Although a time-honored tradition at Academy Award presentations, the protesters at Sunday night's event, numbering in the dozens, were largely lost in the circus-like shuffle.
Cordoned off from the arrivals area, the crowd along Jefferson seemed to consist as much of stargazers and tourists as of pro-life banner sloganeers and run-away production protesters.
One animation worker held up a sign declaring, "Unemployed animator: Not a pretty picture."
But even less pretty were the 20-or-so signs of charbroiled fetuses proclaiming anti-"Cider House Rules" epithets like "Throw the Cider House Rules' Oscar Back in the Dumpster" and "Abortionists Don't Run Orphanages."
The loudest cries of discontent came from the runaway production camp, who chanted into their bullhorns "Bring Hollywood Home" as a cluster of Japanese tourists looked on smiling their approval.
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