R69 Very True. Peter was obsessed with getting that Oscar.
From Finch Bloody Finch book :
"Very soon after the completion of Network , at the beginning of August to be precise, the possibility of all four of its stars winning Academy Awards began to present itself strongly in their thoughts as well as in the thoughts of everyone connected with the film.
Peter had always taken awards in his stride , But What had happened around that time to reverse Peter’s casual, off-hand stand about the awards? What had changed him overnight from reluctant to keen, from keen to determined, and from determined to obsessed with the desire — as Eletha was — to win for that year?
Eletha and Peter had learned through the grapevine that MGM was planning to enter Peter not in the Best Actor category, but in the Best Supporting Actor category. Peter’s blood was up. Howard Beale a supporting part? In a word, no. MGM must be made to put him in his rightful category and Peter must show them that he was prepared to fight for Best Actor. More — that he was determined to win.
Says Mike Maslansky, “Peter wanted to win that Oscar. It was an obsession with him. And we went to all lengths, let me tell you, during the period I was engaged. Between August and January, Peter must have done three hundred interviews with foreign and domestic media — radio, television, the works. Nobody, but nobody was missed. And there was no one Peter refused to talk to.
Though no one has yet been able to figure out whether Academy Awards are based on merit, money or the popularity of a particular actor at the time — there are just too many variables — the short answer a film studio would give you is: popularity based on publicity.
Peter was mostly in high spirits during these trips. There was, however, one upsetting incident that occurred in October in New York in the Finches’ suite at the Pierre that caught Mike completely off-guard and perturbed him for a very long time. He says, “Peter and I were sitting there and I can’t honestly say what brought it on — whether something had made him angry, or he was exhausted, or he wasn’t feeling well, but suddenly out of nowhere it seemed to me, he turned white with rage and then launched into this speech about the evils of the business world and how the business people in the movies corrupt the artists. Then it was all over and never referred to again.”
