Ken talks with Mark Harris, author of the best-seller, “Mike Nichols: A Life” — a fascinating look into this complex giant of the entertainment industry. This week: His early life, influences, and relationship with Elaine May, which spawned the hugely successful comedy team, Nichols & May.
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Terrific book.
ReplyDeleteThe story of his death, to my knowledge, broke on GMA, Diane Sawyer's old stomping grounds right at 7 a.m. It led the broadcast, whereas I didn't see it on CBS until 7:30.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed Mark Harris's first two books and look forward to reading this. TCM recently showed a couple of Nichols & May documentaries and their comedy is as fresh as ever.
ReplyDeleteA Friday question. On the last episode of season 5 of the Bob Newhart Show, both Carol and Emily announce they are pregnant. From what I could find this was not a dream episode. The next season there was nothing about either Carol or Emily having a baby. What would the reason for just dropping this plot line when this was the second to the last season
ReplyDeleteThank you for this. I devoured the biography. It is wonderful. His previous book FIVE CAME BACK, about the war film work of director’s Ford,Capra,Huston,Stevens and Wyler, was also magnificent. The book has so many highlights, his years in Chicago, the years with Elaine May, the partnership with Neil Simon. The book addresses the rift that developed between Nichols and Simon. It also mentions how Nichols had no love for Walter Matthau during The Odd Couple or George C.Scott during Plaza Suite and Day of the Dolphin. The story behind the runaway production of Catch-22 was so detailed. You felt for Nichols when he sees the film of MASH and realizes that that movie accomplished everything he wanted to do with his movie. The book reminds everyone how important Nichols was to the musical ANNIE, while not directing it. I look foreword to Part 2, the partnership with Simon, Virginia Woolf, The Graduate and his films with Meryl Streep. He also returned to acting. On YouTube there is a video of his performance in Wallace Shawn’s play THE DESIGNATED MOURNER that is worth checking out. He also teamed up with Elaine May on a stage production of ‘Virginia Woolf’ where he played ‘George’ and May was ‘Martha’.
ReplyDeleteLoved the book. Who knew Mike Nichols smoked crack?
ReplyDeleteI read Harris's Nichols bio and it was fascinating.
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