Each year, an In Memoriam tribute, which honors distinguished members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences who died during the previous year, is included during the televised presentation of the Academy Awards. Listed below are those who were honored on February 22, 2009, at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, California, during the 81st Academy Awards tribute.
Paul Newman, who appeared last, is considered to be the featured tribute. At the conclusion of the musical accompaniment, a short dialogue by Paul Newman ended the tribute. The Newman dialogue concluded the tribute with the following quote: "The big difference between people is not between the rich and the poor, the good and the evil. The biggest of all differences between people is between those who have had pleasure in love and those who haven't." —Paul Newman as Chance Wayne in Sweet Bird of Youth.
Controversies During the 81st Academy Awards, which was hosted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Queen Latifah was the presenter and a performer for the annual In Memoriam tribute. This was controversial because traditionally the segment is accompanied by instrumental music and displayed without vocal music accompaniment. Live music has previously accompanied the tribute however; and cellist Yo-Yo Ma did so during the 77th Academy Awards - although his performance was solely instrumental. Latifah sang "I'll Be Seeing You" from the Broadway musical Right This Way during the 81st Academy Awards tribute to honor individuals who had died since the previous year's Academy Award ceremonies. The controversy of the performance was compounded by the visual display from a camera panning around the stage at a distance, leaving television viewers unable to see and read a number of different names/pictures on the large screen at the back of the stage.
There were plans to attempt to dampen the audience applause during the tribute that included cutting the audio feed from the theatre. This effort was intended to disguise audience preferences for certain deceased honorees over others. Some industry insiders speculate that Latifah's performance was a successful effort to minimize audience applause during the tribute.
The tribute had a second break from tradition. Ten years ago when Gene Siskel was omitted from the tribute because as a film critic he was not a member of the academy, host Whoopi Goldberg ad libbed his tribute, which concluded with her giving a thumbs-up at the ceiling (i.e., heaven). The 81st Academy Awards' tribute included film critic Manny Farber. However, the tribute did not go so far as to include the recently deceased movie trailer voice acting specialist Don LaFontaine.
2009 Ceremony Honoree list Name Career Birth Death Academy Awards recognition Claude Berridirector1965 Best Live Action Short Subject win for Le Poulet1980 Best Picture nomination for Tess Joseph M. Caraccioloproducer Cyd Charisseactress Warren Cowanpublicist Michael Crichtonwriter/director1994 Technical Achievement Award Jules Dassindirector1960 Best Original Screenplay Writer and Best Director nominations for Pote tin Kyriaki Robert DoQuiactor Manny Farberfilm critic Nina Fochactress1954 Best Supporting Actress nomination for Executive Suite Isaac Hayesmusician/actor1971 Best Original Score nomination for Shaft1971 Best Original Song win for Shaft John Michael Hayesscreenwriter1954 Best Adapted Screenplay Writer nomination for Rear Window1957 Best Adapted Screenplay Writer nomination for Peyton Place Charlton Hestonactor1959 Best Actor win for Ben-Hur1977 Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award Pat Hingleactor J. Paul Huntsmansound editor Kon Ichikawadirector Charles H. Joffeproducer1977 Best Picture win for Annie Hall Ollie Johnstonanimator Van Johnsonactor Evelyn Keyesactress Bernie Macactor/comedian Abby Mannscreenwriter1961 Best Adapted Screenplay Writer win for Judgment at Nuremberg1965 Best Adapted Screenplay Writer nomination for Ship of Fools Anthony Minghelladirector/producer1996 Best Adapted Screenplay Writer nomination for The English Patient1996 Best Director win for The English Patient1999 Best Adapted Screenplay Writer nomination for The Talented Mr. Ripley2008 Best Picture nomination for The Reader Ricardo Montalbánactor Robert Mulligandirector1962 Best Director nomination for To Kill a Mockingbird Paul Newmanactor1958 Best Actor nomination for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof1961 Best Actor nomination for The Hustler1963 Best Actor nomination for Hud1967 Best Actor nomination for Cool Hand Luke1968 Best Picture nomination for Rachel, Rachel1981 Best Actor nomination for Absence of Malice1982 Best Actor nomination for The Verdict1985 Honorary Award1987 Best Actor win for The Color of Money1993 Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award1994 Best Actor nomination for Nobody's Fool (1994 film)2002 Best Supporting Actor nomination for Road to Perdition Maila Nurmiactress Harold Pinterwriter1981 Best Adapted Screenplay Writer nomination for The French Lieutenant's Woman1983 Best Adapted Screenplay Writer nomination for Betrayal Sydney Pollackdirector/producer1969 Best Director nomination for They Shoot Horses, Don't They?1982 Best Picture and Best Director nominations for Tootsie1985 Best Picture and Best Director wins for Out of Africa2007 Best Picture nomination for Michael Clayton2008 Best Picture nomination for The Reader Leonard Rosenmancomposer1975 Best Original Score win for Barry Lyndon1976 Best Original Score win for Bound for Glory1983 Best Original Score nomination for Cross Creek1986 Best Original Score nomination for Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home Roy Scheideractor1971 Best Supporting Actor nomination for The French Connection1979 Best Actor nomination for All That Jazz Charles H. Schneerproducer Paul Scofieldactor1966 Best Actor win for A Man for All Seasons1994 Best Supporting Actor nomination for Quiz Show Bud Stoneexecutive Ned Tanenexecutive producer David Watkindirector of photography1985 Best Cinematography win for Out of Africa James Whitmoreactor1949 Best Supporting Actor nomination for Battleground1975 Best Actor nomination for Give 'em Hell, Harry! Richard Widmarkactor1947 Best Supporting Actor nomination for Kiss of Death Stan Winstonspecial effects1981 Best Makeup nomination for Heartbeeps1986 Best Visual Effects win for Aliens1987 Best Visual Effects nomination for Predator1990 Best Makeup nomination for Edward Scissorhands1991 Best Makeup and Best Visual Effects wins for Terminator 2: Judgment Day1992 Best Makeup nomination for Batman Returns1993 Best Visual Effects win for Jurassic Park1997 Best Visual Effects nomination for The Lost World: Jurassic Park2001 Best Visual Effects nomination for Artificial Intelligence: AI
Explanations During the tribute, an incorrect photograph of Kon Ichikawa was included. This necessitated a formal apology by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which they have posted on their Oscar.org website. Maila Nurmi was included, although her death occurred in the prior February 1 – January 31 period, while James Whitmore was included although his death occurred after it. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences compiles a list of those eligible for next years tribute based on having died after the annual February 1 cutoff.
Several past Academy Award nominees and winners were not included in the tribute. Many of those excluded were nominated writers: Irving Brecher – 1944 Writing (Screenplay) – Meet Me in St. Louis, Malvin Wald – 1948 Writing (Motion Picture Story) – The Naked City, Oscar Brodney – 1954 Writing (Story and Screenplay) – The Glenn Miller Story, Fred Haines – 1967 Writing (Screenplay based on material from another medium) – Ulysses, Donald E. Westlake – 1990 Writing (Screenplay based on material from another medium) – The Grifters. David Lee, a one-time winner for Sound in 2002 Chicago, was omitted. Two-time Music (Scoring: Original Song Score and Adaptation) nominee, Angela Morley, for 1974 – The Little Prince and 1977 – The Slipper and the Rose--The Story of Cinderella and two-time Documentary (Feature) nominee, Alex Grasshoff, for 1966 – The Really Big Family and 1973 – Journey to the Outer Limits were not included. Two Scientific or Technical Award (Class II) winners were omitted: Edward Efron – 1972 and James L. Wassell – 1962. Several other past one-time nominees were omitted: Howard G. Minsky – 1970 Best Picture – Love Story, J.C. Melendez – 1970 Music (Original Song Score) – A Boy Named Charlie Brown, Jonathan Bates – 1982 Sound – Gandhi, Edmund F. Penney – 1973 Documentary (Feature) – Walls of Fire, Maury Winetrobe – 1968 Film Editing – Funny Girl
Several other notable individuals, including George Carlin (six-time Emmy Award nominee), Bernie Brillstein (nine-time Emmy Award nominee), Neal Hefti (Emmy Award nominee) Beverly Garland (Emmy Award nominee), Estelle Getty (Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award winner), Eartha Kitt (Emmy Award nominee), Harvey Korman (four-time Emmy winner, Golden Globe Award winner), John Phillip Law (Golden Globe Award nominee), and Patrick McGoohan (two-time Emmy Award winner, BAFTA TV Award winner), were not included in the "In Memoriam" tribute, though they died within the year. Heath Ledger died shortly before the previous year's ceremony, and a tribute to him was included then.
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