Paddy Chayefsky and Eletha Finch accepting the Best Actor Oscar® on behalf of the late Peter Finch for his performance in Network. Presented by Liv Ullmann at the 49th Academy Awards® in 1977.
I've hesitated seeing this until now- but what an amazing gesture on Chayevsky's part to extend the courtesy to his widow, and her speech accepting it for a phenomenal performance he gave in Network. WOW.
+outinsider Sidney Lumet's first choice for the Faye Dunaway role in Network was Vanessa Redgrave. Paddy Chayefsky refused to cast her because he disagreed with her politics. Lumet asked was that blacklisting? to which Paddy replied "Not when a Jew does it to a gentile"
@@longmemory1620 Jews are quick to treat people the same way that they accuse other people of treating them and that's one of the many reasons that people hate them yes I said it and I meant it!!!
The late Alan Rickman said it best: Actors don't win Oscars, roles do. That said, Finch had a smaller role, but he had THE role. Similar to what happened when Hopkins won for Silence of the Lambs.
@@kiyo6211 In this case, I do not think so. Finch had a fantastic role, played it wonderfully and probably would have won anyway and that role has proven to be just as important today as it was then to those of us paying attention.
Peter Finch delivered the best performance in any film ever in Network. Such a tragedy that he died when he still had a lot to offer the film business.
I loved Peter Finches performance in this film. His Iconic delivery of the now famous line "I'M AS MAD AS HELL AND I'M NOT GONNA TAKE IT ANYMORE!!!" Is masterful.
hace poco pude ver "Siete bellezas" y en verdad es una grandísima película y una grandísima actuación de Giannini, junto a De Niro, Holden y el ganador, Finch, estaba super reñido.
Sly was so getting ready to stand up. He pushed his hair to the side, fixed his color and when she said Peter Finch, his eyes almost popped out! HILARIOUS!
I noticed that Sly didn't applaud- didn't even try to give a FAke Applause. I think he was ahppy years later when he his first Oscar for his Supporting Role in Creed.
@@HoldenNY22Although Sly was the presumed frontrunner to win for “Creed,” he ended up losing that night as well (to Mark Rylance in “Bridge of Spies”). If only Sly had been also nominated as a producer of “Rocky” (and by all accounts he should have been), he would have gotten to go home with an Oscar for Best Picture. He at least won the Golden Globe for “Creed,” which may not be as prestigious as an Oscar, but did allow him to receive a rapturous applause upon his name being called. As for this night, Peter Finch rightfully won. What a truly heartfelt and sincere speech from his sweet wife.
Very special moment. Great poise from a very gracious and loving woman who ensured her husband's feelings would be remembered. And what a performance! One of the best ever.
Absolutely well deserved award! Peter Finch in ''Network'' was so impressive, memorable, insane role! Howard Beale is such a iconic character. Enjoyed every minute of his performance! It is a performance of a lifetime! Acting at its best.
TS AxlRose He was awesome indeed, however, his most memorable performance to me was in ''Raging Bull''. I liked most Peter in ''Network'', his character in the movie is just iconic, unique. If I was member of the Academy, my vote would be Peter Finch. hahaha Anyway, both Peter and Robert were deserving of the award that year.
Absolutely one of the most amazing performances by Finch and a graceful, wonderful speech by Eletha. So happy that she was able to keep her emotions together and get through that time and express his last dying wishes on that stage. He was a troubled but extremely talented man who was also surely celebrated but misunderstood.
I understand that Peter Finch died two months after he finished filming Network. He died at the Beverly Hotel Lobby from a heart attack is not that he was sick prior he was 60 years old, so why would he ask his wife in case he won the award what to say on his behalf? I read on his biography that the night before he died he was at Johnny Carson Tonight Show and Geoge Carlin joke with him about dead! Very strange!
William Friedkin, the producer of the show, banned Mrs. Finch from getting upstage, because he didn't want "a weepping widow" accepting. Paddy Chayefsky had the good taste of inviting her anyway. Who the hell did he think he was?
+Joan Carles Tomàs Forteza Sidney Lumet wanted to cast Redgrave in Network. Paddy Chayefsky refused to work with her because he disagreed with her politics when Lumet asked is that blacklisting??? Chayefsky replied "Not when a Jew does it to a gentile "
All amazing at their parts. I do not believe that Finch got the award because he had died, but because he deserved it. His scene, I remember, as a kid, screaming "I am mad as hell and am not going to take it anymore" resonates still for me. His wife's very moving speech touched me so much.
The only 2 posthumous academy awards went to Peter Finch and Heath Hedger and I genuinely feel like both of them would've definitely still won had they been alive.
+Dreamhair71x Sidney Lumet's first choice for the Faye Dunaway role in Network was Vanessa Redgrave. Paddy Chayefsky refused to cast her because he disagreed with her politics. Lumet asked was that blacklisting? to which Paddy replied "Not when a Jew does it to a gentile"
Brad Pitt's comment had no power. The source of this BS story is Sidney Lumet, who, although of Jewish heritage, was a Leftist, and Leftists always place Leftist politics before Judaism and Jews. And as a Leftist, Lumet would naturally be biased in favor of an anti-Semite like Redgrave. But in those days, Chayevsky had pull and could overrule Lumet. (And it's a good thing he did overrule him, as Dunaway was a far superior choice to Redgrave and there would have been zero screen chemistry with William Holden.) So, although Lumet attributed the statement "Not when a Jew does it to a gentile" to Chayefsky in a book he wrote, Lumet likely lied to try to make a non-Leftist like Chayefsky look bad. Lumet, in short, was motivated to lie to further his Leftist political agenda. And, of course, when Lumet wrote that lie, Chayefsky wasn't alive to contradict him.
@Dreamhair71x: Since nobody here has told you this yet, I'll say that your uncle was a great actor. More people of today ought to be aware of his legacy.
Wow! I remember this so well. Paddy Chayefsky deserves an Oscar for giving Eletha Finch the right to accept her husband's award. This must have rattled a few teeth in Hollywood. Bravo Mr Chayefsky.
southsidesman Better late than never. :) Those were interesting times for sure. The other members of this exclusive round table, seemed not to have had any backbone either. Shame on them. Please, go ahead and punch what's-his-face-name...Friedkin. I'll punch the other half.
+S Darling refusing to work with sidney lumets favorite actress vanessa Redgrave because he disagreed with her politics. oh yeahhhhh Bravo Mr Chayefsky.
Look into the history behind the making of Rocky... I would argue he at least had a better chance than Giannini. Look up Stallone's interview by Robert Rodríguez, he explains how hard it was to make that film
At the time, people thought Sylvester Stallone was the next Brando. He was excellent in Rocky. Let's just say his career choices since then have proven people wrong about that assertion.
Peter Finch was great. Network is one of my favorite movies of all time, totally deserved award. Also, I think Dustin Hoffman deserved a nomination for "All the President's Men".
Well done Peter Finch, well deserved. God Bless you Mr Finch + The movie was terrific and the acting was First Class. NETWORK has a powerful message that is more relevant today than ever. Genuis .
Paddy Chayefsky wanted Finch’s widow to accept the award right away in the first place, but it was shot down So instead he just did it anyway. Already an impressive move going against his orders, but even more so when you realize that Finch’s wife was not only a black woman but 20 years his junior. Paddy was a brilliant man and he must’ve known that such a move would upset some people, but he did it anyway
Wonderful to see the Oscar went to the Peter Finch. Such a stellar performance he gave in Network! Very sad that he died before he could accept his well-deserved Academy Award in person. His wife was sweet, poised, emotive and eloquent, as she accepted her husband's award. My heart went out to her. RIP, Peter Finch. You were an absolutely superb actor.
I remember watching this and thinking "I didn't know he was married to a black woman!". Then I thought that was a gutsy move on Mr. Chayefsky's part. Even though Hollywood knew he was married to a black woman (or at least some people knew), the public in general did not and interracial marriages were taboo. And definitely NOT on national TV. Hard to imagine now that people didn't know, but this was the age before social media.
+ohsnapiam59 Sidney Lumet's first choice for the Faye Dunaway role in Network was Vanessa Redgrave. Paddy Chayefsky refused to cast her because he disagreed with her politics. Lumet asked was that blacklisting? to which Paddy replied "Not when a Jew does it to a gentile"
The source of this story is Sidney Lumet, who, although of Jewish heritage, was a Leftist, and Leftists always place Leftist politics before Judaism and Jews. And as a Leftist, Lumet would naturally be biased in favor of an anti-Semite like Redgrave. But in those days, Chayevsky had pull and could overrule Lumet. (And it's a good thing he did overrule him, as Dunaway was a far superior choice to Redgrave and there would have been zero screen chemistry with William Holden.) So, although Lumet attributed the statement "Not when a Jew does it to a gentile" to Chayefsky in a book he wrote, Lumet likely lied to try to make a non-Leftist like Chayefsky look bad. Lumet, in short, was motivated to lie to further his Leftist political agenda. And, of course, when Lumet wrote that lie, Chayefsky wasn't alive to contradict him.
BRAD PITT Vanessa Redgrave is a nasty piece of work. Her politics are vile! Leftism is a religion of pure ugliness, greed and hatred. It makes a change that a leftist got blacklisted when it's usually the other way round!!!
Omg I've got goosebumps. I knew Peter Finch died before the Oscars but I didn't know his widow accepted the award. Well deserved. I love Peter Finch and his "swan song" on film will live forever.
I'm so happy that Finchy won this Oscar not only because he was great in Network but even more because he was absolutely fantastic in Sunday bloody sunday a few years before, it's so sad he couldn't grab that prize chased for all his career as he often claimed but he will always be rememberd as the man dressed in a pijama and a raincoat screaming at the camera I AM MAD AS HELL AND I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE
Here I must wish birthday greetings to a gracious writing hero paddy cheysfsky 1 29 what a wonderful way to celebrate a memorable performance rest in peace sir
Everything about the movie Network was prophetic,from reality television to the scenes where Peter Finch had a heart attack at the end of his mad man of the airwaves scenes
Network is shown frequently on TCM and holds up beautifully close to 40 years after it was made by Sidney Lumet and Paddy Chayefsky. Peter Finch was excellent in the film, but I thought that he was even better in Schlesinger's Sunday, Bloody Sunday. Lumet said in an interview before he died that Network should have won Best Picture.
i remember the end of Cinderella fondly, when she got the everloving shit kicked out of her by her stepsisters, then tried to find the Prince in a crowd
"Rocky" is a wonderful film (probably hurt by its numerous and increasingly shoddy sequels), but "Network" is on another level. Still as relevant today as the day it was released, maybe even more-so.
Finch's performance has given popular culture an embodiment of the anger stirred up by an immoral society. It's a performance that speaks to people. I've often felt like Howard Beale and wanted to go on television and tell millions of people that things have to change and people have to start listening to reason. Peter's performance defines a generation and a shared consciousness. De Niro in Taxi Driver is excellent, but personally, Finch's performance spoke to me and I'm glad he won.
As much as I would've loved to see either Sylvester Stallone or Robert De Niro win for their respective roles, you can't deny that the late, great Peter Finch did deserve it for his role in "Network".
De Niro gave the defining performance of the 70s in "Taxidriver"..as usual with the Oscars , sentimental favourite wins again ( with all due respect to Finch who did good work throughout his career)
I love Liv Ullmann! It's too bad she doesn't act any more. She killed it with her performances in Bergman's films. I would love to see Liv pull a Charlotte Rampling ala "45 Years" to give us another great performance worth remembering among her sterling body of work. She's almost 80 now but I guess she decided that it's time to retire.
I say they both deserved it but for all those who have seen the Network, you have to admit, the film set a precedent that would affect every member of the audience's perception there on after. It was truly a liberating and much needed social film and it was Peter Finch who was at the helm.
The 70s was truly a decade of change, two of the best actor nominees both Robert De Niro and Peter Finch were married to, and had children witb black women. :)
Yes! Interracial marriage was not so few and far between on the Coasts. I lived in California and was married in New York City at the 5th Ave., Presbyterian Church and mine was an interracial marriage. We lived in California and it wasn’t even a hiccup..
The producers must've had an inkling that Peter Finch would win (he was the frontrunner throughout the awards season), seeing as they had Liv Ullmann present the Best Actor award; she and Finch starred in 4 films together.
Sly Stallone is not of this world, it's insane that he got an Oscar nomination, coming out of nowhere and right after his first hit movie, what a legacy this guy has built.
I have to disagree with those who think this was a charity award. Mr. Finch's performance in "Network" was masterful and he absolutely deserved the honor. I'm old enough to remember when this took place and nearly everyone said he was a shoo-in when the film opened, before he passed away.
They're so different, it's hard to compare. De Niro's intensity as Travis is magnificent but Finch had to act in so many different ways as Beale and carried them all so convincingly. If you die after a performance like that, you have to win an Oscar!
What a shame, amazing actor! I finally rented Network the other day and watched it 3 times in a row, great movie! Peter was phenomenal!! Just found all this out now that he passed away after the movie came out by reading up on him! Crazy!
Today, people don't realize this, but in 1977 the Academy was, in no small part, racist. Don't believe the story put out that the Academy didn't want a "weeping widow" to spoil the fun at the Oscars. If Peter Finch's widow were white, the Academy would certainly have called Eletha Finch to accept the Oscar on her husband's behalf. But, as you can see here, Eletha was black and THAT was the primary factor in the Academy's decision to have Paddy Chayefsky accept the award should Peter win. Yes, racism. That was the way things were back then. So, Paddy Chayefsky was certainly a class act to invite her onstage. Unfortunately, today in Hollywood, there's nobody who comes close to his stature as a writer and as a decent human being. But today. the Academy is quite proud that this clip exists, and can boast of this presentation featuring Finch's black wife, but that night, behind the scenes, there were many in the Academy who were angry with Chayefsky's decision to invite Eletha to speak.
Robert Fucking De Niro deserved not just this oscar, but next 10 oscars for best male actor for portraying Travis Bickle, maybe the greatest and iconic male performance of al time. Fuck Oscars.
