Oscar Stars Won't See Red
Impending war in Iraq won't derail Hollywood's biggest event this Sunday, March 23, but it has caused the cancellation of the glitzy red carpet arrival that precedes it.
Show producer Gil Cates also acknowledged that, as a result of President Bush's 48-hour ultimatum for Saddam Hussein to leave Iraq or be forced out by military action, news reports could supersede the live Academy Awards telecast on ABC. The ceremony would be taped and aired later, he said.
Academy officials say the ceremony, in its 75-year history, has never been cancelled. It's been postponed only three times: in 1981 with the attempted assassination of President Reagan; in 1968 when the Rev. Martin Luther King was slain; and in 1938 when Los Angeles was flooded.
Cates said several stars had already expressed reluctance to walk down the red carpet and had asked if they could use a back entrance.
"There comes a point when it is silly to do that when they are all uncomfortable with it anyway," he said of the traditional runway arrivals.
Nicole Kidman, a lead-actress nominee for "The Hours," said at an Oscar luncheon last week she is "in two minds" about attending the event during war. "There are two arguments, aren't there, where they say you need to continue on with things and not be stopped, and then there's the other thing where you just say, of course, it would feel very strange to show up," she said.
"It would be obscene to smile on the red carpet with people dying in the world," said Daniel Day-Lewis, nominated for Best Actor for his performance in "Gangs of New York."
There also won't be any bleachers in front of the theater, which normally hosted a large group of fans.
Hollywood columnist Anne Thompson thinks that is a big loss for the ceremony.
"The red carpet experience is actually what many viewers are looking forward to," she said. "They want to look at the fashion victims of the night, if not the successes and gossip about it. They should be able to do so."
Meanwhile, as the big day approaches, it may be too late to take a gamble on the year's best picture. London-based betting company Ladbrokes Ltd. said it has been so overwhelmed with wagers favoring "Chicago" to win that it has closed the books.
It is still taking bets on how many Academy Awards the musical might win. The movie received 13 nominations, more than any other film.
"We've never had such a concerted interest in one motion picture," Ladbrokes communications director Sean Boyce said in a statements.