I am taking a departure this month and instead of honoring a Hollywood Golden Legend I’m choosing instead to pay homage to a man that introduced so many of them for over 22 years as host of TCM or for the uninitiated Turner Classic Movies, Robert Osborne.
Robert Osborne passed away last month on March 6th and I admit unabashedly that it was an emotional day for me. He became part of my life in such a visceral fashion because he made the movies I love so much come alive in a way not many could ever do. He did it in the vernacular no hip speak without the dreaded metaphors even his successor has deemed necessary. Robert spoke of people in loving tones without being insipid and if he didn’t have something positive to say he said nothing at all. He never engaged in gossip and when his guest hosts veered away from the topic of movies he gently steered the conversation back to the narrative of what the viewer had tuned in for in the first place the back story of how the movie was made and what made the story stand out in that particular moment in time. There was never revisionist history, as so many actors love to engage in. You know what I mean taking the mindset of today and trying to make it apart of what was. I see that often in movies today.
For many years on Saturday night at 8 pm Robert along with a season long guest co-host featured a show called The Essentials. A Hollywood star would kibbutz with Robert before and after each movie that they both (most of the time) agreed was an “Essential” movie in Hollywood History. Alec Baldwin and Drew Barrymore grand offspring of the Barrymore legends each stayed several seasons and had particular great chemistry with Robert. Baldwin loved and respected Robert and he was more than happy to spend 3 seasons introducing with Robert these classic films often trying to keep up with Robert’s insane movie historical film knowledge. Although as I alluded Osborne was never arrogant about the depth of his screen acumen and he deeply impressed the young Drew Barrymore especially when the two would introduce films featuring her Grandfather John and Grand Uncle Lionel and Grand Aunt Ethel Barrymore. Although she knew and had seen those films her relatives have starred in she wasn’t up to speed on the history Robert brought to her in the seasons she spent with him.
Another trait that I loved about Robert was that he never brought his personal life into his work. We never knew if he was a Conservative, Liberal, Republican or Democrat and when his co-hosts questioned him on who his favorite stars were he would let you know but it never clouded his judgment on their individual performances. He just had a gentle way about him and when Golden Age stars would talk about him they swooned but it was never syrupy sweet it was genuine love.
Robert actually started in movies but it was another legend Lucille Ball that convinced him he should write about Hollywood instead and his book 85 Years of the Oscar: The Official History of the Academy Awards is the exclamation point about the Annual Awards Show. His DVD featuring 30 conversations with Hollywood legends some who has already passed away is a treasure trove of information about stars and their lives. These past luminaries are so forthcoming about their lives as Robert gets them to reveal secrets as easily as taking candy from a baby.
Robert Osborne was one of a kind he will never be repeated and although I will continue to watch TCM it will never be the same.
