Today in Oscar History. Five Oscar ceremonies were held on this date, the most of any night on the calendar (well... tied with March 25th) so if today is your birthday, congratulations. You're practically a naked gold man!
Gloria Swanson, seated next to Judy Holliday, waits to hear the results of Best Actress
1951 The 23rd annual Academy Awards are held to honor the films of 1950. Fred Astaire hosts the ceremony which is a triumphant night for All About Eve (14 nominations, 6 wins). Though it seems insane given its hallowed place in film history Sunset Boulevard only won three Oscars that night in the categories of Score, Art Direction, and Story & Screenplay...
The writing categories were so strange back in the day as its nearly impossible to decipher their meaning from their titles: Best Screenplay at the time meant "Adapted". The two other categories were Best Story and Screenplay and Best Motion Picture Story which were later combined as Original Screenplay but what, pray tell was the difference between them at the time?
1976 The 48th Academy Awards are held honoring the best of 1975. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest became only the second film in history (after It Happened One Night) to win "the big five" aka both leading categories, picture, director, and screenplay. Though 1975 arguably had the best Best Picture lineup of all time...
- Barry Lyndon
- Dog Day Afternoon
- Jaws
- Nashville
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
...the Academy definitely were cuckoo for Cuckoo's Nest above all the others.
1982 The 54th Academy Awards are held honoring the best of 1981. It was a tight race. Warren Beatty's communist epic Reds led the nominations with 12 but won only three (Director and Cinematography and Supporting Actress which we discussed last summer), Raiders of the Lost Ark won the most Oscars (4 plus a special noncompetitive honor), and Chariots of Fire was the sleeper hit that swiped Best Picture at the last moment though it also won Score, Costumes, Screenplay.
Some "firsts" for this ceremony: Meryl Streep's first Best Actress nomination (French Lieutenant's Woman), Hungary's first Oscar win (Mephisto), Best Makeup finally become an annual competitive category (though it would take Oscar nearly 40 years to make it equal to other categories with 5 nominees), and Oscar finally gave it up for Barbara Stanwyck with the Honorary Oscar.
1989 The 61st Academy Awards are held honoring the films of 1988. Rain Man was the big winner with 4 trophies and Glenn Close suffered her second consecutive heartbreaking loss after losing for Fatal Attraction at the previous ceremony she lost for Dangerous Liaisons at this one, a far worse loss since The Accused/Jodie Foster was no Moonstruck/Cher, you know? Some important firsts for this ceremony given Oscar's obsession for all three: The first nominations for Frances McDormand (Mississippi Burning), Tom Hanks (Big), and the first win for Pixar (Tin Toy, embedded up, which won animated short).
1993 The 65th Academy Awards are held honoring the best of 1992. Unforgiven and Howards End square off for Best Picture with Unforgiven triumphant in the end. If you ask us Howard End was miles above the rest of that particular wildly uneven lineup...
- The Crying Game
- A Few Good Men
- Howards End
- Scent of a Woman
- Unforgiven
And it's still beyond bizarre that Oscar mostly shunned The Last of the Mohicans which was right in their wheelhouse and also a popular success. Another notable thing about this ceremony was it remains the last ceremony to award France in Best International Film for the Catherine Deneuve vehicle Indochine. France remains the most nominated country but with the exception of the Amelie year they haven't come close to being the favourite to win since.
Oscar approved birthdays only
Today is the 54th birthday of Oscar winning director Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist) born on this day in Paris France.
And the 61st of two-time Best Editing nominee Tim Squyres (Life of Pi, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon). Oscar has been a bit stingy with him since he was passed over for Gosford Park (AFI nominee) and also edited brilliance like Rachel Getting Married, The Ice Storm, and Lust Caution.
And the 74th of Sound nominee John Pritchett who is up again this year for News of the World. Previous nominations were Memoirs of a Geisha and Road to Perdition. Other key films include Avengers Endgame, There Will Be Blood, and Death Becomes Her.
And the 75th of Bruce Weber, Oscar-nominated for Let's Get Lost (1988). Yes, that Bruce Weber, who is most famous for homoerotic photography. Let's Get Lost was a portriat of jazz singer Chet Baker.
And the oldest living Oscar winner born on this day (that we're aware of - it is possible we missed someone) - happy 78th to Oscar winning composer Vangelis (Chariots of Fire) born on this day in Volos, Greece. Other film scores include Blade Runner, 1492 Conquest of Paradise, Alexander and Missing.
And late greats like...
Today in 1936 three time Best Original Score nominee Richard Rodney Bennett (Murder on the Orient Express, Far from the Madding Crowd, Nicholas and Alexandra) born in Kent, England.
Today in 1919 Best Supporting Actress winner Eileen Heckart (Butterflies are Free -- recently discussed) was born in Columbus Ohio. Other films include The Bad Seed, The First Wives Club, and Bus Stop.
Today in 1908 two time Oscar nominated Supporting Actor Arthur O'Connell (Picnic, Anatomy of a Murder) was born in NYC
Today in 1894 five time Best Cinematography nominee Franz Planer (The Children's Hour, the Nun's Story, Roman Holiday, Death of a Salesman, Champion) was born in Austria-Hungary (now Czech Republic)
Today in 1889 Best Actor Oscar winner Warner Baxter (In Old Arizona) born on Columbus Ohio. Other films include 42nd Street, Penthouse, and Adam Had Four Sons.