The worst Oscar opening number...featuring: Snow White!

In honor of tonight's Oscar broadcast, let's look back at a less glamours Oscar moment.  One that involved our beloved Snow White, Merv Griffin, Rob Lowe, and a rendition of Proud Mary.
In Jim Korkis "The vault of Walt voume 2," (pick one up today!) he pays tribute to seven of the real life women who have been part of the elite group of women who have been Snow White.  But elite might be pushing it for poor Eileen Bowman.  In 1989 the Academy Awards opening number she was cast as Snow White.  Watch it below, if you dare:



Needless to say, it wasn't good.  It wasn't even bad.  It was just terrible.  And to make matters worse, the writers of the show did not obtain the permissions needed and were sued by Walt Disney Company.  The lawsuit was dropped after the Academy apologized publicly.  Billy Crystal couldn't resist another jab at the horrific number the following year:

To read more about this 'it's so bad, you can't look away, moment' see the Hollywood Reporter article, NY post article, or watch the OMG Yahoo video.

They Made the Magic: Paul J Smith

Paul J. Smith was born on October 30, 1906.  His father was a professor at a college in Idaho where he composed some songs for the school.  In 1934, he joined the Disney Studios.  He spent most of his life working for Disney as a composer, writing more than 70 scores.    He worked on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs where he got the first of 8 Oscar nods (he won an Oscar for the score of Pinocchio along with Leigh Harline and Ned Washington).  He retired from Disney in 1962 died at the age of 78 in California, and became a Disney Legend in 1994.

Oscar Weekend with Walt and Snow White

With the Academy Awards upcoming this Sunday there is a wide variety of information about Oscars of the past. For a nice look at Walt's history with Oscar see the D23 article.

 
In 1939 the 11th award ceremony took place at the  Biltmore Hotel.  The ceremony was on Februray 23 (a Thursday - no less) and was hosted by Frank Capra, the then Academy President.  You Can't Take it With You took the grand prize (and what a great movie it is).  Spencer Tracy and Betty Davis took home the top awards.  Four out of the five best short cartoon were Disney (Ferdinand the Bull won).

And Walt Disney was given special recongniztion for:  "a significant screen innovation which has charmed millions and pioneered a great new entertainment field for the motion picture cartoon."

You can see the Oscars at the Walt Disney Family Museum.  You can find a list and some pictures of other Oscars here.  On March 23 1986 Tony Danza hosted Walt Disney Goes to the Oscars: you can find this special posted in YouTube.