Robert Opel

Robert Opel (born Robert Oppel, October 23, 1939 – July 7, 1979) was an American photographer and art gallery owner most famous as the man who streaked during the 46th Academy Awards in 1974.

Opel was born in East Orange, NJ, in 1939. As a child, he lived in Canada, Kansas, and Kentucky before his family settled in Pittsburgh, PA, where he attended grade school, high school, and college. Born Robert Oppel, he dropped a "p" from his name once becoming an activist to distance himself from his family in Pittsburgh. Opel was concerned his activities would cause the family embarrassment.

In college, Opel was elected to Student Congress, and served as chairman of a regional debate team. After graduation, he worked as a speechwriter for then-California Governor Ronald Reagan. In 1974, Opel taught English as a second language for the Los Angeles City Unified School District; he was fired from that job following the Oscars incident.

Opel owned his own photography business, Ideas Photographic. Among his clients were the LGBT publication The Advocate and Finger magazine, where he was also an editor.

In 1976, he announced his candidacy for the U.S. Presidency, using the slogans "Nothing to Hide" and "Not Just Another Crooked Dick," referring to his streaking incidents and President Richard Nixon, respectively. (Nixon had resigned from office in disgrace in 1974.)

In March 1978, Opel opened Fey Way Studios, a gallery of gay male art, at 1287 Howard Street in San Francisco. The gallery helped bring such erotic gay artists as Tom of Finland and Robert Mapplethorpe to national attention and showed others including Rex.

On April 2, 1974, Opel apparently sneaked backstage posing as a journalist to gain entry to the stage at the 46th Academy Awards show at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, CA. He ran naked past David Niven flashing a peace sign while Niven was introducing Elizabeth Taylor.

Unfazed, Niven turned to the audience and quipped, "Well, ladies and gentlemen, that was almost bound to happen... But isn't it fascinating to think that probably the only laugh that man will ever get in his life is by stripping off and showing his shortcomings?"

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