Academy Awards: Who Created Oscar?
The Academy Awards are one of the biggest nights in Hollywood. All of the biggest stars and celebrities come together, the television cameras roll, and the air is electric. And all of this commotion is for the sake of just one 13.5 inch man named Oscar. For many celebrities and filmmakers, taking home one of those gold statuettes represents the ultimate in filmmaking achievement, and it is no surprise that the wins and losses of the night provoke such extreme emotions. But what is the story behind Oscar himself? The history of the Oscar statuette is long and surprising, and involves fame, humor, and mystery (this is Hollywood, after all). We will take a brief look at Oscar’s life, and how he came to be what he is today.
The First Academy Awards
Today, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a huge organization, but in its early days it was small and its future was uncertain. Shortly after its formation, the Academy’s members gathered together at the Biltmore Hotel in 1927 to decide on a plan of action for how they could ensure the Academy’s success. One of the proposals was to institute an annual award to honor the very best in filmmaking, and thus to encourage higher quality films in the future. The plan was agreed upon, but the Academy had one small problem: they didn’t have an award to give out.
Designing Oscar
The Academy turned to Cedric Gibbons, who was the art director at MGM, to design the award. Gibbons decided the Academy needed an award that was bold, but simple, something that would quickly be recognized as representing the very finest in filmmaking. He opted for a simple knight holding a sword. What often gets overlooked, however, is that the knight is appropriately standing on a reel of film, whose five spokes represent the original branches of the Academy: actors, directors, producers, technicians, and writers. The Academy then commissioned sculptor George Stanley to realize Gibbons design, and thus Oscar was born.
A Full Life
The story of Oscar doesn’t end there, however. This little man has had a lot of adventures over the years. Originally, the statuettes were made of solid bronze which was gold plated. During World War II, however, metal was short, and those glamorous looking statuettes were actually made of nothing more than painted plaster. To feel like nobody got shortchanged, the Academy later offered to replace these plaster statuettes with gold plated ones. Nowadays, Oscar is made of britannia metal plated in nickel silver, copper, and, of course, 24-karat gold. And while nobody exactly knows how Oscar got his name, one legend holds that upon first seeing the statuette, the Academy’s librarian proclaimed that it looked just like her Uncle Oscar. Ever since, the name has stuck and Oscar now symbolizes one of the most watched programs on television. To find out how you can see the Academy Awards on your TV, contact sites such as Local Texas TV.
Over the decades, the stars have lined the red carpet during the Academy Awards for their chance at taking home one very popular golden statuette. While Oscar is one of the most famous awards in the world, many are unaware of its history. Oscar’s story is as interesting and intriguing as the very films he awards every year.
Max Chennault is a movie buff and writer. You’ll find his entertainment articles on various websites.
Get Email Updates
