Exact Answer: Five And A Half Minutes
Oscar is one of the most prestigious awards in the field of art and cinema. The award is a yearly laurel being conferred by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences since 1929. An oscar speech is a speech given by the person who has just been awarded The Oscar or conversely known as The Academy Awards.
The oscar is ranked highest in terms of recognition which makes it the highest honor an artist can get in their lifetime. This makes the delivery of oscar speeches a very special occasion for them to thank all those who have supported them in their endeavor to become a fine artist. The artists try to make it as special and memorable as they can.
How Long Was The Longest Oscar Acceptance Speech?
Length of Oscar Acceptance Speech | Time taken |
Standard delivery | Forty-five seconds |
Longest speech delivered | Five and a half minutes |
Shortest speech delivered | A second |
The longest ever Oscar speech to be delivered was delivered by Greer Garson. Garson received the much-prized Oscars on the third of March in 1943 for her acting in “Mrs Miniver”. Ms. Garson was only aged thirty-eight when she was accepting the Academy Awards in the category of Best Actress.
Mrs Miniver was a romantic war drama directed by William Wyle. The movie is based in the background of the second world war. It depicts the condition of an English housewife whose husband offers to volunteer in the war fought between the allied powers against axis ones. Her role was so influential that it influenced Americans to support Britain in the war.
The speech delivered by Greer Garson has not been preserved in its full form. Thus, there is no clarity as to exactly how long the length of her speech was. However, there have been certain parts of her speech being stored with the Academy which total for three minutes and fifty-six seconds.
Although that time is still a record, still many claims state that her speech was long for well beyond that. Many news outlets claim the speech time to be over seven minutes. However, what seems to be a consensus amongst them is that the speech was certainly above five and a half minutes and not less than that.
Why Was That Oscar Acceptance Speech So Long?
Oscar Acceptance speeches are a very memorable time for the recipients of the Academy Awards. They are being honored for the hard work and contribution they have put into the field of art and cinema. They are going to remember the day for the rest of their lifetime.
Every artist around the globe dreams of winning the admired golden statue of Oscar. The thought of even being able to attend the same is overwhelming for some and yet, those who win those awards also find a plethora of things to say about the event.
The same dilemma was with Greer Garson who had much to remark upon at the event.
This dilemma led to Greer giving what would be ranked as the longest acceptance speech in its history. It was perhaps her long speech that had prompted the organizers into setting the forty-five seconds for giving the speech. Thus, it is most probable that this record is going to be unbreakable for a long time.
Garson further remarked on the nature and importance of those award show nights. She went on to comment how every artist present in that room was a winner in itself and how they should be proud of themselves.
Conclusion
Greer Garson delivered one of the longest Oscar acceptance speeches at five and a half minutes. Since the speech is not preserved in its full and original format which has led to many speculating this time. Some even think that it was more than seven minutes.
The artists get a lot of help in their journey to get an Oscar. Thus, when they are bestowed, they go into thank a lot of people, which consumes a lot of time.