The Oscar (1966)

Snotty Hollywood actor becomes even more full of himself after he's nominated for Best actor at the Academy Awards.

Director:

Russell Rouse

Writers:

Richard Sale (novel), Harlan Ellison (screenplay),

Stars:

Stephen Boyd, Elke Sommer, Milton Berle

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Stephen Boyd	...	Frank Fane
Elke Sommer	...	Kay Bergdahl
Milton Berle	...	Kappy Kapstetter
Eleanor Parker	...	Sophie Cantaro
Joseph Cotten	...	Kenneth Regan
Jill St. John	...	Laurel Scott
Tony Bennett	...	Hymie Kelly
Edie Adams	...	Trina Yale
Ernest Borgnine	...	Barney Yale
Ed Begley	...	Grobard
Walter Brennan	...	Orrin C. Quentin
Broderick Crawford	...	Sheriff
James Dunn	...	Network Executive
Edith Head	...	Edith Head
Hedda Hopper	...	Hedda Hopper

Storyline

Frankie Fane has clawed his way to the top of the Hollywood heap. Now, as he's preparing to win his Oscar, his friend Hymie Kelly reminisces over their life together, and Frankie's ruthless struggle to the top and the people he's stepped on (i.e., everyone else in the movie) to make it there.

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Plot Keywords:

award | actor | academy award | ambition | rolls royce | 

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Taglines:

The dreamers and the schemers...the hustlers and the hopefuls...the free-loaders and the phonies...the fakers and the famous...all fighting for the highest possible award!

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 July 1966 (UK)

Also Known As:

...denn keiner ist ohne Schuld

Filming Locations:

Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Greene-Rouse Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Pathécolor)

Did You Know?

Trivia

Edith Head:  an Oscar nominee for her costume designs for this film, appears in a scene set at a Hollywood party, when Kay calls Frank to congratulate him on his Oscar nomination, and one other scene.

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Goofs

In the scene in the yacht Frankie says he pushed a rack on 28th street. The garment center in New York City is between 34th & 40th streets.

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Quotes

Alfred 'Kappy' Kapstetter: So. We take off the clown's happy face and see tears underneath.
Sophie Cantaro: Don't, Kappy.
Alfred 'Kappy' Kapstetter: You leave a man's career like a bag of broken glass, and you say, "Don't, Kappy"?

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Connections

References The Barefoot Contessa (1954)

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Soundtracks

"Carmen Carmela"
(Traditional)

User Reviews

Grab your friends, this is a bad-great campy film!

I just saw this film and I had to go out to buy it. Why? it's so bad its good!

This film was supposed to show all the nasty side of how an Oscar nomination goes to the head of its nominee and what he would do to win -- and in a way it does.

But the acting is so over the top...you can't help but laugh. The hair styles are big, the performances are big..come on, it's just one of those fun little 60's 'soap opera' films that you'd never watch for serious sake, but mindless fun with you and your friends. (Remember the soap opera 'General Hospital' in the early, early 60's with the obviously over the top acting, silly drama situations, the real organ playing, etc.? Well this is even funnier!)

It grabs ya, but you cannot help but laugh, laugh laugh, it's SO over the top. If anyone wants to know what makes a "campy" film, don't rent "Mommie Dearest", rent this one. There isn't any way you could hate this film, you'd be laughing too hard. I'd watch it on rainy days, or if I'm feeling blue, or I just want to get together with a bunch of friends and just point out just how over the top this is.

This is a 10+ on the campy scale, a 5 regular. Go out and rent it, just to have a ball. It's fab-u-lous!