Honorary Oscars gleam at new venue

When Academy Awards planners announced the best picture nominee list would increase to 10 finalists, the response included doubts about an already long telecast getting longer.

Saturday night in L.A., Oscar planners made an unprecedented move to avoid that happening.

Rather than doing it onstage, the academy presented its four honorary Oscars — always a time drag, no matter who gets them — at a swanky banquet nearly four months before the actual show. This is the first time that has happened in 82 years. That's a lot of film clips and speechifying that won't clutter the telecast.

Winners included screen legend Lauren Bacall, the original filmmaking maverick Roger Corman, cinematographer Gordon Willis (The Godfather Trilogy, Annie Hall) and producer John Calley (The Da Vinci Code, Catch-22, The Remains of the Day).

Each of the recipients was chosen by the academy's board of governors.

Tom Hanks, Jack Nicholson, Annette Bening, Morgan Freeman and Steven Spielberg were among the 600 invited guests at the inaugural Governors Awards event.

"We're gathered here together, all artists, celebrating excellence without any television cameras — isn't it great?" said veteran producer Norman Jewison.

Guests drank champagne and dined on filet mignon as each honoree was celebrated with tributes, toasts and a generous montage of film clips.

Bacall said she did not expect to receive an Oscar but gratefully welcomed the honor. Ever feisty, the 85-year-old actor shooed away an escort who tried to help her to the podium to accept her Oscar.

"The thought when I get home that I'm going to have a two-legged man in my room is so exciting," she quipped.

Though not televised, the Governors Awards were taped and portions will be shown during the 82nd annual Academy Awards on March 7.

This report contains material from the Associated Press.