I went into the archives at the Daily Mirror HQ for a special Academy Awards edition of mystery photos, figuring the Brain Trust would have fun guessing the venue, the year and possibly the mystery person on stage.
[Update: I think nearly everyone identified this as the Music Center at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Dewey Webb got the year – but nobody has identified our mystery guest.]
[Update 2: Please congratulate Dewey Webb and Mary Mallory for identifying our mystery fellow.]
Our mystery guest is Academy President Karl Malden at the Music Center of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.
Hosted by … yes, this is Billy Crystal as we remember him. Younger and funnier.
And this Academy Award winner would be?
[This mystery winner was identified by Dewey Webb, Mary Mallory and Karen.]
And this mystery winner would be?
[Update: Our mystery fellows Franco Cristaldi and Guiseppi Tornatore were identified by Karen and Dewey Webb. Congratulations!]
Here’s another Academy Awards mystery photo.
Want a hint? OK.
And our mystery venue is?
[Update: Please congratulate Mary Mallory and Greg Clancey for identifying the venue and Dewey Webb for identifying the year.]
This is Academy President Robert Wise at Shrine Auditorium.
And who can ever forget this Academy Awards? Thank goodness for VHS.
This is the 61st Academy Awards.
Thanks goodness for VHS.
It’s Merv! And he’s singing!
This really happened. This really, really happened. And they’re singing “Proud Mary.” “Cameras keep on rollin’.”
OMG. The tables are dancing.
And this….
It’s Lily Tomlin!
ladailymirror.com 
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.
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Dorothy Chandler Pavillion
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ceremony held in 1990 (for 1989 films)
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Johnny Carson at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.
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Looks like the time they invited Charlie Chaplin back.
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Johnny Carson at the Music Center. Which one? I’m working on it.
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Oops, I meant “at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.”
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Ted Cassidy was dead by then so I’ll go with Kevin Kline or Gregory Peck
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Jack Valente, Industry spokesperson who ushered in the Rating System to replace the crumbling code.
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Well, it looks like the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and Chaplin was feted there back in 1972, but would you publish Gary’s answer if it was right? .
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Jack Valente? Very possible, and we all know that it’s the Dorothy Chandler Pavillion at the Music Center, so it has to be pre-1999: if I’m not mistaken, that was the last year the Academy Awards ceremony was held at that venue.
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Okay, Billy Crystal (Light-colored hair through me.)
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The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Who and Where are a mystery at this point.
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Oops. I meant Who and When.
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Arturo Toscanini ?
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Johnny Carson?
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It looks like Rober Loggia, who was nominated in 1985 for “The Jagged Edge.” The 1985 Oscars were held in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.
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Johnny Carson ,Pantages
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Akira Kurosawa (final answer!)
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@Dewey: Interesting guess, but I’m afraid not. 🙂 All will be revealed in the fullness of time.
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Howard Koch
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Dorothy Chandler Pavilion – 1996 – Kirk Douglas
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Pantages Theatre 1959 Honorary Oscar to Maurice Chevalier. Of course I’m just guessing.
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David Niven?
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Dorothy Chandler Pavillion
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Alan Menken
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clint eastwood 1994 receiving the thalberg award
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Alan Menken for LITTLE MERMAID.
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KARL MALDEN!!!
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Dorothy Chandler Pavillion. 62nd Awards. Telecast in 1990. Best Original Score Oscar presented to Alan Menken for “The Little Mermaid”. Still working on the man we only see from behind.
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Jack Albertson, Best supporting actor, 1969. at the Chandler Pavillion. Still just guessing, altho I suspected Alberston all along.
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Is it Karl Malden yesterday?
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Waldo Salt?
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It’s Franco Cristaldi, producer of “Cinema Paradiso,” which won Best Foreign Language film in our 62nd Academy Awards along with a very young Giuseppe Tornatore, the film’s director.
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henry fonda
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Franco Cristaldi and Guiseppi Tornatore
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Are the Oscars from the bad production number when Allan Carr produced it? And the venue is The Shrine.
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Shrine Auditorium
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60th Annual Oscars, presented in 1988
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Shrine Auditorium.
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Cary Grant 1970
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Where’s Rob Lowe to sing to her>?
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Life-like Oscars with swords — 60th Academy Awards telecast in 1988 from the Shrine Civic Auditorium. Guessing it’s famed academy award winning director Robert Wise we see from behind at the podium, who was President of the Academy that year.
Snow White — 61st Academy Awards.
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Although it was condemned as one of the worst Academy Awards openings ever, I loved it! I don’t recall the year, but I do remember Rob Lowe serenading Snow White before she rose high in the air atop her ever-growing skirt, out of which stepped Lily Tomlin who quipped, “I told them I wouldn’t do the Oscars unless I had a really great entrance.”
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Eileen Bowman (filling in for first-choice Lorna Luft, who wisely declined)
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Shacheen Littlefeather wearing a different outfit?
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