If there is anything we know about Hollywood, it’s that it doesn’t shy away from infamy. With the Oscar nominations released yesterday, what better time to reflect on some of the most iconic and memorable moments to happen at the awards show?
Without further ado, let’s take a trip down memory lane at some of the most infamous moments in Oscar history.
La La Land is mistakenly announced as Best Picture winner – 2017
In 2017, perhaps the most awkward moment in Oscars history unfolded before our eyes as La La Land was mistakenly announced as the winner of Best Picture.
Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty were presenting the award and, after the disaster happened, a close-up on the envelope in Beatty’s hand reveals that he was actually holding the envelope for Best Actress, which Emma Stone had just won for La La Land.
Dunaway then proceeded to read out the name of the only movie she could see on the card within the envelope, which was La La Land. The cast and crew flooded onto the stage and, while Mark Platt was in the middle of his thank you speech, a member of staff in a headset takes back the envelopes given to the La La Land producers Jordan Horowitz and Fred Berger.
The La La Land team are seemingly informed of the mistake and the representatives of PricewaterhouseCoopers (who oversee the Oscar vote) took to the stage to examine the envelopes. It is now clear to those on stage that La La Land did not win and Horowitz then tries to settle the audience celebrations at La La Land’s announced win by telling them ‘This is not a joke.’
At this point, Beatty has been given the right card, which Horowitz takes out of his hand and holds up to show the crows. He then hands over his Oscar to Barry Jenkins, the director of Moonlight and rightful owner of the award.
Marlon Brando refuses to accept award – 1973
In 1973 Marlon Brando refused to accept his Oscar for his performance as Vito Corleone in The Godfather as well as boycotting the ceremony. In his place, he sent Native American activist Sacheen Littlefeather to tell the Academy that he would not be accepting the award.
Littlefeather said that it was ‘the treatment of American Indians today by the film industry and on television and movie re-runs’ which led to Brando’s decision to refuse his award.
In a full speech released to the press Brando stated: ‘The motion picture community has been as responsible as any for degrading the Indian and making a mockery of his character, describing his as savage, hostile and evil.’
Björk lays eggs on the red carpet – 2001
This may be the strangest situation on this list, and it took place in 2001 when singer Björk laid eggs on the red carpet. She turned up to the awards show wearing a Marjan Pejoski dress made to look like a swan, complete with a swan neck curled around her own and a lifelike orange beak hanging over her shoulder.
Björk took the swan dress one step further and laid SIX eggs on the red carpet. In an interview later on, she said: ‘Other people’s bodyguards kept picking them up and saying in their thick American accents, ‘’Scuse me, ma’am, you dropped this.”‘
Barba Streisand and Katherine Hepburn tie for Best Actress – 1969
In 1969 perhaps the most memorable Oscar tie took place when Katherine Hepburn and Barbra Streisand both won the award for Best Actress. Presenter Ingrid Bergman looked as shocked as everyone else when she announced the results, with Streisand winning for Funny Girl, and Hepburn winning for The Lion in Winter.
Hepburn did not attend the show, which meant that Streisand was able to enjoy her first Oscar win alone in the spotlight.
A streaker runs across the awards show stage – 1974
In 1974 David Niven was able to show off his quick wit and unflappable presenting skills when a streaker ran across the stage. Niven was about to introduce Elizabeth Taylor when a naked man dashed from one end of the stage to the other.
Niven reacted coolly, stating: ‘Isn’t it fascinating to think that probably the only laugh that man will ever get in his life is by stripping off and showing his shortcomings?’
Rob Lowe duets with Snow White on stage – 1989
At the 61st Academy Awards, Rob Lowe took to the stage for a performance of Proud Mary with Snow White, who was played by Eileen Bowman. The 15-minute sketch was met with criticism as the New York Times reported that the bit had earned a ‘permanent place in the annals of Oscar embarrassments.’
It was so bad, in fact, that 17 celebrities (including Paul Newman, Gregory Peck, Billy Wilder, and Julie Andrews) all wrote a letter calling the performance ‘an embarrassment to both the Academy and the entire picture industry.’
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