Even though it is widely known as Oscar the most important cinema award is called Academy Award of Merit , this being his first name in history. Years after the creation of the event, it was only in 1939 that its nickname was officially recognized.
To explain this fact, there are three versions of stories that gave rise to the name. In the most popular of them, the executive secretary of the Academy, Margaret Herrick he reportedly exclaimed when he saw the figurine for the first time: “It looks like my uncle Oscar!”
However, when some historians investigated the story to check its authenticity, they discovered that, in fact, the secretary does not have an uncle with that name, but rather a cousin.
Another version states that the nickname was given by the columnist Sidney Skolsky . When covering the event for New York Daily Newsthe writer was the first to use the term in the press, on March 17, 1934.
Still, it is not possible to say that he invented the name, since the context indicated that he just wrote an inside joke that was already circulating behind the scenes at the awards show.
In one last story, the actress Bette Davis claims authorship of the nickname. According to her, the figurine reminded her of her husband, the trumpeter Harmon Oscar Nelson.
Source: CNN Brasil
I’m Robert Neff, a professional writer and editor. I specialize in the entertainment section, providing up-to-date coverage on the latest developments in film, television and music. My work has been featured on World Stock Market and other prominent publications.
