The actress Lauren Bacall has been awarded an honorary Oscar.
Other winners included B-movie director Roger Corman and cinematographer Gordon Willis.
This year's Hollywood event was not broadcast live, with the guests apparently happy with the situation, The AP reports.
Producer Norman Jewison said: "We're gathered here together, all artists, celebrating excellence without any television cameras - isn't it great?"
Warren Beatty stated: "It's so much better... that nobody's worrying whether 36.5 million people are watching us or 29.2."
Corman was the first person to be honoured at the ceremony yesterday evening.
Quentin Tarantino said that the man responsible for films like X: The Man With The X-Ray Eyes was a big inspiration for him.
He claimed that Corman has had an "undeniable impact on the industry, both as a business and as an art form".
