And the Academy Award Goes To...

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BBC Radio 4 LW

Factual: Arts, Culture & the Media: Arts

Paul Gambaccini traces the history of the Oscars and tells the story behind winning films

Paul Gambaccini traces the history of the Oscars and tells the story behind award-winning films

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And the Academy Award Goes To...: Series 5: Chariots of Fire

Chariots of Fire

Series 5

BBC Radio 4 - And the Academy Award Goes To..., Series 5, Chariots of Fire

Race, class and religion to the rhythm of Vangelis. Best Picture of 1981 revisited.

Race, class, religion and Vangelis. Paul Gambaccini on the story behind 1981 Best Picture winner, Chariots of Fire. From 2015.

Race, class and religion to a rhythm by Vangelis. 

Paul Gambaccini explores the story behind the Best Picture winner for 1981, Chariots of Fire.

It was the brainchild of Lord Puttnam, the screenplay by socialist Colin Welland, and yet adored by President Ronald Reagan, for its patriotic glory.

David Puttnam was looking around the bookshelves of a rented house in Los Angeles. He'd just finished Midnight Express and was scouting for a new story to tell. 

The books were all about yachting -  these people were sailing nuts -  until suddenly "The History of the Olympic Games" stood out on a shelf. 

Sitting back and reading about the games in the early decades of the 20th century, he came across two remarkable stories: 

* Eric Liddell, son of Scottish missionaries, was supposed to run in the 100 metres, but withdrew as the heats were held on a Sunday. Yet he went on the break world records and take Gold medal in the 400 metres.  

* Harold Abrahams, a Cambridge scholar, who was determined to win in a world where anti-semitism was rife. 

Paul Gambaccini meets the men who made these stories into the Best Picture Oscar winner of 1981; 

Producer - Lord Puttnam  
Editor - Terry Rawlings
Director - Hugh Hudson
Actor - Nigel Havers
Athletics adviser - Tom McNab

All give fresh accounts of their own race to the top of the pile at the Academy Awards. 

With contributions from: 

David Thomson
Toby Miller

Archive inteviews with Colin Welland and Ben Cross.
 
Producer: Sara Jane Hall

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in February 2015.

And the Academy Award Goes To...: Series 5

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Paul Gambaccini tells the story behind award-winning films

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And the Academy Award Goes To...

Series 5

Chariots of Fire

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