Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject of 1949, One of the Last Available Oscars To Be Resold. One of the most recognizable Hollywood icons is a little fellow named Oscar. For decades, these statuettes have been the Holy Grails of writers, directors, actors, producers, and technicians, a symbol of the ultimate achievement in their field. Approximately 40 awards are hand-crafted each year by R. S. Owens & Company of Chicago, and as of the 79th Academy Awards ceremony held last year, a total of 2,663 Oscars have been awarded. Despite the sheer number that have been produced and handed out, only a few have circulated amongst collectors of Hollywood memorabilia, for a very simple reason: since 1950, a requirement has existed that stipulates that neither Academy Award winners nor their heirs may sell the statuettes without first offering to sell them back to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the sum of $1. (If a winner refuses to sign said agreement, the Academy keeps the statuette.) A recent Forbes article suggests that only an approximate 150 statuettes have ever been sold; often, the buyer returns the award to the Academy, which stores them in its vaults.

This particular Academy First Award for the Most Outstanding Documentary Short Subject of 1949 was awarded to producer and documentary film pioneer Richard de Rochemont, for the March of Time installment "A Chance to Live." (That same year he produced Crusade in Europe, the first documentary series produced for television.) Because it was awarded in March of 1950, it is one of the final awards to be exempted from the Academy's no-sale rule, and is one of the last Oscars (if not THE last Oscar) awarded that is still able to be resold.

Made of gold-plated britannium on a black metal base, the statuette stands 13.5", weighs 8.5 lbs., and depicts an Art Deco-style male figure holding a sword standing upon a reel of film, a design recognized worldwide. It is in Very Fine condition with some small areas of tarnishing and wear, and is a bit wobbly where the statuette meets the base. This is a rare opportunity to own an award that's as coveted by collectors as it is by the Hollywood elite. Estimate: $50,000 - up.

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