Jeff Margolis will never forget his first time directing the Academy Awards — we won’t let him.
This year marks the 35th anniversary of the 61st Academy Awards. You may not remember that “Rain Man” won Best Picture, Barry Levinson Best Director, Dustin Hoffman Best Actor, and Jodie Foster Best Actress for “The Accused.” But seared into our collective subconscious is the production number that opened the show — already, you’re cringing at the thought — featuring Snow White and Rob Lowe.
To this day, clickbait headlines (from The Guardian in 2019: “How Snow White and Some Coconuts Killed the 1989 Oscars”) are a testament to that debacle’s enduring legacy. Hollywood, nor the world, had never seen anything like it, which was kind of the whole point of the thing, according to Margolis, who spoke to IndieWire about his memories of what Collider just last year proclaimed, “the worst moment in Oscars history…...
This year marks the 35th anniversary of the 61st Academy Awards. You may not remember that “Rain Man” won Best Picture, Barry Levinson Best Director, Dustin Hoffman Best Actor, and Jodie Foster Best Actress for “The Accused.” But seared into our collective subconscious is the production number that opened the show — already, you’re cringing at the thought — featuring Snow White and Rob Lowe.
To this day, clickbait headlines (from The Guardian in 2019: “How Snow White and Some Coconuts Killed the 1989 Oscars”) are a testament to that debacle’s enduring legacy. Hollywood, nor the world, had never seen anything like it, which was kind of the whole point of the thing, according to Margolis, who spoke to IndieWire about his memories of what Collider just last year proclaimed, “the worst moment in Oscars history…...
- 3/8/2024
- by Donald Liebenson
- Indiewire
How do you follow an Oscars night like last year’s?
Amid all the unscripted Will Smith dramatics at the 2022 Academy Awards, it was easy to overlook the well-received performance from the ceremony’s three hosts: Regina Hall, Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes.
This year, producers will surely be hoping for a more subdued night, with Jimmy Kimmel set to compere the event.
It’s no wonder that finding the right person for the job has proven difficult in recent years.
Presenting the Oscars is a tricky thing; success as a comedian, as a TV presenter or as an actor in no way guarantees a successful turn at the ceremonies. And a bad host can tarnish the night, for viewers and for the Academy.
On the other hand, a great host can elevate an awards night beyond simply its winners and losers.
Frequent hosts Bob Hope and Billy Crystal became...
Amid all the unscripted Will Smith dramatics at the 2022 Academy Awards, it was easy to overlook the well-received performance from the ceremony’s three hosts: Regina Hall, Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes.
This year, producers will surely be hoping for a more subdued night, with Jimmy Kimmel set to compere the event.
It’s no wonder that finding the right person for the job has proven difficult in recent years.
Presenting the Oscars is a tricky thing; success as a comedian, as a TV presenter or as an actor in no way guarantees a successful turn at the ceremonies. And a bad host can tarnish the night, for viewers and for the Academy.
On the other hand, a great host can elevate an awards night beyond simply its winners and losers.
Frequent hosts Bob Hope and Billy Crystal became...
- 2/23/2023
- by Louis Chilton
- The Independent - Film
How do you follow an Oscars night like last year’s?
Amid all the unscripted Will Smith dramatics at the 2022 Academy Awards, it was easy to overlook the well-received performance from the ceremony’s three hosts: Regina Hall, Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes.
This year, producers will surely be hoping for a more subdued night, with Jimmy Kimmel set to compere the event.
It’s no wonder that finding the right person for the job has proven difficult in recent years.
Presenting the Oscars is a tricky thing; success as a comedian, as a TV presenter or as an actor in no way guarantees a successful turn at the ceremonies. And a bad host can tarnish the night, for viewers and for the Academy.
On the other hand, a great host can elevate an awards night beyond simply its winners and losers.
Frequent hosts Bob Hope and Billy Crystal became...
Amid all the unscripted Will Smith dramatics at the 2022 Academy Awards, it was easy to overlook the well-received performance from the ceremony’s three hosts: Regina Hall, Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes.
This year, producers will surely be hoping for a more subdued night, with Jimmy Kimmel set to compere the event.
It’s no wonder that finding the right person for the job has proven difficult in recent years.
Presenting the Oscars is a tricky thing; success as a comedian, as a TV presenter or as an actor in no way guarantees a successful turn at the ceremonies. And a bad host can tarnish the night, for viewers and for the Academy.
On the other hand, a great host can elevate an awards night beyond simply its winners and losers.
Frequent hosts Bob Hope and Billy Crystal became...
- 1/26/2023
- by Louis Chilton
- The Independent - Film
How do you follow an Oscars night like last year’s?
Amid all the unscripted Will Smith dramatics at the 2022 Academy Awards, it was easy to overlook the well-received performance from the ceremony’s three hosts: Regina Hall, Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes.
This year, producers will surely be hoping for a more subdued night, with Jimmy Kimmel set to compere the event.
It’s no wonder that finding the right person for the job has proven difficult in recent years.
Presenting the Oscars is a tricky thing; success as a comedian, as a TV presenter or as an actor in no way guarantees a successful turn at the ceremonies. And a bad host can tarnish the night, for viewers and for the Academy.
On the other hand, a great host can elevate an awards night beyond simply its winners and losers.
Frequent hosts Bob Hope and Billy Crystal became...
Amid all the unscripted Will Smith dramatics at the 2022 Academy Awards, it was easy to overlook the well-received performance from the ceremony’s three hosts: Regina Hall, Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes.
This year, producers will surely be hoping for a more subdued night, with Jimmy Kimmel set to compere the event.
It’s no wonder that finding the right person for the job has proven difficult in recent years.
Presenting the Oscars is a tricky thing; success as a comedian, as a TV presenter or as an actor in no way guarantees a successful turn at the ceremonies. And a bad host can tarnish the night, for viewers and for the Academy.
On the other hand, a great host can elevate an awards night beyond simply its winners and losers.
Frequent hosts Bob Hope and Billy Crystal became...
- 1/26/2023
- by Louis Chilton
- The Independent - Film
Sometimes, Oscars hosts are like buses... there never seem to be any, and then three come at once.
After three years in which the Academy Awards took place with no hosts, this year’s ceremony will see Amy Schumer, Wanda Sykes and Regina Hall share hosting duties.
It’s no wonder that finding the right person for the job has proven difficult in recent years.
Presenting the Oscars is a tricky job; success as a comedian, as a TV presenter or as an actor in no way guarantees a successful turn at the ceremonies. And a bad host can tarnish the night, for viewers and for the Academy.
On the other hand, a great host can elevate an awards night beyond simply its winners and losers.
Frequent hosts Bob Hope and Billy Crystal became renowned for their ability as comperes, defining, for many viewers, their respective eras of Oscar history.
After three years in which the Academy Awards took place with no hosts, this year’s ceremony will see Amy Schumer, Wanda Sykes and Regina Hall share hosting duties.
It’s no wonder that finding the right person for the job has proven difficult in recent years.
Presenting the Oscars is a tricky job; success as a comedian, as a TV presenter or as an actor in no way guarantees a successful turn at the ceremonies. And a bad host can tarnish the night, for viewers and for the Academy.
On the other hand, a great host can elevate an awards night beyond simply its winners and losers.
Frequent hosts Bob Hope and Billy Crystal became renowned for their ability as comperes, defining, for many viewers, their respective eras of Oscar history.
- 3/27/2022
- by Louis Chilton
- The Independent - Film
No host, no problem. One of the biggest questions surrounding the 2019 Oscars was how exactly the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science were going to open the awards ceremony without a host. Now we have our answer: Queen.
As first teased back at the start of February, iconic rock band Queen kicked off the show by singing “We Will Rock You” and “We are the Champions” with frontman Adam Lambert. The Queen and Freddie Mercury biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody” earned five Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. A giant projection of Freddie Mercury appeared on the screen at the back of the stage as the medley came to its conclusion. After Queen took the stage, the Academy aired a supercut that brought together the year in film in 2018, from nominees to non-nominees.
The first group of presenters was Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Maya Rudolph. “There is no host tonight. There...
As first teased back at the start of February, iconic rock band Queen kicked off the show by singing “We Will Rock You” and “We are the Champions” with frontman Adam Lambert. The Queen and Freddie Mercury biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody” earned five Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. A giant projection of Freddie Mercury appeared on the screen at the back of the stage as the medley came to its conclusion. After Queen took the stage, the Academy aired a supercut that brought together the year in film in 2018, from nominees to non-nominees.
The first group of presenters was Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Maya Rudolph. “There is no host tonight. There...
- 2/25/2019
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Say what you will about Rob Lowe, but the “Parks & Recreation” star knows How to be self-effacing.
On Wednesday, he weighed in on the Film Academy’s announcement of a new Oscars category, “outstanding achievement in popular film.” Lowe told his followers on Twitter that he thinks it ranks among the worst-ever Academy decisions — and he would know:
Seriously, this “best pop movie” category is the worst idea the Academy has had since they asked me to sing with Snow White.
— Rob Lowe (@RobLowe) August 9, 2018
Also Read: Oscars: What Does It Take to Become a Member of the Motion Picture Academy Anyway?
Lowe is referring to the infamous opening of the 1989 Academy Awards, in which Snow White (played by actress Eileen Bowman) led a changing roster of actors through a medley of songs. Five minutes in, Lowe appeared as Snow White’s “blind date.” It was cheesy.
Watch below and...
On Wednesday, he weighed in on the Film Academy’s announcement of a new Oscars category, “outstanding achievement in popular film.” Lowe told his followers on Twitter that he thinks it ranks among the worst-ever Academy decisions — and he would know:
Seriously, this “best pop movie” category is the worst idea the Academy has had since they asked me to sing with Snow White.
— Rob Lowe (@RobLowe) August 9, 2018
Also Read: Oscars: What Does It Take to Become a Member of the Motion Picture Academy Anyway?
Lowe is referring to the infamous opening of the 1989 Academy Awards, in which Snow White (played by actress Eileen Bowman) led a changing roster of actors through a medley of songs. Five minutes in, Lowe appeared as Snow White’s “blind date.” It was cheesy.
Watch below and...
- 8/9/2018
- by Ross A. Lincoln
- The Wrap
While the Oscars are primarily about great movies and contemporary glamor, they're also a tremendous source of awkwardness. The mortifying moments of the Academy Awards are just as memorable as the "Titanic"-size triumphs, and today we're remembering the ten times we clutched our throats hardest in Oscar-induced agony. 1. Melissa Leo swears, rambles, and forces Kirk Douglas to do prop comedy. Melissa Leo's infamous "Consider" campaign, in which the respected "Homicide: Life on the Street" actress vied for an Oscar with a bizarrely egomaniacal poster promo, sullied the excitement around her great performance in "The Fighter." But somehow she made things worse by winning the Oscar, throwing down a senseless, weird speech (complete with an f-bomb), and enacting a hokey cane dance with presenter Kirk Douglas. Easily the most cringe-inducing dais moment of the past decade. 2. David Niven notices a nudist's shortcomings. He didn't lose his cool, but three-time...
- 2/15/2015
- by Louis Virtel
- Hitfix
From Jack leching over Jennifer to John Wayne's farewell and Brando's no-show, these are just some of the greatest moments at the Oscars ceremonies ever
1. When Jack met Jennifer
This is perhaps my favourite Oscar moment ever, and it is from last year: the 85th Academy Awards in 2013. Tellingly, it does not take place up on stage, in the often tense and frozen ritual of the awards ceremony itself, but happens in the cheerful buzz of the post-show melee backstage. This single, endlessly replayed clip probably did more for Jennifer Lawrence's public profile than anything on the big screen.
Reading on mobile? Click here to see Jack Nicholson surprise Jennifer Lawrence
George Stephanopoulos, the former Bill Clinton aide who later made a career in TV, was conducting on-the-hoof interviews for ABC and had grabbed 22-year-old Lawrence to talk about her best actress Oscar for Silver Linings Playbook. The...
1. When Jack met Jennifer
This is perhaps my favourite Oscar moment ever, and it is from last year: the 85th Academy Awards in 2013. Tellingly, it does not take place up on stage, in the often tense and frozen ritual of the awards ceremony itself, but happens in the cheerful buzz of the post-show melee backstage. This single, endlessly replayed clip probably did more for Jennifer Lawrence's public profile than anything on the big screen.
Reading on mobile? Click here to see Jack Nicholson surprise Jennifer Lawrence
George Stephanopoulos, the former Bill Clinton aide who later made a career in TV, was conducting on-the-hoof interviews for ABC and had grabbed 22-year-old Lawrence to talk about her best actress Oscar for Silver Linings Playbook. The...
- 2/28/2014
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
The opening of the 61st annual Academy Awards in 1989 was a train wreck, to be polite. It was 15 minutes of dumpster fire disguised as a cheery dance number featuring an actress playing Snow White and Rob Lowe (as himself, bizarrely). Needless to say, it's an incident that the Academy and those who run the Oscars would like to forget.
Thankfully, however, there has emerged one silver lining, a hilarious detail that falls squarely under the category of "How the hell did we not know about this for 24 years?," as brought to us by The Hollywood Reporter: According to Snow White herself, Eileen Bowman, the Snow White dress was purchased after the show for $23,000. By a man. Who chose to be buried in it.
That's right. The dress from a night that Hollywood folk only speak of in hushed tones sold for five figures, to a guy who was buying it for himself,...
- 2/21/2013
- by Nick Blake
- NextMovie
The 61st Academy Awards was a huge disaster. Organizers played musical chairs with several traditional aspects of the ceremony, but the biggest change in plans concerned the host. This awards show didn't have a host. Instead, it had a bizarre opening performance featuring Merv Griffin, Eileen Bowman (as Snow White) and Rob Lowe, which ended up being a total mistake. Audiences everywhere cringed as Lowe and Bowman sang an ultra-showbiz version of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Proud Mary." There was also dancing and a whole slew of embarrassing things that prompted major industry stars — including Paul Newman, Gregory Peck, Julie Andrews and Billy Wilder — to sign an open letter expressing their disgust for the telecast. ...
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- 2/21/2013
- by Alison Nastasi
- Movies.com
Maybe you don't remember what happened on the Academy Awards stage on March 29, 1989, but a once aspiring ingénue named Eileen Bowman will never be able to forget it. It was the night that defined her acting career, and sunk her Hollywood dreams it in one fell swoop. It was the 61st Annual Academy Awards, and Bowman was set to make her screen debut in front of all of Hollywood's brightest stars as well as a national television audience. It seemed a huge opportunity, a chance to become a star! She was to play Snow White opposite post-sex scandal Rob Lowe, playing Prince Charming. Together the two sang and danced through a 15-minute number that has gone down as one of the worst in Oscar history. Refresh your memory below, thanks to this montage from THR. Even in these snippets, this glitzy and garish number is hard to watch. Now ...
- 2/21/2013
- cinemablend.com
This story first appeared in the March 1 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Once upon a time -- March 29, 1989, to be exact -- a 22-year-old aspiring actress named Eileen Bowman thought that all her dreams were about to come true. She was very wrong. By all accounts, a global debut on ABC's telecast of the 61st Academy Awards should have been an auspicious launching pad. Instead, playing Snow White alongside Rob Lowe in a musical debacle, she instantly found a place in Oscar infamy. The campy live number, arranged and conducted by Marvin Hamlisch, was as over-
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- 2/20/2013
- by Seth Abramovitch
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sergei Eisenstein reportedly called "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" the greatest movie ever made. That's especially high praise coming from the director who virtually invented avant-garde cinema, but it's hard to argue with Walt Disney's landmark achievement. The first feature-length animated movie, "Snow White" began its record-breaking run in theaters 75 years ago this week (on Feb. 4, 1938), and it was hailed immediately, both for its instant impact in transforming the medium and for what proved to be an enduring work of screen storytelling and vivid artistry. Before "Snow White," animation was widely dismissed as crudely drawn short films with singing and talking animals, strictly for kids. But Disney proved animation could work at feature length and yield results as artistically satisfying as live-action film. Today, "Snow White" stands as the template for virtually every animated feature made since, as well as the cornerstone of all the Disney family-entertainment empire has built over the past 75 years.
- 2/7/2013
- by Gary Susman
- Moviefone
With the 82nd annual Academy Awards almost upon us, let the set pieces of the 1989 edition be a solemn warning to this year's producers
Only a few days to go before the Oscars, and once again I am compelled to make a YouTube journey back in time, to encounter the ghost of Oscar ceremonies past. Columnist Christopher Hitchens famously said that it is impossible to have a nourishing conversation about last year's Oscar results, but it is possible to have a necrophiliac thrill.
Inspired by a recent blog from Variety columnist Peter Bart, I have found myself going back to the now horribly notorious 1989 ceremony, which became reviled for its extraordinarily embarrassing and overblown set-piece routines. Today's nominees may find themselves chafing at the new rules about keeping the ceremony manageable and the speeches short, but the awful lesson of 1989 should be enough to keep everyone in line.
Bart refers to a new book,...
Only a few days to go before the Oscars, and once again I am compelled to make a YouTube journey back in time, to encounter the ghost of Oscar ceremonies past. Columnist Christopher Hitchens famously said that it is impossible to have a nourishing conversation about last year's Oscar results, but it is possible to have a necrophiliac thrill.
Inspired by a recent blog from Variety columnist Peter Bart, I have found myself going back to the now horribly notorious 1989 ceremony, which became reviled for its extraordinarily embarrassing and overblown set-piece routines. Today's nominees may find themselves chafing at the new rules about keeping the ceremony manageable and the speeches short, but the awful lesson of 1989 should be enough to keep everyone in line.
Bart refers to a new book,...
- 3/5/2010
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
It was like watching a train wreck. Or, more precisely, a Carr crash. Flamboyant producer Allan Carr, responsible for such excesses as the hit movie musical Grease and the dead-in-its-tracks disco flick Can't Stop the Music, spearheaded 1989's 61st Academy Awards and ended up delivering what is roundly considered the cheesiest Oscar show ever, the one that kicked off with an off-key Rob Lowe singing "Proud Mary" to a ditsy Snow White - and prompted the Walt Disney Company to threaten legal action. But, as Variety senior editor Robert Hofler points out in his fair-minded new bio of the late impresario,...
- 2/28/2010
- by Stephen M. Silverman
- PEOPLE.com
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