The late, great Allen Daviau was a frequent collaborator of Steven Spielberg’s, working on such films as E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, The Color Purple, and Empire of the Sun, as well as the Barry Levinson vehicles Avalon and Bugsy. He was Oscar-nominated for all five. But he never won! Not even for E.T.! It’s criminal.

This article is part of a special year-long series of anecdotes, reflections and thoughts about the Academy Awards.