Academy Awards (2008) - Robert Boyle

Introduction

During the 2008 Academy Awards ceremony (24/Feb/2008), the honorary Academy Award was presented to 98 year old production designer Robert F. Boyle by actress Nicole Kidman.

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(c) Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Robert Boyle's Acceptance Speech

Oh, thank you all.

That's the good part of getting old. I don't recommend the other.

It's not possible for me to express my appreciation to the countless people who helped me on this great trip, this wonderful journey of being in the movies. But I can thank the members of the Board of Governors of the Academy and to Nicole Kidman who so graciously introduced me.

I would like to remember some of the old folk, like Hans Dreier who took a chance and gave me my first job in the movies, and to Hitch who also took a chance and gave me my first big film. And I also would like to remember that Hitch introduced me to the screenwriter Bess Taffel, who became my wife and my companion throughout this wonderful journey. I also would like to thank my children and grand-children who supported me with their love and support, thank them.

To Norman Jewison who made moviemaking fun and much laughter while dealing with real subjects. And to Don Siegel, who cut to the chase and gave us truth.

And with all of these, there was my beginning at the USC School of Architecture and my great colleagues in the Art Directors Guild who supported me, and, finally, to Jean Firstenberg who introduced me to the American Film Institute and the opportunity to give back to the next generation of storytellers.

Since I've been around here for almost a century, I've noted a lot of conflicts, but there was one bright image in this whole life of ours, and that was the arts, and particularly the art of the movie-makers, of the moving image that we all love.

So, I have had the good fortune to be a part of this and I thank you all for being there for me. Thank you.

Images

Click to view full-sized versions. All images are (c) Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.