September 17, 2002
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Dawn Newell (310) 247-3000
                 dnewell@oscars.org

Academy's Diamond Anniversary Screening Series to Feature "Hamlet"

	The 1948 Academy Award®-winning film "Hamlet" starred Laurence Olivier and Jean Simmons. Olivier won the Lead Actor Oscar® for playing the title role in the film while Simmons received a nomination in the Best Supporting Actress category for her portrayal of Ophelia. "Hamlet" was the 21st film to win the Oscar® for Best Picture.

Beverly Hills, CA - Laurence Olivier's "Hamlet," the first film produced outside the United States to capture an Academy Award^® for Best Picture, will screen on Monday, September 23, at 7:30 p.m. at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Samuel Goldwyn Theater as part of the Academy's 75th anniversary screening series, "Facets of the Diamond: 75 Years of Best Picture Winners." The 1948 release also generated a Best Actor award for Olivier, who was the only artist in Academy history to direct himself to an Oscar^® for acting in a film that won Best Picture.

A Hearst Movietone reel from the same year featuring Burt Lancaster, Esther Williams, Buster Keaton and other stars performing with the circus for charity will also be part of the evening's program, as will "The Little Orphan," which won the Oscar for Cartoon Short Subject of 1948. The Best Song of 1948, "Buttons and Bows" performed by Bob Hope in the film "The Paleface," will provide the evening's curtain music.

Tickets may be purchased, pending availability, at a cost of $5 each for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with a valid I.D. Tickets may be purchased in person at the Academy during regular business hours or by mail. The Academy is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. For more information, call 310-247-3000, ext. 111.

Editors: Please note that downloadable photos from this film are available at http://photos.oscars.org