Ah, The Oscar…what can one say about this film? It’s incredibly tawdry and garish and, truly quite comedic. Sadly, however, it was meant to be a very serious drama. Well, what can you do?
The film concerns the career of a conman/actor named Frankie Fane who is really just a louse. He begins his career “managing” a well-meaning stripper with the assistance of his overly-loyal friend and lackey, Hymie Kelly. Somehow, through his boorish behavior, Frankie manages to become a rather celebrated film star. Of course, he becomes increasingly difficult to deal with. Eventually, when his career is hitting a stalling point, he ends up being nominated for an Oscar. In order to sway the votes of the Academy, Frankie purposefully exposes a scandal from his past and makes it look as if the scandal was revealed by one of the other nominees. Will his little scheme work? Well, I’ll give you one guess.
The Oscar stars Stephen Boyd as the unctuous and positively bipolar Frankie. In his first film role, Tony Bennett plays Hymie Kelly and delivers the finest, and most impressive use of the word, “whore,” in 1960’s cinema. Elke Sommer plays Frankie’s love-interest. She’s a peculiar character, and Elke’s uneven performance makes what should be a tragic plot twist seem almost funny.
So, why watch this ostensibly awful picture? Because it IS unintentionally humorous. Even though it was peppered with notable guest stars, it was still “box office poison.” However, today, it holds the title of one of those “Awful films that we love.” And, it truly is loveable…and awful.
The Oscar [VHS]
The film concerns the career of a conman/actor named Frankie Fane who is really just a louse. He begins his career “managing” a well-meaning stripper with the assistance of his overly-loyal friend and lackey, Hymie Kelly. Somehow, through his boorish behavior, Frankie manages to become a rather celebrated film star. Of course, he becomes increasingly difficult to deal with. Eventually, when his career is hitting a stalling point, he ends up being nominated for an Oscar. In order to sway the votes of the Academy, Frankie purposefully exposes a scandal from his past and makes it look as if the scandal was revealed by one of the other nominees. Will his little scheme work? Well, I’ll give you one guess.
The Oscar [VHS]
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