Oscars In Memoriam: A Look at the Segment’s History of ‘Glory and Grief’ in Its 30th Year

The telecast’s emotional high point is “also guaranteed to infuriate part of the audience,” former Academy executive director Bruce Davis tells TheWrap

Oscars' In Memoriam montage in 2023 (Getty Images)

Joe McGovern

March 10, 2024 @ 10:00 AM

Happy birthday to you, In Memoriam. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the emotional and beloved – but often derided – Oscar segment that celebrates movie industry names who have left us since the last telecast. The montage is so popular that, since 1994, it has been adopted by practically every other awards show in the business.

At those 66th Academy Awards, on March 21, 1994, “Schindler’s List” won Best Picture. The two-minute In Memoriam montage was set to the music of “Terms of Endearment” and presented by Glenn Close, who had been onstage earlier that evening to give an Honorary Oscar to Deborah Kerr.

One response to “Oscars In Memoriam: A Look at the Segment’s History of ‘Glory and Grief’ in Its 30th Year”

Evelyn Mahre

March 10, 2024

I thought the Inmemoriam section was a three ring circus. It was difficult to listen to two singers, the ballerinas running around and read the and see who was being honored.

A simple reading of the names and the pictures of the deceased would have been much classier and more effective. Please consider the many learning styles of your viewers and consider that simpler may be better.

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One response to “Oscars In Memoriam: A Look at the Segment’s History of ‘Glory and Grief’ in Its 30th Year”

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