Making History = Robert Opel

The Curious Life (And Death) Of An American Original

Mar 20, 2024

ROBERT OPEL (1939-1979)
American Photographer + Gallerist

If you don’t his name, you likely know his body…of work.

As the “Oscar Streaker,” Opel has probably appeared in more Academy Award compilations than anyone in Hollywood. And that’s one of the least interesting parts of his life.

I’ll let the pros tell his story…

The Life, Death and Legacy of Robert Opel, the Bisexual Oscar Streaker Robert Opel made history when he ran naked across the Academy Awards stage.
By Kevin Okeefe
(The Advocate)

An animation of an old TV screen of the streaker over a background of a living room

What Became of The Oscar Streaker? After Robert Opel dashed naked across the stage in 1974, he ran for President and settled into the gay leather scene, in the orbit of Robert Mapplethorpe and Harvey Milk.
By Michael Schulman
(The New Yorker)

If you still want more (and feel a bit adventurous/naughty), Robert Opel’s nephew, Robert Oppel, released Uncle Bob in 2010. It’s filled with some great archival footage, some not-so-great DIY/experimental filmmaking, and more full-frontal nudity than I’ve seen outside of a porn shop. With those caveats, I do recommend this doc.