The 60th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), took place on April 11, 1988, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles beginning at 6:00 p.m. PDT. During the ceremony, AMPAS presented Academy Awards (commonly referred to as Oscars) in 22 categories honoring films released in 1987. The ceremony, televised in the United States by ABC, was produced by Samuel Goldwyn Jr. and directed by Marty Pasetta. Actor Chevy Chase hosted the show for the second consecutive year. Two weeks earlier, in a ceremony held at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, on March 27, the Academy Awards for Technical Achievement were presented by host Shirley Jones.
The Last Emperor won all nine awards it was nominated for, including Best Picture and Best Director for Bernardo Bertolucci. For their performances in Moonstruck, Cher and Olympia Dukakis won Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress, respectively. Michael Douglas won Best Actor for his role in Wall Street; and Sean Connery won Best Supporting Actor for The Untouchables, the latter becoming the first and only Scottish thespian to win an acting Oscar. The telecast garnered 42.2 million viewers in the United States.
Winners and nominees The nominees for the 60th Academy Awards were announced on February 16, 1988, at 5:38 PM PST (13:38 UTC) at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, California, by Robert Wise, president of the academy, and actress Shirley MacLaine. The Last Emperor received the most nominations, with nine total; Broadcast News came in second with seven.
The winners were announced at the awards ceremony on April 11, 1988. The Last Emperor became the second film after 1958's Gigi to earn nine Oscar nominations and win all of them. For the first time in Oscar history, all five Best Director nominees were born outside the United States. Best Actor winner Michael Douglas became the first person to win Oscars for both acting and producing, albeit the first person to win the awards for two separate films and in different years. He previously won a Best Picture award as co-producer of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975).
Awards
Winners are listed first, highlighted in boldface, and indicated with a double dagger ().
The Last Emperor – Jeremy Thomas, producer Broadcast News – James L. Brooks, producer Fatal Attraction – Stanley R. Jaffe and Sherry Lansing, producers Hope and Glory – John Boorman, producer Moonstruck – Norman Jewison and Patrick Palmer, producers | style="vertical-align:top; width:50%;"|Bernardo Bertolucci – The Last Emperor Adrian Lyne – Fatal Attraction John Boorman – Hope and Glory Norman Jewison – Moonstruck Lasse Hallström – My Life as a DogMichael Douglas – Wall Street as Gordon Gekko William Hurt – Broadcast News as Tom Grunick Marcello Mastroianni – Dark Eyes as Romano Jack Nicholson – Ironweed as Francis Phelan Robin Williams – Good Morning, Vietnam as Adrian CronauerCher – Moonstruck as Loretta Castorini Glenn Close – Fatal Attraction as Alex Forrest Holly Hunter – Broadcast News as Jane Craig Sally Kirkland – Anna as Anna Meryl Streep – Ironweed as Helen ArcherSean Connery – The Untouchables as Jim Malone Albert Brooks – Broadcast News as Aaron Altman Morgan Freeman – Street Smart as Leo "Fast Black" Smalls Jr. Vincent Gardenia – Moonstruck as Cosmo Castorini Denzel Washington – Cry Freedom as Steve BikoOlympia Dukakis – Moonstruck as Rose Castorini Norma Aleandro – Gaby: A True Story as Florencia Sánchez Morales Anne Archer – Fatal Attraction as Beth Gallagher Anne Ramsey – Throw Momma from the Train as Mrs. Lift Ann Sothern – The Whales of August as Tisha DoughtyMoonstruck – John Patrick Shanley Au revoir les enfants – Louis Malle Broadcast News – James L. Brooks Hope and Glory – John Boorman Radio Days – Woody AllenThe Last Emperor – Mark Peploe and Bernardo Bertolucci based on the autobiography From Emperor to Citizen: The Autobiography of Aisin-Gioro Pu Yi by Henry Pu Yi The Dead – Tony Huston based on the short story by James Joyce Fatal Attraction – James Dearden based on his teleplay Diversion Full Metal Jacket – Stanley Kubrick, Michael Herr, and Gustav Hasford based on the novel The Short-Timers by Gustav Hasford My Life as a Dog – Lasse Hallström, Reidar Jönsson, Brasse Brännström, and Per Berglund based on the novel Mitt liv som hund by Reidar JönssonBabette's Feast (Denmark) in Danish and French – Gabriel Axel Au revoir les enfants (France) in French – Louis Malle Course Completed (Spain) in Spanish – José Luis Garci The Family (Italy) in Italian – Ettore Scola Pathfinder (Norway) in Sami – Nils GaupThe Ten-Year Lunch: The Wit and Legend of the Algonquin Round Table – Aviva Slesin Eyes on the Prize: America's Civil Rights Years/Bridge to Freedom 1965 – Callie Crossley and James A. DeVinney Hellfire: A Journey from Hiroshima – John Junkerman and John W. Dower Radio Bikini – Robert Stone A Stitch for Time – Barbara Herbich and Cyril ChristoYoung at Heart – Sue Marx and Pamela Conn Frances Steloff: Memoirs of a Bookseller – Deborah Dickson In the Wee Wee Hours... – Frank Daniel and Izak Ben-Meir Language Says It All – Megan Williams Silver into Gold – Lynn MuellerRay's Male Heterosexual Dance Hall – Jonathan Sanger and Jana Sue Memel Making Waves – Ann Wingate Shoeshine – Robert A. KatzThe Man Who Planted Trees – Frédéric Back George and Rosemary – Eunice Macaulay Your Face – Bill PlymptonThe Last Emperor – Ryuichi Sakamoto, David Byrne and Cong Su Cry Freedom – George Fenton and Jonas Gwangwa Empire of the Sun – John Williams The Untouchables – Ennio Morricone The Witches of Eastwick – John Williams"(I've Had) The Time of My Life" from Dirty Dancing – Music by Franke Previte, John DeNicola, and Donald Markowitz; Lyrics by Franke Previte "Cry Freedom" from Cry Freedom – Music and Lyrics by George Fenton and Jonas Gwangwa "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" from Mannequin – Music and Lyrics by Albert Hammond and Diane Warren "Shakedown" from Beverly Hills Cop II – Music by Harold Faltermeyer and Keith Forsey; Lyrics by Harold Faltermeyer, Keith Forsey, and Bob Seger "Storybook Love" from The Princess Bride – Music and Lyrics by Willy DeVilleThe Last Emperor – Bill Rowe and Ivan Sharrock Empire of the Sun – Robert Knudson, Don Digirolamo, John Boyd, and Tony Dawe Lethal Weapon – Les Fresholtz, Dick Alexander, Vern Poore, and Bill Nelson RoboCop – Michael J. Kohut, Carlos Delarios, Aaron Rochin, and Robert Wald The Witches of Eastwick – Wayne Artman, Tom Beckert, Tom E. Dahl, and Art RochesterThe Last Emperor – Art Direction: Ferdinando Scarfiotti; Set Decoration: Bruno Cesari and Osvaldo Desideri Empire of the Sun – Art Direction: Norman Reynolds; Set Decoration: Harry Cordwell Hope and Glory – Art Direction: Anthony D. G. Pratt; Set Decoration: Joanne Woollard Radio Days – Art Direction: Santo Loquasto; Set Decoration: Carol Joffe, Leslie Bloom, and George DeTitta Jr. The Untouchables – Art Direction: Patrizia von Brandenstein and William A. Elliott; Set Decoration: Hal GausmanThe Last Emperor – Vittorio Storaro Broadcast News – Michael Ballhaus Empire of the Sun – Allen Daviau Hope and Glory – Philippe Rousselot Matewan – Haskell WexlerHarry and the Hendersons – Rick Baker Happy New Year – Bob LadenThe Last Emperor – James Acheson The Dead – Dorothy Jeakins Empire of the Sun – Bob Ringwood Maurice – Jenny Beavan and John Bright The Untouchables – Marilyn Vance-StrakerThe Last Emperor – Gabriella Cristiani Broadcast News – Richard Marks Empire of the Sun – Michael Kahn Fatal Attraction – Michael Kahn and Peter E. Berger RoboCop – Frank J. UriosteInnerspace – Dennis Muren, Bill George, Harley Jessup, and Kenneth F. Smith Predator – Joel Hynek, Robert M. Greenberg, Richard Greenberg, and Stan Winston
Special Achievement Award (Sound Effects Editing) RoboCop – Stephen Flick and John Pospisil.
Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award The award honors "creative producers whose bodies of work reflect a consistently high quality of motion picture production". Billy Wilder
Multiple nominations and awards
The following 15 films received multiple nominations: Nominations Film 9The Last Emperor 7Broadcast News 6Empire of the SunFatal AttractionMoonstruck 5Hope and Glory 4The Untouchables 3Cry Freedom 2Au revoir les enfantsThe DeadIronweedMy Life as a DogRadio DaysRoboCopThe Witches of Eastwick
The following two films received multiple awards: Awards Film 9The Last Emperor 3Moonstruck
Presenters and performers The following individuals, listed in order of appearance, presented awards or performed musical numbers.
Presenters Name(s) Role Announcer for the 60th annual Academy Awards (AMPAS President) Gave opening remarks welcoming guests to the awards ceremony Presenter of the award for Best Visual Effects Michael Douglas Presenters of the award for Best Supporting Actress Presenter of the award for Best Art Direction Danny Glover Presenters of the award for Best Cinematography Tom Selleck Presentations of the award for Best Animated Short Film John Lone Presenters of the award for Best Documentary Short Subject Presenter of the Academy Awards history montage Presenter of the award for Best Documentary Feature Presenter of the award for Best Sound Cher Presenters of the award for Best Supporting Actor Sean Young Presenters of the award for Best Film Editing Presenter of the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award to Billy Wilder Dudley Moore Presenters of the award for Best Original Song Patrick Swayze Presenters of the award for Best Original Score Presenter of the award for Best Actor (pre-recorded footage) Presenter of the segment of the Academy Awards for Technical Achievement and the Gordon E. Sawyer Award as RoboCop Presenter of the award for Best Sound Effects Editing as Pee-wee Herman Presenter of the award for Best Live Action Short Film Daryl Hannah Presenters of the award for Best Costume Design Presentations of the award for Best Director Presenter of the award for Best Makeup Gregory Peck Presenters of the awards for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Original Screenplay James Garner Presenters of the award for Best Foreign Language Film Presenter of the award for Best Actress Presenter of the award for Best Picture
Performers Name(s) Role Performed Musical arranger Orchestral Performers "I Hope I Get It" from A Chorus Line Performer "Storybook Love" from The Princess Bride Starship Performers "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" from Mannequin Performers "Cry Freedom" from Cry Freedom Performer "Shakedown" from Beverly Hills Cop II Jennifer Warnes Performers "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" from Dirty Dancing
Ceremony information
In view of the 60th anniversary of the Academy Awards, the academy hired film producer Samuel Goldwyn Jr. in October 1987 to oversee the telecast for the second straight year. Three months later, Goldwyn selected actor and comedian Chevy Chase to emcee the 1988 ceremony. In addition, after being held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion for almost two decades, AMPAS decided to move the telecast to the Shrine Auditorium in order to accommodate more rehearsal time and take advantage of the large venue's seating capacity. This marked the first time the facility served as the site for the Oscars since the 20th ceremony held in 1948. Additionally, Goldwyn and Passetta originally planned to feature pre-recorded red carpet arrival footage of actors who had roles in the 59 previous Best Picture winners. However, the segment was dropped altogether due to traffic problems among guests arriving at the ceremony.