A good juicy "Oscar moment" can be the most memorable (or embarrassing) incident in a star's career. Since 1953, when the Academy Awards were first televised, viewers have always tuned in hoping to see someone trip, strip, or crash the proceedings. Of course, there were many that went on before they were ever televised. Check out some of Oscar's most famous follies:

1938: SPENCER TRACY, the only actor before Tom Hanks to win two best actor awards in consecutive years (for Captains Courageous and Boys Town), was on the receiving end of one of many early awards' howlers. Having reached the podium to receive the first of his best actor awards, he was a little surprised to see that the engraving did not bear his own name, but that of "Dick Tracy". Tracy, though, never discovered whether the slip was an innocent error, or some Oscar-night tomfoolery.

1962: Comedian BOB HOPE hosts the Oscars from the Santa Monica Civic Center. As the cinematography award is about to be announced, a strange man suddenly rushes the podium and grabs the mike. Calling himself Stan Berman, he declares: "Ladies and gentlemen, I'm the world's greatest gatecrasher and I just came here to present Bob Hope with his 1938 trophy." Handing a miniature statuette to actress Shelley Winters, he says "This is for Bob" and splits. Hope later quips, "Who needs Price Waterhouse? All we need is a doorman."

1962: The most memorable event of the night was when Stan Berman, a New York City cabdriver, awarded BOB HOPE a homemade Oscar after he had slipped through security and made his way to the stage.

1970: Calling the Oscars "a two-hour meat parade," GEORGE C. SCOTT announces that he will refuse the Best Actor award if he wins (for playing WWII general George Patton in Patton). On the big evening, presenter GOLDIE HAWN rips open the Best Actor envelope and squeals, "Oh my God! The winner is George C. Scott!" True to his word, Scott is home in New York watching a hockey game on TV. He's the first actor ever to refuse an Oscar.

1973: "Hello. My name is Sacheen Littlefeather. I'm Apache and... I'm representing MARLON BRANDO this evening." So says a young woman in Indian garb who takes the microphone after Marlon Brando wins the Best Actor award for The Godfather. Brando, not to be outdone by GEORGE C. SCOTT, has sent Littlefeather to protest the treatment of Native Americans in the movies. The audience reacts with confusion and scattered boos. Actor CLINT EASTWOOD, announcing the Best Picture award moments later, says "I don't know if I should present this award on behalf of all the cowboys shot in John Ford westerns over the years."

1974: 33-year-old Robert Opal gooses Oscar by streaking naked, on live TV, across the stage of the Dorothy Chandler Pavillion. Opal flashes a peace sign as he passes the cameras, and NBC cuts away to avoid full frontal nudity. After the laughter has died down, presenter DAVID NIVEN blithely tells the crowd, "Just think: the only laugh that man will probably ever get is for stripping and showing off his shortcomings."

1982: BEN KINGSLEY is mistakenly awarded the Best Supporting Actress statue for the role of Julie Nichols in Tootsie. Ever the gentleman and never one to spoil a perfectly enjoyable evening, Kingsley politely thanks the strong women after whom he modeled his performance. Among the list of female role models to whom Kingsley pays tribute: Mahatma Gandhi.

1984: SALLY FIELD has won the Best Actress Oscar before, in 1978 for Norma Rae. But after ROBERT DUVALL hands her this year's Oscar for Places in the Heart, Field starts a gush-a-thon: "I wanted more than anything to have your respect. The first time I didn't feel it, but this time I feel it and I can't deny the fact you like me. Right now, you really like me!" "You like me!" becomes an instant catchphrase. The next year Field introduces the Best Actor award by saying, "Let's see which one you like, you really, really like."

1985: In his advancing years, SIR LAURENCE OLIVIER, the grand old man of British acting, despite being asked to present only one award - the 1985 Oscar for best picture. The 78-year-old got a little ahead of himself, and, instead of reading out the nominees, simply opened the envelope and shouted Amadeus!

1989: In a famously bizarre opening number, ROB LOWE is forced to sing and dance with an actress dressed up as Snow White. The performance is a ghastly flop. In the following days Lowe is mercilessly ribbed for his bad singing; the Walt Disney Company sues the Academy for unauthorized use of the Snow White image.

1991: 72-year-old JACK PALANCE is chosen Best Supporting Actor for City Slickers and goes cheerfully berzerk onstage. Demonstrating his rugged virility, Palance suddenly hits the floor and starts doing one-armed pushups. Returning to the podium, Palance makes a few off-color comments and rambles: "As far as two-handed pushups are concerned, you can do that all night." In true Hollywood fashion, the incident jump-starts Palance's career.

1991: Another senior moment might have been avoided had Billy Crystal, the host of the 1991 Oscar ceremony, pointed HAL ROACH in the direction of a functioning microphone. The centenarian, who was being honoured for his silent classics, such as the Laurel & Hardy series, made his minutes-long, unamplified speech to a baffled audience. As the old man traipsed off, Crystal quipped that it was "fitting, since Mr. Roach started in silent films."

Authors-several, some unknown