Lost the Tony, won the Oscar

[best12bars]

Posted: 3/17/13 at 3:10pm

I just watched Butterflies Are Free again this morning, and was reminded that Eileen Heckert was recreating her stage role. She won an Oscar for the film, but she didn't win the Tony when she played the part on Broadway.

I think it's interesting that certain performances, shows, directors, etc., have lost the Tony Award yet won the Academy Award for the screen adaptation of the same work.

Shows that come to mind:

West Side Story
Oliver!
Chicago

Performances that come to mind:

Barbra Streisand in Funny Girl
Eileen Heckert in Butterflies Are Free
Patty Duke in The Miracle Worker (not even nominated for the Tony)

Director:

Jerome Robbins (not even nominated for the Best Director Tony for WSS, but co-won the Oscar with Robert Wise)

Updated On: 3/17/13 at 03:10 PM

[GlindatheGood22]

Posted: 3/17/13 at 3:35pm

Is that going to be the title of Stephen Schwartz's memoir?

[bobs3]

Posted: 3/17/13 at 6:23pm

I believe Jerome Robbins was fired one-third of the way through filming because of clashes with Robert Wise. I think it came down to an "it's either him or me situation" and with Wise being an experienced and respected film director, Robbins had to go. Robbins had been hired as co-director and contractually UA had to give him equal billing which is why he shared the Oscar with Wise.

This situation (and a few others) brought about the DGA implementing the NO CO-CREDIT RULE (a film cannot have two credited directors). In recent years, exceptions have been made for co-directors who have a pattern of working together and a shared vision (e.g., Joel & Ethan Coen, The Wachowski Brothers, Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris).





Updated On: 3/17/13 at 06:23 PM

[best12bars]

Posted: 3/17/13 at 6:36pm

It wasn't so much an "It's him or me" scenario. It came down to money.

Jerome Robbins went way over schedule and budget filming the Prologue to WSS.

Not just a little bit, either. Like five weeks over schedule and a LOT of money over budget.

They asked him several times to stop, and he kept going, at his meticulous, OCD best.

He may have been fired, but the Prologue to WSS is absolute brilliance on screen. I do think it's part of the reason the film won Best Picture, and he shared the trophy for Best Director with Wise.

But Robbins also remains the only director in history to be fired from a film who also went on to win an Oscar as Best Director.

That "honor" will probably never be repeated.

[chanel]

Posted: 3/17/13 at 6:50pm

Interestingly, Heckart lost the Tony to Blythe Danner from the same play. Danner was clearly the lead actress, but they nominated her for featured along with Heckart, probably because of the old billing reasons.

[Emma White]

Posted: 3/17/13 at 7:58pm

Well this isn't the same thing, but Julie Andrews lost the Tony for My Fair Lady in 1957. She was then passed over for the movie, which freed her to do Mary Poppins - and she won an Oscar for that.

[ABB2357]

Posted: 3/17/13 at 8:20pm

An interesting bit of trivia: directing teams have only been Oscar-nominated three times, but two of those three were eventual winners: Robbins and Wise for WSS and the Coens for NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN. The sole losers were Warren Beatty and Buck Henry for HEAVEN CAN WAIT.

[After Eight]

Posted: 3/17/13 at 8:29pm

Chronologically in reverse, the film Gigi won the Oscar, while its later stage adaptation failed to win the Tony. The film itself was a musicalization of a play that did not win the best-play Tony.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 3/17/13 at 8:39pm

Funny Stephen Schwartz and BUTTERFLIES ARE FREE were mentioned within the same thread. He wrote the play's title song that Keir Dullea performed on stage and Eddie Albert, Jr. performed in the film.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 3/17/13 at 8:45pm

Chita Rivera wasn't even nominated for playing "Anita" in WEST SIDE STORY.

Rita Moreno won the Oscar for playing the role in the film.

Chita said: "When Rita Moreno got the role of "Anita" in the film I wanted to kill myself but when she won the Oscar for it - I wanted to kill her!

But I guess this scenario doesn't fall within the scope of the thread.

Updated On: 3/17/13 at 08:45 PM

[best12bars]

Posted: 3/17/13 at 9:20pm

If you want to include nominations in this, there are a couple more to throw in (off the top of my head):

Arthur O"Connell wasn't nominated for a Tony for Picnic, but when he played the same role in the film adaptation, he got an Oscar nod.

Picnic wasn't nominated for the Tony for Best Play (!), but it received an Oscar nomination for Best Picture (and the Pulitzer Prize, too).

[GlindatheGood22]

Posted: 3/17/13 at 10:42pm

Never heard that Chita story before, but it reminds me of Carol Channing wanting to kill herself when Barbra got Dolly.

Divas.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 3/18/13 at 1:47am

Kim Hunter and Karl Malden for Streetcar (eligible for the second tony season, their costar Jessica Tandy won the best actress tony (tying with Judith Anderson (Medea) and Katharine Cornell (Antony and Cleopatra), featured tonys were not presented that year, although a featured actress tony was presented the season earlier to Patricia Neal for Another Part of the Forest)
Judy Holliday for Born Yesterday (think she would have been eligible for the first tony season, the year best actress was split by Ingrid Bergman (Joan of Lorraine) and Helen Hayes (Happy Birthday)









Updated On: 3/18/13 at 01:47 AM

[jnb9872]

Posted: 3/18/13 at 10:22am

Of course it's always worth remembering, as in any conversation about Awards, that none of these Awards are presented in a vacuum. Competition for all of these awards is always worth considering.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 3/18/13 at 3:40pm

Of course it's always worth remembering, as in any conversation about Awards, that none of these Awards are presented in a vacuum.

That could be quite interesting, though. I wouldn't mind seeing the Oscar presentation presented inside a giant Dyson.

[best12bars]

Posted: 3/18/13 at 5:32pm

I wouldn't mind seeing the Oscar presentation presented inside a giant Dyson.

LOL Next year's set design for the Oscars!

And thanks for those additions, henrik!