Academy Awards 1995 – tape 1958

It seems to be Oscar season on the blog at the moment, as here’s yet another Oscars ceremony, this time the 67th, in 1995, and the first time it was shown live on BBC2.

Barry Norman is there to introduce proceedings. This tape does suffer from poor audio a bit, which is annoying.

After a very choppily edited Red Carpet montage – pictures of Hugh Grant and Liz Hurley: “Charming young romantic star…” cut to the big-face of Quentin Tarantino “…Hugh Grant and Quentin Tarantino nominated tonight” – the ceremony starts, as the president of the academy, Arthur Hiller, telling us that it’s the 100th birthday of movie distribution, and the theme of the ceremony is comedy, a category that the Academy never fails to overlook. There’s also a shout out for the National Endowment of the Arts, and for Film Preservation.

There’s a montage, produced by Chuck Workman, who seems to specialise in these things. It features Tim Curry, happy as always to be reminded of his most famous role.

Also featuring the young Mara Wilson

And Kathy Najimy.

On my recording, the sound sync goes very wonky halfway through – a second or two out, although it mostly sorts itself out by the end. I think this must have been a broadcast glitch as I don’t think my recording can go out of sync like that. Here’s a copy on YouTube that doesn’t have the sync problem, and it’s a lot of fun. Performers literally jump in and out of the screen, and it’s incredibly well done – particularly the roller skater who cartwheels back into the screen and exactly matches the film. In a way, I don’t think we’re quite getting the full effect, because what we’re seeing could just be all TV tricks, but I assume the live audience saw the same thing. Great stuff.

After this, we’re introduced to our host for the evening. Yes, it’s David Letterman. Will the accomplished and funny star of late night TV prove a good fit for Hollywood’s biggest night? We’ll see.

He opens with his now infamous “Oprah… Uma…” bit. It didn’t really land. His monologue isn’t too bad. There’s also a bit where he goes out on the New York streets and asks cabbies about movies. Again, it’s OK, and I like that they invited all the cabbies to the ceremony.

At least we’re on to the awards, and the first award of the night is presented by a newly hirsute Tommy Lee Jones. It’s for Best Supporting Actress.

It’s won by Dianne Wiest in Bullets over Broadway. Nice to see a comedy performance get the first award of the night.

There’s an ad break, so we cross to Barry Norman, hosting on his own right now, live from the Miramax Oscar party. Hmm. Here’s a compilation of all Barry’s bits from the show, as well as a round-up that was shown the next day.

Presenting the next award, for Costume Design, is Sharon Stone.

It’s won by Lizzy Gardner and Tim Chappel for The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. It looks like Lizzy’s dress is made of gold American Express cards.

Keanu Reeves introduces the first Best Film nomination, Pulp Fiction.

Rene Russo introduces the first nominated song performance.

From The Paper, ‘Make Up Your Mind’ is performed by Randy Newman.

Another break, and now Barry is joined by Tracey Ullman.

There’s a nice gag from Letterman coming out of the break. “Bad news, ladies and gentlemen, while we were gon Lizzy Gardner’s dress expired.”

There’s a montage of physical comedy, scored by Danny Elfman’s music for Back to School.

Uma Thurman presents the award for Best Makeup

It’s won by Rick Baker, Ve Neill and Yolanda Toussieng for Ed Wood.

There’s another bit from Letterman. He gets Tom Hanks to come up on stage and help unroll a piece of carpeting.

It’s Sadie, the dog who spins when you applaud.

Tom Hanks looks genuinely perplexed by this bit so it clearly wasn’t rehearsed.

To present the award for Sound Effects Editing, it’s Sarah Jessica Parker.

It’s won by Stephen Hunter Flick for Speed.

Steve Martin presents the award for Best Editing.

It’s won by Arthur Schmidt for Forrest Gump

Back to Barry and Tracey, and Tracey is not a fan of Forrest Gump.

Sally Field introduces the next Best Film nominee, Forrest Gump.

Anna Paquin presents the Best Supporting Actor award.

It’s won by Martin Landau. In his speech he mentions journalist Rod Lurie, who had a streak at the time of getting actors to namecheck him in their acceptance speeches. He also mentions his daughters, one of whom, Juliet, is Drusilla in Buffy. He also, rather rudely, gets played off as his speech goes on a bit long.

Matt Dillon introduces the second nominated song, ‘Look at What Love has Done’ from Junior.

It’s performed by Patty Smyth

Oprah introduces the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.

It’s presented to Quincy Jones.

Back to Barry Norman, who now has Tom Brook with him. There’s an interview with Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, and he asks her how it feels when Tom thanks her so profusely when winning awards. Her answer is quite telling. “I’m only hearing what he has told me before privately, but the repercussions are what other women say later on. ‘My husband has never said anything!'” At which point Hanks kind of does a slight eyeroll. I bet he’s thinking what I sometimes think – it’s so great of so many scummy men to set the bar so very low that just behaving like a decent human being somehow makes you Man of the Year.

Back to the ceremony, and it’s Paul Newman, presenting the award for Best Cinematography. I think there might have been a teleprompter glitch, as he only reads one of the nominee’s names. And he can tell there’s been a glitch, because he says “And the Oscar goes to” then pauses and looks puzzled. “Should I go back and do that again? No.” I hope there was someone off camera telling him to go on.

The winner is John Toll for Legends of the Fall. And he has the presence of mind by starting his speech by naming the other four nominees, which is pretty good under the circumstances.

I love Jamie Lee Curtis’s entrance.

She’s there to talk about the scientific and technical awards.

Tim Allen presents the Best Live Action Short film award

In a surprising turn, it’s a tie between Trevor – Peggy Rajski and Randy Stone

and Franz Kafka’s It’s a Wonderful Life – Peter Capaldi and Ruth Kenley-Letts. So this is the answer to the pub quiz trivia question ‘Which Doctor Who was also an Oscar Winner?’

The Best Animated Short award is presented by Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck

It’s won by Bob’s Birthday – Alison Snowden and David Fine.

Back to Barry at the party, who has Michael Grade talking about Channel Four’s success this year

Gregory Peck introduces the third nominated film, Quiz Show.

The next presenters are Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon. Dave Letterman introduces them with “Pay attention, I’m sure they’re pissed about something.”

The award for Art Direction goes to Ken Adam and Carolyn Scott for The Madness of King George.

Presenting the award for Best Visual Effects is Steven Seagal.

Winning for Forrest Gump are Ken Ralston, George Murphy, Stephen Rosenbaum and Allen Hall.

There’s a bit about Letterman’s movie debut in a film called Cabin Boy.

Then there’s a look at some of the auditionees who didn’t get the part. Also, a Top Ten list.

Letterman also introduces Bill Conti, who’s musical director again.

Angela Bassett introduces two song performances from The Lion King.

First it’s ‘Circle of Life’ performed by Lebo M

and Hinton Battle (who played the Dancing Demon in Once More with Feeling if he seems familiar).

while Ernie Sabella and David Allen Grier perform Hakuna Matata.

Back to Barry, and he’s there with Alan Parker and Madonna, who are going to be making a film of Evita.

The next presenters are John Travolta and Samuel L Jackson

The award for Documentary Short Subject is won by Charles Guggenheim for A Time for Justice.

The award for Documentary Feature goes to Freda Lee Mock and Terry Sanders for Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision

Ellen Barkin presents the award for Best Sound.

The winners are Gregg Landaker Steve Maslow Bob Beemer David R B MacMillan for Speed.

Jack Nicholson presents an honorary Oscar.

It goes to Michelangelo Antonioni. He’s obviously a bit infirm, as his wife speaks for him.

Back to Barry and Alan Parker (Madonna has gone off looking for some sausage rolls and Coronation Chicken sandwiches).

After a montage of great comedy teams, the next presenters are Hugh Grant and Andie MacDowell, presenting Best Original Score.

It’s won by Hans Zimmer, for The Lion King. I’m not a big fan of Zimmer’s influence on film music. As far as I’m concerned, he peaked with the theme tune for Going for Gold.

Jeremy Irons presents the award for Best Foreign Language Film.

It’s won by a Russian film, Burnt by the Sun. Director Nikita Mikhalkov accepts, and brings his daughter (who was also in the film) on stage. “First time in my life I didn’t have a problem with an actress.”

Julia Ormond introduces the last Best Song performance.

It’s another song from The Lion King, ‘Can You Feel The Love Tonight’ performed by Elton John

And look, there’s Ray Cooper on percussion.

Back to Barry for another break, talking to the team behind Four Weddings and a Funeral.

The next award is for Best Song, presented by Sylvester Stallone.

It’s won by Tim Rice and Elton John for ‘Can You Feel The Love Tonight’

Annette Bening introduces the next nominated film, Four Weddings and a Funeral

Anthony Hopkins presents the award for Best Original Screenplay.

It’s won by Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary. I wonder if it really irked Tarantino to have to share the award, since he and Avary had written the original stories a long time before the film was made, and I bet a lot of it was rewritten. And Avary is sat a long way away from the rest of the Pulp Fiction posse.

The award for Best Adapted Screenplay goes to Eric Roth for Forrest Gump.

Sigourney Weaver introduces the In Memoriam segment.

Back to Barry, now joined by Greta Scacchi

Arnold Schwarzenegger presents the Irving Thalberg award.

It goes to Clint Eastwood.

Tom Hanks presents the award for Best Actress.

It’s won by Jessica Lange, for Blue Sky, this year’s film that nobody now remembers. There’s always one.

Back to Barry Norman, who is hoping that Nigel Hawthorne wins Best Actor.

Denzel Washington presents the next Best Picture nominee, The Shawshank Redemption.

Holly Hunter presents the award for Best Actor.

The winner, as for last year, is Tom Hanks for Forrest Gump. He is, if anything, more emotional than he was last year.

Steven Spielberg presents the Best Director award.

It goes to Robert Zemeckis for Forrest Gump. 

Back to the Miramax party, and Barry and Tom Brook are still puzzling over the strange thrall that Forrest Gump has over the American audience.

Then it’s time for the final award of the night, presented by Robert De Niro and Al Pacino.

The winner is Forrest Gump, accepted by producers Wendy Finerman, Steve Tisch and Steve Starkey.

BBC Genome: BBC Two – 27th March 1995 – 03:00

After this, recording switches to the end of BBC1’s showing of the edited ceremony, when Barry Norman does his round-up of the evening, also included in the links. Among the people he catches going in to parties are Peter Capaldi and Ruth Kenley-Letts.

BBC Genome: BBC One – 28th March 1995 – 22:30

There’s a trailer for the Laurence Olivier Awards.

Then the recording stops, and underneath there’s a bit of Open University. The tape ends during this.