History of the Oscars Awards, the Statue Was Once Stolen

Kapanlagi.com - The Academy Awards, more commonly known as the Oscars, is one of the most prestigious award ceremonies in the film industry. According to oscars.org, since it was first held on May 16, 1929, in the Blossom Room of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, more than 3,000 Oscar statues have been awarded to filmmakers who have made significant contributions to the world of cinema. However, the long journey of this award is filled with fascinating history, including the incident of the Oscar statue theft in 2000.

1. The Beginning of the Oscars

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The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences was founded in 1927 with the aim of improving the quality of filmmaking and honoring outstanding achievements in the industry. At one of the early meetings, MGM's art director, Cedric Gibbons, sketched a figure of a knight holding a sword and standing in front of a film reel. The five spokes on the reel symbolize the five main branches of the Academy: actors, directors, producers, technicians, and writers. This design was later realized in the form of a statue by sculptor George Stanley and has become the iconic symbol of the Oscars awards to this day.

2. The Evolution of the Oscar Statue Material

At the first awards ceremony, 15 statues awarded were made of solid bronze plated with gold. A few years later, the bronze material was replaced with *britannia metal*, an alloy that resembles tin, to provide a smoother finish. However, during World War II, due to metal shortages, Oscar statues were made from painted plaster for three years. After the war ended, all winners who received plaster statues were allowed to exchange them for gold-plated metal statues.

3. The Theft of the Oscar Statue in 2000

Over time, the Oscars have become increasingly prestigious, but not without interesting incidents. One of the most shocking events in Oscar history occurred in 2000. Just a few weeks before the awards night, the shipment of that year's Oscar statue was stolen from the loading area of the transportation service. This incident caused panic among the Academy, as without the statue, the award could not be given. After several tense days, the statues were successfully found a week later. Since that incident, the Academy has always kept enough backup statues for one awards ceremony to avoid similar occurrences in the future.

4. Oscars as a Symbol of Cinematic Glory

To this day, the Oscar statue remains the highest award in the film industry. Its iconic design has never changed since it was first created, although its base size varied until it was standardized in 1945. The name "Oscar" itself comes from a popular story about the Academy's librarian, Margaret Herrick, who felt the statue resembled her uncle named Oscar. This name was then adopted by Academy staff and was officially recognized in 1939.

Since then, the staff began referring to the statue as Oscar. Whatever its origins, at the sixth Academy Awards in 1934, Hollywood columnist Sidney Skolsky used the name in his writing when referring to Katharine Hepburn's first win as Best Actress. However, the Academy did not officially use the name "Oscar" until 1939.

From its inception to the theft incident that once shocked the entertainment world, the Oscars remain a symbol of the highest achievement in the film industry. Since 1929 to the present, the Oscar statue continues to grace the shelves of the finest filmmakers throughout history.

(kpl/cvn)