The 52nd Academy Awards ceremony, organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored films released in 1979 and took place on April 14, 1980, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, beginning at 6:00 p.m. PST / 9:00 p.m. EST. During the ceremony, AMPAS presented Academy Awards (commonly referred to as Oscars) in 22 categories. The ceremony, televised in the United States by ABC, was produced by Howard W. Koch and directed by Marty Pasetta.[2] Comedian and talk show host Johnny Carson hosted the show for the second consecutive year. Three days earlier, in a ceremony held at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, on April 11, the Academy Scientific and Technical Awards were presented by hosts Cloris Leachman and William Shatner.[3]
| 52nd Academy Awards | |
|---|---|
 Official poster | |
| Date | April 14, 1980 |
| Site | Dorothy Chandler Pavilion Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Hosted by | Johnny Carson |
| Produced by | Howard W. Koch |
| Directed by | Marty Pasetta |
| Highlights | |
| Best Picture | Kramer vs. Kramer |
| Most awards | Kramer vs. Kramer (5) |
| Most nominations | All That Jazz and Kramer vs. Kramer (9) |
| TV in the United States | |
| Network | ABC |
| Duration | 3 hours, 15 minutes[1] |
| Ratings | 49 million 33.7% (Nielsen ratings) |
Kramer vs. Kramer won five awards, including Best Picture, Best Director for Robert Benton, Best Actor for Dustin Hoffman, and Best Supporting Actress for Meryl Streep. Sally Field received Best Actress honors for Norma Rae, and Melvyn Douglas won Best Supporting Actor for Being There.[4] The telecast received a mixed reception, with critics praising Carson's hosting performance but criticising the pacing and predictability of the ceremony. It garnered 49 million viewers in the United States, which was a 6% increase from the previous year.
Winners and nominees
editThe nominees for the 52nd Academy Awards were announced on February 25, 1980, by Academy president Fay Kanin and actors Ed Asner and Yvette Mimieux.[5] All That Jazz and Kramer vs. Kramer tied for the most nominations, with nine each.[6] The winners were announced at the awards ceremony on April 14. At age eight, Best Supporting Actor nominee Justin Henry became the youngest person nominated for an Oscar.[7]
Awards
edit
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Winners are listed first, highlighted in boldface and indicated with a double dagger (‡).[8]
Academy Honorary Awards
edit- Hal Elias – "For his dedication and distinguished service to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences."[9]
- Alec Guinness – "For advancing the art of screen acting through a host of memorable and distinguished performances."[9]
Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award
editThe award recognizes individuals whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the motion picture industry.[10]
Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award
editThe award honors "creative producers whose bodies of work reflect a consistently high quality of motion picture production".[11]
Special Achievement Award
edit- Alan Splet for the sound effects editing in The Black Stallion[13]
Academy Award for Technical Achievement
edit- Mark Serrurier – "For the progressive development of the Moviola from the 1924 invention of his father, Iwan Serrurier, to the present Series 20 sophisticated film editing equipment."[14]
Multiple nominations and awards
edit
|
|
Presenters and performers
editThe following individuals, listed in order of appearance, presented awards or performed musical numbers:[15]
Presenters
editPerformers
edit| Name | Role | Performed |
|---|---|---|
| Henry Mancini | Musical arranger Conductor |
Orchestral |
| Kermit the Frog | Performer | "Rainbow Connection" from The Muppet Movie |
| Dudley Moore Helen Reddy |
Performers | "Song from 10 (It's Easy to Say)" from 10 |
| Melissa Manchester | Performer | "Through the Eyes of Love" from Ice Castles and "I'll Never Say Goodbye" from The Promise |
| Donald O'Connor | Performer | "Dancin' on the Silver Screen" |
| Dionne Warwick | Performer | "It Goes Like It Goes" from Norma Rae |
| Academy Awards Chorus | Performers | "That's Entertainment" during the closing credits |
Ceremony information
edit
In September 1979, the Academy hired film producer Howard W. Koch to produce the telecast for the sixth time.[17] Upon being named producer, Koch responded in a press release, stating, "I plan to involve all the professional and creative talents of the motion picture community in this program, as the Academy Awards, in the public's mind, represents the entire field of filmmaking."[18] Two months later, it was announced that comedian and The Tonight Show host Johnny Carson would preside over emceeing duties for the 1980 ceremony.[19] "Johnny Carson is one of our national treasures. He was selected as this year's host because his wit and verve made him an outstanding master of ceremonies at last year's show," said Koch in a statement justifying his selection for host.[20]
Marty Pasetta directed the telecast.[21] Henry Mancini served as musical director and conductor for the ceremony, where he conducted an overture performed by the orchestra at the beginning of the show.[22] A song-and-dance number featuring actor and singer Donald O'Connor paid tribute to choreography in film.[23]
Critical reviews
editThe ceremony received a mixed reception from critics. The Arizona Republic columnist Michael Maza wrote, "Watching last night's 52nd Annual Academy Award ceremonies was like sitting through three hours and 15 minutes of near-flawless close order drill. It wasn't long before the feet seemed to blur."[24] Jack Mathews of the Detroit Free Press commented, "In any event, the 52nd Academy Awards presentation will stand as one of the smoothest, most predictable, and most reasonable Oscar nights in history. Also, alas, one of the most boring."[25] The Baltimore Sun television critic Bill Carter quipped, "We found out Monday night when this year's edition of the Oscarcast streamlined to the point of emaciation (and still more than three hours long), thudded along like some awards dinner of the meat-packing industry." He praised Carson's hosting performance, but said, "For all the excitement this parade of stars provided, they might as well have sent in their stand-ins, or maybe some robot, or well dressed mannequins from a boutique on Rodeo Drive. This just wasn't a little boring, this was mind-numbingly boring."[26]
Others received the broadcast more positively. Los Angeles Times film critic Charles Champlin mused, "As a show, the Marty Pasetta-Howard Koch special revealed again a gift for all that pizzazz." He added, "If nobody in fact was dozing, it was thanks to Carson's own relaxed and engaging presence. Among his virtues, he is an emcee who seems to love the movies."[27] Film critic Gene Siskel from the Chicago Tribune commented, "The show was a visual delight, thanks to special electronic effects that presented scenes from each nominated film as its title was announced."[28] Columnist Patrick Taggart of the Austin American-Statesman wrote, "Aren't we entitled to at least one upset victory among the nominees? The 52nd running of the Academy Awards was distinguished by the utter lack of any such color; but somehow, in spite of its slickness, Monday's show was a relatively good one."[29]
Ratings and reception
editThe American telecast on ABC drew in an average of 49 million people over the length of the entire ceremony, which was a 6% increase from the previous year's ceremony.[30] However, the show drew lower Nielsen ratings compared to the previous ceremony, with 33.7% of households watching with a 55% share.[31] Furthermore, the ceremony presentation received five nominations at the 32nd Primetime Emmys, but failed to win any of its nominations.[32][33]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Labonte, Richard (April 15, 1980). "Academy Awards Ceremony Called a 'Show Biz Miracle'". Ottawa Citizen. p. 31.
- ^ Osborne 2013, p. 413
- ^ "Past Scientific & Technical Awards Ceremonies". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on February 13, 2014. Retrieved July 31, 2013.
- ^ Harmetz, Aljean (April 15, 1980). "Oscars Won by Kramer, Hoffman and Miss Field; All That Jazz Takes Craft Awards Kramer vs. Kramer Is the Oscar Leader 'New and Old Managements' Carson's 2d Year as Emcee Honorary Awards Streets Are Quieter". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 9, 2020. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
- ^ Thomas, Bob (February 26, 1980). "All That Jazz, Kramer Lead Oscar Nominations". The Spokesman-Review. p. 14.
- ^ Arnold, Gary (February 26, 1980). "Kramer and Jazz . . ". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 4, 2022. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
- ^ Kinn & Piazza 2002, p. 219
- ^ "The 52nd Academy Awards (1980) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on November 10, 2014. Retrieved October 7, 2011.
- ^ a b c "Academy Awards Acceptance Speech Database". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on August 4, 2022. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
- ^ "Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on November 16, 2020. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
- ^ "Irvin G. Thalberg Memorial Award". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on January 1, 2016. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
- ^ "Hollywood Film Producer, Power Broker Ray Stark". The Washington Post. January 20, 2004. Archived from the original on August 4, 2022. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
- ^ "Academy Awards Acceptance Speech Database". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on July 15, 2022. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
- ^ Kinn & Piazza 2002, p. 221
- ^ Wiley & Bona 1996, p. 578
- ^ Terrance 2013, p. 14
- ^ "Koch Again". South Bend Tribune. September 30, 1979. p. 61.
- ^ "Howard W. Koch to Produce 52nd Annual Oscar Show". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. September 7, 1979. Archived from the original on August 4, 2022. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
- ^ "Carson to Host Show". Reno Gazette-Journal. November 27, 1979. p. 10.
- ^ "Johnny Carson Set As Master of Ceremonies for 52nd Annual Academy Awards". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. November 6, 2013. Archived from the original on July 14, 2022. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
- ^ Boyer, Peter J. (April 14, 1980). "Marty Pasetta Has Hopes for a Lively Oscar Show". The Baltimore Sun. p. B6.
- ^ Osborne 2013, p. 413
- ^ Wiley & Bona 1996, p. 580
- ^ Maza, Michael (April 15, 1980). "Ho-Hum Oscars Was a 'Bowling Boquet of Stars'". The Arizona Republic. p. B5.
- ^ Mathews, Jack (April 15, 1980). "How Divorce, War and Death Can Turn Into a Big Yawner". Detroit Free Press. p. 12C.
- ^ Carter, Bill (April 16, 1980). "Oscarcast Without Silliness: How Boring". The Baltimore Sun. p. B4.
- ^ Champlin, Charles (April 16, 1980). "The Oscar Derby: A Horse Race After All". Los Angeles Times. p. 100.
- ^ Siskel, Gene (April 15, 1980). "Oscars to Field, Hoffman, Kramer". Chicago Tribune. p. 14.
- ^ Taggart, Patrick (April 16, 1980). "Awards Show Sailed on Calm Waters". Austin American-Statesman. p. E7.
- ^ Consoli, Jon (February 21, 2013). "Spotlight's on Oscars But for ABC, Ratings Wins Begin on Red Carpet". Broadcasting & Cable. Archived from the original on April 21, 2021. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
- ^ Margulies, Lee (April 18, 1980). "Ratings Race a Photo Finish?". Los Angeles Times. p. 119.
- ^ "Primetime Emmy Awards Database". Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on March 3, 2021. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
- ^ "Academy of TV Arts & Sciences 1979-80 Emmy Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Vol. 262, no. 48. August 8, 1980. pp. 5, 29. ProQuest 2598133563.
Bibliography
edit- Kinn, Gail; Piazza, Jim (2002), The Academy Awards: The Complete Unofficial History, New York, New York, United States: Workman Publishing Company, ISBN 978-1-5791-2396-3
- Osborne, Robert (2013). 85 Years of the Oscar: The Complete History of the Academy Awards. New York, New York, United States: Abbeville Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-7892-1142-2. OCLC 856879222.
- Terrance, Vincent (2013). Television Specials: 5,336 Entertainment Programs, 1936–2012 (5 ed.). Jefferson, North Carolina, United States: Ballantine Books, McFarland & Company. ISBN 978-1-4766-1240-9. OCLC 844373010.
- Wiley, Mason; Bona, Damien (1996), Inside Oscar: The Unofficial History of the Academy Awards (5 ed.), New York, New York, United States: Ballantine Books, ISBN 978-0-3454-0053-6, OCLC 779680732