The 1955 Oscars (for 1954)

[SWC75]

This time the unidentified opening voice is that of Bob Cummings.

Bob Hope was back. His TV show and his relationship with Chrysler had, (temporarily) ended so he was willing to host a show sponsored by Oldsmobile. His monologue is perhaps his bast and his banter with Humphrey Bogart, Marlon Brando is good. He called the audience "the world's best-dressed car salesmen". He called the show "You Bet Your Career" and said that the 'secret word' was "Shucks!. Cecil B. DeMille was working on the Ten Commandments but Bob said it was going to have to be changed to the 8 commandments because that's all the Breen office approved.

There was a new procedure designed to streamline the show. The nominees in each category were shown in a graphic super-imposed over shots of the celebrities in the audience at the beginning of the show and the presenters simply announced the winners. Most of the acceptances were again a "simple "Thank You", (Edith Head didn't even bother with that). But we see the beginnings of longer speeches, especially in Dimitri Tiomkin's ode to his classic music predecessors, (which produced laughter which infuriated him), and a very pregnant Eva Marie Saint's statement that she might have the baby right then and there.

Marlon Brando's ebullient attitude in this ceremony contrasts sharply with his curmudgeonly behavior 18 years later when he won his second Oscar but sent a surrogate to refuse it. He was asked by reports to kiss Grace Kelly on the check and proceeded to do so 20 times.

The clips are out of order. Oldsmobile was only one of the sponsors and their period ended after the best picture awards. When Bob Hope said "Good Night from Oldsmobile" most of NBC's affiliates cut from the show, thinking it was over and most of the audience got up to go home. Academy officials had to head them off an get them to return to their seats while 9 more awards were presented, including the ones for best Foreign Film and the Honorary Award to Danny Kaye, seen here.

Not seen here was an honorary award to Greta Garbo, who didn't show up to receive it. Neither did scheduled presenter James Mason. When his residence was called, the maid said that Mr. and Mrs. Mason were spending the weekend in San Francisco. Mason alter said "the Oscar show is always a little better if things go wrong so i had no need to feel guilty about letting them down. "

There was another secret behind one of the Oscars. Edith Head literally grabbed the Oscar for best costumes in a black and white film for "Sabrina", even though most of Audrey Hepburn's chic Paris gowns had been created by Hubert Givenchy, who would become Audrey's life-long collaborator. Edith designed the simple frocks show wore until her transformation.

"Inside Oscar has some stories about the interviews outside the theater about the actresses' gowns, (not shown here). This was the beginning of the extensive coverage about what the ladies wear. Katy Jurado was in a "flame red" gown and told the interviewer that her underwear was the same color, (too much information). Jan Sterling was asked to comment on her gown and simply said "it's tight". Bogart was asked to comment on Lauren Bacall's dress. "You can see where my money goes."

But the dress of the evening and probably the most famous Oscar dress of all time, one that has inspired many imitator's was that of best Actress winner Grace Kelly:

Her win broke the heart of Judy Garland, who was in the hospital, about to give birth to her son, Joseph Luft. TV cameras were in her hospital room to record her acceptance. They were gone by the time Grace mounted the stage. Judy got over 1,000 telegrams of condolence, one from Groucho who said "it was the greatest robbery since brinks". Judy's friends and supporters never forgave Grace for winning that Oscar. They floated the idea that because Grace had several expensive movies coming out while Judy was no longer under contract to any studio, the powers that be had pressured voters to vote for Grace. It's always occurred to me that both films were show business stories in which Grace and Judy played the wives of alcoholics. Both performed excellently, Grace playing a woman a generation older than she was. But Judy had the added factor of singing some great songs, especially, "The Man That Got Away".

 

[SWC75]

I think I'd have voted for Judy.

 

[longtimefan]

This time the unidentified opening voice is that of Bob Cummings.

Bob Hope was back. His TV show and his relationship with Chrysler had, (temporarily) ended so he was willing to host a show sponsored by Oldsmobile. His monologue is perhaps his bast and his banter with Humphrey Bogart, Marlon Brando is good. He called the audience "the world's best-dressed car salesmen". He called the show "You Bet Your Career" and said that the 'secret word' was "Shucks!. Cecil B. DeMille was working on the Ten Commandments but Bob said it was going to have to be changed to the 8 commandments because that's all the Breen office approved.

There was a new procedure designed to streamline the show. The nominees in each category were shown in a graphic super-imposed over shots of the celebrities in the audience at the beginning of the show and the presenters simply announced the winners. Most of the acceptances were again a "simple "Thank You", (Edith Head didn't even bother with that). But we see the beginnings of longer speeches, especially in Dimitri Tiomkin's ode to his classic music predecessors, (which produced laughter which infuriated him), and a very pregnant Eva Marie Saint's statement that she might have the baby right then and there.

Marlon Brando's ebullient attitude in this ceremony contrasts sharply with his curmudgeonly behavior 18 years later when he won his second Oscar but sent a surrogate to refuse it. He was asked by reports to kiss Grace Kelly on the check and proceeded to do so 20 times.

The clips are out of order. Oldsmobile was only one of the sponsors and their period ended after the best picture awards. When Bob Hope said "Good Night from Oldsmobile" most of NBC's affiliates cut from the show, thinking it was over and most of the audience got up to go home. Academy officials had to head them off an get them to return to their seats while 9 more awards were presented, including the ones for best Foreign Film and the Honorary Award to Danny Kaye, seen here.

Not seen here was an honorary award to Greta Garbo, who didn't show up to receive it. Neither did scheduled presenter James Mason. When his residence was called, the maid said that Mr. and Mrs. Mason were spending the weekend in San Francisco. Mason alter said "the Oscar show is always a little better if things go wrong so i had no need to feel guilty about letting them down. "

There was another secret behind one of the Oscars. Edith Head literally grabbed the Oscar for best costumes in a black and white film for "Sabrina", even though most of Audrey Hepburn's chic Paris gowns had been created by Hubert Givenchy, who would become Audrey's life-long collaborator. Edith designed the simple frocks show wore until her transformation.

"Inside Oscar has some stories about the interviews outside the theater about the actresses' gowns, (not shown here). This was the beginning of the extensive coverage about what the ladies wear. Katy Jurado was in a "flame red" gown and told the interviewer that her underwear was the same color, (too much information). Jan Sterling was asked to comment on her gown and simply said "it's tight". Bogart was asked to comment on Lauren Bacall's dress. "You can see where my money goes."

But the dress of the evening and probably the most famous Oscar dress of all time, one that has inspired many imitator's was that of best Actress winner Grace Kelly:

Her win broke the heart of Judy Garland, who was in the hospital, about to give birth to her son, Joseph Luft. TV cameras were in her hospital room to record her acceptance. They were gone by the time Grace mounted the stage. Judy got over 1,000 telegrams of condolence, one from Groucho who said "it was the greatest robbery since brinks". Judy's friends and supporters never forgave Grace for winning that Oscar. They floated the idea that because Grace had several expensive movies coming out while Judy was no longer under contract to any studio, the powers that be had pressured voters to vote for Grace. It's always occurred to me that both films were show business stories in which Grace and Judy played the wives of alcoholics. Both performed excellently, Grace playing a woman a generation older than she was. But Judy had the added factor of singing some great songs, especially, "The Man That Got Away".

Re: Grace Kelly vs Judy Garland for the Best Actress Oscar--

I heard a story told by John McCormick (http://www.stlmediahistory.com/index.php/Radio/RadioHOFDetail/mccormick-john) in the late '60's. He said that Bing Crosby, who was Kelly's co-star in The Country Girl, pulled strings to get her the award.

 

[SWC75]

Re: Grace Kelly vs Judy Garland for the Best Actress Oscar--

I heard a story told by John McCormick (http://www.stlmediahistory.com/index.php/Radio/RadioHOFDetail/mccormick-john) in the late '60's. He said that Bing Crosby, who was Kelly's co-star in The Country Girl, pulled strings to get her the award.

I'm not sure what strings Bing pulled. I have heard that Grace, despite her pristine image, was noted for having an affair with her leading men so I can see how he might have pulled whatever strings he had.

 

[longtimefan]

I'm not sure what strings Bing pulled. I have heard that Grace, despite her pristine image, was noted for having an affair with her leading men so I can see how he might have pulled whatever strings he had.

He was the biggest star in Hollywood in the '40's, and certainly some of that carried over to the '50's. He had lots of friends in high places, and also knew where the bodies were buried. He had major clout.

 

[SWC75]

He was the biggest star in Hollywood in the '40's, and certainly some of that carried over to the '50's. He had lots of friends in high places, and also knew where the bodies were buried. He had major clout.

But he doesn't have control over the voters. The studios did at that time, (although that was breaking up). But their decisions were based on the bottom line.