The 46th Academy Awards were presented on April 2, 1974, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles. The ceremonies were presided over by John Huston, Diana Ross, Burt Reynolds and David Niven.
While David Niven was introducing Elizabeth Taylor to present the award for Best Picture, a streaker named Robert Opel ran out from backstage, a moment which showed David Niven's natural aplomb as he quickly quipped about the man's "shortcomings".
Winners and nominees
Winners are listed first, highlighted in boldface and indicated with a double dagger ().
The 46th Academy Awards ceremony is perhaps best remembered as the ceremony in which a streaker named Robert Opel ran across the stage naked while flashing a peace sign with his hand. In response, host David Niven jokingly quipped, "The only laugh that man will ever get in his life is by stripping off and showing his shortcomings." In 2001, this incident was voted as the most memorable Oscar moment in history, coming in first over Marlon Brando's 1972 boycott of the 45th Academy Awards, in which he nominated Sacheen Littlefeather to explain why he would not be coming to collect his Oscar for The Godfather.
First-time nominee George Lucas made his debut at the Academy Awards with his nostalgic teen drama American Graffiti. It was nominated for Best Picture (Francis Ford Coppola and Gary Kurtz), Director & Original Screenplay (Lucas), Editor (Marcia Lucas), and Candy Clark for Best Supporting Actress.Jack Lemmon won his second career Oscar that night; his first was for 1955's Mister Roberts. As he accepted the award, he announced that "In recent years, especially, there has been a great deal of criticism about this award. And probably, a great deal of that criticism is very justified; I would just like to say that, whether it is justified or not, I think it is one hell of a honor and I am thrilled, and I thank you all, very, very much."Katharine Hepburn made her first and only appearance at the ceremony to present The Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award to her longtime friend Lawrence Weingarten. Whenever she won an Oscar, she always had either the presenter or another person associated with her film accept it on her behalf. Upon taking the stage, she received a standing ovation, to which she replied "I'm living proof that a person can wait forty-one years to be unselfish."Coincidentally, Debbie Reynolds, Elizabeth Taylor and Connie Stevens, who were all ex-wives of Eddie Fisher's, each appeared in some form.This was Susan Hayward's last public appearance before she died of brain cancer in 1975.At 10 years, 148 days of age, Tatum O'Neal won Best Supporting Actress for her role in Paper Moon. She became the youngest winner of an Oscar, a feat unmatched to this day.During the ceremony, the whole in memoriam tribute was for legendary producer Samuel Goldwyn, who had died at age 94, three months prior to the event. He is the only person to have an Academy Awards ceremony dedicated solely to him.Longtime film veteran/comedian Groucho Marx was presented with an Honorary Academy Award for his contributions to the cinema.Julia Phillips became the first female producer to win for Best Picture.With Tatum O'Neal being 10 years old and John Houseman being 71 years old, this was the biggest age gap ever for 2 acting wins.The following individuals, listed in order of appearance, presented awards or performed musical numbers.
