Q 01/05

The first Academy Awards, a private dinner in May 1929, was held at which Los Angeles venue?

A) The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel

B) The Ambassador Hotel

C) Grauman's Chinese Theatre

D) The Biltmore Hotel

Answer · why

A) The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel

About 270 guests attended the dinner at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel on 16 May 1929. The Ambassador and the Biltmore did host the ceremony later, alt...

Q 02/05

Roughly how long did that first Academy Awards presentation last?

A) About three hours

B) About two hours

C) About one hour

D) About 15 minutes

Answer · why

D) About 15 minutes

Fifteen statuettes were handed out in a quarter of an hour. There was no suspense to draw out — the winners had been announced to the press three mont...

Q 03/05

Wings took Outstanding Picture at the 1st Academy Awards; which film took the equal 'Unique and Artistic Picture' prize?

A) Sunrise

B) Metropolis

C) The Jazz Singer

D) The Crowd

Answer · why

A) Sunrise

F. W. Murnau's Sunrise won the Unique and Artistic Picture award, meant to honour a different but equally important kind of filmmaking. The Academy dr...

Q 04/05

What did the Academy start doing in 1941 after the LA Times printed the Oscar winners early in 1940?

A) Counting ballots twice

B) Banning press from the room

C) Using a sealed envelope

D) Delaying results until midnight

Answer · why

C) Using a sealed envelope

Through the 1930s results were simply handed to newspapers for publication at 11 pm on the night. After the Los Angeles Times jumped the gun in 1940, ...

Q 05/05

Which accounting firm and its predecessor have certified the Academy Awards votes since 1935?

A) Deloitte & Touche

B) Ernst & Young

C) Arthur Andersen

D) PricewaterhouseCoopers

Answer · why

D) PricewaterhouseCoopers

Price Waterhouse took on the count for the 7th Academy Awards in 1935, and its successor PricewaterhouseCoopers has certified the votes ever since.