Final Cut

March 29, 1989

Last hostless Oscars hit a Lowe point

If people remember anything about the Oscars on March 29, 1989, it’s the Rob Lowe-snow White duet; their “Proud Mary” has taken on mythic proportions. But to viewers at the time, it was hardly the low point. Variety reviewer Tony Scott wrote of the show: “The tech credits were dismal. The script needed considerable tightening and refinement. Most humor was flat or pointless.” Filmmaker Joseph L. Mankiewicz griped to Variety that the show was “amateur night.” He was one of 17 individuals who wrote to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences urging AMPAS president Richard Kahn and the board to ensure it didn’t happen again. Among the signatories: Julie Andrews, William Friedkin, Sidney Lumet, Paul Newman, Gregory Peck and Billy Wilder. One week earlier, Variety reported that Oscarcast producer Allan Carr had vowed at the nominees luncheon, “i promise, it’s not going to be boring.” It was the last time the show did not have a host — until 2019.