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It's the moment every movie director and actor dreams of - the gold envelope is slowly opened and the Oscar goes to... them! Paul Gambaccini reveals how David Lean's Lawrence of Arabia won the Best Picture Award in 1963. But - away from the red carpet and the bright lights and the tearful speeches - what do the Academy's decisions tell us about the state of America? Are the awards a hotline to the American psyche, revealing an array of political, cultural and social calculations - conscious or unconscious - behind what are presented as purely artistic judgements. Producers: Sara Jane Hall and Paul Kobrak First broadcast on Radio 4 in February 2008.
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