inimitable Hollywood style." He later said that despite Rock's edgy and provocative opening, his humor and energy diminished as the night wore on. Vince Horiuchi of The Salt Lake Tribune wrote of Rock's performance, "He was bound by stale jokes (none of the winners "tested positive for steroids"), a rigid opening monologue (he didn't even make reference to his prior controversial comments about the Oscars), and tired comedy bits (Rock playing like Catherine Zeta-Jones with Adam Sandler)." He also described the cast and production of the ceremony as "moribund" and "clumsy". Other media outlets received the broadcast more positively. Film critic Roger Ebert noted that Rock "opened on a high-energy quick-talking note" He also added, "Chris Rock hit a home run with his opening monologue, which was surprisingly pointed, topical, and not shy of controversy." Television critic Frazier Moore commented that Rock's performance was a "needed pick-me-up, presiding over the broadcast with saucy finesse." He added, "In sum, the broadcast felt brisk, though not rushed. It felt modern and refreshingly free of chronic self-importance." Brian Lowry of Variety gave an average review of Rock but remarked, "For all the hand-wringing about the awards descending into the muck, the 77th Academy Awards proved a classy affair, with precious little red meat to satiate Hollywood bashers." Ratings and reception The American telecast on ABC drew an average of 42.14 million people over its length, which was a 3% decrease from the previous year's ceremony. The show also drew lower Nielsen ratings compared to the two previous ceremonies with 25.4 of households watching over a 38 share. It also drew a lower 18–49 demo rating with a 15.1 rating over a 34 share among viewers in that demographic. In Memoriam The annual In Memoriam tribute was presented by actress Annette Bening. Musician Yo-Yo Ma performed during the segment. Ronald Reagan – Actor Peter Ustinov - Actor Carrie Snodgress - Actress Dan Petrie Sr. – Director David Raksin – Composer Fay Wray - Actress Phil Gersh – Agent Elmer Bernstein – Composer Carole Eastman – Writer Frank Thomas – Animator Russ Meyer – Director Jerry Orbach - Actor, singer Ralph E. Winters – Editor Robert E. Thompson – Writer Howard Keel - Actor, singer Janet Leigh - Actress Christopher Reeve - Actor Ossie Davis - Actor Jerry Bick – Producer Mercedes McCambridge - Actress William Sackheim – Writer, producer Ed Di Gullio – Inventor