# what happened to Brando's refused Oscar?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-brandos-refused-oscar/57563
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [March 11, 2001, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-brandos-refused-oscar/57563 "2001-03-11T18:41:23Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2001, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-brandos-refused-oscar/57563/1 "2001-03-11T18:41:23Z")
Hmmm? Did a cursory search about it, couldn’t find anything. Does anyone know?
IIRC, although each Oscar looks the same on the screen, there are indentifying marks, so one can tell, for instance that this particular one is Mel Gibson’s for Braveheart for example. Or is that assumption wrong?
Saw something recently that suggested that the woman who “appeared to refuse the Oscar” wasn’t really Indian etc. etc.
---
### Author:  [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2001, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-brandos-refused-oscar/57563/2 "2001-03-11T19:41:07Z")
Don’t know, but it got me thinking of other awards that have been refused:
What happened to George C Scott’s oscar for “Patton”?
What happened to the US Basketball team’s Silver Medals
For losing to the Russians in the Olympics "68 or '72, I forget which one)
---
### Author:  [@dwtno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwtno)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2001, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-brandos-refused-oscar/57563/3 "2001-03-11T23:31:12Z")
According to the Academy, George C. Scott’s Academy Award for ‘Patton’ (1970) is still in their vaults, presumably so that he could claim it at some latter date. Of course, now that he’s gone, there’s little chance of that happening.
I do recall the Academy President at the time brushing off the snub by saying that the Oscar was awarded for a performance and that recognition stands, whether or not a performer choses to acknowledge it.
Also, you’re confusing two different Oscar refusals. George C. Scott’s Oscar was quietly accepted by Patton’s producer Frank McCarthy (and later returned to the Academy). Marlon Brando refused to accept his Award for ‘The Godfather’ (1972) and sent “Sacheen Littlefeather” in his place to make a protest against American Indian portrayals on film. Littlefeather, as it turns out, was not an indian at all, but Maria Cruz, a minor actress hired to play the part.
And finally, all of the Oscars handed out on Oscar night are identical. Nothing is inscribed on the base until after the ceremony. In fact, the winners have to return their statuettes at some point so they can be personalized.
- dwtno
---
### Author:  [@LazarusLong42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LazarusLong42)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2001, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happened-to-brandos-refused-oscar/57563/4 "2001-03-11T23:35:43Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by enolancooper \*
> \*\*
> What happened to the US Basketball team’s Silver Medals for losing to the Russians in the Olympics "68 or '72, I forget which one) \*\*
It was in '72. The medals are still kept by the IOC, stored in some vault, somewhere, in the event that one of the US team members wishes to claim them. Not a single one of them has done so.
LL