Live commentary from Chris Ayres in Los Angeles

Dazzlers and disasters: red carpet dress slideshow

Hollywood stars dazzled on the red carpet this evening as the 80th annual Oscars got under way.

A hastily-erected tent protected the actors and actresses as wind and rain threatened to dampen the ceremony on Hollywood Boulevard.

Bare shoulders and lots of red

Red frocks dominated the Oscars red carpet, with actresses demonstrating old-fashioned glamour in feathers and jewels

Background

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As the Academy Awards show drew near, thousands of fans saw the stars begin to arrive at the Kodak Theatre, where security was tight as police marksmen took up positions on nearby rooftops.

Hollywood's biggest night went ahead after a writers' strike which crippled the entertainment industry and reduced the Golden Globes to a glorified press conference was resolved earlier this month.

Fans screamed as George Clooney led Sarah Larson along the red carpet more than two hours before the ceremony was set to start.

Clooney joked that he never got tired and never had a bad day.

"It's a fun one this time because it's a film we're all really proud of so it's easy to be here and be a part of this," he told E.

Asked why he was so active with various charitable projects around the world, Clooney said: "If you get the opportunity to do it and you don't, I think it's shameful.

"I think it's mostly about waking up and being able to look yourself in the mirror."

He added that he spent Valentine's Day with Larson in Las Vegas.

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