There are a number of fun facts about the Academy Awards. Here are five little-known facts about this prestigious awards show:
1. John Ford, who directed many great films, has the most Oscars by a director. In the history of the Academy Awards, many talented directors have been nominated for the Best Director award, including Francis Ford Coppola and Steven Spielberg. Only one director, however, holds the record for most wins in the category. John Ford is the one director. His four wins were for the films The Informer, The Grapes of Wrath, How Green Was My Valley, and The Quiet Man. He actually could have won one more award, for the picture Stagecoach, but lost to Victor Fleming who won Best Director for the film Gone With the Wind.
2. Two films, Titanic and All About Eve, have the record for most nominations. An interesting fact about the Academy Awards is that two films are tied for the record for most nominations, with 14. The two films are Titanic and All About Eve.
3. The youngest Oscar winner is Tatum O’Neal. A number of young actors have been nominated for an Oscar, including three-time nominee Jennifer Lawrence. The youngest Oscar winner to date is Tatum O’Neal, who won the award Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her performance in the 1973 classic Paper Moon. She was only 10 years old when she won.
4. Five actors have received Oscar nominations posthumously. Sadly, not every nominated actor has been at the Academy Awards. In fact, there have been five actors who have received Oscar nominations posthumously. These five actors are Heath Ledger, Peter Finch, James Dean, Spencer Tracy, and Massimo Troissi. Out of the five, only two posthumously won an Oscar, Heath Ledger for his performance in The Dark Knight and Peter Finch for his performance in Network.
5. Only one sequel has won Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Another interesting fact about the Oscars is that only one film won the award Best Picture. This film was the legendary picture The Godfather: Part II. The sequel went on to receive more awards at the 1975 awards ceremony, including Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Robert De Niro), Best Director (Francis Ford Coppola), Best Writing: Screenplay Adapted From Other Material, Best Art Direction, and Best Music: Original Dramatic Score.
Sources:
“Oscar odds, ends, facts and figures,” Yahoo! Movies.
Phil De Semlyen, “100 Oscars Facts You Need To Know,” Empire magazine.
