Comments on: Honorary Oscars Bypass Women: Deborah Kerr, Lauren Bacall, Greta Garbo Exceptions to the Rule http://www.altfg.com/blog/actors/honorary-oscars-bypass-women/ The Oscars, film awards, new releases, Los Angeles screenings, movie classics, gay movies, film festivals, box office, foreign and independent films Sat, 11 Feb 2012 05:29:46 +0000 hourly 1 By: Andre Soareshttp://www.altfg.com/blog/actors/honorary-oscars-bypass-women/#comment-516145 Andre Soares Fri, 11 Mar 2011 20:01:01 +0000 http://www.altfg.com/blog/archives/2007/02/13/honorary-oscars-bypass-women/#comment-516145 How could I have forgotten Thelma Ritter in my piece? I'll add her name to it right away... How could I have forgotten Thelma Ritter in my piece? I'll add her name to it right away…

]]> By: Edward Copelandhttp://www.altfg.com/blog/actors/honorary-oscars-bypass-women/#comment-516144 Edward Copeland Fri, 11 Mar 2011 19:54:04 +0000 http://www.altfg.com/blog/archives/2007/02/13/honorary-oscars-bypass-women/#comment-516144 They also won't do posthumous awards. Members were doing a big effort to get one for Richard Widmark but he died before he got one. The only reason Audrey Hepburn was able to get her Hersholt after she died was that she died between the time of the announcement of the honor and the ceremony. They did go ahead and give Godard his, but he played games with them almost up until the night of the dinner about whether he was coming, so I bet if someone told them firmly they wouldn't come in advance, they wouldn't do it. It's silly. People such as Doris Day still deserve the tribute. I think they should do something to honor those who have died and were never honored as well. Poor Thelma Ritter. 5 nominations and zero wins. They also won't do posthumous awards. Members were doing a big effort to get one for Richard Widmark but he died before he got one. The only reason Audrey Hepburn was able to get her Hersholt after she died was that she died between the time of the announcement of the honor and the ceremony. They did go ahead and give Godard his, but he played games with them almost up until the night of the dinner about whether he was coming, so I bet if someone told them firmly they wouldn't come in advance, they wouldn't do it. It's silly. People such as Doris Day still deserve the tribute. I think they should do something to honor those who have died and were never honored as well. Poor Thelma Ritter. 5 nominations and zero wins.

]]> By: Andre Soareshttp://www.altfg.com/blog/actors/honorary-oscars-bypass-women/#comment-516143 Andre Soares Fri, 11 Mar 2011 18:52:26 +0000 http://www.altfg.com/blog/archives/2007/02/13/honorary-oscars-bypass-women/#comment-516143 Audrey, Thanks for writing. Things have surely changed since Greta Garbo was named a recipient of the Honorary Award back in 1955. Anyhow, with the Honorary Awards now handed out at a separate ceremony it's possible that a recipient won't have to swear they'll be present in order to get the award. Jean-Luc Godard certainly wasn't around last year. Audrey,

Thanks for writing.

Things have surely changed since Greta Garbo was named a recipient of the Honorary Award back in 1955.

Anyhow, with the Honorary Awards now handed out at a separate ceremony it's possible that a recipient won't have to swear they'll be present in order to get the award. Jean-Luc Godard certainly wasn't around last year.

]]> By: Audrey Kerryhttp://www.altfg.com/blog/actors/honorary-oscars-bypass-women/#comment-516141 Audrey Kerry Fri, 11 Mar 2011 17:53:00 +0000 http://www.altfg.com/blog/archives/2007/02/13/honorary-oscars-bypass-women/#comment-516141 I didn't know the recepient had to be present for the Honorary Oscar, since Garbo wasn't there to accept hers (naturally). I truly wish they'd give one to Doris Day! I didn't know the recepient had to be present for the Honorary Oscar, since Garbo wasn't there to accept hers (naturally).

I truly wish they'd give one to Doris Day!

]]> By: Andre Soareshttp://www.altfg.com/blog/actors/honorary-oscars-bypass-women/#comment-516059 Andre Soares Tue, 08 Mar 2011 19:23:13 +0000 http://www.altfg.com/blog/archives/2007/02/13/honorary-oscars-bypass-women/#comment-516059 As far as I'm concerned, the Honorary Oscar was the highlight of an otherwise dismal ceremony. It's indeed unfortunate that it's no longer a part of the Oscarcast. I understand they can honor only so many people a year, but they've unjustifiably ignored a number of big names throughout the decades. As far as I'm concerned, the Honorary Oscar was the highlight of an otherwise dismal ceremony. It's indeed unfortunate that it's no longer a part of the Oscarcast.
I understand they can honor only so many people a year, but they've unjustifiably ignored a number of big names throughout the decades.

]]> By: Edward Copelandhttp://www.altfg.com/blog/actors/honorary-oscars-bypass-women/#comment-516040 Edward Copeland Tue, 08 Mar 2011 11:36:00 +0000 http://www.altfg.com/blog/archives/2007/02/13/honorary-oscars-bypass-women/#comment-516040 I had realized you'd mentioned that before and all the men that had won that they went back and gave honorary ones to later. (One of the most mystifying to me was when they gave the Thalberg to Eastwood two years after he won two Oscars for Unforgiven.) That prompted me several years ago to write the Academy to send thema list of those of who had never been recognized. It just seems foolish to recognize again those who have been honored while those who haven't grow older and older. Since I wrote them, I can't confirm my letter did any good, but all the honorees were on my list while there were two or three who werent and only one (Coppola) who was a previous winner. Sadly, since that letter my suggestions who have died before they got the chance were: Eddie Albert, June Allyson, Cyd Charisse, Hume Cronyn, Tony Curtis, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Glenn Ford, John Franenheimer, Richard Harris, Betty Hutton, Van Johnson, Howard Keel, Ann Miller, Arthur Penn, Jean Simmons and Richard Widmar. Still, what bugs me the most is that no matter who they honor, true movie fans will no longer get to watch it when those moments have usually been the best moments of the broadcasts as each year the show gets a little worse in their fruitless quest chasing young viewers because they can't accept they will never equal the ratings of old because it's not a world with only three networks anymore. They should stop catering to audiences that don't exist and alienating the ones who do and admit that all programming is niche programming in the television universe of the 21st century. I had realized you'd mentioned that before and all the men that had won that they went back and gave honorary ones to later. (One of the most mystifying to me was when they gave the Thalberg to Eastwood two years after he won two Oscars for Unforgiven.) That prompted me several years ago to write the Academy to send thema list of those of who had never been recognized. It just seems foolish to recognize again those who have been honored while those who haven't grow older and older. Since I wrote them, I can't confirm my letter did any good, but all the honorees were on my list while there were two or three who werent and only one (Coppola) who was a previous winner. Sadly, since that letter my suggestions who have died before they got the chance were: Eddie Albert, June Allyson, Cyd Charisse, Hume Cronyn, Tony Curtis, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Glenn Ford, John Franenheimer, Richard Harris, Betty Hutton, Van Johnson, Howard Keel, Ann Miller, Arthur Penn, Jean Simmons and Richard Widmar. Still, what bugs me the most is that no matter who they honor, true movie fans will no longer get to watch it when those moments have usually been the best moments of the broadcasts as each year the show gets a little worse in their fruitless quest chasing young viewers because they can't accept they will never equal the ratings of old because it's not a world with only three networks anymore. They should stop catering to audiences that don't exist and alienating the ones who do and admit that all programming is niche programming in the television universe of the 21st century.

]]> By: Andre Soareshttp://www.altfg.com/blog/actors/honorary-oscars-bypass-women/#comment-516032 Andre Soares Tue, 08 Mar 2011 07:19:42 +0000 http://www.altfg.com/blog/archives/2007/02/13/honorary-oscars-bypass-women/#comment-516032 Edward, Thanks for writing. A number of Honorary Award winners had previously won a competitive Oscar, e.g., Robert Redford, Sidney Poitier, Laurence Olivier, Alec Guinness. That's why I included on my list the likes of Julie Christie, Vanessa Redgrave, Julie Andrews, etc. Streisand won two, as you point out in your comment (and I point out in the article), but her second Oscar was in the Best Song category. Streisand has only one acting award and none as producer or director. And as I explain in the article, according to a source Doris Day has been "queried" regarding a possible Honorary Oscar. Edward,
Thanks for writing. A number of Honorary Award winners had previously won a competitive Oscar, e.g., Robert Redford, Sidney Poitier, Laurence Olivier, Alec Guinness. That's why I included on my list the likes of Julie Christie, Vanessa Redgrave, Julie Andrews, etc. Streisand won two, as you point out in your comment (and I point out in the article), but her second Oscar was in the Best Song category. Streisand has only one acting award and none as producer or director.
And as I explain in the article, according to a source Doris Day has been "queried" regarding a possible Honorary Oscar.

]]> By: Edward Copelandhttp://www.altfg.com/blog/actors/honorary-oscars-bypass-women/#comment-516028 Edward Copeland Tue, 08 Mar 2011 04:10:31 +0000 http://www.altfg.com/blog/archives/2007/02/13/honorary-oscars-bypass-women/#comment-516028 The truth is they really don't care now about the honorary awards period, since they've pushed them to a nontelevised dinner after the constant pressure from Disney/ABC to try to attract young viewers and avoid film history. My objections to some names you mention is my complaint to some they did honor: They won competitive Oscars. The award should be to correct past wrongs. Streisand has two competitive Oscars, she doesn't need an honorary one when deserving people such as Maureen O'Hara, Glynis Johns, Julie Harris, Angela Lansbury, Jeanne Moreau, Joan Plowright, Gena Rowlands, Leslie Caron, Piper Laurie, Debbie Reynolds and Liv Ullman have none. Doris Day would be a very worthy choice but she seldom leaves her home and even turned down a Kennedy Center Honor because she wouldn't travel to attend, so they probably wouldn't try to give her one knowing this (and might have tried before). The truth is they really don't care now about the honorary awards period, since they've pushed them to a nontelevised dinner after the constant pressure from Disney/ABC to try to attract young viewers and avoid film history. My objections to some names you mention is my complaint to some they did honor: They won competitive Oscars. The award should be to correct past wrongs. Streisand has two competitive Oscars, she doesn't need an honorary one when deserving people such as Maureen O'Hara, Glynis Johns, Julie Harris, Angela Lansbury, Jeanne Moreau, Joan Plowright, Gena Rowlands, Leslie Caron, Piper Laurie, Debbie Reynolds and Liv Ullman have none. Doris Day would be a very worthy choice but she seldom leaves her home and even turned down a Kennedy Center Honor because she wouldn't travel to attend, so they probably wouldn't try to give her one knowing this (and might have tried before).

]]> By: Tomhttp://www.altfg.com/blog/actors/honorary-oscars-bypass-women/#comment-118360 Tom Tue, 03 Apr 2007 23:18:43 +0000 http://www.altfg.com/blog/archives/2007/02/13/honorary-oscars-bypass-women/#comment-118360 This has long been a sore issue with the Academy for me, like 30 years or so, back when they gave the career achivement award to Alec Guinness. Yes, he deserved being honored but can anyone defend giving him such an award over Gloria Swanson or Mae West, both of them alive and well at the time and whose cinema careers certainly dwarf Mr. Guinness'. Jane Russell founded WAIF back in the 1950's which has since placed over 50,000 children in American homes yet she has yet to be given the Humanitarian award and I wonder if she has ever even being seriously considered. There would be no Motion Picture Home without Mary Pickford's activity and yet she was apparently never considered for the Humanitarian award either despite the fact that thousands in the industry have benefited from it. And they were ridiculously late giving Mary the "career achievement" Oscar - and THAT was met by a lot of bitchy mysogenetic talk and articles about how old and frail she was! This has long been a sore issue with the Academy for me, like 30 years or so, back when they gave the career achivement award to Alec Guinness. Yes, he deserved being honored but can anyone defend giving him such an award over Gloria Swanson or Mae West, both of them alive and well at the time and whose cinema careers certainly dwarf Mr. Guinness'.

Jane Russell founded WAIF back in the 1950's which has since placed over 50,000 children in American homes yet she has yet to be given the Humanitarian award and I wonder if she has ever even being seriously considered.

There would be no Motion Picture Home without Mary Pickford's activity and yet she was apparently never considered for the Humanitarian award either despite the fact that thousands in the industry have benefited from it. And they were ridiculously late giving Mary the "career achievement" Oscar – and THAT was met by a lot of bitchy mysogenetic talk and articles about how old and frail she was!

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