Every winter, with the end of the holidays, the attention of millions of people turns to the results and achievements in the world of cinema. So, everyone remembers that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awards ceremony is just around the corner. However, few people call it that, because there is another name that definitely does not need additional explanation. Academy Award".

Before the Oscars, a real fever begins among viewers and film critics. The winners are determined by secret ballot, the results of which become known only after the traditional envelope is brought onto the stage. This year, the most prestigious award for special achievements in the field of cinema will go to its owners for the 88th time.

A little history

Founded in May 1929, the annual American awards ceremony is considered the largest and most significant for both cast and crew, and ordinary viewers.

The first ceremony took place on May 16, 1929 at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in the presence of 270 people. Admission was $5 (equivalent to $69 today).

The award ceremony took only 15 minutes and 15 statuettes were awarded.

The winners were announced three months before the award day. But the following year the lists were published in the evening newspaper, published at 11 pm on the day of the ceremony.

Actor Emily Jennings

• The first actor to receive the award was Emil Jennings. He was given an Oscar for his roles in the films “The Last Command” and “The Way of All Flesh.” The fact is that during the first three years, all the works of the last 24 months could be included in the nominations. The German actor was forced to return to Europe earlier, and took the statuette the day before.
• Who knows if we can talk about established rules in the first qualifying year, but the owners of the two awards did not fall into the same category - the film company Warner Bros. for the first sound film (“The Jazz Singer”) and Charlie Chaplin – producer, director, author and leading actor in the film “The Circus.”
  The number of categories was subsequently reduced to seven: two for acting and one each for best film, direction, screenplay, production design and art direction. Since then, the number of awards has gradually increased.
• During the seventh ceremony, awards appeared for video editing, music and soundtrack.
  The ninth Oscar presented the nominations “Best Supporting Actor” and “Best Supporting Actress”.
• The 14th ceremony in 1941 introduced the documentary category.
• In 1948 (21 awards ceremony) the best costume was awarded.
• The first television broadcast took place in 1953. Today the live broadcast takes place in 200 countries around the world.
• In 1957 (29th ceremony) an award for best foreign language film was introduced.
• The 36th awards ceremony presented the award for audio and visual effects.
• The 38th ceremony in 1966 was broadcast in color for the first time.
• The 41st ceremony in 1969 was the first to be shown in other countries.
• Since the 54th ceremony (1981), make-up has been included in the list of permanent nominations, and the first winner was the work “An American Werewolf in London”.
  In 2001 (74 Oscars), Shrek became the first winner in the Animated Film category.

Statuette

Immediately after the founding of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the question arose of how to celebrate achievements in this area and encourage work on further projects and films. Then they agreed to introduce an annual bonus.

Academy Award® of Merit

Margaret Herrick

Today the official name is used only on the Academy’s website and occasionally in the press. As for the Oscar, no one even remembers where it came from. Academy librarian (and executive director) Margaret Herrick is said to have joked that the statue looked like her Uncle Oscar. The name was officially established only in 1939, although already in 1934 journalists were actively using it.

• The award was first mentioned in the press in 1934. Sidney Skolsky wrote that Katharina Hepburn did not show up for her Oscar. By the way, the journalist claims to be the author of the name, which appeared as a vaudeville joke: “Do you want a cigar, Oscar?”
• At first, the winners received gilded bronze figurines, but after a few years they began to use white (British) metal, with copper, cupronickel and gold (24 carats) coating. During the war metal shortage, the figurines were made of plaster and covered with paint. Each nominee could receive such an Oscar.
• Before the ceremony there is a rehearsal. Presenters don't just repeat words. Everything is much more serious. The nominees hear their names, take the stage, receive a “practice” award, and give a speech. Even all five false envelopes with false results are prepared specifically for this action.

Actress Meryl Streep and Oscar

Everyone knows Oscar by sight. But if you take a closer look, you will see a knight with a crusader sword in his hands. It stands on a roll of film with five steps, symbolizing the original directions of the film academy. These are actors, directors, producers, technicians and writers.

• The height of the figure is 35 centimeters, and the weight is almost 4 kg. The design was developed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer art director Cedric Gibbons, and the artist George Stanley from Los Angeles was the sculptor.
  The awards are produced by R. S. Owens & Company in Chicago.
• Making 50 figurines takes approximately 3-4 weeks. If any of them does not fully meet the established standards, then it is immediately cut in half and melted to make the “correct” version. Each one is truly perfect. It is forbidden to even touch them before the ceremony: no fingerprints!
• Until 1949, figurines were NOT numbered. However, when the 501 was released, they began to put a serial number on each award. Over the entire period, 2,947 Oscars have found their happy owners.
• Over eight decades, Oscar survived war, earthquakes, even assassination attempts. However, over the past 20 years, the manufacturing company has repaired more than 160 figurines. The owners, as it turned out, are not so careful about their valuables. Or, on the contrary, they take care of them too diligently and wipe off dust from the awards with the help of chemicals, which should not be done.
• In 2000, the Academy was actually robbed. Boxes with figurines were stolen - exactly 55 pieces. A little later the rewards were found. In the trash can. Moreover, quite by accident during a federal investigation into drug trafficking. 52 of the 55 Oscars were recovered.

According to documents, the Oscar is the property of the film academy, so it cannot be sold. Except for the academy itself and for 1 dollar.

Data

For almost 90 years, the Oscar has remained a symbol of success and pinnacle in cinema. Although, on the other hand, this is far from the only difference and conditions. Just remember how many actors never received it... And this list is made up of not just famous, but already legendary names - Johnny Depp, Tom Cruise, Harrison Ford, Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Downey Jr., Brad Pitt, Helena Bonham Carter, Kate Winslet. Alfred Hitchcock also has awards.

Envelopes are opened only on stage. Some of them contain sheets of paper with one name, others contain an award for an entire team of creators.

The length of the red carpet is 152.5 meters, and it is the longest red carpet of all ceremonial ones.

A reminder of the rich history of the competition itself are two columns with the names of past winning films carved on them. There will be enough space for them until 2071.

Organizers have a backup plan in case something goes wrong. Let's say they announce the wrong winner. The show is immediately stopped. Only a few people at Pricewaterhouse Coopers know the results before the ceremony begins, and they are the ones entrusted with this mission. Fortunately, nothing like this has ever happened before.

Actress Shirley Temple

• The youngest actress to receive the honorary award was five-year-old Shirley Temple. This happened in 1934.
• Tatum O'Neal became the youngest actress to receive a real statuette. At the age of 10, she was recognized as best supporting actress in the film “Paper Moon” (1974).
• The oldest winner is supporting actor, 82-year-old Christopher Plummer, and best actress is 81-year-old Jessica Tandy.
• Meryl Streep holds the record for the most nominations (13!).
• The first African-American Oscar winner is Hattie McDanial from Gone with the Wind.
• Liza Minnelli is the only actress whose parents (both!) received Oscars.
• Walt Disney received 26 awards throughout his life.
• Fran Walsh is the only woman to win three Oscars in one year: Best Picture, Adapted Screenplay and Original Score for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003).
• In 1972, Marlon Brando received an award for his role as Don Corleone in the first part of The Godfather, and Robert De Niro was awarded in 1974 for the same role in the second part of the film. This is the only time different actors have won Oscars for playing the same character.
• Throughout history, 11 awards in various categories were received at one ceremony by three excellent films: “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” (2003), “Titanic” (1997) and “Ben-Hur” (1959).

Three films received a whole garland of awards at once - for best film, director, actor, actress and best screenplay: “It Happened One Night” (1934), “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1975) and “The Silence of the Lambs” (1991).

The eloquent Greer Garson, winning best actress in 1942, gave the longest speech: from 5.5 to 7 minutes.

And Cate Blanchett is the only actress to win an Oscar for playing an Oscar-winning actress.

There has only been one winner named Oscar in history. This is Oscar Hammerstein II - winner of two awards for best soundtrack.
In 1972, Marlon Brando won an Oscar for his role as Don Corleone in the first part of The Godfather, and Robert De Niro was awarded in 1974 for the same role in the second part of the film. This is the only time different actors have won Oscars for playing the same character.
Throughout history, three films have received 11 awards in various categories in one ceremony. These are The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), Titanic (1997) and Ben-Hur (1959).

Actor Bob Hope

• The leader of the largest number of ceremonies is Bob Hope. He appeared on stage as many as 19 times.
• Every Oscar ends with the Best Picture award.

Shocking facts related to this figurine began to appear on the Internet.

Anyone can understand that this is bullshit.

There are various rumors about the origin of the name “Oscar”. The origin of the name is due to the librarian Margaret Herrick, who saw the figurine on the table and declared: “She looks like my Uncle Oscar!” Others believe that actress Bette Davis named it this way in honor of her first husband.

Will you believe it? Anyone can understand that this is bullshit. The basis for the image of the most prestigious film award in the world was a random melancholy sketch and a surprised exclamation from a librarian? Well, it’s clear that this is just nonsense. The fact that Oscar has a different origin is clear to any sane person.

You don't find some similarities?

Some foreign Internet users drew attention to the amazing similarity between the golden Oscar statuette of the American Film Academy and the Egyptian god of evil, Sokar.

It is not difficult to notice the external similarity of the figurines and a complete copy of the ritual position of the hands and the held object of the initiation of humanity into sin. Also noteworthy is the favorite technique of occultists - a game of letters. (OSCAR - SOCAR - SARCO).

Sarco- Sarcophagus is a coffin, a small tomb. Placed in burials and temples. The inscriptions on ancient Egyptian sarcophagi contain the name of the deceased, as well as spells and prayers addressed to the gods and designed to protect and protect the body of the deceased from all evil. Ancient Egyptian sarcophagi were made of wood and covered with gilded copper or gold sheets.

But it's not yet All

Jennifer Lawrence was awarded "Oscar" in the category “Best Actress” and never believed in evil spirits and omens. Nevertheless, the celebrity admitted that she had to give up the prestigious statuette precisely because of her poor energy.

Every time someone came to visit me, they definitely paid attention to the figurine, something strange happened. To be honest, I didn’t want to think about her so often, because next to her I felt some kind of heaviness in my soul. I don't want him in my house. For now, Jennifer Lawrence has gotten rid of the Oscar.

Soon after this, things began to improve for the actresses again, and, most surprisingly, Lawrence returned to her boyfriend Nicholas Hoult.

THE CURSE OF OSCAR

For many, the Oscars have become a bad omen: actors are beset by problems in their personal or professional lives. The phenomenon even received a special name – “Oscar’s curse.”

For some completely inexplicable reason The Oscars don't favor actresses. After receiving the coveted statuette, many of them began to have problems in their personal lives. The “black list” of Hollywood stars who have suffered the Oscar curse includes the biggest names. Many actresses who received the prize for Best Actress separated from their husbands or lovers soon after.

Failures

In 2000 The statuette went to Hilary Swank, who played the role of a transsexual girl in the film Boys Don't Cry. The Oscar curse didn't hit Swank until five years later, when she won her second Oscar for her leading role in Million Dollar Baby. A year later, the actress broke up with her husband, and later admitted that she had been struggling with his drug addiction for a long time and unsuccessfully.

In 2010, Sandra Bullock joined the sad list. She was awarded an Oscar for her role in The Blind Side. But before the ceremony had time to take place, a scandal broke out throughout the country - Sandra caught her husband cheating. The marriage broke up.

A DREAM BECOMES A NIGHTMARE

According to Tom O'Neill, all the winners, from Joan Fontaine (1942) to Sandra Bullock, experienced the effects of the Hollywood curse.

LGBT FREQUENT OSCAR WINNERS

Films about gays, drug addicts and various atypical personalities- a common thing at the Oscars. It’s kind of strange, but They always win. For example, look at the Oscar 2018 list. These are not necessarily actors! Screenwriters, actresses, composers, directors, costume designers, etc.

As an example. The LGBT winner of the Oscar 2018 is the animated film The Secret of Coco. The producers of the film are lesbian Darla K. Anderson and gay Adrian Molina.

Oscar Award for Best Foreign Language Film? Well, of course, “A Fantastic Woman” is the story of Marina, a transgender singer. Of course, the main goal of this event is to stir up interest in certain films and personalities that support LGBT people.

Well, of course! Last year, the main Oscar was awarded to the film “Moonlight,” which tells about the difficult fate of a black homosexual. Thus, the expert jury of the influential film award openly took the position of the LGBT lobby. In January 2017, the same film, Moonlight, was named the top gay and lesbian film of 2016 by The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association.

Hall of the Kodak Cinema Center

Kodak Theater- perhaps the most famous theater, it is where the Oscar ceremony takes place. It is a kind of temple of the sun. The rear entrance is a huge arch, a recreation of the Babylonian Gate. The Academy Awards ceremony has sometimes been held at the Shrine Auditorium, an active Masonic ceremony hall.

We must also remember that this is a reward for another victory in the hearts of people in the name of the army of pagan gods in a Masonic ritual veiled as a film award.

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What Hollywood is hiding from us

The Oscar is the main film award on our planet and an indicator of the highest creative self-realization of a particular filmmaker.

This award was created in 1929, since the 40s of the last century it acquired its current name.

Oscar Award: history of creation, who invented it, oddities, Oscar-winning Russia

It is awarded annually, the presentation location is traditional: Los Angeles, Dolby Theater.

The ceremony, as a rule, is colorful and pompous, and, in itself, is often a work of art, which is embodied by famous shows - producers, designers, artists, fashion designers.

This show is broadcast in dozens of countries around the world. Russia is among them.

A little history

The award was conceived by Louis Mayer, the head of the American film studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, as an incentive for American cinema figures. However, gradually “Oscar”, with his zloty sword, as they say, “conquered” the world.

Nowadays, receiving the coveted statuette is the ultimate dream and the pinnacle of a career for a cinematographer in any country where films are produced.

The jury of the American Film Academy, on the eve of the presentation of the first prize - February 15, 1929 - sat all night. Finally, the decision was made to give the award to King Vidor's drama The Crowd for original creative vision.

Louis Mayer was against it; he thought the film was too dark. It is believed that this was just an excuse, a formal quibble.

In fact, Mayer was afraid of accusations of playing along with his own, because the production of “The Crowd” was carried out by his sponsored film studio MGM.

As an alternative, Louis Mayer proposed an award for the film “Sunrise” by Friedrich Murnau, an authoritative director in Hollywood at that time.

The jury listened to Mayer's opinion. The next day, the name of the winner was published in a special bulletin.

Who created the treasured figurine

The famous figurine was embodied by sculptor George Stanley, and “painted” by MGM production designer Cedric Gibbons.

It was he who made a quick sketch of a knight holding a double-edged sword and standing on a reel of film. There is a legend that he did this out of boredom at some endless meeting.

And the model for the artist was Emilio Fernandez, a Mexican film director, actor and screenwriter.

The initial version of the design was made in ceramics; later the figurines began to be cast from an alloy of tin and copper and plated with gold.

The figure reaches 33.5 centimeters in height and weighs about four kilograms.

In its modern version, it is made of a special britain alloy coated with gold. At its foot is a pedestal made of black marble.

Although the French documentaries in their film detail the creation of the Oscars: “first, the figure is modeled on a computer, then cast from an alloy of tin and lead. After which it is covered with a layer of copper, nickel, silver and, finally, goes through the process of galvanization with gold.

In total, 24 Oscars were created for the 2017 Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awards ceremony.

Who “composed” the title?

For example, actress Bette Davis claimed that she "named" the statue "Oscar" because it looked like her husband Harmon Oscar Nelson.

Margaret Herriken, secretary of the Film Academy, has her own version. Allegedly, it was she who looked at the figurine intently and admired: “The spitting image of my Uncle Oscar!” So this guy, at least with one of his sides, poked his way into the history of cinema.

Columnist Sidney Skolsky pulls the blanket over himself, if you believe his story: he was tired of writing about the nameless statuette, and besides, he was very stressed by the comically stately Academy ceremonies, so he decided - to spite them - to give it to the gilded, weighty guy who was being awarded by a friend to a friend of these eccentrics, the simple name is “Oscar”.

So, they say, it’s easier to write about him.

Films of the USSR and Russia that received an Oscar:

“War and Peace”, director Sergei Bondarchuk - 1968.

“Moscow Doesn’t Believe in Tears”, director Vladimir Menshov – 1981.

“Burnt by the Sun”, director Nikita Mikhalkov - 1994.

Documentary:

“The defeat of German troops near Moscow”, directors Leonid Varlamov and Ilya Kopalin - 1942.

Cartoon:

Oscar 2017

The 89th Academy Awards ceremony will take place this year. It will take place from Sunday to Monday, February 26, 2017.

The live broadcast to Russia in Russian will begin at 02:00 Moscow time.

This time the number of foreign films submitted for the award is a record - 83 films!

The film “Paradise,” directed by Andron Konchalovsky, was included in the shortlist of 9 candidates for the Oscar award in the category: “Foreign Language Film.”

However, she was not included in the final list of 5 contestants.

I'm very sorry. Andron Konchalovsky is an outstanding film director, and his “Paradise” is a real movie!

Egor Iskrukhin

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Fifteen years ago, the author of these lines was sitting in one of the Moscow bars in the company of a pretty American woman. The interlocutor told me that she had made a documentary film in defense of sexual minorities. “Or maybe they’ll give me an Oscar? What do you think?” - Alice asked. Apparently, the alcohol managed to hit me on the back of the head, since the answer was a then popular VGIK joke: “Alice! You want to eat fish and ride on the Titanic.” How offended she was! Not for myself. Not for a James Cameron blockbuster. For the main award of the film world: “Alex, this is very unfortunate humor. Our Oscar is like... your Lenin Mausoleum.” The crumpled evening ended in complete silence. I painfully searched for parallels: Los Angeles and Moscow, Oscar and the Mausoleum. What connection? And only then did I realize that there were plenty of connections.

Almost everything is known about the founding father of the world-famous prize. His name was Lazar Yakovlevich Meir. He was born in the city of Minsk on July 12, 1884 in the family of a junk dealer. When, fleeing pogroms, the family fled from the Russian Empire to the United States, the grown-up youngest son joined his father’s business.

Between a poor Jewish boy from Russia and the head of the MGM film concern lies a path comparable to the fairy tales of Scheherazade. By the early twenties, Lazar Meir, who became Louis Mayer, was already handling millions. Since then, books have been written, films made and legends have been made about the king of the film business.

Between a poor Jewish boy from Russia and the head of the MGM film concern lies a path comparable to the fairy tales of Scheherazade

Something like a Masonic lodge

On the cool morning of January 1, 1927, Mr. Mayer had a brilliant idea. He decided to found the American Film Academy. He saw the innovation as “an organization designed to stimulate the growing film production, integrate new technologies into it and act as an arbiter in labor disputes.”

Three days later, Louis and three other movie business bigwigs gathered around the dinner table at Mayer's house to discuss the idea. And already on the 11th of the same month, thirty-six eminent US filmmakers developed a project, electing Douglas Fairbanks as the first president of, in fact, a non-existent organization.

Today, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, AKIN, is one of the largest organizations, including about six thousand members, actually academicians. Among them can only be film workers, including producers, directors, actors, screenwriters and even lighting and make-up artists. In some aspects of its structure and existence, AKIN resembles a Masonic lodge. The fact is that people are not elected to the Academy. You cannot enter there by passing tests, exams, or by presenting a gift from God captured on film. You are invited to the Academy.

In the huge range of academic events, there is a considerable list of those that you are unlikely to attend, no matter what documents or connections you present at the entrance. Among academics there are people you will never get an interview with. And it’s better to stay away from other gentlemen altogether.

For such a wonderful structure, Louis Mayer proposed introducing the highest national award - a stylized figurine of a crusader knight leaning on the hilt of a combat sword.

MGM staff artist Cedric Gibbons sketched a sketch of the future prize in pencil right at a working meeting with Mayer. Unemployed sculptor George Stanley sculpted a figurine from clay for 500 bucks. And then a certain Alex Smith - no one knows for how long - cast the mold.

MGM staff artist Cedric Gibbons sketched a sketch of the future prize in pencil right at a working meeting with Mayer. Unemployed sculptor George Stanley sculpted a figurine from clay for 500 bucks. And then a certain Alex Smith - no one knows for how long - cast the mold

The first fifteen knights were made by hand from bronze, which was terribly difficult to polish. Technology and metal had to be changed.

Some ordinary people still believe that the figurine is made of pure gold. With a height of almost 34 centimeters, she weighs almost five kilograms. Hold it in your hands - it's truly impressive. But the cat cried for gold.

Today's Oscar is made from britanium, an alloy of tin and copper in a percentage ratio of 92.5 to 7.5. Then they are coated with a layer of 10 carat gold. And after polishing - another one of 24 carats.

Nevertheless, even in the United States there are unique people, like Shura Balaganov, who dream of handing over precious sawdust to the nearest jewelry store. For example, in 2000, a complete set of award statuettes was stolen from the Chicago R.C. Owens plant under seven levels of security.

It was almost a week before the ceremony. The police, roused to their feet, found a bag of Oscars a couple of days later in a Chicago city landfill. Sharp-tongued newspapermen claimed that this was not the work of security thieves, but fans of the Golden Globe Awards.

Early Oscars were almost two kilograms lighter than modern ones. Before World War II, child actors were given reduced-size statuettes.

In 1937, comedian-ventriloquist Edgar Bergen was awarded the only wooden figurine in history with a moving lower jaw. Today, the estimated insurance value of the wooden Oscar exceeds a billion dollars.

In 1937, comedian-ventriloquist Edgar Bergen was awarded the only wooden figurine in history with a moving lower jaw. Today, the estimated insurance value of the wooden Oscar exceeds a billion dollars.

Who said "Oscar" first?

From 1942 to 1944, Oscars were made of plaster and covered with gold foil. Thus, the Motion Picture Academy was responding to President Roosevelt's call to "save every ounce of strategic metal."

One more detail. From 1928 to 1945, the Oscar was mounted on a pedestal made of a rare type of Belgian black marble.

Over the past half century, the cost of producing one figurine has fallen from 100 to 60 US dollars. Market prices are different. But not all Oscars. The fact is that since 1950, the figurines are considered the property of the Film Academy and cannot be sold.

The ban works, but not always. In October 1992, the knight received by John Lennon, among other Beatles, for songs for the film “So mote it be” (1970) was removed from auction. But the statuette for the film “Gone with the Wind,” which once belonged to Vivien Leigh, was purchased by an anonymous buyer for one and a half million dollars. Today, according to the most conservative estimates, this thing has risen in price six times.

It is curious that the very name “Oscar”, which sounds so natural today, took 12 years to be born. The “dad” of the figurine has already been mentioned. The Film Academy became the surrogate mother. But there were a dozen godparents.

Rumor has it that the catchy name of the award was trumpeted around the world by Los Angeles newsboys. It is not unreasonably believed that the name “knight” was invented by telephone switchboard workers who did not know how to keep the secrets of other people’s conversations.

An anecdotal version of the origin of the name “Oscar” refers us to the library employee of the Film Academy, Margaret Herrick, who allegedly recognized her uncle Oscar in the figurine, which she loudly declared to her work colleagues

An anecdotal version of the origin of the name “Oscar” refers us to the library employee of the Film Academy, Margaret Herrick, who allegedly recognized her uncle Oscar in the figurine, which she loudly declared to her work colleagues. Whether there really was such an uncle is unknown. But Mrs. Margaret was transferred from ordinary librarians to the chair of the library director. This is a historical fact.

Actress Bette Davis, in turn, assured others that the figurine was named in honor of her first husband, who bore that name. But what’s interesting is that she herself won an Oscar twice, in 1933 and 1938.

The real hero of the occasion is journalist Sidney Skolsky. It was he who, in an article dedicated to Katharine Hepburn, who received an Academy Award in 1931, was the first to use the name Oscar, quoting a phrase from a popular vaudeville sketch.

It remains to be added that at the 1934 awards ceremony, Walt Disney publicly uttered the word “Oscar” for the first time. And in 1939, the name of the figurine was established as commonly used, but not official. After all, to this day only the name “Academy Award of Merit” is documented. And "Oscar" is nothing more than a nickname.

Despite all the care with which the chronicle of Oscar's life is kept, funny incidents happen. For example, there are two points of view on the age of the premium. A number of authors believe that the current ceremony is the eighty-fifth. Others argue that the anniversary date passed last year. The discrepancy in dates was initially brought about by the Film Academy itself. The first awards were presented based on the results of the autumn/spring rental season, and not the previous calendar year, as has been the practice since the mid-1930s.

The very first awards ceremony took place on May 16, 1929 in the Blossom Room of Hollywood's Roosevelt Hotel. The ceremony was personally hosted by Academy President Douglas Fairbanks. And the names of the winners, the first Oscar winners, were announced to the press on February 15th. Awards were given for achievements in the 1927/28 rental season. A meeting of 267 filmmakers identified the worthy ones.

Now everything is different. Pre-voting forms are sent to all academicians. Panels of arbitrators make preliminary nominations. And all further issues are decided by the Grand Jury.

"Oscar" is not only a statuette. There are two other forms of reward. They may present you with a plaque or medal. Or they can also be awarded a diploma, which until 1948 was called a “Scroll” and literally corresponded to a Soviet certificate of honor in production.

The three cancellations of the ceremony and its postponement to another date are considered landmark events in the Oscars.

The three cancellations of the ceremony and its postponement to another date are considered landmark events in the Oscars. The tenth (1938) took place a week later due to severe flooding in Los Angeles. The Fortieth (1968) was postponed by two days due to the funeral of the assassinated Martin Luther King. And the fifty-third (1981) was detained for a day due to an attempt on the life of US President Ronald Reagan.

How not to end up with your nose

In the USA, you can be a significant figure in the national cinema, but at the same time remain with an honorable nose. In 1952, Harold Lloyd was awarded a special statuette as a "Great Master of Comedy and Model Citizen." In 1959, Buster Keaton received an honorary Oscar "for his unique artistic gift, which ensured the immortality of silent comedy."

Well, the greatest comedian of the twentieth century, Charlie Chaplin, received the honorary AKIN award only at the age of 83, “For the enormous influence that he had on the process of transforming cinema into the art of the twentieth century.” Thirty years earlier, in the same Los Angeles, the Commission on Un-American Activities gave Chaplin a tough choice: either he leaves the United States forever, or goes to prison.

Let me remind you that these comedians have 386 films between them. And not one of these films, included in all the world's encyclopedias, received a personal Oscar! It is known that Clint Eastwood was given an Oscar at the age of 72. Well, the great actor might not have waited for the golden statuette.

James Dean was twice nominated posthumously for the films East of Eden (1955) and Giant (1956). The deceased never received anything.

Let's also mention the most Oscar-winning person in the world - Walt Disney. His records match the former victories of Soviet Olympians. From 1932 to 1969, the animator was nominated for an Oscar 64 times! And he was awarded 26 times. In 1954 alone, he won four statuettes in four categories. However, back in 1936, he presented himself with the award “For the Best Cartoon,” which was recognized for “The Country Cousin.”

Not only was Disney the owner of the very first statuette “For Best Cartoon” (1934). At the same ceremony, he received another “knight” - for creating Mickey Mouse. For ten years in a row, the restless animator received a steady Oscar a year. Moreover, for such different works as “The Three Little Pigs” (1933) and “The Face of the Fuhrer” (1942).

But the full-length "Fantasy" (1941) received only a diploma - that same certificate of honor. The last Oscar was awarded to Disney's heirs when he had been dead for three years. Interestingly, the great animator received four awards for the documentaries he created.

It is fair to note those stars who have never won an Oscar in any of its categories. Among the actresses are Marlene Dietrich, Greta Garbo, Marilyn Monroe and Judy Garland. They all belonged to the mega-status of Hollywood goddesses.

Among the outsider actors it is worth mentioning Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly, Eroll Flynn and Steve McQueen, Kirk Douglas and Tony Curtis. Although American cinema owes each of them a unique acting personality.

The unlucky applicants for the award include two more celebrities. Meryl Streep was nominated for an Oscar 15 times, but received it only twice. Jack Nicholson, who has three statuettes, was also nominated for the award 12 times.

Meryl Streep was nominated for an Oscar 15 times, but received it only twice. Jack Nicholson, who has three statuettes, was also nominated for the award 12 times

Not only great actors, but also outstanding films are unlucky at the Oscars. Orson Welles' Citizen Kane (1941) was nominated in nine categories and won just one award. That does not prevent the film from being one of the five “greatest US films of all time” for more than half a century. With 10 nominations for each film, Airport (1970) by George Seaton and Tootsie (1982) by Sydney Pollack received one statuette each.

But the Oscar-winning film is still Ben-Hur (1959). Thirty-eight years later, James Cameron's Titanic collected the same eleven statuettes. But this was only the first repetition of a hitherto unsurpassed record.

The number of nominations and Oscars received may in no way correlate with the box office result. There are three financial record holders in the history of the Oscars. These are Gone with the Wind (1939) and The Sound of Music (1965), which grossed $79 million each. Well, the leader so far is “Titanic” (1997), which took the box office at $600,778,188.

As for the films that start making noise all over the world as soon as they surpass the 10 million mark, there are already dozens of them. In addition, some overseas experts, with the reservation of all the conventions of their calculations, believe that in the USSR during the era of stagnation, one film by Leonid Gaidai made a box office receipt equal to the American rental of six or seven Oscar-winning films.

Russian trace

Of course, it is worth dwelling on the Russian trace of the Oscar. Let's start with the fact that the first wave of emigrants from Russia were nominated for the award 66 times, winning 20 statuettes. Yul Brynner received his first acting award for the film “The King and I” (1956).

The contribution of the USSR and modern Russia is much more modest: only six victories, of which only four are feature films. After the triumph of War and Peace (1968) by Sergei Bondarchuk, domestic cinema literally bombarded Hollywood with applications.

Films of such different artistic and technical levels as “The Brothers Karamazov” (1969), “Tchaikovsky” (1970), “The Dawns Here Are Quiet” (1972), “White Bim Black Ear” (1977), were sent to Los Angeles. "Private Life" (1982), "War Romance" (1983), "Urga" (1992), "Prisoner of the Caucasus" (1996), "Thief" (1997), "Twelve" (2008), "The Edge" (2011). Not one of the twenty nominations we expected for someone else’s award made it to the finish line.

There are always a lot of jokes and funny stories surrounding the Oscars. Two topics dominate the tabloids: which of the men got into a fight with whom after getting drunk at a banquet, and which of the ladies, once again “accidentally” dropping a strap from their shoulder, exposed their stellar breasts.

Few people know about Oscar's biggest mistake. He is connected with the actor and director Woody Allen, who, on his way to the ceremony, stopped by a bar for a minute. Where he played the clarinet all night, to the unspeakable joy of the regulars there. Meanwhile, the Academy Award-winning comedy star was being sought throughout Los Angeles and the surrounding area.

Facts from the life of Oscar

The first Oscar ceremony lasted 4 minutes and 22 seconds. And the banquet, which was attended by over 500 guests, ended by noon the next day.

An official Oscar souvenir copy costs $100 in Los Angeles. Her Parisian replica is 15 euros. The Chinese one is sold in Moscow for 140 rubles.

The Oscar casting workshop in Chicago has been headed for more than 30 years by a Mexican who doesn't speak a word of English.

For 85 years, the official Oscar ceremony has changed 10 halls.

Since 1949, in addition to the engraving of the laureate's name on the stand, each Oscar has an individual serial number.

The first Oscars were awarded in seven categories. Today there are 25 award categories.

The first live and complete television broadcast of the Oscar ceremony took place on March 25, 1954. Since March 29, 1976, the broadcast has been in color.

Click on photos to enlarge:

Today we will look at how the famous Oscar statuettes are made, which since 1929 have been awarded annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for contributions to the art of filmmaking.

The figurine was created by sculptor George Stanley and designed by MGM production designer Cedric Gibbons. Gibbons sketched a knight standing on a reel of film holding a double-edged sword. He chose actor Emilio Fernandez as his model. The five circles on the base (on the reel) represented the five departments of the Academy: producers, screenwriters, directors, actors and technicians. The Oscar figurine reaches a height of 33 and a half centimeters and weighs about three and a half kilograms

Photo report from the Chicago plant R.S. Owens & Company, where Oscar statuettes have been made since 1983.

An alloy of tin and lead, known as britain, is poured into the mold by a craftsman.

After a few minutes, the alloy hardens and the mold is opened.

The still hot figurine is carefully inspected for possible flaws and defects.

And they wait until the products have completely cooled down.

The edges are cleaned and burrs are cut off.

Oscar is then examined for possible marriage.

After the figurine is cleared of excess metal, it is polished.

And then they polish it.

At the next stage, an engraving is made at the base of the figurine with a number, which is stored in a special database

In the first of them, the figurine is covered with the thinnest layer of copper.

This is followed by a nickel bath.

After some time, the product repeats the bath, but in a solution with silver.

And the last stage is galvanization with 24-karat gold.

Here you can see the different stages of Oscar's preparation.

After electrolytic procedures, the figurine is blown with a stream of compressed air.

In the final operation, a black marble base is screwed to the figurine.

A plaque with an engraving stating for what achievements and to whom this award was given is attached to the marble base.
By the way, during the Second World War, instead of metal figurines, plastic ones were used, since any piece of metal was needed at the front. After the end of hostilities, the Academy returned to gold. The winners were awarded the prize without any fees, which forced the Academy to make additional duplicates if the Oscars were lost, stolen or sold.

To avoid shortages, the Academy, in addition to its own production, annually orders 50 figurines from the Southern California Trophy company, which began producing them back in 1930. Despite the fact that there are 24 nominations in total, there have been cases when the award, based on voting results, was divided between two actors, screenwriters or technicians.

The figurine is then packaged and sent to the presentation ceremony.

Academicians do not forget about the honorary Oscars, awarded for lifetime achievements in the field of cinema. It is noteworthy that immediately after all nominations are announced at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater, the calculation of the maximum number of awards that can be given out begins.

Here the Oscars are already waiting for their new owners, whom they will find after the phrase “and the “Oscar” goes to...”

A short video about the complete figurine production process.

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