The shiny
gold Oscar statuette used to be officially named an Academy Award of Merit. Now
it’s known - as it’s always been known - as an Oscar. Why Oscar? Well, according to
the Academy
of Motion Picture Arts
One story
goes that an Academy librarian and eventual executive director, Margaret
Herrick, thought it resembled her Uncle Oscar, said so, and the Academy staff began
referring to it as Oscar - librarian to executive director? Perhaps Oscar did
the trick for her.
Another take on the tale is that Bette Davis named the award
after her first husband, Harmon Oscar Nelson - why not the Harmons or even the
Nelsons then?
Yet
another version is that Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s Louis B. Mayer, who dreamt
up the Academy to help improve the film industry’s image and to help mediate in labour
disputes, named it after something he said to one of his directors. Now this particular director, who shall remain nameless, went massively over budget on a
low budget movie. The director was sacked but not until Mayer had declared: “Oh
Shit, Can Another Reel? You’re fired!”
Some say
Oscar was named after a ginger cat that used to roam the back lot at the MGM studios.
Whatever the tale, the name stuck and now they have put up
in lights in the hope that an edgier, more youthful name might prop up what has
become a bit of a joke. Hollywood
isn’t what it was in the thirties and forties, despite all the botox and how
the execs might try to rebrand it. The young are more interested in games and
streaming their movies for free. Why would they care about some outdated award
ceremony?
And they are so horribly predictable.
And the acceptance speeches are dire.
And the presenters are so scripted and plastic.
And the ceremony is far too long.
My money’s on the cat by the way. Here kitty, kitty, kitty....
Ian Maclachlan My mother and Bette Davies could have been twins. I'll stick with Bette.
ReplyDeleteAndrew Height
DeleteIan, I always said that you had film star looks.