There was a good deal of criticism and resentment when Barbra Streisand was invited to become a voting member before she had even made her first film, “Funny Girl.” Gregory Peck, the Academy President, tried to rationalize by saying, “when an actress has played a great role on the stage and is coming into films for what will obviously be an important career, it is ridiculous to make her wait three years for membership.”
Oscar Scandals: Streisand Invited to Become Voting Member Even Before She Made her First Film (“Funny Girl”)
December 26, 2007 by
Oscar: Academy–Functions beyond Oscar
December 26, 2007 by
Most people relate to the Oscar Awards and to the Oscar show interchangeably. For them, the Academy's raison d'etre is to bestow the Oscars. The Academy is deemed an organization that “comes to life” once a year for the “Oscar season.” Few are aware of the Academy's other functions, which ambitiously included conducting cooperative research; providing common meeting grounds for the various film arts and crafts; serving as an impartial clearing house of records and statistics; cooperating in educational activities between the public and the film industry.
Oscar Movies: Morocco (1930)
December 25, 2007 by
“Morocco” was nominated for four Oscars, including Best Actress for Marlene Dietrich
and Best Director for Josef Von Sternberg,
but won no awards.
Oscar 1931: Winners and Nominees in All Categories
December 25, 2007 by
The five Best Picture nominees for 1930-31 were
the Western “Cimarron,” which won, “East Lynne,”
“The Front Page,” “Skippy,” and the adventure
“Trader Horn.” Lionel Barrymore (“A Free Soul”) and Marie Dressler “Min and Bill”) won the top acting awards.
Oscar Speeches: Capra, Director of Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
December 25, 2007 by
In 1939, When director Frank Capra lost the Oscar for “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” he said: “Don't make your best picture the year 'Gone With the Wind' comes out.”
