Colonel Stewart, Margo Channing, Jay Gatsby, and a Cuckoo's Nest
Wednesday, March 29, 2017 at 8:00AM As previously noted March 25th and today, March 29th, are the most common days on which to hold Oscar ceremonies. Both dates have seen five Oscar nights in the Academy's 89 year history. But those Oscar anniversaries aren't the only thing worth celebrating today.
On this day in showbiz history...
Colonel James Stewart in 1945
1889 Oscar winner Warner Baxter (In Old Arizona, 42nd Street) born in Columbus Ohio
1919 Oscar winner Eileen Heckart (Butterflies are Free, The Bad Seed) ALSO born in Columbus Ohio. C'mon Columbus! You go with your Oscar winners.
1945 Jimmy Stewart becomes a colonel in the US Air Force during World War II...
1948 Bud Cort, the Harold half of the great Harold and Maude (1971) born in New York
1951 All About Eve takes Best Picture of 1950 and a handful of other statues on Oscar night. But not, famously, the Best Actress prize. Feud poured lemon on that wound recently.
1955 Brendan Gleeson, fine actor and dad o' Domhnall, born in Dublin
1957 French actor Christopher Lambert, of Highlander and Greystoke fame, was actually born in Long Island on this day. He left the US when he was just 2.
1959 The immortal comedy classic Some Like It Hot opens in NYC movie theaters (it hits Los Angeles the following week). On the same day the fine Oscar nominated editor Tim Squyres (who cuts all of Ang Lee's movies) is born in New Jersey
1967 Oscar winning director Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist) born in Paris
1971 Charles Manson was sentenced to death on this day after a nine-month long trial for the murder of seven people (including Roman Polanski's actress wife Sharon Tate who was 8 months pregnant). The sentence was later reduced to nine concurrent life sentences. He is 82 years old.) He's been the subject of several films since, especially on television. Gethin Anthony (Game of Thrones) recently played the serial killer on the crime drama Aquarius.
1974 Robert Redford dons the pink suit as The Great Gatsby, new in movie theaters
1976 One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) becomes the second film to take the big five Oscars since It Happened One Night (1934) winning Actor, Actress, Picture, Director, and Screenplay prize. The Silence of the Lambs is the only other film to manage that quintet. Of those three pictures, the first and the last make sense as major sweepers but I've never understood it for Cuckoo's Nest.
...Mainly because that might be the best Best Picture lineup of all time so how do you sweep with that many great films surrounding you?
1981 Delicious German actor Alexander Fehling (Labyrinth of Lies, Homeland) born in Berlin
1982 It's a spread the wealth kind of night at the 54th annual Academy Awards when Best Picture contenders Reds, Chariots of Fire, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and On Golden Pond all take home 3 or 4 Oscars. Only Atlantic City went home empty-handed.
1985 Desperately Seeking Susan opens in movie theaters. Wee Nathaniel was there and READY to get into that groove. I took The Film Experience team to see it just last year in Manhattan at the new Metrograph and it really holds up both as a time capsule and as a damn good time.
1989 Rain Man takes Best Picture at the 1988 Oscars while Cocktail wins Worst Picture at the Golden Rasberries so it was kind of a draw for Tom Cruise that night
1993 Unforgiven steals Best Picture from the masterpiece Howards End at the 1992 Oscars and Marisa Tomei surprises with the win in Supporting Actress. This was also the Oscar night which saw Elizabeth Taylor receive her Jean Hersholt Huminatarian Award for her work in the fight against AIDS. Remember when Honorary Oscars used to be part of the ceremony? *sobs*
2002 Panic Room hits theaters. We should revisit that. It's the first of Jodie Foster's unofficial trilogy of thrillers set in enclosed spaces (panic rooms, bank vaults, airplanes)
2013 The Place Beyond the Pines starts its theatrical run. I forget what y'all thought of that one. I was mixed but it sure is stylish in parts
2019 Disney has currently claimed this day for the release of one of their live action versions of a fairy tale. Which one we do not yet know. Perhaps The Little Mermaid? Have you heard that Alan Menken wants Harvey Fierstein to play Ursula? That would be perfection. But if they don't go with a drag queen (which would be a brilliant move) that'd be a hard role to cast. And the movie will live or die based on that role, don't you think?
Reader Comments (30)
Fierstein would be perfect. If not him I fear they would go with Queen Latifah or Melissa McCarthy or someone else bankable who does over the top comedy but would be all wrong. Monique, however, could be interesting.
Why does Ursula have to be only for the larger lady why couldn't it be a man,those 3 suggestions are wrong,I don't know how you top a perfect cartoon creation,could they just not bother at all,perfect is perfect.
THAT 1950 Best Actress prize,I have Bette and Gloria in a tie,my one of 2 the other being another strong best Actress year 1978.
The 2 88 lead winners and the supporting actress were wrong,I can never forgive the Academy for denying Glenn and Sigourney.
I always feel that Panic Room is about the time Jodie gave up on acting.
RE 1975 I think Cuckoo won because of it being a bit of a male weepy.
The Place Beyond The Pines is lowly gathering a cult following.
In case you forgot Michelle Pfeiffer is making a comeback.
As much as I'd love to see Harvey Feirstein in the role, I have two words: MIRIAM MARGOLYES.
1975 really was a great year, wasn't it? Jaws, Dog Day and Nashville are all 10/10 masterpieces. Cuckoo's Nest is great, but I'm not as taken by it. Sadly haven't seen Barry Lyndon - I am waiting for a chance to see it on a big screen and every time it's played I have been otherwise engaged.
Desperately Seeking Susan!! So great.
Chiming in with my love for the Best Picture lineup of 1975. It truly was the best ever. Normally if you get even 3 excellent-to-classic films in the lineup it's a good year (good examples being 1971, 1972, 1974, 1976, & more recently, 2007), but 1975's lineup is 5 classics in a row. Amazing.
The "Overdue" factor in Best Actor, and "Category Fraud" in Best Actress. Classic examples in 1975.
What about Conchata Ferrell for Ursula?
While I understand the instinct to cast Ursula with a male actor considering the character was inspired heavily by Divine, I'd much rather see an actress in the role -- Danielle Brooks and Chandra Wilson immediately come to mind.
Marisa Tomei surprises with the win in Supporting Actress You mean Marisa Tomei became infamous from winning a premature Oscar in Supporting Actress. She certainly did.
Why does Ursula have to be only for the larger lady why couldn't it be a man? Ursula is a plus size character and should be cast as such. Disney would lose money going the drag queen route. So no man, no trans, no nonconforming, no non-binary.
Panic Room was disposable on arrival and that says a lot considering the amount of control Fincher had on the movie including final cut. The script was simply beneath him.
Mo'Nique would be the perfect Ursula but Hollywood won't bite. They dislike she and her husband on the negotiation side.
Nathaniel, are you even alive after yesterday's total renaissance? How many copies you bought?
Cuckoo swept because it captured the 70s spirit, the "Fuck the system/They don't represent us" mindset.
The only one of Cuckoo's sweep I'd take away would be Louise Fletcher. Personally I'd have given it to Ann-Margret, because her performance in Tommy is incredible, but I'd have been happy with Isabelle Adjani.
You know who would be PERFECT as Ursula? Meryl Streep. Just sayin.
On Cuckoo's, while it wouldn't win my personal prizes (I'd go with Nashville/Altman/Pacino -his second in a row/Adjani/Barry Lyndon) I can't say Cuckoo didn't deserve any of its prizes. It's a hell of a movie.
You know who would be PERFECT as Ursula? Meryl Streep. Just sayin.
You could ruin a wet dream.
Best Actress 1975 belongs to Karen Black for Day Of The Locust. I'm amazed that it managed a nomination for Burgess Meredith yet didn't manage to drag Allen and Sutherland with him...
Unless it's some precursor to The Messenger where voters awarded and actor without bothering to watch the film (quite how Samantha Morton received fewer votes than Maggie Gyllenhaal in 2009 is still a mystery to me)
Here Here to celebrating miss Black.
my 75 Actressing rosters
Isabelle Adjani
Louise Fletcher
Glenda Jackson
Julie Christie
Karen Black
Supporting
Lorraine Gary
Lee Grant
Gwen Welles
Ronee Blakely
Lily Tomlin
The Place Beyond the Pines - a great first section (and that first 15 minutes or so are just !!!), and then the rest of the movie happens. So I'd say "mixed" is fair.
Miranda Richardson should have taken Supporting '92! (Or Judy)
People complain about lead actors frauding themselves into supporting, but I think the reverse is just as bad. Supporting player Louise Fletcher stole the 1975 Best Actress Oscar from the far more deserving Isabelle Adjani, who completely carried The Story of Adele H.
To me, Nurse Ratched is a leading role. She's not the main character (that's McMurphy, of course), but I see no fraud: Fletcher was a deserving winner in that category. That said, Isabelle Adjani and Ann-Margret are equally fine and would have been worthy winners too. (At least Adjani got some key critics awards and Ann-Margret got a Globe.) Funny how 1975 is considered such a weak year in the Best Actress category, and yet the three performances I've seen are all top-notch. (I've yet to see Carol Kane and Glenda Jackson's nominated work that year.)
Nathaniel: In terms of how did Cuckoo's Nest sweep in such a strong year: as well as the reasons others have given, I think it is sometimes the case that, even in a strong year, one film just beats everything else in lots of categories. For example, for my money, 1974 and 1976 are two of the other strongest ever Best Picture categories, but if I had had my way, Chinatown and Network would both have been 'Big Five' winners, much as I love The Conversation, The Godfather Part II, Lenny, All the President's Men, Rocky and Taxi Driver... By contrast, 1981, as you say, was a year of top-quality contenders in which the Academy spread the wealth.
Woof. Just looked up pictures of IN OLD ARIZONA for the first time...was that brownface or what.
What's your favorite Brendan Gleeson, Nathaniel? Could it be ... Braveheart? Har dee har har.
I wonder, if Oscars 1975 were re-voted today, how many nominations would have gone to The Rocky Horror Picture Show. I'd say that in an expanded field of a top 10, it would have sneaked, and Tim Curry could have stolen Jack's Oscar. There's nothing more iconic coming from that year, than our fave sweet transvestite, and Jaws' poster and music.
Ryan Gosling is amazing in "The Place Beyond the Pines"
Jesus Alonso: Curry's stock has without a doubt risen since 1975, but it seems to me that Jack that year was surely like Julia in 2000: a colossal movie star who was unstoppable.
Edward L -- yeah, i dont get that being a weak year either because ADJANI is just astounding in her movie. I also think Carol Kane is amazing in Hester Street - highly recommend.
@Jesus--it would have been fabulous if Rocky Horror got some Oscar love, and I'd have been thrilled to see Tim Curry win Best Actor. He is a genius.
I laughed at 3rtful's wet dream joke. Credit where credit's due.
I stole that line from How Stella Got Her Groove Back. Although the exact wording is spoil a wet dream.
Glenn Dunks - OMG. What a brilliant suggestion re Margolyes. I just saw her on an old episode of Graham Norton and she was freaking hilarious. Can she sing?
Pam & Glenn -- agreed. Margolyes is so amazing. i wish she would be in lots of movies.
Edward--cosign. Louise Fletcher is a lead, and one of my favorite winners in this category. Totally deserved.