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The Oscar (film)
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The Oscar is a 1966 drama film, written by Harlan Ellison, Clarence Greene, Russell Rouse and Richard Sale, directed by Rouse and starring Stephen Boyd, singer Tony Bennett (in his film debut), comedian Milton Berle (in a dramatic role), Elke Sommer, Ernest Borgnine, Jill St. John, and Eleanor Parker. The film also features Bob Hope, Hedda Hopper, Merle Oberon, Frank Sinatra and Nancy Sinatra as themselves.
The film features an impressive cast and crew, including several real Academy Award winners: eight time costume design winner Edith Head; best actor winners Ernest Borgnine and Broderick Crawford; best supporting actor winners Ed Begley, Walter Brennan (three wins), James Dunn, and Frank Sinatra.
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Encyclopedia
The Oscar is a 1966 drama film, written by Harlan Ellison, Clarence Greene, Russell Rouse and Richard Sale, directed by Rouse and starring Stephen Boyd, singer Tony Bennett (in his film debut), comedian Milton Berle (in a dramatic role), Elke Sommer, Ernest Borgnine, Jill St. John, and Eleanor Parker. The film also features Bob Hope, Hedda Hopper, Merle Oberon, Frank Sinatra and Nancy Sinatra as themselves.
The film features an impressive cast and crew, including several real Academy Award winners: eight time costume design winner Edith Head; best actor winners Ernest Borgnine and Broderick Crawford; best supporting actor winners Ed Begley, Walter Brennan (three wins), James Dunn, and Frank Sinatra. Also in the cast were Merle Oberon and Eleanor Parker, who had been nominated for Oscars but did not win.
Plot
As movie star Frankie Fane (Boyd) is about to hear if he won a best acting Oscar, his friend Hymie Kelly (Bennett) reminisces about Fane's struggle to the top, beginning as a spieler for his stripper girlfriend Laurel (St. John). After moving to New York, Frankie dumps Laurel for a budding fashion designer, Kay Bergdahl (Sommer), which sets up a chance meeting with talent scout (and "cougar") Sophie Cantaro (Parker). Sophie arranges for him to be signed with agent "Kappy" Kapstetter (Berle) and brings Frankie to Hollywood, where he quickly becomes a rising star.
At each turn, however, Fane is an unprincipled heel, using and hurting others and causing them to recoil from him. His life into a tailspin, he unexpectedly receives an Oscar nomination, which Kappy believes is the result of Fane's portrayal of a "man without morals", therefore portraying himself. In order to ensure his victory, he secretly employs the services of a crooked private investigator (Borgnine), who leaks information that should influence voters to support Fane's Oscar candidacy. The moment of truth comes as presenter Merle Oberon (playing herself) announces the winner.
Cast
Cameos:
Reaction
While the film is technically a drama, many consider it to be an unintentional comedy, with critics skewering the script and performances. Tony Bennett "won" a Golden Turkey Award (from authors Harry and Michael Medved, The Golden Turkey Awards) in the "Worst Performance By a Popular Singer" category. (Bennett never made another feature film.) Others consider it most likely to be a burlesque, given the stature of the actors involved.
The film was nominated for two Academy Awards:
The Oscar made its network television debut on February 12, 1969, on ABC's Wednesday Night Movie. Ironically, ABC moved the film up a half-hour (to 8:30 Eastern) due to the quick cancellation of another notorious flop: Turn-On, a comedy show axed after just one episode. Other TV airings have been sporadic at best: TBS once included it in a film series called "Bad Movies We Love".
The film was produced by Embassy Pictures, and distributed by Paramount Pictures. In later years, full rights to the film would revert to Embassy, and are now owned by StudioCanal.
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