Cover to a 1960s Lalo Schifrin album
In the latest episode of Bond and Banter, host Jack Lugo and I talked about how honorary Oscars, the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award (which Eon's Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli will receive in November) and a humanitarian award were taken out of the main Oscars broadcast into a separate event months before, dubbed the Governors Awards.
The reason for the move was to tighten the broadcast for the main Oscars show. The Academy of Motor Picture Arts and Sciences relies a lot on the rights fees paid by ABC for the main telecast for funding. ABC wanted a shorter ceremony.
The problem: Many emotional moments on long-ago Oscars broadcasts occurred when these awards. They included when a dying Gary Cooper receiving an honorary Oscar in 1961, accepted by his good friend James Stewart; Charlie Chaplin receiving an honorary Oscar in 1972; and Eon Productions co-founder Albert R. Broccoli receiving the Thalberg award for life achievement by a producer in 1982.
So here's a case study under the new format: In 2018, composer Lalo Schifrin (who celebrated his 92nd birthday on June 21) received an honorary Oscar. He had composed music for many films, including Dirty Harry and Cool Hand Luke.
The proceedings at the Governors Awards included banter with Clint Eastwood. But the event didn't have the visibility compared to what it would have received had it been part of the main Oscars telecast.
Times change. But it seems as if the honorary Oscars, the Thalberg and the humanitarian award have been diminished.
Since it's his birthday, here is Lalo Schifrin's acceptance speech for his honorary Oscar.
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