Academy Awards Acceptance Speech Database

PADDY CHAYEFSKY:
For some obscure reason I'm up here accepting an award for Peter Finch, or Finchie as everybody who knew him called him. There is no reason for me to be here. There's only one person who should be up here accepting this award and that's the person who Finch wanted up here accepting his award: Mrs. Peter Finch. Are you in the house, Eletha? Come up and get your award.

MRS. PETER FINCH:
I want to say thanks to the members of the Academy and my husband. I wish he was here tonight to be with us all, but since he isn't here I'll always cherish this for him. And before he died he said to me, "Darling, if I win I want to say thanks to my fellow actors who have given me encouragement over the years; and thanks to Paddy Chayefsky who have given him the part; and thanks to Barry who have tell us to come from Jamaica, to come and do this part." And he says, "Most of all, thanks to you, darling, for sending the right vibes the right way. And thanks, the members of the Academy Award." Thank you all.

[Ed. note: Mr. Finch passed away on 1/14/1977. He is the first performer to posthumously receive an Academy Award for acting.]