1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:02,000 Speaker 1: The Day in History Class. It's a production of I 2 00:00:02,080 --> 00:00:07,880 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hey guys, welcome to this Day in History Class, 3 00:00:08,280 --> 00:00:11,920 Speaker 1: where we bring you a new tidbit from history every day. 4 00:00:13,080 --> 00:00:25,919 Speaker 1: Today is May sixteenth, nineteen. The day was May sixteenth, nineteen. 5 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:32,120 Speaker 1: The first Academy Awards ceremony, also known today as the Oscars, 6 00:00:32,560 --> 00:00:34,960 Speaker 1: was held in Hollywood at a dinner party for about 7 00:00:35,040 --> 00:00:38,760 Speaker 1: two hundred and seventy people. At the time, the film 8 00:00:38,800 --> 00:00:42,760 Speaker 1: industry was going through some major changes. Those silent films 9 00:00:42,760 --> 00:00:46,239 Speaker 1: were still popular, and sound films have been around for decades. 10 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:49,720 Speaker 1: The N seven film The Jazz Singer was the first 11 00:00:49,920 --> 00:00:55,520 Speaker 1: feature length movie with dialogue and singing. Talkies or talking pictures, 12 00:00:55,920 --> 00:01:00,640 Speaker 1: were on the verge of transforming Hollywood. In nineteen twenty seven, 13 00:01:00,840 --> 00:01:04,360 Speaker 1: Louis B. Mayor, the head of MGM Studios, founded the 14 00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:08,319 Speaker 1: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The Academy was 15 00:01:08,360 --> 00:01:12,720 Speaker 1: a nonprofit organization whose goal was to advance the film industry. 16 00:01:13,480 --> 00:01:16,720 Speaker 1: A committee of the Academy was soon tasked with creating 17 00:01:16,720 --> 00:01:20,840 Speaker 1: a presentation for Academy Awards. The ceremony was put on 18 00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:24,360 Speaker 1: the back burner as the Academy dealt with higher priority issues, 19 00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:29,000 Speaker 1: but plans for the awards were accepted in nineteen, and 20 00:01:29,080 --> 00:01:34,440 Speaker 1: in nineteen the Academy hosted its first ceremony honoring film achievements. 21 00:01:34,720 --> 00:01:38,440 Speaker 1: Builled as a fundraiser for the Academy, the private dinner 22 00:01:38,480 --> 00:01:41,280 Speaker 1: and ceremony took place in the Blossom Ballroom at the 23 00:01:41,319 --> 00:01:45,440 Speaker 1: Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Tickets to the dinner were five dollars. 24 00:01:45,880 --> 00:01:49,480 Speaker 1: The dinner consisted of half broiled chicken on toast, new 25 00:01:49,560 --> 00:01:54,880 Speaker 1: string beans, and long branch potatoes, among other foods. Douglas Fairbanks, 26 00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:58,400 Speaker 1: an actor and the first president of the Academy, hosted 27 00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:01,600 Speaker 1: the fifty minute long Present Asian ceremony after the dinner. 28 00:02:02,520 --> 00:02:05,120 Speaker 1: The winners of the Academy Awards were announced to the 29 00:02:05,120 --> 00:02:09,320 Speaker 1: press three months before the first Academy Awards ceremony, but 30 00:02:09,400 --> 00:02:12,760 Speaker 1: on May sixteenth, nineteen twenty nine, the day of the ceremony, 31 00:02:12,919 --> 00:02:17,320 Speaker 1: Fairbanks and the Academy's Vice president, William C. DeMille, gave 32 00:02:17,360 --> 00:02:21,480 Speaker 1: out the trophies. The trophies, officially known as the Academy 33 00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:25,320 Speaker 1: Award of Merit, were designed by art director Cedric Gibbons 34 00:02:25,440 --> 00:02:29,519 Speaker 1: and sculpted by George Stanley. The statuette was a night 35 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:33,079 Speaker 1: holding a sword and standing on a film real They 36 00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:36,799 Speaker 1: were about twelve inches or thirty centimeters tall and were 37 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:40,359 Speaker 1: made of twenty four Carrott gold plate at Bronze. Films 38 00:02:40,400 --> 00:02:45,400 Speaker 1: released between August first, nineteen and July thirty one nineteen 39 00:02:46,200 --> 00:02:50,760 Speaker 1: were eligible for recognition. The Jazz Singer was ineligible to 40 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:53,760 Speaker 1: compete for Best Picture because the Academy had ruled that 41 00:02:53,800 --> 00:02:58,760 Speaker 1: pitting silent films up against sound films was unfair. The 42 00:02:58,800 --> 00:03:01,800 Speaker 1: first ever Academy were presented was given to German actor 43 00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:05,520 Speaker 1: a Milliannings, who was not present at the actual ceremony, 44 00:03:05,800 --> 00:03:08,400 Speaker 1: but one Best Actor for his role in the movies 45 00:03:08,800 --> 00:03:12,880 Speaker 1: The Way of All Flesh and The Last Command. It 46 00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:15,680 Speaker 1: is worth noting that Yannings went on to start in 47 00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:19,240 Speaker 1: many Nazi propaganda films and was named an Artist of 48 00:03:19,240 --> 00:03:23,000 Speaker 1: the State by Joseph Goebbels, the reich Minister of Propaganda 49 00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:26,839 Speaker 1: and Nazi Germany. The first film ever to win Best 50 00:03:26,880 --> 00:03:30,600 Speaker 1: Picture or Outstanding Picture as it was called then, was Wings, 51 00:03:31,080 --> 00:03:33,799 Speaker 1: a movie about two World War One pilots who were 52 00:03:33,800 --> 00:03:37,120 Speaker 1: in love with the same woman. The film, directed by 53 00:03:37,160 --> 00:03:40,760 Speaker 1: William Wellman, cost two million dollars to produce and was 54 00:03:40,800 --> 00:03:44,760 Speaker 1: the most expensive movie at the time, Janet Gaynor was 55 00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:47,440 Speaker 1: the only woman to win an award. She scored the 56 00:03:47,480 --> 00:03:50,120 Speaker 1: Best Actress award for her work in the films Seventh 57 00:03:50,200 --> 00:03:55,119 Speaker 1: Heaven Street, Angel and Sunrise. Charlie Chaplin, who had been 58 00:03:55,120 --> 00:03:59,200 Speaker 1: removed from the Best Actor, Writer and Comedy Director categories, 59 00:03:59,560 --> 00:04:04,080 Speaker 1: was given an honorary award. The nineteen twenty nine Academy 60 00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:07,200 Speaker 1: Awards ceremony was the only one that was not broadcast. 61 00:04:07,720 --> 00:04:10,720 Speaker 1: The next year, the awards were broadcast live on the radio, 62 00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:13,600 Speaker 1: and winners were not announced to the press until the 63 00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:17,960 Speaker 1: night of the ceremony. In nineteen nine, the Academy officially 64 00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:21,640 Speaker 1: began using the nickname Oscar for its awards, though people 65 00:04:21,680 --> 00:04:24,160 Speaker 1: had already been using the word Oscar in this context 66 00:04:24,440 --> 00:04:28,279 Speaker 1: and the origins of that name are unclear. The sealed 67 00:04:28,400 --> 00:04:31,640 Speaker 1: envelope system for announcing awards was instituted in the early 68 00:04:31,720 --> 00:04:36,080 Speaker 1: nineteen forties, and in nineteen fifty three, the first televised 69 00:04:36,120 --> 00:04:40,800 Speaker 1: Academy Awards ceremony aired. Since their launched, the Academy Awards 70 00:04:40,800 --> 00:04:45,240 Speaker 1: have drawn criticism for their voting process, industry conflicts, bias, 71 00:04:45,480 --> 00:04:49,240 Speaker 1: and questionable standards of quality, lack of diversity in membership, 72 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:53,400 Speaker 1: and lack of racial and ethnic representation and nominees and winners. 73 00:04:54,960 --> 00:04:57,520 Speaker 1: I'm Eave Deafcote and hopefully you know a little more 74 00:04:57,520 --> 00:05:02,920 Speaker 1: about history today than you did yesterday. Here's another interesting note. 75 00:05:03,360 --> 00:05:06,640 Speaker 1: That honorary award that was presented to Charlie Chaplin at 76 00:05:06,640 --> 00:05:10,440 Speaker 1: the inaugural Academy Awards was stolen from the Paris offices 77 00:05:10,560 --> 00:05:14,640 Speaker 1: of the Association Chaplain and is reportedly worth more than 78 00:05:14,680 --> 00:05:18,880 Speaker 1: a million dollars. And if you'd like to follow us 79 00:05:18,880 --> 00:05:22,240 Speaker 1: on social media, you can find us at t D 80 00:05:22,680 --> 00:05:29,040 Speaker 1: I h C Podcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Thank 81 00:05:29,080 --> 00:05:31,599 Speaker 1: you so much for listening and I hope to see 82 00:05:31,600 --> 00:05:42,680 Speaker 1: you again tomorrow for more tidbits of history. For more 83 00:05:42,680 --> 00:05:45,240 Speaker 1: podcasts from I Heeart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, 84 00:05:45,279 --> 00:05:47,880 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.