It was not the most controversial thing that happened at the 94th Oscars, but as usual, the In Memoriam segment had its fair share of detractors.
First, there seems to be a cultural divide over whether a joyful performance is appropriate for a funereal occasion; it isn't my go-to, but I appreciated it for what it was and understood immediately the concept (Jill Scott's closing remarks brought that home when she encouraged the audience to give the dead uproarious applause) when the Samples Choir took to the stage.
My complaint about the performance is only that the focus was pulled from the actual montage to the living performers, which seemed to defeat the purpose, but I loved that they chose several stars — Sidney Poitier, Ivan Reitman and Betty White — to receive spotlight treatment, punctuated throughout.
Now, as for the montage itself ... we have some problems. At least it wasn't as bad as in 2017, when the very much ALIVE (to this day) Jan Chapman was pictured!
As always, there were omissions. This year was particularly bad because while last year hurried us through 95 names (and still screwed over a few biggies), this year, just 55 names were honored. They were, in order:
Alan Ladd Jr.
Betty White
Bill Taylor
Brad Allan
Brian Goldner
Buddy Van Horn
Carmen Salinas
Charles Grodin
Chris Huvane
Clarence Williams III
David Brenner
David H. DePatie
Dean Stockwell
Diane Weyerman
Don Phillips
Dorothy Steel
Douglas Trumbull
Emi Wada
Felipe Cazals
Halyna Hutchins
Irwin W. Young
Ivan Reitman
Jane Powell
Jean-Marc Vallée
Jean-Paul Belmondo
Jerome Hellman
Jon Gregory
Leslie Bricusse
Lewis Erskine
Lina Wertmuller
Mace Neufeld
Marcia Nasatir
Marilyn Bergman
Martha De Laurentiis
Max Julien
Melvin Van Peebles
Michael K. Williams
Mikis Theodorakis
Ned Beatty
Norman Lloyd
Olympia Dukakis
Paul Mooney
Peter Bogdanovich
Richard Donner
Robert Blalack
Ruthie Tompson
Saginaw Grant
Sally Kellerman
Sidney Poitier
Sonny Chiba
Stephen Sondheim
Steve Schapiro
Tony Walton
William Hurt
Yvette Mimieux
Looking back at my notes, I came up with 100 (!) other names who could just as easily been included. I am not a believe in the "oh, they were more famous for TV" argument if a performer is also important in film, so I am noting their stats — you can decide.
Yes, there is a space online where the Academy mourns many, many names who didn't make the cut here. But for me, the shockers among people who did not make the televised memorial:
Ed Asner, Carleton Carpenter, Nino Castelnuovo, Arlene Dahl, Michael Constantine, Joan Didion, Marilyn Eastman, David Gulpilil, Billie Hayes, Dwayne Hickman, Patricia Hitchcock, Basil Hoffman, Sally Ann Howes, Anthony "A.J." Johnson, Tommy Kirk, Hardy Kruger, Art LaFleur, Jimmy Lydon, Meat Loaf, Vladimir Menshov, Anne Rice, Jeanine Ann Roose, Bob Saget, William Smith, B.J. Thomas, Gaspard Ulliel, Monica Vitti, Cara Williams, Jane Withers and Samuel E. Wright.
There is also a subset of names that surprised me because of their relationships within the Academy: Pilar Bardem, Robert Downey Sr. and Ernie Lively, all parents of big stars, were shunned.
Perhaps some of the others are wishful thinking ...
My alternate 101:
Al Harrington: Primarily TV; 12 films — no mention online
Anne Rice: Iconic author; 4 films from her works, including “Interview with the Vampire” (1994) & “Queen of the Damned” (2002) — no mention online
Anthony “A.J.” Johnson: 20+ films, including “House Party” (1990), “Menace II Society” (1993) & “B*A*P*S” (1997) — no mention online
Antony Sher: 10+ films, including “Mrs. Brown” (1997) & “Shakespeare in Love” (1998) — no mention online
Arlene Dahl: Old Hollywood leading lady, 20+ films, including “Journey to the Center of the Earth” (1959); married to Fernando Lamas & mom of Lorenzo Lamas
Arlene Golonka: Primarily TV; 20+ films
Art LaFleur: 20+ films, including “Field of Dreams” (1989) & “The Sandlot” (1993) — no mention online
Art Metrano: 20+ films, including “Police Academy 2 & 3” (1985 & 1986)
Basil Hoffman: Dozens of films, including “All the President’s Men” (1976), “Ordinary People” (1980), “My Favorite Year” (1982) & “The Artist” (2011)
Betty Lynn: Primary TV; 15+ films
Billie Hayes: Primarily TV; films included “L’il Abner” (1959), “Pufnstuf” (1970) & “The Black Cauldron” (1985) — no mention online
Billy Watson: One of the last remaining actors of the Silent Era
B.J. Thomas: Sang Oscar-winning “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head” (1969)
Blackie Dammett: 15 films; father of Anthony Kiedis
Bob Saget: Primarily TV; 10 films, including “Half Baked” (1998), “Madagascar” (2005) & “The Aristocrats” (2005); Student Academy Award winner for “Through Adam’s Eyes” (1977)
Cara Williams: 20+ films, Best Supporting Actress nominee for “The Defiant Ones” (1958)
Carleton Carpenter: 15 films, including singing “Aba Daba Honeymoon” in “Two Weeks with Love” (1950)
Carol Speed: Blaxploitation star of 9 films
Charles Robinson: Primarily TV; 20+ films
Chick Vennera: 15+ films; including “Thank God It’s Friday” (1978) & “The Milagro Beanfield War” (1988)
Chuck Hicks: Dozens of films, including “Dirty Harry” (1971) & “Dick Tracy” (1990), and stunt coordinator on “Cool Hand Luke” (1967)
Conrad Janis: Primarily TV; 15+ films, including “Airport 1975” (1974)
Cynthia Harris: Primarily TV; 10+ films, including “Three Men and a Baby” (1987)
David Gulpilil: Australian film icon known for “Crocodile Dundee” (1986) & “Rabbit-Proof Fence” (2002)
Dwayne Hickman: 25+ films, including “The Boy with Green Hair” (1948), “Cat Ballou” (1965) & “How to Stuff a Wild Bikini” (1965)
Ed Asner: Primarily TV; 20+ films, including “JFK” (1991), “Elf” (2003) & “Up” (2009); former SAG president
Eddie Mekka: 15 films, including “A League of Their Own” (1992) & “Dreamgirls” (2006) — no mention online
Ernie Lively: 30+ films, including “Passenger 57” (1992), father of Blake Lively — no mention online
Farrah Forke: Primarily TV; 7 films, including “Disclosure” (1994) & “Heat” (1995) — no mention online
Frank Bonner: Primarily TV; 12+ films — no mention online
Frank McRae: films, including “48 Hrs.” (1982) & “Last Action Hero” (1993) — no mention online
Gaspard Ulliel: 25+ films, including “Hannibal Rising” (2007)
Gavin MacLeod: 20 films, including “I Want to Live!” (1958) & “Compulsion” (1959)
George Butler: Director of “Pumping Iron” (1977)
Hardy Kruger: 50+ films, including “Hatari!” (1962) & “A Bridge Too Far” (1977)
Howard Hesseman: 30+ films, including “Shampoo” (1975) & “Silent Movie” (1976)
Jack Couffer: Oscar-nominated cinematographer for “Jonathan Livingston Seagull” (1974)
Jackie Mason: 9 films — no mention online
Jacques D’Amboise: Dancer, 5 films; including “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” (1954)
James Bidgood: Famed for just 1 film, "Pink Narcissus" (1971)
Jane Withers: Iconic child star of the ‘30s; 50 films, including “Bright Eyes” (1934) & “Giant” (1956)
Jean Hale: Handful of films, including “In Like Flint” (1967) — no mention online
Jeanine Ann Roose: Appeared in “It’s a Wonderful Life” (1946)
Jimmy Lydon: 30+ films, including “Henry Aldrich” series (1941-1944) & “Cynthia” (1947)
Joan Copeland: 12+ films
Joan Didion: Iconic author; films from her work/screenplays including “The Panic in Needle Park” (1971), “Play It as It Lays” (1972) & “A Star Is Born” (1976)
JoAnna Cameron: 4 films — no mention online
Joanne Linville: 6 films, including ”A Star Is Born” (1976)
John Ashton Thomas: Composer, arranger, conductor who contributed to the Oscar-winning score of “Black Panther” (2018) — no mention online
John Cornell: “Crocodile Dundee” (1986) producer/writer
John Gabriel: 15+ films, including “South Pacific” (1958) & “It’s My Turn” (1980)
Johnny Brown: 10 films, including “The Wiz” (1978)
Johnny Crawford: 12+ films
Kaycee Moore: 5 films, including “Killer of Sheep” (1978)
Larry Gelman: 20+ films, including “Funny Girl” (1968)
Lawrence Dane: Dozens of films, including “Deliverance” (1972) — no mention online
Lisa Banes: 12+ films, including “Cocktail” (1988) & “Gone Girl” (2014)
Lou Cutell: 20+ films, including “Little Big Man” (1970), “Young Frankenstein” (1974) & “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” (1989)
Louie Anderson: 10+ movies, including “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” (1985) & “Coming to America” (1988)
Luisa Harris: Subject of Oscar-winning doc “The Queen of Basketball” (2021) — no mention online
Marcell Jankovics: Graphic artist, director & animator Oscar-nominated for the 1974 short “Sisyphus”
Marilyn Eastman: Star of “Night of the Living Dead” (1968) — no mention online
Markie Post: 5 films, including “There’s Something About Mary” (1998) — no mention online
Meat Loaf: 20+ films, including “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” (1975) & “Fight Club” (1999)
Menelik Shabazz: Black independent film director, including of “Burning an Illusion” (1981) — no mention online
Michael Constantine: 15+ films, including “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 1 & 2” (2002 & 2016)
Michael Nader: 15 films, including “How to Stuff a Wild Bikini” (1965) — no mention online
Michael Nesmith: Member of the Monkees who appeared in “Head” (1968) & produced “Repo Man” (1985)
Mitchell Ryan: 15+ films, including “Lethal Weapon” (1987)
Monica Vitti: Italian film icon, star of 50+ films, including “L’Avventura” (1960)
Mort Sahl: 7 films
Nicholas Georgiade: 10+ films — no mention online
Nino Castelnuovo: Dozens of films, including “The Umbrellas of Cherbourg” (1964)
Norm Macdonald: 12+ films, including “Billy Madison” (1995)
Patricia Hitchcock: 6 films, including her father Alfred Hitchcock’s “Strangers on a Train” (1951) & “Psycho” (1960)
Peter Bowles: 20+ films, including “The Bank Job” (2008) — no mention online
Peter Scolari: 15+ films, including “That Thing You Do!” (1996) & “The Polar Express” (2004)
Pilar Bardem: Spanish film star, mother of 2022 nominee Javier Bardem
Robert Downey Sr.: Filmmaker known for “Putney Swope” (1969), father of Robert Downey Jr.
Sally Ann Howes: Primarily stage; films included “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” (1968)
Samuel E. Wright: The voice of Sebastian in “The Little Mermaid” (1989), in which he sang Oscar-winning song “Under the Sea”
Scoey Mitchell: 1 film = “Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling” (1986) — no mention online (died extremely close to broadcast)
Sergey Solovyov: Russian film director known for “One Hundred Days After Childhood” (1975) — no mention online
Sharyn Moffett: Child star in 10+ films, including “Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House” (1948)
Stuart Damon: 5 films, including “Star 80” (1983) — no mention online
Suzzanne Douglas: 10+ films, including “The Inkwell” (1994)
Tawny Kitaen: 12+ films
Tim Considine: 8 films, including “Patton” (1970)
Tommy Kirk: Iconic Disney actor; 10+ films, including “Old Yeller” (1957), “The Shaggy Dog” (1959) & “Swiss Family Robinson” (1960)
Val Bisoglio: 10+ films, including “Saturday Night Fever” (1977)
Veronica Carlson: Hammer horror actress known for work with Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing & David Prowse
Verónica Forqué: Spanish actress known for her films with Pedro Almodovar — no mention online
Vladimir Menshov: Soviet and Russian director who won the Oscar for “Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears” (1979) — no mention online
Wakefield Poole: Director of groundbreaking gay-porn film “Boys in the Sand” (1971) — no mention online
Will Ryan: Musician & voice actor, including in “The Land Before Time” (1988)
William Lucking: 20+ films, including “Red Dragon” (2002) — no mention online
William Smith: Dozens of films, including “Meet Me in St. Louis” (1944) & “Any Which Way You Can” (1980)
Willie Garson: Dozens of films, including “Troop Beverly Hills” (1989) & “Soapdish” (1991)
Yvonne Wilder: 10 films, including “West Side Story” (1961)
Chor Yuen: Prolific Chinese director — no mention online
