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New York Monthly Herald. July 2006 Issue P. 3

ROBERT OSBORNE: THE GENTLE WALKING ENCYCLOPEDIA 

Photo: From L to R: Mr. Robert Osborne with the delightful Celeste Holms and actress Rita Gam.

By Maximillien de Lafayette

While interviewing celebrities and pioneers and  upon writing about stars, music and showbiz, very few artists and headliners made an unforgettable impression on me and forced me to question my absurd intellectualism;

Marlene Dietrich for her strong personality; Golda Meier for her pragmatic wisdom and patriotic determination; Simone Signoret for her philosophical outlook at life; Jacques Brel for his sweetness and understanding of the needs of poor children; Melina Mercouri for her love for life and exemplary generosity; Omar Sharif for his genuine Middle Eastern human warmth; Alison England for her joie de vivre and happy happy happy approach to life and music...and today, I add one more: Robert Osborne, for his astonishing knowledge of world cinema, honesty and the most pleasant vibs emanating from his delightful persona. Listening to Mr. Osborne is a pure delight and a learning experience at many levels which metamorphoses in a sequence of Osborne's captivating presence, an un-retouched classy mannerism, radiating human warmth and goodness, and above all, an abundance of knowledge, expertise and mastery of cinema story-telling.

In sharp contradiction to what some divas told me about his ego and "Mr. knows it all" personality, I found Mr. Robert Osborne to be humble, friendly, down-to-earth and the kind of a guy you love to have him around. Of course, he has a way with words, and cynical minds would rush to conclude that, Osborne's style of talking is pompous and a pure show-offffffff display of what he already knows. But the truth is exactly the opposite. Robert Osborne is the real McCoy.

France's great Diderot, once  said "Le most juste est le juste mot." Meaning: "The right word is always right." Mr. Osborne echoes this truth.  He says what he really means and tells you exactly what he believes in. There is no masquerade or "bal masqué" clichés in his words.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He is ipso facto, what the Yanks say "You get what you see and you see what you get." For instance, when I asked him: "Do you type your name on the Internet search  engine screen, and try to find out how many new articles were written about you...see how popular you are, what it is said about Robert Osborne, as we all do? Do you count how many Robert Osborne's listings are posted on the Internet?", and he replied with utmost candor: "Never." I asked him again: "Don't you care about rating? Don't you read what peers and other journalists write about you? And how about your fans, public opinion, the pros and the cons? Don't you send a thank note to those who write complimentary and positive articles and reviews about you and your shows?" Without hesitation, he answered: " I don't." He stopped for a while and suddenly he avalanched me with lengthy, colorful and honest explanations. " I do not pay attention to compliments, because, generally, those compliments come from people who are not sincere...from people who need favors from me." I interrupted him:" What kind of favors? What do they expect to get out of you?" And he replied: "They want me to write about them in my columns. I only listen to my director who has my best interest at heart and to close colleagues who work with me at Turner Classic Movies. This is what really counts for me. Besides, I don't want to fall prey to compliments. I don't want to be influenced by compliments. It would take away from me, the reason for doing a good job. Succeeding in what I am doing and been appreciated by those who work on my shows are the only gratifying compliments I enjoy and believe in. Fame and compliments mean nothing to me."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"And how about criticism? Do you get some?", I asked him. "Oh yes! a lot of criticism. And especially from those who want my job. They just call to tell me how good and how better it is or could be,  if I would do this or that...If I do what I do differently! Constantly. That's right. They have their eyes on my job. So...why to bother and listen to them?". What does success mean him? "If what you do, gives you a financial security, then, you are successful at what you do. I am not motivated by money. I just want to be comfortable, to have a comfortable life, and not to worry about money.", said Osborne. This prompted me to ask him: "Do you have a comfortable life? Do you feel comfortable at home? In your apartment?", I asked with some hesitation. "Yes, I am very comfortable in my apartment. I love my apartment.", he replied. I paused for a while to read  sudden expressions he made on his face. I had the feeling that he really enjoys his New York's apartment. Well, if this is the case, why not ask me what does he like most about his apartment in New York. After all, readers are  interested in learning more about Osborne, the Man than the TCM's host. But another and perhaps, more polite question jumped ahead of the bridge of my curiosity. So, I asked him: "In your apartment that you love so much, what are the two items, two things, two pieces you like most?" And he loved the question. I could see a big smile on his face. "Yes, I have two things in my apartment I love very much. A painting I like a lot and a screen Bette Davis gave me as a gift. The screen is very special to me because Bette Davis' mother painted flowers, lots of flowers on the screen, and I like flowers.", said Osborne. T

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo: Mr. Robert Osborne with Mr. Ted Turner.

The candor, honesty and eloquent simplicity of Osborne's answers precipitated me to dig deeper in the psyche of this loveable man, and to ask him equally honest and simplistic questions, hoping  to learn more about Osborn the Man, not the Celebrity, as anticipated by the readers. So, I asked him: "I could tell, you love nature. So, in your world of cinema, your own personal world, in the lights and shadows of that nature you love so much, what is the most pleasant sound to your ears?". "Birds. I love to listen to birds.", Osborne replied. "And the most beautiful site to your eyes?, I added. " People when they lighten up! Real people!", replied Robert Osborne.

No country will ever survive if its art dies out. And Cinema is the most complete and integral art platform, for it contains the multidimensional world of arts; music score, music orchestration, music arrangements, singing, lyrics, set design, decor, lighting design, fashion and wardrobe design, dance, choreography, posters, illustrations, drawing, photography, writing, dialogues, documentaries, history,  ad infinitum. Preserving cinema is preserving our culture, history, civilization, art and achievements. And Mr. Robert Osborne is the mind and soul of such preservation. His contributions to safeguarding and protecting world culture and history via cinema and his enlightening writings about the silver screen are monumental. He is our cinema ambassador to the world. No country will ever survive if its art dies! What’s left from the might and glorious past of Rome are not the centurions, the Roman saber or the military  genius  of  Julius  Cesar but, the

 

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