Robert Opel

• Name — Robert Opel • Birth Name — Robert Oppel • Birthplace — East Orange, New Jersey, U.S. • Born — October 23, 1939 • Place of death — San Francisco, California, U.S. • Died — July 8, 1979 (aged 39) • Death Cause — Murder • Occupation — Photographer, art gallery owner • Known for — Streaking incident at the 46th Academy Awards ceremony

Opel was born in East Orange, New Jersey, in 1939. As a child, he lived in Canada, Kansas, and Kentucky before his family settled in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he attended grade school, high school, and college. Born Robert Oppel, he dropped the second "p" from his name after becoming an activist to distance himself from his family in Pittsburgh. Opel was concerned his activities would cause the family embarrassment. In college, Opel was elected to Student Congress, and served as chairman of a regional debate team.

After graduation, he worked as a speechwriter for then-California Governor Ronald Reagan. In 1974, Opel taught English as a second language for the Los Angeles Unified School District. He was fired from that job following the Oscars incident. Opel owned his own photography business, Ideas Photographic. Among his clients were the LGBT publication The Advocate and Finger magazine, where he was also an editor. In 1976, he announced his candidacy for the U.S. Presidency, using the slogans "Nothing to Hide" and "Not Just Another Crooked Dick", referring to the streaking incident and President Richard Nixon, respectively (Nixon had resigned from office in disgrace in 1974). In March 1978, Opel opened Fey-Way Studios, a gallery of gay male art, at 1287 Howard Street in San Francisco. The gallery helped bring such erotic gay artists as Tom of Finland and Robert Mapplethorpe to national attention and showed others, such as Dom Orejudos, Domino, Bill Schmeling, Al Shapiro, Chuck Arnett, Olaf Odegaard, and Rex. In 1979, he was in a relationship with Camille O'Grady, till his death the same year.

On April 2, 1974, Opel apparently posed as a journalist to gain entry to the stage at the 46th Academy Awards at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles. He ran naked past David Niven flashing a peace sign while Niven was introducing Elizabeth Taylor. After breaking into laughter momentarily, Niven regained his composure, turned to the audience and quipped, "Well, ladies and gentlemen, that was almost bound to happen... But isn't it fascinating to think that probably the only laugh that man will ever get in his life is by stripping off and showing his shortcomings?" Later, some evidence arose suggesting that Opel's appearance was facilitated by the show's producer, Jack Haley Jr., as a stunt. Robert Metzler, the show's business manager, believed that the incident had been planned in some way. He said that, during the dress rehearsal, Niven had asked Metzler's wife to borrow a pen so he could write down the famous ad-lib. Opel apparently had to cut through an expensive background curtain in order to reach the stage.

Opel was hosting friends at his studio on July 8, 1979, when two armed men, Robert E. Kelly and Maurice Keenan, stormed the studio in an attempted robbery. They demanded drugs and money; Opel denied he had money and proceeded to kick them out. Opel was shot at close range and was pronounced dead at 10:40 p.m. He was 39 years old. Kelly was sentenced to 25 years to life. Keenan was sentenced to death, but the sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment. As of 2025, Keenan is still serving his life sentence for the murder.