RSS
Twitter
Delicious
Katharine Hepburn, standing with her fists against her temples
Note: Click on each image to get an enlarged view, read more information, and begin navigating through the entire image gallery.
The countdown to the 82nd annual Academy Awards has begun, bringing with it an abundance of Oscar hype. With more than 36 million viewers expected to watch the attendees walk the red carpet into the Kodak Theatre, in full glamour and glitz, it is hard to believe that the first Oscars ceremony ever – held on May 16, 1929 at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel – was a relatively small, unpublicized affair with an audience of 250. Fifteen awards were presented by the Academy’s then-president, Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. The following year, the ceremony was broadcast on public radio, and in 1953, the program was televised for the first time.
While the location has changed numerous times over the years, and categories have been added and subtracted, the appeal of this event to everyday people has only grown. For one night, as we take in the lavish festivities in our homes, we feel glamorous too, as if we were there with the stars.
As we prepare to see this year’s winners take the stage, take a moment also to remember those of the past: the actors, actresses, and directors who set the standard for today. These cinema legends have not only held their very own Oscar statuettes; their faces have also graced the pages of Vogue, Vanity Fair, and Glamour. Click on the image to read about each celebrity’s accolades from the Academy.
Actor Douglas Fairbanks, Sr., and his wife, actress Mary Pickford
Actress Helen Hayes, Best Actress winner in 1931/1932 for "The Sin of Madelon Claudet"
Vivien Leigh under a lilac tree
Actor Spencer Tracy, in a tweed sport jacket and leaning against a ladder
Actress Norma Shearer in lamé dress and feathered cap by John Frederics
Actress Ava Gardner in long blue satin gown
Actor Paul Muni, smoking a cigarette
