DID YOU KNOW ... ?

Byline: - Fred Shuster

It's probably been bugging you since the Academy Awards nominations were announced Tuesday. What was the last musical to win best picture? Why was Spain's ``Talk to Her'' not submitted to the movie academy in the foreign language film category? When did Martin Scorsese last win a golden mini-man? And what significance does Salma Hayek's best-actress nomination have?

All is revealed below in our annual look at Oscar quirks and trivia.

-- Meryl Streep is the most-nominated actor ever, with 13. She had been tied with Katharine Hepburn at 12 nods. She's won twice.

--Three-time winner Jack Nicholson earned his 12th nomination, adding to his record as the most-nominated male actor ever. If Nicholson wins the trophy for a fourth time, he'll tie Hepburn's record of four acting Oscars.

--British oddsmakers figure ``Chicago'' as a 4-7 favorite to win best picture. Nicole Kidman is the fave among best actress nominees at 1-1, and Nicholson is the favorite best actor at 10-11.

--Of the best picture nominees, ``The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers'' has raked in the most at the box office so far, with $320.9 million. ``Gangs of New York'' snatched $70 million, and ``Chicago'' danced off with $63.8 million as of this week. ``The Hours'' reached $21.7 million, and ``The Pianist'' tickled the ivories to the tune of $9.1 million so far.

--For the second year in a row, a musical has been nominated for best picture. Last year it was ``Moulin Rouge.'' But no musical has taken the best picture category since ``Oliver!'' in 1968. With its 13 nominations, front-runner ``Chicago'' is poised to become the biggest loser of one show-biz ceremony and potentially the biggest winner of another: The original Broadway production of ``Chicago'' reigns as the biggest loser in the history of the Tony Awards with losses in all 11 categories it was nominated for.

--Yes, Salma Hayek is the first Mexican-born performer to be nominated as best actress.

--Spain's ``Talk to Her'' wasn't eligible in the foreign language category because each nation decides in what category to submit its film to the movie academy. Spain's entry was not nominated, but ``Talk to Her'' director Pedro Almodovar has a best director nod. The Mexican hit ``Y Tu Mama Tambien'' also wasn't submitted by its country in the foreign language category, but it got a screenwriting nomination, while Mexico's entry, ``El Crimen del Padre Amaro,'' did get a nomination.

--``Gangs of New York'' director Martin Scorsese received his fourth nod as best director but has never won in the category.

--The film with the most nominations has taken best picture in 18 of the last 20 years, especially when honors include key categories acting and directing.

--A win for Julianne Moore in both acting categories she is up for would make her the first performer to win two competitive acting trophies in a single year.

--Eight of this year's 19 acting nominees already have won Oscars. In the leading actor list, only Adrien Brody does not already have a trophy.

--Kidman and Renee Zellweger are the only two repeat acting nominees from last year.

--John Williams' nod is his 42nd in the music categories, placing him just one nomination short of composer Alfred Newman's record lifetime total.

--If ``Adaptation'' wins for adapted screenplay, the two credited writers will share a single Academy Award because one of the two is fictional.

--Of the five 2002 best picture nominees, the earliest release date was Dec. 18 for ``The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.''

--Of the four movies judged by the American Association of Retired Persons to be ideal for ``grown-ups,'' only ``The Hours'' ended up as a best picture Oscar pick.

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1) no caption (Scene from ``The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers'')

(2) no caption (Salma Hayek)

(3) no caption (Martin Scorsese)