1968
Sammy Davis Jr. accepted the Best Song Oscar on behalf of Leslie Bricusse, for "Talk to The Animals" from Doctor Dolittle -- a song I don't know, but which beat both "Bare Necessities" and "The Look of Love," so I hope it was good, and of course Barbra's own nominated song "Papa, Can You Beer Me?" from Guess Who's Coming To Dinner.
1969
I did not wait long to give you the payoff here. It's a sailor top and bell-bottom trousers and it's 85 percent see-through. "But Heather," you note, "at least there's that opaque block covering all her nethers."
1969
IS THERE THOUGH.
1969
I suppose this may have been lined in parts, and done in a way where we couldn't tell. But regardless, it's hideous. It's fugtactular even on non-sheer merits. The twee collar with the crooked bow is wringing me out. The whole thing has a weird sexualized/infantilized contradiction in it.
1970
Yes, that man who looks like he was just rescued from a desert island is Jack Nicholson. Jack was nominated for his supporting role in Easy Rider, and Barbra was honoring her nominated hit "Axey Days Are Here Again" from Anne of the Thousand Days. And now, say it with me folks, it's time for a round of What. Color. Is. That?
The answer is pink. (It's often pink.)
1977
Here, Barbra truly WAS there for her nominated song "Evergreen," from A Star Is Born, which did win. And if you'd like another round of Name That Color...
Barbra Streisand with Neil Diamond and Paul Williams
NOT PINK.
1992
PINK. But we knew that. In 1992, Barbra was there for Prince of Tides, and also to support her nominated song "People (Who Eat People)" from Silence of the Lambs.
Babs REALLY got out the crimping iron, though. (Barbra was NOT nominated for Best Director for Prince of Tides, though it was up for Best Picture -- in a time when they restricted those entries to five -- and if I recall correctly, that was an early example of a discussion about women not being taken seriously as filmmakers by the Academy.) I also appreciate the dramatic jewelry. She dresses like she has a light taste for period cosplay.
1997
Barbra was nominated this year for a Bryan Adams duet, "I Finally Found Someone," from The Mirror Has Two Faces. It lost to "You Must Love Me" from Evita, which I HAVE to think won only because they ignored Madonna in the acting categories; it beat "That Thing You Do" AND "Because You Loved Me," both of which were way more worthy choices. It is very weird to wear a short sweaterdress to the Oscars, especially one that might have the sweater built in, but presumably Babs knew that "Academy Award Winner Bryan Adams" was not a thing that was going to happen.
2002: Babs and Bob
This year, Barbra and her regal red robes presented the honorary Oscar to Robert Redford -- and also supported her nominated but losing original song, "You Don't Bring Me Towels," from Gosford Park.
2005
For some reason, in 2005, Babs and Dustin presented Best Picture together (to Clint Eastwood, for Million Dollar Baby). Once again Barbra is dressed as the richest and most glamorous woman at your British History-themed Halloween party, and looks super, but sadly she did not notch a win for her nominated Original Song, "The Way We Whirr," from The Aviator.
2010
The Dread Pirate Roberts's mother was cruelly erased from history. UNTIL NOW. (Barbra, in 2010, presented Best Director to Kathryn Bigelow, and endured the loss of yet another of her songs, "Second-Hand Bros," from Inglourious Basterds.
2013
And here, our gleaming queen made a rare public singing appearance to do "The Way We Were," for the Dead Person Montage. It included Celeste Holm, Michael Clarke Duncan, Tony Scott, Marvin Hamlisch, Ernest Borgnine, Jack Klugman, Charles Durning, and, devastatingly, the great Nora Ephron.
2019
Barbra, dressed as her idea of a French poet at a Ren Faire, introduced a Best Picture contender this year -- but oddly it was BlacKkKlansman, and not A Star Is Born. Unfortunately, she also took the L in the Original Song category when she lost with "You've Got Somethin' To Be Guilty Of" from Vice.