The 56th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 1983 and took place on April 9, 1984, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, beginning at 6:00 p.m. PST / 9:00 p.m. EST. During the ceremony, AMPAS presented Academy Awards (commonly referred to as Oscars) in 22 categories. The ceremony, televised in the United States by ABC, was produced by Jack Haley Jr. and directed by Marty Pasetta. Comedian and talk show emcee Johnny Carson hosted the show for the fifth time. He first presided over the 51st ceremony held in 1979 and last hosted the 54th ceremony held in 1982. Nine days earlier, in a ceremony held at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, on March 31, the Academy Scientific and Technical Awards were presented by hosts Joan Collins and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Terms of Endearment won five awards, including Best Picture. Other winners included Fanny and Alexander and The Right Stuff with four awards, Tender Mercies with two awards, and Return of the Jedi, Boys and Girls, Flamenco at 5:15, Flashdance, He Makes Me Feel Like Dancin', Sundae in New York, The Year of Living Dangerously, and Yentl with one. The telecast garnered 42.1 million viewers in the United States.

Winners and nominees The nominees for the 56th Academy Awards were announced on February 16, 1984, by Academy president Gene Allen and actor Mickey Rooney. Terms of Endearment earned the most nominations with eleven; The Right Stuff came in second with eight. The winners were announced at the awards ceremony on April 9. James L. Brooks was the third writer-director-producer to win three Oscars for the same film. With four wins, Fanny and Alexander became the most awarded foreign language film in Academy Award history at the time. Linda Hunt is the only person to win an Oscar for playing a character of the opposite sex. Best Original Song co-winner Irene Cara became the first black woman to win an Oscar in a non-acting category.

Awards

Winners are listed first, highlighted in boldface and indicated with a double dagger ().

Terms of Endearment – James L. Brooks, producerThe Big Chill – Michael Shamberg, producer The Dresser – Peter Yates, producer The Right Stuff – Robert Chartoff and Irwin Winkler, producers Tender Mercies – Philip S. Hobel, producer | style="vertical-align:top; width:50%;"|James L. Brooks – Terms of Endearment Peter Yates – The Dresser Ingmar Bergman – Fanny and Alexander Mike Nichols – Silkwood Bruce Beresford – Tender MerciesRobert Duvall – Tender Mercies as Mac Sledge Michael Caine – Educating Rita as Prof. Frank Bryant Tom Conti – Reuben, Reuben as Gowan McGland Tom Courtenay – The Dresser as Norman Albert Finney – The Dresser as SirShirley MacLaine – Terms of Endearment as Aurora Greenway Jane Alexander – Testament as Carol Wetherly Meryl Streep – Silkwood as Karen Silkwood Julie Walters – Educating Rita as Susan "Rita" White Debra Winger – Terms of Endearment as Emma Greenway-HortonJack Nicholson – Terms of Endearment as Garrett Breedlove Charles Durning – To Be or Not to Be as S.S. Colonel Erhardt John Lithgow – Terms of Endearment as Sam Burns Sam Shepard – The Right Stuff as Chuck Yeager Rip Torn – Cross Creek as Marsh TurnerLinda Hunt – The Year of Living Dangerously as Billy Kwan Cher – Silkwood as Dolly Pelliker Glenn Close – The Big Chill as Sarah Cooper Amy Irving – Yentl as Hadass Vishkower Alfre Woodard – Cross Creek as Beatrice "Geechee"Tender Mercies – Horton Foote The Big Chill – Lawrence Kasdan and Barbara Benedek Fanny and Alexander – Ingmar Bergman Silkwood – Nora Ephron and Alice Arlen WarGames – Lawrence Lasker and Walter ParkesTerms of Endearment – James L. Brooks based on the novel by Larry McMurtry Betrayal – Harold Pinter based on his play The Dresser – Ronald Harwood based on his play Educating Rita – Willy Russell based on his play Reuben, Reuben – Julius J. Epstein based on the play Spofford by Herman ShumlinFanny and Alexander (Sweden) in Swedish – directed by Ingmar Bergman Le Bal (Algeria) with no dialogue – directed by Ettore Scola Carmen (Spain) in Spanish – directed by Carlos Saura Entre Nous (France) in French – directed by Diane Kurys Job's Revolt (Hungary) in Hungarian – directed by Imre Gyöngyössy and Barna KabayHe Makes Me Feel Like Dancin' – Emile Ardolino Children of Darkness – Richard Kotuk and Ara Chekmayan First Contact – Bob Connolly and Robin Anderson The Profession of Arms – Michael Bryans and Tina Viljoen Seeing Red – James Klein and Julia ReichertFlamenco at 5:15 – Cynthia Scott and Adam Symansky In the Nuclear Shadow: What Can the Children Tell Us? – Vivienne Verdon-Roe and Eric Thiermann Sewing Woman – Arthur Dong Spaces: The Architecture of Paul Rudolph – Robert Eisenhardt You Are Free (Ihr Zent Frei) – Dea Brokman and Ilene LandisBoys and Girls – Janice L. Platt Goodie-Two-Shoes – Ian Emes Overnight Sensation – Jon N. BloomSundae in New York – Jimmy Picker Mickey's Christmas Carol – Burny Mattinson Sound of Sunshine – Sound of Rain – Eda Godel HallinanThe Right Stuff – Bill Conti Cross Creek – Leonard Rosenman Return of the Jedi – John Williams Terms of Endearment – Michael Gore Under Fire – Jerry GoldsmithYentl – Song Score by Michel Legrand and Alan and Marilyn Bergman The Sting II – Adaptation Score by Lalo Schifrin Trading Places – Adaptation Score by Elmer Bernstein"Flashdance... What a Feeling" from Flashdance – Music by Giorgio Moroder; Lyrics by Keith Forsey and Irene Cara "Maniac" from Flashdance – Music and Lyrics by Michael Sembello and Dennis Matkosky "Over You" from Tender Mercies – Music and Lyrics by Austin Roberts and Bobby Hart "Papa, Can You Hear Me?" from Yentl – Music by Michel Legrand; Lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman "The Way He Makes Me Feel" from Yentl – Music by Michel Legrand; Lyrics by Alan and Marilyn BergmanThe Right Stuff – Mark Berger, Tom Scott, Randy Thom and David MacMillan Never Cry Wolf – Alan Splet, Todd Boekelheide, Randy Thom and David Parker Return of the Jedi – Ben Burtt, Gary Summers, Randy Thom and Tony Dawe Terms of Endearment – Donald O. Mitchell, Rick Kline, Kevin O'Connell and James R. Alexander WarGames – Michael J. Kohut, Carlos Delarios, Aaron Rochin and Willie D. BurtonThe Right Stuff – Jay Boekelheide Return of the Jedi – Ben BurttFanny and Alexander – Art Direction and Set Decoration: Anna Asp Return of the Jedi – Art Direction: Norman Reynolds, Fred Hole and James L. Schoppe; Set Decoration: Michael D. Ford The Right Stuff – Art Direction: Geoffrey Kirkland, Richard Lawrence, W. Stewart Campbell and Peter R. Romero; Set Decoration: Pat Pending and George R. Nelson Terms of Endearment – Art Direction: Polly Platt and Harold Michelson; Set Decoration: Tom Pedigo and Anthony Mondello Yentl – Art Direction: Roy Walker and Leslie Tomkins; Set Decoration: Tessa DaviesFanny and Alexander – Sven Nykvist Flashdance – Donald Peterman The Right Stuff – Caleb Deschanel WarGames – William A. Fraker Zelig – Gordon WillisFanny and Alexander – Marik Vos Cross Creek – Joe I. Tompkins Heart Like a Wheel – William Ware Theiss The Return of Martin Guerre – Anne-Marie Marchand Zelig – Santo LoquastoThe Right Stuff – Glenn Farr, Lisa Fruchtman, Tom Rolf, Stephen A. Rotter, and Douglas Stewart Blue Thunder – Frank Morriss and Edward M. Abroms Flashdance – Bud S. Smith and Walt Mulconery Silkwood – Sam O'Steen Terms of Endearment – Richard Marks

Special Achievement Award (Visual Effects) Return of the Jedi – Richard Edlund, Dennis Muren, Ken Ralston and Phil Tippett.

Honorary Award To Hal Roach, in recognition of his unparalleled record of distinguished contributions to the motion picture art form.

Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award The award recognizes individuals whose humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the motion picture industry.

M. J. Frankovich

Films with multiple nominations and awards

+ Films with multiple nominations Nominations Film 11Terms of Endearment 8The Right Stuff 6 Fanny and Alexander 5 The Dresser Silkwood Tender Mercies Yentl 4 Cross Creek Flashdance Return of the Jedi 3 The Big Chill Educating Rita WarGames 2 Reuben, Reuben Zelig

+ Films with multiple wins Awards Film 5 Terms of Endearment 4 Fanny and Alexander The Right Stuff 2 Tender Mercies

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

+ Presenters Name(s) Role Announcer of the 56th Annual Academy Awards (AMPAS President) Gave opening remarks welcoming guests to the awards ceremony Introduced Shirley Temple Speech about her winning Academy Juvenile Award at the 7th Academy Awards in 1935 (AMPAS President) Gave opening remarks welcoming guests to the awards ceremony Mary Tyler Moore Presenters of the award for Best Supporting Actor Daryl Hannah Presenters of the award for Best Sound Effects Editing Michael Caine Presenters of the Best Animated Short Film and Best Live Action Short Film Arnold Schwarzenegger Presenters of the segment of the Academy Scientific and Technical Awards Presenter of the award for Best Film Editing Michael Keaton Presenters of the award for Best Sound Joanna Pacuła Presenters of the award for Best Cinematography Jack Valenti Presenters of the award for Best Foreign Language Film Jack Palance Presenters of the awards for Best Documentary Short Subject and Best Documentary Feature Cheech Marin Presenters of the award for Best Visual Effects Twiggy Presenters of the award for Best Costume Design Jane Powell Presenters of the award for Best Art Direction Matthew Broderick Presenters of the award for Best Original Song Gene Kelly Presenters of the award for Best Original Score Presenter of the award for Best Adapted Score Gene Hackman Presenters of the award for Best Supporting Actress Sissy Spacek Presenters of the awards for Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen and Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium Presenter of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award to M. J. Frankovich Presenter of the award for Best Director George McFarland Presenters of the Honorary Award to Hal Roach Sylvester Stallone Presenters of the award for Best Actor Liza Minnelli Presenters of the award for Best Actress Presenter of the award for Best Picture

+ Performers Name Role Performed Musical arrangerConductor Orchestral National Dance Institute Performers "Flashdance... What a Feeling" from Flashdance Lani Hall Performers "Maniac" from Flashdance Performer "Over You" from Tender Mercies Performer "Papa, Can You Hear Me?" from Yentl Performer "The Way He Makes Me Feel" from Yentl Liza Minnelli Performers "There's No Business Like Show Business"

Ceremony information

In September 1983, the Academy hired film producer Jack Haley Jr. to produce the telecast for the third time. "We are excited to have Jack Haley Jr. back on the Academy Awards program this year," said AMPAS President Gene Allen in a press release announcing the selection. "We know that his outstanding talents will ensure an innovative and entertaining approach to the presentation of the Oscar." That same month, it was announced that comedian and The Tonight Show Starring host Johnny Carson would preside over emceeing duties for the 1984 ceremony. Allen explained the decision to hire Carson, saying, "In past years, Johnny has been a vital element in the ever-increasing success and popularity of the Oscar presentations. We are extremely pleased that we will be able to draw once again on his wit and charisma to host this special entertainment event."