46th Academy Awards

46th Academy Awards
46th Academy Awards
Date	April 2, 1974
Site	Dorothy Chandler Pavilion ; Los Angeles, California
Hosted by	Burt Reynolds, Diana Ross, John Huston and David Niven
Produced by	Jack Haley Jr.
Directed by	Marty Pasetta
Highlights
Best Picture	The Sting
Most awards	The Sting (7)
Most nominations	The Exorcist and The Sting (10)
TV in the United States
Network	NBC
Duration	3 hours, 23 minutes
Ratings	44.7 million
	← 45th ; Academy Awards ; 47th →;

Last updated June 30, 2024

The 46th Academy Awards were presented on Tuesday, April 2, 1974, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, California. The ceremonies were presided over by Burt Reynolds, Diana Ross, John Huston, and David Niven.

The Sting won 7 awards, including Best Picture and Best Director for George Roy Hill. The Exorcist and The Way We Were were the only other films to win multiple awards. Marvin Hamlisch won 3 awards, making him the third person to achieve this feat and, to date, the only person who has won 3 Oscars in one year without winning Best Picture. As of 2023, it is the most recent ceremony in which the 3 highest-grossing films of the year were nominated for Best Picture (The Exorcist, The Sting and American Graffiti).

Winners and nominees

George Roy Hill, Best Director winner

Jack Lemmon, Best Actor winner

Glenda Jackson, Best Actress winner

John Houseman, Best Supporting Actor winner

Tatum O'Neal, Best Supporting Actress winner

David S. Ward, Best Original Screenplay Winner

William Peter Blatty, Best Adapted Screenplay Winner

Marvin Hamlisch, Best Original Score winner, Adapted Score winner & Best Original Song co-winner

Nominations announced on February 19, 1974. Winners are listed first, highlighted in boldface and indicated with a double dagger (‡).^[2]

Best Picture	Best Director
The Sting – Tony Bill, Julia Phillips and Michael Phillips, producers‡ American Graffiti – Francis Ford Coppola, producer; Gary Kurtz, co-producer Cries and Whispers – Ingmar Bergman, producer The Exorcist – William Peter Blatty, producer A Touch of Class – Melvin Frank, producer	George Roy Hill – The Sting ‡ George Lucas – American Graffiti Ingmar Bergman – Cries and Whispers William Friedkin – The Exorcist Bernardo Bertolucci – Last Tango in Paris
Best Actor	Best Actress
*Jack Lemmon – Save the Tiger* as Harry Stoner*‡ Marlon Brando – Last Tango in Paris* as Paul Jack Nicholson – The Last Detail as Billy "Badass" Buddusky Al Pacino – Serpico as Frank Serpico Robert Redford – The Sting as Johnny Hooker	*Glenda Jackson – A Touch of Class* as Vicki Allessio*‡ Ellen Burstyn – The Exorcist* as Chris MacNeil Marsha Mason – Cinderella Liberty as Maggie Paul Barbra Streisand – The Way We Were as Katie Morosky Joanne Woodward – Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams as Rita Pritchett-Walden
Best Supporting Actor	Best Supporting Actress
*John Houseman – The Paper Chase* as Professor Charles W. Kingsfield Jr.*‡ Vincent Gardenia – Bang the Drum Slowly* as Dutch Jack Gilford – Save the Tiger as Phil Jason Miller – The Exorcist as Damien Karras Randy Quaid – The Last Detail as Larry Meadows	*Tatum O'Neal – Paper Moon* as Addie Loggins*‡ Linda Blair – The Exorcist* as Regan MacNeil Candy Clark – American Graffiti as Debbie Dunham Madeline Kahn – Paper Moon as Trixie Delight Sylvia Sidney – Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams as Mrs. Pritchett
Best Story and Screenplay Based on Factual Material or Material Not Previously Produced or Published	Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium
The Sting – David S. Ward ‡ American Graffiti – George Lucas, Gloria Katz and Willard Huyck Cries and Whispers – Ingmar Bergman Save the Tiger – Steve Shagan A Touch of Class – Melvin Frank and Jack Rose	The Exorcist – William Peter Blatty based on his novel ‡ The Last Detail – Robert Towne based on the novel by Darryl Ponicsan The Paper Chase – James Bridges based on the novel by John Jay Osborn Jr. Paper Moon – Alvin Sargent based on the novel Addie Pray by Joe David Brown Serpico – Waldo Salt and Norman Wexler based on the book by Peter Maas
Best Foreign Language Film	Best Documentary Feature
Day for Night – France ‡ The House on Chelouche Street – Israel L'Invitation – Switzerland The Pedestrian – Germany (West) Turkish Delight – Netherlands	The Great American Cowboy – Kieth Merrill ‡ Always a New Beginning – John D. Goodell Battle of Berlin (Schlacht um Berlin) – Franz Baake and Jost von Morr Journey to the Outer Limits – Alexander Grasshoff Walls of Fire – Herbert Kline and Edmund Penney
Best Documentary Short Subject	Best Live Action Short Subject
Princeton: A Search for Answers – Julian Krainin and DeWitt L. Sage Jr.‡ Background Christo's Valley Curtain Four Stones for Kanemitsu Paisti ag obair	The Bolero – Allan Miller and William Fertik‡ Clockmaker – Richard Gayer Life Times Nine – Pen Densham and John Watson
Best Animated Short Subject	Best Original Dramatic Score
Frank Film – Frank Mouris‡ The Legend of John Henry – Nick Bosustow and David Adams Pulcinella – Emanuele Luzzati and Guilo Gianini	The Way We Were – Marvin Hamlisch ‡ Cinderella Liberty – John Williams The Day of the Dolphin – Georges Delerue Papillon – Jerry Goldsmith A Touch of Class – John Cameron
Best Scoring: Original Song Score and Adaptation or Scoring: Adaptation	Best Song
The Sting – Adapted by Marvin Hamlisch ‡ Jesus Christ Superstar – Adapted by André Previn, Herbert W. Spencer and Andrew Lloyd Webber Tom Sawyer – Song Score by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman; Adapted by John Williams	*"The Way We Were" — The Way We Were* • Music by Marvin Hamlisch • Lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman** ‡ "All That Love Went to Waste" — A Touch of Class • Music by George Barrie • Lyrics by Sammy Cahn "Live and Let Die" — Live and Let Die • Music and Lyrics by Paul McCartney and Linda McCartney "Love" — Robin Hood • Music by George Bruns • Lyrics by Floyd Huddleston "(You're So) Nice to Be Around" — Cinderella Liberty • Music by John Williams • Lyrics by Paul Williams
Best Costume Design	Best Sound
The Sting – Edith Head ‡ Cries and Whispers – Marik Vos Ludwig – Piero Tosi Tom Sawyer – Donfeld The Way We Were – Dorothy Jeakins and Moss Mabry	The Exorcist – Robert Knudson and Chris Newman ‡ The Day of the Dolphin – Richard Portman and Larry Jost The Paper Chase – Donald O. Mitchell and Larry Jost Paper Moon – Richard Portman and Les Fresholtz The Sting – Ronald Pierce and Robert R. Bertrand
Best Art Direction	Best Cinematography
The Sting – Art Direction: Henry Bumstead; Set Decoration: James W. Payne ‡ Brother Sun, Sister Moon – Art Direction: Lorenzo Mongiardino and Gianni Quaranta; Set Decoration: Carmelo Patrono The Exorcist – Art Direction: Bill Malley; Set Decoration: Jerry Wunderlich Tom Sawyer – Art Direction: Philip Jefferies; Set Decoration: Robert De Vestel The Way We Were – Art Direction: Stephen B. Grimes; Set Decoration: William Kiernan (posthumous nomination)	Cries and Whispers – Sven Nykvist ‡ The Exorcist – Owen Roizman Jonathan Livingston Seagull – Jack Couffer The Sting – Robert Surtees The Way We Were – Harry Stradling Jr.
Best Film Editing
The Sting — William H. Reynolds ‡ American Graffiti — Verna Fields and Marcia Lucas The Day of the Jackal — Ralph Kemplen The Exorcist – Jordan Leondopoulos, Bud S. Smith, Evan A. Lottman and Norman Gay Jonathan Livingston Seagull — Frank P. Keller and James Galloway

Streaking incident

The 46th Academy Awards ceremony is perhaps best remembered as the one in which a streaker named Robert Opel ran across the stage naked while flashing a peace sign with his hand. In response, host David Niven jokingly quipped, "Isn't it fascinating to think that probably the only laugh that man will ever get in his life is by stripping off and showing his shortcomings?"^[3]^[4]^[5] Terrence O'Flaherty, a columnist from San Francisco, responded by saying that "there's only one trouble with streaking—the wrong people usually do it. The ones who should have removed their clothes were Cher Bono, Twiggy and Elizabeth Taylor".^[5]

The incident would be referenced 50 years later during the 96th Academy Awards in 2024; host Jimmy Kimmel brought up the streaker and asked the audience, "can you imagine a naked man at the Oscars today?" Eventually, a "nude" John Cena, holding the award envelope for Best Costume Design over his crotch, emerged from backstage.^[6]^[7]

Other notable events

First-time nominee George Lucas made his debut at the Academy Awards with his nostalgic teen drama American Graffiti . It was nominated for Best Picture (Francis Ford Coppola and Gary Kurtz), Director & Story and Screenplay Based on Factual Material or Material Not Previously Produced or Published (Lucas), Editor (Marcia Lucas) and Candy Clark for Best Supporting Actress.
Jack Lemmon bet his friend Walter Matthau $1,000 to $500 that he would lose the Academy Award for Best Actor; he did not win the bet.^[5]
William Friedkin announced that he would not attend the ball celebrating the Oscars out of enragement that The Exorcist failed to win Best Picture.^[5]
Katharine Hepburn made her first and only appearance at the ceremony to present The Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award to her longtime friend Lawrence Weingarten. Whenever she won an Oscar, she always had either the presenter or another person associated with her film accept it on her behalf. Upon taking the stage, she received a standing ovation, to which she replied "I'm living proof that a person can wait forty-one years to be unselfish."
Coincidentally, Debbie Reynolds, Elizabeth Taylor and Connie Stevens, who were all ex-wives of Eddie Fisher's, each appeared in some form.
This was Susan Hayward's last public appearance before she died of brain cancer a year later (1975).
At 10 years, 148 days of age, Tatum O'Neal won Best Supporting Actress for her role in Paper Moon . She became the youngest winner of an Oscar, a feat unmatched to this day.
During the ceremony, the whole in memoriam tribute was for legendary producer Samuel Goldwyn, who had died at age 94, three months prior to the event. He is the only person to have an Academy Awards ceremony dedicated solely to him.
Longtime film veteran/comedian Groucho Marx was presented with an Honorary Academy Award for his contributions to the cinema.
Julia Phillips of The Sting became the first female producer to win for Best Picture.
With Tatum O'Neal being 10 years old and John Houseman being 71 years old, this was the biggest age gap ever for 2 acting wins.

Multiple nominations and awards

Films that received multiple nominations
Nominations	Film
10	The Exorcist
10	The Sting
6	The Way We Were
5	American Graffiti
	Cries and Whispers
	A Touch of Class
4	Paper Moon
3	Cinderella Liberty
	The Last Detail
	The Paper Chase
	Save the Tiger
	Tom Sawyer
2	The Day of the Dolphin
	Jonathan Livingston Seagull
	Last Tango in Paris
	Serpico
	Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams

Films that received multiple awards
Awards	Film
7	The Sting
2	The Exorcist
The Way We Were

Presenters and performers

The following individuals, listed in order of appearance, presented awards or performed musical numbers:

Presenters

Name	Role
Hank Simms	Announcer for the 46th Academy Awards
Walter Mirisch (AMPAS President)	Gave opening remarks welcoming guests to the awards ceremony
Linda Blair Billy Dee Williams	Presenters of the Short Subjects Awards
James Caan Raquel Welch	Presenters of the Documentary Awards
Jack Valenti	Presenter of the Honorary Award to Henri Langlois (with Gene Kelly serving as his English-language interpreter)
Candice Bergen Marcel Marceau	Presenters of the award for Best Sound
Richard Benjamin Paula Prentiss	Presenters of the award for Best Film Editing
Alfred Hitchcock	Presenter of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award to Lew Wasserman
Sylvia Sidney Paul Winfield	Presenters of the award for Best Art Direction
Peter Falk Twiggy	Presenters of the award for Best Costume Design
Peter Lawford Cicely Tyson	Presenters of the award for Best Cinematography
Yul Brynner	Presenter of the award for Best Foreign Language Film
Donald O'Connor Debbie Reynolds	Presenters of the award for Best Original Song and/or Adaptation Score
Cher Henry Mancini	Presenters of the award for Best Original Dramatic Score
Marsha Mason Neil Simon	Presenters of the award for Best Story and Screenplay Based on Factual Material or Material Not Previously Produced or Published
Angie Dickinson Jason Miller	Presenters of the award for Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium
Ann-Margret Burt Bacharach	Presenters of the award for Best Song
Ernest Borgnine Cybill Shepherd	Presenters of the award for Best Supporting Actor
Charles Bronson Jill Ireland	Presenters of the award for Best Supporting Actress
Shirley MacLaine Walter Matthau	Presenters of the award for Best Director
Katharine Hepburn	Presenter of the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award
Jack Lemmon	Presenter of the Honorary Award to Groucho Marx
Susan Hayward Charlton Heston	Presenters of the award for Best Actress
Liza Minnelli Gregory Peck	Presenters of the award for Best Actor
Elizabeth Taylor	Presenter of the award for Best Picture

Performers

Name	Role	Performed
Henry Mancini	Musical arranger and Conductor	Orchestral
Liza Minnelli	Performer	"Oscar"
Academy Awards Chorus	Performers	"Thank You Very Much" from Scrooge during the Academy Awards' 45th Anniversary montage
Dyan Cannon	Performer	"All the Love That Went to Waste" from A Touch of Class
Connie Stevens	Performer	"Live and Let Die" from Live and Let Die
Jodie Foster and Johnny Whitaker	Performers	"Love" from Robin Hood
Peggy Lee	Performer	"The Way We Were" from The Way We Were
Telly Savalas	Performer	"You're So Nice to Be Around" from Cinderella Liberty
Academy Awards Orchestra	Performers	“Hooray for Hollywood” (orchestral) during the closing credits

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References

↑ "The 46th Academy Awards (1974) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Archived from the original on March 15, 2015. Retrieved December 31, 2011.
↑ Boyer Sagert, Kelly (2007). The 1970s . Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 129. ISBN 978-0-313-33919-6.
↑ Frawley, Frawley (2004). And the stars spoke back. Scarecrow Press. p. 224. ISBN 0-8108-5157-1.
1 2 3 4 Wallechinsky, David; Wallace, Irving (1975). The People's Almanac. Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc. p. 847. ISBN 0-385-04060-1.
↑ Fienberg, Daniel (March 11, 2024). "Critic's Notebook: Busy and Eclectic Oscars 2024 Telecast Delivers Many Highlights (and a Few Lowlights)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 11, 2024. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
↑ "Naked John Cena pays tribute to 50th anniversary of Oscars streaker". EW.com. Retrieved March 11, 2024.

External links

The Life of Oscar Streaker, Robert Opel @WFMU

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[1] Academy Awards TV Ratings Data, 1953-2008, Nielsen Ratings Data: ©2009 Nielsen Media Research, Inc

[Oscars1974-2] "The 46th Academy Awards (1974) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Archived from the original on March 15, 2015. Retrieved December 31, 2011.

[The1970s-3] Boyer Sagert, Kelly (2007). The 1970s . Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 129. ISBN 978-0-313-33919-6.

[AndTheStars-4] Frawley, Frawley (2004). And the stars spoke back. Scarecrow Press. p. 224. ISBN 0-8108-5157-1.

[Oscars_'73_Notes-5] 1 2 3 4 Wallechinsky, David; Wallace, Irving (1975). The People's Almanac. Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc. p. 847. ISBN 0-385-04060-1.

[6] Fienberg, Daniel (March 11, 2024). "Critic's Notebook: Busy and Eclectic Oscars 2024 Telecast Delivers Many Highlights (and a Few Lowlights)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 11, 2024. Retrieved March 11, 2024.

[7] "Naked John Cena pays tribute to 50th anniversary of Oscars streaker". EW.com. Retrieved March 11, 2024.

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