My interest in studying the Oscar Awards in a systematic way began twenty-five years ago, in 1977, when I was asked to teach a course on popular culture at Hunter College. But my curiosity about the Oscars as a uniquely American spectacle goes back much further, to my childhood in Israel. Television was introduced to the Israeli public rather late, in 1967, and in a limited way. There was one channel that broadcast only several hours per evening. Hence, movies were- and in many ways still are--the primary medium of entertainment.

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"A largely comprehensive study of just about every aspect of the Academy Awards. A smart analytical look at the Oscar process-far more informative than many of the oversized coffee-table book takes on the subject."

A book for all film lovers! All about Oscar covers 75 years and builds on Emanuel Levy's well-known work on the Academy Awards. Ever wonder how Oscar got its name? Who has been nominated the most times without winning? Why more than a billion people worldwide watch every year? Here are the answers!

"Levy's book is right on the money...and right that the Oscars deserve analysis."

"A diverting, astute, and well-researched historical survey of the Academy Awards."

"...references galoreto past ceremonies and many original observations...The concluding charts listing among other things, the most nominated films and the highest-grossing Oscar winners are welcome."

Preface

1. The Greatest Show on Earth

2. The History of the Oscar Award

3. The Oscar-King of the Showbiz Awards?

4. Hunks, Leading Ladies, and Second Bananas--

      The Nomination 

5. The Luck of the British

6. Winning the Oscar

7. Is the Oscar a White Man's Award?

8. The Oscar-Winners- Biopictures and Problem Dramas

9. The Oscar-Winners--The Masculine Genres:

Historical Epics, War Films, and Westerns 

10. The Oscar-Winners--Comedies and Musicals

11. The Oscar and the Foreign-Language Picture

12. Boys Will Be Boys and Girls Will Be Girls:

   The Oscar-Winning Roles 

13. The Importance of Being Eccentric

14. The Oscar as a Popularity Contest

15. From Total Embracement to Outright Rejection:

The Various Meanings of the Oscar Award 

16. I Would Like to Thank... The Acceptance Speeches

17. The Oscars' Huge Impact

18. Oscaritis -- The Oscars' Negative Effects

19. Can the Oscar Be Bought?

20. Strange Bedfellows? The Oscar and Politics

21. Noble and Heroic--Oscar's Middlebrow Sensibility

Conclusion: The Oscars, Hollywood, and American Culture

Awards in Six Categories by Year

Best Picture Winners and Nominees by Genre

The Oscar-Winners by Nominations, Awards, and Appeal

The Most Nominated Films

The Ten Highest Grossing Oscar Winners

Best Picture Winners by Year and Date of Release

Best Picture Winners by Year and Running Time

Best Foreign-Language Winners by Year and Country