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Oscars 2014: In Memoriam honors Hoffman, Gandolfini and Sarah Jones

Bette Midler sings "Wind Beneath My Wings" accompanying the "In Memoriam" montage at the 86th Academy Awards.
(John Shearer / Invision / AP)
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The Oscars’ annual “In Memoriam” tribute included images of Philip Seymour Hoffman, Paul Walker and James Gandolfini, as well as Sarah Jones, the camera assistant who died Feb. 20 in Georgia after being struck by a train during preproduction of “Midnight Rider,” a biopic of musician Gregg Allman.

Jones’ name and photo briefly appeared in an onscreen banner just after Bette Midler finished singing “Wind Beneath My Wings,” a performance that accompanied the four-minute montage of photos of notable movie industry figures who died in 2013 and early 2014. More than 55,000 people had signed an online petition to have Jones included in the tribute.

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Like the Oscars themselves, the “In Memoriam” montage is typically confined to the previous calendar year. This year, there were several exceptions: Hoffman, who died Feb. 2 of an accidental drug overdose; comedian Sid Caesar, who died Feb. 12; child star Shirley Temple Black, who died Feb. 10, and actor-writer-director Harold Ramis, who died Feb. 24.

Ramis’ “Ghostbusters” co-star Bill Murray also gave him a shout-out when announcing the nominees for cinematography with Amy Adams.

“We forgot one,” Murray said. “Harold Ramis, for ‘Caddyshack,’ ‘Ghostbusters’ and ‘Groundhog Day.’”

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Other film industry figures recognized included Karen Black, Tom Laughlin, Carmen Zapata, Hal Needham, Fay Kanin, Deanna Durbin, Elmore Leonard, Saul Zaentz, Peter O’Toole, Ray Harryhausen, Richard Griffiths, Roger Ebert, Joan Fontaine, Run Run Shaw, Eleanor Parker, Ray Dolby, Julie Harris, Maximillian Schell, Tom Sherak and Esther Williams.

The academy’s board of governors makes the final choices for inclusion.

A full gallery, featuring 111 photos, can be found on the academy’s website.

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