The 44th Academy Awards were presented April 10, 1972, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles. The ceremonies were presided over by Helen Hayes, Alan King, Sammy Davis Jr., and Jack Lemmon. One of the highlights of the evening was the appearance of Betty Grable who made one of her last public appearances. She appeared along with one of her leading men from the 1940s, singer Dick Haymes, to present the musical scoring awards. Grable died the following year. This was the first time in the history of the awards that the nominees were shown in superimposed pictures while being announced. There were around seven million people who watched the ceremony.[1]

44th Academy Awards
DateApril 10, 1972
SiteDorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles
Hosted byHelen Hayes, Alan King, Sammy Davis Jr. and Jack Lemmon
Produced byHoward W. Koch
Directed byMarty Pasetta
Highlights
Best PictureThe French Connection
Most awardsThe French Connection (5)
Most nominationsFiddler on the Roof, The French Connection, and The Last Picture Show (8)
TV in the United States
NetworkNBC

Winners and nominees

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William Friedkin, Best Director winner
Gene Hackman, Best Actor winner
Jane Fonda, Best Actress winner
Ben Johnson, Best Supporting Actor winner
Cloris Leachman, Best Supporting Actress winner
Vittorio De Sica, Best Foreign Language Film winner
Yvonne Blake, Best Costume Design co-winner
Michel Legrand, Best Original Dramatic Score winner
John Williams, Best Scoring: Adaptation and Original Song Score winner
Isaac Hayes, Best Song Original for the Picture winner
Gil Parrondo, Best Art Direction co-winner

Awards

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Nominations announced on February 22, 1972. Winners are listed first, highlighted in boldface and indicated with a double dagger (‡).[2][3]

Best Picture Best Director
Best Actor Best Actress
Best Supporting Actor Best Supporting Actress
Best Story and Screenplay Based on Factual Material or Material Not Previously Produced or Published Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium
Best Foreign Language Film Best Costume Design
Best Documentary Feature Best Documentary Short Subject
Best Live Action Short Subject Best Animated Short Subject
Best Original Dramatic Score Best Scoring: Adaptation and Original Song Score
Best Song Original for the Picture Best Sound
Best Art Direction Best Cinematography
Best Film Editing Best Special Visual Effects

Honorary Academy Awards

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Charlie Chaplin (right) receiving his Honorary Academy Award from Jack Lemmon (left).

Charlie Chaplin received an honorary award at this ceremony, for "the incalculable effect he has had in making motion pictures the art form of this century". Chaplin, who had been living in self-imposed exile in Switzerland for twenty years, went back to the United States to re-market his older films and to receive this award. When introduced to the audience, Chaplin received a twelve-minute standing ovation, the longest in Academy Awards history.

Films with multiple wins and nominations

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Presenters and performers

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Presenters (in order of appearance)

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Name(s) Role
Hank Simms Announcer for the 44th Academy Awards
Daniel Taradash (AMPAS President) Gave opening remarks welcoming guests to the awards ceremony
Ann-Margret
John Gavin
Presenters of the award for Best Cinematography
Karen Black
Richard Chamberlain
Presenters of the award for Best Special Visual Effects
Timothy Bottoms
Jennifer O'Neill
Presenters of the award for Best Art Direction
Red Buttons
Jill St. John
Presenters of the award for Best Film Editing
James Caan
Joey Heatherton
Presenters of the award for Best Documentary Feature and Best Documentary Short Subject
Frank Capra
Natalie Wood
Presenters of the award for Best Director
Leslie Caron
Jack Valenti
Presenters of the award for Best Foreign Language Film
Sandy Duncan
Michael York
Presenters of the award for Best Sound
Betty Grable
Dick Haymes
Presenters of the award for Best Original Score (Dramatic) and Best Score (Adaptation and Original Song)
Joel Grey Presenter of the award for Best Original Song
Tennessee Williams Presenter of the awards for Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium and Best Screenplay Based on Factual Material or Material Not Previously Produced or Published
Gene Hackman
Raquel Welch
Presenters of the award for Best Supporting Actress
Richard Harris
Sally Kellerman
Presenters of the award for Best Supporting Actor
Cloris Leachman
Richard Roundtree
Presenters of the award for Best Animated Short Subject and Live Action Short Subject
Walter Matthau Presenter of the award for Best Actress
Liza Minnelli Presenter of the award for Best Actor
Joe Namath
Cybill Shepherd
Presenters of the award for Best Costume Design
Jack Nicholson Presenter of the award for Best Picture
Daniel Taradash Presenter of the Academy Honorary Award to Charlie Chaplin

Performers (in order of appearance)

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Name(s) Role Performed
Henry Mancini Musical arranger Orchestral
Joel Grey Performer "Lights, Camera, Action!"
The Carpenters Performer "Bless the Beasts and Children"
Isaac Hayes Performer "Theme from Shaft"
Johnny Mathis Performer "Life Is What You Make It"
Charley Pride Performer "All His Children"
Debbie Reynolds Performer "The Age of Not Believing"
Academy Awards Chorus Performers "Smile"

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Wallechinsky, David; Wallace, Irving (1975). The People's Almanac. Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc. p. 846. ISBN 0-385-04060-1.
  2. ^ "The Official Academy Awards Database". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Select "1971" in the "Award Year(s)" drop-down menu and press "Search".
  3. ^ "The 44th Academy Awards (1972) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Archived from the original on November 11, 2014. Retrieved December 6, 2011.