2016 (Production)

2016-07-12 (Production)
2016-07-21 (Production)

English (Original)

Interviewee: Walter Mirisch
Interviewer: Barbara Hall

Professional production

United States

Producer Walter Mirisch is interviewed by Barbara Hall at Mirisch’s home in Westwood, California in July 2016. A film producer and AMPAS president, Mirisch shares stories about working with directors like Billy Wilder and actors like Sidney Poitier, the ins and outs of producing films like SOME LIKE IT HOT (1959), THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN (1960), WEST SIDE STORY (1961), and IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT (1967), and his ever-prevailing love for movies.

Producer Walter Mirisch is interviewed by Barbara Hall at Mr. Mirisch’s home in Westwood, California for a two-part interview on July 12, 2016, and July 21, 2016. Mirisch starts by reminiscing about his childhood, growing up Jewish during the Great Depression and how going to the movies was a transcendental experience, his favorite film being Abel Gance's NAPOLEON (1927). He remembers never letting go of that love of movies, which pushed him to get small jobs as an usher and as a doorman for the theater of his alma mater, the University of Wisconsin, where he graduated with a bachelor’s in history before going on to Harvard business school. Mirisch recalls always wanting to work in the film industry and getting his first job out of school at Monogram Pictures in Los Angeles. It was a small production company where he started his career as a producer—a job he admits was more uncertain than anything else he had done but more rewarding. He talks about learning how to make movies on a tight budget and how finding creative ways to acquire financing made him able to tackle many projects. He also remembers, during that time, building relationships with John Huston and Billy Wilder, whom he later worked with when he started his own production company, the Mirisch Company. He talks about screening SEVEN SAMURAI (1954) with Huston and proposing that he direct an American version which later became THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN (1960). He also recounts Wilder wanting to use the same basic story as an old German film which became SOME LIKE IT HOT (1959). When asked about working on it, Mirisch delivers the line: “I thought we were making movies, not history” (which is revealed to be the title of his memoir later in the interview) and goes on to explain the difficulties of working with Marilyn Monroe during that stage of her career, who often delayed production, leading to budget concerns. Mirisch then fondly looks back on his relationship with Wilder, a director he worked with for 20 years and whom he respected and admired and who created what Mirisch claims to be one of the best movies of all time, THE APARTMENT (1960). Mirisch then goes to talk about working on different phases of production. More specifically, how he always liked collaborating with famed composers, such as Elmer Bernstein, who scored THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN, John Williams on THE APARTMENT, and Henry Mancini on THE PINK PANTHER (1963). He talks about the difficulty in making WEST SIDE STORY (1961) cinematic and butting heads with Jerome Robbins because he thought it should be shot in the streets, which led to the decision of bringing in co-director Robert Wise. Mirisch goes on to speak to his producing style, saying he usually focused on bringing a creative influence and making sure shoots didn’t take too long. He recounts striking up friendships with Dalton Trumbo when he worked on HAWAII (1966), something he called a great experience, and with Sidney Poitier, whom he met while the actor was shooting A RAISIN IN THE SUN (1961). Mirisch recalls being blown away at Poitier’s performance when he finally saw the film at Cannes and immediately wanting to work with him on a project, which later became IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT (1967). He then remembers some executives at United Artists being nervous about screening the film in the South because of the racial issues it tackled, thinking it might cause a riot. Mirisch remembers suggesting they have a theatrical release only in big cities like New York, Chicago, Detroit, and L.A. and not going below the Mason-Dixie line. That decision ended up being fortuitous and the movie made money even on a limited theatrical release, according to Mirisch.

Then, Mirisch recalls his time at the Academy, where he used his same ken of creative financing to fund its building on Wilshire Boulevard. He remembers striking a deal with ABC after NBC, the network which broadcast the Oscars at the time, refused to give them any money for the building construction. When going over his time as head of AMPAS in the 1970s, Mirisch fondly remembers overseeing the Academy Awards ceremony that honored Charlie Chaplin then briefly discusses being the only person—along with Sam Goldwyn—to win the Best Picture Oscar, the Irving Thalberg Award, and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. He also recalls the pleasure of giving an honorary Oscar to Sidney Poitier, whom he describes as one of his closest friends. Mirisch describes wanting to bring realism to the production of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF (1971) and shooting in Croatia which posed as Russia. He admits being surprised at its success around the world as it was a Jewish story, but it also tapped into a larger story of oppression. Walter Mirisch then goes back to reflect on his time as head of the Mirisch Company, recounting how he produced sixty-eight movies for United Artists in a seventeen-year period—something he started to laugh about when he noticed that it amounted “to four pictures a year.” Towards the end of the interview, Mirisch wraps up by sharing the best filmmaking advice he’s ever received, which was from Billy Wilder: "You've got to do what's in your gut and just stay with that." He then shares his own view on what is required to be a great film producer. Namely, being a “Renaissance Man” and the ability to attach yourself to a story which appeals to you. He also mentions having wide-ranging tastes in terms of genre and subject matters and being able to pull from personal experience. He then concludes with: “And it has been a great adventure and I have cherished it all the way. I believe, as someone once said to me, all picture makers die with scripts in their hand. And I expect I shall too” before expressing gratitude that he was able to collaborate with such marvelous actors, directors, musicians and feeling lucky that his films have become part of the cinematic pantheon of history.

Walter Mirisch (1921-2023) was a film producer and former president of the PGA as well as of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, where he served for four terms. He was born and raised in New York City and graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison before attending Harvard Business School. After serving as the production head at Allied Artists, a division of Monogram Picture, he founded the Mirisch Company with brothers Marvin and Harold, in 1957. Together, they produced over 68 films for United Artists. He is regarded as a monumental Hollywood producer, overseeing numerous films which won Academy Awards such as THE APARTMENT (1960), WEST SIDE STORY (1961) and HAWAII (1966). Along with his trademark perfectionism and keen ability to follow a project throughout all stages of production, he is best remembered for producing SOME LIKE IT HOT (1959), THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN (1960), and IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT (1967), for which he won an Academy Award. Other awards include 1967 Producer of the Year Award from the PGA, the Cecil B. DeMille Award from the Hollywood Foreign Press in 1976, and the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award from the Academy in 1978.

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