Category: Honorary Award
Winner: To Cary Grant for his unique mastery of the art of screen acting with the respect and affection of his colleagues.
Presenter: Frank Sinatra
Date & Venue: April 7, 1970; Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
CARY GRANT:
I think you're applauding my stamina. [Banters with presenter Frank Sinatra.]
I'm very grateful to the Academy's Board of Directors for this happy tribute and to Frank for coming here especially to give it to me. And well, to all the fellows who worked so hard in finding those and assembling those film clips.
You know, I may never look at this without remembering the quiet patience of the directors who were so kind to me, who were kind enough to put up with me more than once, some of them even three or four times. There was Howard Hawks, Hitchcock, the late Leo McCarey, George Stevens, George Cukor and Stanley Donen. And all the writers. There was Philip Barry, Dore Schary, Bob Sherwood, Ben Hecht, dear Clifford Odets, Sidney Sheldon, and more recently Stanley Shapiro and Peter Stone. Well, I trust they, and all the other directors, writers and producers and leading women, have all forgiven me what I didn't know.
I realize it's conventional and usual to praise one's fellow workers on these occasions, but why not?! Ours is a collaborative medium, we all need each other. That's how we exist. And what better opportunity is there to publicly express one's appreciation and admiration and affection for all those who contribute so much to each of our welfare. You know, I've never been a joiner or a member of any particular social set, but I've been privileged to be a part of Hollywood's most glorious era. And yet tonight, thinking of all the empty screens that are waiting to be filled with marvelous images and idealogies, points of view, whatever, and considering all the students who are studying film techniques in the universities throughout the world and the astonishing young talents that are coming up in our midst, I think there's an even more glorious era right around the corner.
So before I leave you, I want to thank you very much for signifying your approval with this. I shall cherish it until I die, because probably no greater honor can come to any man than the respect of his colleagues. Thank you. So long.
For more about Cary Grant and the Oscars see...
"And the Winner is...!"
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