45th Academy Awards

Winners and nominees

Awards

Nominees were announced on February 12, 1973. Winners are listed first in boldface.

Special Achievement Award (Visual Effects)

• The Poseidon Adventure – L. B. Abbott and A. D. Flowers.

Honorary Awards

• To Charles S. Boren, leader for 38 years of the industry's enlightened labor relations and architect of its policy of non-discrimination. With the respect and affection of all who work in films.
• To Edward G. Robinson (†) who achieved greatness as a player, a patron of the arts and a dedicated citizen... in sum, a Renaissance man. From his friends in the industry he loves. (Accepted on his behalf by his wife)

Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award

• Rosalind Russell

Films with multiple nominations and awards

§ Was also nominated in the previous year for Best Foreign Language Film.

Eligibility controversies

It was initially announced, on February 12, 1973, that The Godfather received 11 nominations, more than any other film that year. This was reduced to 10 nominations (tied with Cabaret for the most) after a new vote by the academy's music branch, following a controversy over whether Nino Rota's score for The Godfather was eligible for the nomination it received. For the re-balloting, members of the music branch chose from six films: The Godfather and the five films that had been on the shortlist for best original dramatic score but did not get nominated. John Addison's score for Sleuth won this new vote, and thus replaced Rota's score on the official list of nominees. The controversy arose, according to Academy President Daniel Taradash, because the love theme in The Godfather had previously been used by Rota in Fortunella, an Italian movie from several years earlier. Pacino also did not attend the ceremony; he was allegedly insulted at being nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, when he had more screen time than his co-star and Best Actor-winner Brando, and thus should have received the nomination for Best Actor. Pacino denies this, saying in his memoir, Sonny Boy, that he was "scared" of his sudden fame and never heard the rumor until much later in his life.

The nominations in the category of Best Original Song were not announced in February with the rest of the nominations, reportedly because of "a mixup in balloting". It was later reported that the academy had been considering whether Curtis Mayfield's song "Freddie's Dead" from the film Super Fly should be eligible. The song was ruled ineligible for a nomination because its lyrics were not sung in the film. (The song was released as a single with lyrics, but the version in the film was an instrumental.) Academy governor John Green was quoted as saying: "Times have changed. In the old days, Hollywood made 30 or 40 musicals a year, and there were plenty of songs to choose from. Now there are hardly any, and most of the eligible songs are themes. Both the lyric and the music must be heard on the sound track to be eligible."

Sacheen Littlefeather's appearance

Sacheen Littlefeather was an American actress, model, and activist of Native American civil rights who Marlon Brando chose to represent him at the ceremony. Littlefeather took the stage and spoke on Brando's behalf as a form of protest, representing Native Americans.

The audience in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion was divided between applause and jeers. "I was distressed that people should have booed and whistled and stomped, even though perhaps it was directed at myself," Brando later told Dick Cavett. "They should have at least had the courtesy to listen to her." Her appearance prompted the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to rule out future proxy acceptance of Academy Awards. (Oscars for winners unable, or unwilling, to accept in person are now accepted in their behalf by the presenters.)

Both Sacheen Littlefeather and Marty Pasetta, who directed the Academy Awards telecast, claimed that John Wayne had to be restrained by six security guards to prevent him from assaulting Littlefeather. The story was later refuted as having "never happened" by film historian Farran Nehme. She characterised Pasetta's account as "getting more exciting each time it was told".

Presenters and performers

The following individuals, listed in order of appearance, presented awards or performed musical numbers.

Notably, Charlton Heston was late for his role presenting the voting rules, reportedly due to a flat tire. Clint Eastwood, who was slated to present for Best Picture, was asked to fill in. Heston's written dialogue leaned heavily on his role in the movie The Ten Commandments, leading Eastwood to quip, "Come on, flip the card, man. This isn't my bag." Eastwood also famously said on filling in at the last minute, "...They pick the guy who hasn't said but three lines in 12 movies to substitute for him [Heston]". Heston arrived part of the way through the bit, allowing Eastwood to escape.

Presenters

Performers

Notes

References

References

1. Bruce Russell. (March 28, 1973). "Cabaret shades Godfather". [[Leader-Post]].
2. Bret Wood. "Limelight". TCM.
3. Bruce Russell. (February 13, 1973). "'Godfather' Gets 11 Oscar Nominations". Toledo Blade.
4. "John Wayne and the Academy Award Winners: 1973 Oscars".
5. (February 27, 2014). "The unbelievable story of Why Marlon Brando rejected his 1973 Oscar for 'The Godfather'". [[Business Insider]].
6. (12 June 1973). "Marlon Brando on Rejecting His Oscar for 'The Godfather'". [[The Dick Cavett Show]].
7. "The Official Academy Awards Database". [[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]].
8. "The 45th Academy Awards (1973) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org.
9. Bruce Russell. (February 13, 1973). "'Godfather' Gets 11 Oscar Nominations". Toledo Blade.
10. (February 13, 1973). "Oscar Nominations Offer Few Oddities". The Milwaukee Journal.
11. (March 3, 1973). "The Godfather loses one count". The Star-Phoenix.
12. "The Godfather". AFI Catalog of Feature Films.
13. "100 Years of Paramount: Academy Awards". Paramount Pictures.
14. (March 7, 1973). "Godfather, Superfly music out of Oscars". The Montreal Gazette.
15. Grobel; p. xxi
16. Reporter, Lottie McGrath Freelance News. (2024-10-26). "Al Pacino sets record straight on why he "didn't show up" to Oscars".
17. (February 13, 1973). "Oscar Nominations Offer Few Oddities". The Milwaukee Journal.
18. (March 7, 1973). "'Godfather', 'Super Fly' Music Not Nominated For Oscar". The Toledo Blade.
19. "Marlon Brando".
20. (November 13, 2009). "Marlon Brando declines Best Actor Oscar".
21. Rottenberg, Josh. (January 19, 2013). "Catching up with Sacheen Littlefeather, 40 years after her controversial brush with Oscar history".
22. Schaefer, Stephen. (March 16, 2003). "Oscar Watch; Oscar takes a bow for legacy of controversy". Boston Herald.
23. (March 31, 2022). "Did John Wayne Try To Pull Sacheen Littlefeather Offstage at 1973 Oscars?".
24. [https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2022-08-23/column-did-john-wayne-try-to-assault-sacheen-littlefeather-at-the-1973-oscars-debunking-a-hollywood-myth Did John Wayne try to assault Sacheen Littlefeather at the 1973 Oscars? Debunking a Hollywood myth]
25. (February 21, 2019). "The Most Memorable Moments in Oscar Hosting History".