Oscar History: Academy Award Winning Movies and Actors of 1974

A look at Oscar winners and nominees, behind the scenes on the decisions for best picture, actor, etc for 1974, The Godfather Part II wins top honors.

1974

Best Picture

NOMINEES: Chinatown, The Conversation, The Godfather Part II, Lenny, The Towering Inferno

THE WINNER: The Godfather Part II (Coppola Company-Paramount)

DIRECTOR: Francis Ford Coppola

PLAYERS: Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Lee Strasberg, Michael V. Gazzo

Best Actor

NOMINEES: Art Carney (Harry and Tonto); Albert Finney (Murder on the Orient Express); Dustin Hoffman (Lenny); Jack Nicholson (Chinatown); Al Pacino (The Godfather Part II)

THE WINNER: Art Carney

Best Actress

NOMINEES: Ellen Burstyn (Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore); Diahann Carroll (Claudine); Faye Dunaway (Chinatown); Valerie Perrine (Lenny); Gena Rowlands (A Woman Under the Influence)

THE WINNER: Ellen Burstyn

Behind the Oscar

Dustin Hoffman announced in advance that the awards were "ugly" and "grotesque," and the presentation a "beauty pageant." During the show Bob Hope said, "If Dustin Hoffman wins tonight, he's going to have a friend pick it up for him--George C. Scott." Ingrid Bergman won the Best Supporting Actress award, not for her performance in a minor role, but because of collective show business guilt (over Hollywood's ostracism of her 25 years earlier when she'd had an affair with director Roberto Rossellini). Bergman felt Valentina Cortese was more deserving of the award. Biggest flap occurred when the producer of the Best Documentary, Bert Schneider, who'd won with Hearts and Minds, read aloud a telegram of greetings from the head of the Vietcong delegation in Paris. Backstage, an outraged Bob Hope wrote a disclaimer, which Frank Sinatra approved and read to the divided audience.