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For other people named Robert Osborne, see Robert Osborne (disambiguation).
Robert Osborne
Osborne at the 2014 Peabody Awards
BornRobert Jolin Osborne
(1932-02-13)February 13, 1932
Colfax, Washington, U.S.
DiedJune 26, 2017(2017-06-26) (aged 85)
New York City, U.S.
Alma materUniversity of Washington
Occupation(s)Actor, film historian, television presenter, author
Years active1958–2016

Robert Jolin Osborne (/ˈɒzbɔːrn/; February 13, 1932 – June 26, 2017) was an American actor, film historian, television presenter, and author best known as the primary host for the cable channel Turner Classic Movies (TCM). Prior to TCM, Osborne had been a host on The Movie Channel, and, earlier, a columnist for The Hollywood Reporter. Osborne also wrote the official history of the Academy Awards, originally published in 1988, and most recently revised in 2013.

Early life

Osborne was born on May 3, 1932, in the small town of Colfax, Washington, where he was raised. His parents were Robert Eugene Osborne, a public school teacher, and Hazel Ida (née Jolin). Osborne graduated from the University of Washington School of Journalism.

Career

Osborne began his career working as a contract actor for Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball's Desilu Studios. There, Osborne became part of Lucille Ball's Desilu Workshop, in which Ball worked with and nurtured such young performers as Osborne and actress-singer Carole Cook.

One of Osborne's early television appearances was in a 1959 episode of Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse called "Chain of Command", starring Hugh O'Brian. He was also featured in the Christmas Day Desilu Playhouse installment "The Desilu Revue" in December 1959. He also had small roles in such TV shows as The Californians and the 1962 pilot episode of The Beverly Hillbillies, "The Clampetts Strike Oil" (in the role of Jeff Taylor). He refrained from signing on for the series, however; not thinking the show would be a success, Robert, instead, focused his attention on acting in television commercials.

Ball suggested that Osborne focus his energies on becoming a journalist, as he would often quip, "especially after she saw me act". After The Beverly Hillbillies, Osborne would focus more on writing and journalism. In 1965, Osborne had his first book published, Academy Awards Illustrated.

In 1977, Osborne began his long-standing stint as a columnist for The Hollywood Reporter. The following year, he published 50 Golden Years of Oscar, which won the 1979 National Film Book award. Having joined the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, he was elected its president in 1981, and served as such till 1983. In 1982, Osborne began a five-year stint as the entertainment reporter on KTTV Channel 11 in Los Angeles. In addition, he began his Rambling Reporter column for The Hollywood Reporter, published five times weekly.

In 1984, Osborne began hosting for The Movie Channel, as well as winning the Publicists Guild of America 1984 Press Award. The following year, he began a relationship with Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), when he hosted a tribute to Shirley Temple at the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theatre in Beverly Hills. In 1988, AMPAS commissioned him to write 60 Years of the Oscar; he later wrote five updates to the volume, the latest being 85 Years of the Oscar in 2013.

In 1994, Ted Turner created Turner Classic Movies as a competitor to American Movie Classics (now known as AMC). Osborne was selected as the host of their nightly broadcasts. For TCM, in addition to hosting four primetime movies seven days a week, he was also the host of special one-on-one "Private Screening" interviews featuring many familiar actors and directors. Beginning in 2006, Osborne also co-hosted TCM's The Essentials. His co-hosts were Molly Haskell from 2006 to 2007, Carrie Fisher from 2007 to 2008, Rose McGowan from 2008 to 2009, Alec Baldwin from 2009 to 2011, Drew Barrymore and finally Sally Field.

Osborne also participated in events at the Paley Center for Media in New York City saluting the television careers of Lucille Ball and Cloris Leachman. Beginning in 2005, Osborne hosted the annual "Robert Osborne's Classic Film Festival" in Athens, Georgia. The non-profit event is held by the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. In 2010, Osborne hosted the very first TCM Classic Film Festival, and participated in subsequent annual festivals.

In 2011, Osborne began to experience health issues. As a result, TCM announced that Osborne would be taking "a short break from his TCM hosting duties for minor surgery, followed by a vacation." Osborne did, however, continue to appear on Saturday nights hosting "The Essentials" with Alec Baldwin. In 2012, Osborne began to share some of his hosting duties with Ben Mankiewicz. Mankiewicz hosts primetime films two nights a week as well as many daytime events. Osborne stated that he will continue to work “as long as I have health, and as long as I think I look O.K. on camera.” He also said, “If I really couldn’t do it with enthusiasm, that would be the time to quit.”

In 2014, as part of an exclusive programming deal with Disney, Turner Classic Movies agreed to become the sponsor of The Great Movie Ride. The attraction underwent a refurbishment in 2015, with the addition of a new pre-show and post-show hosted by Osborne, who also provides onboard narration to the ride. The changes were unveiled on May 29, 2015.

Death

Osborne left the air in early 2016 due to an undisclosed health issue, and missed a number of TCM annual events over the next year. Several years earlier, in 2011, he had missed four months on-air due to "minor surgery followed by a vacation".

Osborne died at his New York City apartment in the Osborne on West 57th Street on Monday, March 6, 2017. The cause of Osborne's death was natural causes. He was 84.

Personal life

Osborne had moved to New York City in the late 1980s. During his lifetime, few details of his personal life were reported, but upon his death it was confirmed that he had been in a 20-year relationship with stage director and producer David Staller; it was Staller who confirmed Osborne's death to the media. Staller also revealed in The New York Daily News dated March 6, 2017 that Osborne had "been dealing with kidney failure for many years and other issues piled on top".

Awards and honors

Osborne won the Publicists Guild of America 1984 Press Award. He also received an honorary doctorate from the Academy of Art University in 2005, and was awarded a star at Vine Street on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2006. In 2007, he received the National Board of Review's William K. Everson Award.

In January, 2016, Osborne was given the inaugural William Cameron Menzies Award from the Art Directors Guild, recognizing his 35 years as a film historian, columnist and critic championing visual entertainment.

Works

Books

Forewords

  • Edwards, Dianna (2003). Picture Show: Classic Movie Posters from the TCM Archives. Foreword by Robert Osborne. Chronicle Books. ISBN 978-0811841542.
  • Carlyle, John (2006). Under the Rainbow: An Intimate Memoir of Judy Garland, Rock Hudson and My Life in Old Hollywood. Foreword by Robert Osborne. Da Capo Press. ISBN 0786720344.
  • Turner Classic Movies (2006). Leading Men: The 50 Most Unforgettable Actors of the Studio Era. Foreword by Robert Osborne. Chronicle Books. ISBN 978-0811854672.
  • Turner Classic Movies (2006). Leading Ladies: The 50 Most Unforgettable Actresses of the Studio Era. Foreword by Robert Osborne. Chronicle Books. ISBN 978-0811852487.
  • Miller, Frank (2008). Leading Couples: The Most Unforgettable Screen Romances of the Studio Era. Introduction by Robert Osborne. Chronicle Books. ISBN 978-0811863018.
  • Arnold, Jeremy (2016). The Essentials: 52 Must-See Movies and Why They Matter. Foreword by Robert Osborne. Running Press. ISBN 978-0762459469.

References

Notes

  1. ^ King, Susan (November 4, 2013). "Robert Osborne: a classic gentleman". Los Angeles Times (online ed.). Retrieved March 6, 2017. Osborne's hosting gig on TCM has made him a superstar among classic film buffs.
  2. ^ Puente, Maria (March 6, 2017). "Robert Osborne, Turner Classic Movies host, dies at 84". USA Today (online ed.). Retrieved March 6, 2017.
  3. Family information from Ancestry.com census records
  4. ^ Barnes, Mike (March 6, 2017). "Robert Osborne, Beloved Host of Turner Classic Movies, Dies at 84". The Hollywood Reporter (online ed.). Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved March 6, 2017.
  5. "Face of TCM Robert Osborne ('54) inducted into Alumni Hall of Fame". University of Washington. September 24, 2015. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
  6. Karol, Michael (2004). Lucy A to Z: The Lucille Ball Encyclopedia. iUniverse. p. 307. ISBN 9780595752133.
  7. ^ Bernstein, Adam (August 14, 2005). "Turner's Classic Host Robert Osborne Brings Film Gems to Life on TCM". Washington Post.
  8. "Robert O. Bio". RobertOsborne.com. Retrieved March 13, 2014.
  9. ^ Sandomir, Richard (March 6, 2017). "Robert Osborne, Turner Classic Movies Host, Dies at 84". The New York Times. p. A25. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
  10. ^ Dagan, Carmel (March 6, 2017). "Robert Osborne, TCM Host and Film Historian, Dies at 84". Variety. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
  11. "ROBERT OSBORNE MILESTONES". www.tcm.com.
  12. Roberts, Jerry (2010). The Complete History of American Film Criticism. Santa Monica Press. p. 327. ISBN 9781595809438.
  13. ^ McLellan, Dennis (March 6, 2017). "Robert Osborne dies at 84; genial student of films hosted Turner Classic Movies". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
  14. Bibbiani, William (March 6, 2017). "R.I.P. Robert Osborne, Host of Turner Classic Movies (1932-2017)". CraveOnline. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
  15. "Robert Osborne (1932 - 2017)". Legacy. March 7, 2017. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
  16. "Robert Osborne, TCM Host and Film Historian, Dies at 84". Cape Cod Times. March 6, 2017. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
  17. Mitchell, Kim; Granger, Rod (April 18, 1994). "Turner launches TCM". Multichannel News. Retrieved February 28, 2011. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  18. Grahnke, Lon (April 10, 1994). "Classic Films Find New Cable Outlet In Turner Empire". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved February 28, 2011. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  19. "Robert Osborne Biography". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved March 13, 2014.
  20. "Robert Osborne's 2010 Classic Film Festival". September 23, 2010. Archived from the original on September 23, 2010. Retrieved March 7, 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  21. ^ "Film Festival overview". September 25, 2010. Archived from the original on September 25, 2010. Retrieved March 7, 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  22. Lumenick, Lou (July 11, 2011). "Robert Osborne taking leave from TCM". New York Post.
  23. Bobbin, Jay (July 5, 2012). "Turner Classic Movies' Ben Mankiewicz: 'It is a big responsibility' hosting the channel". Zap2it.
  24. Lumenic, Lou (October 1, 2012). "New movie maven". New York Post.
  25. Mckinely, Will (October 1, 2012). "Robert Osborne Taking Time Off from Turner Classic Movies".
  26. Barry, Dan (November 19, 2014). "Up Next, a Classic Who Loves Old Films: Robert Osborne Is the Face of TCM". The New York Times.
  27. Elliot, Stuart (November 25, 2014). "Disney Pairs Up With Turner to Promote TCM and Great Movie Ride". The New York Times. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
  28. Pedicini, Sandra (May 29, 2015). "New version of Great Movie Ride unveiled at Disney's Hollywood Studios". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
  29. Barnes, Mike (March 6, 2017). "Robert Osborne, Beloved Host of Turner Classic Movies, Dies at 84". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 6, 2017.
  30. McLellan, Dennis (March 6, 2017). "Robert Osborne dies at 84; genial student of films hosted Turner Classic Movies". Los Angeles Times. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  31. Thomas, Nick (November 30, 2011) "Robert Osborne's back, so roll 'em" Washington Post
  32. Sandomir, Richard (March 6, 2017) "Robert Osborne, Turner Classic Movies Host, Dies at 84" The New York Times. Quote: "In his West Side apartment at — yes, the Osborne..."
  33. Bernstein, Adam (March 6, 2017). "Robert Osborne, Turner Classic Movies host and film historian, dies at 84". Washington Post. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
  34. Dagan, Carmel (March 6, 2017). "Robert Osborne, TCM Host and Film Historian, Dies at 84". Variety. Retrieved March 6, 2017.
  35. Sblendorio, Peter (March 6, 2017). "Robert Osborne, host of Turner Classic Movies, dies at 84". New York Daily News. Retrieved March 6, 2017.
  36. Ring, Trudy (March 6, 2017). "TCM Host Robert Osborne Dead at 84". The Advocate. Retrieved March 14, 2017.
  37. "2007 Award Winners". National Board of Review of Motion Pictures. 2016. Retrieved October 28, 2016.

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