This is why the Academy Award is called an 'Oscar'

Have you ever watched the Academy Awards and wondered where the name "Oscar" comes from? Or when the statue was first designed? What about the story behind film reel that the golden man stands on? Today, the Academy partnered with IMDB to release a video answering these questions and more:

The video describes three different sources who claim to have nicknamed the statue. Sidney Skolsky, a Hollywood columnist, says he got tired of writing "the gold statue of the academy" and started using the name "Oscar" after an old vaudeville joke. Former Academy librarian and executive director Margaret Herick claims that she named it after her uncle, while Bette Davis claims that she came up with the name "Oscar" because the posterior of the statue reminded her of her husband when he got out of the shower.

Whoever you believe, it's a fascinating glimpse into the 87-year history of Hollywood's highest honor.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Continue reading for free

We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.

Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.