Farrah Fawcett, Bea Arthur Absent From Oscar ‘In Memoriam’ Montage

Every year, Hollywood honors the memories of stars who have recently passed during the Academy Awards’ annual “In Memoriam” montage – but a couple were conspicuously missing during Sunday’s broadcast.

Farrah Fawcett, who — although best known for her TV work in shows like “Charlie’s Angels” – also starred in such films in “Dr. T and the Women,” “Cannonball Run” and “The Apostle” and was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance in 1986’s “Extremities,” was absent from the montage.

“No Farrah in the memorial,” film critic Roger Ebert Tweeted during the broadcast. “They have a lot of ‘splaining to do.”

Emmy Award winner Bea Arthur, also best known for her television work but a veteran of the big screen as well, was also not included in the montage.

Academy reps did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Farrah’s absence.

Earlier this week, The Associated Press reported that the segment simply had too many people to include for the time allotted.

“It gets close to agonizing by the end,” Bruce Davis, executive director of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, told the AP. “You are dropping people who the public knows. It’s just not comfortable.”

Farrah died on June 25, 2009, of cancer. Her battle against the illness was documented in “Farrah’s Story,” which aired last year on NBC.

One surprising star who did appear in the montage was singer Michael Jackson. The King of Pop made an acting mark in 1978’s “The Wiz” and concert documentary “This Is It” was released in theaters following his death.

Still, Farrah and Bea were primarily TV stars, a possible explanation for their absence from a segment devoted to film stars and creators.

UPDATE, MONDAY, MARCH 8: Craig J. Nevius, Executive Producer & Director, of “Farrah’s Story,” provided the following quote to Access:

“Farrah’s shocking omission from the ‘In Memoriam’ montage on the Oscars isn’t a reflection of Farrah. It’s a reflection of the producers and of the Academy itself. After all, this is a broadcast (as opposed to a ‘production’) that has become all about shuffling winners on and off stage and cutting off acceptance speeches in order to make more air time for jokes without punchlines and scripted spontaneity the likes of which we haven’t seen since vaudeville. They should be ashamed of themselves and owe a public apology in the name of Farrah Fawcett.”