Soon the nominations for Honourary Oscars will be voted on by the Governors at the Academy.
Who are your choices for an overdue honour and recognition by the Board?
Here are mine:
1) Angela Lansbury
2) Maureen O'Hara
3) Doris Day
4) Albert Finney
5) Eleanor Parker
6) Max Von Sydow
7) James Garner Debbie Reynolds
9) Gena Rowlands
10) Donald Sutherland
11) Christopher Plummer
12) Christopher Lee
13) Jeanne Moreau
14) Janis Paige
15) Ann Rutherford
16) Anne Jeffries
I don't see why foreign stars should not be included.
So yes, Danielle Darieux definitely should be considered. Also, Catherine Deneuve.
I don't know why I didn't remember them!
Letting the hectoring (politely, of course) begin.
The Academy has announced the recipients of honorary Oscars and they are (drum roll, please):
Make-up artist Dick Smith who began his career back in 1945 at NBC and worked on films such as The Godfather and Taxi Driver among many others.
Actor James Earl Jones whose career includes Bingo Long and the Traveling Long Stars a film that rarely gets mentioned, the original Star Wars saga, The Great White Hope and many others.
And receiving the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, Oprah Winfrey.
The ceremony will be held on Nov. 12th and highlights may be shown during the actual Oscar telecast next winter, though with Winfrey being honored, it is possible that more of her tribute and speech could be included in the actual Oscar telecast than previous honorees who have received honorary Oscars since that part of the program was moved off the main telecast.
We will all find out when the Oscars are telecast next winter.
Lynn in Lake Balboa
"Film is history. With every foot of film lost, we lose a link to our culture, to the world around us, to each other and to ourselves."
"For me, John Wayne has only become more impressive over time." Marty Scorsese
James Earl Jones I can see getting a honorary Oscar, though even Mr. Jones would probably say that his greatest moments have been on stage--though his body of film work is generally wonderful (even the Conan the Barbarian movie, which was hilarious).
But com'on. Oprah. Winfrey.
They should be embarrassed. Nothing against the woman's efforts to educate kids, heal all wounds in a one hour talk show format, and walk on water, but the Hersholt used to go to people who'd worked to better humanity through the the film industryfor most of their careers--not for people who dabbled in movies in their spare time. Oprah is a very generous woman who appears to be using her super powers for the good of humanity, but she really has only a peripheral connection to movies--even if she is the biggest celebrity on the planet.
What the heck happened? Contributors to film and the larger world such as Clint Eastwood, Shirley Temple Black, Mickey Rooney, Maureen O'Hara, Eleanor Parker, Sophia Loren, Kirk Douglas, Angela Lansbury, James Garner, Christopher Lee and Marsha Hunt didn't return any of the phone calls from AMPAS? None of them?! (And that's just the people in front of the camera who come to mind. There are many worthy people behind the lens too).
But if they're thinking about ratings, as they were when they expanded the best picture nominees to 10, some of Oprah's fans will tune in just to see her.
Kingrat,
True enough. But the whole reason for taking the honorary Oscars off the main telecast was to shorten the actual ceremony and give more time to others.
By honoring Winfrey, they are indicating that her special moment in the sun, will likelyinclude broadcast of her acceptance speech (and if anyone follows Tim Goodman and the twice yearly Death March with Cocktails- the Television Critics Press Tour- we know that Oprah usually has long speeches) which goes against the reason for moving the honorary Oscars off the telecast.
We didn't get to hear the last two years honorees speeches and using Winfrey to drum up ratings for the Oscar telecast this way smacks of speciousness. (Is that a real word? If not, it should be).
Lynn in Lake Balboa
"Film is history. With every foot of film lost, we lose a link to our culture, to the world around us, to each other and to ourselves."
"For me, John Wayne has only become more impressive over time." Marty Scorsese
I've already taken heat elsewhere for my cynicism about this decision, but you can color me peeved that the ceremony each year seems to become less and less about honoring those who've made significant contributions to film and more about raising the Academy's profile or making the awards more palatable to the masses.
I have no qualms with the Academy's honoring James Earl Jones - if nothing else, his performance as Darth Vader (and lending his voice did indeed qualify) rates him as a cinematic icon. I realize others have joked about Conan, etc. If making a bad movie here and there disqualifies one from consideration, then poor Kirk Douglas should've been denied as well. (In fact, I just watched one of his real howlers last night - The Fury, from 1978.)
As far as Winfrey, she received a due honor when she was accorded the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award from the world of television. I do tend to think the Academy's gesture is about raising the profile of the Academy via a high-profile celebrity, as well as creating in Winfrey's large TV audience a desire to check out the show, even if Winfrey herself isn't a featured player. If a humanitarian from the world of film is to be honored, then I would think Mia Farrow - not an exceedingly rich woman per se, but one who has lent much of her life to UNICEF and raising awareness of suffering throughout Africa - should be near the top of the list for consideration.
Meanwhile, the board of governors ignores or shortchanges elder actors, directors, filmmakers, historians, etc. who've given their lives to the film art, simply because their names aren't instantly recognizable to today's mass audience. In that sense, to some extent, the awards themselves now ironically seem to violate the original intended purpose of the Academy itself, which was, as I understand, to draw attention to significant accomplishments in film [past and present] and thereby emphasize its value as a true art form.
All that to say - it's not so much that I'm annoyed that Winfrey is receiving an award. It's that I'm annoyed that so many - including quite a few who may not be with us this time next year - aren't.
I'm bringing up this old thread of mine to announce that Angela Lansbury is to receive an Honourary Oscar from the Academy - finally!!!
She was a nominee for Best Supporting Actress 3 times - "Gaslight" (1944); "The Picture of Dorian Gray" (1945) and "The Manchurian Candidate" (1962).
I also think that she should have been nominated again in the same catagory for "State of the Union" (1948); and as Best Actress for "Something for Everyone" (1970)....
I just heard this wonderful news about the award and am thrilled; Oh, if only her mother could have seen this - she'd be "over the moon"...
No, I'm still in Kiev but going to Saint Petersburg tomorrow and will be there for two weeks.
And then, on to Astrakhan and a cruise up (or down?) the Volga to Moscow. Then home on October 6th....
But yes, I am doing fine and double yes, there will be class at the Oscars in 2014.......
Erik and Joe - I'm glad you are thrilled for Angela too...
Debbie Reynolds
