The Oscars’ “In Memoriam” has sadly become a running joke for its consistent and blatant omissions. The Academy should just hire someone who keeps track of all the significant industry passings throughout the year.
The most obvious omission from last night’s ceremony has got to be Alain Delon, who passed last August, and was a cultural icon in Europe, on the same level as Robert Redford, James Dean, Marlon Brando, Paul Newman, etc.
For some reason, Delon was left out. How does that happen exactly? Delon instantly became legendary for his streak of ‘60s films, especially “Rocco and His Brothers,” “L’Eclisse,” “The Leopard,” “La Piscine,” “Le Cercle Rouge,” and, of course, “Le Samouraï”. What a run.
Unlike HE’s Jeffrey Wells, I don’t believe Delon’s absence had to do with his right-wing politics. This was just sheer incompetence on the part of the Academy. Some of the other departed names they forgot to mention included Jim Abrams, Tony Todd, Shannen Doherty, Michelle Trachtenberg, George Armitage Morgan Spurlock, Olivia Hussey and Tony Roberts.