As Hollywood prepares for the extremely anticipated 97th Academy Awards on March 2 (March 3 IST), the thrill surrounding some of the prestigious occasions within the movie business continues to develop.
Past the glitz and glamour of the crimson carpet, some lesser-known points of the Oscars reveal fascinating insights into the historical past, traditions and peculiarities of the occasion.
From the origins of the nickname “Oscar” to the quirky guidelines round acceptance speeches, this is every part you’ll want to know concerning the Academy Awards.
The Start Of The Nickname ‘Oscar’
Formally referred to as the Academy Award of Benefit, the golden trophy offered to winners has lengthy been referred to by its affectionate nickname: “Oscar.”
There are a number of intriguing theories surrounding the origin of this moniker. The preferred account traces it again to Margaret Herrick, a librarian on the Academy who labored there from 1936 to 1943.
Herrick is claimed to have remarked that the trophy resembled her Uncle Oscar when she first noticed it on an government’s desk. A newspaper columnist who overheard her remark made it public, and the identify caught.
Alternatively, some declare the identify was coined by Bette Davis, who, after profitable the Finest Actress award for Harmful in 1936, famous that the Oscar statue’s again reminded her of her husband, Harmon Oscar Nelson.
One other idea attributes the time period to Sidney Skolsky, a Hollywood columnist who used it in his column about Katharine Hepburn’s win for Morning Glory in 1934. No matter which story is true, the time period “Oscar” has since develop into part of Hollywood folklore.
The Resale Worth Of An Oscar Statuette
The enduring Oscar statuette stands 13 1/2 inches tall and weighs 8.5 kilos, with each costing over $400 to provide. Nonetheless, winners are prohibited from promoting their statuettes.
The Academy’s regulation states that if an Oscar is ever to be offered, it should first be provided to the Academy for a mere $1.00. This rule, launched in 1951, ensures that these trophies stay within the palms of their rightful recipients.
In 2012, an exception was made when 15 Oscars awarded previous to 1951 had been offered at an public sale. The occasion raised greater than $3 million, with the spotlight being the sale of Herman Mankiewicz’s Finest Screenplay Oscar for Citizen Kane, which fetched $588,455.
One other well-known transaction concerned Michael Jackson, who reportedly bought the Finest Image Oscar for Gone With the Wind in 1940 for $1.54 million at a 1999 Sotheby’s public sale.
Regardless of these uncommon situations, the Academy’s regulation stays firmly in place, making certain that the Oscar stays a logo of feat reasonably than a commodity.
The 45-Second Restrict For Acceptance Speeches
Successful an Oscar is a career-defining second, however winners are anticipated to maintain their acceptance speeches temporary. The Academy enforces a strict 45-second restrict on speeches to keep up the move of the ceremony and keep away from dragging the present on too lengthy.
In a latest dinner with Oscar nominees, Janet Yang, President of the Academy of Movement Image Arts and Sciences, inspired winners to maintain their speeches “heartfelt, humorous if you would like, poignant, inspirational, however temporary.”
The longest speech in Oscars historical past was delivered by Greer Garson, who gained Finest Actress for Mrs. Miniver in 1943. She spoke for over 5 minutes, relating the subjective nature of awards ceremonies.
In stark distinction, Patty Duke delivered the shortest speech in 1963 when she gained Finest Supporting Actress for The Miracle Employee – a easy “Thanks” sufficed.
Different temporary speeches embrace Alfred Hitchcock, who uttered simply “Thanks, very a lot certainly” when accepting the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award in 1968.
Why Are The Names Of The Winners Sealed In Envelopes?
The custom of sealing the names of Oscar winners in envelopes dates again to 1940, when The Los Angeles Instances famously leaked the winners earlier than the official announcement.
To forestall such incidents from taking place once more, the Academy adopted a brand new safety measure: the winners’ names are actually stored sealed in envelopes till the second they’re revealed on stage.
The accounting agency PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) is liable for tabulating the ballots and handing the sealed envelopes to presenters.
To make sure the very best degree of safety, three envelopes are produced for every award class. These envelopes are designed by Los Angeles-based designer Marc Friedland, they usually characteristic a particular Artwork Deco-inspired satin gold foil body.
The within of the envelope holds a heavyweight ecru card with gold foil accents and the well-known phrase: “And the Oscar goes to…” The winner’s identify is printed in charcoal ink, making certain that the second of revelation stays an thrilling and suspenseful a part of the ceremony.
A Star-Studded Night
This yr’s ceremony will characteristic a formidable array of performances and presenters. Conan O’Brien takes on internet hosting duties for the primary time, bringing his wit and appeal to the Oscars stage.
Performances will embrace Queen Latifah, who will lead a tribute to legendary music producer Quincy Jones, Raye, a British singer-songwriter, and LISA from the Okay-pop sensation Blackpink. Moreover, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo – stars of the critically acclaimed film Depraved – will carry out dwell through the ceremony, because the movie racks up 10 nominations.
The checklist of presenters additionally features a who’s who of Hollywood expertise, comparable to Dave Bautista, Harrison Ford, Gal Gadot, Andrew Garfield, and Zoe Saldaña. Becoming a member of them are earlier performing winners like Emma Stone and Robert Downey Jr., in addition to notable figures like Oprah Winfrey and Selena Gomez. These luminaries will announce the winners in varied classes, including to the star-studded environment of the night time.
The Oscar Evening Traditions And Enjoyable Details
The Academy Awards are steeped in historical past and custom, from the enduring crimson carpet arrivals to the suspenseful moments main as much as the award bulletins. However there are just a few quirky details that make the Oscars much more fascinating:
- Oscar Statuettes are fabricated from bronze: Though Oscar statuettes look like fabricated from gold, they’re truly fabricated from a bronze alloy and coated with gold plating. They had been initially fabricated from pure gold however had been later modified to cut back prices.
- The primary Oscars ceremony: The primary-ever Academy Awards ceremony was held in 1929 on the Hollywood Roosevelt Lodge. It was a personal dinner occasion with solely round 270 company in attendance.
- The Oscars are watched worldwide: The Academy Awards is among the most-watched tv occasions globally, with hundreds of thousands of viewers tuning in from over 200 nations and territories all over the world. It’s broadcast dwell in a number of languages, reaching an viewers far past Hollywood.
- The youngest and oldest winners: The youngest Oscar winner in historical past is Tatum O’Neal, who gained Finest Supporting Actress for Paper Moon (1973) at simply 10 years outdated. The oldest winner is Christopher Plummer, who gained Finest Supporting Actor for Novices (2010) on the age of 82.
The Academy Awards should not nearly who wins what – they’re a celebration of the most effective in cinema, an evening to honor the extraordinary achievements of filmmakers, actors, and crews from all over the world.
