What is Oscar? The history of the famous figurine. Oscar Award: history, facts and a knight figurine A figurine made of Oscar metal
The statue has a rich, rumored history, but was the dog really the first to win an Oscar? Jonathan Glancey will tell you everything
German actor Emil Jennings, who directed Nazi propaganda films in the 1930s, was the first to win the legendary Oscar. Was there some kind of mistake here? Yes. By popular belief, the real winner that year (1929) was Rin Tin Tin, an 11-year-old German shepherd who was taken from France by a pilot in 1918 during the war. Rin Tin Tin became one of the most popular and profitable Hollywood stars of his time, when silent films were just beginning to give way to voice-acted films.
Rin Tin Tin starred in 27 films, 4 of which were released in 1929. Founded by Louis B. Mayer, head of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences had recently decided to give the first, soon to become legendary, , the dog's reward (a gilded figurine of a knight, 34.3 cm high, holding a double-edged sword and made in the art deco style) may make an unfavorable impression.
This incident became a curious and eccentric precedent. Although Rin Tin Tin received the majority of votes in the first round of voting for the Best Actor award (New Yorker journalist Susan Orlean confirms this in her biography of the celebrity dog), the Academy nevertheless held a second round of voting, in which only human nominees participated.
Photo: The Oscar figurine weighs 3.6 kg and, starting in 2016, will be produced by Tallix in New York
Since then, the Academy Awards have become quite controversial. Walt Disney received 26 awards, while Alfred Hitchcock received none other than the Honorable Mention. When Bob Hope hosted the awards ceremony, he quipped, "If we had any statues left, we'd just send them to Walt Disney."
But whatever it is domestic politics Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, there is no doubt that the Oscar is a coveted and alluring award. This year's awards poster features the iconic golden statue shimmering against a black background. “We all dream of gold,” the inscription reads.
Oscar model
The memorable statuette has changed very little since the first ceremony in 1929, led by the "King of Hollywood" Douglas Fairbanks and the Academy's first president, Roosevelt Hotell. The gold statuette was designed by Cedric Gibbons, MGM's leading art director, and brought to life by Los Angeles sculptor George Stanley.
The genial Irishman Gibbons was one of Hollywood's most influential stylists. The son of an architect, he was perhaps the only designer in Hollywood to visit the cradle of Art Deco in Paris, the International Exhibition of Decorative Arts and Art Industries in 1925.
Returning to Hollywood, Gibbons created the "Big White Set", characteristic of many Hollywood art deco productions of the time, ideal for musicals as well as dance and musical performances. He even designed an Art Deco home in Santa Monica Hills, with the help of architect Douglas Honnold. The house was completed in 1930, the year he married the glamorous Mexican screen star Dolores Del Rio. Gibbons' passion for art deco comes to life every year when Oscar statuettes make a masterful appearance at the ceremony.
Photo: Rin Tin Tin is believed to have received the majority of votes for Best Actor in 1929, after which a 2nd round of human-only voting was held
Although no model was used in the design process, Dolores Del Rio claimed that her Mexican friend, actor Emilio Fernandez, who was about 25 at the time, posed naked for George Stanley. While this story added spice to the Oscars, it also may have helped Fernandez's acting and directing career begin to be worthwhile - in 1946 he was awarded the Palme d'Or for his film Maria Candeleria - although the statuette was so stylized, the figure so abstract, that almost any athletic young man could be that very model.
If the story of Emilio Fernandez is somewhat controversial, the name "Oscar" remains a mystery. Officially it's called the Academy Award, but everyone in Hollywood since 1934 has called it the Academy Award. The Academy itself approved the name in 1939. The most likely story is that when the Academy's librarian, Margaret Herrick, first saw the statuette, she said it looked exactly like her Uncle Oscar. There are other rumors about who came up with the name, such as that Bette Davis named it after her first husband, Hermon Oscar Nelson, but wherever it came from, it just stuck with the award.
Little golden man
In the early days, Oscar figurines were made of bronze and plated with gold, and were made at the C.W. Shumway & Sons Foundry in Batavia, Illinois. In the mid-1930s, the bronze was replaced with British metal (an alloy of tin, copper and antimony) and plated with the purest 24-karat gold. Oscars sparkled in the flashes of cameras and shone on the shelves of their owners. Since 1982, RS Owens & Company from Chicago began producing figurines.
Photo: Walt Disney won more Oscars than anyone in history, with a total of 26, and costume designer Edith Head remains the only woman to win 8 statuettes
The most significant departure from tradition came in 1939, when 10-year-old Shirley Temple presented Walt Disney with his second honorary award. It was in the form of a wooden podium, on which stood the usual Oscar, to which several wooden steps with seven small “gnome” figurines led. Disney received this award in 1939, of course, for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
From 1942 to 1945, due to metal shortages, Oscars began to be made of plaster, like religious statues. Those who received them were able to exchange them for gold equivalents at the end of the war.
The sale of Oscars has always been viewed unfavorably. Since 1950, neither award winners nor their heirs have been allowed to put an Oscar up for sale without first offering the Academy to buy the award for $1. Some award winners find loopholes that may allow them to sell the award, for example, Beatrice Welles, daughter of Orson Welles, auctioned off the statuette that he was awarded in 1942 for the best original script for the film "Citizen Kane". It was valued at $861,542. Is it possible that others are worth even more?
Photo: Shirley Temple presents Walt Disney with a special honorary award for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, in which the dwarfs are represented by seven miniature figurines
Basically, Oscars are priceless. Hollywood icons venerate them as saints in temples or on religious holidays. And, it is unknown whether this is true or not, but they say that Emil Jennings carried Oscar in front of him like a shrine when he saw that the troops of the Anti-Hitler Coalition were advancing on them at the end of World War II. “I have an Oscar!” - he shouted, as if it could help him gain favor. Jennings survived, but had to abandon his ideology. His latest, the unfinished comedy Wo ist Herr Belling? began filming on December 12, 1944, 4 days before the start of the Bulge, the last large-scale German operation before the fall of the Reich.
Largely unchanged, the Oscar statuette has quietly commanded attention during challenging times, both in Hollywood and beyond. Intricate and eye-catching award design continues to be the holy grail of Hollywood.
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 took off documentary 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 Russian Empire in the USA, the younger son, who had grown up, 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 show 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. And here is a 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, this thing, according to the most conservative estimates, 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. The awards were presented 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. And for such various works, like The Three Little Pigs (1933) and The Fuhrer's Face (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).
USSR contribution and modern Russia 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 Beam” were sent to Los Angeles Black Ear" (1977), "Private life" (1982), "War Field Romance" (1983), "Urga" (1992), " Prisoner of the Caucasus" (1996), "The Thief" (1997), "The Twelve" (2008), "The Edge" (2011). Not one of the twenty nominations we expected for someone else's award came 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:
The American film award “Oscar” is the most popular symbol of the film business. The golden statuette is the main award. Every year it is squeezed by the most talented actors and directors who have won in various categories. We will try to answer the question of what the Oscar is made of and where this film award came from in this article.
Why was it called "Oscar"?
The figurine was first named “Oscar” in 1939. Who first named it is unknown, but there is a couple of versions :
- The figurine reminded one actress ex-husband, and his name was Oscar, so she stated that the name came from her.
- In 1931, Margaret Herrick came to work to apply for the position of librarian and, seeing the figurine, took it in her hands, looked at it for a long time and carefully, and then said that the naked knight was somewhat similar to her uncle Oscar, and jokingly called the figurine “Oscar” . She later assumed the responsibilities of the Academy's executive secretary. Sidney Skolsky heard this and wrote about this incident in the newspaper that the Academy staff at home called the famous statuette “Oscar”.
Perhaps it is precisely because of such incidents that the most high reward in the world of cinema began to be called “Oscar”.
Who's on the Oscar statuette?
The basis for the knight was five hole reel. In his hands he clutches the crusader's sword. Why exactly five holes, and what do they mean? The American Film Academy is divided into five divisions. They are personified in the holes that represent actors, directors, producers, technicians and writers.
By Emilio Fernandez the image of a knight was written on a figurine. He posed naked, so you can see that the knight is naked. MGM production designer Cedric Gibbons developed the original design, and sculptor George Stanley brought it to life.
Who was the first to win an Oscar?
The first ceremony was held at Hollywood's Roosevelt Hotel, attended by two hundred and fifty people. The host was Douglas Fairbanks. It lasted only fifteen minutes, and in 2002 it lasted a full four hours and twenty-three minutes, so now there is a rule that says that speeches of the recipients should not exceed forty-five seconds.
The ticket for the first ceremony was only five dollars, and now people are paid one hundred and twenty-five dollars an hour to be in the room, they want to create a solemn and exciting atmosphere with a room full of spectators.
So, who was the first Oscar winner? The films “The Last Command” and “The Way of All Flesh” were remembered by many talented actors Emil Jannings, who won the world's first statuette in the Best Actor category.
Leonardo DiCaprio won an Oscar in 2016
The famous Hollywood actor received his first award this year, and it was already sixth attempt win the nomination. He walked towards this award in small steps for many years. The actor has one hundred and seventy-three films behind him, shot in the following genres: drama, thriller, crime. He started his career in 1984.
- Everyone knows that in 2013, Leonardo DiCaprio donated three million dollars to support tigers in Nepal. His desire to preserve and increase the tiger population gives us positive feelings and respect for this man.
- In 2014, he acted as a UN (United Nations) Messenger of Peace on climate issues.
Leo won his Oscar in the category “Best Actor of the Year” for the film “The Revenant.” There he played the legendary pioneer Hugh Glass.
In the film, he shows that despite the fact that he was left alone, he is ready to fight for his life and challenges the merciless wildlife. Later we can follow his speech related to pressing issues of nature at the award ceremony. Leonardo DiCaprio addressed all humanity with the words:
“...There is no need to take our planet for granted, because I don’t even consider this award due, because it is a reward for my work. We are witnesses to important and serious changes in climate, because these changes are happening right now. We cannot sit back and do nothing; we need to unite and act. Something needs to be done to preserve nature and the planet as a whole.”
He is not the only person who has turned his attention to global problems using the podium Dolby Theater.
In general, he kept a low profile on stage. The speech was addressed to family, friends and some people who played an important role in his becoming a famous and talented actor.
What is the award made of?
The celebration, which took place on the sixteenth of May in 1929, was remembered for the fact that the basis for the statuette was pure bronze. From 1941-1945, the metal was sent for military production, and it was replaced with gypsum. After the war they began to cast gold. Gold means British metal.
What is it made of? Alloy tin (93%), antimony(5%) and copper(2%). Twenty-four carats of gold cover the knight's body. Exact weight 3.85 kg, height 33.5 cm.
The real value of the figurine
We know that some areas of the figurine are covered with gold, and this may make some people want to sell them for a lot of money. But there is one thing But". After all, before going home, the laureates sign a document that sets out all the requirements for the award holder. And one of these rules says:
« If you ever want to sell your award, you must first offer it to Academy members, and if they agree (they do), they will buy it for $1».
This requirement became valid in 1950. Therefore, Oscars that were received before are sometimes found at markets and auctions. There are two known cases where a figurine was able to sell for a tidy sum. One case was when the Oscar received by actress Bette Davis in the thirties was bought back for almost six hundred (578,000) thousand dollars. And another case was when a figurine received in the forties by David Selznick was bought for more than a million dollars. Most likely, after such events, the rule written above was established.
In this article, we took a closer look at what the Oscar is made of and how this prestigious award came to be. We found out that:
- 93% of this figurine is tin,
Once a year, the whole world anxiously awaits the next ceremony of presenting the most honorable film award - the Oscar statuette. In February of this year, the eighty-fifth, actually anniversary ceremony took place. And the very first one took place back in 1929, and the main prize then went to Emil Jannings for Best Actor in the film “The Last Order” and Janet Gaynor for Best female role in the film "7th Heaven". It is worth noting that at that time much fewer applicants competed for this statuette than now. However, the beginning of a good tradition was laid - and for 85 years now, filmmakers have not deviated from it.
What is the Oscar figurine made of? Despite the fact that everyone calls it gold, it is by no means made of this precious metal. The figurine of a knight with a sword standing on a reel of film is cast from Britannia. This alloy, which includes copper, zinc, antimony and tin, is first poured into a special casting mold that is prepared in advance. When the workpiece cools and hardens, it is removed from the mold, after which the technological casting elements are removed, ground and polished.
Next, the Oscar figurine receives a personalized number, which is engraved on the stand and subsequently entered into the archives of the US Film Academy. After the numbers have taken their place, the knight figurine is immersed several times in layers of molten copper. The next step in making the figurine is coating it with a layer of silver. And the most crucial moment completes the procedure - covering the future award with 24-karat gold, because of which, in fact, the Oscar received the nickname “golden”. That's probably all. All that remains is to screw the figurine to a disk of black marble, the diameter of which is 13 cm. In total, the Oscar figurine has a height of 34 cm and weighs about four kilograms. Making each of the 55 figures needed for the ceremony takes about twenty hours.
Surely the screenwriters, sound directors and all other film workers who received this most prestigious award are proud of it. After all, this means that they were recognized as the best by millions of viewers. Many celebrities already have several Oscars. But do these golden weighty figures really stand in the most honorable place among the stars? If this is so, then, for example, in the house of actor Cuba Gooding Jr. the “red corner” is a wine cellar, and in Jodie Foster and Susan Sarandon it is a bathroom. keeps two of his figurines on a bookshelf in his bedroom, and Tom Hanks among his football awards and family trophies.
An interesting fact is that since 1950, Oscars have been secretly prohibited from being put up for auction or simply sold. More precisely, this can be done, but only after the prize winner offers to buy it to each member of the film academy for one dollar. If no one buys, then you can put the reward up for sale with a clear conscience. The Oscar statuette is believed to be priceless, although its cost is $400. Well, this is not difficult to understand, because with the receipt of this award, the income of its owner will grow rapidly. It is quite fair that an actor who receives this award will demand more high fees for their participation in this or that film. And the Oscar itself is not a cheap statuette, because the minimum price that is set for its sale is equal to the cost of gold of the same weight as the prize.