Hollywood Studio Magazine (May 1972)

Take it from the top News notes on the Hollywood scene by Zelda Cini 44th Oscar presentations The date was April 10, 1972, just a few days before Charlie Chaplin’s 83rd birthday and his first trip back to the U.S. and he was there at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in L.A., after 20 years of exile in Europe. He is not now, nor has he ever been, an American citizen. The show itself, a colorful spectacular by anybody’s standards, was considered the best Awards production in years. Even more importantly, for the first time in many years, U.S. film-makers swept the slate with honors, with 20th Century Fox leading all the rest, pocketing five Oscars, all for “The French Connection.” United Artists and Columbia tied for second place with four Oscars each. UA won with three for “Fiddler on the Roof’ and one for Paddy Chayefsky’s scripting of “The Hospital.” Columbia garnered two for “The Last Picture Show” and two for “Nicholas and Alexandra.” But it was Chaplin himself, small, portly, white-haired and near tears, who stole the show, simply by being there, a tiny man who was (and is) a giant in the industry he helped to found. In 44 years of Oscar Awards, he is the only performer ever to receive a two-minute standing ovation. For the record, “The French Connection,” an action-film concerned with dope smuggling, was named Best Picture of the Year (producer Philip D’Antoni). William Friedkin carried off the Oscar as Best Director for his work on “Connection,” and the star, Gene Hackman, scored his first victory as an actor, although he had been nominated twice before for supporting roles in “Bonnie and Clyde” (1966) and “I Never Sang For My Father” (1970). Jane Fonda, who was nominated in the same category in 1969 for “They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?,” was voted Best Actress for her role as a neurotic and driven prostitute in “Klute.” Ben Johnson and Cloris Leachman, both nominated for the first time, won Best Supporting Actor and Actress awards for their performances in the same film, “The Last Picture Show.” For film buffs who like having complete records of Oscar Awards in their files, here’s a complete rundown on who won what and who produced it: Best Picture - “The French Connection,” D’Antoni Productions, 20th Century-Fox, Philip D’Antoni, producer. Best Performance by an Actress — Jane Fonda in “Klute,” A Gus Production, Warner Bros. Best Performance by an Actor - Gene Hackman in “The French Connection,” D’Antoni Productions, 20th Century-Fox. Special Award - Charles Chaplin. Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role — Ben Johnson, in “The Last Picture Show,” BBS Productions, Columbia. Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role — Cloris Leachman in “The Last Picture Show,” BBS Productions, Columbia. Best Achievement in Directing - William Friedkin for “The French Connection,” D’Antoni Productions, 20th Century-Fox. Best Soiig (Original for the Picture) - Isaac Hayes for “Theme from Shaft” from “Shaft,” Shaft Productions, Ltd., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Best Screenplay (Based on material from another medium) - Ernest Tidyman for “The French Connection,” D’Antoni Productions, 20th Century-Fox. Best Story and Screenplay (Based on factual material or material not previously published or produced) - Paddy Chavefsky for “The Hospital,” a Howard Goffried-Paddy Chayefsky Production in association with Arthur Hiller, United Artists. Best Achievement in Cinematography - Oswald Morris, “Fiddler on the Roof,” Mirisch-Cartier Productions, United Artists. Best Achievement in Special Visual Effect - Alan Maley, Eustace Lycett and Danny Lee, “Bedknobs and Broomsticks,” Walt Disney Productions, Buena Vista Distribution Co. Live Action Short Subjects - Manuel Aranga and Robert Amram for “Sentinels of Silence,” Producciones Concord, Paramount. Animated Short Subjects - Ted Petod, for ‘‘The Crunch Bird,’’ Maxwell-Petok-Petrovich Productions, Regency Film Distributing Corp. Best Foreign Language Film - “The Garden of the Finzi Continis,” a Gianni Hecht Lucari-Arthur Cohn Production (Italy). Best Achievement in Sound - Gordon K. McCallum and David Hildyard, for “Fiddler on the Roof,” Mirisch-Cartier Productions, United Artists. Best Original Dramatic Score — “Summer 4