Carol Channing missing from Oscar In Memoriam — Page 2

Jarethan said: "What you have illustrated to me is precisely why she doesn't warrant attention in a film remembrance. With exactly one good movie on that list, there is NO REASON to single her out. In recent years, unlike in the past, the Oscars have decided to celebrate behind-the-scenes folks who average movie goers know nothing about. That is their decision.

To include an actor because she appeared in one good movie is absurd, especially when the nomination was a stretch (IMO).

"

Not such a stretch given that I'd never heard of half the actors they DID include. I think former Oscar winners and nominees should be included.

broadwaybabywannabe2 said: "yes yes Ms. Channing got left out , but so did STANLEY DONEN, who made movie musicals sing and dance...

and i loved the music the LA PHIL played during the INMEMORIEMsequence...anybody know what it was?

I do I do!...it was the lovely sequence of music from the first SUPERMAN movie...after Clark Kent's father passes...the most beautiful music from that grand super hero movie, written by John Williams...who else knew that?

"

I knew it from the first or second beat. The Superman double album soundtrack was one of my first big purchases as a kid. Yeah, yeah, other kids my age bought rock and pop albums. Me, a movie soundtrack. Actually, Star Wars was my first big purchase now that I think of it. Superman, the second. Regardless, I'm a John Williams fan-geek.

As you noted above, it's the scene after Jonathan Kent passes and Clark finds the crystal in the barn. Ma Kent sees him standing in the wheat field pondering going north. There is a gorgeous boom shot with the camera rising behind them, sweeping over them, and flying across the wheat field.

Being nominated for an Oscar, I believe, is sufficient reason enough to be included in the Oscars' In Memoriam.

https://variety.com/2019/film/news/in-memoriam-oscars-2019-left-out-omissions-1203144556/





This sheds some light on this subject.

So disappointing.

It's actually quite surprising how many people the In Memoriam left out.

The segment used to be about people we'd lost the previous year...the same year as the films being honored during the ceremony.

I've seen comments here and elsewhere about Stanley Donen's omission. He died the day before the ceremony; not a lot of time to wedge him into an already produced segment. I really think that they should just focus on losses between January 1 - December 31 of the previous year.

So the 2020 Oscars should celebrate the people we lost in 2019...and Carol Channing and Stanley Donen should definitely be included...maybe Kaye Ballard, too...

Jarethan said: "The irony is that I really enjoyed Channing...I just felt that the only awards show where she merited special attention was the Tony's. As theatre royalty, her kingdom was the stage, not of film and really not of TV either, other than a bunch of guest shots."

I don't agree, Jarethan, but I also don't think you were in any way disrespectful to or dismissive of Miss Channing's career.

As you suspect, I don't claim to be a cinephile; but I see enough films (even if on TV) that I usually recognize the names of major actors, at least.

Susan Anspach? I know her TV work well and I don't dispute her talent or inclusion, but apart from FIVE EASY PIECES, she made few important films. And her total number of movies wasn't much more than Channing's.

I assume Elizabeth Sung was a nod toward diversity (which I support), but I've only heard of a handful of her films. Perhaps she got more screen time overseas.

Stephané Audran? I've never heard of her, but she was obviously quite prolific. Perhaps fans of French cinema know here well.

She is one of my all-time favorites, but Barbara Harris' career was pretty much the equivalent the Channing's, except Harris spent far fewer years in the public eye. I didn't even know she had died.

Etc. and so forth. I'm not outraged by the Channing omission, but I understand why it seems random to many.

henrik, NASHVILLE is one of my top ten favorite films of all time and it required an enormous talent to wrestle all those narrative threads together with that gospel finale from the stage of the Parthenon replica.

But FREAKY FRIDAY? PLAZA SUITE? Sorry, no extra points for those.

I barely remember her in PEGGY SUE or WHO IS HARRY...?

I have no quarrel with Donen or Finney, of course (nor with Audran now that you've reminded me of the two of her films I've seen), but there were other actors that made me scratch my head. I just got bored watching the playback and stopped making a list.

It's a very nice idea to recognize backstage people that no one except cinephiles knows, but doing so makes me question the function of the whole In Memoriam feature. We'd be better off with a PBS doc earlier in the day telling us something about those people rather than just broadcasting the names and faces of unknowns, however important their contributions.

I'll be fast forwarding next year (which is okay since I already fast forward through most of the event).

I see the problem with the math, but they should at least include all nominees from the so-called "major" categories. It is a SHOW, after all, not a wake.

MichelleCraig said: "The segment used to be about people we'd lost the previous year...the same year as the films being honored during the ceremony.

I've seen comments here and elsewhere about Stanley Donen's omission. He died the day before the ceremony; not a lot of time to wedge him into an already produced segment. I really think that theyshould just focus on losses between January 1 - December 31 of the previous year.

So the 2020 Oscars should celebrate the people we lost in 2019...and Carol Channing and Stanley Donen should definitely be included...maybe Kaye Ballard, too..."

I would suggest that you look at Kaye Ballard's IMDB portfolio before suggesting Kaye Ballard. I couldn't remember a single movie she was in. When I looked, I understood why. She had tiny roles in a handful of very forgettable movies (possible exception, small role in the original Freaky Friday movie). So, no Oscar mention for her.

pmensky said: "AADA81 said: "Oscar-winning actress Dorothy Malone died in January of last year and she was not included in the 2018 memorial segment. The year he died, Michael Jackson was (for 'The Wiz' and 'Captain E-O' apparently). I think the folks who put those tributes together are marketing people, not film historians. Most actors are never nominated. Channing was. She should have been included."

Or perhaps Jackson was recognized because his music was featured onthe soundtracks of multiple films."

Many singers have had their recordings used in film. However, if those recordings were made for a medium other than film how does that make those singers part of cinema history. It's another tangential connection used in these 'in memorium' segments to pander to the audience.