And the Oscar goes to...
The first awards were given out in May 16, 1929 — and lasted just five minutes. Unlike now, there was no suspense to the ceremony because the winners had been announced three months earlier.
During the inaugural ceremony, 15 statuettes were awarded — all but one to men. The initial awards ceremony — the only time in Academy history that the event was not broadcast in some way — took place during a banquet in the Blossom Room of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. More than 270 people attended.
Who designed the Oscar statue?
MGM’s art director Cedric Gibbons designed the statuette in 1928, and Los Angeles sculptor George Stanley was selected to create it. The statuette is a figure of a knight standing on a reel of film, hands gripping a sword.
The design has changed only once, in 1945, when the pedestal was made higher. Oscars are 13-and-a-half inches high and weigh 6.75 pounds. Initially made of solid bronze, and then plaster, the statuette is now made of gold-plated britannium, a metal alloy.
How are the winners chosen?
Ballots are cast by the Academy’s members and the results are placed in sealed envelopes until the winner is announced onstage the night of the ceremony.
Fun Oscar facts
w The most Oscars ever given to a film: Ben-Hur (1959), Titanic (1997) and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) each received 11 Academy Awards.
w The most Oscars ever given to an individual: Walt Disney received 26 statuettes — 22 competitive awards and four honorary awards.
w The first animated film to be nominated for Best Picture: Beauty and the Beast (1991).
w The most frequent Oscar host: Bob Hope (18 times as host or co-host)
w The only Oscar winner named Oscar: Oscar Hammerstein II.
w The only write-in Oscar winner: Hal Mohr, Best Cinematography for A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1935).
w Youngest Oscar winner: Tatum O’Neal (age 10), Best Supporting Actress for Paper Moon (1973); Shirley Temple (age 6) was given an Honorary Oscar in 1934.
w The Oscar statuette’s official name is the “Academy Award of Merit.” The name “Oscar” is actually a nickname that has been around for decades with unclear beginnings.
w True Grit had the youngest and oldest acting nominees this year: Hailee Steinfeld turned 15 last month, and Jeff Bridges is 62.
—MCT
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