Curious about the most famous award in the world...
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The Oscar's ® official name is "Academy Award of Merit". No one really knows how it got to be called "The Oscar", but one account is that an Academy employee commented that it looked like her Uncle Oscar. It was first referred to as the Oscar by Walt Disney in his 1934 acceptance speech for Best Cartoon Short Subject for "Tortoise and the Hare". The Oscar is owned by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science. It's image, or likeness may not be used or reproduced in any way by others.
The Oscar weighs 8.5 lbs. and is 13.5 inches tall. The image is of a knight with a sword standing on top of a five spoke film reel. Each of the five spokes stand for one of the original five branches of the Academy: actors, directors, producers, technicians and writers. Each year, 55 to 60 Oscars are presented and a total of over 2,500 have been presented. The Oscar has been produced by R.S. Owens since 1983 when the previous manufacturer ceased operations.
So what is the 8.5 lb statue made out of. The base metal is Britannia pewter and is cast in 6 parts. It is electroplated in copper, nickel, silver and finally 24-karat gold. The base of the statue (the film reel) is brass-spun and plated nickel black. It takes 40 hours over a 6-8 week period to make each Oscar. During World War II when there was a shortage of metal, the Oscar was made from painted plaster. After the war, they were replaced with the 24-karat gold plated Oscars for those wanting to trade them in. I have had the opportunity to hold an Oscar on several occasions and they are impressive. I'm always especially surprised of how heavy they feel.
Bob Hagel
SOURCE: Recognition Review, Awards & Recognition Association, Written by Pam Schur, Interview with Scott Siegel, R.S. Owens