Oscarette's golden dozen.

• Author: Gehring, Wes D.
• Position: REEL WORLD - Juvenile Oscars awarded to young actors

WITH OSCAR TIME approaching, the long and storied tale of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will be recounted in any number of ways by a multitude of media outlets--undoubtedly with a variety of historical gems coming to light. For instance, did you know that the Academy used to award a special honorary "Juvenile Oscar," or, as perennial host Bob Hope later dubbed it, the "Oscarette"?

The first Academy ceremony (1929) had neither this classification, nor a Best Supporting Actor/Actress award, which was introduced for the ceremony celebrating 1935 winners (Walter Brennan and Gale Sandergaard). Yet, the Academy felt children would be at a voting disadvantage with adults after the 1930-31 ceremony (which then covered parts of two years), when nine-year-old Jackie Cooper was nominated as Best Actor (for "Skippy," 1931), but lost to Lionel Barrymore (in a "Free Soul," 1931).

In the 1935 program, however, six-year-old Shirley Temple received the first "Oscarette" in "grateful recognition of her outstanding contribution to screen entertainment during the year 1934." (For the next four years Temple would be America's top box office draw.) Between the new censorship code (1934) and family fare Temple films like "The Little Colonel" and "Curly Tops" (both 1935), she pushed steamy--or was that seamy? West out of the top 10.

Over the next quarter-century, culminating with Hayley Mills in "Pollyanna" (1960), 12 young performers would be awarded the "Juvenile Oscar," which is half the size of its "adult" counterpart. Yet, the Academy hardly was consistent with this bracket being a catch-all for the under-18 set. Periodically, youngsters would be nominated in the Best Supporting Actor slot during this time, including 14-year-old Bonita Granville for "These Three" (1936), 11-year-old Brandon deWilde in "Shane" (1953), and 17-year-old Sal Mineo for "Rebel Without a Cause" (1955).

At the 1938 ceremony, 16-year-old Deanna Durbin and 18-year-old Mickey Rooney would be awarded "Juvenile Oscars," making the "Andy Hardy" star the oldest recipient of the award. (He also was becoming the new Shirley Temple-like box office champion, being No. 1 at the turnstiles from 193941.) He would be nominated in the "grownup" Best Actor category the year after his Oscarette for "Babes in Arms" (1939, with Judy Garland), losing to Robert Donet in "Goodbye Mr. Chips."

If one put a dull butter knife to my neck (I would hate to think anyone would want to cause zeal...