Johnny Carson

The 51st Academy Awards ceremony, organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored films released in 1978 and took place on April 9, 1979, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles. During the ceremony, AMPAS presented Academy Awards (commonly referred to as Oscars) in 23 categories. The ceremony, televised in the United States by ABC, was produced by Jack Haley Jr. and directed by Marty Pasetta. Comedian and talk show host Johnny Carson (pictured) hosted the show for the first time. The Deer Hunter won five awards at the main awards ceremony, including Best Picture. Other winners included Coming Home with three awards and Midnight Express with two. The telecast was watched by 46.3 million viewers and earned a 34.6 Nielsen rating in the United States. (Full list...)