Announcement: 31 Days of Oscar Blogathon 2019

From the time Douglas Fairbanks, then President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, hosted the first Awards dinner party for about 250 people on May 16, 1929, to this year’s host-free Oscars ceremony ninety years later, this iconic celebration honoring Hollywood’s finest continues to be just as spectacular and riddled with excellence and contentions as the films and filmmakers they honor.

If you take a look back at the many Oscar moments in these past 90 years of Oscars ceremonies, you’ll find numerous surprises, disappointments and controversies, which continue to spark debate to this day. That’s where we come in. For the seventh consecutive year, I am joining forces with Aurora of Once Upon A Screen aka @CitizenScreen and Paula of Paula’s Cinema Club aka @Paula_Guthat to bring you the 31 Days of Oscar Blogathon. We hope you’ll consider joining us to make this the best and brightest Oscar blogging event yet.

Not surprising, this blogging event is inspired by Turner Classic Movies’ 31 Days of Oscar marathon, which begins its 24th installment on February 1 and ends March 3rd. This year the network presents the film schedule in a mixed topics potpourri surrounding the historic film industry. Topics range from “Grittiest Streets of New York” to “Favorite Singing Cowboys” to “Favorite Epic Soap Opera.” As the Oscars themselves, there’s something for everyone. See the full schedule here: http://prod-images.tcm.com/Microsites/31Days/31Days2019-Schedule.pdf

Since both TCM and the Oscars bring to mind our beloved host and favorite historian, Robert Osborne, we thought we would kick off our Blogathon with his words about the 31 Days of Oscar marathon…

“One thing seems to stir the souls of our Turner Classic Movie loyalists like no other: the 31 Days of Oscar salute.” 

Blogathon Details

This year, we will host all the contributing entries the weekend of the Oscars. That is from Friday, February 22nd through Sunday, February 24th, wrapping up just in the nick of time to watch the Oscars ceremony. We’re also combining all topics this year and simply presenting them over the three days. Any Oscar-related topic is fair game. We are not limiting this event to classic film fare as we’d like to see entries covering the entire span of 9 decades history of Oscar, including this year’s nominees. To help get you motivated, here are categories we have used in the past…

• The Actors
• The Directors
• The Motion Pictures
• Oscar Snubs
• The Crafts (music, costumes, etc.)
• New Idea – Oscar Controversies

Most of you know the drill, but as a reminder, adhering to the following is necessary:

• Let us know what your desired topic is by leaving a comment on any of the host blogs
• Include the title and link to your blog in the comments area
• Advise if you have a date preference – Friday 2/22, Saturday 2/23 or Sunday 2/24
• Include the event banner on your blog and in the entry post to help us promote the event

Restrictions – just two:

• Please do not submit previously published posts
• No duplicates will be accepted to ensure we cover as much of Oscar history as possible

We look forward to hearing from you and to reading your entries. As many entries as you want, actually, so get to it!

Until then here’s to Oscar, to TCM and to YOU! Happy Blogging!

Participating Blogs and Topics:

Caftan Woman… Irving Berlin at the Oscars

Once Upon A Screen… Interview with Kimberly Truhler- Fashion and Oscar

The Stop Button… Eleanor Parker: Oscar Nominee

Movie Night’s Group… Peter O’Toole in My Favorite Year

The Old Hollywood Garden… Best Supporting Actress of 1952 (1953 Oscars ceremony)

Outspoken & Freckled… Bizarre and Beautiful at the Biltmore: the 7th Academy Awards