OSCAR'S GREATEST MOMENTS: UNFORGETTABLE HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE ACADEMY AWARDS: 1970-1990 (TV)
Summary
This direct-to-video special, hosted by Karl Malden, highlights some of the most memorable moments from the Academy Awards from 1970-1990. The dates named refer to the awards years rather than the broadcast years. The program begins with a series of clips from opening numbers, including Liza Minnelli's performance of "Oscar" in 1974 and Billy Crystal's medley from the 1989 show. Next is a series of funny moments from the various hosts, including Paul Hogan (1986), Robin Williams (1985), Chevy Chase (1986/1987), Johnny Carson (1978/1981), and Bob Hope (1970/1974). Following this are several musical performances, including Barbra Streisand singing "Evergreen" from "A Star is Born" (1976), Petula Clark with "For All We Know" from "Lovers and Other Strangers" (1970), Christopher Cross with "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" from "Arthur" (1981), Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes with "Up Where We Belong" from "An Officer and a Gentlemen" (1982), Warnes and Bill Medley with "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" from "Dirty Dancing" (1987), and Irene Cara with "Fame" (1980).
Next, the awards for Best Performances by An Actress in a Leading Role are listed, including Glenda Jackson for "Women in Love" (1970); Jane Fonda for "Klute" (1971); Liza Minnelli for "Cabaret" (1972); Jackson again for "A Touch of Class" (1973); Ellen Burstyn in "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore" (1974); Louise Fletcher in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1975); Faye Dunaway in "Network" (1976); Diane Keaton in "Annie Hall" (1977); Fonda again in "Coming Home" (1978); Sally Field for "Norma Rae" (1979); Sissy Spacek for "Coal Miner's Daughter" (1980); Katharine Hepburn for "On Golden Pond" (1981); Meryl Streep for "Sophie's Choice" (1982); Shirley MacLaine for "Terms of Endearment" (1983); Field again for "Places in the Heart" (1984); for which she delivered her famous "you like me" speech; Geraldine Page for "The Trip to Bountiful" (1985); Marlee Matlin for "Children of a Lesser God" (1986); Cher for "Moonstruck" (1987); Jodie Foster for "The Accused" (1988); Jessica Tandy; the oldest Best Actress winner at eighty; for "Driving Miss Daisy" (1989); and Kathy Bates for "Misery" (1990).
Malden explores the ever-changing fashion and hairstyles displayed at the awards over the years, including Cher's infamously wild Bob Mackie outfits and a funny moment from the 1988 show featuring Martin Short and Carrie Fisher's "accidental" coordination. Following this are a series of memorably controversial incidents, including Frank Sinatra's comments at the 1974 show about Dustin Hoffman's apparent critique of the awards and Hoffman's 1979 response; Jane Fonda's avoidance of commentary on the Vietnam War (1971), Marlon Brando's decision to send Sacheen Littlefeather in his place to comment on Hollywood's poor treatment of Native Americans when he won for "The Godfather" (1972); Eddie Murphy's statement about the underrepresentation of black actors (1987); and Vanessa Redgrave's condemnation of "Zionist hoodlums" during her speech for "Julia" and Paddy Chayefsky's disapproving retort (1977).
Madonna's performance of "Sooner or Later" from "Dick Tracy" (1990) is shown, and Malden then covers a number of "hair-raising" unscripted moments, including teleprompter errors and mispronunciations, missing envelopes, malfunctioning microphones, Clint Eastwood's last-second presentation in place of an absent Charlton Heston (1972), and the infamous streaker incident at the 1973 show during David Niven's introduction of Elizabeth Taylor.
Next, the awards for Best Performance by An Actor in a Leading Role are listed, including George C. Scott, who infamously did not attend because of his dislike of competition between actors and then won for "Patton" (1970); Gene Hackman for "The French Connection" (1971); Marlon Brando, also memorably absent, for "The Godfather" (1972); Jack Lemmon for "Save the Tiger" (1973); Art Carney for "Harry and Tonto" (1974); Jack Nicholson for "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1975); Peter Finch, the first posthumous winner, for "Network" (1976); Richard Dreyfuss for "The Goodbye Girl" (1977); Jon Voight for "Coming Home" (1978); Dustin Hoffman for "Kramer vs. Kramer" (1979); Robert De Niro for "Raging Bull" (1980); Peter Fonda for "On Golden Pond" (1981), accepted by his daughter Jane; Ben Kingsley for "Gandhi" (1982); Robert Duvall for "Tender Mercies" (1983); F. Murray Abraham for "Amadeus" (1984); William Hurt for "Kiss of the Spider Woman" (1985); Paul Newman for "The Color of Money" (1986); Michael Douglas for "Wall Street" (1987); Hoffman again for "Rain Man" (1988); Daniel Day-Lewis for "My Left Foot" (1989); and Jeremy Irons for "Reversal of Fortune" (1990).
James Bond's presence at the awards is shown as Michael Caine banters onstage with Sean Connery and Roger Moore, followed by Aretha Franklin's performance of "Nobody Does It Better" from "The Spy Who Loved Me" (1977) and Sheena Easton's performance of "For Your Eyes Only" (1981). Next are some funny moments from the presenters, including Jacqueline Bisset and Candice Bergen's bilingual introduction of the Best Foreign Film award (1988); "Odd Couple" Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau's presentation of Best Director (1981); Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell's near-proposal moment while presenting Best Director (1988), and Miss Piggy's indignation at her lack of a nomination while chatting with host Carson (1979). Other musical performances shown include "Mean Green Mother From Outer Space" from "Little Shop of Horrors" (1986); "Under the Sea" from "The Little Mermaid" (1989); and "Hooray For Hollywood" (1980).
Notable "thank you" moments are explored, including the performance of "Thank You Very Much" from "Scrooge" (1970); Maureen Stapleton's gratitude to "everyone she ever met" after her win for "Reds" (1981); Whoopi Goldberg's appreciation for the film industry after her win for "Ghost" (1990); father and son Carmine and Francis Ford Coppola's acknowledgement of one another during their wins for "The Godfather Part II" (1974); Anjelica Huston's win for "Prizzi's Honor" (1985), directed by her father John Huston; Hoffman's emotional words to his ill father during his "Rain Man" acceptance speech (1988); and Clarence Nash's comments in character as Donald Duck (1983).
The Best Picture winners are then listened, including "Patton" (1970); "The French Connection" (1971); "The Godfather" (1972); "The Sting" (1973); "The Godfather Part II" (1974); "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1975); "Rocky" (1976); "Annie Hall" (1977); "The Deer Hunter" (1978); "Kramer vs. Kramer" (1979); "Ordinary People" (1980); "Chariots of Fire" (1981); "Gandhi" (1982); "Terms of Endearment" (1983); "Amadeus" (1984); "Out of Africa" (1985); "Platoon" (1986); "The Last Emperor" (1987); "Rain Man" (1988); "Driving Miss Daisy" (1989); and "Dances With Wolves" (1990).
Finally, a series of "moving moments" is shown, including Louise Fletcher's signed message to her deaf parents; William Holden's personal tribute to longtime friend and co-star Barbara Stanwyck at the 1977 show and her dedication of her Honorary Academy Award to him four years later, after his death; Mickey Rooney's message to his wife during his Honorary Award speech (1982); John Wayne's final public appearance at the 1978 show, shortly before his death, to present Best Picture; Jimmy Stewart's gratitude to the audience while accepting his Honorary Award (1984); and Charlie Chaplin's Honorary Award at the 1971 show, marking his return to the United States after a twenty-year political exile.
Details
- NETWORK: N/A
- DATE: November 30, 1991
- RUNNING TIME: 1:49:28
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 104649
- GENRE: Public affairs/Documentaries
- SUBJECT HEADING: Public affairs/Documentaries; Academy Awards; Indigenous Peoples Collection
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Jack Haley Jr. … Executive Producer
- Gloria G. Fujita … Coordinating Producer
- Jeff Margolis … Producer, Director
- Maria Schlatter … Co-Producer
- Hal Kanter … Writer
- Stephen Pouliot … Writer
- Bruce Broughton … Music by
- Karl Malden … Host
- F. Murray Abraham
- Kathy Bates
- Candice Bergen
- Jacqueline Bisset
- Marlon Brando
- Ellen Burstyn
- Michael Caine
- Irene Cara
- Art Carney
- Johnny Carson
- Charlie Chaplin
- Chevy Chase
- Paddy Chayefsky
- Cher
- Petula Clark
- Joe Cocker
- Sean Connery
- Carmine Coppola
- Francis Ford Coppola
- Christopher Cross
- Billy Crystal
- Daniel Day-Lewis
- Robert De Niro
- Michael Douglas
- Richard Dreyfuss
- Faye Dunaway
- Robert Duvall
- Sheena Easton
- Clint Eastwood
- Sally Field
- Carrie Fisher
- Louise Fletcher
- Peter Finch
- Henry Fonda
- Jane Fonda
- Jodie Foster
- Aretha Franklin
- Whoopi Goldberg
- Gene Hackman
- Goldie Hawn
- Katharine Hepburn
- Charlton Heston
- Dustin Hoffman
- Paul Hogan
- William Holden
- Bob Hope
- William Hurt
- Anjelica Huston
- John Huston
- Jeremy Irons
- Glenda Jackson
- Diane Keaton
- Ben Kingsley
- Burt Lancaster
- Jack Lemmon
- Sacheen Littlefeather
- Shirley MacLaine
- Madonna
- Marlee Matlin
- Walter Matthau
- Bill Medley
- Liza Minnelli
- Roger Moore
- Eddie Murphy
- Clarence Nash
- Paul Newman
- Jack Nicholson
- David Niven
- Geraldine Page
- Vanessa Redgrave
- Mickey Rooney
- Kurt Russell
- George C. Scott
- Martin Short
- Frank Sinatra
- Sissy Spacek
- Barbara Stanwyck
- Maureen Stapleton
- Jimmy Stewart
- Meryl Streep
- Barbra Streisand
- Jessica Tandy
- Elizabeth Taylor
- Jon Voight
- Jennifer Warnes
- John Wayne
- Robin Williams