The improbable life of Mike Nichols

[@estherw7047]

Mike Nichols and his family would most likely have been murdered in the Holocaust if they hadn’t fled Germany (as were my own father’s first wife and young children). It boggles the mind to think of the wonderful talents as well as ordinary lives that perished.

[@RebekahCurielAlessi]

Your comment is so contemplative and makes me think of the Jewish ethos that to save one person is to save the world.

[@dianeanderson6104]

I agree. So many jews are smart and creative and inventive. We will never know the contributation they could have made. That is true of everything though. Watch a doc called Harry and Snowman to see what i mean. As a teen Harry w/his father saved jews and servicemen in Holland from the Nazis. He also saved starving horses the Nazis left behind (1000). He came to the US and saved a plowhorse destined for slsughter by buying him off a killers truck for 80.00. He turned the horse into a world class jumper. A lovely movie.

[@marytheresejacksonlutz2533]

That is the horror of The Holocaust-all the brilliant lives lost because of hatred. Never forget

[@mrjinkorea]

That opening shot of the Statue of Liberty in Working Girl was classic! Thank you Mike Nichols and Rest in Peace

[@katydidiy]

I stood in line for 3 hrs to get a good seat to see the Graduate. It was truly worth it. I was only 18 but I knew I was seeing something very special. Having gone to the movies at least once a week since a little kid (my parents didn't believe in babysitters) I saw everything from the Creature From the Black Lagoon to Goldfinger. The Graduate is a treasure🍷

[@OhSankYouDoktor]

I met him around 25 years ago when he was directing "Death and the Maiden" on Broadway. I did not see the show but was passing by the theater as a weekend matinee had just ended, and lots of people were waiting at the stage door to hopefully see Glenn Close, Richard Dreyfuss or Gene Hackman. None of them came out but Nichols did and signed autographs. As he signed my piece of paper, I told him, "I loved 'Gilda Live.'" No reaction. Then I said, "I loved 'Heartburn.'" He looked at me, totally amused, and said, "You like the obscure ones." "No," I said. "'The Graduate' was good."

[@attsealevel]

I know it's not for everybody, but "Postcards from the Edge" is one of my favorite films. Nichols just seemed to bring out the best in his actors, something raw and vulnerable. So glad he made movies that I now get to watch.

[@marshallhughes4514]

"it twirled up!" Lol great movie.

[@jabjab4434]

One of my favorite viewing once or twice a year.

[@attsealevel]

@@marshallhughes4514 Great line - I'd forgotten that.

[@yogaflirt7]

Mike Nichols was one of my favorite directors. A true legend.

[@heathermetz6576]

‘Working Girl’, ‘Silkwood’, and ‘The Birdcage’, were a few of my favorites!

[@marytheresejacksonlutz2533]

And don’t forget The Graduate, one of my favorites too

[@attsealevel]

Great choices - 2 fun flicks and one serious. I like em all!

[@MsRBliss]

One of my all time favorite movies is 'Regarding Henry'. Definitely not a flop. A very tender, moving film!

[@samanthab1923]

JJ Abrams

[@adamzanzie]

It doesn't appear as though it flopped at the box office, either. Budget of $25 million and it grossed $43 million domestically, which seems to indicate that it turned a modest profit.

[@stephenmccollum1391]

Incredible

[@attsealevel]

Never saw it due to mixed reviews - but now on my list. Thx

[@lisarice4402]

As far as brain injury patients go, Regarding Henry is the very closest any healthy person can get to understanding just how hard brain injury is to do any sort of recovering from. That movie shows everything from the patient’s point of view, and how pain truly isn’t as therapeutic as healthy people think. The suffering from nerve damage is lifelong, affects every area of your body, and is a relentlessness that you somehow become adapted to and work with.

[@RebekahCurielAlessi]

Sounds like you might have a traumatic brain injury as do I....

[@lisarice4402]

Rebekah - I have a severe brain injury. I registered a 3 on the Glasgow Coma Scale in the ambulance on way to hospital.

[@RebekahCurielAlessi]

@@lisarice4402 oh my gosh Lisa, you worded so clearly my experience. And it's invisible to most people, the subtleties and the constance. In my case, my family is very patient and sweet and we say my daughter has a learned brain injury because she is so sensitive to the way I think and can translate it to the world. Bless you my friend, I rewatched Regarding Henry before I wrote you, in the movie.... I forgot, one of the "benefits" of my wound is I can't lie to myself. I wasn't so much like the main character before but I was sarcastic and cynical and those qualities are no more available to me. Thank you for responding. Keeping your well being and kindness in my thoughts.❤️

[@lisarice4402]

Rebekah - thank you for the positive comments. As you know, dealing with brain injury is very hard work no matter how severe or how “mild” your brain is injured. What matters is getting excellent rehab so you can bring yourself to the strongest point its ever been. Some days are good and some you don’t get out of bed - you still wake up and nothing is better than that 😉 !!

[@RebekahCurielAlessi]

@@lisarice4402 you are so right my friend, just to be alive is a miracle.🌹

[@laraine8857]

I highly recommend the book “Mike Nichols” by Mark Harris. From that, I feel Mr. Nichols was my friend, too.

[@jennalonsdale3629]

One of the best biographies of anyone I've ever read!

[@jennalonsdale3629]

One of the best biographies on anyone I've ever read

[@snakebitepellehue]

I only know him for "Wit", starring Emma Thompson, which is one of my favorite films of all time. I've long wanted to watch "The Graduate", but I had no idea that it was his, too. Wow.

[@sabrina9333]

Mo Rocca I love your stories when are you going to get back to your podcast.🥰🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@007Julie]

My thoughts exactly!! I need more of his podcast, so insightful and endlessly interesting.

[@cynthiacopland8634]

What a wonderful & talented man! Beautiful ♥️Candace Bergen is one ☝🏽 of my favorite actresses; what a great friendship they shared.

[@pwk22]

Although I was an Arts And Letters major in college, I never felt I had the "art gene", sort of like being color blind. But I saw "Carnal Knowledge", and it was pitched artistically right where I was: not too arty so that it went over my head, but arty enough that it was intriguing and great overall. It might be my favorite movie.

[@DodgerFanAD_23]

Wow what a great director Mike Nichols was !🙂

[@saint6563]

Person.

[@hibob418]

Watch the Elaine May KZbin clip of Mike’s AFI lifetime achievement award. Pure gold. I watch it every time I need a great laugh.

[@freeadrian1144]

Thanks for the reference. Very funny. Her talking about the open ended final scene of The Graduate and other stories supports the idea that it influenced the similar ending scene of The Heartbreak Kid (1972).

[@rr7firefly]

Nichols is an inspiration to every person who wasn't born with good looks. His ability to triumph, with only his enormous talent and intelligence is a testament for everyone to consider. For further insight into the man, look at Carly Simon's book, "Touched by the Sun." Nichols had big problems in his adult life not covered here by Mo Rocca.

[@patriciabonekemper9957]

Sounds sad

[@flannerymonaghan-morris4825]

Um actually he was pretty good looking, in his own unusual way.

[@rr7firefly]

@@flannerymonaghan-morris4825 Well, not a grotesque ogre by any means, but he didn't hold a candle to pretty boys like Robert Redford or Warren Beatty.

[@johntechwriter]

From "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" to "The Birdcage." And so much else in between. At the top of his profession both on Broadway and in Hollywood. Never has there been an American director with such range.

[@zebrastreet9993]

They touched on his Broadway work but overlooked one of the most famous shows of all time. In 1977 Mr. Nichols teamed up with the producing team of a fledgling new show coming out of a regional theater in Connecticut and nurtured it to Broadway and a Tony Award for Best Musical and instant classic status. Bet your bottom dollar, that show was ANNIE.

[@jimkreider9997]

Definitely one of the best of all time. And his collaboration with Elaine May was epic

[@judd442009]

A masterful connoisseur of talent including his own.

[@joniheisenberg6691]

What a gift to find someone who speaks the same secret language.

[@duncanfrere2656]

Reading Harris' book now. It's magnificent!

[@marytheresejacksonlutz2533]

I Nichols’ biography too. I really enjoyed it-I learned so much

[@Sbannmarie]

His hair looks very natural. Oh this is Nicols and May!

[@annbush1826]

We were lucky enough to have third row seats for Nichols and. May. It was a glorious series of skits- the bereaved busband at the funeral parlor as Elaine helpfully offers him funeral music “the philharmonic” or for $120 a high school senior singing Blues in the Night

[@cre8lite11]

Lucky you! When was that?

[@chrisfinch8637]

“Mrs. Robinson, you’re trying to seduce me. Aren’t you?” A legendary movie with a unique and slightly unfinished ending- his style, his magic, and his greatness of film. Miss you, Mike.

[@sherri.]

One of the good guys of Hollywood.

[@catzenhouse]

Another stellar Mo Rocca interview.

[@dnasty312]

I thought he looked familiar! Wow, Mo has gone grey

[@PeaceFan1]

" Virginia Woolf " was his BEST!!!! Absolutely BRILLIANT!!!!

[@johntechwriter]

Phrase maker.

[@cre8lite11]

My mom turned me onto Nichols &May in the 50s, And love them ever since, I didn’t know that they made the birdcage til recently, But not surprised. One of my all-time favorites, Just wish My mom had lived long enough to see it, God she would have loved it!

[@larrysouthern5098]

I slipped into the movie "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf" when I was about ten years old ...when I went in I was a boy when I came out...I felt like a man....I had never seen anything like that before on screen...but I knew people like that in real life!!! At that time I had never heard of. Elizabeth Taylor or Richard Burton...but in that movie they seemed like they were playing themselves ( truth is stranger than fiction)...This man made one of the most Iconic movies of all times. (" The Graduate "was great also)... Genius at work....Thank you Sir!!!

[@annbush1826]

We saw the Broadway production Yes wifb Arthur Hill and Uta Hagen. and it was stunning. That was the same season O’Neill’s “Lomg Day’s Journey into Night” also began its Broadway run. Mike Nichols took every actor in the film version to an even more intense errformance. with inspired camera work.

[@peterdurkin1499]

Always classy material with Mike Nichols

[@suzanneadamson1306]

WIT, w/ Emma Thompson, was 1 of his Best!

[@samanthab1923]

Haven't seen Silkwood in a bit. Found out he & Streep are related.

[@llynnie888]

Beautiful and inspiring story💕

[@sclogse1]

People need to know what came before comic book movies.

[@jennifersman7990]

If it had been maybe a half hour shorter, Catch-22 would’ve been another Nichols classic

[@johntechwriter]

Like the book, "Catch 22" was more satire than humor, and American's don't get satire.

[@user-jl7ym4en5b]

I can't pick a favorite. But I do wish he had been able to do more work with Emma Thompson. Brilliant man. His art is sorely missed.

[@joycestepancevich6591]

Good to know more about Mr. Nichols!!

[@francismausley7239]

Thank you Mike Nichols... "It is natural for the heart and spirit to take pleasure and enjoyment in all things that show forth symmetry, harmony, and perfection. For instance: a beautiful house, a well designed garden, a symmetrical line, a graceful motion, a well written book,..." ~ Abdul-Baha, Baha'i Faith

[@adriennebolles711]

Went from not being sure who the name was to OMG he did all my favorite movies and all the most gutsy movies I can think of.

[@carlajordan9602]

Regarding Henry a flop? It's one of my favorite movies of all time.

[@adelaferreira4575]

What a life well live ! a great artist and incredible gentleman RIP Mike Nichols you make a lot of people so happy with your movies

[@marshallhughes4514]

I had no idea that Nichols had directed Whoopi's one woman show. I really loved her doing that and it is my favorite of her work. It is a shame that you never see or hear of it much anymore.

[@dddddadadad1796]

Diane Sawyer’s husband?

[@marytheresejacksonlutz2533]

Yes

[@pkwilde189]

Bravo!!!!

[@raydunn8262]

Mike's wigs were incredible. I didn't know he was bald; I must have seen him in 20 years.

[@steveconn]

Great, diverse director (though John Leguizamo had a funny anecdote about pissing in his cappuccino machine when he was snide to him when John played a mugger in the film Regarding Henry).

[@jkbjkb8899]

How lovely!

[@flannerymonaghan-morris4825]

How has there not been a biopic movie made about him or his partnership with Elaine May?

[@lesliegmn3927]

Nobody ever discussed Mike Nichols’ baldness until recently.

[@CarltonDurant]

Great Documentary. Carlton Durant

[@arncj18]

they don't make that quality of movies, these new age directors simply can't. Just rewatched Closer yesterday. Saw it when it came out in the cinema as well.

[@frankpappalarddo9245]

Well Sunday morning

[@Someonesaidthis]

I love his movies ❤️❤️❤️

[@gj8683]

I remember "The Crying Game." Wow, was I surprised!

[@gerrynightingale9045]

*I disagree over "Catch-22" being a 'failure' or a 'flop'* *I was not a 'huge Hit' as "The Graduate" was...but the under-tones of 'WW-2' were not 'ancient history' and 'Middle-America' did not appreciate the irony and sarcasm involved in fighting a war where you could just as easily die from someone's mistake as you could from battle, and people don't like being reminded of such things* ( The 'under 30's 'got it' & the 'over 40's' did not) *Nichol's family escape from Germany just prior to the outbreak of the War in '39 was worthy of a movie of it's own since such escapes were extremely difficult even with masses of bribes involved because money would paid to 'this one' and 'that one' and still be arrested and detained at any time, anywhere in Europe*

[@maradellabianca381]

Forget all the other works.If he had only made The Graduate he would have been hailed as a Giant.

[@adelaferreira4575]

Mike Nichols a master in his craft,rest in peace !

[@tomloft2000]

hw was also behind the "Family" TV series.

[@carolynstewart8465]

He had great wigs, too!

[@65g4]

Great director some great movies of his that i love

[@jetmoor1983]

Rachel Nichols father in law

[@RebekahCurielAlessi]

Lovely.

[@jovanlucarelli3088]

everything mike did was pure genius r i p

[@legalmexican]

So he's responsible for Whoopi Goldberg. Thanks a bunch. Sarcasm.

[@mlecarre2057]

I just get nauseous when Mo Rocca starts talking.... my comment

[@nunyamindyours6641]

Who cares!

[@jarrodbarkley9061]

I understand what you're saying, though his voice doesn't bother me.

[@sharone.langley2923]

His voice bothers me, too

[@cynthiacopland8634]

Bad shellfish?

[@ricardofleming8632]

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[@pettertran1405]

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[@FrankIsAlwaysRight]

He was a huge MAGA fan…TRUMP FOR SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE!

[@godswordjesus]

Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy! For the Lord, the Most High, is terrible, a great king over all the earth. He subdued peoples under us, and nations under our feet. He chose our heritage for us, the pride of Jacob whom he loves.

[@rogeroxelborn858]

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[@BlackEcology]

Ⓐ GRANDCHILD OF GUSTAV LANDAUER Ⓐ