Oscar, officially known as ‘Academy Award of Merit’, is presented annually to the best performers in the Hollywood film industry. It is the property of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which was established in 1927 to promote films. It was started with 36 members and actor Douglas Fairbanks as its first president.
The Academy decided to present a statuette to every Academy Award Winner Cedric Gibbons, an art director from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, designed it. Sculptor George Stanley created the original statuette – the figure of a Knight standing on a reel of film, holding a sword. The statuettes are gold-plated brittannium ones. The trophy standing 34.3 centimetres tall and weighing 3.85 kg, is also known to us as ‘Oscar’. The name’s origin is still a mystery.
The first ever award ceremony was held on May 16, 1929 at Hollywood’s Roosevelt Hotel. Ethel and Lionel Barrymore are the only brother and sister to ever win Academy Awards for acting. Lionel Barrymore won an Oscar for Best Actor in A Free Soul (1931). Ethel Barrymore won an Oscar for Best Actress is None but The Lonely Heart (1944). The films with most Oscars are – ‘Ben Hur’ in 1959 and ‘Titanic’ in 1998, with 11 each. Katharine Hepburn is the only person to have won five Oscars for best acting.
Hattie McDaniel is the first black person to win an Oscar. She was awarded for best supporting actress in the 1939 classic ‘Gone with the Wind’. The first black actor to get an Oscar for best acting is Sydney Poitier, playing the lead role in ‘Lilies of field’ in 1963. Three actors have won Academy Awards for playing characters that utter not a single word throughout the film. Jane wyman won the best Actress award for her portrayal of Belinda, a deaf mute, in Jonny Belinda (1948). Sir John Mills played the mute village idiot in Ryan’s Daughter (1970), for which he won the Best Supporting Actor Award. Holly Hunter won the Best Actress award for her mute portrayal in The Piano (1993). Jane Halle Berry is the first black actress to win Oscar for best acting. She got her award for the film ‘Monster’s Ball’ in 2002. Jack Lemmon is the only person to win Oscars for two different acting categories – for best actor in Save the Tiger (1973) and for best supporting role in Mister Roberts in 1955.
Sophia Loren and Roberto Benigni are the only two persons to win best acting Oscars for foreign (non-English) film. In 1961, Sophia Loren was adjudged as the best actress for her role in ‘Two Women’. For his role in ‘Life is Beautiful’, Roberto Benigni was chosen the best actor in 1999. The oldest actor to win Oscar is George Burns for ‘The Sunshine Boys’ in 1976, at the age of 80. Jessica Tanly is the oldest actress to get Oscar for ‘Driving Miss Daisy’ in 1990. Then she was 80. However the youngest sinner is Sherley Temple, at the age of five, with her honorary Oscar. The only Academy Award Winner who won but was never officially nominated was Hal Mohr for Best Cinematography for A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1935). Hal Mohr was the first and only person to win via a write-in vote. Bhanu Athaiya and Satyajit Ray, are the two Indians to receive Oscars. First Bhanu Athaiya got the award for ‘best costume’ for the film ‘Gandhi’ in 1982. Satyajit Ray, one of the greatest film makers in India was honoured with life time achievement Oscar in 1992.
The Academy decided to present a statuette to every Academy Award Winner Cedric Gibbons, an art director from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, designed it. Sculptor George Stanley created the original statuette – the figure of a Knight standing on a reel of film, holding a sword. The statuettes are gold-plated brittannium ones. The trophy standing 34.3 centimetres tall and weighing 3.85 kg, is also known to us as ‘Oscar’. The name’s origin is still a mystery.
The first ever award ceremony was held on May 16, 1929 at Hollywood’s Roosevelt Hotel. Ethel and Lionel Barrymore are the only brother and sister to ever win Academy Awards for acting. Lionel Barrymore won an Oscar for Best Actor in A Free Soul (1931). Ethel Barrymore won an Oscar for Best Actress is None but The Lonely Heart (1944). The films with most Oscars are – ‘Ben Hur’ in 1959 and ‘Titanic’ in 1998, with 11 each. Katharine Hepburn is the only person to have won five Oscars for best acting.
Hattie McDaniel is the first black person to win an Oscar. She was awarded for best supporting actress in the 1939 classic ‘Gone with the Wind’. The first black actor to get an Oscar for best acting is Sydney Poitier, playing the lead role in ‘Lilies of field’ in 1963. Three actors have won Academy Awards for playing characters that utter not a single word throughout the film. Jane wyman won the best Actress award for her portrayal of Belinda, a deaf mute, in Jonny Belinda (1948). Sir John Mills played the mute village idiot in Ryan’s Daughter (1970), for which he won the Best Supporting Actor Award. Holly Hunter won the Best Actress award for her mute portrayal in The Piano (1993). Jane Halle Berry is the first black actress to win Oscar for best acting. She got her award for the film ‘Monster’s Ball’ in 2002. Jack Lemmon is the only person to win Oscars for two different acting categories – for best actor in Save the Tiger (1973) and for best supporting role in Mister Roberts in 1955.
Sophia Loren and Roberto Benigni are the only two persons to win best acting Oscars for foreign (non-English) film. In 1961, Sophia Loren was adjudged as the best actress for her role in ‘Two Women’. For his role in ‘Life is Beautiful’, Roberto Benigni was chosen the best actor in 1999. The oldest actor to win Oscar is George Burns for ‘The Sunshine Boys’ in 1976, at the age of 80. Jessica Tanly is the oldest actress to get Oscar for ‘Driving Miss Daisy’ in 1990. Then she was 80. However the youngest sinner is Sherley Temple, at the age of five, with her honorary Oscar. The only Academy Award Winner who won but was never officially nominated was Hal Mohr for Best Cinematography for A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1935). Hal Mohr was the first and only person to win via a write-in vote. Bhanu Athaiya and Satyajit Ray, are the two Indians to receive Oscars. First Bhanu Athaiya got the award for ‘best costume’ for the film ‘Gandhi’ in 1982. Satyajit Ray, one of the greatest film makers in India was honoured with life time achievement Oscar in 1992.
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