At the 1979 Oscars, John Wayne uttered five words that stunned even his harshest critics.

When the lights lowered inside the grand Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on the evening of April 9, 1979, a profound hush settled over Hollywood—it was not the polite quiet expected before an awards segment, but a deep, collective silence charged with nostalgia, reverence, and a palpable sense of anxiety.

Every person in that magnificent room, from the most hopeful, up-and-coming actors to the …

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