My Statue Has a First Name: It’s O-S-C-A-R!

The Oscar is the statue that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences gives out every year to recognize the talents of people associated with the movie industry, from cinematographers to directors, to actors/actresses and others. As a matter of fact, there are five spokes on the Oscar and they represent the branches of the Academy - Actors, Writers, Directors, Producers and Technicians.

The Academy Award of Merit is actually the official name for the Oscar. The statue sits on a black base made of metal. It is made of Britannium that is gold-plated. Britannium was first produced in the 1700’s and is a pewter alloy that is smooth and silver. It is a less expensive alternative to nickel silver, which is stronger. The Oscar is almost fourteen inches high and weighs almost nine pounds.

Cedric Gibbons, an original Academy member spearheaded the design of the award. On a scroll, he printed his design of a knight holding a crusader’s sword standing on a reel of film. Emilio Fernandez, a Mexican film director, was the model for the statue after Cedric convinced Emilio to pose nude so the design would be more authentic.George Stanley, a sculptor, used clay to make the mold for the statue and then it was cast in tin and copper. After the casting process, it was gold-plated.

During war times, the statues were made of plaster and then were traded in for gold ones after the war had ended. There have been several companies that have made the Oscar statue, but since 1983, R.S.Owens and Company in Chicago, IL, has produced the statue and makes approximately 50 Oscars every year.

People who receive Oscars cannot sell or auction them to the public. Each person who receives an Oscar has to sign an agreement. The only place they can sell the Oscar is back to the Academy and they only get a dollar for the statue. Only a few have been returned - most from estate settlements. The Academy is in the process of creating an Oscar museum and eventually these historic Oscars will be put on a permanent display.

As you’ll notice, Oscar doesn’t have a last name, so it can’t be compared to bologna. Ask any of the recipients and they will tell you that the statue is not bologna - it is the real thing!