Mike Nichols 'The Graduate', 'Silkwood', director, dies age 83

'Mike Nichols, one of the most acclaimed directors in the history of American film and stage, whose work included the movies “The Graduate” and “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”, died suddenly on Wednesday night. He was 83.

His death was announced Thursday morning by James Goldston, the president of ABC News, who described him as a “true visionary.” Nichols was married to the ABC anchor Diane Sawyer.

Nichols was one of a handful of people to win an Emmy, a Tony, a Grammy and an Oscar.'

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/director-mike-nichols-dead-age-83-n252326

I loved "The Birdcage".....rip mr. Nichols.

Mike Nichols, crafter of films, plays, dies at 83

SHELLEY ACOCA, AP
59 minutes ago

NEW YORK (AP) — Mike Nichols, the director of matchless versatility who brought fierce wit, caustic social commentary and wicked absurdity to such film, TV and stage hits as "The Graduate," ''Angels in America" and "Monty Python's Spamalot," has died. He was 83.

The death was confirmed by ABC News President James Goldston on Thursday. Nichols died Wednesday evening.

The family will hold a private service this week; a memorial will be held at a later date, Goldston said...

http://xfinity.comcast.net/articles.../US-Obit-Mike-Nichols/?cid=hero_media_Nichols

Mike Nichols, Acclaimed Director of ‘The Graduate,’ Dies at 83 (New York Times)

Pretty hot stuff back when I was 13.

[video=youtu;-3lKbMBab18]http://youtu.be/-3lKbMBab18[/video]

'Who’s to say where Nichols found his kindred spirit with those who were marginalized. There’s a famous, cutesy story of when Nichols, then Michael Igor Peschkowsky, arrived in New York after escaping Berlin. Then just 8-years-old he saw writing on a deli Billboard that was in Hebrew. He asked his father, “Is that allowed?”

Perhaps, then, his legacy’s subtle socio-political message: yes, we’re allowed. We are.'



http://www.thedailybeast.com/articl...mike-nichols-made-gay-culture-mainstream.html

TCM remembers the life and career of Award-winning director Mike Nichols, who passed away yesterday at the age of 83, with a 3 film tribute on December 6.

8:00 PM (ET) Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
10:30 PM (ET) The Graduate (1967)
12:30 AM (ET) Carnal Knowledge (1971)

Perhaps best known for directing such classics as "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" (1966) and "The Graduate" (1967), Nichols holds the distinction of being one of the few people to have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar® and a Tony award, as well as a record-breaking 6 Tony Awards. His groundbreaking work in film began with Woolf, his debut feature, that was controversial for the film's profanity and handling of marital infidelity. He followed up that film with a string of hits, including The Graduate, Catch-22 (1970), Silkwood (1983), and more recently Closer (2004) and Charlie Wilson's War (2007).

After establishing himself as the straight-man half of a popular comic duo with Elaine May in the late 1950s, Mike Nichols became one of the most decorated directors of stage and screen, earning several Tony Awards for his work on Broadway while helming seminal Academy Award-winning films. Though he began his career as in improvisational comedian and gained a degree of popularity with May, Nichols found his greatest success first on Broadway, where he collaborated extensively with Neil Simon to direct "Barefoot in the Park" (1963) and "The Odd Couple" (1965); both of which earned him Tony Awards for Best Director. He soon moved to Hollywood and directed the controversial "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" (1966), which broke ground for its use of profanity and frank handling of marriage infidelity, and "The Graduate" (1967), which managed to tap into the feelings of isolation and abandonment by that era's youth. Following a misfire with his adaptation of "Catch-22" (1970), Nichols once again broke ground tackling the subject of sex and relationships with the hit drama, "Carnal Knowledge" (1971). But he soon broke away from Hollywood to focus on the stage, only to return with the acclaimed biopic "Silkwood" (1983), starring Meryl Streep. Following popular hits like "Working Girl" (1988) and "Biloxi Blues" (1988), Nichols' film career hit a precipitous downturn until he directed the surprise hit comedy "The Birdcage" (1996). On the small screen, he found even more success with the acclaimed made-for-cable movie "Wit" (HBO, 2001) and the extraordinary miniseries "Angels in America" (HBO, 2003), both of which earned their share of critical adulation and awards. After a return to big screen form with "Closer" (2004) and "Charlie Wilson's War" (2007), Nichols proved that he was just as viable as he was when he broke new ground for a previous generation...

http://www.tcm.com/remembers/