April 2, 1974: The fad of "streaking" -- taking off your clothes and running naked through a public place -- reaches its peak, at the Academy Awards.
By this point, the Awards, nicknamed the Oscars, were firmly established as the day the American film industry, inherently conservative in spite of the occasional innovation, celebrated itself. When things didn't go according to plan, the studio heads didn't like it.
It was bad enough in 1971, when George C. Scott declined his Best Actor award for playing the titular World War II U.S. Army General in Patton. It got worse in 1973, when Marlon Brando won Best Actor for playing organized crime boss Vito Corleone in The Godfather, and, to accept his award, sent Sacheen Littlefeather, a Native American activist, to plead her people's case, which Brando supported.
In June 1973, the press reported on a "streaking" trend at Michigan State University. The following December 1973, Time magazine called streaking "a growing Los Angeles-area fad" that was "catching on among college students and other groups."
In response to this Time article, a graduate of Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota wrote to the magazine that the term "streaking" was coined because the nude students ran across the campus primarily during the Winter months of January and February, and "unless one appeared as a streak against the landscape, the Minnesota winter was triumphant and streaker became a statue." The school's newspaper, The Carletonian, used the term "streaking" as early as 1967, but initially in negative terms: "Examples of [Carleton's social problems] are the large number of departing female students, the rise of class spirit, low grades, streaking, destruction, drinking, and the popularity of rock dances."
By February 1974, it had become an epidemic. On NBC's The Tonight Show, Johnny Carson began making jokes about it in his monologue. On CBS' Match Game, the fad began appearing in questions. On March 23, a middle-aged man named John Taylor ran onto the field at a soccer game between Arsenal and Manchester City at the Arsenal Stadium, a.k.a. Highbury, in North London. He was caught, forced into a pair of pants, removed from the stadium, and fined £10. (About £120, or $150, in 2022 money. Arsenal won the game, 2-0.)
On April 2, the Oscars were held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles. The hosting duties were divided by 4: Singer Diana Ross, director John Huston, and actors Burt Reynolds (to attract younger viewers, especially women) and David Niven (to attract older viewers, especially women).
There were several notable moments, above and beyond what the night would become most known for:
* Future Star Wars boss George Lucas was nominated for the 1st time, for Best Director for American Graffiti. Setting an apparent record for quickest attempt at nostalgia (1962 to 1973), it was also nominated for Best Picture.
* Tatum O'Neal won Best Supporting Actress for her role in Paper Moon. She was only 10 years old, and remains the youngest Oscar winner ever.
* John Houseman won Best Supporting Actor for his role in The Paper Chase. He was 71, and although he wasn't the oldest Oscar winner ever, the 61-year gap between winners Houseman and O'Neal remains the biggest at a single ceremony.
* The Exorcist became the 1st horror film nominated for Best Picture. It was nominated for 10 awards, but won only 2: Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Sound.
* The Sting, a story about con artists during the Great Depression, won Best Picture. Since that award goes to a film's producer(s), that made Julia Phillips the 1st female producer to win one. George Roy Hill directed it, and won Best Director. Robert Redford was nominated for Best Actor, but co-star Paul Newman was not.
* Groucho Marx was presented with an Honorary Academy Award for his contributions to film.
At the time, Robert Opel, a 34-year-old Pittsburgh native, was an English teacher in Los Angeles, who had once been a speechwriter for actor-turned-Governor Ronald Reagan of California. But on this night, he posed as a journalist to gain entry to the stage at the Pavilion. He waited for Niven to begin a speech introducing actress Elizabeth Taylor. Opel took his clothes off, and ran naked past Niven, flashing not just himself, but also a peace sign.
After breaking into laughter momentarily, Niven regained his composure, turned to the audience and quipped, "Well, ladies and gentlemen, that was almost bound to happen. But isn't it fascinating to think that probably the only laugh that man will ever get in his life is by stripping off and showing his shortcomings?"
On May 18, country singer Ray Stevens, known for his novelty songs, hit Number 1 with his single "The Streak." It held the top spot for 3 weeks. ("Don't look, Ethel!" But it was too late.) By the end of the year, the fad had run its course, or so to speak.
Opel lost his job over the incident, and became an artist, a photographer, and a gay rights activist. On July 7, 1979, he was murdered during a robbery attempt at his studio in San Francisco. He was 39. Both robbers were imprisoned.
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April 2, 1974 was a Tuesday. The Major League Baseball season opened 2 days later. Football was out of season. The American Basketball Association scheduled no games for this date. The NBA scheduled 3:
* The New York Knicks lost to the Capital Bullets, 88-79 at Madison Square Garden. Known as the Baltimore Bullets from 1963 to 1973, this was the team's only season under the "Capital Bullets" name. For 1974-75, they became the Washington Bullets. For 1997-98, they became the Washington Wizards.
* The Buffalo Braves beat the Boston Celtics, 115-105 at the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium.
* And the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Milwaukee Bucks, 98-96 at The Forum outside Los Angeles in Inglewood, California.
There were 3 games scheduled in the NHL:
* The New York Islanders beat the Pittsburgh Penguins, 3-2 at the Nassau Coliseum.
* The Philadelphia Flyers beat the Minnesota North Stars, 6-3.
* And the St. Louis Blues beat the California Golden Seals, 5-3 at the St. Louis Arena.
And there were 2 games in the World Hockey Association. The Jersey Knights lost to the Chicago Cougars, 7-3 at the International Amphitheatre in Chicago. And the Toronto Toros beat the Edmonton Oilers, 3-2 at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto.
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