The 47th Academy Awards were presented Tuesday, April 8, 1975, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, California, honoring the best films of 1974. The ceremonies were presided over by Bob Hope, Shirley MacLaine, Sammy Davis Jr., and Frank Sinatra. This was the final ceremony to air on NBC; in the following year ABC acquired the U.S. broadcasting rights and has hosted the awards show since.

The success of The Godfather Part II was notable; it received twice as many Oscars as its predecessor (six) and duplicated its feat of three Best Supporting Actor nominations (as of the 98th Academy Awards, it is the last film to receive three nominations in a single acting category). Between the two of them, father and son Carmine and Francis Ford Coppola won four awards, with Carmine winning for Best Original Dramatic Score (with Nino Rota) and Francis for Picture, Director, and Best Screenplay Adapted from Other Material (with Mario Puzo).

Prior to the ceremony, Dustin Hoffman, who was nominated for his performance in the film Lenny, described the awards as "ugly" and "grotesque" and likened the ceremony to a beauty pageant, causing host Hope to remark that "if Dustin Hoffman wins tonight, he's going to have a friend pick it up for him—George C. Scott." Ingrid Bergman felt that she won her Academy Award out of a collective showbusiness guilt over her being ostracized from Hollywood in 1949 due to her affair with director Roberto Rossellini and that Valentina Cortese was worthy of the Best Supporting Actress Oscar. Upon winning the Best Documentary Feature Oscar for Hearts and Minds, co-producer Bert Schneider said, "It's ironic that we're here at a time just before Vietnam is about to be liberated," and then read a telegram containing "Greetings of Friendship to All American People" from Ambassador Dinh Ba Thi of the Provisional Revolutionary Government (Viet Cong)Biskind, Easy Riders, Raging Bulls, p. 275. delegation to the Paris Peace Accords.Robinson, George. Sometimes A Thank You Isn't Enough", The New York Times, March 4, 2001. Accessed May 29, 2008. The telegram thanked the anti-war movement "for all they have done on behalf of peace".Schulzinger, Robert D., "A Time for Peace: The Legacy of the Vietnam War", page 155, Oxford University Press, Oxford & New York, 2006 The speech infuriated Hope, who later wrote a telegram that he had Sinatra read to the divided audience. The note said: "The academy is saying, 'We are not responsible for any political references made on the program, and we are sorry they had to take place this evening.'"Efron, Eric. " The World: Acting Out; At the Oscars, a Cause and Effect", The New York Times, March 30, 2003. Accessed May 29, 2008. This speech infuriated a third co-host, Shirley MacLaine, and actor Warren Beatty, who sarcastically retorted "thank you, Frank, you old Republican". MacLaine, for her part, remarked "You said you were speaking for the Academy. Well, I'm a member of the Academy and you didn't ask me!".

This was the only Oscar ceremony in which all five of the nominees in a single category were released by the same studio: all five Best Costume Design nominations were for films released by Paramount Pictures.

Winners and nominees

Nominees were announced on February 24, 1975. Winners are listed first and highlighted in boldface. Select "1974" in the "Award Year(s)" drop-down menu and press "Search". The Godfather Part II – Francis Ford Coppola, producer; Gray Frederickson and Fred Roos, co–producersChinatown – Robert Evans, producer The Conversation – Francis Ford Coppola, producer; Fred Roos, co-producer Lenny – Marvin Worth, producer The Towering Inferno – Irwin Allen, producer | style="vertical-align:top; width:50%;"|Francis Ford Coppola – The Godfather Part II Roman Polanski – Chinatown François Truffaut – Day for Night Bob Fosse – Lenny John Cassavetes – A Woman Under the InfluenceArt Carney – Harry and Tonto as Harry Coombes Albert Finney – Murder on the Orient Express as Hercule Poirot Dustin Hoffman – Lenny as Lenny Bruce Jack Nicholson – Chinatown as J.J. "Jake" Gittes Al Pacino – The Godfather Part II as Michael CorleoneEllen Burstyn – Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore as Alice Hyatt Diahann Carroll – Claudine as Claudine Price Faye Dunaway – Chinatown as Evelyn Cross Mulwray Valerie Perrine – Lenny as Honey Bruce Gena Rowlands – A Woman Under the Influence as Mabel LonghettiRobert De Niro – The Godfather Part II as Vito Corleone Fred Astaire – The Towering Inferno as Harlee Claiborne Jeff Bridges – Thunderbolt and Lightfoot as Lightfoot Michael V. Gazzo – The Godfather Part II as Frank Pentangeli Lee Strasberg – The Godfather Part II as Hyman RothIngrid Bergman – Murder on the Orient Express as Greta Ohlsson Valentina Cortese – Day for Night as Severine Madeline Kahn – Blazing Saddles as Lili von Shtupp Diane Ladd – Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore as Florence "Flo" Castleberry Talia Shire – The Godfather Part II as Connie CorleoneChinatown – Robert Towne Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore – Robert Getchell The Conversation – Francis Ford Coppola Day for Night – François Truffaut, Suzanne Schiffman and Jean-Louis Richard Harry and Tonto – Paul Mazursky and Josh GreenfeldThe Godfather Part II – Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo based on the novel The Godfather by Mario Puzo The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz – Mordecai Richler and Lionel Chetwynd based on the novel by Mordecai Richler Lenny – Julian Barry based on his play Murder on the Orient Express – Paul Dehn based on the novel by Agatha Christie Young Frankenstein – Gene Wilder and Mel Brooks based on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein Amarcord – Italy Cats' Play – Hungary The Deluge – Poland Lacombe, Lucien – France The Truce – ArgentinaHearts and Minds – Peter Davis and Bert Schneider The 81st Blow – Jacques Ehrlich, David Bergman and Haim Gouri Antonia: A Portrait of the Woman – Judy Collins and Jill Godmilow The Challenge... A Tribute to Modern Art – Herbert Kline The Wild and the Brave – Natalie R. Jones and Eugene S. JonesDon't – Robin Lehman City Out of Wilderness – Francis Thompson Exploratorium – Jon Boorstin John Muir's High Sierra – Dewitt Jones and Lesley Foster Naked Yoga – Ronald S. Kass and Mervyn LloydOne-Eyed Men Are Kings – Paul Claudon and Edmond Séchan Climb – Dewitt Jones The Concert – Julian Chagrin and Claude Chagrin Planet Ocean – George V. Casey The Violin – Andrew Welsh and George PasticClosed Mondays – Will Vinton and Bob Gardiner The Family That Dwelt Apart – Yvon Mallette and Robert Verrall Hunger – Peter Foldes and René Jodoin Voyage to Next – John Hubley and Faith Hubley Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too – Wolfgang Reitherman The Godfather Part II – Nino Rota and Carmine Coppola Chinatown – Jerry Goldsmith Murder on the Orient Express – Richard Rodney Bennett Shanks – Alex North The Towering Inferno – John Williams The Great Gatsby – Adapted by Nelson Riddle The Little Prince – Song Score by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe; Adapted by Angela Morley and Douglas Gamley Phantom of the Paradise – Song Score by Paul Williams; Adapted by Paul Williams and George Aliceson Tipton "We May Never Love Like This Again" — The Towering Inferno • Music and Lyrics by Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn "Benji's Theme (I Feel Love)" — Benji • Music by Euel Box • Lyrics by Betty Box "Blazing Saddles" — Blazing Saddles • Music by John Morris • Lyrics by Mel Brooks "Little Prince" — The Little Prince • Music by Frederick Loewe • Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner "Wherever Love Takes Me" — Gold • Music by Elmer Bernstein • Lyrics by Don Black Earthquake – Ronald Pierce and Melvin Metcalfe Sr. Chinatown – Bud Grenzbach and Larry Jost The Conversation – Walter Murch and Arthur Rochester The Towering Inferno – Theodore Soderberg and Herman Lewis Young Frankenstein – Richard Portman and Gene Cantamessa The Godfather Part II – Art Direction: Dean Tavoularis and Angelo P. Graham; Set Decoration: George R. Nelson Chinatown – Art Direction: Richard Sylbert and W. Stewart Campbell; Set Decoration: Ruby R. Levitt Earthquake – Art Direction: Alexander Golitzen and E. Preston Ames; Set Decoration: Frank R. McKelvy The Island at the Top of the World – Art Direction: Peter Ellenshaw, John B. Mansbridge, Walter H. Tyler and Al Roelofs; Set Decoration: Hal Gausman The Towering Inferno – Art Direction: William J. Creber and Ward Preston; Set Decoration: Raphaël Bretton The Towering Inferno – Joseph Biroc and Fred J. Koenekamp Chinatown – John A. Alonzo Earthquake – Philip H. Lathrop Lenny – Bruce Surtees Murder on the Orient Express – Geoffrey Unsworth The Great Gatsby – Theoni V. Aldredge Chinatown – Anthea Sylbert Daisy Miller – John Furniss The Godfather Part II – Theadora Van Runkle Murder on the Orient Express – Tony Walton The Towering Inferno – Harold F. Kress and Carl Kress Blazing Saddles – John C. Howard and Danford Greene Chinatown – Sam O'Steen Earthquake – Dorothy Spencer The Longest Yard – Michael Luciano

Special Achievement Award (Visual Effects) Earthquake — Frank Brendel, Glen Robinson and Albert Whitlock.

Honorary Award To Howard Hawks - a master American filmmaker whose creative efforts hold a distinguished place in world cinema. To Jean Renoir - a genius who, with grace, responsibility and enviable devotion through silent film, sound film, feature, documentary and television, has won the world's admiration.

Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award Arthur B. Krim

Multiple nominations and awards

+ Films with multiple nominationsNominationsFilm11 Chinatown The Godfather Part II8 The Towering Inferno6Lenny Murder on the Orient Express4 Earthquake 3 Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore Blazing Saddles The Conversation Day for Night2 The Great Gatsby Harry and Tonto The Little Prince A Woman Under the Influence Young Frankenstein

+ Films with multiple awardsAwardsFilm 6 The Godfather Part II 3 The Towering Inferno 2 The Great Gatsby

Presenters and performers The following individuals, listed in order of appearance, presented awards or performed musical numbers:

Presenters Name Role Announcer for the 47th Academy Awards (AMPAS President) Giver of opening remarks welcoming guests to the awards ceremony Tatum O'Neal Explainers of the voting rules to the public and presenters of the award for Best Supporting Actor Recipient of the award for Best Supporting Actor on behalf of Robert De Niro Brenda Vaccaro Presenters of the Short Films Awards Danny Thomas Presenters of the Documentary Awards Presenter of the Honorary Award to Jean Renoir Presenter of the Special Achievement Award to Frank Brendel, Glen Robinson and Albert Whitlock for their work in Earthquake Presenter of the award for Best Original Song Deborah Raffin Presenters of the award for Best Sound Presenter of the Honorary Award to Howard Hawks Johnny Green Presenters of the Music Awards Presenter of the award for Best Costume Design Katharine Ross Presenters of the award for Best Supporting Actress O. J. Simpson Presenters of the award for Best Art Direction Raquel Welch Presenters of the award for Best Cinematography Jennifer O'Neill Presenters of the award for Best Film Editing Jack Valenti Presenters of the award for Best Foreign Language Film Presenter of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award to Arthur J. Krim Robert Wise Presenters of the award for Best Director Presenter of the awards for Best Screenplay Adapted from Other Material and Best Original Screenplay Presenter of the award for Best Actor Presenter of the award for Best Actress Presenter of the award for Best Picture

Performers