"To Kill a Mockingbird" director Robert Mulligan dies at 83

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

Source: The Hartford Courant

Robert Mulligan, who was nominated for an Academy Award for directing the 1962 film "To Kill a Mockingbird," died Saturday at his home in Lyme. He was 83.

Mulligan had heart disease, his nephew Robert Rosenthal said.

The director began working in live television in New York in the early 1950s and won an Emmy Award for the TV movie "The Moon and Sixpence" in 1960. His first film, "Fear Strikes Out," was released in 1957 and told the story of mentally ill baseball player Jimmy Piersall, played by Anthony Perkins. Mulligan directed 19 more films, including "Summer of '42," "The Other" and "Same Time, Next Year" before capping his career in 1991 with "Man in the Moon," featuring actress Reese Witherspoon in her movie debut.

Read more: http://www.courant.com/entertainment/movies/hc-mulliganobit1221.artdec21,0,163589.story?track=rss

[Stardust]

1. He should die a very proud man, having created one of the finest films of all time.

[regnaD kciN]

3. He also directed the extremely-underrated film version...

...of Up the Down Staircase.

[willing dwarf]

5. I remember that movie, sort of

Seeing it on TV when I was about 12. It made an impression on me at the time.
Who was in it? Sandy Dennis and...? Did it involve interracial schools/teachers in England? Or am I confusing that with another movie?

[LibDemAlways]

10. You are thinking of To Sir With Love with Sidney Portier as the

American teacher in a tough working class English school. Of course he wins the kids over at the end. Up the Down Staircase was set in a similar school in New York and did star Sandy Dennis. Jean Stapleton was in it too. Both were pretty good movies as I recall.

[regnaD kciN]

13. That's right...

There were two films with similar plots released in 1967. ...Staircase had the misfortune to open second, and got less attention because of it. But, while both films were quite good, ...Staircase was better.

[dhill926]

2. a largely unrecognized talent.....

a glass is raised for him.....

[geiger]

4. thank you for this

i had my sons watch "To Kill a Mockingbird" when they were about the ages of the children in the movie.

That movie was a masterpiece. I will look at some of the others now.

[theblasmo]

6. Man In The Moon

Amazing film. Never gets enough credit.

[bluesmail]

7. Great film. Great book.

[nolabear]

8. "Stand up, Miss Jean Louise;

Your father's passin'."

I grew up in Mississippi in the 1960's. That book, and that movie, changed lives. Can't wish for more than that. R.I.P. to an artist.

[RFKHumphreyObama]

9. RIP Robert Mulligan

One of the few directors who can honestly say he created the perfect movie and did a great job for humanity in the process

My deepest and sincerest and most heartfelt thoughts, prayers, sympathies and condolences are extended to his family and friends

[Mind_your_head]

11. Whoa.....odd fact that I just ran across looking up Robert Mulligan's

"Fear Strikes Out" (the story of mentally ill baseball player Jimmy Piersall)....

According to Wikipedia:

Jimmy Piersall is the godfather of disgraced congressman Mark Foley.

"Piersall is the godfather of former US Congressman Mark Foley, who resigned after a scandal involving inappropriate communications to underage Congressional pages"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Piersall

(the Piersall/Foley connection doesn't have anything to do with Mr. Mulligan - other than he did a movie on Piersall. It's just more interesting the Piersall/Foley connection. Who were Mark Foley's parents? How did they know Piersall and why did they choose him to be Foley's godfather? What influence did Piersall have on Foley, being his godfather and all?, etc.)

------------

RIP Robert Mulligan.

[superconnected]

12. Ah I loved To kill a mocking bird - the book and the movie.

RIP Mr. Mulligan.

[priller]

14. Summer of '42 -- fantastic job with taboo subject

That movie could have been so sleazy, but he did such an understated and sensitive job directing it. Really a masterful director. And do check out "The Other" to see what a great job he does with a horror movie.

[GinaMaria]

15. RIP.... eom