The Oscars: A Completely And Utterly Unauthorised Guide

John Atkinson

Editions

Review

The Scene: In front of the TV.

“What’s her name then?  The skinny one playing the maid?”

“Can’t remember, but she won an Oscar for this.”

“Never!”

“She did!”

[Reading the above, it’s hard to understand what stopped our Stewart from going to work in Hollywood. – Ed.]

This scenario seem familiar?  Well for almost nothing, help is at hand.  John Atkinson has packed into 96 pages, all the winners in every category in the history of the Academy Awards, and in witty and irreverent chapters examines the triumphs and scandals, decade-by-decade since the movie industry started to pat itself on the back in 1927.  How could they, for example, in 1954 have chosen, Grace Kelly in “The Country Girl” over Judy’s “A Star Is Born”?  Now don’t get me wrong.  I liked Grace.  You couldn’t find a nicer princess anywhere.  But really!!

Of course you could treat yourself to 70 Years Of The Oscar hbk £45s by Robert Osborne, which has not only the winners, but all the nominations too, with lashings of stellar pics.

Just guess how many times Eleanor Parker was nominated, you know the one who played the Countess in “The Sound Of Music”?  Go on, guess!  Only4 times in just 6 years, thank you very much, and never won a thing, poor woman!  Or worse yet, Thelma Ritter, 6 times the bridesmaid.  So cruel. [But then that’s life for you, ain’t it? – Ed.] - review by Stewart Grimshaw