Lauren Bacall Gets an Early Lifetime Achievement Oscar

Director Roger Corman, Actress Lauren Bacall and Gordon Willis attend the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Inaugural Governors Awards held at the Grand Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland Center on November 14, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Getty Images)more pics »
Oscar season came early for Lauren Bacall, who received a gold statuette last night for her lifetime achievement in film. The 85-year-old actress, whose film debut was way back in 1944 alongside Humphrey Bogart in To Have and Have Not, was given the Governor's Award at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' event last night in Hollywood, where she was charming as ever.

Lauren Bacall (Getty Images)
When she got up on stage to give her acceptance speech, she said (via latimes.com): "I can't believe it, a man at last! This is quite an event. I've been very lucky in my life. I feel very emotional and grateful."

The 3-hour event also honored cinematographer Gordon Willis, 78, who worked on The Godfather trilogy; and producer-director-writer Roger Corman, who is credited in helping Francis Ford Coppola get his start. John Calley, 79, who is a famed studio exec, was slated to take home the Irving G. Thalberg Award, but was ill and wasn't able to attend the event.

Big names like Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, and Warren Beatty were there, and stood to recognize some of Hollywood's former finest. Quentin Tarantino and a few other big names even went up on the stage to honor Calley in his absence.

This is the first time the Academy has held a separate event to honor film's earlier years and honorary awards, usually they're combined with the Oscar telecast -- usually held in March. The event wasn't televised, but it's said that highlights could be shown March 7, when the red carpet rolls out again for more Oscars.

See more pictures from the Governors Awards here (click any picture):

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