What is the "Maltese Oscar"?

The "Maltese Oscar" refers to a mysterious statuette that surfaced for auction, rumored to be Marlon Brando's Oscar from The Godfather, which he refused in 1973.

Does the Academy have Marlon Brando's Oscar?

The Academy claims it has the actual statuette intended for Marlon Brando, identified as No. 1601, which was returned by Roger Moore and later repurposed for Charlie Chaplin.

Where is the "Maltese Oscar" now?

The current whereabouts of the "Maltese Oscar," the statuette shown to the journalist and potentially not the Academy's No. 1601, are unknown.

Home / Arts and Entertainment / Stolen Oscar: The Maltese Falcon of Hollywood History

Stolen Oscar: The Maltese Falcon of Hollywood History

10 Mar

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Summary

A stolen Oscar, possibly Marlon Brando's, surfaced for auction.
The Academy claims it possesses the real statuette, not Brando's.
The "Maltese Oscar" remains lost, its true ownership unknown.

Stolen Oscar: The Maltese Falcon of Hollywood History

A journalist's investigation into a rumored Marlon Brando Oscar up for auction revealed a tale stranger than fiction. The statuette, nicknamed the "Maltese Oscar," surfaced in 1994, claimed to be the one Brando refused at the 1973 Academy Awards. The Academy asserts it possesses the genuine trophy, originally No. 1601, which was returned by Roger Moore and later repurposed for Charlie Chaplin.

However, the statuette shown to the journalist was numbered 1601, not 1616 as claimed by the Academy. This led to speculation that the Academy's trophy was a replacement. The original No. 1601 apparently disappeared during the 1973 ceremony, possibly taken by a representative of the award supplier, and a second duplicate was created.