Oscar statuettes missing, but company will make more

March 17, 2000
Web posted at: 1:28 p.m. EST (1838 GMT)

CHICAGO (CNN) -- The Chicago company that made the Oscar statuettes to be awarded March 26 is making sure that the show goes on.

Although at least 54 of the awards disappeared en route to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences -- nine days before they were to be awarded -- the manufacturer said it will reschedule work to make another batch of the coveted awards.

Spokesman John Pavlik said late Thursday that the academy believes the uninscribed Oscars "have been stolen." He declined to give other details, but said the statuettes disappeared from Bell, a Los Angeles community about 15 miles from Beverly Hills.

Each Oscar is 13 1/2 inches tall, is covered with gold-plated britannium and weighs about 8 pounds. Awards are to be given out in 23 categories plus three special awards, whose winners have already been announced. The precise number of statuettes given out will depend on how many people share awards in various categories.

According to a brief statement from the academy, the Oscars disappeared from a dock used by Roadway Express, the academy's regular delivery company. The company did not immediately return a phone message.

· Get the bios on nominated stars · Review those nominated plotlines and movie trailers · Cast your unofficial Oscar ballot · Visit the Oscar message board · ...and more!

The trophy disappearance marked the second snafu to strike this year's Oscars in less than a month. Earlier this month, sacks containing 4,000 ballots were misrouted after delivery to the Beverly Hills branch of the United States Postal Service Post. The Academy was forced to print and mail new ones, and extend the deadline for returning the ballots from March 21 to March 23.

It wasn't immediately clear how many statuettes had disappeared. Pavlik said all 54 that were to be on hand for the televised awards ceremony were gone, while Academy President Robert Rehme told The Associated Press "a crateful" was missing.

The manufacturer, R.S. Owens & Co., said it expected to complete 55 to 65 of the Oscar statuettes in time for the March 26 awards.

Owens also makes the trophies for the Emmys, the MTV Video Music Awards, the Clio for excellence in advertising and the Miss America Award.

List: 72nd Academy Awards nominees
February 15, 2000

The official Academy Awards site
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

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