Oscar season comes early for 3 film veterans

LOS ANGELES -- Without the burden of a live worldwide broadcast, members of the film academy threw themselves a relaxed dinner party to honor the first Oscar winners of the season.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences broke with tradition and presented its honorary Oscars off-camera Saturday night, months ahead of the televised ceremony in March.

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Filmmaker Roger Corman, left, actress Lauren Bacall, center, and cinematographer Gordon Willis pose onstage with their honorary Oscars at The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences 2009 Governors Awards.
(AP)

Actress Lauren Bacall, B-movie king Roger Corman and "Godfather" cinematographer Gordon Willis each received Oscar statuettes during the black-tie banquet at the Grand Ballroom above the Kodak Theatre.

Several presenters applauded the lack of TV coverage. "It's so much better ... that nobody's worrying whether 36.5 million people are watching us or 29.2," Warren Beatty said.

AP