Patrick Dempsey and Corey Feldman appeared in a young-performer number called “I Want to Win an Oscar” at the 61st Academy Awards. It was separate from the ceremony’s better-known Snow White opening, in which Rob Lowe performed with Eileen Bowman. The two segments are often conflated, but they were different parts of the March 29, 1989, show.
What was the 1989 Oscars musical number with Patrick Dempsey and Corey Feldman?
It was “I Want to Win an Oscar,” a musical number featuring young performers, including Patrick Dempsey, Ricki Lake, Chad Lowe and Corey Feldman. The Guardian’s retrospective describes Dempsey dancing and Feldman bringing Michael Jackson-inspired moves to the performance. Those details come from the retrospective, not an official Academy performance transcript.
The number belonged to the 61st Academy Awards, held at the Shrine Civic Auditorium on Wednesday, March 29, 1989, honoring films released in 1988. The Academy’s official ceremony record documents the event and its awards, but is not a detailed account of the musical performances.
How was it different from the Snow White opening?
The young-performer number was not the opening segment starring Rob Lowe and Eileen Bowman as Snow White. That separate, roughly 10-minute opening included a parody of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Proud Mary,” according to UPI’s March 30, 1989, report. The Guardian retrospective also recounts the Snow White and Rob Lowe performance.
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The distinction matters: Dempsey and Feldman are identified with “I Want to Win an Oscar,” while the controversy over Snow White concerned the opening. UPI’s contemporaneous report, “Disney sues Academy over use of Snow White,” described the legal dispute that followed that segment.
Why did Disney sue the Academy?
Disney sued the Academy, alleging that Snow White had been used in the opening without permission. The company’s suit characterized the use as unauthorized and unflattering, and alleged it could confuse the public about whether Disney had authorized or endorsed the performance. Those were allegations in the lawsuit, not court findings.
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How did the ceremony’s musical numbers draw criticism?
The backlash extended beyond the Snow White dispute. In May 1989, The Washington Post reported that the Academy apologized for its unauthorized use of Snow White and formed a committee to review the program after criticism of the musical numbers. Seventeen celebrities and filmmakers sent a complaint letter to Academy President Richard Kahn. Among the signatories named by the Post were Gregory Peck, Paul Newman, Billy Wilder and Joseph L. Mankiewicz.
Mankiewicz called the show “dreadful, cheap, horrible,” according to the Post. The letter said, “It is an embarrassment to both the Academy and the entire motion picture industry,” and added, “It is neither fitting nor acceptable that the best work in motion pictures be acknowledged in such a demeaning fashion.” These remarks reflect the critics’ views, not an official assessment of the performances.
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The Post also reported two figures with specific attributions: Allan Carr’s spokesman claimed that “Thirty-six million homes enjoyed the show,” while Carr said he had received “more than 500 letters.” The article did not establish an independently audited audience count or that all of Carr’s letters came from viewers.
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Sources and what they establish
- The Academy’s 61st Academy Awards page records the date, venue, nominees and winners.
- The Guardian’s 2010 retrospective identifies the young-performer number and its named performers, and discusses the separate opening.
- UPI’s March 30, 1989, report covers the Snow White opening and Disney’s lawsuit.
- Kim Masters’s May 9, 1989, Washington Post report covers the apology, committee, criticism and attributed figures.
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