Walter Mirisch
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Notes
He was president of Screen Producers Guild (1960-61)
Board of directors member to the Motion Picture Association of America in 1962.
Biography
The legendary Walter Mirisch got his start producing low-budget features for the more famous of the "Poverty Row" studios, Monogram, and served as executive producer with its subsidiary, Allied Artists, before forming an independent production company with his brother Marvin (born 1918) and half-brother Harold (born 1907) in 1957. The Mirisch Company, Inc. soon emerged as the preeminent independent production outfit of the period, following the decline of the Hollywood studio system.
The Mirisch brothers began as producers with the "Bomba" series of low-budget films starring Johnny Sheffield - formerly 'Boy' in the "Tarzan" movies - as well as with action and Western movies. As Allied Artists head of production, Mirisch also supervised such classics as "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" (1956). When they opened their own shop, the Mirisch Company at first offered Westerns, beginning with "Fort Massacre" (1958) and "Gunfight at Dodge City" (1958) before soon becoming more ambitious.
Mirisch was executive producer of "The Magnificent Seven" (1960), the same year the Mirisch Company produced Billy Wilder's "The Apartment," which won the Best Picture Oscar. The Mirisch Company's 1961 release, "West Side Story," also won the Oscar for Best Picture. In 1967, Mirisch, himself, produced the Academy Award-winning Best Picture, "In the Heat of the Night," starring Rod Steiger as a Southern sheriff forced to forge a relationship and take help from a northern African-American police lieutenant (Sidney Poitier). With his proven track record, Mirisch continued producing motion pictures into the 1970s, including an ambitious rendition of "Dracula" (1979).
Although the Mirisch brothers had produced NBC's 1959 series "Wichita Town" starring Joel McCrea, the company did not delve into television production on a regular basis until the 1980s, when Mirisch was executive producer of a series of "Desperado" TV movies. The company remained active in TV into the next decade, and in 1996 offered "A Case for Life," a telefilm about two sisters - one who is pregnant and is against abortion; the other who is pro-choice.
Key directors associated with The Mirisch Company during the golden years included Billy Wilder, John Huston, Blake Edwards and Norman Jewison. Notable films produced directly by Mirisch or which he supervised include "Fiddler on the Roof" (1971), "The Russians are Coming, the Russians are Coming" (1968), "The Pink Panther" (1964), "The Children's Hour" (1964), "Some Like It Hot" (1959) and "Toys in the Attic" (1963). Mirisch was also known for his many activities in the entertainment industry. He served four terms as the president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and three terms as president of the Producers Guild of America.
Filmography
Producer (Feature Film)
Production Companies (Feature Film)
Life Events
1938
Worked for the Skouras Theatre Corporation
1945
Joined Monogram Pictures (later Allied Artists)
1947
Produced first film, "Fall Guy"
1951
Appointed an executive producer with Allied Artists in July
1957
Founded Mirisch Co. with brothers
1958
Produced "Fort Massacre", first Mirisch Co. film
1960
Produced "The Magnificent Seven"
1961
Mirisch Company offers "West Side Story"
1966
Produced "Hawaii"
1967
Produced "In the Heat of the Night"
1969
President and executive head of production, The Mirisch Corporation
1974
Produced "Serpico"
1983
Produced "Romantic Comedy"
1987
Executive producer, "Desperado" for NBC, first in a series of TV movies
1996
Executive producer, TV-movie, "A Case for Life"
Videos
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Trailer
Family
Companions
Bibliography
Notes
He was president of Screen Producers Guild (1960-61)
Board of directors member to the Motion Picture Association of America in 1962.
Served as President of the Permanent Charities Committee (1962-63)
He is a member on the board of governors for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (1964, 1972); president (1973-77)
He has served as President of the Center Theatre Group of Los Angeles
"I like to challenge an audience. I especially like movies that are provocative, that have a meaningful theme while stimulating us with new ideas." --Walter Mirisch
