Today in 1929, the very first Academy Awards were presented. The Academy had been created two years before by Louis B Mayer and the first 'Best Film' went to Wings from the Paramount Studio (not, as nepotism theorists might have expected, something from MGM). The golden statuette had not yet got the name 'Oscar' - it was still quite formally known as an Academy Award. The story goes that someone - presumably someone who hadn't won one - remarked that the figure, plunging a sword into a reel of film, looked like their Uncle Oscar and the name stuck. I personally smell a PR stunt - in the real world firstly, no one would have heard the remark and secondly, the uncle would have been called Merv or Burt and then I doubt it would have stuck quite so well.
In other news ...
Today is the birthday in 1905 of Henry Fonda, who starred in films too numerous to mention. Happy birthday, Henry - I can't say your films lightened my life as comedy wasn't really your thing, or even smiling much now I come to think of it, but you never turned in a bad performance. In one of those quirks that proves astrology wrong, also born on this day but some years later was Liberace - who really did brighten many lives, my mother's particularly. So thanks to you as well - I hope my dear old Ma has a front seat in all your concerts on the other side.
