The Academy Awards is undoubtedly one of the most prestigious and anticipated events in the entertainment worldas it celebrates cinema and the people who make it all possible. Also known asthe Oscars,this awarding body originated back in 1929 and has since giventhousands of its iconic statuettesto dedicated and trailblazing artists in the field. Of course,during that time, the Oscars created a lot of firsts — such as awarding the first-ever Oscar winner, a title which went to Emil Jannings. But who exactly was Jannings and why did his win spark controversy and divisive opinions from the public?
Emil Jannings Boasted a Vast Filmography
Emil Jannings was a Swiss-German actor born in Switzerland in 1884. Ever since he was young, he had known he wanted to be in front of a camera and on a stage. He made this happen by working in many theater companies across Germany, even working under acclaimed directorMax Reinhardtfor some time. Jannings then went on to venture into movies, starring in numerous projects during his prime,though perhaps his most notable works wereduring the silent film era,such asMadame DuBarry(1919),The Last Laugh(1924), andFaust(1926), to name a few. These films boosted his career, even creating a name for himself across the globe, back in Hollywood.
Apart from the aforementioned films, there are two in particular that Jannings was especially celebrated for, namely,The Way of All Flesh(1927) andThe Last Command(1928).These films were the ones that the Academy Awards took notice of, eventually leading to Jannings’ nomination.During that era, the awarding body used to give out an Oscar to actors for more than one film — and such was the case with Jannings.The first-ever Academy Awardswas held at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in 1929,and seeing that Jannings was the first-ever recipient and winner, this was quite a big deal. However, the actor did not attend the awards show, and the reasoning behind his absence is quite interesting.
Emil Jannings Received His Statuette Before the Official Oscars Event
Jannings’ Oscar win was quite a unique situation, making for an interesting story. For starters,he was technically not supposed to win. Amusingly, as the history goes,he had originally lost to a German Shepherd named Rin Tin Tinwho had been favored amongst voters.But considering it was the very first Oscars ceremony, the awarding body feared losing credibility and decided to ultimately give the award to the runner-up, which in this case was Jannings.
The First Actor To Win an Oscar for a Non-English Language Performance May Surprise You
The Academy Awards have historically not done enough to honor performances outside of the English language.
Even though Jannings made history by being the first-ever Oscar winner,he was not able to attend the official awarding ceremony as he had to return to Germany to continue serving under the growing Nazi regime— something that he was reportedly quite fond of. To compromise, the Academy Awards gave him the prestigious statuette a few months before the real event. He was even pictured next to it. ThoughThe Way of All Fleshis a thing of the past, Jannings’ nomination for this movie andThe Last Commandis proof thatmany people enjoyed his performances.However, his reputation began to crumble when people learned of his Nazi tiesas well as his treatment of a multitude of cast and crew members.
Jannings’ Long and Controversial History Became His Downfall
Throughout his career, Jannings earned quite a reputation.Some fellow actors complained about his rude behavior, such asEvelyn Brett,who he starred with inThe Last Command.According to The Independent, the actress said that he would tell the crew that she was “not his type.” She also stated that Jannings was temperamental, especially on set. ActorPaul Henreidalso shared the same sentiment, explaining in his book that Jannings ordered him to go inside the coffin that his character was supposed to be in for more authenticity. Henreid stayed inside the tomb for some time, but soon learned that Jannings had left him.
While his behavior towards the cast and crew was awful, what sent his career further spiraling was his ties with Nazism.Jannings starred in a couple ofNazi propaganda filmsafter his Oscar win, such asThe Broken Jug(1937). Later on,Wo ist Herr Belling?— which Jannings was set to star in — halted filming when the Allied Powers came to Germany. Because of them, Jannings was subjected to their initiative called denazification.The Oscar-winning actor never went on to work on another project again. However, he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960, years after his death, despite the controversy surrounding his career.
