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And the Oscar Goes to...GoldenPalace.com? Internet Casino Leases Academy Award for $30,000

Published: Fri, 03 Mar 2006, 14:53:00 EDT

Edited by Christopher Laird Simmons

LOS ANGELES, CA (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- GoldenPalace.com, the Internet casino that has become synonymous with outrageous and unusual advertising campaigns, has leased Morris Stoloff's 1960 Academy Award for scoring of the musical picture "Song Without End" for 999 years. The privilege of harboring the Oscar cost the gaming site $30,000.

"We've been trying to buy an Oscar, but the academy's legal agreement clearly states that most of them can't be sold, so we had to think creatively," said casino spokesman Drew Black. "The agreement says nothing about leasing."

*(Photo Caption: The 1960 Oscar leased by GoldenPalace.com.)

For years the Academy has prevented private sales and public auctions of Oscars bestowed after 1951, when winners were required to sign off that the statuettes were the property of the Academy. Leasing the Oscars however, is a different story, and has academy lawyers in a bit of a quandary.

GoldenPalace.com originally offered $100,000 to Margaret O'Brien to lease her honorary Oscar for Outstanding Juvenile Performer of 1944. She played wisecracking, doll-burying "Tootie" in "Meet Me in St. Louis."

"Many former Oscar winners have their awards sitting on a mantle collecting dust," continued Black. "Some of them may want to use their awards to make some extra cash or get themselves back into the spotlight. We're more than happy to help."

GoldenPalace.com has made headlines with their eccentric purchases before and often used their media exposure to raise awareness and money for charity.

"Being in the public eye as a result of this campaign, we feel obligated to mention the efforts of One.org," continued Black. "We aren't formally affiliated with them but we urge people to go to www.One.org and find out more about this wonderful charity that seeks to 'make poverty history.' Please take the time to check them out."

Although O'Brien's statuette was bestowed before the 1951 cut-off, which normally means its recipient may sell it, she promised the academy she wouldn't.

"It's a very rare Oscar because only a few were ever bestowed to child stars like me, Judy Garland and Shirley Temple," O'Brien said. "I have a daughter who I plan to leave it to after I go, but if she tells me she doesn't want it, and if it's OK with the academy, I may decide to lease it. We'll see. Maybe next year."

GoldenPalace.com spokesman Black added, "Our offer to Ms. O'Brien still stands and we'd like other Oscar, Grammy, Emmy and Golden Globe winners to know that we're open to leasing their statuettes, too. It's a great chance for them to lease their awards to an organization that plans to put them on public view so they can be shared with everyone."

The Stoloff award will be added to a traveling museum that the casino has developed to exhibit all their oddities and unusual purchases, including William Shatner's Kidney Stone, Britney Spears' Pregnancy Test, Virgin Mary Grilled Cheese Sandwich, and others.

More information: www.GoldenPalace.com

All trademarks acknowledged.

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