Madison, Wisconsin: University Archives and Records Management Services
Summary
In this interview, John Tortorice talks with Walter Mirisch about life at UW-Madison and his success in Hollywood. Walter Mirisch received his BA from the Department of History in 1942, completing an undergraduate thesis on the Rome-Berlin axis under the direction of Chester V. Easum (1894-1979). Though initially offered a graduate fellowship to continue his study of history, Mirisch left academia to instead pursue a career as a film producer. In 1957, he formed The Mirisch Corporation with his brothers Marvin and Harold, eventually going on to win Oscars in 1960 for The Apartment, in 1961 for West Side Story, and in 1967 for In the Heat of the Night. He has also produced such films as Wichita (1955), Fiddler on the Roof (1971), Midway (1976), and The Pink Panther, both for television and film.