| 51st Academy Awards | |
|---|---|
 Official poster | |
| Date | April 9, 1979 |
| Site | Dorothy Chandler Pavilion Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Hosted by | Johnny Carson |
| Produced by | Jack Haley Jr. |
| Directed by | Marty Pasetta |
| Highlights | |
| Best Picture | The Deer Hunter |
| Most awards | The Deer Hunter (5) |
| Most nominations | The Deer Hunter andHeaven Can Wait (9) |
| TV in the United States | |
| Network | ABC |
| Duration | 3 hours, 25 minutes[1] |
| Ratings | 46.3 million[2] 34.6 (Nielsen ratings)[3] |
The51st Academy Awards ceremony, organized by theAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honoredfilms released in 1978 and took place on April 9, 1979, at theDorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, beginning at 7:00 p.m.PST / 10:00 p.m.EST. During the ceremony, AMPAS presentedAcademy Awards (commonly referred to as Oscars) in 23 categories. The ceremony, televised in the United States byABC, was produced byJack Haley Jr. and directed byMarty Pasetta.[4] Comedian and talk show hostJohnny Carson hosted the show for the first time.[5] Three days earlier, in a ceremony held atThe Beverly Hilton inBeverly Hills, California, theAcademy Awards for Technical Achievement were presented by hostsGregory Peck andChristopher Reeve.[6]
The Deer Hunter won five awards at the main awards ceremony, includingBest Picture.[7] Other winners includedComing Home with three awards,Midnight Express with two, andThe Buddy Holly Story,California Suite,Days of Heaven,Death on the Nile,The Flight of the Gossamer Condor,Get Out Your Handkerchiefs,Heaven Can Wait,Scared Straight!,Special Delivery,Superman,Teenage Father, andThank God It's Friday with one. The telecast was watched by 46.3 million viewers and earned a 34.6Nielsen rating in the United States.[2][3]
The ceremony, held at theDorothy Chandler Pavilion inDowntown Los Angeles, was hosted by late-night talk hostJohnny Carson for the first time.[8]Jack Elliott andAllyn Ferguson served as musical directors for the telecast.[9] SingersSammy Davis Jr. andSteve Lawrence performed a medley called "Oscar's Only Human," which was composed of movie songs that were not nominated for Best Original Song.[10] Initially, the academy's music branch protested the segment and urged that it be dropped from the ceremony, but it was kept after Haley threatened to leave his position as producer and pull Carson from emcee duties.[11]
It is also remembered for being the final public appearance of Oscar-winning actorJohn Wayne, where he was given a standing ovation before presenting the award forBest Picture.[12] On June 11, two months after the ceremony, he died from complications fromstomach cancer at age 72.[12][13] This was also the final public appearance forJack Haley, the father of producerJack Haley Jr., who presented theBest Costume Design with hisWizard of Oz co-starRay Bolger.[14]
Jane Fonda, who won the award forBest Actress for her role in the filmComing Home, gave part of her speech inAmerican Sign Language, saying that making the film had made her more aware of the needs of thedisabled, including thedeaf. The Academy Awards broadcast would begin providingclosed captions for deaf viewersin 1982.[15]
The nominees for the 51st Academy Awards were announced on February 20, 1979, by Academy presidentHoward W. Koch and actressSusan Blakely.[16][17]The Deer Hunter andHeaven Can Wait tied for the most nominations with nine each.[18] The winners were announced during the awards ceremony on April 9.[19] Best Director nomineesWarren Beatty andBuck Henry became the second pair of directors nominated in that category for the same film;Jerome Robbins andRobert Wise had won for co-directing 1961'sWest Side Story.[20] Furthermore, Beatty was the first person to earn acting, directing, producing, and screenwriting nominations for the same film. WhileOrson Welles had previously achieved the same feat forCitizen Kane, rules at the time determined that the studio releasing the film, as opposed to the individual producers, were the official nominees for Best Picture.[21][22] WithJon Voight andJane Fonda's respective wins in the Best Actor and Best Actress categories,Coming Home was the fourth film to win both lead acting awards.[23] Best Supporting Actress winnerMaggie Smith became the only person to win an Oscar for playing an Oscar loser inCalifornia Suite.[23]
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Winners are listed first, highlighted inboldface and indicated with a double dagger (‡).[24]
The award recognizes individuals whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the motion picture industry.[30]
The following fourteen films had multiple nominations: | The following three films received multiple awards.
|
The following individuals, listed in order of appearance, presented awards or performed musical numbers:[32]
| Name(s) | Role |
|---|---|
| John Harlan | Announcer for the 51st Academy Awards |
| Howard W. Koch (AMPAS President) | Gave opening remarks welcoming guests to the awards ceremony |
| Robin Williams Woody Woodpecker | Presenters of the Honorary Award toWalter Lantz |
| Danny Thomas | Explained the voting rules to the public |
| Dyan Cannon Telly Savalas | Presenters of the award forBest Supporting Actor |
| Maggie Smith Maureen Stapleton | Presenters of the Scientific and Technical Awards |
| Robby Benson Carol Lynley | Presenters of the Short Subject Awards |
| Mia Farrow David L. Wolper | Presenters of the Documentary Awards |
| Shirley Jones Ricky Schroder | Presenters of the award forBest Art Direction |
| Ray Bolger Jack Haley | Presenters of the award forBest Costume Design |
| Dom DeLuise Valerie Perrine | Presenters of the award forBest Film Editing |
| Steve Martin | Presenter of the award forBest Visual Effects |
| Margot Kidder Christopher Reeve | Presenters of the award forBest Sound |
| James Coburn Kim Novak | Presenters of the award forBest Cinematography |
| Ruby Keeler Kris Kristofferson | Presenters of the award forBest Original Song |
| Paul Williams | Introducer to Sammy Davis Jr. and Steve Lawrence performance |
| Dean Martin Raquel Welch | Presenters of the Music Awards |
| Gregory Peck | Presenter of the Honorary Award to theMuseum of Modern Art Department of Film |
| Yul Brynner Natalie Wood | Presenters of the award forBest Foreign Language Film |
| George Burns Brooke Shields | Presenters of the award forBest Supporting Actress |
| Lauren Bacall Jon Voight | Presenters of the Writing Awards |
| Audrey Hepburn | Presenter of the Honorary Award toKing Vidor |
| Francis Ford Coppola Ali MacGraw | Presenters of the award forBest Director |
| Cary Grant | Presenter of the Honorary Award toLaurence Olivier |
| Richard Dreyfuss Shirley MacLaine | Presenters of the award forBest Actress |
| Jack Valenti | Presenter of theJean Hersholt Humanitarian Award |
| Ginger Rogers Diana Ross | Presenters of the award forBest Actor |
| John Wayne | Presenter of the award forBest Picture |
| Name | Role | Performed |
|---|---|---|
| Jack Elliot | Musical arrangers | Orchestral |
| Allyn Ferguson | ||
| Olivia Newton-John | Performer | "Hopelessly Devoted to You" fromGrease |
| Jane Olivor | Performers | "The Last Time I Felt Like This" fromSame Time, Next Year |
| Johnny Mathis | ||
| Donna Summer | Performer | "Last Dance" fromThank God It's Friday |
| Debby Boone | Performer | "When You're Loved" fromThe Magic of Lassie |
| Barry Manilow | Performer | "Ready to Take a Chance Again" fromFoul Play |
| Sammy Davis Jr. | Performers | "Not Even Nominated (Oscar's Only Human)" |
| Steve Lawrence | ||
| Academy Awards Orchestra | Performers | "That's Entertainment!" (instrumental) |
