Modern Screen (Jan-Nov 1956)

the truth about oscar (Continued jrom page 51) Glory. The gold statuette for the best performance by an actor to Charles Laughton for Henry VIII. The gold statuette for the best motion picture to Cavalcade." After the Awards, I rushed to Western Union to file my story. I decided to give the readers as little of "gold statuette" as possible. I tried to think of a comedy name, in a hurry. A name that would remove some of the pompousness from the entire affair. I remembered a pit orchestra leader named Oscar. The vaudevillians got laughs when they'd call him Oscar. I'd do it. But I better be a little careful; poking fun at Hollywood's most important event my first time at bat. I covered myself by writing that "to the profession these statues are called Oscars." They weren't going to catch me with my gold statuette down. The date on this byline story is March 16, 1934. Bette got her Award for her performance in 1935, but didn't receive it until the banquet held in March, 1936. If anyone can produce a clipping in which the gold statuette is called Oscar before the year 1934, I'll deliver Marlon Brando to her personally. Everyone in our town, even the kiddies, knows when it's Academy Award time. Jack Palance, two-time Oscar nominee, was conversing with his four-year-old daughter Holly, who wanted to know if her father had ever won an Oscar. Palance replied, "No." The youngster looked at him sternly and said, "You'd better get one Daddy. Every other kid's pop in school has one." During the Oscar voting period you'd think a national political campaign was taking place. Studios apply all the pressure they can gracefully. But every performer, from starlet to star, knows that Oscar can't be bought for love or money. This adds considerably to Oscar's prestige. Hollywood is accustomed to believing everything has a price tag. The studios buy special campaign advertisements in the trade papers to push their stars. Most contestants, from actors to songwriters, hire press agents for a special get-me-theOscar campaign. There is the word -of mouth campaign, never halting and often vicious enough to dissolve friendships of long standing. Last year during the heat of battle, Brando was shocked. He told me, "Everyone talks like you'll go to jail if you don't win." Oscar doubles his cost Oscar was designed on a tablecloth at an early meeting of the Academy when Cedric Gibbons, MGM art director, sketched a knight standing on a reel of film and holding a two-edged sword. A Los Angeles sculptor, George Stanley, later fashioned Oscar from Gibbons' original sketch, to stand ten inches and weigh $100 FOR YOU! To let us know who you want to read about in your magazine, fill in the form below as soon as you've read all the stories in this issue. Then mail it to us right away because (just to m?ke it more interesting) a crisp new one-dollar bill will go to each of the first hundred people we hear from. one phrase which best answers each question: 2. I LIKE RUSS TAMBLYN: I READ: □all of his story Opart Qnone □ more than almost any star O a lot n HELD MY INTEREST: □ super-com □ fairly well □ very little □ not at all p|ete|y D completely □ fairly well □ don't know him well enough to say rj very |itt|e rj not at aM Please check the space to the left of the 1. I LIKE GRACE KELLY: □ more than almost any star □ a lot □ fairly well □ very little □ not at all □ don't know her well enough to say I READ: □ all of the Open Letter □ part □ none IT HELD MY INTEREST: □ super-completely □ completely □ fairly well □ very little □ not at all I READ: □ all of the Elsa Maxwell story □ part □ none IT HELD MY INTEREST: O super-completely □ completely □ fairly well □ very little □ not at all I READ: □ all of the Countess story □ part □ none IT HELD MY INTEREST: □ super-completely □ completely O fairly well □ very little □ not at all I READ: □ all of the Reporter X story □ part □ none IT HELD MY INTEREST: □ super-completely □ completely □ fairly well □ very little □ not at all 13. Which male and female stars do you want to read about? Please indicate your preference at right by writing your first choice next to (1), your second choice next to (2) and your third choice next to (3). I READ: nail of his story Opart Onone IT HELD MY INTEREST: □ super-completely □ completely □ fairly well □ very little □ not at all 3. I LIKE JEAN SIMMONS: □ more than almost any star □ a lot □ fairly well □ very little □ not at all □ don't know her well enough to say I READ: nail of her story Opart Onone IT HELD MY INTEREST: □ super-completely O completely O fairly well O very little O not at all 4. I READ: O all of the Oscar story O part O none IT HELD MY INTEREST: Q super-completely O completely O fairly well O very little O not at all 5. I LIKE BEN COOPER: O more than almost any star O a lot O fairly well O very little O not at all O don't know him well enough to say (1) MALE (2) „ MALE (3) MALE 6. I LIKE MARISA PAVAN: O more than almost any star O a lot O fairly well O very little O not at all 0 don't know her well enough to say 1 READ: Oall of her story Opart Dnone IT HELD MY INTEREST: O super-completely O completely O fairly well O very little O not at all 7. I LIKE PIER ANGELI: O more than almost any star O a lot O fairly well O very little O not at all 0 don't know her well enough to say 1 READ: Oallof herstory Opart Onone IT HELD MY INTEREST: O super-completely D completely O fairly well O very little O not at all 8. I LIKE JAMES STEWART: O more than almost any star O a lot O fairly well O very little O not at all O don't know him well enough to say d> FEMALE FEMALE (3) FEMALE I READ: Oallofhisstory Opart Onone IT HELD MY INTEREST: O super-completely O completely O fairly well D very little O not at all 9. I LIKE LORI NELSON: O more than almost any star O a lot O fairly well O very little O not at all 0 don't know her well enough to say 1 READ: Oall of her story Opart Onone IT HELD MY INTEREST: Q super-completely O completely O fairly well O very little O not at all 10. I LIKE GREGORY PECK: □ more than almost any star O a lot O fairly well O very little Q not at ail 0 don't know him well enough to say 1 READ: Qall of his story Opart Onone IT HELD MY INTEREST: O super-completely O completely O fairly well O very little O not at all 11. I LIKE JANE RUSSELL: O more than almost any star O a lot O fairly well O very little O not at all 0 don't know her well enough to say 1 READ: Oallofherstory Opart Onone IT HELD MY INTEREST: □ super-completely O completely O fairly well O very little O not at all 12. I LIKE CHARLTON HESTON: O more than almost any star O a lot 0 fairly well O very little O not at all Q don't know him well enough to say 1 READ: Oallofhisstory Dpart Onone IT HELD MY INTEREST: O super-completely O completely O fairly well O very little O not at all 14. To which movie magazines do you subscribe?. AGE NAME ADDRESS •. CITY ...STATE Man To: READER POLL DEPARTMENT, MODERN SCREEN, Box 125, MURRAY HILL STATION, NEW YORK 16, N. Y.