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The Academy's famed golden statuette, highest accolade the industry can bestow, has had some bizarre and funny moments in its 51 years
Os'car-ism (os'kûr-ïz'm), ç. [Am. Oscar fr. prop. Oscar Pierson + F. or L; F. -isme, fr. L ismus, fr. Gr. -ismos.] True story or occurrence-presented in brief formrelating or pertaining to Oscar; i.e.: the Academy Awards. Also any authentic witticism, fact or quotation about Oscar. May also refer to events or actions behind the Oscar ritual. Usually off-beat or unusual in content; often, though not always, humorous. Drawn from the time period 7928 to 1979 . . .
Originally, the Academy placed instructions on the underside of the statuettes instructing owners to bring their trophies in for engraving. Most Oscar winners, however, never had occasion to turn their Oscars upside-down to find the note. As a result, the Academy changed its policy; it was decided that a simple phone call to each winner would be more effective.
Chicago journalist and screenwriter Ben Hecht asked that his name be removed from the credits of UNDERWORLD, as he was displeased with director Josef von Sternberg's interpretation of his script. When Academy head Lester Cowan later telephoned Hecht to tell him that UNDERWORLD had been voted the 1928-9 Best Original Screenplay trophy, Hecht replied, "Give it to my agent."
An attack of "déjà vu" must have hit MGM art director Cedric Gibbons upon his acceptance of the Best Art Director Award in 1930. After all, it was Gibbons who had designed the golden statuette only a few years earlier.
The Vice-Président of the United States bumped the Academy Awards into the national spotlight in 1932 when he attended the ceremony to pay tribute to an industry which had greatly boosted the country's morale during a year of depression. Governor of California James Rolph was also on hand.
A runner had to be sent out to pick up an extra statuette when an unexpected tie for Best Actor occurred in 1933. The winners, Fredric March and Wallace Beery, had each coincidentally adopted children shortly before their wins. "It seems a little odd," said March in his acceptance speech, "that Beery and I were given awards for the best male performance of the year."
While Hollywood...