The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Face of Turner Classic Movies dies
Film historian Robert Osborne, the congenial, impeccably dressed host of Turner Classic Movies for more than two decades, died Monday in New York. He was 84.
“Robert was embraced by devoted fans who saw him as a trusted expert and friend,” TCM general manager Jennifer Dorian said in a statement. “His calming presence, gentlemanly style, encyclopedic knowledge of film history, fervent support of film preservation and highly personal interviewing style all combined to make him a truly worldclass host.”
Osborne was the face of the network from its inception on April 15, 1994, the 100th anniversary of the first motion picture. On that day, he introduced TCM’s first film “Gone With the Wind.” From there, he would tape more than 50,000 intros to classic films, providing factoids and anecdotes for the network, flying every few weeks from New York City to Turner studios in Midtown. He frequently sat in a signature red leather chair in a living room set.
For many years, on his show “Private Screenings,” he interviewed old-time greats such as Lauren Bacall, Ernest Borgnine, Tony Curtis, Charlton Heston and Debbie Reynolds.
He co-hosted “The Essentials” with actors such as Carrie Fisher, Rose McGowan and Alec Baldwin.
During an interview with former Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Richard Eldredge in 2008, Osborne said, “People come up and tell me that TCM is like an oasis for them. What a wonderful compliment.”
He wrote a column for The Hollywood Reporter for 25 years, until 2009. He was considered the unofficial biographer of the Academy Awards and has written several Oscarrelated books.
Osborne told Eldredge in 2008 how much he loved his job. “We never repeat a script so it’s important to find a different slant or present new information on even wellknown films like ‘The Philadelphia Story,’ ” he explained. “Some people tell us watching TCM is like going to film school. That’s nice to hear but our approach is to make it a little more informal and conversational.”
His workload in recent years was eased back as health problems took their toll. The network did not specify what his health problems were.
A couple of years ago, he began doing his intros from New York. He hadn’t really done any on-air work the past year. He missed the past two TCM Classic Film Festivals. Over time, Ben Mankiewicz took more of his on-air duties.
Born in 1932, Osborne worked as a contract actor for Lucille Ball’s studio before becoming an entertainment writer and author on a recommendation from Ball herself.
The concept of the TCM network was a way for owner Ted Turner to leverage his huge library of old films and unlike most cable networks, it has kept to its original spirit, focusing on films from before 1980 and remaining commercial free.
TCM, which is available in more than 80 million households, now holds special TCM film festivals, film tours, cruises and even a wine club.