The 50th Annual Academy Awards (1978) (TV)

Director:

Marty Pasetta

Writers:

William Ludwig
Leonard Spigelgass

Release Date:

3 April 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Family

Plot Keywords:

TV Special | Awards Show | Academy Awards Ceremony | Number In Title

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Primetime Emmys.

Cast

Bob Hope	...	Himself - Host
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Fred Astaire	...	Himself - Presenter: Best Original Song
John Barry	...	Himself - Winner: Best Art Direction
Robert Blalack	...	Himself - Winner: Best Visual Effects
Debby Boone	...	Herself - Performer
Margaret Booth	...	Herself - Honorary Award Recipient
Ernest Borgnine	...	Himself
Marshall Brickman	...	Himself - Winner: Best Original Screenplay
Garrett Brown	...	Himself - Award Recipient for Steadicam development
Leslie Browne	...	Herself - Nominee: Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Richard Burton	...	Himself - Nominee: Best Actor in a Leading Role
Ben Burtt	...	Himself - Winner: Special Achievement Award
Michael Caine	...	Himself - Presenter: Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Paddy Chayefsky	...	Himself - Presenter: Best Original Screenplay and Best Adapted Screenplay
Richard Chew	...	Himself - Winner: Best Film Editing
Roger Christian	...	Himself - Winner: Best Art Direction
Joan Crawford	...	Herself - Memorial Tribute (archive footage)
Bing Crosby	...	Himself - Memorial Tribute (archive footage)
Quinn Cummings	...	Herself - Nominee: Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Anthony Daniels	...	C-3PO
Sammy Davis Jr.	...	Himself - Performer
Bette Davis	...	Herself - Presenter: Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award
Olivia de Havilland	...	Herself - Presenter: Honorary Award to Margaret Booth
Leslie Dilley	...	Himself - Winner: Best Art Direction
Melinda Dillon	...	Herself - Nominee: Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Kirk Douglas	...	Himself - Presenter: Documentary Feature and Documentary Short
Richard Dreyfuss	...	Himself - Winner: Best Actor in a Leading Role
John Dykstra	...	Himself - Winner: Best Visual Effects
Richard Edlund	...	Himself - Winner: Best Visual Effects
Mia Farrow	...	Herself - Audience Member
Farrah Fawcett	...	Herself - Presenter: Best Film Editing (as Farrah Fawcett-Majors)
Peter Firth	...	Himself - Nominee: Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Jane Fonda	...	Herself - Nominee: Best Actress in a Leading Role
Joan Fontaine	...	Herself - Presenter: Best Visual Effects
Jodie Foster	...	Herself - Co-Presenter: Best Animated Short Film and Best Live Action Short Film
Aretha Franklin	...	Herself - Performer
Peggy Ann Garner	...	Herself
Greer Garson	...	Herself - Presenter: Best Art Direction
Janet Gaynor	...	Herself - Presenter: Best Actress in a Leading Role
Ken Grant	...	Dancer
Johnny Green	...	Himself - Co-Presenter: Best Original Score and Best Adapted Score
Mark Hamill	...	Himself - Presenter: Special Technical Awards
Goldie Hawn	...	Herself - Co-Presenter: Best Cinematography
Mary Ann Hay	...	Dancer
Charlton Heston	...	Himself - Hersholt Award Recipient
Paul Hirsch	...	Himself - Winner: Best Film Editing
William Holden	...	Himself - Presenter: Best Sound Mixing
Burl Ives	...	Himself
Charles H. Joffe	...	Himself - Winner: Best Picture
John Jürgens	...	Himself - Award Recipient for Steadicam Development
Diane Keaton	...	Herself - Winner: Best Actress in a Leading Role
Stanley Kramer	...	Himself - Presenter: Thalberg Award
Gloria Loring	...	Herself - Performer
George Lucas	...	Himself - Nominee: Best Director & Best Original Screenplay
Marcia Lucas	...	Herself - Winner: Best Film Editing
Don MacDougall	...	Himself - Winner: Best Sound
Shirley MacLaine	...	Herself - Nominee: Best Actress in a Leading Role
Dorothy Malone	...	Herself - Past Winner and Audience Member
Henry Mancini	...	Himself - Co-Presenter:Best Original Score and Best Adapted Score
Groucho Marx	...	Himself (Memorial Tribute) (archive footage)
Marsha Mason	...	Herself - Nominee: Best Actress in a Leading Role
Marcello Mastroianni	...	Himself - Nominee: Best Actor in a Leading Role & Co-Presenter: Best Film Editing
Walter Matthau	...	Himself - Co-Presenter: Best Actress in a Leading Role
Grant McCune	...	Himself - Winner: Best Visual Effects
Bob Minkler	...	Himself - Winner: Best Sound
Walter Mirisch	...	Himself - Thalberg Award Recipient
John Mollo	...	Himself - Winner: Best Costume Design
Rita Moreno	...	Herself - Audience Member
Olivia Newton-John	...	Herself - Presenter: Best Original Score and Best Adapted Score
Jack Nicholson	...	Himself - Presenter: Best Picture
Margaret O'Brien	...	Herself
Eleanor Parker	...	Model
Jane Powell	...	Herself - Performer
Elvis Presley	...	Himself - Memorial Tribute (archive footage)
Vanessa Redgrave	...	Herself - Winner: Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Donna Reed	...	Herself - Audience Member and Past Winner
Debbie Reynolds	...	Herself - Performer
Norman Reynolds	...	Himself - Winner: Best Art Direction
Mickey Rooney	...	Himself - Audience Member
Herbert Ross	...	Himself - Nominee: Best Picture & Best Director
Eva Marie Saint	...	Herself - Co-Presenter: Best Foreign Language Film
Alvin Sargent	...	Himself - Winner: Best Adapted Screenplay
Maximilian Schell	...	Himself
Maggie Smith	...	Herself - Presenter: Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Sylvester Stallone	...	Himself - Presenter: Best Actor in a Leading Role
Barbara Stanwyck	...	Herself - Co-Presenter: Best Sound
John Stears	...	Himself - Winner: Best Visual Effects
Beatrice Straight	...	Herself
John Travolta	...	Himself - Nominee: Best Actor in a Leading Role & Presenter: Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Cicely Tyson	...	Herself - Presenter: Best Director
Jack Valenti	...	Himself - Presenter: Best Foreign Language Film
King Vidor	...	Himself - Co-Presenter: Best Director
Jon Voight	...	Himself - Presenter: Best Cinematography
Robert Wagner	...	Himself - Audience Member
Raquel Welch	...	Herself - Co-Presenter: Documentary Feature and Documentary Short
Tuesday Weld	...	Herself - Nominee: Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Ray West	...	Himself - Winner: Best Sound
Billy Dee Williams	...	Himself - Presenter: Special Award for Steadicam development
John Williams	...	Himself - Winner: Best Original Score
Paul Williams	...	Himself - Co-Presenter: Best Animated Short Film and Best Live Action Short Film
Henry Winkler	...	Himself - Co-Presenter: Best Art Direction
Natalie Wood	...	Herself - Presenter: Best Costume Design
Smith Wordes	...	Dancer
Fred Zinnemann	...	Himself - Nominee: Best Director
Vilmos Zsigmond	...	Himself - Winner: Best Cinematography
Troy Garity	...	Himself - Audience Member (uncredited)
Tom Hayden	...	Himself - Audience Member (uncredited)
Vanessa Vadim	...	Herself - Audience Member (uncredited)

Directed by
Marty Pasetta

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
William Ludwig
Leonard Spigelgass

Produced by
Howard W. Koch	....	producer
Michael B. Seligman	....	associate producer

Film Editing by
Terry M. Pickford

Production Management
Howard G. Malley	....	unit manager

Art Department
Stu Bernstein	....	graphic designer
Eytan Keller	....	graphic designer
David L. Snyder	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
Shawn Murphy	....	sound supervisor

Music Department
Nelson Riddle	....	musical director

Other crew
Danette Herman	....	assistant to producer
Robert Iscove	....	choreographer
Hal Kanter	....	special material

Production Companies

• Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS)

Distributors

• American Broadcasting Company (ABC)

Other Companies

• ShowBiz Enterprises  draperies

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Company:

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS)

Trivia:

Each of the five Best Picture nominees feature plots primarily driven by the actions or focus a principal female character: Annie Hall (1977) (Annie is the object of Alvy's affection), The Goodbye Girl (1977) (Paula's resolution of her domestic issues and romance with Elliot), Julia (1977) (Lilian's relationship with her closest friend, Julia) Star Wars (1977) (Princess Leia sending the droids to alert Obi-Wan Kenobi and her subsequent rescue), The Turning Point (1977) (Deedee and Emma are reconnected through Emilia; the catalyst for the two women's eventual conflict).

Quotes:

Paddy Chayefsky:Before I get on to the writing awards, there's a little matter I'd like to tidy up, at least if I expect to live with myself tomorrow morning. I would like to say -- personal opinion, of course -- that I'm sick and tired of people exploiting the occasion of the Academy Awards...
[applause]
Paddy Chayefsky:...for the propagation of their own personal political propaganda.
[applause]
Paddy Chayefsky:I would like to suggest to Miss Redgrave that her winning an Academy Award is not a pivotal moment in history, does not require a proclamation, and a simple "thank you" would have sufficed.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in California Suite (1978)

Soundtrack:

You Light Up My Life

50 Glorious Years! Star Packed Show Features Many Film Greats!

SLAP! The sound of a baby crying. And so begins Oscar's Fiftieth Anniversary Show, a jam packed star-studded evening that closed the door on the Academy's first half century and laid the seeds for it's next half.

Debbie Reynolds kicks off with a song and dance number "Look How Far We've Come". The number climaxes with the arrival of past winners joining Debbie onstage. This is woefully mis-directed as groups of former winners come from all directions, this way and that, their names flashing briefly on screen. Furthermore, the director deprives the viewing audience of close-ups, hence the former winners seem MILES away. Still, what a stellar group they are (perhaps the IMDb will adjust their credit to add those who are omitted):

Leading off: Cliff Robertson, Cloris Leachman, and Patty Duke Astin. Followed by Louise Fletcher, Joel Grey, Anne Baxter (looking sensational!), and Frank Capra. At stage right: Ernest Borgnine, Donna Reed, and Mickey Rooney. Rushing down a stage left staircase: George Chakiris & Rita Moreno. Back to stage right: Burl Ives, Gale Sondergaard, and Master of Disaster Irwin Allen. From the top: Red Buttons, Eva Marie Saint, Marvin Hamlisch From the left: Tony Bill, Dorothy Malone, John Green At bottom: Haskell Wexler, Teresa Wright, Edward Anhalt As the winners appear, it is painfully obvious most participants have two left feet! From stage right: George Kennedy, Edith Head, Edmund O'Brien Above them: Conrad Hall, Beatrice Straight, Henry Mancini At bottom: George Cukor, Claire Trevor, John Avildsen Finally at top: John Williams, Joan Fontaine, Jack Albertson (The two men stop on a stair and Joan keeps going, almost going ass over tea kettle! Another reason why the 70th and 75th were better in having the winners sit and have their own 'moment'.)

The number ends with Bette Davis & Gregory Peck explaining the voting (remember that??)

After Bob Hope's schtick (this was Bob's last year as solo host), John Travolta commences the first scandal of the night—Best Supporting Actress. Without rehashing her speech, I can only say that Vanessa Redgrave WAS great in 'Julia' and certainly the best of the five nominees.

Mickey Mouse briefly crosses paths with C-3PO and R2D2 of 'Star Wars' before presenting an award with future 2 time winner Jodie Foster.

A Little Entertainment. Nominated songs were sung by such varied talents as Jane Powell, Gloria Loring,, and Aretha Franklin. A tribute to those who passed in 1977 was done by Sammy Davis Jr. & Marvin Hamlisch. However, the night's most heartwarming moment occurred when Debby Boone sang "You Light Up My Life". With father Pat beaming from the audience, Debby was accompanied by children 'associated' with the JOHN TRACY CLINIC for the DEAF who 'signed' the song with her. This was scandal 2 of the night!! The next morning it was revealed the children were NOT from the JOHN TRACY CLINIC and the "signing' was complete gibberish. Mercifully, the papers, too focused on Vanessa Redgrave,

did not pursue this embarrassment.

Bob Hope introduces former co-star Joan Fontaine. This is this classy lady's last Oscar appearance as a presenter to date (Come back, Joan!!). The Oscar goes to…'Star Wars' and a team of men rush to the stage. An overwhelmed Joan points to the Oscars and says "Everybody grab one". After each one speaks, the orchestra begins wrap up music only to be stopped by another making a speech (you suddenly realize why there are time constraints!). Joan, halfway offstage, rushes back to wait for the last to speak. When they finish, the men rush off and leave Joan in the dust! Alone, she follows them offstage.

Odd Couplings: Kirk Douglas & Raquel Welch, Greer Garson & Henry Winkler ('It is soo exciting to be here with…The Fonz"), Eva Marie Saint & Jack Valenti (his first show since being shut out the year before).

Hope introduces Michael Caine and a luminous Maggie Smith. The latter looks terrific with her hair and gown almost matching her character in 'California Suite' which would win her a 2nd Oscar the next year. Maggie's beauty and attitude make one forget that a) the winner, Jason Robards was not there (Peter Firth was the only nominee in attendance) and b) the previous year's winner, Beatrice Straight who was in the house, was not asked to present.

Another high point: Natalie Wood presents the Costume Award and introduces an array of film greats who model the outfits. Cyd Charisse, Stockard Channing, Camilla Sparv, Pricilla Barnes, Michelle Lee, Susan George, Deborah Raffin, Karen Black and Eleanor Parker are the models.

Bette Davis returns to give the Hersholt award to Charlton Heston while Olivia DeHavilland elicits titters when she honors Margaret Booth who "has run a lot of celluloid through her moviola."

Fred Astaire makes his final Oscar appearance to a standing ovation while Cicely Tyson (WHAT is that thing in her hair?) & King Vidor crown the absent Woody Allen Best Director.

The first Best Actress, Janet Gaynor, appears and recounts HER evening 50 years before. Sylvester Stallone appears (much more refined than the previous year!) to crown Best Actor. Let's dispel an urban legend. Contrary to popular belief, Richard Burton was not "out of his seat and moving toward the stage ". When Richard Dreyfuss' name was read. Rather, he smiled and applauded as most people do (exceptions. Sally Kirkland, Ellen Burstyn, Sylvia Miles).

The evening ends as it has many many times in the past 30 years (including the two years just past) with Jack Nicholson presenting Best Picture to Annie Hall. Finally, Bob Hope sends get well wishes to John Wayne, recently diagnosed with a recurrence of cancer.

High Points: Too many to mention. So Many Stars. Young and Old.

Low Points: Too few close-ups on the former winners and costume models.

Otherwise 10 out of 10