61st Academy Awards

{{Infobox film awards

| number = 61

| award = Academy Awards

| image = 61st Academy Awards.jpg

| caption = Official poster

| alt = Official poster promoting the 61st Academy Awards in 1989.

| date = March 29, 1989

| site = Shrine Auditorium
Los Angeles, California, U.S.

| host =

| producer = Allan Carr

| director = Jeff Margolis

| best_picture = Rain Man

| most_wins = Rain Man (4)

| most_nominations = Rain Man (8)

| network = ABC

| duration = 3 hours, 19 minutes

| ratings = 42.68 million
29.81% (Nielsen ratings)

| last = 60th

| next = 62nd

}}

The 61st Academy Awards ceremony, organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 1988 and took place on Wednesday, March 29, 1989, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, beginning at 6:00 p.m. PST / 9:00 p.m. EST.{{harvnb|Osborne|2008|p=296}} During the ceremony, AMPAS presented Academy Awards (commonly referred to as Oscars) in 23 categories. The ceremony, televised in the United States by ABC, was produced by Allan Carr and directed by Jeff Margolis. Ten days earlier, in a ceremony held at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, the Academy Awards for Technical Achievement were presented by host Angie Dickinson.{{cite news|title=Past Scientific & Technical Awards Ceremonies|url=http://www.oscars.org/awards/scitech/pastawards.html|access-date=July 31, 2013 |publisher=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140213185729/http://www.oscars.org/awards/scitech/pastawards.html|archive-date=February 13, 2014 |df=mdy-all}}

Rain Man won four awards, including Best Picture. Other winners included Who Framed Roger Rabbit with four awards, Dangerous Liaisons with three, and The Accused, The Accidental Tourist, A Fish Called Wanda, The Appointments of Dennis Jennings, Beetlejuice, Bird, Hôtel Terminus: The Life and Times of Klaus Barbie, The Milagro Beanfield War, Mississippi Burning, Pelle the Conqueror, Tin Toy, Working Girl, and You Don't Have to Die with one award each.

The telecast drew in over 42 million viewers in the United States, making it the most-viewed ceremony up to that point, until it was surpassed by the 70th Academy Awards in 1998, which garnered a viewership of over 57 million. The ceremony featured changes such as the introduction of the phrase "And the Oscar goes to..." and the absence of a traditional host. The ceremony's opening number, featuring Snow White and Rob Lowe, received heavy criticism. Allan Carr faced significant backlash, leading the Academy to form a committee to address the criticisms and evaluate the ceremony's production.

Winners and nominees

The nominees for the 61st Academy Awards were announced on February 15, 1989, at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, California, by Richard Kahn, president of the Academy, and actress Anne Archer.{{cite news|last=Williams|first=Jeannie |title= Michael's high-profile feast|work=USA Today |page=2D|date=February 16, 1989|df=mdy-all}} Rain Man led all nominees, with eight; Dangerous Liaisons and Mississippi Burning tied for second with seven each.{{cite news|last=Cieply |first=Michael |title='Rain Man' Given 8 Oscar Nominations; Sigourney 2 : Hoffman Wins 6th Acting Nod |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-02-15-mn-2644-story.html |access-date= October 4, 2013 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=February 16, 1989 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131004232746/http://articles.latimes.com/1989-02-15/news/mn-2644_1_rain-man |archive-date=October 4, 2013 |df=mdy-all}}

The winners were announced at the award ceremony on March 29, 1989.{{cite news|last=Kehr |first=Dave |title='Rain Man' The Big Winner, But Upsets Put Zip In Oscars |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1989/03/30/rain-man-the-big-winner-but-upsets-put-zip-in-oscars/ |access-date=October 4, 2013 |work=Chicago Tribune |date=March 30, 1989 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131005034111/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1989-03-30/news/8903300960_1_61st-academy-awards-rain-man-screenplay-award |archive-date=October 5, 2013 |df=mdy-all}} Best Actress winner Jodie Foster became the eighth person in history to win the aforementioned category for a film with a single nomination. The last person to achieve this feat was Sophia Loren when she won for Two Women in 1961. Best Actor winner Dustin Hoffman was the fifth person to win the aforementioned category twice.{{cite news|url= http://goldderby.latimes.com/awards_goldderby/2009/02/oscar-news-411.html |title=Sean Penn is the ninth actor to win two lead Oscars |last=O'Neil |first=Tom |date=February 23, 2009 |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=June 6, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130308055511/http://goldderby.latimes.com/awards_goldderby/2009/02/oscar-news-411.html |archive-date=March 8, 2013 |df=mdy-all}} Sigourney Weaver became the fifth performer to receive two acting nominations in the same year{{harvnb|Levy|2003|p=83}} but did not win in either category.{{harvnb|Levy|2003|p=283}} John Lasseter and William Reeves won Best Animated Short Film for Tin Toy, which was Pixar's first Oscar ever and the first CGI film to win an Oscar.{{cite book|last=Price|first=David|year=2008|title=The Pixar Touch|location=New York|publisher=Alfred A. Knopf|isbn=978-0-307-26575-3|ref=Price|page=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780307265753/page/106 106]|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780307265753/page/106}}

= Awards =

{{multiple image

| align = right

| direction = vertical

| total_width = 150

| image1 = Mark Johnson, May 2009 (cropped).jpg

| caption1 = Mark Johnson, Best Picture winner

| image2 = Barry Levinson Shankbone 2009 Tribeca.jpg

| caption2 = Barry Levinson, Best Director winner

| image3 = Dustin Hoffman cropped.jpg

| caption3 = Dustin Hoffman, Best Actor winner

| image4 = Jodiefoster at 61st Academy Awards re-cropped.jpg

| caption4 = Jodie Foster, Best Actress winner

| image5 = Kevin Kline (252969354) (cropped).jpg

| caption5 = Kevin Kline, Best Supporting Actor winner

| image6 = Geena Davis (1989) (cropped).jpg

| caption6 = Geena Davis, Best Supporting Actress winner

| image7 = Hampton3.jpg

| caption7 = Christopher Hampton, Best Adapted Screenplay winner

| image8 = Bille August (cropped).jpg

| caption8 = Bille August, Best Foreign Language Film winner

| image9 = Bill Guttentag 2012 Shankbone.JPG

| caption9 = Bill Guttentag, Best Documentary Short Subject co-winner

| image10 = Steven Wright 1994.jpg

| caption10 = Steven Wright, Best Live Action Short Film co-winner

| image11 = JohnLasseterOct2011.jpg

| caption11 = John Lasseter, Best Animated Short Film co-winner

| image12 = William "Bill" Reeves Pixar.jpg

| caption12 = William Reeves, Best Animated Short Film co-winner

| image13 = Dave_Grusin.jpg

| caption13 = Dave Grusin, Best Original Score winner

| image14 = Carly Simon (1974).jpg

| caption14 = Carly Simon, Best Original Song winner

| image15 = Ve Neill by Gage Skidmore.jpg

| caption15 = Ve Neill, Best Makeup co-winner

| image16 = Richard Williams animator.jpg

| caption16 = Richard Williams, Best Visual Effects co-winner

}}

Winners are listed first, highlighted in boldface and indicated with double dagger ({{double-dagger}}).{{Cite web|url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1989 |title=The 61st Academy Awards (1989) Nominees and Winners |access-date=October 27, 2011 |publisher=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences |url-status= live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20141006074956/http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/legacy/ceremony/61st-winners.html |archive-date=October 6, 2014 |df=mdy-all}}

class=wikitable

| valign="top" width="50%" |

Rain Man – Mark Johnson, producer{{double-dagger}}
The Accidental Tourist – Lawrence Kasdan, Charles Okun, and Michael Grillo, producers
Dangerous Liaisons – Norma Heyman and Hank Moonjean, producers
Mississippi Burning – Frederick Zollo and Robert F. Colesberry, producers
Working Girl – Douglas Wick, producer

| valign="top" |

Barry Levinson – Rain Man{{double-dagger}}
Charles Crichton – A Fish Called Wanda
Martin Scorsese – The Last Temptation of Christ
Alan Parker – Mississippi Burning
Mike Nichols – Working Girl

valign="top" |

Dustin Hoffman – Rain Man as Raymond Babbitt{{double-dagger}}
Gene Hackman – Mississippi Burning as Agent Rupert Anderson
Tom Hanks – Big as Josh Baskin
Edward James Olmos – Stand and Deliver as Jaime Escalante
Max von Sydow – Pelle the Conqueror as Lassefar

| valign="top" |

Jodie Foster – The Accused as Sarah Tobias{{double-dagger}}
Glenn Close – Dangerous Liaisons as Marquise Isabelle de Merteuil
Melanie Griffith – Working Girl as Tess McGill
Meryl Streep – A Cry in the Dark as Lindy Chamberlain
Sigourney Weaver – Gorillas in the Mist as Dian Fossey

valign="top" |

Kevin Kline – A Fish Called Wanda as Otto West{{double-dagger}}
Alec Guinness – Little Dorrit as William Dorrit
Martin Landau – Tucker: The Man and His Dream as Abe Karatz
River Phoenix – Running on Empty as Danny Pope
Dean Stockwell – Married to the Mob as Tony "The Tiger" Russo

| valign="top" |

Geena Davis – The Accidental Tourist as Muriel Pritchett{{double-dagger}}
Joan Cusack – Working Girl as Cynthia
Frances McDormand – Mississippi Burning as Mrs. Pell
Michelle Pfeiffer – Dangerous Liaisons as Madame Marie de Tourvel
Sigourney Weaver – Working Girl as Katharine Parker

valign="top" |

{{Award category|#F9EFAA|Best Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen)}}

Rain Man – Screenplay by Ronald Bass, Barry Morrow; Story by Barry Morrow{{double-dagger}}
Big – Gary Ross and Anne Spielberg
Bull Durham – Ron Shelton
A Fish Called Wanda – Screenplay by John Cleese; Story by John Cleese and Charles Crichton
Running on Empty – Naomi Foner

| valign="top" |

{{Award category|#F9EFAA|Best Writing (Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium)}}

Dangerous Liaisons – Christopher Hampton based on the play Les Liaisons Dangereuses by Christopher Hampton and the novel by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos{{double-dagger}}
The Accidental Tourist – Frank Galati and Lawrence Kasdan based on the novel by Anne Tyler
Gorillas in the Mist – Screenplay by Anna Hamilton Phelan; Story by Anna Hamilton Phelan and Tab Murphy based on articles by Harold T.P. Hayes and Alex Shoumatoff
Little Dorrit – Christine Edzard based on the novel by Charles Dickens
The Unbearable Lightness of Being – Jean-Claude Carrière and Philip Kaufman based on the novel by Milan Kundera

valign="top" |

Pelle the Conqueror (Denmark) in Danish – Bille August{{double-dagger}}
Hanussen (Hungary) in Hungarian – István Szabó
The Music Teacher (Belgium) in French – Gérard Corbiau
Salaam Bombay! (India) in Hindi – Mira Nair
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (Spain) in Spanish – Pedro Almodóvar

| valign="top" |

Hôtel Terminus: The Life and Times of Klaus Barbie – Marcel Ophuls{{double-dagger}}
The Cry of Reason: Beyers Naude - An Afrikaner Speaks Out – Robert Bilheimer and Ronald Mix
Let's Get Lost – Bruce Weber and Nan Bush
Promises to Keep – Ginny Durrin
Who Killed Vincent Chin? – Renee Tajima and Christine Choy

valign="top" |

You Don't Have to Die – William Guttentag and Malcolm Clarke{{double-dagger}}
The Children's Storefront – Karen Goodman
Family Gathering – Lise Yasui and Ann Tegnell
Gang Cops – Thomas B. Fleming and Daniel J. Marks
Portrait of Imogen – Nancy Hale and Meg Partridge

| valign="top" |

The Appointments of Dennis Jennings – Dean Parisot and Steven Wright{{double-dagger}}
Cadillac Dreams – Matia Karrell and Abbee Goldstein
Gullah Tales – George deGolian and Gary Moss

valign="top" |

Tin Toy – John Lasseter and William Reeves{{double-dagger}}
The Cat Came Back – Cordell Barker
Technological Threat – Bill Kroyer and Brian Jennings

| valign="top" |

The Milagro Beanfield War – Dave Grusin{{double-dagger}}
The Accidental Tourist – John Williams
Dangerous Liaisons – George Fenton
Gorillas in the Mist – Maurice Jarre
Rain Man – Hans Zimmer

valign="top" |

"Let the River Run" from Working Girl – Music and Lyrics by Carly Simon{{double-dagger}}
"Calling You" from Bagdad Cafe – Music and Lyrics by Bob Telson
"Two Hearts" from Buster – Music by Lamont Dozier; Lyrics by Phil Collins

| valign="top" |

Bird – Les Fresholtz, Dick Alexander, Vern Poore, and Willie D. Burton{{double-dagger}}
Die Hard – Don Bassman, Kevin F. Cleary, Richard Overton, and Al Overton Jr.
Gorillas in the Mist – Andy Nelson, Brian Saunders, and Peter Handford
Mississippi Burning – Robert J. Litt, Elliot Tyson, Rick Kline, and Danny Michael
Who Framed Roger Rabbit – Robert Knudson, John Boyd, Don Digirolamo, and Tony Dawe

valign="top" |

Who Framed Roger Rabbit – Charles L. Campbell and Louis Edemann{{double-dagger}}
Die Hard – Stephen Hunter Flick and Richard Shorr
Willow – Ben Burtt and Richard Hymns

| valign="top" |

Dangerous Liaisons – Art Direction: Stuart Craig; Set Decoration: Gérard James{{double-dagger}}
Beaches – Art Direction: Albert Brenner; Set Decoration: Garrett Lewis
Rain Man – Art Direction: Ida Random; Set Decoration: Linda DeScenna
Tucker: The Man and His Dream – Art Direction: Dean Tavoularis; Set Decoration: Armin Ganz
Who Framed Roger Rabbit – Art Direction: Elliot Scott; Set Decoration: Peter Howitt

valign="top" |

Beetlejuice – Ve Neill, Steve La Porte, and Robert Short{{double-dagger}}
Coming to America – Rick Baker
Scrooged – Thomas R. Burman and Bari Dreiband-Burman

| valign="top" |

Dangerous Liaisons – James Acheson{{double-dagger}}
Coming to America – Deborah Nadoolman Landis
A Handful of Dust – Jane Robinson
Sunset – Patricia Norris
Tucker: The Man and His Dream – Milena Canonero

valign="top" |

Mississippi Burning – Peter Biziou{{double-dagger}}
Rain Man – John Seale
Tequila Sunrise – Conrad Hall
The Unbearable Lightness of Being – Sven Nykvist
Who Framed Roger Rabbit – Dean Cundey

| valign="top" |

Who Framed Roger Rabbit – Arthur Schmidt{{double-dagger}}
Die Hard – Frank J. Urioste and John F. Link
Gorillas in the Mist – Stuart Baird
Mississippi Burning – Gerry Hambling
Rain Man – Stu Linder

colspan="2"| {{Award category|#F9EFAA|Best Visual Effects}}

Who Framed Roger Rabbit – Ken Ralston, Richard Williams, Edward Jones, and George Gibbs{{double-dagger}}

Die Hard – Richard Edlund, Al DiSarro, Brent Boates, and Thaine Morris

Willow – Dennis Muren, Michael J. McAlister, Phil Tippett, and Chris Evans

= [[Special Achievement Academy Award|Special Achievement Award]] =

To Richard Williams for the animation direction of Who Framed Roger Rabbit.{{cite news|url=http://www.oscars.org/events/who-framed-roger-rabbit |title=Who Framed Roger Rabbit |access-date=November 4, 2013 |publisher=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20141018074456/http://www.oscars.org/events/who-framed-roger-rabbit |archive-date=October 18, 2014 |df=mdy-all}}

=Honorary Awards=

To the National Film Board of Canada in recognition of its 50th anniversary and its dedicated commitment to originate artistic, creative and technological activity and excellence in every area of film making. {{cite news|last=Solomon |first=Charles |title=Drawing Attention to Canada, Winning Oscars in the Process |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-mar-24-ca-12048-story.html |access-date=September 13, 2013 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=March 24, 2000 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131006121501/http://articles.latimes.com/2000/mar/24/entertainment/ca-12048 |archive-date=October 6, 2013 |df=mdy-all}}
To Eastman Kodak Company in recognition of the company's fundamental contributions to the art of motion pictures during the first century of film history.{{cite web|title=About the Governors Awards |url= http://www.oscars.org/awards/governors/about.html |publisher=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences |access-date=October 4, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130925093423/http://www.oscars.org/awards/governors/about.html |archive-date=September 25, 2013 |df=mdy-all}}

=Films with multiple nominations and wins=

The following 17 films received multiple nominations:

scope="col" width="55" \| Nominations ! scope="col" align="center" \| Film
class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: center;"
style="text-align: center;" \| 8 \| Rain Man
rowspan=3 style="text-align:center" \| 7 \| Dangerous Liaisons
Mississippi Burning
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
style="text-align: center;" \| 6 \| Working Girl
style="text-align: center;" \| 5 \| Gorillas in the Mist
rowspan=2 style="text-align:center" \| 4 \| The Accidental Tourist
Die Hard
rowspan=2 style="text-align:center" \| 3 \| A Fish Called Wanda
Tucker: The Man and His Dream
rowspan=7 style="text-align:center" \| 2 \| Big
Coming to America
Little Dorrit
Pelle the Conqueror
Running on Empty
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Willow

The following three films received multiple awards:

class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: center;"

scope="col" width="55" | Awards

! scope="col" align="center" | Film

rowspan=2 style="text-align:center" | 4

| Rain Man

Who Framed Roger Rabbit

rowspan=1 style="text-align:center" | 3

| Dangerous Liaisons

Note: Who Framed Roger Rabbit received 3 competitive Academy Awards of Merit. In addition, the film received a Special Achievement Award.

Presenters and performers

The following individuals, listed in order of appearance, presented awards or performed musical numbers:{{cite news|last= Mull |first=Marrison |title=Calendar Goes to The Oscars : The Oscar Telecast : Live from the Shrine Auditorium, Wednesday, 6 P.M., ABC-TV (7, 3, 10, 42) |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-03-26-ca-1141-story.html |access-date= September 13, 2013 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=March 26, 1989 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131221172608/http://articles.latimes.com/1989-03-26/entertainment/ca-1141_1_oscar-telecast |archive-date=December 21, 2013 |df=mdy-all}}

=Presenters=

Name(s)	Role
class="wikitable sortable"
{{sortname\|Charlie\|O'Donnell}}	Announcer for the 61st annual Academy Awards
{{sortname\|Richard\|Kahn\|nolink=1}} (AMPAS president)	Gave opening remarks welcoming guests to the awards ceremony
{{sortname\|Tom\|Selleck}}	Introducers of presenters Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson
{{sortname\|Melanie\|Griffith}} Don Johnson	Presenters of the award for Best Supporting Actress
{{sortname\|Jane\|Fonda}}	Presenter of the film Rain Man on the Best Picture segment
{{sortname\|Kim\|Novak}} James Stewart	Presenters of the awards for Best Sound and Best Sound Effects Editing
{{sortname\|Robert\|Downey Jr.}} Cybill Shepherd	Presenters of the award for Best Makeup
{{sortname\|Patrick\|Swayze}}	Presenter of film tribute to 1950s movie musicals and the award for Best Original Score
{{sortname\|Olivia\|Newton-John}}	Introducer of presenters Donald Sutherland and Kiefer Sutherland
{{sortname\|Donald\|Sutherland}} Kiefer Sutherland	Presenters of the Academy Honorary Award to the National Film Board of Canada
{{sortname\|Anjelica\|Huston}}	Presenter of the film Mississippi Burning on the Best Picture segment
{{sortname\|Willem\|Dafoe}} Gene Hackman	Presenters of the award for Best Art Direction
{{sortname\|Bo\|Derek}} Dudley Moore	Presenters of the award for Best Costume Design
{{sortname\|Billy\|Crystal}}	Presenter of the movie tap dancers and Best Original Song performances montage
{{sortname\|Sammy\|Davis Jr.}} Gregory Hines	Presenters of the award for Best Original Song
{{sortname\|Candice\|Bergen}} Jacqueline Bisset Jack Valenti	Presenters of the award for Best Foreign Language Film
{{sortname\|Barbara\|Hershey}}	Presenter of the film The Accidental Tourist on the Best Picture segment
{{sortname\|Michael\|Caine}} Sean Connery Roger Moore	Presenters of the award for Best Supporting Actor
{{sortname\|Beau\|Bridges}} Jeff Bridges Lloyd Bridges	Presenters of the award Best Visual Effects
{{sortname\|Walter\|Matthau}}	Introducer of presenters Lucille Ball and Bob Hope
{{sortname\|Lucille\|Ball}} Bob Hope	Introducers of the performance of the "I Wanna Be an Oscar Winner" musical number
{{sortname\|Geena\|Davis}} Jeff Goldblum	Presenters of the award for Best Documentary Short Subject
{{sortname\|Edward James\|Olmos}} Max von Sydow	Presenters of the award for Best Documentary Feature
{{sortname\|Anne\|Archer}}	Presenter of the film Dangerous Liaisons on the Best Picture segment
{{sortname\|Charles\|Fleischer}} Robin Williams	Presenters of the Special Achievement Academy Award to Richard Williams
{{sortname\|Demi\|Moore}} Bruce Willis	Presenter of the award for Best Cinematography
{{sortname\|Carrie\|Fisher}} Martin Short	Presenters of the awards for Best Live Action Short Film and Best Animated Short Film
{{sortname\|Michael\|Douglas}}	Presenter of the award for Best Actor
{{sortname\|Ali\|MacGraw}}	Presenter of the film Working Girl on the Best Picture segment
{{sortname\|Farrah \|Fawcett}} Ryan O'Neal	Presenters of the award for Best Film Editing
{{sortname\|Angie\|Dickinson}}	Presenter of the segment of the Academy Awards for Technical Achievement and the Gordon E. Sawyer Award
{{sortname\|Richard\|Dreyfuss}} Amy Irving	Presenters of the award Best Original Screenplay
{{sortname\|Michelle\|Pfeiffer}} Dennis Quaid	Presenters of the award for Best Adapted Screenplay
{{sortname\|Goldie\|Hawn}} Kurt Russell	Presenters of the award for Best Director
{{sortname\|Tom\|Cruise}} Dustin Hoffman	Presenters of the award for Best Actress
{{sortname	Cher}}	Presenter of the award for Best Picture

=Performers=

Name(s)	Role	Performed
class="wikitable sortable"
{{sortname\|Marvin\|Hamlisch}}	Musical arranger	Orchestral
{{sortname\|Army\|Archerd}} Eileen Bowman Coral Browne Cyd Charisse Dale Evans Alice Faye Merv Griffin Dorothy Lamour Rob Lowe Tony Martin Vincent Price Buddy Rogers Roy Rogers Lily Tomlin	Performers	"I Only Have Eyes for You" from Dames "You Are My Lucky Star" from Broadway Melody of 1936 "I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts" "Proud Mary" "Hooray for Hollywood" from Hollywood Hotel
{{sortname\|Keith\|Coogan}} Patrick Dempsey Corey Feldman Joely Fisher Tricia Leigh Fisher Savion Glover Carrie Hamilton Melora Hardin Ricki Lake Matt Lattanzi Chad Lowe Tracy Nelson Patrick O'Neal Corey Parker D. A. Pawley Tyrone Power Jr. Holly Robinson Christian Slater Blair Underwood	Performers	"(I Wanna Be an) Oscar Winner"

The ceremony

File:Allan Carr at 1989 Academy Awards.jpg served as producer for the 61st Academy Awards.|alt=Photo of Allan Carr in 1989.]]

[[Amy Irving at the Governor's Ball after the Awards.|thumb]]

In an attempt to attract viewers to the telecast and increase interest in the festivities, the Academy hired film producer and veteran Oscar ceremony executive talent coordinator Allan Carr to produce the 1989 ceremony.{{cite news |last= Williams|first=Jeannie|title=Twiggy's happy ending|work=USA Today |date=October 11, 1988 |page=2D|df=mdy-all}}{{cite news|last=Volland |first=John |title=TV & Video |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-10-11-ca-3662-story.html |access-date=September 14, 2013 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=October 11, 1988 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131004232717/http://articles.latimes.com/1988-10-11/entertainment/ca-3662_1_la-cage-aux-folles |archive-date=October 4, 2013 |df=mdy-all}} In interviews with various media outlets, he expressed that it was a dream come true to produce the Oscars.{{cite news|last=Culhane |first=John |title=For Oscar's Producer, the Key Is C |url= https://www.nytimes.com/1989/03/26/movies/film-for-oscar-s-producer-the-key-is-c.html |access-date=October 4, 2013 |work=The New York Times |date=March 26, 1989 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131005094552/http://www.nytimes.com/1989/03/26/movies/film-for-oscar-s-producer-the-key-is-c.html |archive-date=October 5, 2013 |df=mdy-all}}

Notable changes were introduced in the production of the telecast. For the first time, presenters announced each winner with the phrase "And the Oscar goes to..." rather than "And the winner is...".{{harvnb|Pond|2005|p=11}} The green room where Oscar presenters, performers, and winners gathered backstage was transformed into a luxurious suite complete with furniture, pictures, refreshments, and other amenities called "Club Oscar".{{cite news|last=Uricchio|first=Marylynn|title=Awards show producer is putting posh on Oscar|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19890329&id=h9BRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7W0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=1941,8488003|access-date=October 4, 2013|work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|date=March 29, 1989|page=12|df=mdy-all|archive-date=April 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210418191008/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19890329&id=h9BRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7W0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=1941,8488003|url-status=live}} Instead of hiring a host for the proceedings, Carr heavily relied on presenters, often grouped in pairs that had some connection, either through family or the film industry (a theme he billed as "couples, companions, costars, and compadres");{{Cite web|url=https://www.lamag.com/longform/snow-job/|title=The Worst Oscars Ever|last=Hofler|first=Robert|date=2010-03-01|website=Los Angeles Magazine|language=en-US|access-date=2020-02-12|ref=none|archive-date=January 24, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190124102058/https://www.lamag.com/longform/snow-job/|url-status=live}}{{harvnb|Pond|2005|p=5}}{{cite news|last=Siskel |first=Gene |title=One Man's War Against The Dullest Night On Television |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1989/03/26/one-mans-war-against-the-dullest-night-on-television/ |access-date=October 5, 2013 |work=Chicago Tribune |date=March 26, 1989 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131006125425/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1989-03-26/entertainment/8903290782_1_bob-werden-allan-carr-sciences-board |archive-date=October 6, 2013 |df=mdy-all}}{{cite magazine|last=Romero |first=Frances |title=No Hosts – Top 10 Worst Awards-Show Hosts |url= https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2055924_2055923_2055871,00.html |access-date=September 19, 2013 |magazine=Time |date=March 1, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130921061146/http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0%2C28804%2C2055924_2055923_2055871%2C00.html |archive-date=September 21, 2013 |df=mdy-all}} not until 2019 would another ceremony lack a host.{{Cite news |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/politics-oscar-inside-academys-long-hard-road-a-hostless-show-1187424 |title=The Politics of Oscar: Inside the Academy's Long, Hard Road to a Hostless Show |last=Keegan |first=Rebecca |date=2019-02-20 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=2019-02-25 |language=en |df=mdy-all |archive-date=February 25, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190225041612/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/politics-oscar-inside-academys-long-hard-road-a-hostless-show-1187424 |url-status=live }}

Several other people were involved in the production of the ceremony. Jeff Margolis served as director of the telecast.{{cite web |title=Credits |url=http://jeffmargolisproductions.com/credits/ |publisher=Jeff Margolis Productions |access-date=October 4, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131005000932/http://jeffmargolisproductions.com/credits/ |archive-date=October 5, 2013 |df=mdy-all }} Lyricist and composer Marvin Hamlisch was hired as musical supervisor of the festivities.{{cite news |last=Voland |first=John |title=Movies |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-10-27-ca-267-story.html |access-date=October 24, 2013 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=October 27, 1988 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029223517/http://articles.latimes.com/1988-10-27/entertainment/ca-267_1_oscar-show |archive-date=October 29, 2013 |df=mdy-all}} Comedian and writer Bruce Vilanch was hired as a writer for the broadcast, a role he filled until 2014.{{cite magazine|last=Vary |first=Adam B. |title=An Oscar Insider Tells All |url= https://www.ew.com/article/2010/02/05/oscar-insider-tells-all |access-date=October 4, 2013 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=February 5, 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150206101224/http://www.ew.com/article/2010/02/05/oscar-insider-tells-all |archive-date=February 6, 2015 |df=mdy-all}} Carr had also rounded up eighteen young stars, including Patrick Dempsey, Corey Feldman, Ricki Lake, and Blair Underwood, to perform in a musical number entitled "I Wanna Be an Oscar Winner".{{harvnb|Pond|2005| p=8}} Unlike in most Oscar ceremonies, however, Carr announced that none of the three songs nominated for Best Original Song would be performed live.

The telecast was also remembered for being the final public appearance of actress and comedian Lucille Ball, where she and co-presenter Bob Hope were given a standing ovation.{{cite news|title=Coemdian Lucille Ball suffers a heart attack|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1314&dat=19890419&id=hLsyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=zu8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6799,3215179|access-date=October 5, 2013|work=The Spokesman-Review|date=April 19, 1989|df=mdy-all|archive-date=April 6, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230406021552/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1314&dat=19890419&id=hLsyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=zu8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6799,3215179|url-status=live}} On April 26, almost a month after the ceremony, she died from a dissecting aortic aneurysm at age 77.{{cite news|last=Flint |first=Peter B. |title=Lucille Ball, Spirited Doyenne of TV Comedies, Dies at 77 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/04/27/obituaries/lucille-ball-spirited-doyenne-of-tv-comedies-dies-at-77.html |access-date=October 5, 2013 |work=The New York Times |date=April 27, 1989 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131006062842/http://www.nytimes.com/1989/04/27/obituaries/lucille-ball-spirited-doyenne-of-tv-comedies-dies-at-77.html |archive-date=October 6, 2013 |df=mdy-all}}

=Opening number=

In an effort to showcase more glamour and showmanship in the ceremony, producer Carr hired playwright Steve Silver to co-produce an opening number inspired by Silver's long-running musical revue, Beach Blanket Babylon.{{cite web |title=And the loser is... |url=http://theenvelope.latimes.com/awards/oscars/env-worstoscars27feb27,0,2820773,full.story |first=Steve |last=Pond |work=Los Angeles Times |date=February 27, 2005 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131006034804/http://theenvelope.latimes.com/awards/oscars/env-worstoscars27feb27%2C0%2C2820773%2Cfull.story |archive-date=October 6, 2013 |df=mdy-all |ref=none |access-date=October 5, 2013 }} The segment consisted of an elaborate stage show centered on actress Eileen Bowman, dressed as Snow White from Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, who comes to Hollywood and is entranced by its glamour. Like Beach Blanket Babylon, the opening act also featured dancers wearing giant, elaborate hats. In a setting designed to resemble the Cocoanut Grove nightclub, Hollywood dignitaries such as actresses Alice Faye, Dorothy Lamour, Cyd Charisse, her husband Tony Martin, as well as Buddy Rogers and Vincent Price were prominently featured, while singer and television producer Merv Griffin sang a rendition of the song "I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts" (of which he had had a hit recording in 1949). Bowman and actor Rob Lowe then sang a reworked version of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Proud Mary", with lyrics rewritten to refer to the film industry; it is this song for which the act is infamously remembered.

=Critical reviews and public reaction=

The majority of media outlets panned the show. Los Angeles Times television critic Howard Rosenberg lamented, "the Academy Awards telecast on ABC was surprisingly devoid of magic. It was on the musty side, and compared with last month's Grammycast, absolutely moribund."{{cite news|last=Rosenberg |first=Howard |title= Overcast for Allan Carr's Oscarcast |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-03-30-ca-1030-story.html |access-date=September 17, 2013 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=March 30, 1989 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131005005937/http://articles.latimes.com/1989-03-30/entertainment/ca-1030_1_allan-carr |archive-date=October 5, 2013 |df=mdy-all}} Film critic Janet Maslin chastised the opening number, saying it "deserves a permanent place in the annals of Oscar embarrassments". She also bemoaned that the "I Wanna Be an Oscar Winner" number "was confusingly shot and inspired no confidence in Hollywood's future".{{cite news|last=Maslin |first=Janet |title= Review/Television; The Oscars as Home Entertainment |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/03/31/movies/review-television-the-oscars-as-home-entertainment.html |access-date=September 17, 2013 |work=The New York Times |date=March 31, 1989 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131005012441/http://www.nytimes.com/1989/03/31/movies/review-television-the-oscars-as-home-entertainment.html |archive-date=October 5, 2013 |df=mdy-all}} Television editor Tony Scott of Variety complained, "The 61st Annual Academy Awards extravaganza—seen in 91 different countries including, for the first time, the Soviet Union—turned out to be a TV nyet" He also observed that the "Break-Out Superstars number" looked like they were "cavorting around a giant Oscar as if it were the golden calf".{{harvnb|Hofler|2010|p=416}}

The telecast also received a mixed reception from professionals within the show business industry. Talent agent Michael Ovitz praised Carr, saying that he had "brought show business back to the movie business". Actress Jennifer Jones thanked Carr in a written letter to the producer, which read, "You delivered."{{cite news|last=Champlin |first=Charles |title= Allan Carr: 'We Won the Town' |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-04-04-ca-1065-story.html |access-date= October 5, 2013 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=April 4, 1989 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131006065351/http://articles.latimes.com/1989-04-04/entertainment/ca-1065_1_allan-carr |archive-date=October 6, 2013 |df=mdy-all}} On the other hand, seventeen people, including actors Paul Newman, Gregory Peck, and Julie Andrews, and directors Billy Wilder and Joseph L. Mankiewicz, signed an open letter deriding the telecast as "an embarrassment to both the Academy and the entire motion picture industry".{{cite news|last= Speers |first=W. |title=Judge Orders James Brown's Autograph |url=http://articles.philly.com/1989-04-29/news/26146222_1_autograph-judge-orders-james-state-prison |access-date=September 17, 2013 |work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=April 29, 1989 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131004221338/http://articles.philly.com/1989-04-29/news/26146222_1_autograph-judge-orders-james-state-prison |archive-date=October 4, 2013 |df=mdy-all}}

Just outside the auditorium, on Jefferson Boulevard, a group of San Francisco drag queens, calling themselves the Sisters of Perpetual Indignity, stood in Mae West wigs and gowns, saying that they had come “to show our support for Allan Carr” for producing the first “gay Oscars.”{{Cite book |last=Schulman |first=Michael |title=Oscar Wars: A History of Hollywood in Gold, Sweat, and Tears |publisher=Harper Collins |year=2023 |isbn=9780062859051 |pages=260 |language=English}} There has been speculation that some of the blowback against the ceremony, which was the first produced by an openly gay person and which prominently featured a musical number based on a gay nightclub show, was homophobic in nature,{{cite web |last1=Little |first1=Becky |title=The Scathing Reaction to the Last Oscars With No Host |url=https://www.history.com/news/oscars-controversy-1989-proud-mary |website=History |access-date=23 January 2019 |language=en |date=22 January 2019 |df=mdy-all |archive-date=January 24, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190124010123/https://www.history.com/news/oscars-controversy-1989-proud-mary |url-status=live }} although others, such as Bruce Vilanch and David Geffen, have challenged that assessment.{{cite web |last1=Hofler |first1=Robert |title=The Worst Oscars Ever |url=https://www.lamag.com/longform/snow-job/ |website=Los Angeles Magazine |access-date=23 January 2019 |date=1 March 2010 |df=mdy-all |ref=none |archive-date=January 24, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190124102058/https://www.lamag.com/longform/snow-job/ |url-status=live }}

In addition, The Walt Disney Company filed suit against AMPAS for use of the likeness of Snow White.{{cite news |title=Disney Sues Over Use of Snow White at Oscars |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-03-31-me-749-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times |first=Nina |last=Easton |date=March 31, 1989 |access-date=September 17, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130905213834/http://articles.latimes.com/1989-03-31/local/me-749_1_snow-white-character |archive-date=September 5, 2013 |df=mdy-all}} The lawsuit demanded unspecified damages for "copyright infringement, unfair competition, and dilution of business reputation".{{cite news |last=Hofler |first=Robert |title=Snow Job |url=http://www.lamag.com/features/2010/03/01/snow-job |access-date=September 13, 2013 |work=Los Angeles |date=March 1, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131005190927/http://www.lamag.com/features/2010/03/01/snow-job |archive-date=October 5, 2013 |df=mdy-all|ref=none }} Academy President Richard Kahn immediately issued an apology to the studio, and the lawsuit was subsequently dropped.{{cite news|last=Vaughan |first=Vicki |title=Disney Accepts Apology, Drops Academy Suit |url= https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1989/04/07/disney-accepts-apology-drops-academy-suit/ |access-date=October 5, 2013 |work=Orlando Sentinel |date=April 7, 1989 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131005225653/http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1989-04-07/business/8904070295_1_walt-disney-academy-disney-snow |archive-date=October 5, 2013 |df=mdy-all}}

Bowman has claimed that she was made to sign a gag order the next day, prohibiting her from speaking to the press about her performance for the next 13 years. She finally spoke about it publicly in a 2013 interview, in which she described the performance as looking "like a gay bar mitzvah".{{cite news|last=Abramovitch |first=Seth |title='I Was Rob Lowe's Snow White': The Untold Story of Oscar's Nightmare Opening |url= https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/oscars-rob-lowes-snow-white-422225 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=February 20, 2013 |access-date=June 7, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130518013544/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/oscars-rob-lowes-snow-white-422225 |archive-date=May 18, 2013 |df=mdy-all}}

=Ratings and aftermath=

Despite the criticism regarding the production of the ceremony, the American telecast on ABC drew in an average of 42.68 million people over its length, which was a 1% increase from the previous year's ceremony.{{cite news |last=Gorman |first=Bill |title=Academy Awards Show Ratings |url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2009/02/17/academy-awards-show-ratings/12818/ |access-date=September 5, 2013 |work=TV by the Numbers |publisher=Tribune Media |date=February 17, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109025135/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2009/02/17/academy-awards-show-ratings/12818/ |archive-date=November 9, 2013 |df=mdy-all }}{{cite news|last=Johnson |first=Greg |title=Call It the Glamour Bowl |url=https://articles.latimes.com/1999/mar/18/business/fi-18458/2 |access-date=September 14, 2013 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=March 18, 1999 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130928053918/http://articles.latimes.com/1999/mar/18/business/fi-18458/2 |archive-date=September 28, 2013 |df=mdy-all}} The show also drew higher Nielsen ratings compared to the previous ceremony, with 29.81% of households watching over a 50.41 share. It was the highest-rated Oscar broadcast since the 56th ceremony, held in 1984.

Nevertheless, AMPAS created an Awards Presentation Review Committee to evaluate and determine why the telecast earned such a negative reaction from the media and the entertainment industry. The committee later determined that Carr's biggest mistake was allowing the questionable opening number to run for 12 minutes. Producer and former Directors Guild of America president Gilbert Cates, who headed the committee, said that Carr would not have received such harsh criticism if the number had been much shorter. Cates was subsequently hired as producer of the succeeding year's telecast.{{harvnb|Wiley|Bona|1996|p=768}}

According to various showbiz insiders and reporters, the criticism and backlash from the ceremony resulted in Carr never again producing a film or theatrical show. He died from complications resulting from liver cancer on June 29, 1999, at the age of 62.

==Box office performance of nominees==

At the time of the nominations announcement on February 15, the combined gross of the five Best Picture nominees at the US box office was $188 million, with an average of $37.7 million per film.{{cite news|title=1988 Academy Award Nominations and Winner for Best Picture |url=https://boxofficemojo.com/oscar/chart/?yr=1988&p=.htm |access-date=October 5, 2013 |work=Box Office Mojo |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131005101236/http://boxofficemojo.com/oscar/chart/?yr=1988&p=.htm |archive-date=October 5, 2013 |df=mdy-all}} Rain Man was the highest earner among the Best Picture nominees, with $97 million in domestic box office receipts. The film was followed by Working Girl ($42.1 million), The Accidental Tourist ($24.2 million), Mississippi Burning ($18.6 million), and finally Dangerous Liaisons ($6.69 million).

Of the top 50 grossing movies of the year, 52 nominations went to 13 films. Only Big (3rd), Rain Man (5th), Working Girl (21st), The Accused (32nd), The Accidental Tourist (38th), Gorillas in the Mist (40th), Mississippi Burning (45th), and Tucker: The Man and His Dream (50th) were nominated for Best Picture, directing, acting, or screenwriting. The other top 50 box office hits that earned nominations were Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1st), Coming to America (2nd), Die Hard (7th), Beetlejuice (9th), and Willow (12th).

References

Bibliography

{{Cite book

|last=Hofler

|first=Robert

|title=Party Animals : A Hollywood Tale of Sex, Drugs, and Rock 'n' Roll Starring the Fabulous Allan Carr

|year=2010

|isbn=978-0-306-81655-0

|location=Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States

|oclc=779680732

|publisher=Da Capo Press

}}

{{Cite book

|last=Levy

|first=Emanuel

|title=All About Oscar: The History and Politics of the Academy Awards

|year=2003

|isbn=0-8264-1452-4

|location=New York, United States

|publisher=Continuum International Publishing Group

}}

{{Cite book

|last=Osborne

|first=Robert

|title=80 Years of the Oscar: The Complete History of the Academy Awards

|year=2008

|isbn=978-0-7892-0992-4

|location=New York, United States

|publisher=Abbeville Publishing Group

}}

{{Cite book

|last=Pond

|first=Steve

|title=The Big Show: High Times and Dirty Dealings Backstage at the Academy Awards

|year=2005

|isbn=0-571-21193-3

|location=New York, United States

|publisher=Faber and Faber

|url=https://archive.org/details/bigshowhightimes00pond

}}

{{Cite book

|last1=Wiley

|first1=Mason

|last2=Bona

|first2=Damien

|title=Inside Oscar: The Unofficial History of the Academy Awards

|year=1996

|isbn=0-345-40053-4 |location=New York, United States

|edition=5

|oclc=779680732

|publisher=Ballantine Books

}}

External links

=Official websites=

[http://www.oscar.com/ Academy Awards Official website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090304014303/http://www.oscar.com/ |date=March 4, 2009 }}
[http://www.oscars.org/ The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Official website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090122140142/http://awardsdatabase.oscars.org/ampas_awards/ |date=January 22, 2009 }}
[https://www.youtube.com/oscars Oscar's Channel] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181002230230/https://www.youtube.com/oscars |date=October 2, 2018 }} at YouTube (run by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences)

=Analysis=

[http://www.filmsite.org/aa88.html 1988 Academy Awards Winners and History] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131017184506/http://www.filmsite.org/aa88.html |date=October 17, 2013 }} Filmsite.org
[https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000003/1989 Academy Awards, USA: 1989] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170809214901/http://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000003/1989 |date=August 9, 2017 }} Internet Movie Database