OSCAR WARS: A HISTORY OF HOLLYWOOD IN GOLD, SWEAT AND TEARS by Michael Schulman

 

It was pure coincidence that I finished this excellent book right about the time when the Oscar nominations for 2024 were being announced. But what better time could there be? Oscar Buzz was in the air, and my head was buzzing with all the inside information about the origins of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 1927 and its evolution since then. Rest assured that Michael Schulman's book will tell you everything you ever wanted to know, and then some.

But the book isn't just a collection of facts, dates and names of prominent movie moguls. It's a fascinating history of the movie industry itself and its cultural importance. Schulman discusses how the awards ceremony, which began as a rather subdued dinner party in 1929, gradually morphed into the hours-long, overblown fashion spectacle we have today. He also highlights several important events in Oscar history, many of which reveal the power struggles between studios, directors, writers and stars. 

When I first opened the book, I found myself quickly drawn into Chapter Four: The Greatest Star, and that's where I decided to start reading, making my way to Chapter One afterwards. Chapter Four covers the nominees for the year 1950, focusing mainly on the race for Best Actress. The nominees for that award were Ann Baxter and Bette Davis for ALL ABOUT EVE, Judy Holliday for BORN YESTERDAY, Eleanor Parker for CAGED, and Gloria Swanson for SUNSET BOULEVARD. This was probably the most exciting lineup of actresses to ever compete for the Oscar, and it was a major surprise when newcomer Judy Holiday won, since many were expecting a two-way battle between seasoned veterans Davis and Swanson. Schulman gives us the backstory and quotes from the various contenders. This chapter reads like a script for a Hollywood movie and provides great fun for hardcore fans. ALL ABOUT EVE, of course, was the big winner that year, setting a record with fourteen nominations and six wins. That record would stand for the next forty-seven years until TITANIC came along.

Other chapters cover the notorious Hollywood blacklist era, the controversy surrounding Orson Welles and CITIZEN KANE in 1941, and the nomination of the first X-rated film, MIDNIGHT COWBOY (1969). Chapter Eight: Fiasco is one of the most fascinating and entertaining parts of the book. It covers the ill-fated Oscars of 1989 when Allan Carr, the producer of GREASE in 1978, took charge of the ceremony, including its musical numbers. Carr's disastrous, overblown opening production number, featuring a young actress portraying Snow White, is legendary, but for all the wrong reasons. Schulman takes us step by step down Carr's ill-fated road to ruin, and even includes quotes from Eileen Bowman, the unfortunate actress chosen to play the Snow White. 

Other chapters take on more serious issues: the rise and fall of Harvey Weinstein, racial discrimination down through the years in Hollywood, the #OSCARSOWHITE controversy, and the confusion at the 2017 ceremony when presenter Warren Beatty mistakenly announced LA LA LAND as the Best Picture winner instead of MOONLIGHT

The book ends with a chapter entitled Gettin' Jiggy Wit It, which recounts how Best Actor nominee Will Smith introduced violence into Oscar history when he lost control of himself and went onstage to slap host Chris Rock in the face during the 2022 ceremony. A sad ending, indeed.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, but I have to admit that my fascination with the Oscars moving forward is at an all-time low. A question keeps coming into my mind: Was it a good idea to introduce competition into the film industry? And a related question: Do the votes for the various awards have more to do with business interests or exchanges of favors rather than sincere appreciation of works of art? This book doesn't attempt to answer those questions, although serious readers will no doubt feel compelled to keep asking.

In the meantime, the Red Carpet beckons.