Modern Oscar ceremonies are notorious for stretching over four hours, but the very first Academy Awards ceremony lasted only 15 minutes. Held at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel during a private banquet for 270 guests, the event was a quick affair because the winners had been announced to the public three months in advance. There was no suspense, no red carpet spectacle, and no televised broadcast. It was essentially a celebratory dinner where industry insiders handed out trophies to their peers. It wasn't until the following year that the Academy decided to keep the names secret to increase public interest. This first ceremony awarded the Best Picture title to 'Wings' and recognized Emil Jannings as the first-ever Best Actor winner, though he famously left for Europe before the banquet even started.