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List of 81st Academy Awards In Memoriam tribute honorees

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Each year, an In Memoriam tribute, which honors distinguished members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences who died during the previous year, is included during the televised presentation of the Academy Awards.[1] Listed below are those who were honored on February 22, 2009, at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, California, during the 81st Academy Awards tribute.

Paul Newman, who appeared last, is considered to be the featured tribute.[2][3] At the conclusion of the musical accompaniment, a short dialogue by Paul Newman ended the tribute.[4] The Newman dialogue concluded the tribute with the following quote: "The big difference between people is not between the rich and the poor, the good and the evil. The biggest of all differences between people is between those who have had pleasure in love and those who haven't." —Paul Newman as Chance Wayne in Sweet Bird of Youth.[5]

Controversies

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During the 81st Academy Awards, which was hosted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Queen Latifah was the presenter and a performer for the annual In Memoriam tribute. This was controversial because traditionally the segment is accompanied by instrumental music and displayed without vocal music accompaniment.[6][7] Live music has previously accompanied the tribute however; and cellist Yo-Yo Ma did so during the 77th Academy Awards - although his performance was solely instrumental.[8] Latifah sang "I'll Be Seeing You" from the Broadway musical Right This Way during the 81st Academy Awards tribute to honor individuals who had died since the previous year's Academy Award ceremonies.[9] The controversy of the performance was compounded by the visual display from a camera panning around the stage at a distance, leaving television viewers unable to see and read a number of different names/pictures on the large screen at the back of the stage.[citation needed]

There were plans to attempt to dampen the audience applause during the tribute that included cutting the audio feed from the theatre. This effort was intended to disguise audience preferences for certain deceased honorees over others.[10] Some industry insiders speculate that Latifah's performance was a successful effort to minimize audience applause during the tribute.[11][12]

The tribute had a second break from tradition. Ten years ago when Gene Siskel was omitted from the tribute because as a film critic he was not a member of the academy, host Whoopi Goldberg ad libbed his tribute, which concluded with her giving a thumbs-up at the ceiling (i.e., heaven). The 81st Academy Awards' tribute included film critic Manny Farber.[4] However, the tribute did not go so far as to include the recently deceased movie trailer voice acting specialist Don LaFontaine.[13]

2009 Ceremony Honoree list

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Name Career Birth Death Academy Awards recognition
Claude Berri director July 1, 1934 January 12, 2009 1965 Best Live Action Short Subject win for Le Poulet
1980 Best Picture nomination for Tess[14]
Joseph M. Caracciolo producer June 8, 2008
Cyd Charisse actress March 8, 1922 June 17, 2008
Warren Cowan publicist May 13, 1921 May 14, 2008
Michael Crichton writer/director October 23, 1942 November 4, 2008 1994 Technical Achievement Award[14]
Jules Dassin director December 18, 1911 March 31, 2008 1960 Best Original Screenplay Writer and Best Director nominations for Pote tin Kyriaki[14]
Robert DoQui actor April 20, 1934 February 9, 2008
Manny Farber film critic February 20, 1917 August 18, 2008
Nina Foch actress April 20, 1924 December 5, 2008 1954 Best Supporting Actress nomination for Executive Suite[14]
Isaac Hayes musician/actor August 20, 1942 August 10, 2008 1971 Best Original Score nomination for Shaft
1971 Best Original Song win for Shaft[14]
John Michael Hayes screenwriter May 11, 1919 November 19, 2008 1954 Best Adapted Screenplay Writer nomination for Rear Window
1957 Best Adapted Screenplay Writer nomination for Peyton Place[14]
Charlton Heston actor October 4, 1923 April 5, 2008 1959 Best Actor win for Ben-Hur
1977 Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award[14]
Pat Hingle actor July 19, 1924 January 3, 2009
J. Paul Huntsman sound editor February 4, 1953 February 21, 2008
Kon Ichikawa director November 20, 1915 February 13, 2008
Charles H. Joffe producer July 16, 1929 July 9, 2008 1977 Best Picture win for Annie Hall[14]
Ollie Johnston animator October 31, 1912 April 14, 2008
Van Johnson actor August 25, 1916 December 12, 2008
Evelyn Keyes actress December 26, 1916 March 24, 2008
Bernie Mac actor/comedian October 5, 1957 August 9, 2008
Abby Mann screenwriter December 1, 1927 March 25, 2008 1961 Best Adapted Screenplay Writer win for Judgment at Nuremberg
1965 Best Adapted Screenplay Writer nomination for Ship of Fools[14]
Anthony Minghella director/producer January 6, 1954 March 18, 2008 1996 Best Adapted Screenplay Writer nomination for The English Patient
1996 Best Director win for The English Patient
1999 Best Adapted Screenplay Writer nomination for The Talented Mr. Ripley
2008 Best Picture nomination for The Reader[14]
Ricardo Montalbán actor November 25, 1920 January 14, 2009
Robert Mulligan director August 23, 1925 December 20, 2008 1962 Best Director nomination for To Kill a Mockingbird[14]
Paul Newman actor January 26, 1925 September 26, 2008 1958 Best Actor nomination for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
1961 Best Actor nomination for The Hustler
1963 Best Actor nomination for Hud
1967 Best Actor nomination for Cool Hand Luke
1968 Best Picture nomination for Rachel, Rachel
1981 Best Actor nomination for Absence of Malice
1982 Best Actor nomination for The Verdict
1985 Honorary Award
1987 Best Actor win for The Color of Money
1993 Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award
1994 Best Actor nomination for Nobody's Fool (1994 film)
2002 Best Supporting Actor nomination for Road to Perdition[14]
Maila Nurmi actress December 21, 1921 January 10, 2008
Harold Pinter writer October 10, 1930 December 24, 2008 1981 Best Adapted Screenplay Writer nomination for The French Lieutenant's Woman
1983 Best Adapted Screenplay Writer nomination for Betrayal[14]
Sydney Pollack director/producer July 1, 1934 May 26, 2008 1969 Best Director nomination for They Shoot Horses, Don't They?
1982 Best Picture and Best Director nominations for Tootsie
1985 Best Picture and Best Director wins for Out of Africa
2007 Best Picture nomination for Michael Clayton
2008 Best Picture nomination for The Reader[14]
Leonard Rosenman composer September 7, 1924 March 4, 2008 1975 Best Original Score win for Barry Lyndon
1976 Best Original Score win for Bound for Glory
1983 Best Original Score nomination for Cross Creek
1986 Best Original Score nomination for Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home[14]
Roy Scheider actor November 10, 1932 February 10, 2008 1971 Best Supporting Actor nomination for The French Connection
1979 Best Actor nomination for All That Jazz
Charles H. Schneer producer May 5, 1920 January 21, 2009
Paul Scofield actor January 21, 1922 March 19, 2008 1966 Best Actor win for A Man for All Seasons
1994 Best Supporting Actor nomination for Quiz Show[14]
Bud Stone executive February 16, 1928 April 18, 2008
Ned Tanen executive producer September 20, 1931 January 5, 2009
David Watkin director of photography March 23, 1925 February 19, 2008 1985 Best Cinematography win for Out of Africa[14]
James Whitmore actor October 1, 1921 February 6, 2009 1949 Best Supporting Actor nomination for Battleground
1975 Best Actor nomination for Give 'em Hell, Harry![14]
Richard Widmark actor December 26, 1914 February 10, 2008 1947 Best Supporting Actor nomination for Kiss of Death[14]
Stan Winston special effects April 7, 1946 June 15, 2008 1981 Best Makeup nomination for Heartbeeps
1986 Best Visual Effects win for Aliens
1987 Best Visual Effects nomination for Predator
1990 Best Makeup nomination for Edward Scissorhands
1991 Best Makeup and Best Visual Effects wins for Terminator 2: Judgment Day
1992 Best Makeup nomination for Batman Returns
1993 Best Visual Effects win for Jurassic Park
1997 Best Visual Effects nomination for The Lost World: Jurassic Park
2001 Best Visual Effects nomination for Artificial Intelligence: AI[14]

Explanations

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During the tribute, an incorrect photograph of Kon Ichikawa was included. This necessitated a formal apology by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which they have posted on their Oscar.org website.[15] Maila Nurmi was included, although her death occurred in the prior February 1 – January 31 period, while James Whitmore was included although his death occurred after it. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences compiles a list of those eligible for next years tribute based on having died after the annual February 1 cutoff.[16]

Several past Academy Award nominees and winners were not included in the tribute. Many of those excluded were nominated writers: Irving Brecher – 1944 Writing (Screenplay) – Meet Me in St. Louis,[17] Malvin Wald – 1948 Writing (Motion Picture Story) – The Naked City,[18] Oscar Brodney – 1954 Writing (Story and Screenplay) – The Glenn Miller Story, Fred Haines – 1967 Writing (Screenplay based on material from another medium) – Ulysses, Donald E. Westlake – 1990 Writing (Screenplay based on material from another medium) – The Grifters.[19] David Lee, a one-time winner for Sound in 2002 Chicago, was omitted. Two-time Music (Scoring: Original Song Score and Adaptation) nominee, Angela Morley, for 1974 – The Little Prince and 1977 – The Slipper and the Rose--The Story of Cinderella and two-time Documentary (Feature) nominee, Alex Grasshoff, for 1966 – The Really Big Family and 1973 – Journey to the Outer Limits were not included. Two Scientific or Technical Award (Class II) winners were omitted: Edward Efron – 1972 and James L. Wassell – 1962. Several other past one-time nominees were omitted: Howard G. Minsky – 1970 Best Picture – Love Story,[20] J.C. Melendez – 1970 Music (Original Song Score) – A Boy Named Charlie Brown,[21] Jonathan Bates – 1982 Sound – Gandhi, Edmund F. Penney – 1973 Documentary (Feature) – Walls of Fire, Maury Winetrobe – 1968 Film Editing – Funny Girl

Several other notable individuals, including George Carlin (six-time Emmy Award nominee), Bernie Brillstein (nine-time Emmy Award nominee), Neal Hefti (Emmy Award nominee) Beverly Garland (Emmy Award nominee), Estelle Getty (Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winner), Eartha Kitt (Emmy Award nominee), Harvey Korman (four-time Emmy winner, Golden Globe Award winner), John Phillip Law (Golden Globe Award nominee), and Patrick McGoohan (two-time Emmy Award winner, BAFTA TV Award winner), were not included in the "In Memoriam" tribute, though they died within the year.[13] Heath Ledger died shortly before the previous year's ceremony, and a tribute to him was included then.[13]

Notes

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  1. ^ Poniewozik, James (March 23, 2001). "The Oscars: Where's the Excitement?". Time. Archived from the original on April 17, 2001. Retrieved April 24, 2009.
  2. ^ "Brien Murphy: Golden opportunity -- which film will land the top Oscar?". The State Journal-Register. February 22, 2009. Retrieved April 24, 2009.
  3. ^ "Dive Into the Pool's Deep End". The Washington Post. February 22, 2009. Retrieved April 24, 2009.
  4. ^ a b Ebert, Roger (February 23, 2009). "Indian love call - 'Slumdog Millionaire' wins best film and seven other Oscars, as Penn and Winslet take top acting awards". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved April 24, 2009.
  5. ^ "And the Winner Is: Oscars 2009". Tribeca Film. February 25, 2009. Archived from the original on May 5, 2009. Retrieved April 24, 2009.
  6. ^ Carr, David (February 19, 2009). "Oscars on TV: The Subtext". The New York Times. Retrieved April 24, 2009.
  7. ^ Murphy, Brien (February 23, 2009). "Oscars' moments of joy, hilarity too far apart". The State Journal-Register. Retrieved April 24, 2009.
  8. ^ Wloszczyna, Susan and Mike Clark (February 23, 2009). "Oscar showtime: This year vs. others". USA Today. Retrieved April 24, 2009.
  9. ^ Cieply, Michael and David Carr (February 23, 2009). "A 'Slumdog' Kind of Night at the Oscar Ceremony". The New York Times. Retrieved April 24, 2009.
  10. ^ Tucker, Reed (February 22, 2009). "Best Editing: Oscar Revamps TV Broadcast". New York Post. Retrieved April 24, 2009.
  11. ^ Owen, Rob (February 23, 2009). "Oscar Hits and Misses With A Few New Tricks". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved April 24, 2009.
  12. ^ Goodman, Tim (February 23, 2009). "Reworked awards moved along". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved April 24, 2009.
  13. ^ a b c Rosenthal, Phil (February 25, 2009). "Think 'Dead stars on TV,' but tasteful". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 24, 2009.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t O'Neil, Tom (February 24, 2009). "In Memoriam: Oscars' winners and nominees". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 24, 2009.
  15. ^ "In Memoriam Correction". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on March 1, 2009. Retrieved April 23, 2009.
  16. ^ "Members Memoriam". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved April 23, 2009.
  17. ^ Weber, Bruce (November 19, 2008). "Irving Brecher, 94, Comedy-Script Writer, Is Dead". The New York Times. Retrieved April 25, 2009.
  18. ^ Hevesi, Dennis (March 11, 2008). "Malvin Wald, Creator of 'Naked City,' Dies at 90". The New York Times. Retrieved April 25, 2009.
  19. ^ Lee, Jennifer 8. (January 1, 2009). "Donald E. Westlake, Mystery Writer, Is Dead at 75". The New York Times. Retrieved April 25, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  20. ^ "Howard Minsky, Hollywood Producer, Is Dead at 94". The New York Times. The Associated Press. August 18, 2008. Retrieved April 25, 2009.
  21. ^ Fox, Margalit (September 4, 2008). "Bill Melendez, 'Peanuts' Animator, Dies at 91". The New York Times. Retrieved April 25, 2009.
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