Yes, a recording on stage by Laurence Olivier as “Othello” received nominations, as did James Whitmore for another work that was filmed.
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Yes, it’s true: in 1966 Sir Laurence Olivier earned a Best Actor nomination (along with three supporting actors) for his black face “Othello” in a hybrid theater / film production of the National Theater. And a decade later, James Whitmore was nominated for Best Actor for his role as President Harry S. Truman in “Give ’em Hell, Harry!”, A wobbly video of a play that didn’t even make it to New York until 2008
This has led people to speculate that Thomas Kail’s film, made up of several 2016 performances of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Broadway musical “Hamilton” (which won 11 Tony Awards, including Best Musical), could cause a great deal of stir at the Oscars in 2021. Well, the Academy has closed the door on that possibility. “Hamilton” is not eligible. And that’s not because it aired on Disney + a full year before it supposedly hit theaters, increasing Disney app downloads + by 72 percent over the July 4 holiday weekend.
In this strange year of a pandemic, the Academy is allowing streaming debuts to be completed at the Oscars, provided they plan to play in theaters at some point. “Hamilton” is not eligible for award consideration simply because it is a recorded performance. Why wouldn’t I be eligible for a documentary, such as Jonathan Demme’s concert movie “Stop Making Sense”? Under the Oscar documentary rules established in 1997, works that are essentially promotional or instructive are not eligible, nor are works that are essentially recordings of unfiltered performances. At the time of Whitmore’s nomination, there was no language that would have made that movie or performance ineligible.
The Golden Globes, with their musical / comedy category and a different set of rules, could be another matter. How difficult Disney will campaign in this filmed performance of “Hamilton” if the Globes allow it to be considered is uncertain: There is still a plan for a real “Hamilton” movie at some point, not just a recording of a performance at the stage.
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