How Jack Nicholson Nearly Missed Oscar History?

July 10, 2025: In 1976, Jack Nicholson nearly skipped the Academy Awards. After five nominations and five losses, the “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” star told producer Michael Douglas he couldn’t handle another defeat. But Douglas convinced him to attend—and what followed was one of Oscar history’s greatest victories.

The Miloš Forman-directed film, now celebrating its 50th anniversary with a nationwide 4K re-release on July 13 and 16, swept the “Big Five” Oscars: Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, and Screenplay—an honor only matched since by The Silence of the Lambs.

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“This is my first 50th anniversary,” Douglas recalled in a recent interview. “It was the first movie I ever produced. To have something so lasting is a wonderful feeling.”

The 1975 adaptation of Ken Kesey’s countercultural novel was a hard sell in Hollywood. But Douglas, who inherited the rights from his father Kirk Douglas, brought it to life—casting then-unknown talents like Danny DeVito and Christopher Lloyd. DeVito was the first to be cast after impressing Forman in a stage version.

Despite its heavy themes, the shoot itself was surprisingly joyful. The cast lived together in a motel and filmed inside a real Oregon state hospital, developing a camaraderie that infused the performances with authenticity.

“There was full commitment,” said Douglas. “When you don’t go home at night to your own lives, the bond becomes real.” Nicholson even remarked how the extras, many real patients, never broke character—“even at lunch.”

DeVito fondly remembers the immersive experience. “We even asked to sleep in the hospital,” he laughed. “They said no—because the floor above had patients who’d committed murder.”

The new 4K restoration, from the Academy Film Archive and Teatro Della Pace Films, includes an introduction by film historian Leonard Maltin. “It’s a gorgeous print,” Douglas said, “and reminds me how good the sound was.”

Douglas also credited the late Saul Zaentz, who financed the film through his music label Fantasy Records, for taking a chance on the now-iconic project. The film’s budget more than doubled—from $1.6 million to $4 million—but its success changed lives.

Reflecting on the film’s legacy, Douglas acknowledged his father’s disappointment in not reprising his Broadway role as McMurphy on screen—but said it ultimately strengthened their relationship. “Thank God the picture turned out,” he said. “It would’ve been a disaster if it hadn’t.”

Even Douglas’ own later Oscar win for Wall Street didn’t top that magical night. “It was a fairy tale from beginning to end,” he said. “Nothing else ever came close.”