thank you’ speeches. Then, of course, there are the actors who use their acceptance speech to promote their own political causes - hoping it lends a more serious legitimacy to someone who ‘just makes movies’. One film executive famously described the Awards ceremony incessant attention to the Awards appears to validate their gongs as a mark of true quality - but are they really important, or is it all just movie marketing hype? A number of 'Best Film' award winners have certainly not aged well (some now being totally forgotten), while a portion of the memorable losers remain popular for decades after. Nevertheless, when the Academy does get it right and awards an Oscar for a worthy movie or an actor who has delivered a stunning performance, all the accompanying hype is swiftly excused - for there is still no better art form for engaging all of our senses than a great movie. as "Hollywood's orgy of self congratulation.” The media's

Oscars 1929: Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel

I t was in fact the original idea of MGM boss Louis B. Mayer to form, with other movie moguls, an organisation that represented the five main areas of movie production: directors, producers, actors, writers, and technicians. Named the Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences, the body would promote technological advances in all aspects of filmmaking and would also mediate any employee disputes internally, negating the need for trade unions. In fact, the crafty Mayer's original concept had far less to do with actors and movies receiving awards of merit, and everything to do with maintaining a stranglehold on his employees by combating legitimate unionisation of the film studios. As a result,for close to a decade the Academy would delay any serious labour negotiations within the whole US movie industry. The first Academy ceremony, held on May 16th 1929, was an intimate, black tie Hollywood

gathering hosted by Douglas Fairbanks

ceremony, to take place on April 3, 1930, in the Ambassador Hotel of Los Angeles. Fed by intense media coverage, public curiosity began to grow to such an extent that the Academy were practically forced to allow one LA radio station to produce a live, one-hour

Sr and paid for by Mayer. The

presentation of the merit awards, which had been merely an afterthought of the Academy, took no longer than 15 minutes to conduct and conclude. Consequently, the

Oscars 1929: Wings - First 'Best Picture'

broadcast during the award presentations. To enhance the public's excitement, a decision was made to hold the winner’s names in secret until announced on the night (unlike

event received very little media

attention. But that was about to change dramatically with the announcement of the second

Sir Anthony Hopkins and Tatum O’Neal are the oldest and youngest winners of acting Oscars, winning at the ages of 83 and 10 respectively. James Ivory is currently the oldest ever Oscar winner, having been awarded 'Best Adapted Screenplay' for Call Me By Your Name at the age of 89. Composer John Williams is the oldest to ever be nominated, at the age of 91.

18 MARCH 2024

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