# An Oscar for the shortest performance **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 31, 2014, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-oscar-for-the-shortest-performance/685003 "2014-03-31T17:32:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2014, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-oscar-for-the-shortest-performance/685003/1 "2014-03-31T17:32:18Z")
Inspired by a few answers to a thread in the Game Room: Manny people ask me and now I wonder: who was the actor who won an Oscar for a role while having the least screentime in that role. It was mentioned that Judi Dench won a Best Supporting Actress award for only 8 minutes of screentime in “Shakespeare in Love.” Does any other actor or actress beat that? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2014, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-oscar-for-the-shortest-performance/685003/2 "2014-03-31T17:39:51Z")
Beatrice Straight won an Oscar for five minutes and forty seconds of work in **Network.** ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2014, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-oscar-for-the-shortest-performance/685003/3 "2014-03-31T18:00:55Z")
I would have to say the Oscar for the shortest performance would have to be that “special” Oscar that Shirley Temple got…She was well under five foot at the time. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-oscar-for-the-shortest-performance/685003/4 "2014-04-01T00:33:49Z")
We’re only counting acting performances in feature films, right? I can picture someone winning an Oscar for composing (and possibly performing) a song that runs for less than five minutes within a film. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-oscar-for-the-shortest-performance/685003/5 "2014-04-01T00:44:08Z")
Well, Bugs Bunny did win an Oscar for **Knight Knight Bugs** which clocks in at 6:48. Once you take off the credits, that’s close to Beatrice Straight. But though it allowed him to be billed as “that Oscar-winning rabbit,” the actual Oscar went to Producer John Burton. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-oscar-for-the-shortest-performance/685003/6 "2014-04-01T01:22:28Z")
I don’t think Beatrice Straight will be beat. However, just for the record, how much screen time did Heath Ledger have in The Dark Knight? Was it 30 minutes even? Never mind. I just found it. It was 33:10, so I was pretty close. Here is the list: 1. Beatrice Straight (Network) - 5:02 2. Judi Dench (Shakespeare in Love) - 5:52 3. Maureen Stapleton (Reds) - 9:15 4. Gloria Grahame (The Bad and the Beautiful) - 9:32 5. Ben Johnson (The Last Picture Show) - 9:54 6. Jason Robards (Julia) - 10:49 7. Jack Palance (City Slickers) - 12:24 8. Jason Robards (All the President’s Men) - 12:58 9. Shirley Jones (Elmer Gantry) - 14:09 10. Alan Arkin (Little Miss Sunshine) - 14:20 ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-oscar-for-the-shortest-performance/685003/7 "2014-04-01T01:29:16Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Well, Bugs Bunny did win an Oscar for **Knight Knight Bugs** Huh, I always pegged that one as fairly lame and formulaic by Warner-toon standards. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-oscar-for-the-shortest-performance/685003/8 "2014-04-01T02:26:59Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I don’t think Beatrice Straight will be beat. > > However, just for the record, how much screen time did Heath Ledger have in The Dark Knight? Was it 30 minutes even? > > Never mind. I just found it. It was 33:10, so I was pretty close. > > Here is the list: > > 1. Beatrice Straight (Network) - 5:02 > 2. Judi Dench (Shakespeare in Love) - 5:52 > 3. Maureen Stapleton (Reds) - 9:15 > 4. Gloria Grahame (The Bad and the Beautiful) - 9:32 > 5. Ben Johnson (The Last Picture Show) - 9:54 > 6. Jason Robards (Julia) - 10:49 > 7. Jack Palance (City Slickers) - 12:24 > 8. Jason Robards (All the President’s Men) - 12:58 > 9. Shirley Jones (Elmer Gantry) - 14:09 > 10. Alan Arkin (Little Miss Sunshine) - 14:20 Anthony Hopkins deserves special mention for winning Best Actor. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-oscar-for-the-shortest-performance/685003/9 "2014-04-01T02:35:11Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Anthony Hopkins deserves special mention for winning Best Actor. Yeah, 16 minutes or so. I’d forgotten he’s in it so little, since he is the most memorable thing in it. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-oscar-for-the-shortest-performance/685003/10 "2014-04-01T15:56:25Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Yeah, 16 minutes or so. I’d forgotten he’s in it so little, since he is the most memorable thing in it. David Niven’s lead win for **Separate Tables** is the record-holder at 15 min. 38 sec. And honorable mention goes to Hermione Baddeley, whose supporting nod for **Room at the Top** ran for a mere 2 min. 32 sec. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-oscar-for-the-shortest-performance/685003/11 "2014-04-01T16:07:12Z")
> [@TV\_time](#): > > I would have to say the Oscar for the shortest performance would have to be that “special” Oscar that Shirley Temple got…She was well under five foot at the time. Shirley Temple gave out the shortest Oscar of all time, [seven of them](http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/features/2011/02/oscar-night-slide-show-201102/_jcr_content/par/cn_contentwell/par-main/cn_slideshow/item0.rendition.slideshowWideVertical.ss01-oscar-night-shirley-temple-walt-disney.jpg), to Walt Disney. I’ve seen them in person and they’re really tiny. ---
**Author:** ![Bellhorn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@Bellhorn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bellhorn)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-oscar-for-the-shortest-performance/685003/12 "2014-04-01T16:16:52Z")
Although he didn’t win an Oscar for performing, Pierre Boulle did win an Oscar for Best Screenplay adaption for Bridge On the River Kwai. Although Boulle wrote the book, he had nothing to do with the movie, since his English was very poor. But the real writers were on the Hollywood blacklist at the time, so Boulle became the front man. Boulle also gave the shortest acceptance speech: “Merci.” ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-oscar-for-the-shortest-performance/685003/13 "2014-04-01T16:22:21Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > We’re only counting acting performances in feature films, right? I can picture someone winning an Oscar for composing (and possibly performing) a song that runs for less than five minutes within a film. Just a sampling: [Moon River](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uirBWk-qd9A) (1 min. 41 sec.) [When You Wish Upon a Star](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pguMUFyJ3_U) (1 min. 47 sec.) [Buttons and Bows](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1e7CIMvD74) (1 min. 52 sec.) [The Way You Look Tonight](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzbT3BDlGKM) (1 min. 58 sec.) ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-oscar-for-the-shortest-performance/685003/14 "2014-04-01T16:24:35Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > Shirley Temple gave out the shortest Oscar of all time, [seven of them](http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/features/2011/02/oscar-night-slide-show-201102/_jcr_content/par/cn_contentwell/par-main/cn_slideshow/item0.rendition.slideshowWideVertical.ss01-oscar-night-shirley-temple-walt-disney.jpg), to Walt Disney. I’ve seen them in person and they’re really tiny. On display [here](http://www.waltdisney.org), along with about two dozen other Oscars (and countless other international awards), the largest single display of its kind anywhere, I suspect. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-oscar-for-the-shortest-performance/685003/15 "2014-04-01T18:51:55Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Huh, I always pegged that one as fairly lame and formulaic by Warner-toon standards. It is, but it was a weak year. Theatrical cartoons were dying out; the only other nominees were Disney’s **Paul Bunyan** and Terrytoons’s **Sydney’s Family Tree**. I suspect the Academy figured it was just time to give it to Bugs. ---
**Author:** ![Gray\_Ghost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c0e974/32.png) [@Gray\_Ghost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gray_Ghost)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-oscar-for-the-shortest-performance/685003/16 "2014-04-01T20:34:11Z")
It wasn’t even nominated for Best Supporting Actor—mainly due to its length, and the ridiculously good competition in 1992—but I always thought that [Alec Baldwin’s speech](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kZg_ALxEz0) in _Glengarry Glen Ross_ was the sort of performance that could have won an Oscar in a lesser year. It’s only 7:08 long. (What [a year for iconic performances](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/65th_Academy_Awards): where Gene Hackman in \*Unforgiven’\*s competition included Jack Nicholson in _A Few Good Men_, and Jaye Davidson in _The Crying Game_.) ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2014, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-oscar-for-the-shortest-performance/685003/17 "2014-04-01T22:26:26Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > It is, but it was a weak year. Theatrical cartoons were dying out; the only other nominees were Disney’s **Paul Bunyan** and Terrytoons’s **Sydney’s Family Tree**. I suspect the Academy figured it was just time to give it to Bugs. In all fairness, that was far from the best WB short that year. _Robin Hood Daffy, Hare-way to the Stars, Hip-Hip Hurry!_ and _Cat Feud_ (all Chuck Jones films) were also that year and are better than Friz Freleng’s _KKB_ (not the best Yosemite Sam film, either). I’m not sure what the submission process was for shorts back then (given the huge volume being created) but it was probably dictated by the studio, which would’ve meant some internal politics would probably be involved. At least Bugs won an Oscar, though. A Mickey Mouse short never has. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2014, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-oscar-for-the-shortest-performance/685003/18 "2014-04-02T01:33:31Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Beatrice Straight won an Oscar for five minutes and forty seconds of work in **Network.** And Ned Beatty was also nominated for that movie for Best Supporting Actor for a quite small role, but didn’t win. Great movie, great performances, large and small. “Let’s get back to page twenty-two, number 5, small ‘a’. Subsidiary rights.” ---
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2014, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-oscar-for-the-shortest-performance/685003/19 "2014-04-02T13:45:32Z")
> [@MovieMogul](#): > > At least Bugs won an Oscar, though. A Mickey Mouse short never has. Not correct. “[Lend a Paw](http://disneyshorts.org/shorts.aspx?shortID=329)” won the 1942 Oscar for Best Short Subject - Cartoon. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2014, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-oscar-for-the-shortest-performance/685003/20 "2014-04-02T20:52:57Z")
> [@Eutychus](#): > > Not correct. “[Lend a Paw](http://disneyshorts.org/shorts.aspx?shortID=329)” won the 1942 Oscar for Best Short Subject - Cartoon. My mistake! I saw this “factoid” thrown around after the most recent Academy Awards but hadn’t done a complete fact-check myself. Thanks! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-oscar-for-the-shortest-performance/685003.md?page=2)