Always my favorite part of the show, when they roll the clipshow for some of the notables who’ve died in the last year. With a week to go, who do you think will make the cut?
Here is the necrology of 2004 from Findagrave dot com. Should give you a good idea who they will pick. Do they stop at 31 Jan or is it up to the day of broadcast?
Ray Charles, as seen in Spy Hard and The Blues Brothers.
Surely there will be a lavish tribute to Johnny Carson, a former host of the Academy Awards show.
The actors on Loach’s list include Reagan, Reeve, Brando, Randall, Fay Wray, Ustinov, Orbach, Janet Leigh, Alan King, Rodney Dangerfield, and Paul Winfield. They won’t ignore Elmer Bernstein either.
I’m not sure if Ossie Davis died too recently.
Non-actors who died in 1994:
Ray Stark* (producer), Jerry Goldsmith** (composer), David Raksin* (composer), Fred Ebb* (songwriter), Russ Meyer (director), Marvin Davis (studio chief), Cy Coleman* (composer), Philippe de Broca* (writer-director), Artie Shaw* (songwriter).
And a few more actors:
Ann Miller, Mercedes McCambridge**, Frances Dee, Jan Sterling*, Carrie Snodgress*, Anna Lee, Acquanetta, Howard Keel, Carl Esmond (at 102!).
- Oscar nominee
** Oscar winner
It’s Oscar telecast to Oscar telecast, so Ossie will be included. In years past, they’ve included people who died the day before and even the day of the show.
I’d imagine that Hunter S. Thompson will be included now, as well, as a screenwriter.
It ends with Sandra Dee!! 
Reagan’s inclusion is interesting to me.
Because of the forum it would seem appropriate for the tribute to focus only on his contribution as an actor and president of the Screen Actors Guild, but it would just seem strange to have such a huge political figure, a former and two-term POTUS, just glossed over within a montage of dozens of faces.
. . . and some of you may remember this guy!
Oh yeah! That guy! He did that movie with the monkey! Show a clip of him with the monkey! That guy was a laugh riot!
They do sometimes break out particularly notable people in their own segments. I figure Brando will get his own segment, despite his rather odd relationship with the Academy. Reagan might get his own, as might Carson as former host. Fay Wray will be included because she is iconic; same for Janet Leigh. I imagine Arthur Miller will be too just because of the sheer volume of his work that’s been adapted for the movies.
During the Dead Montage during the SAG awards, there were two that struck me as “what the …?” Johnny Carson and Ray Charles. And guess who are given in the first two replies?
I’ll be okay with Carson for Oscars as a dead-ex-host, but Ray Charles doesn’t make the grade unless he had songs nominated in the past.
The real question is: Which dead actor/writer/producer/singer/former Oscar host, etc will get the most applause?
Oh that’s easy. Brando.
John Riatt, father of Bonnie, rest in peace.
Screenwriter. I hadn’t thought of that. If fact I was thinking “Well they won’t be including Hunter S. Thompson at any rate”. Problem is, that segement is always polite and repectful. Quite apart his blowing his own head off, how, reallly, do you make Hunter S. Thompson polite and repectable in any sense???
Here’s hoping they can’t.
Ray appeared in movies in the past, which qualifies him. No doubt they will show a clip of “The Blues Brothers.”
As for Hunter, my guess is a picture. Non-performers are generally limited to a still photo in the montage.
He can only turly be honored if they showcase his part as God in the best Faustian movie ever: Limit Up.
I get a tear in my eye (just one) each time I watch it.
My prediction: Hunter S. Thompson will not be mentioned at all. The only direct film writing credit I can find for him was “special material” for Woman Found Dead in Elevator (2000), which I’ve never heard of. Otherwise, there have been a few film adaptations of his work by others.
I hate it when they do this. They should include them in the clip and do a special tribute later. It takes away the sickest applause meter ever registered!| 
I imagine Arthur Miller will get a nod for his screenplay work.