Chicago foundry to make 'backup' Oscars

By Staff -- Purchasing, 2/8/2001

Hollywood will have no shortage of Oscars this year. The Chicago foundry that makes the gold-plated statuettes plans to mint a second set on the slim chance that last year's theft is repeated.

This year's winners of Hollywood's famed Academy Awards will receive statuettes originally intended for last year's winners before they were stolen off a truck dock.

"We'll be producing a new batch to be used for 2002, so they'll have a year's supply on hand," says Scott Siegel, president of Oscar-maker R.S. Owens and Co. The recovered 13-inch, 8-lb statuettes, which are 24-karat gold over silver over nickel over copper, have been inspected and refurbished where necessary, Siegel says.

All but three of the 55 statuettes stolen prior to last year's ceremony were found in a trash bin by a junk dealer. A truck driver later pleaded no contest to grand theft in connection with the theft. So, instead of shipping the Oscars by truck as in the past, they will be flown to Los Angeles for the 73rd Academy Awards on March 25.