AS HOLLYWOOD prepares for the biggest night on its calendar, TheJournal.ie looks back over some of the bigger controversies to have struck the Academy Awards show through the years, from a racy rendition of Baby It’s Cold Outside in the late 1950s to Marlon Brando’s award refusal in 1973.
1. Michael Moore, 2003
The filmmaker won in 2003 for Bowling for Columbine. Moore brought the other documentary film nominees onto the stage to make a point about the importance of fiction versus non-fiction. Check out the crowd’s reaction to his comment: “We live in the time where we have fictitious election results that elects a fictitious president”:
(Video via elforte89)
2. Marlon Brando, 1973
Brando refused to show up to collect his Best Actor award for The Godfather, and instead sent Sacheen Littlefeather to refuse the award on his behalf in protest over the poor treatment of Native Americans by the film industry. She wasn’t allowed to read the full speech so gave a summary from the stage, to a very mixed reaction from the audience:
(Video via 4863N70)
Later, Brando said he was embarrassed for Littlefeather for the reaction she received at the ceremony, saying that people should have listened to her instead of booing – even if their reaction was intended for him (from around 2.30):
(Video via salamazman)
3. Vanessa Redgrave, 1978
Accepting the Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 1978 for Julia, Redgrave paid homage to those who died in the fight against Nazi Germany and commended people who “have refused to be intimidated by the threats of a small bunch of Zionist hoodlums whose behaviour is an insult to the statue of Jews all over the world and their great and heroic record of struggle against fascism and oppression.”
4. Rock Hudson and Mae West, 1958
Hudson and West caused a stir with their ‘kingsize’ rendition of Baby It’s Cold Outside at the 1957 awards show:
(Video via lobbiesforme)
5. Adrien Brody, 2003
Brody won Best Actor in a Leading Role for his portrayal of a Polish Jewish musician during the Nazi occupation of Warsaw in WWII. During his acceptance speech, the actor became emotional when speaking about the effects of war (at around the 3.30 mark), but the band called time and tried to get him off the stage.
