From 1942 until the end of World War II, Oscars were made out of plaster to conserve metal. After the war, the winners received "real" replacement statues.
The only Oscar statuette ever made of wood was presented to Edgar Bergen in 1938 for his "outstanding comic creation," his ventriloquist dummy Charlie McCarthy.
And the wood/plaster (whatever they were) were wartime propaganda. There was of course enough metal to make a few small awards. But they wanted to appeal to the sensibilities of audiences who were being asked to make sacrifices during the war.
According to "reelclassics.com":
And the wood/plaster (whatever they were) were wartime propaganda. There was of course enough metal to make a few small awards. But they wanted to appeal to the sensibilities of audiences who were being asked to make sacrifices during the war.
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