1961 Alternate Oscars

A bit of trivia: the origin of the term "paparazzi" — those annoying photographers who take pictures of celebrities — is from the name of a character, Paparazzo, in Fellini's La Dolce Vita. Played by Walter Santesso, Paparazzo (Italian slang for mosquito) was a freelance news photographer, a hyperactive, buzzing nuisance throughout the film.

Now you know.

By the way, if you've never seen a Fellini movie, start with La Dolce Vita — about seven wild nights in the seven hills of Rome — then follow it up with his next film, 1963's 8½. Both star Marcello Mastroianni and seen back-to-back, the films are the story of a man's journey from ambition to decadence to disillusionment and finally to a sort of hard-won wisdom. Peak Fellini, great stuff.

Best Picture of 1961

Breakfast at Tiffany's

★ La Dolce Vita

The Guns of Navarone

The Hustler

Judgment at Nuremberg

Last Year at Marienbad

Through A Glass Darkly

Viridiana

✔ West Side Story

Yojimbo

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Best Actor of 1961

Dirk Bogarde (Victim)

Marcello Mastroianni (La Dolce Vita and Divorce—Italian Style)

★ Paul Newman (The Hustler)

Sidney Poitier (A Raisin in the Sun)

✔ Maximilian Schell (Judgment at Nuremberg)

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Best Actress of 1961

Harriet Andersson (Through A Glass Darkly)

★ Audrey Hepburn (Breakfast At Tiffany's)

✔ Sophia Loren (Two Women)

Hayley Mills (The Parent Trap and Whistle Down The Wind)

Natalie Wood (Splendor in the Grass)

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Best Director of 1961

★ Federico Fellini (La Dolce Vita)

Akira Kurosawa (Yojimbo)

Alain Resnais (Last Year At Marienbad)

✔ Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise (West Side Story)

Robert Rossen (The Hustler)

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Best Supporting Actor of 1961

✔ George Chakiris (West Side Story)

Montgomery Clift (The Misfits and Judgment At Nuremberg)

★ Jackie Gleason (The Hustler)

Tony Randall (Lover Come Back)

George C. Scott (The Hustler)

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Best Supporting Actress of 1961

Fay Bainter (The Children's Hour)

Ruby Dee (A Raisin in the Sun)

Judy Garland (Judgment At Nuremberg)

Piper Laurie (The Hustler)

★ ✔ Rita Moreno (West Side Story)

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Special Award

Leonard Bernstein (music), Stephen Sondheim (lyrics), Saul Chaplin, Johnny Green, Irwin Kostal & Sid Ramin (music supervisors) (West Side Story) (adapted song score and musical score)

Jerome Robbins (West Side Story) (choreography)

"Moon River" (Breakfast at Tiffany's) music by Henry Mancini; lyrics by Johnny Mercer (song)

Mickey Rooney as "Mr. Yunioshi" (Breakfast at Tiffany's) (what the hell were they thinking?)

Betty Lou Gerson as "Cruella Deville" (101 Dalmatians) (best villain)

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My choices are noted with a ★. A tie is indicated with a ✪. Historical Oscar winners are noted with a ✔. Best foreign-language picture winners are noted with an ƒ. A historical winner who won in a different category is noted with a ✱.