Any particular reason why O'Donnell is making such a fuss over this Hollywood producer who just died

[bluestateguy]

I'm sure he was a fine producer, but there are some pretty major developments in the news today. Gabbing about old movies from 40 years ago should seem to be a non-priority.

A lot of airtime being used up to chitter chatter over the "good old days" in Hollywood, which is of just about zero relevance to the many immigrants whose lives are being affected today.

[Beaverhausen]

1. Are you talking about Mike Nichols?

If so, you clearly aren't a film fan.

[cwydro]

2. Ditto. And

He was married to Diane Sawyer.

Nichols was one of the greats.

[markpkessinger]

5. Indeed he was! n/t

[cherokeeprogressive]

3. Maybe because Mr. Nichols was married to the ABC broadcaster Diane Sawyer. n/t

[Beaverhausen]

4. He's a Tony, Emmy and Oscar winner

His wife is hardly reason for his fame.

[cherokeeprogressive]

7. Never said it was. Tell ya what though...

I bet I've heard her name about a thousand times since the last time I heard his.

[Beaverhausen]

8. That's weird. I Can't recall the last time I heard her name

Is she still working?

[cherokeeprogressive]

14. From December 21, 2009 to August 27, 2014 she was ABC World News anchor.

Until 2014 she was the anchor of ABC's flagship broadcast World News and the network's principal anchor for breaking-news coverage, election coverage, and special events.

One June 25, 2014, it was announced that she would step down from the anchor chair at ABC World News in September 2014. She will remain with ABC News and will focus on creating specials and conducting high profile interviews.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diane_Sawyer#Career

Not surprised you hadn't heard her name lately though... It's been like two whole months she's been out of the limelight.

[JI7]

35. i'm sure more have heard Kardashian's name mentioned even more, Nichols was mainly

behind the scenes while his wife's work mostly put her in front of the cameras .

[Beaverhausen]

38. Sorry but anyone who loves good filmmaking is

...far more familiar with Nichols than his wife or the lard adjusts.


My phone changed their name sorry.

[gvstn]

25. You forgot Grammy winner.

I believe they call them EGOTs (according to NPR).

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=5847033

[SteveG]

47. Also Grammy award winner.

The grand slam of the entertainment industry.

[HERVEPA]

23. No. No. No. No., No.

Get a clue.

[JI7]

32. nope, has nothing to do with that

[tammywammy]

6. Thank god TVs come with remotes. n/t

[nolabear]

9. Director, not producer, and his body of work shaped a lot of America.

Mike Nichols was a remarkable immigration story, and the creator of a brand of comedy that led to Second City, SNL and thousands of imitators. The Graduate was one of the most iconic 60s movies ever made, not to mention taking Simon and Garfunkel's career into the stratosphere. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf was too, and marked the shift of Burton and Taylor to middle aged power roles.

He was important.

[Mira]

20. Seconded n/t

[liberal from boston]

43. Mike Nichols

Nice well deserved tribute to Mike Nichols. Love James Lipton.

[onenote]

10. Because he was an extraordinarily accomplished director

Maybe you don't go to the movies, but if you do, maybe you caught one or more of these movies. What do they have in common? Mike Nichols directed them all (and this is just a partial list):
Charlie Wilson's War
2003 Angels in America (TV Mini-Series) (2 episodes)
1998 Primary Colors
1996 The Birdcage
1990 Postcards from the Edge
1988 Working Girl
1988 Biloxi Blues
1986 Heartburn
1983 Silkwood
1980 Gilda Live (Documentary)
1975 The Fortune
1973 The Day of the Dolphin
1971 Carnal Knowledge
1970 Catch-22
1967 The Graduate
1966 Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

[Cleita]

21. Yes.

Thanks for that. Also Lawrence was one of the writers on "The West Wing" and is probably friends with a lot of that set.

[X_Digger]

45. ^^ this answers the OP's question.. LoDo + West Wing. n/t

[rufus dog]

37. Anything on there worth watching on Netflix?

Just kidding, I was not aware all of those were his. Seen most of them and a very impressive list of work.

[Jenoch]

11. Who is O'Donnell?

[Mira]

22. ...

[Jenoch]

29. It's a perfectly good question.

There is no "O'Donnell" referenced in either the OP nor other replies.

I repeat, 'who is O'Donnell?'

[MADem]

31. Did you look at the thread TITLE?

There's an O'Donnell in that.

It's either Rosie or Lawrence. My clock is telling me it's probably the latter.

[Mira]

34. Lawrence O'Donnell

was dedicating some of his show -MSNCB 10 pm, Mo-Fri- to today's death of Mike Nichols.
I was a bit pre-occupied, but saw that it happened, and felt monumentally diminished by his no longer being with us.
So I knew what the poster was referring to.

My laughing reply to the question: "who is O'Donell" was a reply to what I thought was brilliant sarcasm.
My bad.

[Jenoch]

40. Oh...

So you mean ROSIE O'Donnell was not provididing us with significant insight. Good to know.

[kwassa]

12. Mike Nichols was one of the greats. He directed ....

The Graduate, Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf?, Catch-22, Carnal Knowledge, Silkwood, Heartburn, Biloxi Blues, The Birdcage, Angels in America, Primary Colors, Charlie Wilson's War.

see any of these movies? Many are great.

He was huge in the theater world, too. He is responsible for Annie.

Mike made Whoopi Goldberg a star. He tracked her down when she was almost unknown and created her one-woman show.

His early career was as part of a famous comedy duo of Nichols and May.

[Nye Bevan]

13. Why don't you just go to Google News and click on the stories that interest you? (nt)

[JVS]

15. Showbiz thing. Remember when Roon Arledge died in 2002

Most of the public didn't really care much and likely didn't know who he was, but anyone who had worked in network sports or news did know him. So everyone on Tv had something to say because even if you didn't know him well you didn't want to accidentally snub him and then be on the wrong side of one of his proteges in the future.

[Zen Democrat]

16. He was a performance artist, actor, Nichols & May, magnificent director of screen and stage.

He wrote some of the finest scripts in Hollywood and the New York stage.

He was a Jewish kid born in Germany who got out just in time in 1939. He arrived in the US and didn't speak English.

He's worth the fuss.

[liberal from boston]

44. Amazing Director

Well stated Zen Democrat!!!

[bigwillq]

17. Mike Nichols?

If he's talking about Nichols, then he's talking about one of cinema and TV's finest directors.
If you don't like it, you're free to change the channel.

edited

[TreasonousBastard]

18. So, when Alfred Hitchcock, Walt Disney, Rod Serling or Charlie Chaplin died...

we should have played it down because "real news" was happening? It meant less than Einstein or some ex-President dying?

Mike Nichols was one of those rare people whose genius at writing and directing touched all of us. I remember the old Nichols and May routines, and from there he went on to constantly explore new heights in serious drama.

We won't see his like for a while.

[Luminous Animal]

19. Mike Nichols was a giant as a director. He won his last Tony in 2012 and

Was currently working on a project for HBO with Meryl Streep. He is only one of 14 people who have won an Emmy, Oscar, Tony and Grammy award.

He started Second City TV. His skits with Elaine May are brilliant cerebral humor. He was a 2003 Kennedy Center honoree.

That's why.

[Mira]

24. Overall

I think maybe you will wish you had not made this post.
Calling Mike Nichols a "fine producer" is like calling Le Corbusier a brick layer.

[elleng]

27. Thanks, Mira.

[elleng]

26. He was a great writer and director,

and obviously others have handled POTUS.

[JI7]

28. o'donnell has connections to the entertainment industry and usually gives them more attention

than the others who usually just bring on some celebs during presidential years .

o'donnell is actually better because he can actually discuss the work they do and talk of history, culture etc.

after whitney houston died i think he gave her an entire hour and significant time in segments in the few days after.

[yeoman6987]

30. That director was incredible!

O'Donnell is 100 percent correct to spend time discussing him.

[MADem]

33. Here he is in his youth...

[REP]

36. Nichols & May were a big part of my upbringing

Fuck. He'll be missed.

[Basic LA]

42. Me too

I remember their comedy spots on Armed Forces radio. Very high-brow (as it was called) & intelligently funny.

[oldandhappy]

39. MSNBC had just spent three hours on the president and immigration.

Even BBC was 'gabbing' about this today. Every show I saw mentioned his death. And the major developments for immigration were covered also. Yes, O'Donnell spent more time on it. Maybe they were friends. But MSNBC did not short the president. Maybe it has something to do with age. Some of the films go back a ways. Those of us who remember the movies may have enjoyed the memories more than younger folk. And we also were grateful for the opportunity to see and hear the president this evening.

[olddots]

41. are you shitting me ?

[X_Digger]

46. Fuck if I know / care.

But I got the same feeling when Olbermann waxed poetic about some sports muckety-muck who'd died.

[Iggo]

48. Mike Nichols!!!