On January 22, 1954, at the Club del Mar in Santa Monica, three symbols of Hollywood glamour attended, all of them on the brink of super-stardom. Audrey Hepburn won for her first major role, in Roman Holiday, Grace Kelly was named best supporting actress for her part in MogamboMarilyn Monroe was voted for the World Film Favorite and got the Henrietta Award statuette.
Four years later, when the ceremony was telecast live locally in Los Angeles for the first time, a spontaneous moment changed the nature of the Golden Globe show forever. Rat Packers Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis, Jr. jumped up onstage, with whiskeys and cigarettes in tow, and took over the show. They were such a hit that they repeated their performance the next year, this time at the request of the HFPA.
Sally Field was like a superhero before it was trendy. In 1968, she flew across The Cocoanut Grove in character as Sister Bertrille from The Flying Nun TV show. Field was caught by John Wayne and then she presented the New Star of the Year award to Dustin Hoffman.
Marlon Brando, who won his first Globe for On the Waterfront in 1955, refused his best actor Globe for The GodfatherWhen Bette Midler claimed her trophy for The Rosein 1980, she cheerfully cupped her breasts and announced, “I’ll show you a pair of Golden Globes!”
Both Christine Lahti (in 1998) and Renée Zellweger (in 2001) missed hearing their names announced as winners because they were in the ladies’ room. While Lahti was in the restroom, Robin Williams jumped on stage and told jokes until she arrived. Hugh Grant, who announced Zellweger’s name, began to accept the award on her behalf.
Elizabeth Taylor charmed everyone in 2001. She almost forgot to read the list of best motion picture, drama nominees before opening the envelope. She charmed everyone with her self-scolding: “Oh, I guess I’m more used to receiving awards rather than giving them,” she said.
In 1999, Jack Nicholson won the Cecil B. deMille Lifetime Achievement Award. In the middle of his speech, he fake-mooned the audience. Then in 2003, after winning for About Schmidt, he was rambling his speech and admitted he had taken a Valium earlier in the night.
In 2014, a barefoot Emma Thompson took to the stage with her Louboutins in one hand and her martini in the other and said: “This red? It’s my blood.” When she realized she didn’t have a hand free to hold the envelope, she tossed her heels over her shoulder and gave her martini to Miss Golden Globe (now Golden Globe Ambassador) Sosie Bacon. Then she announced the winner of the best screenplay: Spike Jonze for Her.