BEGINNER'S LUCK (Ep. 16)

To win an Oscar sometimes takes decades of hard work and dedication to your craft — just ask PAUL NEWMAN, GERALDINE PAGE, and JESSICA TANDY. In fact, when Newman finally won the Oscar in 1987 for “The Color of Money,” after being nominated six times previously, he didn’t even bother to show up to the ceremony. “It’s like chasing a beautiful woman for 80 years,” he told the Associated Press. “Finally, she relents and you say, ‘I’m terribly sorry. I’m tired.’” However, there is a small group of actors who didn’t have to chase that beautiful Oscar for 80 years. They won for their very first film. This week we take a look at this rarified group.


SHOW NOTES:

Sources:

Inside Oscar: The Unofficial History of the Academy Awards (1986), by Mason Wiley and Damien Bona

The Real Oscar: The Story Behind The Academy Awards (1981), by Peter H. Brown

Seventy-Five Years of the Oscars: The Official History of The Academy Awards (2003), by Robert Osborne

Oscar Dearest (1987), by Peter H. Brown and Jim Pinkston

The Film Encyclopedia (1994), By Ephraim Katz

Leonard Maltin’s Movie Encyclopedia (1994), by Leonard Maltin

IMDBPro.com

Wikipedia.com


Stars/Movies Mentioned:

GALE SONDERGAARD — The Wizard of Oz (1939), Anthony Adverse (1936), The Mark Of Zorro (1940), The Letter (1940), Sherlock Holmes and the Spider Woman (1943), The King of Siam (1946);

KATINA PAXINOU — For Whom The Bell Tolls (1943), Mourning Becomes Electra (1947);

HAROLD RUSSELL — The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), Inside Moves (1980);

MERCEDES McCAMBRIDGE — All The King’s Men (1949), Lightning Strikes Twice (1951), Johnny Guitar (1954), Giant (1956), Touch Of Evil (1958), The Exorcist (1973);

SHIRLEY BOOTH — Come Back Little Sheet (1952), About Mrs. Leslie (1954);

EVA MARIE SAINT — On The Waterfront (1955), A Hatful of Rain (1957), Raintree County (1957), North By Northwest (1959);

JO VAN FLEET — East of Eden (1955), The Rose Tattoo (1955), I’ll Cry Tomorrow (1955),
Four Queens and a King (1956), Gunfight At The Okay Corral (1957), Wild River (1960), Cool Hand Luke (1967);

JULIE ANDREWS — Mary Poppins (1964), The Sound Of Music (1965), Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967), Darling Lil (1970), The Pink Panther (1967), The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976), 10 (1979), Victor/Victoria (1982);

BARBRA STREISAND — Funny Girl (1968), Hello Dolly (1969), On A Clear Day You Can See Forever (1970), The Owl and the Pussycat (1970);