Best and worst Oscars hosts of all time
By Stephanie Goldberg, CNN
updated 7:00 AM EST, Fri February 22, 2013
After hosting the Academy Awards nine times from 1990 to 2012 (he also opened the 2006 Oscars), it's no secret that Billy Crystal knows how to put on a good show. One of the veteran host's most notable skits took place in 1992. Crystal took the stage wearing a Hannibal Lecter mask, because "Silence of the Lambs" was nominated for seven awards. (The thriller won best picture.)
Johnny Carson, the king of late night, hosted the Academy Awards five times between 1979 and 1984. Carson never failed to make the audience laugh.
In 2010, three-time host Steve Martin teamed up with his "It's Complicated" co-star Alec Baldwin to host the awards show. The pair earned laughs with their repartee, and told some hilarious, lighthearted jokes at the expense of those present.
The fact that Bob Hope hosted the Academy Awards 14 times is enough to earn him a spot on this list. Whether Hope was hosting or co-hosting the show, he seemed to receive praise from critics. The Academy honored him with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 1960.
Four-time host Whoopi Goldberg has found plenty of creative ways to open the Oscars, from dressing as the "African Queen" in 1999 to entering from the ceiling in 2002. But it was the 1996 Academy Awards that earned the first African American female to host the show a spot on this list. "So. Didja miss me?" the comedian said as she took the stage. The quip referenced David Letterman's failed attempt at hosting the year before.
Two-time host Jon Stewart was entertaining as ever when he took the stage in 2008 after the Hollywood writers strike had come to an end. With best picture nominees such as "There Will Be Blood" and "No Country for Old Men" (which won best picture), Stewart joked, "Does this town need a hug?" Referencing another contender, "Juno," Stewart added, "All I can say is thank God for teen pregnancy."
Critics blasted David Letterman for his hosting abilities after he told -- and retold -- the same joke over and over again at the 1995 Oscars. The "Late Show with David Letterman" host just didn't know when to quit with his "Oprah, Uma. Uma, Oprah," gag.
Chris Rock learned a valuable lesson from hosting the 2005 Academy Awards: Don't diss Jude Law. While Rock was praised by some critics for being himself, he was also chastised by those who simply couldn't take the joke(s).
People had high hopes for Chevy Chase as the host of the 1988 Academy Awards after he hosted the ceremony the year before alongside Goldie Hawn and Paul Hogan. However, the comedian sealed his fate as one of the worst Oscar hosts the moment he delivered his opening line, "Good evening, Hollywood phonies."
Third-time host Jerry Lewis had to resort to improvisation when he hosted the 1959 Academy Awards alongside Bob Hope, David Niven, Sir Laurence Olivier, Tony Randall and Mort Sahl. The show ended early, leaving Lewis to fill 20 minutes of airtime by bringing stars on stage and making them dance.
Anne Hathaway and James Franco are two of the most awkward hosts in the history of the Academy Awards. Hathaway got flak for trying too hard, while Franco was criticized for having his head in the clouds. "The worst Oscarcast I've seen, and I go back awhile," Roger Ebert tweeted. "Some great winners, a nice distribution of awards, but the show? Dead. In. The. Water."
Best: Billy Crystal
Best: Johnny Carson
Best: Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin
Best: Bob Hope
Best: Whoopi Goldberg
Honorable mention: Jon Stewart
Worst: David Letterman
Worst: Chris Rock
Worst: Chevy Chase
Worst: Jerry Lewis
Worst: Anne Hathaway and James Franco
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