"Meet the Oscars" at Vanderbilt Hall in Grand Central Terminal

Oscar® fans in New York City have the opportunity to see the actual Oscars that will be presented to the Best Actor and Best Actress winners at the 84th Academy Awards® on Oscar night, February 26. The statuettes are part of the ongoing Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' "Meet the Oscars, Grand Central" exhibition at Vanderbilt Hall in Grand Central Terminal. The exhibition opened last Wednesday, February 22 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by 2010 Academy Award®-winning actress Melissa Leo ("The Fighter"). Public viewing hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, February 22, and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, February 23, through Sunday, February 26. Admission is free. The exhibition also gives movie fans the opportunity to have their photo taken holding an actual Oscar statuette. Visitors also will be able to view the Actor in a Leading Role Oscar won by Michael Douglas for "Wall Street" (1987) as well as a display of statuettes in various stages of completion, as manufactured each year by R.S. Owens & Company in Chicago.

"Meet the Oscars, New York" at Time Warner Center

"Meet the Oscars" is a free exhibit at The Shops at Columbus Circle at Time Warner Center (Second Floor) featuring actual Oscar statuettes, ahead of the 82nd Academy Awards on March 7.

One of these statuettes is designated for this year's Best Actress in a Leading Role. It will be flown to Hollywood on March 5 where it will be reunited with the other statuettes to be presented on March 7.

These are the Oscar statuettes representing various stages of completion, as manufactured by R. S. Owens and Company in Chicago. A video presentation shows how an Oscar is made.

In 1939, Judy Garland received this miniature statuette for her screen performances in "Babes in Arms" and "The Wizard of Oz."

Movie fans have their pictures taken holding an actual Oscar statuette. The exhibit runs through March 7. Hours are Monday through Saturday from 10 AM to 9 PM, and Sunday from 11 AM to 7 PM. Admission is free.

HUGH JACKMAN and the OSCARS

Last year, Oscar statuettes were displayed in Manhattan's Times Square Studios. I made the images above when I visited the display last year. The golden guy known to the world as the Oscar is the real star of Sunday's 81st Academy Awards which will be hosted by HUGH JACKMAN. First-time Oscar host Mr. Jackman received an Emmy Award in 2005 for hosting the Tony Awards in New York. He also won a Tony Award for his role in the hit Broadway show THE BOY FROM OZ. I took the above photo of Mr. Jackman at the stagedoor of the Imperial Theatre in Times Square after a performance in 2004. According to previous reports, Mr. Jackman will open the ceremony with a musical number staged by "Moulin Rouge" director Baz Luhrmann and Tony-award winning choreographer, Rob Ashford. Hollywood is hoping that this year's awards ceremony will draw more viewers and provide a brief escape from hard economic times. Youtube video from saremac.

MEET THE OSCARS

Just like last year, 50 Oscar statuettes are on display at the Times Square Studios at 1500 Broadway at West 44th Street from February 15 through February 23. Tourists flocked to the studios to see the statuettes, and to have their pictures taken while holding an actual Oscar statuette. I took some photos of the exhibit earlier this afternoon. One display showed the statuettes in different stages of manufacturing. The statuettes are made each year by the Chicago-based R.S. Owens Company.The official name of the Oscar statuette is the "Academy Award® of Merit." Each statuette is 13.5 inches tall and weighs 8.5 pounds. Each statuette is made from the britannium and is then plated in copper, nickel, silver, and finally, 24-karat gold. Designed by Cedric Gibbons, the Oscar statuette depicts a knight holding a crusader's sword, standing on a reel of film. The film reel features five spokes, representing the actors, directors, producers, technicians and writers.