Hollywood Blacklist: 7 Oscar Nominees Who Didn't Really Exist

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Every year, many moviegoers freeze in front of their TV screens to watch the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Academy Awards. The most worthy representatives of the film industry go up to the stage, in the hall there are colleagues of the most successful actors, screenwriters, directors. And in the history of the presentation of this significant award, there were also such nominees that never existed in the real world.

Ian McLellan Hunter and Robert Rich

After World War II, everyone who could be suspected of sympathizing with the Communists fell into disgrace in the United States. In 1947, the House of Representatives' Committee on Anti-American Activities summoned 10 representatives of the film industry, who became known as the "Hollywood Ten", for questioning. Each of them was asked a question about their current or past affiliation with the Communist Party. Among those summoned to the committee was the famous screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, who not only refused to answer the Committee's questions, but also questioned the legality of the actions of its members. As a result, Dalton Trumbo was accused of contempt of Congress, blacklisted Hollywood studios and sentenced to a year in prison.

After his release from prison, the screenwriter began to sign his works with a pseudonym, and sold them to Trumbo on the black market. In 1953, Roman Holiday won the Oscar for Best Literary Source, but author Ian McLellan Hunter did not show up. Behind this pseudonym was Dalton Trumbo, who simply could not appear at the awards ceremony. The same nomination three years later won the film "The Brave", the script of which was listed by a certain Robert Rich. Only 17 years after the death of Dalton Trumbo, in 1993, justice was restored, and his authorship was recognized.

Nathan Douglas

Much the same story happened with another screenwriter Nedrik Young, who was accused of sympathizing with the Communists and the communist society. As a result, the author of the script for the film, which won the Oscar in 1959, is listed as a non-existent person - Nathan Douglas. Nedrik Young was rehabilitated a quarter of a century after his death, and Young's relatives were able to receive the award.

P. Sh. Vazak

Actor, screenwriter and director Robert Towne, a talented screenwriter, wanted to personally direct Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes, but was refused. In the hearts of the director, he demanded to completely exclude his name from the credits. And when asked whose name to write in his place, Robert Towne recklessly ordered to indicate the name of his dog. So the Hungarian Shepherd Dog belonging to the director was nominated for the Oscar.

Donald Kaufman

In 1994, Charlie Kaufman was invited to work on the screenplay of the novel "The Orchid Thief" by Susan Orleans. But instead, the writer, who was in a creative crisis, created the script for the film "Adaptation". The psychological drama about the writer himself and his fictional brother Donald in 2003 was nominated for an Oscar, and the nonexistent brother was listed in the credits of the picture as a co-author. True, Charlie Kaufman then lost the fight for the award to his colleague Ronald Harwood.

Roderick Janes

In the credits of the films "Fargo" and "No Country for Old Men," Roderick Jaynes appears as the scriptwriter, who doesn't really exist. However, the real writers and directors of the Coen brothers argue that he is simply too old and infirm to appear at social events, even such significant ones as the Academy Awards. This is why Ethan and Joel Cohen are forced to win an Oscar for Best Adaptive Screenplay in his place.

Pierre Boulle

The talented writer who wrote the books "The Bridge on the River Kwai" and "Planet of the Apes" existed in reality. But he never had anything to do with the script of the film "The Bridge on the River Kwai", and besides, he spoke and wrote exclusively in French, not knowing English. But the true writers of the script for the film could not be nominated for an Oscar due to the fact that their names were on the notorious black list of Hollywood. Karl Foreman and Michael Wilson had to resort to trickery in order to be able to work. Naturally, the real writer did not receive someone else's "Oscar", and the real screenwriters received a well-deserved award posthumously, in 1985.

In February 2020, the 92nd Academy Awards Ceremony for Achievement in the Field of Cinematography took place. The most famous film award among non-professionals always attracts massive attention, however, in recent years, it has increasingly been associated with scandals or embarrassing moments with which Oscar is so rich.