"....and I'd like to thank the Academy for this honor......"

Just take a look at the lovely Grace Kelly, accepting the 1954 Best Actress Oscar for her role in The Country Girl .

It just doesn't get much more glamorous than that.

Yes, she managed to look like a swan...........without actually wearing one.

Although Grace Kelly's Oscar acceptance speech didn't specifically thank the Academy, it was short and sweet:

"The thrill of this moment keeps me from saying what I really feel. I can only say thank you with all my heart to all who made this possible for me. Thank you!"


For her role in The Country Girl, Grace played against type -- portraying the plain, embittered wife of an aging and alcoholic matinee idol (Bing Crosby) who tries to cover up for her husband's weaknesses, but is misunderstood in her motives.

At the time, famed Hollywood columnist Hedda Hopper reported that Judy Garland's loss of the Academy Award(for A Star Is Born) to Grace Kelly(for The Country Girl) in 1954 was the result of the closest Oscar vote up till that time that didn't end in a tie, with just six votes separating the two. In any event, it was a heartbreak from which Judy Garland never really recovered, and which has remained a matter of some controversy ever since.

A year after winning her Country Girl prize, Grace Kelly permanently retired from acting, to become Princess Grace of Monaco.


Well................

My name may be Kelly -- oops, I mean Cagey :) ................but "Grace" is definitely NOT my first name ( or one of my better qualities, which you may know -- if you're at all familiar with the whole "subway incident" ) ........




Anyways..............

I may lack "Grace" -- but I do however, have an acceptance speech of my own to make -- with a very sincere "Thank You."

You see, believe it or not dear readers................

I am now a member of the Academy.



No, not the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences --AMPAS .............

I am a brand new member of CAMPP........The Columbus Academy of Motion Picture Pickers.

Huh?

Take a look at this short article from The Columbus Dispatch that was forwarded to me, by my friend Katie Cannon, a few weeks ago:


MEMBERS SOUGHT FOR CAMPP

Published: Wednesday, January 31, 2007

FEATURES - LIFE 03F

We're looking for six good men or women eager to join our Columbus Academy of Motion Picture Pickers.
For the second year, our CAMPPers will name their choices for best actor, actress, supporting actor, supporting actress, director and picture from the Academy Award nominees before the Feb. 25 broadcast.
Would you like to be one of our new members? Tell us why you should be chosen.

The membership rules:
* You must be 17 or older and live in central Ohio.
* You must have seen each of the movies in the picture, directing and acting categories; and return your ballot to us by Feb. 12.
* You must allow us to print your name, age, job title, affiliation or student status and a photograph.

To take part, write The Dispatch in care of Life, CAMPP, 34 S. 3rd St., Columbus, Ohio 43215. Or send e-mail to talking@dispatch.com and put "CAMPP" in the subject line.

Be sure to include your full name, address, age, phone numbers, occupation and -- most important -- two or three sentences explaining why you ought to be chosen.



So, after prodding from Katie -- I decided, what the heck -- and sent in a submission letter.

It was definitely more than 2 or 3 sentences......I wrote about my life-long love of the movies, my obsession at 8-years-old with Casablanca and Humphrey Bogart and my love of everything "Oscar." (except Oscar Meyer, that is).

I also included a photo from my Oscar-viewing party last year:


(That's me as Marilyn and JJ as Joan Crawford, fighting over Oscar)


and I even threw in a link to Red Carpet Rehab for good measure.


Hmmmm..........you know the saying -- "Be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it" ?

Well, like Grace Kelly in 1954, I now have a short, but sweet, acceptance speech to give:


"I would like to thank my good friend Katie Cannon for this esteemed honor. Katie sent me the article about the CAMPP contest, and made me promise to enter. Although interested, I was definitely dragging my feet about it. Katie, a true fan of Red Carpet Rehab -- never fails to send me her favorable comments. Mostly because I didn't want to let Katie down....I went ahead and sent in a submission letter. Katie said she would cancel her subscription to The Dispatch if I didn't get picked, and I promised to 'thank her in my acceptance speech' if I was chosen."


Well............

Amazingly, they did pick me -- and.......I keep my promises.

So again, "Thank you, Katie. I couldn't have done it without ya!"

(I'm very happy to say, it won't be my fault if Katie Cannon isn't up-to-date on the daily news.)

So what does all of this mean?

It means I've been watchin' a lot of movies over the past three weeks.

(Not a lot of laundry got done, but hey........this is the Academy we're talkin' about!)

Naturally........I took my job seriously (as any Academy member would). I forged ahead in my quest to see all of the nominated pictures, directors and actors........16 in all.

(There are a total of 30 nominees --5 nominees in each of the 6 main catagories, but only 16 different films are represented -- because some films obviously have more than 1 nomination).

I also went to a meeting with all of the CAMPP members (30 of us -- inducted "for life") , and the 3 movie and arts reviewers/critics for The Dispatch. We all discussed the movies (hated that!), were informed of our "duties" and took group and individual photos.

Finally, I filled out my ballot (of who I think should win, not will win) -- and wrote a brief comment of why I picked who I did -- for each of the 6 main catagories.

I emailed all of my picks and observations to The Dispatch last Friday.

Now, we'll just have to wait and see how it all turns out on Oscar day-- this Sunday, February 25th.

I don't exactly know how much of all this is going to make it into the paper.......they said that they will probably use 1 or 2 comment quotes from each of us -- along with the group photo (taken at the Drexel Gateway Theatre on Campus) , and maybe some individual shots.

Who knows?

It was definitely fun to do.......and if they decide to run the feature again, I get to do it all over again next year.

So if you're interested, check out The Dispatch -- this Sunday, February 25th. I think it will be on the front page of either the Arts or Life section.

And instead of thanking my agent, my lawyer, my manager and "the best crew that anyone has ever had to work with"........I'm gonna once again thank my friend, and loyal Rehab reader, Katie Cannon -- for actually thinking I'm funny and telling me to do this.

Guess what?

I love being a member of the Academy.................



Now if you'll excuse me, I gotta go do some laundry.