5 historical Oscar controversies you probably didn't know about - The annual gala has been a showcase for Communist propaganda and mysterious no-shows
Documentary filmmaker and Oscar winner Bert Schneider upset
some American viewers with his politicized acceptance speech in 1975.AP Photo
n the
days leading up to Sunday's 85th annual Academy Awards, we're sure to
be treated to the highlights — and lowlights — of the previous 84
ceremonies. There was the streaker, Sacheen Littlefeather rejecting an award on Marlon Brando's behalf, Michael Moore's political diatribe, Jack Palance's pushups —
really, the list goes on and on. But there are still some outrageous
stories and uncomfortable situations that have slipped under the
cultural radar. From mega-spoilers to George Bernard Shaw's tantrum,
here's a rundown of five Oscar controversies you probably didn't know
about:
1. The Brooklyn cabbie who presented an award to Bob Hope
Just recently, a fan made his way onto the stage
at the Grammy Awards, setting off a furor over security. Well, the same
thing happened in 1962 at the Academy Awards, only worse. While Shelley
Winters and Vince Edwards presented the award for Best Cinematography, a
Brooklyn cab driver named Stan Berman leapt to the stage and handed
Winters a homemade Oscar statue. He then grabbed the microphone and announced,
"Ladies and gentlemen, I'm the world's greatest gatecrasher, and I just
came here to present Bob Hope with his 1938 trophy." That was a
reference to Hope's film The Big Broadcast of 1938, for which he didn't receive an honor.
2. The director who spouted "Communist propaganda"
During
the 1975 ceremonies, when debate over the Vietnam War was still raging,
documentary filmmaker Bert Schneider used his acceptance speech to read
a telegram from a Viet Cong diplomat offering "greetings of friendship"
to the American people. Angry responses from viewers began to pour in
objecting to the "Communist propaganda," and producers had to think
fast. They sent host Frank Sinatra out with a statement saying that the
Academy was not responsible for any political statements made during the
show. Fellow host Shirley MacLaine was not pleased with the statement,
which was reportedly the brainchild of Bob Hope, yet another host for
the evening. MacLaine believed that the disclaimer made it seem as if
the Academy had taken a right-wing position on the Vietnam issue.
3. The worst spoiler ever
Few people know who
will win Best Picture on Sunday, but that wasn't always the case. From
the start of the Awards in 1928, winners were actually announced to the
press ahead of time. That changed in 1940 when attendees arriving at the
gala were upset to discover that people were already talking about how Gone With The Wind
had won eight awards. The Academy didn't issue these spoilers to ruin
the fun: They did it to help the press cover the event and meet their
deadlines. Actors and others were supposed to be kept in the dark, but
one reporter was so excited about the Gone With The Wind results that he reportedly cracked and disclosed the Academy's biggest secret of the night. Word spread quickly from there.
4. The curious case of the non-existent screenwriter
When Robert Rich won for Best Original Story for The Brave One in 1957, nobody came up to accept the award. That's because Rich was really Dalton Trumbo, who had been blacklisted
by the Academy for his alleged Communist connections. The Academy
eventually eased up on Trumbo, paving the way for him to use his real
name again in Hollywood. But Trumbo didn't come forward as the man
behind "Robert Rich" until 1976, when he finally retrieved his award. In
1993, he was posthumously awarded the Academy Award for writing 1953's Roman Holiday; that one went to Ian McLellan Hunter, a real screenwriter who acted as a front for Trumbo in this case.
5. George Bernard Shaw's fit of pique
Talk about
being ungrateful. In 1939, legendary playwright George Bernard Shaw was
awarded for his screenplay for the movie version of Pygmalion. But Shaw didn't take it well — in fact, he wasn't on hand to receive it. From England, he reportedly said,
"It's perfect nonsense! To offer me an award of this sort is an insult,
as if they had never heard of me before — and it's very likely they
never had." The Oscar eventually found its way to Shaw's residence
overseas, but when Shaw died in 1950, his statuette was found to be in
such bad shape that the curator tasked with turning his home into a
museum used Oscar as a doorstop. Eventually, the statuette was repaired
and is now displayed prominently at the museum. ( the week )
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