Steven Spielberg watches Oscar nominations in 1976

Excerpt from "TVTV Looks at the Academy Awards."

Here is your front row ticket to The Oscars as you've never seen them before. Watch a young Steven Spielberg lose out in his first of many nominations to be Best Director. Join Lily Tomlin as she buys her acceptance gown, Lee Grant rehearsing her "losing smile" for the camera and Michael Douglas planning his sweep of nominations for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

Help us caption & translate this video!

[SuperFredFree]

"I'm steve Spielberg and i just directed a movie called jaws" epic

[fariddamasio]

He sounds EXACTLY the same as he does now.

[coasterguy]

"everybody loves a winner but nobody loves a WINNER"

He had me dying on that line.

[RyanKonig]

"The shark was an actress." Lol

[filmflim]

Wow! Fellini, Kubrick, Lumet, Altman, and Forman. Best Director nominations used to be stacked!

[SilverShade]

“I got beaten out by Fellini”.

The fact that Spielberg, 29 at the time, after only his second theatrical feature, was disappointed he wasn’t recognized over one of the most internationally renowned filmmakers at the time is hilarious.

I think his disappointment reflects his accomplishments more than his ego. He worked his ass off on Jaws and made the biggest studio hit of the year. He earned his place in Hollywood.

[gonzalomozas]

Everybody loves a winner, but nobody loves a WINNER

[dfk]

I wonder what Steven Spielberg would think if he saw this video today.

[waterspout]

Spielberg should have been nominated for Director, but the actual nominees themselves are an incredible group of legends: Altman, Kubrick, Fellini, Lumet, Forman!

[klausweasley]

On the bright side, "Jaws" did win 3 out of 4 of those awards.

[tommix]

I don't know if Steven would cringe watching this now, but he shouldn't. It's actually a really nice snapshot of who he was at that moment. Sure, he was feeling a little cocksure but he was a young man with a huge success. Who could blame him? His humor came through along with some measure of vulnerability. He certainly was passed over on the best director nomination. What a great line: Everybody loves a winner, but nobody loves a WINNER!

[lovehatecomments]

my god this man is such a nice person! doesn't curse one bit..doesn't over react ..doesn't discredit other nominees.
what a man!

[seanstadler]

“You can not win best Picture without a best Director nomination!”

Green Book: Allow me to introduce myself.

[criddic]

Understandable reaction. This was his first major hit film and there was a lot of expectation that "Jaws" would get a director nomination. He seemed just as surprised that none of the actors were nominated either. It would go on to win 3 of its 4 categories: Editing, Score and Sound. The one it lost was Best Picture, to "One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, " another popular movie. Spielberg was recognized by the Directors Guild of America with a nomination there.

[xXLeAkErXx]

"who made the picture? somebody's mutha?"

[biggestronald]

Spielberg had insane competition I didn’t even realize

[rocky]

The commercial backlash part Spielberg speaks about happens more than ever now

[shredmaster]

I think Spielberg's work on Jaws is one of the best behind-the-camera performances of all time, and how this was not seen by the Academy is bizarre.  And his friends are absolutely right: how can it get the Best Picture Nomination but not Best Director?  The director makes the movie, right?

[KevyNova]

Wow, I read about this years ago in an unauthorized biography of Spielberg but I never saw it, thanks for sharing! Spielberg was so sure that he was going to win for JAWS that he invited news reporters to come film him winning from home. It became a very humbling experience for him, to say the least.

[simonpenum]

Spielberg was friends with the guy from The Godfather! That's a trip. I love these kind of videos