The Golden Apple Award (1941–2001) was an American award presented to entertainers by the
Hollywood Women's Press Club The Hollywood Women's Press Club was created in 1928 by Louella Parsons. The club was originally a luncheon club for women magazine and newspaper journalists, but in 1941 admitted publicists and subsequently screenwriters and other allied profession ...
, usually in recognition of behavior rather than performance.
History
The award was presented from 1941 until 2001, when the Hollywood Women's Press Club became inactive. The awards ceremony included Golden Apples to recognize actors for being easy to work with, as well as the Sour Apple Award (not presented in some years) chastising actors for being rude or difficult. Winners of the former include
Bob Hope
Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in more than 70 short and feature films, with 5 ...
(1941),
Mae West
Mae West (born Mary Jane West; August 17, 1893 – November 22, 1980) was an American stage and film actress, playwright, screenwriter, singer, and sex symbol whose entertainment career spanned over seven decades. She was known for her breezy ...
(1969) and
Billy Crystal
William Edward Crystal (born March 14, 1948)On page 17 of his book ''700 Sundays'', Crystal displays his birth announcement, which gives his first two names as "William Edward", not "William Jacob" is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. ...
(1989) and winners of the latter include
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...
(1946, 1951, and 1974),
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
(1966)
Joan Rivers
Joan Alexandra Molinsky (June 8, 1933 – September 4, 2014), known professionally as Joan Rivers, was an American comedian, actress, producer, writer and television host. She was noted for her blunt, often controversial comedic persona—heavi ...
(1983), and
Dale Robertson
Dayle Lymoine Robertson (July 14, 1923February 27, 2013) was an American actor best known for his starring roles on television. He played the roving investigator Jim Hardie in the television series '' Tales of Wells Fargo'' and railroad owner Be ...
(3 times).
From 1941 to 1966, the Golden Apple winners were specifically called "The Most Cooperative Actor/Actress", while the Sour Apple winners were specifically called "The Least Cooperative Actor/Actress". Starting in 1967, the Golden Apple winners were specifically called "The Male/Female Star of the Year", while the Sour Apple winner was called, simply, "The Sour Apple Winner". From 1974 onwards, there were additional—though sporadic—presentations of Golden Apples for "New Star", "New Discovery", "Daytime Star" and "Hollywood Legend".
Louella Parsons Award
''The Louella Parsons Award'' was introduced in 1970. This "Lifetime Achievement" award was named for columnist
Louella Parsons
Louella Parsons (born Louella Rose Oettinger; August 6, 1881 – December 9, 1972) was an American movie columnist and a screenwriter. She was retained by William Randolph Hearst because she had championed Hearst's mistress Marion Davies and su ...
, founder of the Hollywood Women's Press Club. Recipients include
Danny Thomas
Danny Thomas (born Amos Muzyad Yaqoob Kairouz; January 6, 1912 – February 6, 1991) was an American actor, singer, nightclub comedian, producer, and philanthropist. He created and starred in one of the most successful and long-running si ...
(1970),
Bob Hope
Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in more than 70 short and feature films, with 5 ...
(1975),
Henry Winkler
Henry Franklin Winkler, OBE (born October 30, 1945), is an American actor, comedian, author, executive producer, and director. After rising to fame as Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli on the American television series ''Happy Days'', Winkler has ...
(1982),
George Sidney
George Sidney (October 4, 1916May 5, 2002) was an American film director and producer who worked primarily at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. His work includes cult classics ''Bye Bye Birdie'' (1963) and ''Viva Las Vegas'' (1964). With an extensive backgro ...
(1995),
Kirk Douglas
Kirk Douglas (born Issur Danielovitch; December 9, 1916 – February 5, 2020) was an American actor and filmmaker. After an impoverished childhood, he made his film debut in ''The Strange Love of Martha Ivers'' (1946) with Barbara Stanwyck. Do ...
(1999),
Aaron Spelling
Aaron Spelling (April 22, 1923 June 23, 2006) was an American film and television producer and occasional actor. His productions included the TV series ''Family'' (1976–1980), '' Charlie's Angels'' (1976–1981), ''The Love Boat'' (1977–1986 ...
(1998), and
Liz Smith (2000).
Golden Apple Awards:2000
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References
External links
Official Database 1941-2001
American film awards
Awards established in 1941
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