This item is a collection of letters to the editor published in the Los Angeles Times reacting to Brando’s refusal of the Oscar and Littlefeather’s statement. The letters are authored by Robert S. Birchard, Thomas L. Gillette, Mrs. John E. Grauman, and Suzanne Lego. The statements written by Birchard and Grauman express distaste for Brando's unwillingness to give his statement in person, instead sending "a woman to do a man's job," as well as his use of the Oscars as a political platform. On the other side of the debate, Gillette compares the audience's "puny response" to the "greatness" of Brando, and Lego calls out the "small-mindedness and bigotry in America" displayed by presenters Raquel Welch and Clint Eastwood in their responses to Brando and Littlefeather.
Raquel Welch and Gene Hackman present Liza Minnelli with the Academy Award for Best Actress for her work in Cabaret. In their introduction, Welch makes reference to Littlefeather's speech, which had just taken place. The transcript of the video is included below:
RW: To all of us, the ladies we have just seen are unforgettable players. To me, they are more than that: they are friends.
GH: At the risk of increasing the suspense for our friends, I'd like to take a moment just to say something. The conventional wisdom is that you're born with talent. Maybe that's so, but talent is unusable and wasted without work, dedication, and a deep feeling for others. The truly talented ladies nominated for best performance by an actress are:
RW: Liza Minnelli in Cabaret.
GH: Diana Ross in Lady Sings the Blues.
RW: Maggie Smith in Travels With My Aunt.
GH: Cicely Tyson in Sounder.
RW: Liv Ullmann in The Emigrants.
GH: And the winner is.
RW: Hope they haven't got a cause.
GH: Liza Minnelli.
LM: Thank you. Thank you very much. Making the film of "Cabaret" was one of the happiest times of my whole life and I would like to thank everybody connected with it but most especially the artistic staff: Mr. Fosse, and Fred Ebb and John Kander. And thank you for giving me this award. You've made me very happy.
