The Oscars Streaker | 46th Oscars (1974)

[@andzwe]

Perfectly timed by the streaker, entering the stage after Niven says; "A very important contributor to world entertainment."

[@AVH-z9m]

There's been a lot of talk that it was staged as a publicity stunt, including Niven's famous line.

[@NiVi192]

Interesting theory! 😄 ​I highly doubt that David Niven was also in on it, though. The striker and anyone who might have helped him committed a (very) public offense and faced a sentence for indecent behavior. It was a minor breach of law but imagine the Academy or any other Hollywood name being officially linked to a case of staged public nudity, live and in front of a billion people?! No high-profile Hollywood name would risk the potential backlash of a puritanical country like the U.S. ^^ And needless to say, a G.O.A.T. like Niven actually was smart, quick-witted and professional enough to respond like that.​ ...If I was a striker, I'd run past the smartest, classiest British actor, too! 😄 @@AVH-z9m

[@coledakers6127]

0:52

[@charleanastasia5557]

You've gotta love David Niven- he pulled off that comeback like a pro. He didn't even skip a beat

[@gartwilliams3347]

It was a complete setup!

[@Mkundera]

Meh, I don't know. I thought Niven was too smug about his response as if he had really landed one. It was average, I think Billy Chrystal or someone like that would have knocked it out of the park.

[@paradise_valley]

Took his sweet time with it though

[@julierichardson-y4g]

@@Mkundera niven was english with very english manners,you can imagine he was probably in shock give him a break

[@julierichardson-y4g]

@@paradise_valley well of coarse he did, he was thinking of what to say, could you come up with something better........i don't think so

[@LPJack02]

RIP David Niven (March 1, 1910 - July 29, 1983), aged 73 You will be remembered as a legend

[@mdarrenu]

Spend 6 years in WWII. Very tough man inside. Gentleman Soldier. 100% English. Wonderful Actor. Life weared him down only 64 here - looked much older.

[@lincoln2324]

KZbin didn't suggest this. You came here after watching the Oscars 2024 best costume design monologue

[@ThatKreizyTT]

Hell yeah brother

[@thgenerous1isthestrongeststant]

you read minds

[@AkwasiAgyei-vn9ol]

So true

[@RyanHaney55]

Yep.

[@kyleburnette1872]

Damn it! You’re right. 😅

[@gregpresley1466]

The fact that the audience loved it, and immediately cheered and clapped for the streaker speaks volumes.

[@Daniel-sh3os]

I think the fact that they gave a standing ovation for Will Smith after he smacked down a much smaller man said a lot more about them.

[@m3mario]

They were cheering and clapping for everything that day. Those were jolly times.

[@gardensofthegods]

​@@Daniel-sh3osyep a lot of ugly behavior and ugly attitudes that day where people showed who they really are ... it was a grotesque display ... sickening .

[@GuineaPigEveryday]

@@gardensofthegodsdude ppl clapping for an actor is an automatic response u think that shows they’re all monsters wtf is wrong with u, we’ve all seen crowds clap for anyone who walks in front of them, be it dictators, singers, comedians, actors, anyone with fame. Who the fuck wouldn’t be nervously clapping when someone walks on stage regardless of what they just did

[@fanatamon]

@@gardensofthegodsyeh and the other dude should have crash tackled smith afterwards for that as smith had initiated a duel with the slap.

[@Barnstormer1969]

The Oscar for Best Comeback Ever goes to David Niven.

[@Ad.303]

Weak, definitely staged

[@enriquec.5980]

⁠@@Ad.303 lol it wasn’t the naked man was Robert Opel, a New Jersey photographer well know those years and whose only intention for that moment was because he was bored and wanted to get attention.

[@Ad.303]

@@enriquec.5980 if that’s true that’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard

[@applesushi]

Until this week, this was the most surprising thing to ever happen at the Oscar's...

[@violetshamrock]

i think there have been others. Like when La la land was announced instead of Moonlight was one, and when Marlon Brando refused to accept the Oscar for the Godfather, and he had an Indian woman go up in his place.

[@JamesBond-ml3zp]

@@violetshamrock THAT One WASN'T STAGED! THE WILL vs.ROCK One WAS and not Only in Baad Taste but EVERYONE Caught on to it, either immediately or through Delayed reaction!!

[@pointingdog7235]

LMAO

[@artfartzy]

@@JamesBond-ml3zp The slap wasnt staged

[@energiasustentable3653]

@@artfartzy come on you can't be serious

[@billhiers4171]

"If one reads the newspapers or listens to the news, it is quite obvious that the whole world is having a nervous breakdown." And it hasn't stopped.

[@timboci1]

I was thinking the same thing Bill. Nothing has changed since 1974. I'm not sure if this is good or bad news.

[@georggrech5924]

Oh dear

[@kasiamleczarska9078]

It has not.

[@NA-we9jp]

5 years after your comment..and the world has gone mad!...

[@gardensofthegods]

Well , decades ago i remember somebody quoting a Native American chief who may have lived anywhere from the early 1900s to the early 1970s when he said all this ELECTRICITY is making people go INSANE ...they aren't meant to have all this electricity in their homes and at work and around them all the time ... sometimes i think it's true .

[@marvinmuoneke6277]

I love how the orchestra play "Fine and Dandy" of all songs, just after the streaker runs through the stage! Hilarious!

[@gavinreid8937]

Weird, surely Ray Stevens The Streak was more appropriate at the time.

[@75aces97]

I thought that too. Excellent save by the orchestra. That conductor, the players, and Niven were some cool customers that night.

[@NEPatriot]

Out of curiosity, why "Fine and Dandy?"

[@wildflower1397]

@@gavinreid8937 Yes! It had just been released though, and it was a little inappropriate for the occasion, lol. Great song though 🤣

[@tml184]

@@NEPatriot Exactly. Makes no sense.

[@kensellar]

You could just see his mind working, then the light bulb went on and he knew exactly what he was going to say! A brilliant moment and a brilliant actor.

[@ZukoHalliwell]

This might not be the craziest moment in Oscar history anymore.

[@boyfromgeorgiatbilisi]

Agreed

[@themoneypromethod465]

What did they find on Chris Rock’s face after the slap? Fresh Prints ✋

[@janesmith7676]

lol!

[@BlueJWay999]

they've gotten more creative with their publicity stunts

[@MrKaywyn]

Dear Lord, no.

[@oscarfun100]

"That's a pretty hard act to follow." LMAO

[@JK-kv1xl]

no one ever upstaged Elizabeth Taylor!!!!

[@ericandy88]

She was also probably thinking, "Is he single?"

[@damianlatimer5753]

@@ericandy88 lol!

[@damianlatimer5753]

@Veronica A. lollll!

[@Emy-fv5ny]

She was amazing! I love her so much!!!

[@malcs0]

Brilliant. The timing and delivery of his add-lib about the streaker's "shortcomings" was hilarious.

[@adriannn3720]

The streaker was right

[@wylier]

that is if the whole thing wasn't pre-planned. The streaker needed to have special clearance in order to be backstage, and he never revealed how he GOT that clearance. Was he covering up (pun intended) for the producers who may have been in on the whole thing? David might have been fed that line before the show, saying 'If there should be any streaking on the show, say this as a funny follow-up'.

[@Grasslander]

It wasn't ad-libbed. He was tipped off that a streaker might crash the event so he had the day to prepare.

[@akrenwinkle]

@@Grasslander Seems Mr. Niven and/or the writer never heard of "it's a grower, not a show-er." The scripted reaction was just as tasteless and juvenile as the streaking itself.

[@yatesy117]

Also "That was almost bound to happen...." 😆😄😄

[@mindeloman]

Now almost forgotten, while also being a quick wit, Niven was also a badass. He was in a british commando unit in the war. He took part in the normandy campaign, battle of the bulge, and capture of germany. He rarely spoke about the war as many thought their was acclaim in telling their war stories. He did not. He was on the record of saying, " I will, however, tell you just one thing about the war, my first story and my last. I was asked by some American friends to search out the grave of their son near Bastogne. I found it where they told me I would be, but it was among 27,000 others, and I told myself that here, Niven, were 27,000 reasons why you should keep your mouth shut after the war."

[@gentlemanjake8005]

Forgotten by whom? He was a legend.

[@paulwelch1992]

He was a class act on and off the screen.

[@LolaCrazy2221]

I don't mean to play Hollywood Squares but I agree. I also remember seeing this incident right when it aired like it happened yesterday. I liked Niven's comeback too. He was defantely more talented then a lot of todays actors.

[@rockolutheran]

he's one of the most enduring faces in movie history. would hardly call that forgotten

[@gardensofthegods]

I remember David Niven on the front of a magazine when he was dying of some horrible disease that had him in a wheelchair looking so emaciated that his bare legs looked like thin bent rubber . So sad .

[@fool4singing]

Leave it to a quick witted Englishman to keep his cool, and continue on the way he did...

[@chooseyourpoison5105]

I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but streaking was a fad in 1974 and the Oscars organisers had actually prepared this line for the presenters just in case. As we all know, it did, and it fell to David Niven, with his withering timing, to deliver the perfect squelch.

[@rottyangel770]

@Sharon Jensen This whole moment was completely staged. Niven had his ad-lib already prepared. He knew this was going to happen.

[@MissT813]

Heard it had been planned including his comments.

[@gavinreid8937]

Im sure David found it funny but his retort at 1;55 looks a little miffed.

[@oom5768]

I guess a continental wouldn't even have been thrown off. But his snapback was quintessentially british

[@theavandenberg6876]

Only David Niven could stay completey cool during a scene like this and have a deadpan reaction before carrying on with the show. Amazing man.....

[@daweller]

I like how he laid a smackdown without putting hands on the guy.

[@boukie85]

🎉❤🎉❤🎉

[@75aces97]

Not only did Niven get it together to finish the intro, but the orchestra made an impromptu segue.

[@Retro-Future-Land]

I think it was planned as a bit to be honest, the orchestra were too sharp and rehearsed for it to be that spontaneous.

[@75aces97]

@@Retro-Future-Land they didn't break into Stravinsky's Rite of Spring. They played standard festivity music. Stage ensembles are pretty quick at cueing up mood music.

[@Retro-Future-Land]

Regardless of the music name, the fact remains it was staged. Sorry to burst your snowflake bubble. @@75aces97

[@Vespyr_]

​@@Retro-Future-LandThat was simple band music.

[@Retro-Future-Land]

Be that as it may, the whole thing was cringe and planned.@@Vespyr_

[@jimmichaud8487]

Finally, a full version of the Oscars streaker! 34 year old Robert Opel was the dude. His biggest claim to fame. Unfortunately, he was murdered 5 years later.

[@louiso.4325]

Jim Michaud WAIT WHAT

[@Boredman567]

Murdered by armed robbers.

[@yikes4946]

Robert Opel he was a gay rights activist and photographer, it's tragic what happened to him.

[@tennumb]

:'(

[@Akva77]

:(

[@RBNightlinger]

I saw this live in '74!

[@kjgammon1658]

@worldd777 lol, doubt he lives that long!

[@AceMoonshot]

@AsSeenOnTV Ageism is pathetic. You have my complete and utter contempt. You are like dogshit on a shoe.

[@AceMoonshot]

@AsSeenOnTV Better than a dumb fuck

[@benjaminmendezz]

ok boomer

[@1927su]

So did I , I was ten and our parents hardly ever let us watch much tv.. that’s how it was back then , people didn’t thing sitting in front of a tv all day was healthy.

[@logandarklighter]

Kudos to the camera-man. Who panned up EVER so slightly - and enough - to avoid the naughty bits actually being SEEN on TV. Very smoothly done. And Kudos to Niven - who I dare say - rather efficiently and professionally deflated that man's ambitions for the evening!

[@bluewrenreilly129]

Trust David Niven to carry it off with admirable British wit and charm.

[@ColonelMarcellus]

And of course Mr. Niven again demonstrates his genius . . .

[@jws1272]

1:40.....David Niven: "Isn't it fascinating to think, that probably the only laugh that man will ever get in life, is by stripping off and showing his shortcomings?"

[@jesusjavierondo6774]

Jajajajajajaja that was great

[@joaquinhurtado-tapia4369]

True English

[@sharonjensen3016]

"That's why they call him the Streak!"

[@jackcovey1832]

Talk about grace (and wit) under pressure. Wow, just wow.

[@renegaderunner332]

God! David Niven was a damn witty man! Excellent smackdown! LOL!

[@carolharris2302]

David Niven had the perfect retort for that incident!

[@winstonelston5743]

That great ad lib. That triple-take! David Niven was a grand actor, and in this scene displayed comic timing to the picosecond! And Ms. Taylor's remark afterward! Maybe Tom Hanks could have pulled it off, so to speak, but....

[@stevedandy973]

David Niven - What a class act!

[@Darwaxion]

Most unforgettable Academy Awards moment ever!

[@moviemaniac14]

I think the Best Picture announcement of 2016/2017 just beat it.

[@oscarfun100]

Yeh, that one instantly became number one. The picture of the stunned audience should be in movie history books. :)

[@sandrasanders706]

Well not now..Will, Chris, the Slap..2022 Oscars...

[@Darwaxion]

@@sandrasanders706 yes.. You are right. And that one has become the most dishonorable moment of the awards. Will Smith's sudden change of mood is NOT ok, either. His award must be taken back.

[@Sahaib3005]

😐

[@danseabreeze1404]

Thank you for including Elizabeth Taylor at the end, LOVED HER!

[@bsobel1128]

Me too ,,, since I was 11..

[@dorothykilgallenwasmurdere1653]

Ho Ho ho

[@dps8435]

What a guy ,much loved + much missed,he certainly lived life to the full.

[@timgordon3458]

and Niven is one of the greatest gentlemen in show business only he could have handled this so well

[@Blankiss101]

"Isn't it fascinating to think that probably the only laugh that man will ever get in life is by stripping off and showing his shortcomings?" David Niven 🎩😄🤣

[@HollywoodLego]

Everyone here after John Cena referenced this? XD

[@monstermatt2]

Yup but I actually saw this on TV in the 70's I just forgot all about it. I remember my parents screaming and laughing at the TV.

[@Latoree33]

yepp! Had to go back in time. Pretty brave but then again we had streakers back then a lot more than today...

[@cockylora123]

You bet. Hadn't heard of this before and I've been a Niven fan since I was a kid. Streaker picked just the right man.

[@flaviah3625]

Me

[@sirmontyrock]

David Niven handled that one beautifully.

[@lokischildren8714]

The gentleman of gentlemen David Niven one of the greats

[@rocketraccoon77]

His following quip is pure class. I tip my hat to you good sir.. 😂

[@JohnGallagher-oe3ln]

David Niven was so classy and carried on with great humour, probably the most talked event ever in Oscar history

[@hanibearr4786]

I love how you can hear Cher’s laugh over anyone else’s 😂

[@jrbr549]

One of the best impromptu lines in TV history.

[@KMN-bg3yu]

Not only one of the great moments in TV but such a memorable ad lib as well

[@nala-kn8bb]

Lol you can hear Cher laughing at 1:43

[@goingtothewhisky]

nala Lolll

[@davefuller3311]

You are right! How did you catch that? Thank you (:

[@nala-kn8bb]

She's right in the front at 2:42 and her laugh is so distinctive it's hard to miss lol!

[@pocm100]

nala i love how he sees her and laughs and everybody laughs too lmao queen

[@whataqtify]

Now I know where Family Guy got the Seagull at an Adam Sandler movie.

[@michaelwright3440]

Everybody was talking about Chris Rock's composure and quick wit after the slap but that remark by David Niven was classic. Fast too! Btw, anyone notice Linda Blair from the exorcist in the audience?

[@lorraineclark4413]

David Niven was SO COOL!

[@juerv1]

David Niven - extremly cool, charming and smart. A real icon and a brilliant actor.

[@gardensofthegods]

Perfect timing that the guy runs out right after Niven talks about contributing to World entertainment

[@Pidgeonz]

The streaker "Robert Opel" was killed 5 years later after being shot in a home invasion robbery. But this is now cemented on the internet forever. RIP to both the host and the streaker

[@jeshkam]

He was the home invader?

[@Pidgeonz]

@@jeshkam No, someone was trying to rob the streaker dude and he refused to comply so the robbers shot him. According to what I read

[@jeshkam]

@@Pidgeonz Poor dude. RIP.

[@janesmith7676]

"A very important contributor to the world of entertainment..." *Streaker appears.* 😆

[@Blankiss101]

"Well, ladies and gentlemen, that was almost bound to happen”

[@KateNewEngland]

David Niven handled that like a pro.

[@itiswhatitaintanditaintwha1427]

"A hard act to follow!". From what I could see it was only semi-hard.

[@rainbo1475]

That was such a SICK BURN omg David Niven is amazing

[@DavidAndersen84]

What a save! You don't get actors of his great wit and character anymore.

[@DJDiscoCat]

Elizabeth Taylor said "I think I'm jealous!"

[@rogerlambert9316]

It's the same year of Ten Cent Beer Night. 1974 must've been crazy fun.

[@marinamartinez6886]

Glad they included the radiant Elizabeth Taylor. I'm old enough to have seen this original airing.

[@joshuaplotkin8826]

"you know" laughs. "you know" laughs again. "isn't it" completely cracks up.

[@peteb1206]

It's called timing.

[@davidleavitt835]

In light of yesterday's debacle; most of the show. I hope they bring back true wit like this and class.

[@dudley5533]

Liz Taylor really looked gorgeous in this video. She is also a hard act to follow.

[@moester75]

That’s accurate Johnathan, she was a true beauty with those blazing blue eyes and she was so awesome she got more than one guy to marry her before they consummated the relationship.

[@SamuelKhan]

This was a time of pure class.

[@DR-mq1vn]

Yes, you are right. The Oscars now are pure trash. Will Smith is a complete embarrassment!

[@howardcroft3748]

For those who aren't old enough to know David Niven my advice is get to know him now. I promise you will be happy you did. Read his two books "The moons a balloon " and "Bring on the empty horses" ... a British gentleman with a sense of humour to die for. Note: Some of the stories in the second book, that he claimed were him, couldn't have been. But since he wanted to tell the story without telling on someone... he took the rap! Please just read them...I promise you will thank me! Don't get the audio book version... it's condensed and is crap.

[@jillkjv3816]

I read them, a looong time ago when I was a teenager. Maybe it's time for a re-read. :)

[@chiedu90069]

Cher giving the beautiful Elizabeth Taylor a standing ovation @ 2:42 is everything!

[@kawasakiwhiptwo5821]

..."showing his short comings." David Niven,razor sharp and a class act in the movies,AND in real life.

[@AVH-z9m]

Love how the orchestra starts up. Niven's line was very witty. Some, however, think the whole thing was choreographed and that Niven was given that line well in advance.

[@suescourfield7902]

Just loved David Niven. 💕

[@padijeff5675]

A true gentleman was Mr Niven! Even hotel porters liked him!🙂

[@mortensenegbert6619]

One of the all-time great ad-libs.

[@sarahholland2600]

If you've ever read his 2 auto biographies, he was naturally, a very witty nan.

[@allenmontrasio8962]

I love how Niven was unable to control his mirth.

[@shanerollins3736]

Streaker: I’m the biggest hit in Oscars history Will Smith: Hold my wife

[@Shadow_Sonata]

Hey Will, how about keep other men out of your wife.

[@cbstevp]

Thank God David Niven was on stage when that happened. Always a man of quick wit with a funny bon mot up his sleeve, here he gave a comment for the ages.

[@danseabreeze1404]

I swear that's Cher laughing! I'd know her laugh anywhere! 01:43 She's the one that sounds like a choking sea gull : l

[@michelel.egerton6369]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! AWESOME!!! I was seven when this happened and I didn't understand at the time that the man was streaking across the stage

[@bailinnumberguy]

That streaker was murdered a few years later in San Francisco.

[@katimavik43]

Really? Who was he?

[@eastonkellan2070]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Opel

[@sourxtimes]

So sad 😞

[@lenb7275]

in ' 79

[@iscreemz4494]

Bravo, David Niven! He handled that expertly. And Elizabeth Taylor's line was the cherry on the cake. Such professionals. So missed. ❤

[@mmcs4973]

Sophisticated, intelligent, and witty. David Niven was that, and more 😂

[@johnbertrand7185]

One of the best mike drop moments in the history of live television.

[@mybiz2167]

1:46 Cher's laugh! You can hear it before as well.

[@mybiz2167]

Was about to say that, you only beat me by 2 years 🤣

[@12classics39]

Elizabeth Taylor’s “that’s a pretty hard act to follow!” was the cherry on top.

[@GenmuLVLX]

Remember when interesting things happened on live tv?

[@NiVi192]

Niven looked so unsurprised! 🤣👌🏼 ... Just like, "Yeah well, we live in the 70s!" FYI: I loved Liz Taylor's quick wit, too!

[@wackyworldnews]

best oscar moment. we need a sequel!!

[@makingscaryvideosnow3567]

John's Wacky World News you got one tonight

[@wackyworldnews]

YES, IT WAS SURE A COMICAL PLAY

[@deniserodas6848]

We got one 3 days ago at this year’s Oscars with John Cena

[@sidzy79]

To think that most of the people in this clip are probably dead now, is weirdly fascinating

[@rafaeljoaoantunes1042]

The host: 🤷🏻 The crowd: 👏🏻 The naked man: ✌🏻

[@lovethemflowers]

Great response from David!

[@omegaman1409]

Hard to believe it's been 50 years ago.

[@edfelstein3891]

50 years ago this was the talk of the Oscars. 30 years ago it was the notorious Rob Lowe/Proud Mary number. All good fun. And now... violence. How far we've fallen.

[@Rollyboy141]

Who’s here after the Oscar’s 2024

[@m85662]

eu vi o oscar 2024

[@averagejoe6617]

A guy streaks across the stage, and David Ninnen keeps his cool and handles it like a pro. The wrong oscar is handed out, and all Fallon can say is "I think you should keep it anyway."

[@kevinwhelan9607]

Robert Opel RIP- a truly original and brave soul❤

[@ShorrockPaul]

when stars were stars..

[@UNSTABLE111]

calm down grandpa

[@peteb1206]

Check out the old unamused bat at 1:59 right in the middle of the screen trying to work out where the streaker was in the program.

[@wildflower1397]

The double take was classic 😂🤣

[@sebastianhein3147]

David Niven.one of my favourite actors

[@pauldockree9915]

Honestly - I recalled David Niven's excellent joke. Short Comings

[@BEETVproductions]

The fact they posted this uncensored

[@paulbacchus1015]

♥️💚🧡💙🖤 love it, pure class, David Niven sadly missed.

[@Spinosaurus44]

How David Niven came up with that god-tier roast just like that on the spot I’ll never know 😂

[@WORLD8NSH5KNIGHT1]

A sad backstory to this. The man who streaked, Robert Opel, was murdered 5 years later in 1979 during a robbery at his San Francisco home- he was just 39.

[@peteb1206]

Without any doubt a gay hate killing. Opel's nephew Robert Oppel made a film about him in 2010, Uncle Bob.

[@WORLD8NSH5KNIGHT1]

@@peteb1206 I didn't know that