48th Annual Academy Awards Results and Commentary (1976)

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  • Date of Ceremony: Monday, March 29, 1976
  • For films released in: 1975
  • Host(s): Walter Matthau (video), Robert Shaw, George Segal, Goldie Hawn and Gene Kelly
Other years:

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The 48th Annual Academy Awards took place on Monday, March 29th, 1976 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Back on ABC for the first time in six years, Hollywood’s biggest evening was hosted by Walter Matthau, Robert Shaw, George Segal, Goldie Hawn and Gene Kelly.

Winning five awards — Best Picture, Best Actor (Jack Nicholson), Best Actress (Louise Fletcher), Best Director (Milos Forman) and Best Writing – Screenplay Adapted from Other Material (Lawrence Hauben and Bo Goldman) — One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest became the first film to sweep picture, director and the two top acting Oscars since It Happened On Night at the 7th Academy Awards.

At age eighty, George Burns, became the oldest performer to win an Oscar, taking home Best Supporting Actor for The Sunshine Boys. The legendary comedian quipped, “…the last picture I made was thirty-seven years ago, and making The Sunshine Boys was so exciting I’ve decided that I’m gonna make a picture every thirty-seven years.”

In a touching moment, Best Actress winner Louise Fletcher signed part of her acceptance speech, thanking her deaf parents: “I want to say thank you for teaching me to have a dream. You are seeing my dream come true.”

Results

Best Picture

  • One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
    Saul Zaentz [Producer] and Michael Douglas [Producer]

Best Directing

  • One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
    Milos Forman

Best Actor

  • One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
    Jack Nicholson

Best Actress

  • One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
    Louise Fletcher

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

  • The Sunshine Boys
    George Burns

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

  • Shampoo
    Lee Grant

Best Foreign Language Film

  • Dersu Uzala

Best Art Direction

  • Barry Lyndon
    Ken Adam [Art Direction], Roy Walker [Art Direction] and Vernon Dixon [Set Decoration]

Best Cinematography

  • Barry Lyndon
    John Alcott

Best Costume Design

  • Barry Lyndon
    Ulla-Britt Soderlund and Milena Canonero

Best Documentary (Feature)

  • The Man Who Skied down Everest
    F.R. Crawley, James Hager and Dale Hartleben

Best Documentary (Short Subject)

  • The End of the Game
    Claire Wilbur and Robin Lehman

Best Film Editing

  • Jaws
    Verna Fields

Best Music (Scoring: Original Song Score and Adaptation -or- Scoring: Adaptation)

  • Barry Lyndon
    Leonard Rosenman [Adaptation Score by]

Best Music (Original Score)

  • Jaws
    John Williams

Best Music (Original Song)

  • Nashville "I'm Easy"
    Keith Carradine [Music and Lyrics by]

Best Short Film (Animated)

  • Great
    Bob Godfrey

Best Short Film (Live Action)

  • Angel and Big Joe
    Bert Salzman

Best Sound

  • Jaws
    Robert L. Hoyt, Roger Heman, Earl Madery and John Carter

Best Writing (Screenplay Adapted from Other Material)

  • One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
    Lawrence Hauben and Bo Goldman

Best Writing (Original Screenplay)

  • Dog Day Afternoon
    Frank Pierson

Special Achievement Award (Sound Effects)

  • The Hindenburg
    Peter Berkos

Special Achievement Award (Visual Effects)

  • The Hindenburg
    Albert Whitlock and Glen Robinson

Honorary Award

  • Mary Pickford
    Note: …in recognition of her unique contributions to the film industry and the development of film as an artistic medium.

Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award

  • Mervyn LeRoy

Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award

  • Dr. Jules C. Stein

Scientific or Technical Award (Class II)

  • Chadwell O'Connor [of the O'Connor Engineering Laboratories]
    Note: …for the concept and engineering of a fluid-damped camera-head for motion picture photography.
  • William F. Miner [of Universal City Studios Inc.] and Westinghouse Electric Corporation
    Note: …for the development and engineering of a solid-state, 500 kilowatt, direct-current static rectifier for motion picture lighting.

Scientific or Technical Award (Class III)

  • Lawrence W. Butler and Roger W. Banks
    Note: …for the concept of applying low inertia and stepping electric motors to film transport systems and optical printers for motion picture production.
  • David Degenkolb [of DeLuxe General Incorporated], Fred Scobey [of DeLuxe General Incorporated], John C. Dolan [of the Akwaklame Company] and Richard DuBois [of the Akwaklame Company]
    Note: …for the development of a technique for silver recovery from photographic wash-waters by ion exchange.
  • Joseph Westheimer
    Note: …for the development of a device to obtain shadowed titles on motion picture films.
  • Carter Equipment Company Inc. and Ramtronics
    Note: …for the engineering and manufacture of a computerized tape punching system for programming laboratory printing machines.
  • Hollywood Film Company
    Note: …for the engineering and manufacture of a computerized tape punching system for programming laboratory printing machines.
  • Bell & Howell
    Note: …for the engineering and manufacture of a computerized tape punching system for programming laboratory printing machines.
  • Fredrik Schlyter
    Note: …for the engineering and manufacture of a computerized tape punching system for programming laboratory printing machines.
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