| 56th Academy Awards | |
|---|---|
 Official poster | |
| Date | April 9, 1984 |
| Site | Dorothy Chandler Pavilion Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Hosted by | Johnny Carson |
| Produced by | Jack Haley Jr. |
| Directed by | Marty Pasetta |
| Highlights | |
| Best Picture | Terms of Endearment |
| Most awards | Terms of Endearment (5) |
| Most nominations | Terms of Endearment (11) |
| TV in the United States | |
| Network | ABC |
| Duration | 3 hours, 45 minutes[1] |
| Ratings | 42.1 million 30.3% (Nielsen ratings) |
The 56th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 1983 and took place on April 9, 1984, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, beginning at 6:00 p.m. PST / 9:00 p.m. EST. During the ceremony, AMPAS presented Academy Awards (commonly referred to as Oscars) in 22 categories. The ceremony, televised in the United States by ABC, was produced by Jack Haley Jr. and directed by Marty Pasetta.[2] Comedian and talk show emcee Johnny Carson hosted the show for the fifth time. He first presided over the 51st ceremony held in 1979 and last hosted the 54th ceremony held in 1982.[3] Nine days earlier, in a ceremony held at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, on March 31, the Academy Scientific and Technical Awards were presented by hosts Joan Collins and Arnold Schwarzenegger.[4]
Terms of Endearment won five awards, including Best Picture.[5] Other winners included Fanny and Alexander and The Right Stuff with four awards, Tender Mercies with two awards, and Return of the Jedi, Boys and Girls, Flamenco at 5:15, Flashdance, He Makes Me Feel Like Dancin', Sundae in New York, The Year of Living Dangerously, and Yentl with one. The telecast garnered 42.1 million viewers in the United States.
- ^ Holden 1993, p. 622
- ^ Osborne 1999, p. 341
- ^ Steinberg, David (January 30, 2009). "The Gold Standard". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 4, 2020. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
- ^ "Past Scientific & Technical Awards Ceremonies". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on February 13, 2014. Retrieved July 31, 2013.
- ^ Harmetz, Aljean (April 10, 1984). "'Terms' Wins Best Picture; Duvall and Miss MacLaine Honored". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 29, 2020. Retrieved June 29, 2020.