LOS ANGELES－The Academy Awards telecast was packed with much of what got left out of last year's pandemic-hindered show, offering a trio of female hosts, a return to lavish musical productions and a big dose of comedy－much of it edgier than usual for the Oscars.

It was a bit of that testy humor, delivered by comedian Chris Rock which actor Will Smith found offensive, that led to Sunday night's biggest moment－a nominated actor slapping a presenter in the face in anger on live national television.

The unprecedented physical altercation upstaged the final half hour of the show and will certainly go down as one of the most memorable moments in Oscar history.

It is also sure to thrust the Oscars, facing steadily sagging TV viewership in recent years, back into the cultural conversation, though probably not in the way organizers imagined.

As it unfolded, many of those at the ceremony and watching from home were left momentarily wondering if the spectacle had been staged. It turned out to be entirely unscripted.

The confrontation was sparked when Smith took umbrage at Rock for making a crack about his wife's closely shaven hair.

Smith suddenly strode onto the stage and slapped Rock hard across the face with his open hand. The actor then turned and took his seat again beside his spouse, actress Jada Pinkett Smith, who has a hair loss condition called alopecia.

Rock, visibly stunned but maintaining his composure, acknowledged he had just been smacked by Smith and jokingly said the incident made for the "greatest night in the history of television".

It certainly overshadowed the evening.

Smith had more to say as he took the stage again as the winner of the best actor award for portraying Richard Williams, the father and coach of tennis greats Venus and Serena Williams in the biopic King Richard.

Notable upgrade

After going for three years without a master of ceremonies, one notable upgrade to the Oscars was that it boasted three co-hosts, comic performers Amy Schumer, Wanda Sykes and Regina Hall, marking the first Oscar ceremony emceed by a trio of women.

In a bid to quicken the show's pace in an era of tumbling awards show ratings, organizers scaled back presentations to winners in eight categories deemed of less interest to TV viewers.

Those awards, such as for sound and production design, were handed out during a "golden hour "before the live telecast started, with edited snippets of acceptance speeches sprinkled throughout the main show.

The change sparked a backlash among many in Hollywood who called it an affront to craft artists critical to filmmaking.

Jessica Chastain won the best lead actress award for her mascara-laden title role as the on-air preaching partner and wife of Christian televangelist Jim Bakker in The Eyes of Tammy Faye, chronicling the couple's rise and fall.

Agencies via Xinhua