The Academy Awards have a storied history that spans almost the entire existence of Hollywood.

The initial ceremony took place in 1929 at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, while the first broadcasted event occurred in 1953.

As the most venerable international entertainment awards show, the Oscars has witnessed numerous peculiar accomplishments.

In this article, we’ll examine the unique case of an Oscar-winning film that had its award withdrawn.

The 1968 Oscars were a remarkable affair.

Hosted at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium on April 10th, the ‘Best Picture’ nominees comprised The Graduate, Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner, Doctor Dolittle, Bonnie & Clyde, and In The Heat of the Night, with the latter claiming the prize.

The ‘Best Actor’ contenders were equally illustrious, as Rod Steiger triumphed over Paul Newman and Dustin Hoffman for his role in the Best Picture-winning movie.

Concurrently, Katherine Hepburn secured the ‘Best Actress’ accolade for her depiction of Christina Drayton in Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner, contending with Audrey Hepburn, Faye Dunaway, Anne Bancroft, and Dame Edith Evans.

The 1968 ‘Best Documentary’ category stands out in memory.

Young Americans, directed by Alexander Grasshoff, initially clinched the award, only to have it rescinded when it was revealed that the film had theatrical screenings in 1967, rendering it ineligible for the 1968 accolade.

Consequently, Journey Into Self, the runner-up in votes, was granted the award months after the event. Thus, Young Americans remains the only film in Oscars history to have an award revoked.

The film revolves around a young musical choir from Los Angeles called The Young Americans as they prepare for their fall tour across the United States.

It portrays teenage challenges on the road, covering the audition and practice phase for the 36-member coed tour ensemble.

Alex Grasshoff’s wife, who wrote and directed the movie, spoke about the withdrawn victory in an interview with The Los Angeles Times following the director’s passing.

“We slept with the Oscar the first night,” Madilyn Clark Grasshoff told the publication. “It was very, very exciting, my gosh.”

A few weeks later, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences contacted Madilyn and Alex to inform them that the film was, in fact, ineligible for the ‘Best Documentary’ award due to a theater screening in October 1967.

Madilyn mentioned that Academy President Gregory Peck called her husband to notify him that there had been a “big to-do over it.”

She elaborated, “What happened was, it was a trial sneak preview in some little town in, like, North Carolina,” she said.

“I don’t know why they didn’t fight it, because it was not released.”