Oscar Night Gaffes

A good juicy "Oscar moment" can be the most memorable (or embarrassing) incident in a star's career. Since 1953, when the Academy Awards were first televised, viewers have always tuned in hoping to see someone trip, strip, or crash the proceedings. Here are some of Oscar's most famous follies:

1962: Comedian BOB HOPE hosts the Oscars from the Santa Monica Civic Center. As the cinematography award is about to be announced, a strange man suddenly rushes the podium and grabs the mike. Calling himself Stan Berman, he declares: "Ladies and gentlemen, I'm the world's greatest gatecrasher and I just came here to present Bob Hope with his 1938 trophy." Handing a miniature statuette to actress Shelley Winters, he says "This is for Bob" and splits. Hope later quips, "Who needs Price Waterhouse? All we need is a doorman."

1970: Calling the Oscars "a two-hour meat parade," GEORGE C. SCOTT announces that he will refuse the Best Actor award if he wins (for playing WWII general George Patton in Patton). On the big evening, presenter Goldie Hawn rips open the Best Actor envelope and squeals, "Oh my God! The winner is George C. Scott!" True to his word, Scott is home in New York watching a hockey game on TV. He's the first actor ever to refuse an Oscar.

1973: "Hello. My name is Sacheen Littlefeather. I'm Apache and... I'm representing MARLON BRANDO this evening." So says a young woman in Indian garb who takes the microphone after Marlon Brando wins the Best Actor award for The Godfather. Brando, not to be outdone by George C. Scott, has sent Littlefeather to protest the treatment of Native Americans in the movies. The audience reacts with confusion and scattered boos. Actor Clint Eastwood, announcing the Best Picture award moments later, says "I don't know if I should present this award on behalf of all the cowboys shot in John Ford westerns over the years."

1974: 33-year-old Robert Opal gooses Oscar by streaking naked, on live TV, across the stage of the Dorothy Chandler Pavillion. Opal flashes a peace sign as he passes the cameras, and NBC cuts away to avoid full frontal nudity. After the laughter has died down, presenter DAVID NIVEN blithely tells the crowd, "Just think: the only laugh that man will probably ever get is for stripping and showing off his shortcomings."

1984: SALLY FIELD has won the Best Actress Oscar before, in 1978 for Norma Rae. But after Robert Duvall hands her this year's Oscar for Places in the Heart, Field starts a gush-a-thon: "I wanted more than anything to have your respect. The first time I didn't feel it, but this time I feel it and I can't deny the fact you like me. Right now, you really like me!" "You like me!" becomes an instant catchphrase. The next year Field introduces the Best Actor award by saying, "Let's see which one you like, you really, really like."

1989: In a famously bizarre opening number, ROB LOWE is forced to sing and dance with an actress dressed up as Snow White. The performance is a ghastly flop. In the following days Lowe is mercilessly ribbed for his bad singing; the Walt Disney Company sues the Academy for unauthorized use of the Snow White image.

1991: 72-year-old JACK PALANCE is chosen Best Supporting Actor for City Slickers and goes cheerfully berzerk onstage. Demonstrating his rugged virility, Palance suddenly hits the floor and starts doing one-armed pushups. Returning to the podium, Palance makes a few off-color comments and rambles: "As far as two-handed pushups are concerned, you can do that all night." In true Hollywood fashion, the incident jump-starts Palance's career.

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