“Over The Past Week, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Terminated – Briefly and, The Organization Insists, Inadvertently – A Longstanding Courtesy Been Members of the Organization, Sparking Considerable Backlash. For at Least the Past FEW DECADES, The Academy Has Allowed Widows”, – WRITE: www.hollywoodReporter.com
For at Least The Past Few Decades, The Academy Has Alowed Widows and Widowers to Continue To Atend of Official Member Screenings in Los Angeles and New York, as they have the. But Irene rampthe widow of The Graduate Screenwriter Buck HenrySays that she arrived at a screening Last Saturday only to be told, “We don’t do that anymore.”
Ramp and Some 300 Other in Her Sitation Receive Written Notice from the Academy this Week That to “Enseure Priority Access for Our Academy Members Membership Screenings Must Now Be Limited to Academy Members and Their Non-Press Guests. ”
In an Email to the Academy on Whomi She cc’d of Other Widows and Widowers, Ramp Vented, “What a Hurtful, Small-Minded, Petty Decision,“ Adding, “The Insult Part of this Facing. screenings in the Last Couple of Months, the [Academy’s 1,000-seat Samuel Goldwyn Theater in LA] HAS BEEN HALF-FULL AT BEST AND USUALLY MANY FEWER. ”
Among Those Who Seconded Ramp’s Complaint in Replies Were Entertainment Lawyer Christine Cuddywidow of Harry gittesWho Produced Films with Jack Nicholsonand Laurie Rissienwidow of Edward RissienWho Produced Films with Harry Belafonte.
Claude Rushwidow of The Stunt Man Director Richard RushWrote Directly to Academy CEO Bill Kramer to vent her fractions. Kramer Replied, in Part, “We Have Started Receive Receive Word from Members that Cannot Get Into the More Heavily Attached screenings On Big Screen and to (SomeTimes) Hear from the Cast and Crew, We Realized that We Need to Prioritize Our Members at this Time. ”
Kramer Did, However, Vow to “Keep An Eye On this As We Continue to Assess the Sity.” And Sure Enough, On Thursday, The Widows and Widowers Received The Following Email from HIM:
Dear Friends of the Academy,
We Want to thank You for Your Patience While We Assessed the Topic of Additional Atendees at Our Academy Member Screenings and Our Desire to Enesure ACADEMY MEMBERS CAN.
We believe we have a found a solation for this Issue, and we are delighted to on on on the Again Welcome You As Our Guest at UpComing Screenings.
Thank you so much for your patience as we worked this through duding the beginning of Our Awards Season – We Are Sorry for Any Concern this may have caused. Your Support Means A Great Deal to Us, and We Look Forward to Seeing You In Our Theaters!
Bill
Sources Close to the Academy Say That What Happened Was The Organization Recently Was Shocked to Discover That A Total of 1,500 Non-Members Were On The Approved List for Access To PAST WHEN SUCH MATTERS WERE TRAIDEDinginging LOOSELY by the Organization. Given the Rapid Expansion of the Membership Over DECADE, TUOUGH, THERE HAS BEEN INCREASING CONCERN THAT MEMBERS MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO ACCESS TO MEMBER SCREENINGS non-members. Only After Decision Was Shared Was It Realized that Widows and Widowers Wered Among Those Impacted, Prompting The Reversal.
Regardless of the back-and-forth, the widows and widowers are said to be very pleased with the kind of the a coupling of the land.