TravelWorld International Magazine, Winter 2021 - The Magic of the Holidays

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Oscar winners through the decades receive
their awards and give their
acceptance speeches
on a dedicated,
multi-screen
gallery.
Twenty
historic
Academy
Awards
Oscars
are are
on display
in glass
cases
in the
cylindric,
iconic
Gold
Room.
The Museum
Gift Store -
the place
to take
home movie
memories,
posters,
film books,
film logos,
clothing and
memorabilia
Stories of Cinema
core exhibit
begins in the
Sidney Poitier
Grand Lobby.
On multi-levels
are the stories of
moviemakers and
their works.
The last model of the shark
“Bruce” from Jaws 1975, is
now suspended above the
escalator between the levels
of the Academy Museum
ntering the Grand Lobby,
which is named for film
legend Sir Sidney Poitier,
I felt transformed and
required a moment to
marvel at the ingenious
modern design and massive
10,000-square-foot space with 24-
foot ceilings. Located at this level is
Fanny’s Restaurant & Cafe, named for
famed vaudeville, theater and radio
star Fanny Brice with support of her
granddaughter Wendy Stark. We are
reminded that Barbra Streisand won
an Oscar for her portrayal of Fanny
Brice in Funny Girl (1968). Service
for dining and cocktails is also at
this level. And additionally, the new
Museum Gift Store is a great place
to collect cinema treasures, books,
posters, logo clothing and so much
more. The impressive “Founding
Supporters Wall” also embellishes
this level and if you look closely you
can see my name. The “Stories of
Cinema” exhibit begins here too, with
hundreds of reel tidbits on multiple
screens.
Moving upward to Level Two via
the escalator, one instantly recalls
“Bruce,” the shark from Jaws (1975).
This fiberglass model, the last one
from the original four models,
weights 1,208 and is 25-foot-long,
and looms over visitors ascending
and descending. In the “Stories of
Cinema” area Oscars are a fascination
and a room is devoted to Oscar
winners through the years, showing
their acceptance speeches on multiple
screens. In the “Gold Room” there
is a circular display of the coveted
statuettes, each in a glass case,
donated by the many recipients such
as Clark Gable and Barry Jenkins. If
you can’t get enough of the Oscars
here, go for “The Oscar Experience,”
(a separate ticket required), where
you can get star treatment on stage
while receiving an Oscar in front of a
simulated cheering audience.
ere are a few more of the
exceptional exhibits that
can be enjoyed:
“The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Gallery,” behind the scenes.
This display includes the cast on the Yellow
Brick Road, Judy Garland’s costumes, those
dazzling Ruby Red Shoes – (the ones she
wore to click her heels) with 2,300 sequins,
designed by MGM’s own Adrian, plus
sketches and other items from the film.
Director Spike Lee has a personal gallery
immortalizing his career with film posters,
hand written scripts and speeches (he
does not type), inspirations of musicians
and athletes, eccentric outfits and more.
Lee’s Oscars include Best Screenplay for
BlackKkKlansman (2018) and Honorary
Oscar (2016).
Spanish Academy Award-winning director
Pedro Almodovar’s special exhibit is devoted
to his acclaimed body of work.
“Backdrop: An Invisible Art” displays the
monumental matte painted backdrop of
Mount Rushmore which dominates the
room. Created for Alfred Hitchcock’s “North
By Northwest” (1959), it is a realistic vision
augmented by photos showing how it was
used in the film.
The Path to Cinema, on Level Three,
appeals to history buffs with inventions that
contributed to film visuals from shadow
boxes, to peep shows and magic lanterns.
Level Four is the inaugural exhibit of Japanese
Oscar-winning director/animator Hayao
Miyazaki, beloved for his many decades of
big-eyed children, whimsical creatures and
animated cells. Enter via a magical tree tunnel
to view his sketches and storyboards up close
with movie clips on the walls in a recreation
of his Ghibli Studio in Japan. There are 400
pieces of his collections in this special exhibit.
Also on this level Pixar Toy Story giant
Zoetrope features characters from “Toy Story”
(1995), placing them on a giant turning table
bringing them to life.
You can look at everything from behind the
scenes for the Wizard of Oz of 1939.
“Director’s Inspiration” is Academy Award winner Spike Lee’s
collection of works from posters, scripts and music, with his personal
items, to themes and collaborators.
A retrospective and inaugural exhibit of Japan’s Hayao
Miyazaki,acclaimed Academy Award-winning director
and imaginative animator, is on Level 4.
The most pristine set
of Ruby Red slippers
(worn by Judy Garland
for close ups in The
Wizard of Oz of 1939)
were designed by
MGM designer Adrian.
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