Oscar celebrates 80 years of movie magic
The first Academy Awards show was held May 16, 1929. There were
270 people who attended and the tickets cost $5.00.
As the Acadmey of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences prepares for
its 80th ceremony, the world readies itself for one of the most
watched and anticipated awards show on television. This year you
can even get text alerts to your mobile phone to let you know who
the winners are.
Oscar celebrates 80 years of movie magic
The first Academy Awards show was held May 16, 1929. There were 270 people who attended and the tickets cost $5.00.
As the Acadmey of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences prepares for its 80th ceremony, the world readies itself for one of the most watched and anticipated awards show on television. This year you can even get text alerts to your mobile phone to let you know who the winners are.
I thought it might be interesting to gather some facts and trivia about the past movies and winners.
Actors
At 6’4″ Tim Robbins is the tallest actor to win an Academy Award for best supporting actor in the 2003 film “Mystic River.”
Henry Fonda, 76, was the oldest person to win best actor for 1981’s “On Golden Pond.”
In 2002 Adrien Brody became the youngest person to win best actor for “The Pianist.”
The 1982 comedy “Fast Times At Ridgemont High” has three future best actor winners: Nicholas Cage (Leaving Las Vegas), Sean Penn (Mystic River) and Forest Whitaker (The Last King Of Scotland).
Glenn Ford, Robert Mitchum Steve McQueen and Richard Widmark have never won an academy award.
With 12 nominations, Jack Nicholson is the most-nominated actor.
After his death James Dean received two best actor nominations for “Rebel Without A Cause” and “Giant.”
In 1977 Peter Finch became the only actor to win an academy award after his death for best actor in “Network.”
Anthony Hopkins won best actor with only 16 minutes of screen time for “Silence Of The Lambs.”
Joaquin Phoenix (Gladiator) and River Phoenix (Running On Empty) are the only two brothers to be nominated for academy awards.
Actresses
Tatum O’Neal became the youngest actress to win best supporting actress for “Paper Moon” when she was 10.
Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli are the only mother and daughter to win academy awards. Garland won a special juvenile award for 1939’s “The Wizard Of Oz” and Minnelli won best actress in 1973 for “Cabaret.”
With 14 nominations Meryl Streep is the most nominated actress in Oscar history.
In 1968 Katherine Hepburn (The Lion In Winter) and Barbara Streisand (Funny Girl) tied for Best Actress.
With her best actress win in 1996’s “Fargo,” Frances McDormand became the only actress to win after being directed by her husband Joel Cohen.
Joan Fontaine and Olivia de Havilland are the only sisters to win an academy award.
In 1955 Dorothy Dandridge became the first black actress to be nominated for an academy award for “Carmen Jones.”
In 1942 Greer Garson gave an hour-long acceptance speech for her Best actress win in “Mrs. Miniver.”
Luise Rainer was the first person to win back-to-back academy awards in 1937 for “The Great Ziegfeld” and in 1938 for “The Good Earth.”
Directing
Robert Redford (Ordinary People), Kevin Costner (Dances With Wolves) and Mel Gibson (Braveheart) are three actors who won best director for their directorial debuts.
John Ford is the only person to win four best director awards for “The Informer,” 1935, “The Grapes Of Wrath,” 1940, “How Green Was My Valley,” 1941 and “The Quiet Man,” 1952.
Alfred Hitchock never won an academy award even though he was nominated five times.
Ang Lee was the first Asian to win best director in 2005 with “Brokeback Mountain.”
Taylor Hackford is the only director to direct two black actors to academy award wins Louis Gossett Jr. in “An Officer And A Gentleman” and Jamie Foxx in “Ray”
Clint Eastwood was 74 when he won best director for “Million Dollar Baby” making him the oldest to win.
John Singleton at 24 is the youngest person to ever be nominated for best director for “Boyz In The Hood.”
Laurence Olivier is the only person to direct himself to a best actor win in the 1948 film “Hamlet.”
Best picture
In 1971 “The French Connection” was the first R-rated film to win best picture.
At 1 hour 31 minutes the 1955 film “Marty” is the shortest to win best picture.
The 1969 film “Midnight Cowboy” is the only X-rated movie to win best picture.
In 1973 “The Exorcist” became the first horror movie to be nominated for best picture.
“The Departed” is the only remake of a foreign film to win best picture.
At 3 hours and 54 minutes 1939’s “Gone With The Wind” is the longest film to win best picture.
“The Godfather Part II” was the first sequel to win best picture.
The 1978 film “The Deer Hunter” was the first film about the Vietnam War to win best picture. Another Vietnam War film “Platoon” won in 1986.
“Dances With Wolves” was the first western since 1931’s “Cimarron” to win best picture.
The 1991 movie “Beauty and the Beast” is the only animated film to be nominated for best picture.
The Academy Awards show is Sunday, Feb. 24 at 5 p.m. on ABC.
