Today In History: First Academy Awards Telecast

And the envelope please!

The first ceremony to be televised in its twenty-five year history, The Academy Awards took place on March 19th, 1953 at the RKO Pantages Theatre in Hollywood and the NBS International Theatre in New York. Honoring the films of 1952 with the best of motion picture, directing, acting, screenplay, story, documentary, short subject, musical score, sound, recording, art direction, cinematography, costume design, and editing, there were numerous winners and nominations -- hosted by British-born American comedian, actor, entertainer and producer Bob Hope. 

Television allowed greater and immediate media coverage and served as a vital avenue for entertainment and cultural impact, as tens of millions of viewers tuned in from the United States and Canada to enjoy an evening full of awards, fashion, and glamour. The Oscars has since become a major national and international attraction, as the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, comprised of nineteen branches, continues to recognize outstanding achievement in the film industry.

The following articles are drawn from Proquest Historical Newspapers, which informs and inspires classroom teaching and learning.

• Schallert, E. (1953, Feb 10). Academy Award Nominees Picked: Nineteen Organizations and More Than 40 Pictures Up for Honors. Los Angeles Times (1923-1995) 
• Fashions Will Highlight Academy Awards on TV. (1953, Mar 17). The Hartford Courant (1923-) 
• TV to Air 25th Oscar Presentation. (1953, Mar 19). The Atlanta Constitution (1946-) 
• Pryor, T.M. (1953, Mar 20). Movie 'Oscar" Won by 'Greatest Show': De Mille Production of Circus Life Hailed as Top Film by Screen's Academy. New York Times (1923-) 
• Crosby, J. (1953, Oct 30). Radio and Television: Color Is Expensive.  New York Herald Tribune (1926-1962) 
•  Pryor, T.M. (1954, Mar 21). Hollywood Polls: Excitement Over Academy Awards High as Time for Annual Accolades Nears. New York Times (1923-) 
• Hollywood Stages Big Oscar Show Over TV Tonight. (1954, Mar 25). Daily Boston Globe (1928-1960) 
• Holden, A. (1993, Mar 22). Behind the Oscar: The Secret History of the Academy Awards. (Newsweek, 121, 79-82, 84-86.) 
• Edelstein, A., & Bubbeo, D. (2026, Mar 15). Oscar Quiz: Test Your Smarts on the 21st Century Academy Awards. Newsday (2010-) 
• Complete List of 2026 Oscar Nominees. (2026, Jan 23). The Baltimore Sun (2008-) 

Tips:

• Barrett, Michael S. Foreign Language Films and the Oscar : The Nominees and Winners, 1948/2017. McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers, 2018.  e-book.
• Brown, Peter H. Oscar Dearest : Six Decades of Scandal, Politics, and Greed behind Hollywood’s Academy Awards, 1927-1986. First edition, Perennial Library, 1987.   Oversize ; PN1993.92 .B76 1987.
• Corrigan, Timothy. American Cinema of the 2000s: Themes and Variations. Edited by Timothy Corrigan, 1st ed., Rutgers University Press, 2012. e-book.
• Levy, Emanuel. All about Oscar : The History and Politics of the Academy Awards. Continuum, 2003. Stacks ; PN1993.92 .L47 2003.
• Malone, Aubrey. And the Loser Is : A History of Oscar Oversights. Second edition, Vernon Press, 2020. e-book.

Images:

• Outside the 26th Annual Academy Awards at RKO Pantages Theater in Los Angeles, Calif., 1954, Wikimedia Commons.
• Poster Image: Oscar, Canva.

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