I’d like to thank the Academy . . . a surprising look at the history behind the Academy Awards.

I admit it . . . I haven’t watched ANY of the movies nominated for best picture by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences this year. In fact, I haven’t tuned into the star-studded gala for years. For me, the history of this icon of American movie-making is far more interesting than the 3-hour long telecast has ever been. Here’s some interesting tidbits:

The Awards didn’t start out as a big event:

• in 1929 Douglas Fairbanks, the Academy president, hosted a private dinner in the Blossom Room of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel with 270 attendants. He handed out Oscars for outstanding achievement in 15 categories. The ceremony lasted 15 minutes.

And some interesting history about the early winners:

• The first official recipient of the legendary Oscar for Best Actor was Emil Jannings, a German actor who later produced propaganda for the Nazis.

• in 1930, Katharine Hepburn won her fist Oscar as Best Actress in Morning Glory. She went on to win 3 more Best Actress awards (1968, 1969, 1982) to set the record for the most awards won by a single person.
• “It Happened One Night” swept the 1935 Oscars by winning Best Picture, Best Actor (Clark Gable), Best Actress (Claudette Colbert), and Best Director (Frank Capra)

• In 1940, at the 12th academy banquet, Hattie McDaniel was the first African American to win an award as Supporting Actress in “Gone With the Wind” She was seated in the back of the room with her escort.
• 1964, Sidney Poitier was the first African American actor and first Bahamian to win an Academy Award. He won for Best Actor for “Lilies of the Field”.

• My personal favorite, Charlie Chaplin, never won an Oscar despite his groundbreaking work in film. He was exiled from the U.S. in 1952 for having communist sympathies, but returned in 1972 to receive an honorary Oscar for his contributions to the industry. He was surprised by the longest standing ovation in Academy history — 12 minutes!

And then there’s Oscar, the statue:

• The statuette we now call Oscar was designed in 1928 by MGM’s art director, Cedric Gibbons, who was paid $500 and formally named the “Academy Award of Merit”
• Why Oscar? Bette Davis claims she nicknamed the award after her first husband, Harmon Oscar Nelson, and the name stuck.
• Orson Welles’ 1941 Oscar for Citizen Kane was put up for auction in 2011 and sold for over $800,000.
• since 1950, recipients of the statue have been legally required to offer to sell their awarded statue back to the Academy for $1. Those who refuse do not get their statue.

Now, how about voting in our very own Academy Awards — vintage Hollywood style? We’ll keep it short and easy. Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Picture. And the fun part is, you’ll be able to see how your vote stacks up against everyone else’s right away! (I admit there are dozens of actors, actresses, and films of this era that deserve an award, but I had to keep it manageable, so forgive me if your favorite isn’t on the ballot!)

Just click on your favorites to vote (and yes, you can vote for more than one)

Thanks for voting! You can see the final tally in my newsletter on March 17th (And maybe win a book in my monthly subscriber giveaway.) Sign up here to get it!

Until then, drop me a comment below. Do you watch the Academy Awards? Why or why not?