45th Annual Academy Awards Results and Commentary (1973)
©A.M.P.A.S.®
- Date of Ceremony: Tuesday, March 27, 1973
- For films released in: 1972
- Host(s): Carol Burnett, Michael Caine, Charlton Heston (video) and Rock Hudson
The 45th Annual Academy Awards were hosted by Carol Burnett, Michael Caine, Charlton Heston and Rock Hudson at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on Tuesday, March 27th, 1973.
The musical Cabaret won eight awards including statuettes for Best Actress (Liza Minelli), Best Director (Bob Fosse) and Best Supporting Actor (Joel Grey). It became the movie with the most wins never to win Best Picture.
Best Picture went to The Godfather, whose three awards also included Best Writing (Screenplay – based on material from another medium) for Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola and Best Actor for Marlon Brando.
Brando famously refused the Oscar by sending a Native American/Caucasian actress named Sacheen Littlefeather (birth name Maria Cruz) to read a speech. Though the producer had threatened to cut her off if she read Brando’s full 15-page speech, she did manage to say the following:
“Hello. My name is Sacheen Littlefeather. I’m Apache and I am president of the National Native American Affirmative Image Committee.
I’m representing Marlin Brando this evening, and he has asked me to tell you in a very long speech which I cannot share with you presently, because of time, but I will be glad to share with the press afterwards, that he very regretfully cannot accept this very generous award.
And the reasons for this being are the treatment of American Indians today by the film industry — excuse me — and on television in movie re-runs, and also with recent happenings at Wounded Knee.
I beg at this time that I have not intruded upon this evening, and that we will in the future, our hearts and our understandings will meet with love and generosity.
Thank you on behalf of Marlon Brando.”
The move prompted the Academy to not allow proxy speeches to be made.
Results
Best Picture
- The Godfather
Albert S. Ruddy [Producer]
Best Directing
- Cabaret
Bob Fosse
Best Actor
- The Godfather
Marlon Brando
Best Actress
- Cabaret
Liza Minnelli
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
- Cabaret
Joel Grey
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
- Butterflies Are Free
Eileen Heckart
Best Foreign Language Film
- The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie
Best Art Direction
- Cabaret
Rolf Zehetbauer [Art Direction], Jurgen Kiebach [Art Direction] and Herbert Strabel [Set Decoration]
Best Cinematography
- Cabaret
Geoffrey Unsworth
Best Costume Design
- Travels with My Aunt
Anthony Powell
Best Documentary (Feature)
- Marjoe
Howard Smith and Sarah Kernochan
Best Documentary (Short Subject)
- This Tiny World
Charles Huguenot van der Linden and Martina Huguenot van der Linden
Best Film Editing
- Cabaret
David Bretherton
Best Music (Original Dramatic Score)
- Limelight
Charles Chaplin, Raymond Rasch and Larry Russell
Best Music (Scoring: Adaptation and Original Song Score)
- Cabaret
Ralph Burns [Adaptation Score by]
Best Music (Song - Original for the Picture)
- The Poseidon Adventure "The Morning After"
Al Kasha [Music and Lyrics by] and Joel Hirschhorn [Music and Lyrics by]
Best Short Subject (Animated)
- A Christmas Carol
Richard Williams
Best Short Subject (Live Action)
- Norman Rockwell's World...An American Dream
Richard Barclay
Best Sound
- Cabaret
Robert Knudson and David Hildyard
Best Writing (Screenplay - based on material from another medium)
- The Godfather
Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola
Best Writing (Story and Screenplay - based on factual material or material not previously published or produced)
- The Candidate
Jeremy Larner
Special Achievement Award (Visual Effects)
- The Poseidon Adventure
L.B. Abbott and A.D. Flowers
Honorary Award
- Charles S. Boren
Note: Leader for 38 years of the industry's enlightened labor relations and architect of its policy of non-discrimination. With the respect and affection of all who work in films. - Edward G. Robinson
Note: …who achieved greatness as a player, a patron of the arts and a dedicated citizen…in sum, a Renaissance man. From his friends in the industry he loves.
Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award
- Rosalind Russell
Scientific or Technical Award (Class II)
- Joseph E. Bluth
Note: …for research and development in the field of electronic photography and transfer of video tape to motion picture film. - Edward Reichard [of Consolidated Film Industries], Howard T. La Zare [of Consolidated Film Industries] and Edward Efron [of IBM]
Note: …for the engineering of a computerized light valve monitoring system for motion picture printing. - Panavision Inc.
Note: …for the development and engineering of the Panaflex motion picture camera.
Scientific or Technical Award (Class III)
- Photo Research Division of Kollmorgen Corporation and PSC Technology Inc. (Acme Products Division)
Note: …for the Spectra Film Gate Photometer for motion picture printers. - Carter Equipment Company Inc. and Ramtronics
Note: …for the RAMtronics light-valve photometer for motion picture printers. - David Degenkolb [of DeLuxe General Incorporated], Harry Larson [of DeLuxe General Incorporated], Manfred Michelson [of DeLuxe General Incorporated] and Fred Scobey [of DeLuxe General Incorporated]
Note: …for the development of a computerized motion picture printer and process control system. - Jiro Mukai [of Canon, Inc.], Ryusho Hirose [of Canon, Inc.] and Wilton R. Holm [of the AMPTP Motion Picture and Television Research Center]
Note: …for development of the Canon Macro Zoom Lens for motion picture photography. - Philip V. Palmquist [of the 3M Company], Leonard L. Olson [of the 3M Company] and Frank P. Clark [of the AMPTP Motion Picture and Television Research Center]
Note: …for development of the Nextel simulated blood for motion picture color photography. - E.H. Geissler [of Wil-Kin Inc.] and G.M. Berggren [of Wil-Kin Inc.]
Note: …for engineering of the Ultra-Vision Motion Picture Theater Projection System.