Walter Mirisch to be featured on TCM Private Screenings
This Monday, September 29th, Robert Osborne will host an evening with the prolific and overwhelmingly successful produce Walter Mirisch, as the multiple Academy Award winner talks about his fascinating life and awe inspiring career in the movie business, followed by a 4-movie salute of some of the craft man's best.
TCM's salute to a well accomplished movie maker should bring a thrill to the heart of every classic movie fan. Walter Mirisch is one of those old time movie makers who lived and worked with so many talented people on numerous classics (Some Like It Hot, The Apartment, Westside Story, Fiddler on the Roof) it's a sheer joy to hear him go from one anecdote to the next, naturally dropping one iconic name after another with out pause or mock modesty. The man after all did work with these people (Gary Cooper, Audrey Hepburn, Jack Lemmon, Billy Wilder) often approaching them with admiration only to become a life long friend, sometimes giving said artist the most satisfying creative experience of their career (such as the case with Joel McCrea who graciously bestowed upon the then young producer a rather generous present in appreciation for work on several of McCrea's later films).
Naturally, Robert Osborne seamlessly guides the Hollywood veteran through the highlights of his exceptional career, from the early days at a less than revered "B" movie company to the first successes and then the Oscar triumphs. The awards bestowed upon this one individual are truly enviable by any industry standard, and it can be said that it is highly unlikely we will see the likes of such a multifaceted, behind the scenes talent again. So, tune in 8pm EST Monday evening for what I believe to be one of the more fascinating Private Screenings. You'll be treated to an inside glimpse of the world of one of Hollywood's unseen icons and understand what it means when Mirsch quotes himself from one of his favorite stories that led to the title of his memoirs, "I thought we were making movies, not history".
The TCM original production will be followed by the 1967 best movie Oscar winner In The Heat of The Night, an encore screening of Private Screenings, Oscar winner West Side Story, and yet another Oscar Best Picture, The Apartment – an incredible evening of fantastic films belonging to the resume of one incredible man.
#TCM #WalterMirisch #RobertOsborne