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Woody Allen's quaint, quirky movie "Annie Hall" incited 1 of nan awesome controversies in Oscar history erstwhile it captured nan Academy Award for Best Picture complete innovative blockbuster and American taste landmark "Star Wars" connected this time successful history, April 3, 1978.
The Hollywood hullabaloo has grown only greater successful nan decades since.
"'Annie Hall' contains much intelligence wit and taste references than any different movie ever to triumph nan Oscar for champion picture," celebrated precocious movie professional Roger Ebert wrote successful 2002.
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But moreover he called the "Star Wars" snub "an result unthinkable today."
"Annie Hall" was a commercialized deed arsenic good arsenic a captious success, netting $44 cardinal astatine nan container office.
It helped make Allen 1 of nan astir successful filmmakers and actors of his era.
"Star Wars" (aka "Episode IV-A New Hope") lobby card, pinch 3 of nan astir celebrated characters successful movie history. From left, Luke Skywalker (played by Mark Hamill), Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) and Han Solo (Harrison Ford) (LMPC via Getty Images)
The original "Star Wars" (now amended known arsenic "Star Wars Episode IV-A New Hope") garnered $776 cardinal from filmgoers and inspired a franchise of 8 different films (and growing) that has generated complete $10 cardinal successful sales.
But nan George Lucas communicative from "a agelong clip agone and a postulation far, acold away" was much than conscionable a box-office blockbuster.
"'Star Wars' taps nan pulp fantasies buried successful our memories, and because it's done truthful brilliantly, it reactivates aged thrills, fears and exhilarations." — Roger Ebert
"Star Wars" has grown into a world taste leviathan acold beyond nan confines of nan metallic screen. It's possibly much celebrated today, astir half a period later, than erstwhile it first deed theaters successful 1977.
"The lawsuit for ‘Star Wars’ winning is well-known by now. It is without mobility 1 of nan most influential films ever released, and conscionable astir each head moving successful nan realm of workplace blockbusters cites it arsenic a logic they collapsed into nan profession," Chris Agar wrote for ScreenRant.com successful a 2017 retrospective of nan Oscar controversy.
"Annie Hall" lobby card, Diane Keaton, Woody Allen, 1977. The movie won nan 1978 Oscar for Best Picture, while Keaton won for Best Actress. (LMPC via Getty Images)
"Even successful nan film's contiguous aftermath, it was inspiring aspiring helmsman; James Cameron discontinue his occupation as a motortruck driver aft seeing ‘Star Wars’ to activity successful movies. It's easy to spot why ‘Star Wars’ landed pinch this benignant of effect — it represents nan pinnacle of movie magic."
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In opposition to nan "pinnacle" of filmmaking, "Annie Hall" is Allen's rom-com communicative successful which he plays a neurotic New York City comedian reflecting connected his ain insecurities and loves lost, astir notably his grounded narration pinch nan title characteristic played by Diane Keaton.
Ebert's original reviews of nan films for nan Chicago Sun-Times successful 1977 deny what must person been his ain daze astatine nan Best Picture motion for "Annie Hall."
He enthuses breathlessly complete "Star Wars" while offering only gentlemanly praise for Allen's storytelling.
Fans be nan sheet for "Star Wars: The Bad Batch" bid astatine Star Wars Celebration successful Anaheim, California, connected May 29, 2022. (Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)
"Every erstwhile successful a while I person what I deliberation of arsenic an out-of-the-body acquisition astatine a movie," Ebert wrote of "Star Wars" and its timeless communicative of unwitting rebel Luke Skywalker and evil acheronian lord Darth Vader.
"The movie's happening, and it's happening to me."
"'Annie Hall' was nominated for 5 Academy Awards and won four: ‘Star Wars’ was nominated for 11 Oscars and won six."
He added, "'Star Wars' taps nan pulp fantasies buried successful our memories, and because it's done truthful brilliantly, it reactivates aged thrills, fears and exhilarations we thought we'd abandoned erstwhile we publication our past transcript of ‘Amazing Stories.’"
He wrote only tepidly of "Annie Hall" successful 1977.
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"'Annie Hall' is simply a comedy, yes, and location are moments successful it arsenic funny arsenic thing Woody has done," wrote Ebert, "but nan movie represents a maturation connected Allen's portion … into a overmuch much thoughtful and (is it possible?) much mature director."
Diane Keaton makes her acceptance reside aft she won nan Oscar for Best Performance by an Actress successful a Leading Role astatine nan 50th Annual Academy Awards position successful Los Angeles connected April 3, 1978. (Getty Images)
"Annie Hall" surely boasted an A-list cast.
In summation to Allen and Keaton, it starred Shelly Duvall, Christopher Walken and singer-songwriter Paul Simon. Author Truman Capote had a cameo role, while stars of nan early Jeff Goldblum, Beverly D'Angelo and Sigourney Weaver besides appeared successful nan film.
"Annie Hall" was nominated for 5 Academy Awards and won four: In summation to Best Picture honors, Allen earned Oscars for Best Director and Best Original screenplay, while Keaton took location Best Actress honors.
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"Star Wars" earned moreover much emotion from nan Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences successful its awards for 1977 filmmaking.
"With ‘Star Wars,’ nan property of nan blockbuster was upon us." — Roger Ebert
It was nominated for 11 Oscars and won six, much than immoderate different movie that year: Best Art Direction, Costume Design, Editing, Visual Effects, Sound and, possibly astir famously, Original Score for nan triumphal soundtrack by composer John Williams.
The cache of hardware makes nan original "Star Wars" 1 of nan astir successful films successful nan history of nan Academy Awards.
Star Wars, poster (aka: EPISODE IV-A NEW HOPE). In nan rear: Darth Vader. In nan foreground, from left, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, C-3PO, R2-D2. Poster art, 1977. (MPC via Getty Images)
But nan snub for Best Picture is nan 1 that inflames nan passions of galore "Star Wars" enthusiasts still to this day.
Regardless of nan awards, "Star Wars" changed nan early of filmmaking.
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"The triumph (by ‘Annie Hall’) marked nan opening of Woody Allen’s profession arsenic an important filmmaker (his earlier activity was funny but slight) and it signaled nan extremity of nan 1970s aureate property of American movies," Ebert wrote successful 2002.
"With ‘Star Wars,’ nan property of nan blockbuster was upon us," Ebert besides wrote.
For much Lifestyle articles, sojourn www.foxnews.com/lifestyle.
Kerry J. Byrne is simply a manner newsman pinch Fox News Digital.
