ACADEMY AWARDS, THE 53RD ANNUAL (TV)
Summary
The fifty-third annual Academy Awards presentation, broadcast live from Los Angeles. The program opens with host Johnny Carson commenting on the previous day's assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan, followed by prerecorded greetings from Reagan. Performers and presenters in the first hour include: Lucie Arnaz, Fay Kanin, Jack Lemmon, Mary Tyler Moore, Willie Nelson, Lily Tomlin, Alan Arkin, and Margot Kidder. Award winners include Timothy Hutton for Best Supporting Actor ("Ordinary People"); "The Fly" for Best Short Film (animated); and "The Dollar Bottom" for Best Short Film (live action).
Additional performers and presenters include Lesley-Anne Down, Richard Chamberlain, Sissy Spacek, Peter O'Toole, Irene Cara, Nastassja Kinski, Sigourney Weaver, Jack Valenti, Bernadette Peters, Billy Dee Williams, Dolly Parton, Brooke Shields, Franco Zeffirelli, the Nicholas Brothers, Jane Seymour, Richard Pryor, Donald Sutherland, Diana Ross, and Dionne Warwick. Award winners include "Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears" for Best Foreign Film; "Fame" for Best Original Score; and Mary Steenburgen for Best Supporting Actress ("Melvin and Howard").
Performers and presenters in the third hour include the following celebrities: Luciano Pavarotti, Peter Ustinov, Robert Redford, Blythe Danner, Steve Martin, King Vidor, George Cukor, Sally Field, Dustin Hoffman, and Lillian Gish. Award winners include "Fame" for Best Song; "Ordinary People" for Best Screenplay Adaptation; "Melvin and Howard" for Best Original Screenplay; Henry Fonda, honorary award; Robert Redford for Best Director ("Ordinary People"); Robert DeNiro for Best Actor ("Raging Bull"); Sissy Spacek for Best Actress ("Coal Miner's Daughter); and "Ordinary People" for Best Picture. In the conclusion of this program, Lillian Gish presents the award for Best Picture to the creators of "Ordinary People." Also included is a clip from the film, "Sunset Boulevard," featuring Gloria Swanson. Includes commercials.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: March 31, 1981 10:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:00:00
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T81:0482
- GENRE: Specials
- SUBJECT HEADING: Films; Oscar Awards - 1981; U S - Officials - Talk/Interviews; African-American Collection - Comedy
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV, 1981
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Norman Jewison … Producer
- Michael B. Seligman … Associate Producer
- Marty Pasetta … Director
- Buz Kohan … Writer
- Hal Kanter … Writer
- Rod Warren … Writer
- Michael Barrie … Writer
- Jim Mulholland … Writer
- Hal Goodman … Writer
- Larry Klein … Writer
- Johnny Carson … Host
- Alan Arkin
- Lucie Arnaz
- Irene Cara
- Richard Chamberlain
- George Cukor
- Blythe Danner
- Robert DeNiro
- Lesley-Anne Down
- Sally Field
- Henry Fonda
- Lillian Gish
- Dustin Hoffman
- Timothy Hutton
- Fay Kanin
- Margot Kidder
- Nastassja Kinski
- Jack Lemmon
- Steve Martin
- Mary Tyler Moore
- Willie Nelson
- The Nicholas Brothers
- Peter O'Toole
- Dolly Parton
- Luciano Pavarotti
- Bernadette Peters
- Richard Pryor
- Ronald Reagan
- Robert Redford
- Diana Ross
- Jane Seymour
- Brooke Shields
- Sissy Spacek
- Mary Steenburgen
- Donald Sutherland
- Gloria Swanson
- Lily Tomlin
- Peter Ustinov
- Jack Valenti
- King Vidor
- Dionne Warwick
- Sigourney Weaver
- Billy Dee Williams
- Franco Zeffirelli