MovieChat Forums > 74th Annual Academy Awards (2002) Discussion > Memorial Tribute

Memorial Tribute

posted 20 years ago by eddy-28
4 replies | jump to latest

The 74th Annual Academy Awards Show, had the most worst Memorial Tribute or "In Memoriam" segment that I have ever seen. The Academy did remember several actors and actresses that were nominated or won Oscars, such as Jack Lemmon, Nigel Hawthorne, Beatrice Straight, Eileen Heckart, Jason Miller, Harold Russell, Ann Sothern, Kim Stanley, Carroll O'Connor and Anthony Quinn. Strangly however, the families of actresses Peggy Lee and Dorothy McGuire and two time Oscar winning Special Effects Artist A.D. Flowers were outraged that they were not included in that year's segment. Both Lee and McGuire were nominated for Oscars. I realize that the Academy does not have time to memorialize every actor or actress that dies every year, but at least remember the ones that were nominated or won an Oscar. It's shocking that they choose to remember Aaliyah, who was never nominated for an Oscar and only starred in two films, instead of McGuire or Lee. I really do not mean to disrespect the Academy Awards Show, but sometimes they do a pathetic job at picking the ones who should or should not be remembered.

Very Displeased in that part of that year's show.

[–] supersmart4life 20 years ago

Although no one ever mentions it Aaliyah was actually nominated for an academy award in 1997 in the catagory of best song for the movie Anastasia for the song Journey to the Past. She also performed that same song that year at the academy awards. So yes the producers did a pathetic job, but you also did a tacky job in researching yourself.

[–] eddy-28 20 years ago

You're right, she did perform at the 1997 Academy Awards, I did own a copy of that show and she did perform the song for Anatasia. No disrespect to Aaliyah, but I'm sure if the producers at the Oscars took there time, they could have easily fitted several more people including Peggy Lee and Dorothy McGuire along with Aaliyah and Carroll O'Connor and they would not have problems with family members getting upset. To my knowledge, I believe that the 74th Academy Award's memorial tribute only had 18-20 persons in the segment or at least that was what the director claimed, but yet in the past shows and even this last year's show, there have 30-35 persons in the segment. I really wish that the Oscars could include everybody who passes away in the entertainment business, that is one of the moving and greatest parts of the show, but I know it won't happen.

[–] happy_hick 19 years ago

Aaliyah was not nominated. According to IMDB at least. She did perform, yes, but that doesn't mean that she was the one nominated.

[–] eddy-28 19 years ago

My main response is that this In Memoriam segment just did not want to include other actors that should have been remembered. After watching this show, and also speaking to Mike Shapiro who is the one who usually does the In Memoriam segment for the Academy every year, informed me that he was shocked by the oversights during the Memorial Tribute at the 74th's Oscar show. After the Memorial segment was over, according to the trivia area on this page, the Academy did a special dance theme showing all the deceased actors dancing from the movies they were in. Perhaps if they did not do that, they could have had room to remember the other actors. Mike Shapiro told me that it was wrong to do this and it was unforgivable for the Academy NOT to include those actors such as Peggy Lee and Dorothy McGuire. I think other people are just outraged that Aaliyah was honored, even though she was more of a singer and her acting career was shattered by her tragic death.
This is the complete list of the ones who were featured in the order that they appeared:
Jack Lemmon (actor)
Nigel Hawthorne (actor)
Beatrice Straight (actress)
Eileen Heckart (actress)
Jason Miller (actor/writer)
Ann Sothern (actress)
Harold Russell (actor)
Kim Stanley (actress)
Michael Ritchie (director)
Ted Demme (director)
Budd Boetticher (director)
Hiroshi Tesgahara (director)
Herbert Ross (director)
Julia Phillips (producer)
Jay Livingston (composer)
William Hanna (producer)
Chuck Jones (animator)
Samuel Z. Arkoff (producer)
Danilo Donati (costume designer)
Sacha Vierny (cinematographer)
John A. Alonzo (cinematographer)
Carroll O'Connor (actor)
Aalyiah (actress)
George Harrison (producer/composer/actor)
Anthony Quinn (actor)