THE COMPLETE HISTORY & CURIOSITIES OF THE ACADEMY AWARDS STEP 1.0 Mayer & MGM

THE COMPLETE HISTORY (& CURIOSITIES) OF THE ACADEMY AWARDS

STEP 1.0

Nowadays everyone knows something about The Oscars... but do you really want to know the entire true long amazing story? 

OK, that's exactly where I want to start today! 
84 years, 2 WW's, 14 Presidents of USA (8 Republicans), 9/11, lots of Guinness World Records, thousands of awards, people, faces, speeches, tears and of course MOVIES!

It's more than business, more than money, more than the "one and only night", is passion...

You can agree or not agree about winners, about nominees, about members of the Academy, but what they create in almost 90 years is something unique, and if you love movies you can be truly fascinated by The Oscar Univers... 

so let's start...

Did you know that everything started with a russian? yes!!! Mr. Louis Burt Mayer (born Lazar Meir) or L.B as he loved.

Moving from the Russian empire and after previous odd jobs, he started his adventure in movies by owning a theatre in Massachussetts; he became a talented producer and an amazing business man in the 20's. He moved to the west coast from New York where he founded with partners the well-known MGM or Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

MGM was the one and only studio that payed dividends in 1930 during the Great Depression!!! THAT SOUNDS AMAZING TODAY HUM!!!

The fascinating logo with the lion is famous all over the world, the very first "Leo the Lion" was Slats from 1917 to 1928, followed by Jackie (1928/56), Telly and Coffee (1927/34), Tanner (1934/56), George (1956/58) and Leo (1957 to present).

 

L.B.Mayer

 

Leo the Lion (lion Slats the first)

Check out Slats on youtube

Well that man created, or helped to create the AMPAS (Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences) on a sunday evening. That elite club was created with no mention of any awards at the moment... I guess they wanted congratulates themselves for their great job hahahaha...

Anyway... memberhip were established and the first formal Banquet took place at the Ambassador Hotel (3400 Wilshire Blvd, between Catalina Street and Mariposa Avenue) in Los Angeles happened January 11, 1927.

The Ambassador hosted the 2nd and 12th Academy Awards and was the tragic scene of the assassination of presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy. After that cruel and sad moment in June 1968, the Hotel was closed in 1989, just used for events and cerimonies.

 

                                                             Ambassador Hotel L.A.

Right after they added an activity of bestowing “awards of merit for distinctive achievement.”
OF COURSE THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THEY WERE ABOUT TO CREATE... THE SHOW BIZ HAVE STARTED!!!

From now on we had the show biz HQ in L.A.!!! happy about that??? I AM ;)

The World of motion picture had a house, L.A. especially Hollywood and Beverly Hills started to PLUSE... new life, new biz and a LOT of money started to merge... 

THE ACADEMY AWARDS HISTORY...