The Oscars have come a long way to become the most coveted award in Hollywood. The first Academy Awards show was a small event at a private dinner party in 1929. That awards presentation took five minutes, and the press coverage consisted of one photo and two paragraphs.
But the Academy was on to something, and the party grew into one of the largest television events, now seen by more than a billion people worldwide each year. Over the years, there have been 73 hosts. Twenty-two of them have hosted more than once. And seven shows had no host at all.
Of course, some Oscar hosts do better than others. Most people tend to agree that charm and humor make successful hosts. While poking fun at the industry makes for an entertaining event, the most popular hosts have been kind. These are the worst Academy Award hosts of all time.
Number of times hosted: 1
First time hosting: March 27, 1995 (Shrine Auditorium)
Bottom line: Dave Letterman's Oscar performance may be best known for his "Oprah, Uma, Uma, Oprah. Have you kids met Keanu?" joke. While this one fell flat, he did have some good lines.
After one commercial break, he quipped about Lizzie Gardiner's dress, which was made of American Express cards: "Bad news, ladies and gentlemen: While we were away, Lizzie Gardiner's dress expired."
He also poked fun at a fledgling animation company, "DreamWorks SKG. Not to be confused with DreamWorks ETC - that's a place in the Valley where you can buy waterbeds."
Perhaps this one was a bit shortsighted.
Number of times hosted: 1
First time hosting: Feb. 22, 2015 (Dolby Theatre)
Bottom line: Neil Patrick Harris may have surprised the audience with his considerable song and dance talents, but some of his nonstop jokes and puns fell flat, such as his "Birdman" tribute while wearing only his Jockeys.
He addressed the lack of diversity among the nominees, saying it was a celebration of Hollywood's "best and whitest - I mean brightest."
Of 2014's famous flub, he quipped, "Benedict Cumberbatch: It's not only the most awesome name in show business. It's also the sound you get when you ask John Travolta to pronounce 'Ben Affleck.'"
Number of times hosted: 1
First time hosting: Feb. 27, 2011 (Kodak Theatre)
Bottom line: Co-hosting with James Franco, Anne Hathaway played up her youth, responding to a compliment from Franco with, "You look very appealing to a younger demographic as well."
She then pointed out her mom in the audience who was quick to play her part: "Annie, honey, stand up straight. Mr. Speilberg's here."
Entertainment Weekly liked the job Hathaway and Franco did, calling the pair "funny, poised, relaxed, and smart."
"Their combination of respect and informality struck the right tone for the night, a happily surprising production that had its share of fine moments both planned and ad-libbed."
Number of times hosted: 2
First time hosting: March 28, 1977 (Dorothy Chandler Pavilion)
Last time hosting: March 24, 1986 (Dorothy Chandler Pavilion)
Bottom line: In 1977, Jane Fonda said, "I've been asked to announce that Sylvester Stallone has asked that the Oscar-winning picture this year be determined by a 10-round bout in the parking lot."
Perhaps not happy with how the joke landed, she quickly followed up with, "He didn't really say that. It's what's written up there."
In 1986, Fonda shared hosting duties with Alan Alda and Robin Williams. In one of the night's highlights, Fonda introduced Cher, who hinted at the wow factor of the singer/actress' "dress."
Number of times hosted: 1
First time hosting: March 24, 1986 (Dorothy Chandler Pavilion)
Bottom line: Fresh off the finale of the hit television series "M*A*S*H," Alan Alda shared hosting duties with Jane Fonda and Robin Williams. Not surprisingly, Williams stole the laughs in the opening monologue with his impressions as a "translator," but as the opening continued, Alda demonstrated he could carry a laugh on his own.
To reduce the overall time, he and Fonda delivered a blueprint acceptance speech, taking turns thanking everyone from family members and agents to minor characters in one's life. Alda's addition of an "aerobic-ist" was a direct jab at Fonda's latest endeavor, home exercise videos.
Number of times hosted: 2
First time hosting: March 29, 1976 (Dorothy Chandler Pavilion)
Last time hosting: April 11, 1983 (Dorothy Chandler Pavilion)
Bottom line: Walter Matthau co-hosted the 1976 Oscars with Robert Shaw, George Segal, Goldie Hawn and Gene Kelly.
His opening monologue joked that he was meant to do the opening song and dance number. That changed, he said when he "came down with a severe case of panic," calling legendary hoofer Ray Bolger his understudy.
In 1983, it was clear that an opening song and dance number wasn't really his thing, but he gave it a good try.