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49-582: Barry Lee Levinson (born April 6, 1942) is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Levinson won the Academy Award for Best Director for Rain Man (1988). His other best-known works are similarly mid-budget comedy drama and drama films such as Diner (1982), The Natural (1984), Good Morning, Vietnam (1987), Bugsy (1991), and Wag the Dog (1997). In 2021, he co-executive produced

98-476: A hot-air balloon , a U.S. Navy submarine in the Ohio River , and deep inside a coal mine . His early reporting efforts earned Garroway a reputation for finding a good story, even in unusual places. The "Roving Announcer", as he was known, worked his way up to become the station's special-events director, while still attending to his on-air work. After two years with KDKA, Garroway left for Chicago. When

147-440: A Harvard University lab assistant, book salesman, and piston ring salesman. After not being able to successfully sell either, Garroway decided to try his hand in radio. Garroway began his broadcasting career at NBC as a page in 1938; he graduated 23rd in a class of 24 from NBC's school for announcers. Following graduation, he landed a job at Pittsburgh radio station KDKA in 1939. As a station reporter, he filed reports from

196-608: A film screenwriter – notably the Mel Brooks comedies Silent Movie (1976) and High Anxiety (1977) (in which he played a bellboy) and the Oscar-nominated script (co-written by then-wife Valerie Curtin ), and ...And Justice for All (1979). He was an uncredited co-writer on Dustin Hoffman 's 1982 hit comedy Tootsie . Levinson began his career as a film director with Diner (1982), for which he also wrote

245-404: A large audience that enjoyed his easygoing presence early in the morning. His familiar "cohost", a chimpanzee with the puckish name of J. Fred Muggs , did not hurt his genial manner, but his concurrent seriousness in dealing with news stories and ability to clearly explain abstract concepts earned him the nickname "The Communicator" and eventually won praise from critics and viewers alike. At

294-567: A number of series, including Homicide: Life on the Street (which ran on NBC from 1993 to 1999) and the HBO prison drama Oz . Levinson also played an uncredited main role as a judge in the short-lived TV series The Jury . Levinson published his first novel, Sixty-Six ( ISBN   0-7679-1533-X ), in 2003, and like several of his films, it is semi-autobiographical and set in Baltimore in

343-399: A result of which he contracted a staph infection . On January 14, 1982, Today broadcast its 30th-anniversary special, which featured all of the important living, former, and current staff members. Garroway, who had recently undergone drug rehabilitation for an amphetamine addiction, appeared to be cheerful and in good spirits during the show. He also indicated that he would be present for

392-556: A science series called Exploring the Universe in late 1962. Later, he went back to working in radio, doing "split-shift" shows called Garroway AM (midmornings) and Garroway PM (midafternoons) for WCBS (AM) , New York. Garroway also started a magazine, National FM-Radio ; the venture was a costly failure, with Garroway realizing he was not cut out to be a businessman. While he was in the publishing business, Garroway began reading various law books to try to understand what his lawyer

441-420: A variety of people that included politicians, writers, artists, scientists, economists, and musicians. In his role as Today host, Garroway acted as pitchman for several of the show's sponsors. Among them were Admiral television sets, Alcoa , and Sergeant's dog food. Most of the appearances were in the form of print ads in newspapers and magazines. By 1960, a board game called "Dave Garroway's Today Game" also

490-667: The Academy Award of Merit for Directing ) is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given in honor of a film director who has exhibited outstanding directing while working in the film industry . The 1st Academy Awards ceremony was held in 1929 with the award being split into "Dramatic" and "Comedy" categories; Frank Borzage and Lewis Milestone won for 7th Heaven and Two Arabian Knights , respectively. However, these categories were merged for all subsequent ceremonies. Nominees are determined by single transferable vote within

539-612: The American University School of Communication , where he studied broadcast journalism . He then moved to Los Angeles to work as an actor and writer and performed comedy routines. Levinson at one time shared an apartment with would-be drug smuggler (and subject of the movie Blow ) George Jung . Levinson's first writing work was for television variety shows such as The Marty Feldman Comedy Machine , The Lohman and Barkley Show , The Tim Conway Show , and The Carol Burnett Show . He moved on to success as

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588-757: The Hulu miniseries Dopesick and directed the first two episodes. Levinson was born in Baltimore, Maryland , the son of Violet "Vi" ( née Krichinsky) and Irvin Levinson, who worked in the furniture and appliance business.. He is of Russian-Jewish descent. After growing up in Forest Park, Baltimore and graduating from Forest Park Senior High School in 1960, Levinson attended Baltimore City Community College and American University in Washington, D.C. at

637-523: The Today show: "And how are you about the world today? Let's see what kind of shape it's in; there is a glimmer of hope". Pioneering NBC president Sylvester "Pat" Weaver chose Garroway as the host of his new morning news-and-entertainment experiment, the Today show, in 1952. He was joined by news editor Jim Fleming and announcer Jack Lescoulie when the show debuted on Monday, January 14, 1952. Though initially panned by critics, Garroway's style attracted

686-614: The 1960s. In 2004, he directed two webisodes of the American Express ads " The Adventures of Seinfeld & Superman ." In 2004, he was also the recipient of the Austin Film Festival 's Distinguished Screenwriter Award. Levinson directed a documentary PoliWood about the 2008 Democratic and Republican National Conventions: the documentary—produced by Tim Daly , Robin Bronk and Robert E. Baruc—had its premiere at

735-569: The 2009 Tribeca Film Festival . In 2011 Levinson was developing a film based on Whitey Bulger , the Boston crime boss. The resulting film, Black Mass (script by Jim Sheridan , Jez Butterworth , and Russell Gewirtz ), is based on the book by Dick Lehr and Gerard O'Neill, and it is said to be the "true story of Billy Bulger, Whitey Bulger, FBI agent John Connelly and the FBI's witness protection program created by J. Edgar Hoover ." Levinson later left

784-448: The 89 films that won Best Picture and were also nominated for Best Director, 68 won the award. Since its inception, the award has been given to 75 directors or directing teams. As of the 96th Academy Awards ceremony, British-American filmmaker Christopher Nolan is the most recent winner in this category for his work on Oppenheimer . In the following table, the years are listed as per Academy convention, and generally correspond to

833-565: The Dog (1997), a political satire co-starring Robert De Niro about a Presidential election swayed by a phony war staged on a film studio. The film won the Silver Bear – Special Jury Prize at the 48th Berlin International Film Festival . Levinson partnered with producer Mark Johnson to form the film production company Baltimore Pictures, with 1990's Avalon as the company's first production. Johnson departed

882-773: The United States entered World War II in 1941, Garroway enlisted in the U.S. Navy , serving as a line officer . While stationed in Honolulu , he hosted a radio show when he was off duty, playing jazz records and reminiscing about the old days back in Chicago. After the war, Garroway went to work as a disc jockey at WMAQ (AM) in Chicago . Over time, Garroway hosted a series of radio programs, such as The 11:60 Club , The Dave Garroway Show , and Reserved for Garroway . One oddity Garroway introduced on his radio shows

931-404: The air as soon as Today wrapped up each morning. Dial Dave Garroway had begun in 1946 when Garroway was still working for WMAQ in Chicago. Garroway took Today to various locations during his tenure - Paris in 1959 and Rome in 1960; car shows and technology expos; plays and movies; and aboard an Air Force B-52 for a practice bombing run. Through television, Garroway gave viewers access to

980-601: The classic war comedy Good Morning, Vietnam (1987), starring Robin Williams (as Adrian Cronauer ), and he later collaborated with Williams on the fantasy film Toys (1992) and the political comedy Man of the Year (2006). Levinson also directed the critically acclaimed historical crime drama Bugsy (1991), which starred Warren Beatty and which was nominated for ten Academy Awards. He directed Dustin Hoffman again in Wag

1029-471: The directors branch of AMPAS; winners are selected by a plurality vote from the entire eligible voting members of the academy. For the first eleven years of the Academy Awards, directors were allowed to be nominated for multiple films in the same year. However, after the nomination of Michael Curtiz for two films, Angels with Dirty Faces and Four Daughters , at the 11th Academy Awards ,

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1078-430: The early 1950s. Earlier radio and television voices spoke with an authoritative "announcer's" intonation, resembling public oration, often dropping about a musical fifth on the last word of a sentence. Garroway was one of the broadcasters who introduced conversational style and tone to television, beginning some broadcasts as though the viewer were sitting in the studio with him, as in this November 20, 1957, introduction for

1127-557: The final day of his life. Garroway's son Michael said that his father had been experiencing complications from his heart operation and he had "unfortunately succumbed to the traumatic effects of his illness". In addition, he was extremely depressed at his inability to resurrect a TV career, saying to friends and family "I'm old hat, old news. Nobody wants old Dave anymore". His family held a private graveside service for him in Philadelphia on July 28. The July 22 edition of Today

1176-479: The firm in 1994. Levinson has been a producer or executive producer for such major productions as The Perfect Storm (2000), directed by Wolfgang Petersen ; Analyze That (2002), starring De Niro as a neurotic mob boss and Billy Crystal as his therapist; and Possession (2002), based on the best-selling novel by A. S. Byatt . Levinson has a television production company with Tom Fontana (The Levinson/Fontana Company) and has served as executive producer for

1225-627: The first two episodes. Levinson married his writing collaborator Valerie Curtin in 1975. They divorced seven years later. He later married Dianna Rhodes, whom he met in Baltimore while filming Diner. He is the father of Sam , Jack, Michelle, and Patrick Levinson. He is a minority owner of the Baltimore Orioles baseball team. He resides with his two sons and wife in Redding, Connecticut . Academy Award for Best Director The Academy Award for Best Director (officially known as

1274-622: The full previous calendar year from January 1 to December 31. Dave Garroway Born in Schenectady, New York , Garroway was of Scottish descent. By the time he was 14, he had moved with his family 13 times, finally settling in St. Louis , Missouri , where he attended University City High School and Washington University in St. Louis , from which he earned a degree in abnormal psychology. Before going into broadcasting, Garroway worked as

1323-559: The live program. When Garroway's second wife, Pamela, died of a prescription-drug overdose on April 28, 1961, Garroway sank into a deeper emotional malaise. In late May 1961, Garroway resigned, announcing his intention to leave Today —either at the end of October when his contract was finished or sooner, if possible — to spend more time with his children. On June 16, 1961, Garroway left the morning show he helped pioneer. After leaving Today , Garroway returned to television on National Educational Television (the forerunner of PBS ) with

1372-579: The program first aired on June 12, 1955. He continued as the Sunday-evening host of the news and music program from 1955 to 1961. Garroway worked on the air at WCBS radio in 1964 and briefly hosted the afternoon rush-hour shift at KFI in Los Angeles in late 1970 and early 1971. Garroway was introduced to the national television audience when he hosted the experimental musical variety show Garroway at Large , telecast live from Chicago. It

1421-787: The program with "Peace" instead of her usual "And so it goes". Because of Garroway's dedication to the cause of mental health, his third wife, Sarah , helped establish the Dave Garroway Laboratory for the Study of Depression at the University of Pennsylvania . Robert McKimson 's 1960 cartoon Wild Wild World depicts "Cave Darroway" presenting footage from the Stone Age. Mad spoofed him in one issue (issue #26, from November, 1955) as "The Dave Garrowunway Show". In Robert Redford 's 1994 film Quiz Show , Garroway

1470-583: The project. Levinson finished production on The Humbling (2014), starring Al Pacino . Levinson also directed Rock the Kasbah (2015), starring Bill Murray . In 2010, Levinson received the Laurel Award for Screenwriting Achievement , which is the lifetime achievement award from the Writers Guild of America . In 2021, he co-executive produced the Hulu miniseries Dopesick and directed

1519-497: The rules were revised so that an individual could only be nominated for one film at each ceremony. That rule has since been amended, although the only director who has received multiple nominations in the same year was Steven Soderbergh for Erin Brockovich and Traffic in 2000, winning the award for the latter. The Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Picture have been very closely linked throughout their history. Of

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1568-437: The same time he did Today , Garroway also hosted a Friday-night variety series, The Dave Garroway Show , from October 2, 1953, to June 25, 1954. On October 16, 1955, he began hosting NBC's live Sunday-afternoon documentary Wide Wide World , continuing with that series until June 8, 1958. Another Friday-evening variety show, Dave's Place , was on the air in 1960. He also hosted a radio show, Dial Dave Garroway , that went on

1617-537: The script, earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay . Diner was the first of four films set in the Baltimore of Levinson's youth. The other three were Tin Men (1987), a story of aluminum-siding salesmen in the 1960s starring Richard Dreyfuss and Danny DeVito ; the immigrant family saga Avalon (1990) featuring Elijah Wood in one of his earliest screen appearances; and Liberty Heights (1999). His biggest hit, both critically and financially,

1666-446: The show's 35th anniversary in 1987. A few months later, however, Garroway began suffering complications from the infection he had contracted during surgery. He spent some weeks in and out of hospitals and had an in-home nurse tending to him. On July 21, he was found dead of a self-inflicted shotgun wound at his Swarthmore, Pennsylvania , home. No suicide note was found and Garroway's nurse did not recall him being unusually depressed in

1715-532: The summer of 1971. While in Los Angeles, Garroway began to take acting workshops; he had a role in an episode of the Western series Alias Smith and Jones as a judge in 1972. Garroway appeared sporadically on other television programs without achieving the success and recognition levels he enjoyed on Today . He largely remained out of the public eye for the rest of the 1960s and 1970s, although he did re-emerge for Today anniversaries. His final such appearance

1764-467: The year of film release in Los Angeles County , California ; the ceremonies are always held the following year. For the first five ceremonies, the eligibility period spanned twelve months from August 1 to July 31. For the 6th ceremony held in 1934, the eligibility period lasted from August 1, 1932, to December 31, 1933. Since the 7th ceremony held in 1935, the period of eligibility became

1813-601: Was Rain Man (1988), a sibling drama starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise in which Levinson appeared as a doctor in a cameo appearance. The film won four Academy Awards , including Best Picture and Best Director . It also won the Golden Bear at the 39th Berlin International Film Festival . Levinson directed the popular period baseball drama The Natural (1984), starring Robert Redford . Redford later directed Quiz Show (1994), and he cast Levinson as television personality Dave Garroway . Levinson also directed

1862-415: Was cancelled. The show had promise, but management instead decided to fill its time slot with old movies instead of more expensive local programming. After leaving the Boston airwaves, Garroway traveled to Southern California, hosting a music-and-talk show on KFI radio in Los Angeles. He planned to re-enter the television world with a CBS summer replacement show, Newcomers , but the show never made it past

1911-413: Was carried by NBC from June 18, 1949, to June 24, 1951. Garroway's relaxed, informal style when on the air became part of his trademark. In 1960, reviewer Richard F. Shepard of The New York Times wrote, "He does not crash into the home with the false jollity and thunderous witticisms of a backslapper. He is pleasant, serious, scholarly looking, and not obtrusively convivial". On television, Garroway

1960-614: Was featured in several automobile commercials, including the first Chevrolet Corvette in 1953, and the Ford Falcon in 1964. Garroway, a music lover and amateur drummer, lent his name to a series of recordings of jazz, classical, and pop music released in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Among them were Wide, Wide World of Jazz , 1957's Some of My Favorites , and 1958's Dave Garroway's Orchestra: An Adventure in Hi-Fi Music . In 1981, Garroway underwent open-heart surgery, as

2009-451: Was having the studio audience respond to a song number not by applauding, but by snapping their fingers. Garroway also worked to organize jazz concerts, creating a "Jazz Circuit" of local clubs in 1947, bringing back interest in this music genre. His fellow disc jockeys voted him the nation's best in the 1948 and 1949 Billboard polls. He won the award again in 1951. Garroway was the first "communicator" on NBC Radio's Monitor when

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2058-402: Was known for his signoff, saying "Peace" with an upraised palm. Along with Arthur Godfrey , Arlene Francis , Steve Allen , and Jack Paar , Garroway was one of the pioneers of the television talk show. Television commentator Steven D. Stark traces the origins of the style to Chicago. Garroway, Studs Terkel , and Hugh Downs all hosted relaxed, garrulous, extemporaneous shows in that city in

2107-413: Was mainly a remembrance of Garroway. His colleague Jack Lescoulie , news editor Frank Blair , and former consumer reporter Betty Furness offered tributes on the show. Garroway's death was noted on NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw and Roger Mudd . Commentator John Chancellor was the man who had replaced Garroway on Today 21 years earlier. On NBC News Overnight , host Linda Ellerbee closed

2156-626: Was married three times and had three children. His first marriage was to Adele Dwyer, whom he married in 1945. The couple had a daughter, Paris, before divorcing the following year. He married former actress and ballerina Pamela Wilde in 1956. They had a son, David Cunningham Garroway Jr., in 1958. Garroway later adopted Wilde's son Michael from her first marriage. Wilde died of a prescription-drug overdose on April 28, 1961. Garroway married astronomer Sarah Lee Lippincott in February 1980. They remained married until Garroway's death in 1982. Garroway

2205-543: Was on the 30th-anniversary show, on January 14, 1982. Garroway narrated a compilation of romantic songs performed by the Boston Pops Orchestra , Getting Friendly with Music, in 1956. He also served as narrator for special albums, including 1964's The Great Campaigners, 1928–1960 and 1960's Names From the Wars. In 1960, Garroway wrote Fun on Wheels, an activity book for children on road trips. The book

2254-526: Was produced. In 1961, Garroway hosted a special filmed program for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association that traced Billy Graham 's crusades from 1949 to 1960. Garroway's relaxed demeanor on TV hid his depression . Toward the end of his professional career, he began to have disagreements with staff members; some days, Garroway would disappear in the middle of the Today broadcast, leaving colleagues to finish

2303-537: Was revised and reissued in 1962 and 1964. Toward the end of his life, Garroway planned to write an autobiography. The book never made it past the research stage; the surviving notes, manuscripts, audio tapes, and news clippings were sent to former Today researcher Lee Lawrence. Upon Lawrence's death in 2003, the boxes were turned over to the Library of American Broadcasting, Special Collections, University of Maryland Libraries, where they remained as of 2009. Garroway

2352-560: Was saying. His attorney told him that he had done enough legal reading to pass the New York State bar exam. On a bet, Garroway sat for and passed the written exam. In April 1969, Garroway launched a daytime talk show on WNAC-TV , Tempo Boston, which he hoped would be picked up for national syndication. Stations in New York and Philadelphia agreed to pick up the show, but by early 1970, the small-scale syndication ended and Tempo

2401-481: Was very interested in astronomy, and during a tour of Russian telescopes, he met his third wife, astronomer Sarah Lee Lippincott. In his final years, he attended astronomy symposia at Swarthmore College and spent time at Sproul Observatory . Garroway was also an automobile enthusiast, and one of his hobbies was collecting and restoring vintage luxury and sports cars. He was especially fond of his 1938 SS Jaguar 100 , which he also raced in his spare time. Garroway

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