80 Years of the Oscar: The Official History of the Academy Awards (Hardcover)

by Robert Osborne (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
For the film industry, the Academy Awards is the most celebrated and most significant night of the year: everyone longs for the recognition of being nominated to win a little golden statuette. For most of us, however, even a walk down the red carpet is just a dream. 80 Years of the Oscar puts readers into those iconic plush seats for the thrill of the Academy Awards, from the first show in 1928, shortly after the introduction of the talking picture, to this year's eightieth anniversary. With hundreds of photographs and an informative text by Hollywood insider Robert Osborne, 80 Years of the Oscar is the official history of the Academy Awards. Organized by year, 80 Years of the Oscar chronicles the ceremonies themselves, as well as the accomplishments, trends, developments, and events that occurred, both within the Academy and for the film industry as a whole. Osborne comments on each year's most important films and shares the stories behind them. He also transports readers into the awards show, quoting from notable acceptance speeches and celebrity reactions, as well as regaling readers with anecdotes from each year. All award nominees and winners are included, with a special listing of Oscar record-holders. An indispensable and encyclopedic reference for the amateur and expert alike, from the struggling actor to the film critic, this book has been a popular favorite since its first edition was published twenty years ago, just after the sixtieth awards ceremony. The authoritative 80 Years of the Oscar provides a depth of coverage found nowhere else, and it is sure to please movie-goers around the world.

855 illustrations, 85 in full-color

About the Author
Robert Osborne is a columnist and critic for The Hollywood Reporter, one of Hollywood's most important daily newspapers, and primetime host and anchor on the Turner Classic Movies cable television network. He has written a dozen books on the film world, many of them focused on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He is also a frequent host of the Academy's in-person tributes, both in Beverly Hills and New York.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 439 pages
• Publisher: Abbeville Press (December 18, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789209926
• ISBN-13: 978-0789209924
• Product Dimensions: 12.3 x 9.4 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #108,962 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great encyclopedia of Academy Award knowledge, January 7, 2009

By	calvinnme "Texan refugee" (Fredericksburg, Va) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)

This book is not a history in the since of most history books. It does not detail how the academy began, or how it changed over the years, or give you any kind of insider view of its workings. Instead, it is a complete listing of every nominee and every winner in every category since the award ceremony's inception in 1927. There are plenty of photographs of the nominees and images of scenes from the nominated films for each year, so it is not dry in the way many reference books are. In fact, Mr. Osborne's love of film and its history really shine through in the book. It is interesting to look through this book and see what we consider to be films that have withstood the test of time versus which ones were rewarded by the academy at the time. For example, in 1939, the Academy did recognize that "Gone with the Wind" was the best picture of the year, which people were lining up to watch in movie theaters until its television broadcast premiere in 1976. However, in 1941, "How Green was My Valley" won best picture, which is a film that hardly anyone watches anymore, while "Citizen Kane" was completely ignored. It's also interesting to see how the Academy compensated for past oversights by awarding performances that were less than stellar in subsequent years. For instance, in 1934 Bette Davis was overlooked in her performance in "Of Human Bondage". This caused a huge public outcry. The following year the Academy gave her the best actress award for her performance in "Dangerous"- a move that has largely been seen over the years as a consolation prize for what happened the year before.

This book is full of little insights such as these, and it is a fun book that gives hours of entertainment for film history buffs. I bought my first copy of this history by Mr. Osborne back in 1987 when he was then detailing the 60 years of the Oscar, and I enjoyed it so much I have been updating my copy every time he releases a new edition. Highly recommended.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Gold Standard for Complete Oscar Nominations and Winners, March 28, 2009

By	D. Summerfield (Missoula, Montana) - See all my reviews

Dapper Robert Osborne, the genial, knowledgeable host of Turner Classic Movies, who visits me in my bedroom every night (in a nicely-tailored suit...), has written the exact reference source which a movie buff like me needs. In conversational Osborne style, there is a thoughtful foreword about the formation of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and the creation of its annual Academy Awards. Then the rest of the book is laid out decade-by-decade, with an essay about the decade itself, and a short introduction to each year in that decade. Each year's essay covers what made that year different from any other -- perhaps describing new trends in filmmaking or acting, highlighting changes in Academy rules, pointing to controversies or personality clashes, and adding interesting anecdotes about the ceremonies themselves.

The best thing about the book is that every nominee in every category for every year is listed. The winners are clearly marked. The book is easy to use and has an exhaustive index. This is the epitome of Oscar guides.

For years, I have been relying on The 1999 Academy Awards Handbook (Academy Awards Handbook), a compact paperback compendium of Oscar nominations and winners, to quickly locate who won Best Actor in 1955 (Ernest Borgnine for "Marty") or which movie Meryl Streep won her first Oscar for ("Kramer vs. Kramer"). It's a handy little book -- easy to use and cheap. The drawback to the book is that it only lists the complete nominees for the "Top Six" categories for each year (Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Movie and Director). The rest of the categories list the winners only. Also, I had been keeping the book up-to-date by adding my own lists every year.

I was so ready for a new reference guide. And here it is.

The whipped cream and cherries on top are the wonderful photographs throughout the book of exciting Oscar moments and important Hollywood figures. I especially love that the original theatrical poster for the Best Picture winner from each year is displayed in full color. The book also has fascinating quotations from the text of particularly memorable acceptance speeches. In addition, the book has a chapter at the end which lists the date and time, venue, and host for every Academy Awards ceremony, as well as an intriguing list of Academy Award records and oddities which have occurred in Oscar's first 80 years.

The book is beautifully crafted and made to last. It should withstand years of page-turning, book-marking and buttered popcorn stains. It is printed on heavy, shiny paper stock and covered in a gorgeous red and black dust jacket with the gold Oscar statue depicted. It's a book to be proudly displayed on the coffee table, or placed near your television set so that you can refer to it often.

I have only had it a few days, and already I have used it to browse through for pleasure, and to look up statistics on several movies which I was watching. Bravo, Mr. Osbourne! You have done movie fans everywhere a wonderful service with the release of this stellar reference book.

I give this volume my highest recommendation. If you love movies, you HAVE to own this book. If you are trying to come up with the ultimate gift for the movie lover, this is it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Oscars, Year by Year, Movie by Movie, February 13, 2009

By	Sacramento Book Review "SacramentoBookReview.com" (Sacramento, CA) - See all my reviews

The latest edition of Osborne's official history of the Academy Awards covers the eight decades they have been a part of the movie industry and cultural history. Organized by decade, each year's awards, nominees, and winners are listed, along with a short explanation of just what was going on at that point, why certain movies, actors and actresses were picked or snubbed, and hundreds of pictures from the many movies in the year. Most of the pictures are in black and white, even well into the Eighties, and on the same pages as color photos. The presentation and production values of the book are excellent, the text entertaining and fun to read (and well organized--the index is almost 40 pages itself). Osborne has collected a great stories, quotes, and anecdotes from hundreds of the people who have participated in the Oscars, and organized them well. It's easy to see why, after 20 years, he's still updating this book and why people are still purchasing it.

Recommended for movie fans looking for a great coffee table book and an authoritative reference on the best Hollywood has produced.