Johnny Carson hosted the Academy Awards in 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, and again in 1984.  In his first appearance he quipped, “Welcome to the 51st Academy Awards, two hours of sparkling entertainment spread over a four-hour show.”

While the telecast might seem to go on for hours and hours, the awards ceremony did not go over four hours until March 1999 when Whoopi Goldberg hosted. At two minutes after the four-hour mark, Shakespeare in Love took Best Picture.  The following year when Billy Crystal was host and American Beauty won, the show went 4 hours 4 minutes.

Ever since, the telecast has been under four hours, except in March 2002 when, again, Whoopi Goldberg hosted. Lasting 4 hours 23 minutes, the evening finally ended when A Beautiful Mind took Best Picture.

How will Ellen DeGeneres do?  She received a Primetime Emmy nomination for “Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program” when she hosted the 79^th Academy Awards in 2007.  In case you’re wondering, the show went 3 hours 51 minutes and The Departed won.

As for her appearance this year, she says, “I am so excited to be hosting the Oscars for the second time. You know what they say — the third time’s the charm.”

They also say, “It’s been a hard day’s night, I should be sleeping like a log…”

© 2014 Susan Marg – All Rights Reserved