Cinema: The Oscars

With Master of Ceremonies Bob Hope sparking the show and Oldsmobile picking up the $350,000 tab (and spinning out tedious, long-winded commercials), Hollywood handed out its biggest prizes. Watching the 27th annual Academy Awards over TV (for the third year) from Hollywood and Manhattan, U.S. televiewers got lots of Hope and laughter in the 90 minutes, but few surprises:

¶ On the Waterfront, a black-and-white, normal-width movie made in New Jersey, was named 1954’s best picture, picked up seven other Oscars—e.g., for best actor, Marlon Brando; best supporting actress, Eva Marie Saint; best director, Elia Kazan; best story and screenplay, Budd Schulberg.

¶ Best actress: Grace Kelly, for her role as the sad-mouthed wife of the down-and-out actor in The Country Girl.

¶ Best supporting actor: Edmond O’Brien, for his sweaty, bootlicking press agent in The Barefoot Contessa.

Suddenly grave and well-behaved, Marlon Brando left off his blue jeans, put on a well-pressed dinner jacket, arrived at Hollywood’s Pantages Theater right on time, amiably curled his lip at TV cameras. After the show, the reformation seemed complete: Oscar Winner Brando obligingly bussed Grace Kelly’s porcelain cheek for the benefit of fans and photographers.