September 23, 1968 –
ABC Pictures moving drama, Charley, based on the short story Flowers for Algernon, starring Cliff Robertson, Claire Bloom, Lilia Skala, Leon Janney, Dick Van Patten and Barney Martin premiered on this date.
The reason that Cliff Robertson was not at the Oscars to receive his Best Actor award was because he was in the middle of filming the movie Too Late the Hero in the Philippines. The director Robert Aldrich would not allow him to attend the ceremony, as a flight from the Philippines to Los Angeles and back would be too time-consuming due to budgetary restraints. Robertson pleaded with Aldrich, even offering to pay out of pocket for any costs associated with his absence, but to no avail. After Robertson won the Oscar, the crew of Too Late the Hero presented him with a mock statuette made out of wood. According to Turner Classic Movies host Robert Osborne, after the Philippine location shooting was over, Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences president Gregory Peck greeted the cast as they disembarked at Los Angeles International Airport. Robertson was holding his fake Oscar when he got off the plane. As he was approached by Peck with the real statuette, Robertson threw the wooden “Oscar” over his shoulder. The fake statuette hit Michael Caine in the forehead, causing him to bleed profusely.
The Haus of Dcaligari 