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MREADY WHEN You ARE, C.B.1· ··'~· - ...... -, ...... - Lights, Camera, DeMille .. Action I'" / Story on Page 3 ..

©AMPAS® ACAOfffiV RfPORl

FROM TH PRESIDENT T.. sday, .-...y 24 - 7:30 po&, MeWtz Theater, UCLA: AWJfMY/UClA iJooJMBtrAlY SElIES - THE BIIWlCAST Tw Of DI. PmI and SllYERlAKE LIFE: THE VIEW FlOM HERE. We're now well along in tha t season of the year when half the world- the press, dis-

appointed suitors, lots of others- seems to want to explain to us how the Academy Thursday, February 2 - 8 p.m., Samuel GoIdwyw Theater: TIIBUlE TO 2S YEAlS Of Osw-WlNNING & -NOMIIlATEO Awards could be better conducted. Bruce Dav is and I have been discussing this phe- MIllATION.

nomenon, and we've noticed that many of these complaints share a common under- Friday, February 3 - 10 a.m., Grand lobby GaRery: Dpening of the Exhibnion: The Best of Soviet Animation Art (cour­ lying assumption: that the Awards rules congealed somewhere around the early tesy of tire Mike and Jeanne Glad Family Trust). 19305, and that no one here has looked at them since. In the meantime, time and T.. sday, February 7 - 7:30 p• ..., Melnitz Theater, motion picture have marched on. UCLA: A(ADfMy/UCIA iJooJMBtrAlY SERIES - FAST EaOlE AII0 THE Bo~ and LuRY: My lifE IN MUSIl line of thin king goes, are hopelessly ou tmoded, and therefore with new conditions that have emerged in the 1990s. l

ur recent nu isance lawsuit. Yes, the courts completely vindicat­ Saturday, kd! 25 - 10 a.m., 5amIII GaIdwyn , but I was surprised by how many people evidently bought into Theater: Foreign Language F"dm Award Diredors' Symposium. on that the rule that kept them out of our competition was a rel ic time. Moaday, May 8 - 8 p.... s-ueI GoIdwyIl Theater: rul e is thi s: "Films which receive their fi rst public exhibition on Reprise of the Academy's October, 1994, tribute staged in television are not eli gible for Academy Awards in any cate­ Deauville, France, Films for the Fight: Hollywood in World War II. that's clear, fai r and absolutely central to the purposes and even this Academy. incidentally, spri ng from a contemptuous view of television. has the same rule (or its mirror image), for the same ""''''''''''''''0<' have massive jobs of viewing to do at awards time, and ACAOfffiV RfPORT those jobs better if the domai ns of Oscar and Emmy are mutu­ . pictures may compete fo r one or the other, but not both. Published by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ...... "',,,,lInies define pictures as theatrical or television movies based on 8949 Wilshire Boulevard r first public appearances. It's a nicely objective criterion that Beverly Hills, California 90211 -1972 us to ascertain anyone's intentions, hopes or plans. If a TV movie (310) 247-3000 in a theater, that fact is just as irrelevant as the fact that most President will eventu ally play on television . · Arthur Hiller pie say that the picture whose distributor sued us is a terrific first YKe President • Alan Bergman and we should have found a way to make an exception for it. YKe Presicletlt • FayK"" lJnl"' nt""'ious snobbery in that statement, I think. It implies that our YKe Presidetll Sicllley Gmis ::::;,/!it.~tenrMs., ~, rQvi n ce ought to be all the gQQQ pictures, and that the dross should · TreaHler ArIInIr Hallilton :~'!~ ··.~nCf!ql~li'e lte for television awards. · of course. There has always been wonderful work made for Sea,tury • DoIaId C. Ragers there will be a lot more in the future. That's as it should be. But ....tos: llllless otl.erwise ....tIfied, by long ....'091...., rena. We shou ld no more feel badly about not being able to bring DesigI: Usa TIcker, UL movie into our tent than we do about not being able to honor on Broadway. ON THE (OVER: Claudette Colbert as Poppaea in Dan Sayre Groesbeck's theatri cal motion pictures . If a day comes-and I see no signs poster deSign for Cecil B. DeMille's THE SIGN OF THE CROSS, part of the ing-when movie theaters go the way of nickelodeons, we'll fold DeMille Exhi bition in the Academy's Grand Lob by and Fourth Floor galleries. Courtesy of Cecilia DeMille Presley.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 C. B. DeMillE EXAMINED IN EXHIBITION, lECTURE, SCREENING

he career of leg­ THE CROSS was screened at

endary Hollywood the Samuel Goldwyn Theater Tinnovator Cecil B. in December with several DeMille was exam­ of DeMille's collaborators ined in an exhibition which present to discuss the film­ opened in November and maker and answer audience closed January 22 in the questions, among them

Grand Lobby and Fourth producer A. C. Lyles, art direc­

Floor galleries. tor John Jensen, artist Arnold

"Cecil B. DeMille: Lights, Friberg, publicist Ann del

Camera, Action" presented Valle, composer Elmer the career of the famed Hollywood director through the eyes of Bernstein and DeMille's granddaughter, Cecilia DeMille the craftspeople who worked for and with him, from music Presley. Film Historian David Shepard moderated the composers, costume designers and film editors to cinematogra­ discussion. phers, screenwriters and visual effects designers. The 35mm print shown was restored by the UCLA Film

Over 140 items were displayed. Most of them were bor­ and Television Archive.

rowed from the DeMille DeMille's career was also the focus of an

Estate and had never Academy Lecture in

before been publicly the Lobby, "At

exhibited. Costumes and Work with DeMille:

costume design sketches, His Creative Staff

props, research material, On-Set and Off," on

storyboards and other art January 12.

works and artifacts took Film Historian

the visitor into the career Marc Wanamaker, a

of the Academy Award contributing writer

winner who brought to the screen such classics as CLEOPATRA, to four books on

SAMSON AND DELILAH, THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH and THE DeMille, and writer Bob Birchard, author of a forthcoming

TEN COMMANDMENTS. book on DeMille, discussed the director's life and career and

The original uncut version of DeMille's 1932 THE SIGN OF took questions from the audience.

3 our screenwriters were chosen as recipi­ THE 1994 NICHOLL ents of the Academy's Ninth Annual FELLOWS ARE: FDon and Gee Nicholl Fellowships in Screen writing. Each of them will receive Mikhaila Max Adams of Sandy, Utah $25,000 over the coming year to help them com­ Stript: My BACKYARD plete new scripts. Selected from 3,934 entries - a record for the Steve Garvin of Los Angeles competition - the recipients were honored at a Stript: STATUS Quo dinner at Chasen's in November at which Jeb Stuart, whose screenwriting credits include last Charles Henrich of New York City year's Best Picture Nominee, THE FUGITIVE, was Script: JOSHUA TREE keynote speaker. The 1994 Fellows were chosen by the Nicholl Glenn Levin of New York City Committee, made up of former Academy Stript: SPANO AND THE KID Presidents Fay Kanin, Daniel Taradash and Robert E. Wise; writers John Gay and Hal Kanter, producer Gale Anne Hurd, actress Eva Marie Saint, agent Michael Zirnring and Nicholl Committee Chair Julian Blaustein. Hurd, Kanin, Saint and Taradash presented fellow­ ship certificates to the winners while Kanter served once again as master of ceremonies.

he Board of Governors of the to the Academy, " fellow Sound Branch Academy has voted a Medal of Governor Don Rogers said. "Everything Commendation to one of its mem­ you hear in the Academy's theaters, John Tbers, Sound Branch Governor John Bonner has been involved with ." In addi­ A. Bonner, "in appreciation for out- tion to his duties as chair of the Sci-Tech standing service and dedication in committee, Bonner has served for many upholding the high standards of the years on the Academy's Theater Sound Academy." Inspection Committee, which annually cali­ Bonner's medal will be presented at the brates the sound quality in the Academy's Scientific and Technical Awards presen­ theaters and insures that the sound sys­ tation dinner at the Regent Beverly tems remain state-of-the-art. Wilshire Hotel on Saturday, March 4. Medals of commendation have been Bonner, who is Director of Special given at intervals by the Academy Board of Projects at Warner Hollywood Studios, Governors since 1977, upon the recom­ currently is serving as chair of the Scientific mendation of the Scientific and Technical and Technical Awards Committee. Awards Committee, always for service and "John has dedicated 40 years of his life dedication to the Academy.

4 RCROfffiV RfPOnT TOWNE, BURUM VISITING ARTISTS ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Writer-director Robert Towne head­ rI Most of wJiat is essential about ed for Texas and Cinematographer Stephen Burum for Nevada in October someone e see- whether or not as Academy Visiting Artists. we know we've seen it. Their ges­ Towne screened and discussed his tures become after-images, the way film PERSONAL BEST (1982) at the Austin Heart of Film Festival in October, and we continue to see objects even also addressed graduate and under­ after we're no longer looking at graduate students from the University them. The point is there's a stag­ of Texas at Austin Radio-Television­ Film Department. Both activities were sponsored by the gering amount of information the Academy's Visiting Arti sts Program. Towne won an Oscar screen conveys before anyone opens for his original screenplay for CHINATOWN in 1974. Burum lectured to the Fi lm Society of the University of his mouth. The screenwriter must Nevada, Las Vegas . Hi s visit included a hands-on com­ be skillfu l not to interfere with or ponent during which he worked with the students in light­ detract from that information by ing and shooting a scene. Burum was nominated for an Oscar for his cinematography of HOFFA (1992). injudicious dia log." The Visiting Artists Program was started by the Academy in 1970 to provide an important li nk between Cinemalagrapher Slephen Burum at his Visiting Artist lec­ -From Robert Towne's Marvin Borowsky ture to the University of Nevada, los Vegas, Film Society, Le

FILM CASTI NGSE MINAR PRES ENTE DB YAC ADEMY

What does a casting direc­ tor look for in an actor? "Essence," Reuben Cannon told attendees a t a two-part seminar on the collaborative art of castin g for fil m s, presented by the Academy Foun dation in November and December. "THEY SHOOT HORSES ... " FILMMAKERS REUNITE "In castin g we look for AT NOVEMBER STANDARDS SCREENING essence," Cannon said. "The cam­ era magnifies essence, and essence Acaay SIandanIs Saeenings, always a popular saaening series combined with craft - wow! You know, it's w here you find yourself looking a t an actor and that actor gives with members and the general pubtt, have become 8Y8II ..spedallhis year as members of the msIs and craws of the films have taken advan­ you a p eek into his sou L" tage of the oaasions 10 reunite and reministe before soId-out GoIdwyn Seminar participants with Cannon (A SoLDIER'S STORY, WHAT's LOVE 1heater audiences. In NavemiIer, producer Irwin Winkler, above with GOT TO Do WITH IT?, GERONIMO: AN AMERICAN LEGEND) were Mike Fenton microphone, reunited with director Sydney Pollack, right, and cast .... (CHINATOWN, E. T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL, FULL METAL JACKET, TOTAL bars MkhaeI Sarrazin and Bannie BedeIia at the Standards Sa88ling of RECALL, CHAPLCN), David Rubin (AFTER DARK, My SWEET; THE NAME OF THE THEY 5Hoor 1IoISfs, DoII'y THEY? They were joined by cast tII8IIIbers led ROSE, ADDAMS FAMILY, My COUSIN VINNY, THE WAR) and Elizabeth Leustig Buttons and Robert Fields, hairstylist Sydney GuiIaroff and writer Robert (FRANCES, DANCES WITH WOLVES, A RIvER RUNS THROUGH IT, CHINA E. Thompson for a discussion of the film, produced by Yrmkler and Robert MOON). Chartoff. THEY SHoor HoIsts, DoI'y THEY? received len Acaay A.-d Joe Scully, w hose casting credits inclu de LADY SINGS THE BLUES, THE nominations and Gig Young took home the Oscar for Ador in aSupporting PARALLAX VIEW and SoUNDER, m oderated the two evenings in a packed Role for his portrayal of Rotky. Acad em y Little Th eater.

5 ACADEMY, IDA he Academy and the International Documentary Association will convene the Second International Documentary Congress at the Academy's Beverly Hills headquarters late CONVENE 2ND this year, with public screenings surrounding the congress at venues throughout the Tgreater Los Angeles area. The first International Documentary Congress, held in October, 1992, "was a smashing DOCUMENTARY success," Academy President Arthur Hiller said. "More than 750 people from 24 countries attended the three-day congress. That was almost double the number we expected. With that kind of success, that kind of worldwide interest, how could we not have another one?" Having its venue at the Academy, IDA President Mel Stuart said, "the International Documentary Congress will spotlight the importance of the non-fiction film as the major visual chronicle of the events of the twentieth century." Many of the elements of the first International Documentary Congress will be repeated in IDC', including the popular "At One With .. ." series of screenings followed by q&a with the film­ makers; panel discussions about issues of relevance to documentarians, programmers, distribu­ tors, academics and the general public; and a major keynote address evening session in the Goldwyn Theater (the 1992 evening session was moderated by Walter Cronkite). New elements of IDC' will include Congress Screenings - several weeks of documentary screenings at various Los Angeles venues which will examine the 50 years of documentaries between the end of World War II and the end of the Cold War. "We want every theater in Los Angeles to be showing doc­ umentaries!" said IDA Executive Director Betsy A. McLane. IDC will be held Wednesday, October 25, through Saturday, October 28, 1995.

DOCUMENTARIAN LITTMAN TO (HAIR IDe ...... -...... r Director-producer Lynne Littman, who won an Academy Award in 1977 for her r documentary short subject, NUMBER OUR DAYS, chairs the organizing committee for IDC'. Littman's committee is in charge of overseeing all aspects of the four-day I congress. Members of the committee are Bill Guttentag, Carla Jetton, Lisa Leeman, Freida Lee Mock, Flora Moon and Walter Shenson. T ART CENTER DENT irk Gibbons, a BOB HAWK TO CURATE young graphic DESIGNS -paS RFOR '95 designer from CONGRESS ScREENINGS Kthe Art Center RIm and video consultant Robert DOCUMENTARY CONGRESS Hawk, founder of Son Frondsco's Film ArIs Festival, is Screenings Curator for - and a thousand lOCI ond will be in charge of seIedion of bucks in his pocket. films and videos to be screened. Gibbons designed the official poster for the Second The Congress Screenings theme, lOin International Documentary Congress. His winning art ond Out of the Cold: 1945-1995, Rfty was chosen from designs prepared by the 17 students in Years of Changing Oocumentory from Mi ke Fi nk's fall semester Typography II class. In addition World War II to Today,· will permit the to the exposure Gibbons' work will receive , he also wil l inclusion of worb sponning the entire get a $1 ,000 stipend. haIf-century of the Cold War, Hawk said. More than 10,000 copies of the poster will be distrib­ ·11 be looking for films all over the uted world wi de beginning in the spring of 1995. world," he said, lOin Asia, Africo, the Congress Chair Lynne Littman and IDA board member Middle East, India and South America, as and documentarian Brenda Reiswerg met with Fink's well as &..ope. I expect to find in the ... II ...... with Gibbons and his class last October at the Academy's Margaret Herrick former Iron Curtain countries 0 treasure ...... , _ , Academy Executive Library, where Library Director Linda Mehr, top photo, of films that have never been seen in the . ' t, h..... Rk Robertson, Art (enter standing, had prepared a display of nearly 100 posters ...... Me .... IDA Executive Diredor and oth er items of documentary graphic design from the WISI. Film faoIage tIae is just being gone IeIsy A..a-.. ittman. Li brary's holdings for the students to review. 1fIroI9L.

6 ACAOfmv nfPOnT

13TH DOCUMENTARY SERI ES ACADEMY CELEBRATES FEATURES 25 FILMS 30TH ANNIVERSARY The 13th Annual Contemporary OF MARY POPPINS Documentary Seri es , presented by the Academy Foundation and the Chatting with Muskal Condudor and Arranger Irwin The 30th anniversary of the release of UCLA Film and Television Archive, Kostal at the reception which preceded the screening M ARY POPPINS was celebrated with a special of MARY POPPINS were, from left, composers Robert began in October with THE WAR screening of the film in October in the B. and Richard M. Sherman, animator Bill Justice and ROOM, nominated for an Academy special eHeds wizard Peter Ellenshaw. The evening Samuel Goldwyn Theater. was one of Kostal's last pubnc appearances befare Members of the cast and crew reminisced Award in the Documentary Feature his death in November. on stage following the screening, moderated category in 1993, and will conclude by film critic Leonard Maltin. Participants included Karen Dotrice, who played the role in March with BARAKA. of young Jane Banks; Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, writers of the Oscar­ Twenty-five outstanding docu­ winning Original Song ("Chirn Chirn Cheree") and Original Score, which also won an Oscar; cinematographer Edward Colman; and special visual effects designer Peter mentaries, including two Oscar win­ Ellenshaw, who also took horne an Oscar for his ners and six Academy Award nom­ work on the film. inees, make up the series which is MARY POPPINS received a total of five Academy comprised of both short and fea­ Awards from 13 nominations in 1964. Statuettes ture-length films. were awarded for: Best Actress (Julie Andrews), Film Editing (Cotton Warburton), Special Visual Admission to all screenings is Effects (Ellens haw, Hamilton Luske and Eustace free. All showings are held in Lycett), Song, and Music Score - Substantially Onelllatographer Edward Colman waves UCLA's Melnitz Theater beginning Original (Sherman and Sherman). from the audience before the screening. at 7:30 p.m.

T

ACADEMY TRIBUTE TO HOLLYWOOD'S BRITISH EXPATRIATES

Actors Robert Downey, Jr., Eva Marie Saint, Martin Landau, writer­ producer Er nest Lehman, actor­ producer Norman Ll oyd and art director Robert Boyle headlined the Academy's October "Salute to the British Expatriate in Hollywood." Robert Downey, Jr., hosted the portion of the evening devoted to Charlie Chaplin, while clips from THE KID, THE GOLD RUSH, CITY LIGHTS and THE GREAT DICTATOR illustrated Chaplin's work. Alfred Hitchcock's career was presented by actor Norman Ll oyd, who eventually became a television producer for Hitchcock. Clips included SHADOW OF A DOUBT, REAR WINDOW, VERTIGO and PSYCHO. Cary Grant's work was presented by hi s NORTH BY NORTHWEST co-star, Eva Marie Saint, and his other roles were celebrated wi th clips from THE PHILADELPHIA STORY, To CATCH A THIEF and AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER. The evening was presented as part of the UK/LA citywide celebration of British Arts.

7 gallery visitor, left, never knowing Awhat he might find, flips through some of the materials that made up the August exhibition, "Filmscapes: Spielberg, Zemeckis and the Art of Making a World," in the Grand Lobby and Fourth Floor galleries. Concept sketches, story

boards, scenic paintings, set designs, collages, prop designs and photographs from the films of Steven Spielberg and Robert Zemeckis, created or amassed by production designer Rick Carter, were featured. Work from JURASSIC PARK, FORREST GUMP, BACK TO THE FUTURE PART II, BACK TO THE FUTURE PART III and DEATH BECOMES HER were included.

Computer terminals were set up in the Fourth Floor Gallery, allowing patrons to access the images, programs and tools that allowed the designers and directors of these films to make their creative decisions before filming began. During the run of the exhibition, David Koepp, left, top right photo, screenwriter of JURASSIC PARK and one of the writers of DEATH BECOMES HER; Dean Cundey, center, cinematographer on JURASSIC PARK and THE FLINTSTONES; and Rick Carter, production designer for FORREST

GUMP, JURASSIC PARK, BACK TO THE fuTURE PARTS II AN D III, DEATH BECOMES HER and E MPIRE OF

THE SUN, discussed their collaborations with Spielberg and Zemeckis at a Lecture in the Lobby. The discussion related specifically to the pre- and post-production materials in the exhibition.

arold Ramis, who has acting, screenwriting and directing credits to his name, met with Mrs. HJack Oakie, far left photo, prior to his delivery of the Jack Oakie Lecture on Comedy in Film in December in the Samuel Goldwyn Theater. Ramis' film writing debut was NATIONAL LAMPOON'S ANIMAL HOUSE. His other writing credits include MEATBALLS and BACK TO SCHOOL; his writing-direct­ ing credits include CADDYSHACK and GROUNDHOG DAY. In addition , Ramis acted in and shared writing credits on STRIPES, GHOSTBUSTERS and GHOSTBUSTERS II. The Jack Oakie Lecture on Comedy in Film is named in honor of the actor who, in his personal life and in the 87 films he made, came to personify the comic mood and to represent the highest standards of comic craft. Previous Oakie lecturers have included Larry Gelbart, Gene Wilder, Jerry Lewis, Paul Mazursky and Harry Shearer.

8 ACAOfmv nfPOnT ACADEMY JOINS IN L.A. MEDIA LITERACY PROJECT

A pilot program to use film sessions on how to "read" a film and how to use a newspaper, and newspapers to enhance the she said. In November, as part of this training, David Shaw, the learning experience will begin in Times ' Pu litzer Prize-winning media critic, discussed with the the spring of 1995 for 750 eleventh teachers at the Academy his tactics for analyzing and critiquing graders in the Los Angeles Unified media, and documentarian Jean-Pierre Gorin discussed the School District. making and reading of film. The Academy, the Los A second session at the Academy on January 7 included a Angeles Times'Times in Education screening of HIGH NOON followed by two workshops, one on ana­ Program and the Los Angeles lyzing the film, conducted by film critic Leonard Maltin; and one Educational Partnership (Humanitas) on utilizing the resources at the Academy's Center for Motion are designing the program with the Picture Study conducted by Academy Film Archivist Michael District and will participate jointly. Friend and Linda Mehr, Director of the Margaret Herrick Library. The students, from seven Later in January, schools, currently take part in the the teachers travelled Humanitas program, a cross-cur­ to the Times for ricular, thematic approach to exposure to the teaching. resources available Students will attend three in the Times ' archives screenings at the Academy, screen and tours of the edi­ tapes in their classrooms and torial, art and library receive the Los Angeles Times each day. The screenings and departments. use of the newspaper will center around thematic units in their Screenings for stu­ American Literature and U.S. History courses. dents will begin at "One concern the teachers had is basic film literacy," said the Academy in May. Academy Program Coordinator Mikel Kaufman, "and a resulting difficulty in talking about films with their students." The Academy and the Times are therefore providing training

• • • • TELLY AWARD WILL No LONGER • • BASS DESIGNS OSCAR POSTER • • LOOK LIKE OSCAR • • FOR 4TH TIME • • • • A new statuette design wi ll be • • • • Oscar-winning filmmaker and • • used in future presentations of • • Telly Awards for non-network • • distinguished graphic designer • • television commercials, prompt­ • • • • Saul Bass has designed his fourth ed by a potential legal action • • • • from the Academy. "For 13 • • Academy Award poster. • • years" , said Telly Chairman • • • • David E. Carter, "we have had • • The poster will commemorate • • occasional letters from (the • • • • the 67th Annual Academy Awards Academy's) legal counsel, who • • • • felt that the old Telly design • TRIBUTE To HOLLYWOOD IN WORLD WAR II • Presentation and will be distrib- looked too much like the Oscar. • • • • uted to movie theaters, video retail- Rather than fight this out in the • HELD NEAR NORMANDY • • • court, we reached a friendly • • ers and show sponsors around the • Academy Governor Roddy McDowall reacts to a comment by Maureen • legal settlement, in which we • O'Hara at the Academy's September Tribute to Hollywood and World War • • • country prior to the Oscar telecast agreed to change the design." • II staged at the 20th Festival de Deauville du Cinema Americain in France. • • • The new Telly features a • Clips from CASABLANCA, THE LONGEST DAY, MRS. MINIVER, THE BEST YEARS Of OUR • on March 27, 1995. • LIVES, 12 O' Cl()(J( HIGH, THE AMERICANIZATION Of EMilY and other WWII films • smooth, asexual, winged figure • • • were shown, many of them introduced by cast or crew members, • flowing upward. • • • including Academy President Arthur Hiller. •

9 CATES TO PRODUCE RECORD-BREAKING SIXTH CONSECUTIVE OSCARCAST DAVI D ilbert Cates will produce the "Alan's sense of style and his fine over­ telecast of the Annual Academy sight of the myriad details that make a party Awards Presentation for a grand have contributed immeasurably to Grecord-breaking sixth consecu- the growing reputation of the Governors tive time, and David Letterman Ball as the place to be seen after the will make his freshman bow as host of Academy Awards," Hiller said. Bergman LETTERMAN the show. promptly set Wolfgang Puck as the Ball's "With Gil at the helm, the Oscar Show celebrity chef. has been tremendously popular with the The 1995 Governors Ball will be held at viewing public - witness the 31-plus rat­ the Shrine Exposition Hall following the live ing in each of the past two years," ABC telecast of the 67th Academy Awards WILL Academy President Arthur Hiller said in Presentation on Monday, March 27, 1995. announcing Cates' appointment. "Just as METZLER, MOON BACK important, his telecasts have been things Others named to this year's Academy of great beauty and style, television events Awards effort include Robert Metzler, who that our members and our community can begins his 41st year as business manager, HOST be proud of. I'm thanking our lucky sta rs and Jerry Moon, who w ill serve as traffic that we've got him. back for another show!" and security chief for his 24th year. "David Letterman was born to be the host of the Oscars," Metzler began his Academy Awards association in Cates said, adding, tongue in cheek, "he is punctual, weLl­ 1955, when Oscars were presented both in Los Angeles at groomed and knows how to keep an audience awake." the Pantages Theater and in New York at the NBC With this sixth year at the helm of the global telecast's pro­ Century Theater. duction team, Cates holds the record for the most consecutive Moon, who began his Oscar Show association with the stints as producer of the telecast and is behind only Howard 44th Academy Awards, will coordinate all police, fire, traffic W. Koch in total televised shows produced. Koch produced control and private security activities associated with the eight shows over a 12-year period, although no more than two 67th Academy Awards Presentation. consecutively. Arthur Freed produced five telecasts (four of NEW PUBLICITY COORDINATORS them consecutively) and one pre-television show. Academy Executive Director Bruce Davis has named vet­ "1 love producing the Oscar Show," said Cates. "Our vision eran publicists Frank H. Lieberman and Lindajo Loftus as of the world is formed by film. What could be more exciting publicity coordinators for the 67th Annual Academy than doing a show that brings over one billion people togeth­ Awards. Davis said that they will report directly to the er to watch and celebrate the art form of our century?" Academy's director of communications, John M. Pavlik. BERGMAN TO CHAIR BALL Lieberman will be in cllarge of print and photo press and Hiller also has appointed Alan Bergman, three-time Oscar­ Loftus will concentrate on radio and television press. winning lyricist, to chair the 67th Academy Awards Robert Werden, who had been responsible for Awards Governors Ball Committee. It is the fourth time Bergman has Show publicity coordination since 1982, announced before been named Governors Ball chair. the 1994 telecast that he would not be returning to the post. T SCI-TECH NSTRATIONS mong the earliest of the annual Academy Award preparatory events is the demonstration of technical achievements select­ LAUNCH A ed by the Scientific and Technical Awards Committee to be .~ considered for the 67th Annual Academy Awards. This year OSCAR 25 achievements under consideration, such as the non-gun safety blank L firing system being demonstrated by B. Ru ssell Hessey of Special Effects Spectacular, Inc. , were shown in the Samuel Goldwyn Theater on November 1. Following the demonstrations, which are organized by technical category, a sub-committee for each category (such as the production subcommittee chaired by Jim Nelson, left, in hat) adjourned to discuss the submissions and to vote th eir recommendations to the Board of Governors . The non-gun was voted a Technical Achievement Award which will be presented at the Scientific and Technical Awards dinner on March 4 at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel. Th e "non-weapon" guns produce the effect of a gunshot in motion pictures, yet are extremely safe even when fired at performers at very close range.

10 ACAO[ffiV R[PORI THE PURLOINED OSCAR: A MYSTERY (NEARLY) SOLVED

he cry of the tabloid television shows dur­ struction of the events of that night conclu­ it out of the building. He or someone he trans­ ing the past October was, for a short sively established that neither was associat­ ferred it to evidently decided to sell it last year while: "Where is Marlon Brando's Oscar?" ed with Brando in any way . and to inflate its value by claiming it was the T There is no Brando Oscar. (Unless Brando was in fact offered statuette #1616. statuette offered to Mr. Brando. they meant the one Brando received in After it was refused by Brando's emissary, The clue that set the Academy staff carefully 1954 for ON THE WATERFRONT. ) one "Sacheen Littlefeather" (AKA actress examining the tape of the 1972 documentary Which, of course, they didn't. What they real­ Maria Cruz), the bemused presenter, Roger awards was provided by Ingels himself, who - ly meant was : "Where is the statuette Brando Moore, found no provisions in the melee after making a considerable media splash would have received if he had accepted one backstage for giving back an Oscar. So he about the alleged "Brando Oscar," - called the when he was named Best Actor for his perfor­ took it home, sheltered it for roughly two Academy to ask what would have happened to mance in THE GODFATHER in 19727" weeks and then had it returned to the the statuettes not claimed during the cere­ Turns out it was a good question. Academy by his publicist, Jerry Pam. monies by the 1972 short documentary winners. And , in the normal course of events, it might n the meantime, another statuette The exi stence of a second statuette with the have been easy to answer, "Oh , Liza Minnelli which had been shipped after the cere­ serial number 1600 is as yet unexplained. has it," since she was the next person to monies to Charlie Chaplin for the score Possibly someone, either at the Academy or at receive a statuette that night. But it turns out - of liMELIGHT, was returned to the Dodge Trophy (which in 1973 had a represen­ AcademyI , having been broken in shipment we discover 22 years later - that during the tative backstage responsible for dispensing Academy Awards Presentation of 1972 the overseas. (liMELIGHT was 20 years old in the statuettes), was embarrassed to find that course of events was decidedly not normal. It 1972, but was eligible under the rules of the an Oscar had vanished during the ceremonies, may, in fact, have been the most bizarre Oscar time because it hadn't played in Los Angeles and attempted to cover the lacuna in the night in history. until then .) The damaged Oscar was returned Academy's otherwise meticulously accurate The issue was first raised last October by to Dodge Trophy for destruction, and the roster by commissioning another #1600. Robert Osborne in his Rambling Reporter col­ newly-returned number 1616 was fitted with o staff person likely to have been umn in The Hollywood Reporter. Osborne quot­ the plate for Best Score and sent to Chaplin in involved in such a decision can ed agent-actor Marty Ingles as having a friend England. So the answer to the trivia question, recall the incident. Dodge Trophy who was in possession of "the Brando Oscar." Who received Marlon Brando's second shut down its operation in Los Ingles' claim set off a search through logs, cl ip­ Oscar?, is "Charlie Chaplin." NAngeles in the early 1980s, and its pings, records, videotapes of the show and Statuette number 1600, the one referred to current owners are unable to shed any light on past employees' memories in an attempt to dis­ by Ingels as "the Brando Oscar," is a stat­ the mystery. (A notation initially was made on cover whether Ingles' friend might indeed have uette that disappeared from the stage more the Academy's record sheet that #1600 was the Brando Oscar. than an hour prior to Littlefeather's appear­ "lost at the 45th Awards." That would seem to "What's the serial number of the Oscar your ance, following the presentation of the 1972 argue against Dodge having quickly tricked up friend has ," Executive Director Bruce Davis Documentary awards. a new 1600 before the Academy realized the asked Ingels. The videotape of the 45th ceremonies loss.) "1600, " was the reply. shows that #1600 was brought to the stage in In any case, at some point between these "That can't be," Davis said. "We know where correct numerical sequence, to be presented unusual ceremonies in 1973 and mid-1976, a 1600 is ." to the winner or winners of the Short new 1600 appeared and the "lost" notation But the serial number was , in fact, 1600, and Documentary Award. When those winners was whited over. The duplicate 1600 was as of this date, one of the two remaining mys­ proved not to be in the house, two additional loaned to the Songwriters Hall of Fame in New teries in this whole affair is why there are two Oscars were sent on stage, and presenters York for a long-term exhibition honoring song­ Oscar statuettes with the serial number 1600. Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood proceeded writers who had won Oscars. The duplicate For a time during those two October weeks it on to the feature documentaries. When that 1600 was returned at the Academy's request in was believed by the Academy that one or the pair of winners left the stage with Wood and October of 1994. other of these statuettes may have been the one Wagner, #1600 remained on the podium Marlon Brando has since been offered a differ­ offered to and declined by Marlon Brando at the unnoticed as the show went to a commercial ID Oscar if he's decided he'd now like one to 45th Awards Ceremonies in 1973. More search­ break. That statuette apparently fell into the keep. And the mysterious would-be Oscar mer­ ing, more viewing of tapes and more recon- hands of someone backstage who smuggled chant, still unidentified, has been very quiet of late.

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go on to something else . With a theatrical industry In fact though we've always considered the source of the pictures at us last year though , we'd be well financing artistically irrelevant. We look instead at the key creative start fiddling with our historical boundaries. contributors to a picture. We don't by any means require that all on to our Foreign Language category, another of them represent the submitting nation, but at least a fair number seems to be a good deal of misunderstanding . of them must. Our committee exercises a deliberate flexibility: to make is that this category, almost from its incep­ they want as many good pictures as possible to find their way into up on deliberately different pri nciples than our other the competition, and they've shown a willingness to accept many combinations of key contributors as establishing national origin. Awards categories, the Foreign Language (Many co-productions could qualify as submissions from either of the possible universe of entries. In any other cate­ the contributing countries.) o r'n,h r<,r-o any picture that cares enough about entering At the same time, we have to have an eye for the category's entry criteria. In the Foreign Language category future integrity. Throw the standards out entirely, and the next may be pictures that desperately want to compete year we have no defense against dozens of pictures with little if any of a number of reasons, can't. any real claim to represent the countries submitting them. category we more or less follow the Olympic model: o r committee says to a country, in effect, "We'll work with you . "'''''VIl'''lotiflnn is between nations. Each picture must be select­ List tHe key contributors who represent your country." If the ,..","';m"t to.o of fi lm arti sts in its home nation, and on ly one answer comes back, as it did th is year, "not the director, not either 'ro ,-. ro.colnt each country. of the writers, not the cinematographer, the art director, the sound ise has often been quarreled with. Why should mi xer, the composer or the editor," it's a little hard for us to invite produces a great many pictures every year, be lim­ them in. number of entries as a country that produces only This particular film would probably have been accepted as an entry from France, but one day we may really see a picture that is : because that's the way we want to do it. Of WOUldn't qualify from any country. The best we can do for a pic­ do it differently, and of course we've considered ture that falls between three national stools is to point out, as handle eli gibility in the category. But we've always politely as we can, that the picture really doesn't meet our inten­ of arranging- in just this one category- for nation­ ions for this particular category. We can cushion the blow by peting on an artificially level playing field. One adding the good news that, owing to the breathtakingly liberal picture. rules for qualifying in our standard categories, a Los Angeles fo lks who grumble about this category each year screening for a mere seven days wi ll qualify it in 17 other cate­ to our basic premise , or don't seem to have grasped ~ (And that's not just an empty promise. Our members have with in the Academy, some members with close ties a remarkable record of finding and nominating achievements in istri butors of foreign fi lms steadily push the idea of foreign language films.) restricting petition to those foreign language films which A third area of complaint about this category has cropped up achieve U.S distri bution. Or, (knowing that we're not likely to cre- in years when a much-admired film simply isn't submitted by its ate QJ.Ii1a a cozy little category for them) they counsel us at country-usually for political reasons. This is, everyone grants, an least to all films with a U.S. release to the field achieved by extremely frustrating situation, and the impulse is to strike a blow . But anyone who thinks through the implica- for artists and artistic freedom by, in effect, subpoenaing the film a plan wi ll see a number of problems with it. into our competition. entally, it violates our intentions for the category. In We can 't really do that though . Such an action- in addition to , three or even more of the nominations might come possibly drawing us into awkward international-relations issues­ country. would violate our prinCiple that the entering countries tell us inrlnro~~' the practical fact that our screening committee is (rather than us telling them) what their best picture of the year is . 400 busy Academy members who are already In "drafting" a picture we would also be implying that we had to sift through 45 annual entries. The suggested seen the country's entire output of films that year, and that the have driven that figure to 63 entries this year, with drafted picture really was the best, not just the best-known in the li~",.lih/-.n 1ii of far higher totals in the future. U.S. There are other complications. Many countries send us a pic­ plan ignores the fact that pictures with a Los ture only occasionally. If we' re going to pull in a picture from one are already eligible in 17 awards categories. It's nation that chose not to submit, aren't we obligated to draft a pic­ though , as press reports often suggest, these films ture from all the other countries that may have chosen to take a Foreign Language eligibility or be left out of the year off? Nothing is as simple as it first looks. Iy. Finally, I should point out that changes may one day come in ies of complaint emerged this year when a fi lm how we handle this category. The Foreign Language Executive

''''1'1'1 1TT<'''' by a particular nation was ruled ineligible to Committee, a group of remarkably distinguished filmmakers, has represent country. "That's ridiculous," the cry went up. "Why long shown a willingness to adjust its rules to changing condi­ don't they accept everything?" tions. It could even one day recommend a move away from the For one : if you 're going to have a competition that peo­ Olympic model, or decide that the category has outlived its use­ pie respect. there has to be a clear integrity to your process. fulr']ess and suggest that we quietly dissolve it and simply let all You have to rules , and you 've got to apply them with fairness narrative features compete in the arena of Rule 1. and t"",,,,,,i,,tdr1r\J We'll see . In the meanwhile, if anyone has a brilliant scheme for there are clearly other tests we could employ. We this category that will assure us of a coherent, manageable, con­ all we care about is the financing: if the money is troversy-free future, let us know. I can promise you that your ideas y Italian , then the picture is Italian . will get an enthusiastic reading. _ Arthur Hiller

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