Golden Globes Palate Cleanser

Who are these people, and why are they here?
UPDATE: Indeed, Stephen Boyd, the delectable Elke Sommer, Tony Bennett and Harlan Ellison are among the creative powerhouses behind The Oscar, the only movie that matters about the only award that matters, a thoroughly lurid 1966 potboiler that doesn't get seen enough and that, asone of my astute commenter below points out, was the subject of one of the most devestatingly hilarious SCTV parodies ever. Not that the original is without laughs. I'm particularly besotted with the fact that me and my mom's fave saloon singer Bennett, born Anthony Benedetto, portrays a character named Hymie Kelly—man, that's playing the "old buddy from the old neighborhood" ethnic roots peculiarly broadly. The voluble Ellison disowns the picture whenever he has the opportunity, but that doesn't mean you should shun it; alas, the IMDB doesn't have a TV schedule for it. My feeling is, this movie should be to awards season what It's A Wonderful Life is to Christmas.

Comments

[Ian W. Hill]

Ah, wouldn't have got it but for Mr. Ellison down there . . .

That's the three leads and co-writer of the "classic" THE OSCAR. Stephen Boyd, Elke Sommer, Tony Bennett (as the ethnically-indeterminate "Hymie Kelly") and writer Harlan Ellison.

Probably also came to mind because I recently saw the SCTV parody of this ("The Nobel") with Dave Thomas, Catherine O'Hara, and Joe Flaherty doing a fine job of ripping the above actors to shreds.

Here to remind us not to take all of this awards-show hoopla or lack thereof as seriously as would take this movie?

[Griff]

All right, I think I know my '60s Hollywood... Left to right, it's Frankie Fane (whatever happened to him?), Kay Bergdahl... and Hymie Kelly! Y'know, I thought Fane might win the Oscar that year he was nominated, even though I guess Lancaster was the favorite. [I suppose Sinatra's ship really came in that night, though!]

I give up, though -- what's that writer Cordwainer Bird doing there?

[bill]

I recognized Stephen Boyd, but couldn't think of his name until Ian said it. Ellison, though, I got right off, but I have no idea why they're here. There's a documentary coming out about Ellison. Did someone make a documentary about Boyd? That seems unlikely.

[cadavra]

Harlan's disowning of the film should be asterisked. On those rare occasions when it's been screened in L.A., he's more than happy to attend and gleefully trash it in a Q&A afterwards. In a way, it's become his HORN BLOWS AT MIDNIGHT.

[gary]

I saw the Ellison doc last summer in rough cut. It is superb and very entertaining. Harlan discusses THE OSCAR with great glee at its badness...and it really is fun.