WTF Fun Fact 13279 – The First Oscars

The first Oscars ceremony was held on May 16, 1929, at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. It lasted only 15 minutes, and there were only 270 guests in attendance. Tickets for the event cost $5 each, and the Academy had notified the winners three months prior to the ceremony.

The history of the Academy Awards

The Academy Awards Ceremony, also known as the Oscars, is an annual event that honors the best in the film industry. Today, it’s a grand gala that draws millions of viewers from around the world, but the first Academy Awards Ceremony was far less grand.

The idea for the Academy Awards was first proposed in 1927 by Louis B. Mayer, the head of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). Mayer wanted to create an awards ceremony that would generate positive publicity for Hollywood. He approached several prominent figures in the industry, including Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, and Cecil B. DeMille, to help him organize the event.

The first Academy Awards ceremony was held on May 16, 1929, at a private dinner party in the Blossom Room of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Only 270 people were present, and the ceremony lasted only 15 minutes.

However, despite its modest beginnings, the first Oscars marked the birth of one of Hollywood’s great extravaganzas.

The first Oscars ceremony

The first Academy Awards ceremony honored outstanding achievements in filmmaking during the 1927-1928 season. The newly-formed Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences chose the winners.

The winners were announced in a matter-of-fact way without the fanfare and spectacle of today’s ceremonies.

In fact, the winners had been notified ahead of time – 3 months earlier. However, the Academy asked them to keep the information a secret until the night of the event to add some suspense.

The ceremony was not broadcast on television or radio. There were 12 categories of awards at the first ceremony, including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, and Best Original Story.

The winners of the first Oscars included:

  • Emil Jannings for Best Actor
  • Janet Gaynor for Best Actress
  • “Wings” for Best Picture

“Wings” was a silent film about World War I fighter pilots. Audiences and critics praised the film’s impressive aerial battle scenes for their realism. As a result, the film was a commercial and critical success. It even helped to establish Hollywood as the center of the film industry.

From the red carpet arrivals to the emotional acceptance speeches, the Oscars have become an integral part of popular culture. With each passing year, the ceremony becomes more innovative. To this day, the Academy adds new technology and creative ideas to make the event more entertaining.

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Source: “The First Oscar Ceremony Lasted 15 Minutes. What Happened?” — The New York Times

WTF Fun Fact 12733 – The PAWSCARS

Each year, American Humane puts on its own award show to celebrate the “furry, winged, and scaled” members of television and film casts. It’s called the PAWSCARS™, and it celebrates animal actors past and present.

American Humane has long played a role in ensuring the health and safety of animals on entertainment sets. According to their website:

“Since 1877, American Humane has been at the forefront of every major advance in protecting animals from abuse and neglect. Today we’re also leading the way in understanding human-animal interaction and its role in society. American Humane advocates for the American values of caring, compassion and hope. Our programs enrich our communities, prevent abuse of animals, and embrace the power of the human-animal bond. American Humane works in association with the American film and TV industry to help ensure the well-being of animal actors and promote the human-animal bond. They are on the set to protect animal actors. American Humane also celebrates the achievements of extraordinary dogs across the country with its annual American Humane Hero Dog Awards™. In addition, the organization enlists and works with many celebrities who speak on behalf of the voiceless that American Humane aims to protect.”

Their Hollywood initiative also includes the annual award show, which we really think should be televised since we would totally watch that (and we’re sure other animal lovers would too!).

Interestingly, the ASPCA also has Pawscers Awards, but these go to adoptable animals throughout the country, not to animal actors.

American Humane’s PAWSCER awards got the most press in 2016, when fans voted on their all-time favorite animal movies. The winners included

Favorite Animal Buddy Movie of All Time: “Turner and Hooch”

Favorite Animal Drama of All Time: “Seabiscuit”

Favorite Animal Family Movie of All Time: “Old Yeller”

Frankly, we want to know what people were thinking when they chose Old Yeller, which has a pretty devastating ending and scarred generations of children. But to each their own – the people have spoken.

American Humane’s explanation was that “Disney’s timeless classic from 1957 is credited as one of the first films to demonstrate the importance of the human-animal bond, the inextricable link between people, pets and the world we share.”

Overall, the PAWSCERS are designed to honor “some of America’s most treasured institutions.” And while we haven’t heard much about the awards in the last few years, we think it’s time to add more animal award shows to the television line up!

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Source: “Pawscers Awards” – The American Humane Society