Who designed the Oscar statuette?

Hollywood's most-coveted leading man was designed by MGM's chief art director, Cedric Gibbons in 1928. It depicts a knight holding a crusader's sword, standing on a reel of film. The reel's five spokes symbolize the Academy's original branches: actors, writers, directors, producers, and technicians. Each Oscar checks in at a statuesque 13 1/2 inches, weighs 8 1/2 pounds, and is made of bronze that has been plated with 24-karat gold.

Over the years, Oscar has received several "facelifts." Juvenile actors like Shirley Temple and Hayley Mills received mini replicas, and Walt Disney was honored with a full-sized statue and seven dwarf-sized ones. During WWII, the award was made of plaster. The Oscar we know and love today hasn't changed since the 1940s, when the base was enlarged and changed to metal (it was originally marble) and the Academy started numbering each golden boy.

Q. What's the Oscar Made of and Where Did the Name Oscar Come From?

A.
The official word from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is that the current Oscar statuette is made of gold-plated britannium, a metal alloy, and stands 13 1/2" tall and weighs 8 1/2 pounds. The base of the statuette is metal.
Oscar's official name is the Academy Award of Merit. Though the actual story of how the Academy Award of Merit came to be known as the Oscar is unclear, the most popular story has been that Academy librarian - and eventual executive director - Margaret Herrick believed it looked a lot like her Uncle Oscar. After she made that observation, the Academy staff began calling the award 'Oscar.' The Academy didn't officially use the nickname until 1939.

The first Academy Award of Merit was awarded on May 16, 1929. The Oscar statuette was designed by MGM art director Cedric Gibbons and sculpted by George Stanley.





The 2005 The 77th Annual Academy Awards ABC TV 7


The figure of a knight standing on a reel of film, hands gripping a sword, hasn't changed since its initial design, other than a small increase in the size of the base.
SOURCE: The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences