Magnum Force: Clint Eastwood stars in trailer for 1973 film
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Long before Will Smith and Chris Rock stirred the world’s attention, Clint Eastwood and John Wayne caused a brief moment of controversy at the Oscar Awards ceremony. The 1973 bill was set to be highly strung from the outset, fulfilling those expectations when Marlon Brando sent someone else to receive his award.
In recent years, the ceremony has largely gone without note, apart from celebrities voicing their political stances, humanitarian pleas and philanthropic ventures.
But back in 1973, this was not so: at the time, Brando had been nominated for the Best Actor award for his role in The Godfather, an iconic character that many believed would guarantee him a win.
He was up against other Hollywood heavyweights Michael Caine, Laurence Olivier, Peter O’Toole and Paul Winfield.
However, the A-lister boycotted the event entirely, protesting against Hollywood’s portrayal of Native Americans and raising awareness of the Wounded Knee Occupation which cost the lives of two Native Americans.
Instead of leaving a vacant seat, Brando sent actress and president of the National Native American Affirmative Image Committee Sacheen Littlefeather to reject the award on his behalf.
When Brando was announced as the winner, Littlefeather solemnly made her way to the stage, dressed in traditional Apache attire and refused to touch the trophy.
The 26-year-old was told shortly before going onstage that she would have one-minute to speak.
Brando had entrusted her with an eight-page-long speech detailing his feelings and the need for change in Hollywood’s attitude towards Native Americans which could now not be shared on stage.
Instead, Littlefeather gave an emotional speech, concluding it with a plea: “I beg at this time I have not intruded upon this evening, and that we will in the future, our hearts and our understandings will meet with love and generosity.
“Thank you on behalf of Marlon Brando.”
She then later told The Globe and Mail: “John Wayne was waiting backstage to take me off. He had to be restrained by six security men.
“I was given 60 seconds by the producer to make that speech or I would be arrested.”
Shortly after Littlefeather left the stage, Eastwood presented the award for Best Picture, and took the opportunity to challenge the activist.
He said: “I don’t know if I should present this award on behalf of all the cowboys shot in all the John Ford westerns over the years.”
Wayne, on the other hand, was reportedly more frustrated at Brando’s reluctance to appear at the Oscars than anything else.
He told Entertainment Weekly: “If [Brando] had something to say, he should have appeared that night and stated his views instead of taking some little unknown girl and dressing her up in an Indian outfit.”
Brando and Littlefeather’s controversial stand was immortalised in the 2021 documentary Sacheen: Breaking The Silence.
Littlefeather shared in the documentary: “They’re still talking about it today, 45 years after the fact.
“I was the first woman of colour, the first native indigenous woman to ever make a political statement in the history of the Academy Awards.”
Almost half a century since the incident, the Academy officially issued a formal apology to Littlefeather in June 2022.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the letter stated: “The abuse you endured because of this statement was unwarranted and unjustified.
“For too long the courage you showed has been unacknowledged. For this, we offer both our deepest apologies and our sincere admiration.”
She has since also been announced as the guest of honour at a special evening of Indigenous celebration at the Academy Museum set to take place later this month.
Magnum Force starring Clint Eastwood aired on Channel 5 on September 2 and is available to stream on Sky Store.
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