Thank the Academy

In this episode we discuss Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and Dame Maggie Smith. We talk about William Goldman’s fascination with the two cowboys, his expert comedic dialogue, and the quirkiness that made this film the best-selling Western of all time. We also talk about Maggie Smith and her gradual rise to fame over her seven-decade career, her iconic roles, her many accolades, and her strict attention to detail and professionalism while playing some of the funniest characters to grace the big and small screens.

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In this episode we discuss the forty-second Best Picture winner, Midnight Cowboy, the best way to have a host-less Oscars’ Ceremony, the first and only X-Rated Best Picture winner, Dustin Hoffman’s and Jon Voight’s acting nominations splitting the vote, and the growing variety films in the post-Code era!

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In this episode we discuss Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, its ground-breaking special effects, the future of the science fiction genre, and Kubrick’s only Oscar win. We also discuss New York Times film critic Bosley Crowther, the indelible impact he had on Hollywood, the film industry, and American culture, his classic and signature writing style, and some of the reviews that made him popular.

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In this episode we discuss the forty-first Best Picture winner, Oliver! and the many controversies at the 41st Academy Awards. We talk about the changing landscape of campaigning for an Oscar, eligibility requirements, and Oscar predictions gone wrong. We also talk about the waning popularity in musicals and British films among Academy members and Jack Ward’s acclaimed performance as the Artful Dodger.

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In this episode we discuss two ground-breaking films from 1967: Bonnie and Clyde and The Graduate. We discuss the changing landscape of Hollywood films to include more violence and sexual themes in movies, but especially in the films of 1967. We talk about Warren Beatty’s turn at being the actor-producer and Mike Nichols’ win as Best Director. We also talk about Audrey Hepburn, her last Academy Award nomination for 1967’s Wait Until Dark, her early life and start in Hollywood, and her immense contributions to the film industry and the world at large through her charity work.

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In this episode we discuss the fortieth Best Picture winner, In the Heat of the Night! We talk about recently appointed President of the Academy Gregory Peck and his influence on the ceremony, the Civil Rights Movement and its effect on Hollywood, Sydney Poitier’s favorite film role as Virgil Tibbs, and beginning of a new film renaissance in Hollywood.

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In this episode we discuss Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Elizabeth Taylor’s second Best Actress win, Mike Nichols’ first film after several successful Broadway shows, and the first film to receive an age warning in theaters. We also discuss the history of stunts in Hollywood, the Watering Hole, the need for safety protocols and procedures, and Yakima Canutt and his innumerable contributions to stunt work in the film industry.

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In this episode we discuss the thirty-ninth Best Picture winner, A Man for All Seasons, the AFTRA union strike that almost stopped the ceremony from being broadcast, director Fred Zinneman’s many contributions to the film industry, and Paul Scofield’s stirring Tony and Oscar winning performance as Sir Thomas More!

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In this episode we discuss Stanley Kramer’s Ship of Fools, Grand Hotel on a ship, the last few tumultuous years of Vivien Leigh’s life and career, and her last film role. We talk about William Wyler and his immense accomplishments and contributions to the film industry, from a lowly assistant to one of the most celebrated Hollywood directors of films like Wuthering Heights, The Heiress, The Best Years of our Lives, Roman Holiday, and Ben-Hur.

**Content Warning** mentions of rape and depression in relation to a scene Vivien Leigh filmed between timestamps 22:31-24:10**

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In this episode we discuss the thirty-eighth Best Picture winner, The Sound of Music, the first Academy Awards Ceremony to be broadcast in color, the power of defiance through art and song Julie Andrews’ historic follow-up role to Mary Poppins, and the enduring work of Rodgers and Hammerstein!

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