Academy Award Dinner Dull

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 94, 20 April 1940, Page 6 (Supplement)

Academy Award Dinner Dull

Film News

JT was ten minutes of one a.m. —nearly five hours after the starting bell—before that twelfth annual Academy Award dinner managed to whip up a flicker of excitement. Some 1200 persons paying 10 dollars and 25 dollars a seat, and jammed into every corner and aisle of the Coconut Grove to watch Hollywood's creative cream get paid off in coppery hardware for superlative effort in 1939, were restlessly eyeing the exits. The evening had developed into the predicted runaway race for Dave .Selznick and his "Gone With the Wind." Speech-making had been lonp, stuffv. and ponderously beside, the issues involved. Then, with only a pair of statuettes to best supporting actor and actress, the drooping Academy dinner belatedly came to life.

8y... Harold Hefiernan

landed by orchids and her face was wreathed in a radiant smile fhat seemed to light a path through the semidarkness of the room.

"Meanwhile, the crowd was tendering her an ovation never paralleled in academy history. Miss McDaniel couldn't help but feel the emotioi>al impact of that situation. Before she reached the microphone her handkerchief was dabbing at wet eves. "Mv heart is too full of express ".,11 I feel about this greatest kindness in mv life," she concluded. Then she burst into tears and sobbed all the way back to her table.

Gowned in full-skirted flowered dress. Vivien (Scarlett O'Hara) Leigh, one picture (but what a picture) sensation of the year, was briefly sincere and wept a few tears, too. as she was handed the "best actress" statuette hv Spencer Tracy. Tracy came out of the hospital to do honours on major trophy awards. Only a year ago he was on the other side of the dais, receiving one for his work ir "Boys' Town."

Without Prejudice In the neatest introductory gesture of the. evening, Miss Bainter paid "lowing tribute to the 12/(00 voting members of the organisation for "opening the doors wide and noving back the walls of racial prejudice'' in making iheir selection for best supporting actress. Spectators stifled their yawns and leaned forward expectantly—they gasped . for Miss Bainter had called for Hattie McDaniel, plump "Mammy" of "Gone With the "Wind," to come and receive this award ... 1 here was sile.nce for several moments and then the tumult got ujider way.

Bob Hope was the evening's white hope in a comedy way. but was too often throttled 'by "deadly serious

In one of his four separate acceptance speeches, Selznick confessed he'd caused a lot of trouble for his associates, called himself a "nagger" and regretted that his secretary had "literally turned grey" during the picture's making.

I. Frank Freeman, Paramount'* Dixie-born general manager, and of real confederacy fighting" stock, was selected to tender die "best picture" statuette to Selznick, and did so with a neat southern twang. Referring to the Atlanta depot scene with its "vast panorama of wounded soldiers, Freeman told Selznick it was a movie

"boner." ''If we'd had anywhere near that many men in our army we'd have whipped all the damn Yankees," lie said. Ihe Twelfth Annual goes down in the bonks as a lack-lustre event, and better management, real showmanship must be applied if the academy is to hold its place in the Hollywood sun. In 1!I41 there may be no last-minute showsaver like Iluttie McDuniel.

From far hack in the balcony spaces, out of eight of the speaker's dais even, the huge negro actress came, tugging her way around the closely-packed tables . . . her head and gown were gar-

speakers who over-ran the occasion. Five minute* of novelist Sinclair Lewis, who presided over the writing statuettes, was also a fleeting joy that contributed a spattering of verbal virility. Hope referred to the event as "a "benefit for Dave Selznick" and, fondly patting a gleaming '-Oscar," remarked. "I knew you when you were a radiator cap." Selznick and his picture swept up ten out of a possible 16 awards, for a batting average of .620, also for no comparison in academy annals.

IH\ LAMOL R is not wearing a sarong in "Dance With the Devil." lint you see just as much of her figure in a strapless, form-fitting, black velvet e\tiling gown, wiii.es Sheilah Graham. ♦ ♦ ♦ .♦ COOPKR'S feud with Sam Goldwvn has reached the point where, if Goldwvn conies on his set ("The Westerner") Gary walks off.

JF .Toel McCrea is wondering why the friends lie invites to visit him on (lie "Primrose Path" set fail to appear, it s J i era use his leading lady, dinger .Rogers, countermands his orders. 4 + + -f -4J VONDKK why Metro lias planned no immediate picture for Judv Garland? (asks Sheilah IJrahain). It's several . months now since she completed '"Babes in Anns," and Judv is raring to get. in ] front of the cameras again.

<$, AUKR, who appeared with Sandy and Bing Cro*l>y in "East Side of Heaven," the infant star's first film, and again in "Unexpected Father," her second, will be conspicuously fe . ..o-.-j- T. 4 f