AMPAS to dead people: Don't lose your Oscar

what a bunch of jerks

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I thought I once heard that Olympia Dukakis had one replaced when hers was stolen from her New Jersey home? Did anyone else hear that? Mary

PS Hattie's award was history in the making. I would think to have one at Howard University would be an asset for the Academy.

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The Academy members should do the right thing and force the statuette people to give up one to the University.

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I do believe that at least a couple of Oscars have been replaced over the years. I know they have also spent design time and money on "special" Oscars over the years. Hattie McDaniel was the first black woman to win an Oscar and I would think that her award should be on proud display someplace in our country. If there is such a fret about replacing them, why not just indicate its a duplicate by marking it in some way? Who would really notice or mind that? If the issue is money, I doubt anyone missing an Oscar would be without enough fans that a collection could not be taken. And one final idea? Insert a microchip into all future Oscars that allows instant identification and location when the time calls for it! LOL

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Replacing the statue would not be the same. What made it so special was that Hattie McDaniel had held the statue in her talented hands and hand it in her home. Don't understand how this could have been "lost or stolen". If the university does not know whether it was lost or stolen, I don't think they were responsible enought to have it in the first place. There is a big difference between something being lost and something being stolen. I don't fault the AMPAS, I find fault with the university. This was too precious of an item to be "lost or stolen".

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replacing the statue would be meaningless, since it was not the statue won by the actor. Its not like you can display it and say this is the oscar won by Hattie McDaniel because it wasn't

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Oscar statuettes are very expensive. While the Academy Awards are the most showy portion of the Foundation's activities, they are not the only activity, most of which involve the preservation of films and film history and the development of new talent. One of those responsibilities they have is preserving the unauthorized sale of the statuettes, but I am only aware of one incidence of them replacing a statuette. That was a special award to Gene Kelly that was destroyed in a house fire while Mr. Kelly was still alive.

While Hattie McDaniel's Academy Award was significant in history as the first acting award ever given to an black actor, the occurrence of its loss was after her death in the 1950's, after she willed the statuette to Howard University. It is the responsibility of the university to safeguard important artifacts willed to it, not AMPAS. AMPAS has states that they will monitor eBay and other sources where stolen goods are sometimes posted to aid the university recover the statuette, but that is as far as their responsibility should go.

Ultimately, it isn't the statuette that is significant, but the recipient. Hattie McDaniel's receiving award is siginificant, not the piece of gold-plated hardware that commemorates it.

And it would have been more significant had Miss McDaniel and her husband not had to be seated at a table alone in the back of the banquet room, nowhere near the remainder of the nominees for "Gone With The Wind." Neither the Academy nor the City of Los Angeles should have any pride for allowing such an insult to happen to a great actress simply because of her race.

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Oscar statuettes are very expensive. If the Academy had to replace them every time they were lost or stolen it would take money away from less showy responsbilities AMPAS has, which include film preservation and encouragement of new generations of filmmakers. The Awards are simply the showiest aspect of the Academy's activities.

The Academy does assist in monitoring illegal sale of stolen statuettes and has taken possession of statuettes that have appeared on auction sites, particularly by those not directly connected with the original recipient. The only incidence of an Oscar being replaced I can recall was a special award given to Gene Kelly that was destroyed in a house fire while he was still alive.

Hattie McDaniel's award was significant because it was the first acting award given to a black actor. The statuette itself is less significant than the incident of the award being given. The statuette was not stolen from McDaniel during her lifetime, but after it was in the custody of Howard University. It is THEIR responsibility to have taken better care of the bequest, not AMPAS.

And Miss McDaniel's award would have been even more significant had she and her husband not been seated at a table alone in the back of the banquet room, far away from the other nominees from "Gone With The Wind." For that insult, both the Academy and the City of Los Angeles should be ashamed.

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So ... was it "lost" or "stolen"? If it was lost, then no replacement should be made. If it was in fact stolen, then maybe they could consider replacing it. Either way, it seems the original Oscar is ~LOL~ "gone with the wind".

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It seems that 2 or 3 years ago there were a box of these found in the trash can that someone had stolen.
Where are they now? They replace em. This is a joke. Just another powerplay from some people that want to be noticed by others. Turn them all back in and tell these loosers that they want cash not a stupid worthless satute. Then you'll find-out how much these things cost. Their made where, in south of the border. They can't be worht much. The green back would help others that need it.

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The Academy should consider it an honor that Howard University wants to hold McDaniel's statue in their collection. Hattie's performance is an iconic piece of film-making history as well as African American history. Comments about the expense are ridiculous ... they are rolling in cash!

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The statuette won by Hattie cannot be replaced. Instead of a replacement "golden statue" ... why not a statuette of Hattie? Perhaps of Hattie holding her statuette ...

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I do not see why the academy should replace anything. I do think that Howard University is responsible for the loss. How on earth did they leave something worth so much for various reasons in a place that it could be misplaced or stolen. What about all the other things that have been placed in Howard's care, are they to be put in the same jeopardy and are they safe? That is the question that should be asked.

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I think the Academy is being very picky here since this isn't the first time the've replaced a Oscar.The day after Spencer Tracy won the 1938 Best Actor Oscar for his performance in Boys Town, an MGM publicist released a statement--without consulting Tracy first--that the actor would donate his Oscar to the real Boys Town in Nebraska. Tracy agreed to make the donation if the Academy would send him a replacement Oscar. When the replacement arrived, the engraving on the award read: "Best Actor - Dick Tracy."

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Simply stated, if they respected epople they would offer a replacement.

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I have only one word for the Academy: DESPICABLE

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This is ridiculous!!!! It is not as if someone is wanting it replaced for profit or for a negative reason. It is with pride that the university wants to display it. Come on ---- we make enough about this award instead of dealaing with real world issues - it is all 'plastic' anyway, just gold plated in this occurance. Replace it - take up a collection - it would take less than five minutes to have double the amount needed to replace it!

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In no way should they replace an Oscar. The owners should take care of theirs, and if something happens to it, well, that's just something else to put in the history books. Life isn't always fair.

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I believe AMPAS is correct in not replacing the statuette. This is what makes it special. A replacement is not the one actually presented and cherrished by the reciepent. Muhamid Ali threw his Gold Olympic medal for boxing into a river, having a replacement of that one he held on the podium would not be the same as the original. Similar to the flag on the world trade center being donated in the respect of all the victims, a replica would not be the same.

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I believe AMPAS is correct in not replacing the statuette. This is what makes it special. A replacement is not the one actually presented and cherrished by the reciepent. Muhamid Ali threw his Gold Olympic medal for boxing into a river, having a replacement of that one he held on the podium would not be the same as the original. Similar to the flag on the world trade center being donated in the respect of all the victims, a replica would not be the same.

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