Making Of The 'Oscars'

By Staff

Friday, February 27, 2009, 16:06

Oscar comes home to India and A. R Rahman is the man of the moment. Since a long time various personalities from the Indian film fraternity have tried their hands for the 'golden boy'. After various nominations at the Academy awards, 'Jai Ho' emerges with colors of success and Rahman, Gulzaar and Resul Pottukutty bring the statue to India.

So what are the Oscars all about and what makes them the most sought after awards all over the world? Here is a little history about the Golden statue. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is fondly known as 'Oscars'. The first awards function was held on May 16, 1929 at the Hotel Roosevelt in Hollywood. The event was hosted by actor Douglas Fairbanks and director William C. deMille with less than 250 people as audience.

The earliest awards were broad casted at the radio and later on the TV since the 1953. Oscars is the oldest, most influential and most prestigious of awards. A nomination in one of the categories provides a major boost to one's career and winning the Oscars is the ultimate achievement for any performer. The winners are announced as per the voting systems of the jury and the results are strictly confidential, sealed in to an envelope that is revealed on the spot. The phrase 'envelope please' has become a popular one since 1941, the year the secrecy was completely observed. This system came to practice after the Los Angeles Times announced the winners before the ceremony began. At those times the names of the winners would be revealed to the papers at 11 p.m of the award night.

While much has already been mentioned about the Academy awards, the history behind the making of the golden statue is an interesting one. The award is officially known 'Academy award of merit' and depicts a naked knight holding a crusader's sword on a reel of film. The statue however, was designed by the original Academy member, Cedric Gibbons. The statue was modeled on Mexican director Emilio Fernandez, who initially was hesitant to go cloth less. The statue was sculpted by George Stanley and casted by Sachin Smith. The original mold was made out of tin and copper and plated in gold at the C.W. Shumway & Sons Foundry in Batavia, Illinois.

There remain various versions to the naming of the awards as 'Oscars'. While one of the oldest claims is by Bette Davis who says she named the statue after her late husband, Harmon Oscar Nelson, another version claims that Margaret Herrick, a Academy executive secretary commented that the statue resembled her 'uncle Oscar. The comment crept in to the headlines by the columnist Qiang Skolsky who wrote 'Employees have affectionately dubbed their famous statuette 'Oscar'. The awards were officially dubbed as 'Oscar' in the year 1939 by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.

Since its creation, the Academy has tried its best to maintain strict high morals of nominating the deserving, while minimizing any political, personal, pressure or promotion effects at the box-office. The only time the golden statues were replaced with plaster of Paris cast was during the world war II, these were later returned with the original gold plated ones after the war.

Today the little 'golden boy' stands 13.5 inches tall, weighing 3.85 kg and is made of the alloy britannium on a black metal base. The story of the Oscars has been a long one, from the Hotel Roosevelt to the Kodak Theater today, the little golden boy has traveled far and wide and romanced various personalities, all of whom have struggled to prove their excellence. While the rest of the Showbiz returns back to its 'lights-camera and action', Oscar waits like a silent spectator, for the next chosen few who will swear by their lives that 'this is the moment they have been waiting for!'