Thank you, Lando: EMPIRE at the ‘81 Oscars
Forty years ago, The Empire Strikes Back was coming off a year of dominance at the box office and entered Awards Season with better prospects than most science fiction sequels. Though it wouldn’t match its predecessor’s prolific success at the 50th Oscars in 1978, Empire still received recognition worth commemorating on the 40th anniversary of the 53rd Academy Awards ceremony that took place on March 31st, 1981.
Just as Empire’s presence at that year’s Oscars was reduced in comparison to that of Star Wars three years prior, so is the number of awards-related ephemeral relics for collectors to seek out.
Empire’s Awards campaign was considerably pared down, with a modest “for your consideration” fold-out printed in two sizes (8.5 x 11” and 11 x 15”) that was inserted in industry trade magazines. Much like the early teaser for the film that relied heavily on Ralph McQuarrie’s production paintings, Empire’s “FYC” material repurposed several of the same pieces of concept art to visually represent the film to prospective voting members.
From the Collection of Pete Vilmur
This simpler, elegant design was carried over into single page advertisements. The ad below that ran in the March 17th, 1981 issue of The Hollywood Reporter is one of several following the announcement of the film’s three Academy Award nominations (Art Direction, Original Score, and Sound).
From the Collection of Tony Damata
Other examples can be found, including some for other categories with different design styles ahead of the Academy’s nominations. All seem to be more scarce than those from Star Wars or Return of the Jedi.
From the Collection of Gus Lopez - Star Wars Collectors Archive
Prestigious nominations call for prestigious certificates such as this one for Empire’s Sound nominees.
You may notice that one go-to category for any Star Wars movie has yet to be mentioned – that being Visual Effects. Without any nominated competitors from 1980’s cinematic offerings, The Empire Strikes Back’s visual effects were instead honored by the Academy Board of Governors with a Special Achievement Award.
Screen International (March 21st, 1981)
11x14” Print - From the Collection of Pete Vilmur
The above “thank you” ad from Lucasfilm rightfully touting Industrial Light & Magic’s wizardry (and services for future clients) ran in trade magazines and also exists as 11 x 14” blank-back prints that were apparently given to the crew as mementos. Illustrious poster artist Drew Struzan had designed this very image for ILM in 1980.
Oscar Night on Monday, March 30th approached as indicated on the ceremony’s official poster and advertised in broadcast guides such as the Chicago Sun-Times TV Prevue pictured above. But another strangely Hollywood-entangled event shockingly supplanted the festivities that very day. The attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan by the Jodie Foster and Taxi Driver obsessed John Hinckley Jr. would delay the Academy Awards by 24 hours.
The show indeed went on the following evening of March 31st at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in downtown Los Angeles with Johnny Carson serving as master of ceremonies for the third straight year. Ordinary People would have the best night with four wins (including Best Picture and Best Director for Robert Redford in his directorial debut).
A lavish red and gold program lists the ceremony’s originally scheduled March 30th date. Some surviving examples include a printed version of Reagan’s introductory remarks that had been pre-recorded two weeks ahead of the telecast. For those into presidential and Oscars memorabilia, that’s a twofer for you.
Billy Dee Williams is listed among the presenters and Empire’s nominations round out the film’s footprint.
And the Nominees are…
Of any nomination snubs, Peter Suschitzky’s cinematography and the screenplay by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan (with a story by Lucas) were both significant creative progressions from the original film that deserved consideration. As for nominated categories, The Empire Strikes Back ended up taking home only one competitive Oscar. Art Direction (which Star Wars claimed in 1978) went to the period drama Tess over Empire, and most criminal of all, the teen musical drama Fame denied John Williams an Original Score Academy Award for arguably his finest work, Star Wars or otherwise. But all was not lost.
Special Achievement Award
MPAA President Jack Valenti presented Empire’s aforementioned Visual Effects Special Achievement Award to stateside Star Wars veterans Richard Edlund, Dennis Muren, and Bruce Nicholson along with British special effects artist and franchise newcomer Brian Johnson (who George Lucas tried to recruit for Star Wars but had already been committed to Space: 1999).
As a clip package of ILMers at work played to the audience and viewers at home, Valenti stated, “Because of the size of the concept and the quality of the execution, the Academy Board of Governors has deemed this film to be representative of the highest quality of motion picture special effects.”
Bruce Nicholson (far right) still feeling the Force, which he thanked for receiving his Oscar.
A few quick thank yous to wives, kids, moms, and fellow crewmembers are capped off by Optical Photography Supervisor Bruce Nicholson endearingly thanking the Force for allowing him to be there that night to receive his award, which garners enthusiasm from everyone in the crowd.
Well, everyone except Rod Steiger who is emphatically nonplussed by the entire affair when the camera cuts to him in his seat.
Sound
Carson then introduces Bernadette Peters and Billy Dee Williams as presenters of the next award for Outstanding Achievement in Sound. What follows are the typical Oscars teleprompter trials and tribulations as the pair attempt a bit on the importance of sound in movies which both seem to be aware isn’t quite landing. At one point, Billy Dee goofily covers his eyes as Bernadette asks the audience to imagine solely taking in a film’s sound the next time they’re at the theater, noting, “If you like what you hear, thank the sound engineer.”
As Peters rattles off the names of Bill Varney, Steve Maslow, Gregg Landaker, and Peter Sutton winning for The Empire Strikes Back, Billy Dee satisfyingly says to himself, “Fantastic.” The house orchestra plays the Imperial March as the sound crew emerges from the very back of the pavilion and descends upon the stage with Maslow and his epic hair leading the way.
Billy Dee hands an Oscar to Bill Varney who in turn says, “Thank you, Lando,” which gets a genuine chuckle out of Williams. In his acceptance speech, Varney credits “the fabulous Ben Burtt who creates the terrific sound of The Empire” (and who had earned a Special Achievement Award for his Star Wars sound design in 1978). Gregg Landaker fittingly notes that “the magic worked on the show.” It certainly did.
That’s a wrap on Empire’s Academy artifacts and achievements, though several of the honored individuals would return to the Oscar stage to receive statuettes for their future sound and visual effects accomplishments. Until next time (Jedi in 1984)…
If you happen to own or unearth other relevant items not currently featured in this post I would be thrilled to add them. Leave a comment or contact me via email through this form.
