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PERSONALITIES
temples, the frescoes, Via Apia, the Latin literature, the Roman law, the amphitheaters, the art of acting, in brief the Roman Art and performing arts. Marvels we see on the screen. What’s left from the illustrious history of the Egyptian civilization is not the military might of the Pharaohs, the bowed arch, the war chariots but, the pyramids of Giza, the temples of Luxor, the art treasures, the tomb paintings, the unsurpassed ancient Egyptian architecture and believe or not, the stage performances of its priestesses and dancers, a mirrored image of what we see, today in rich and meaningful movies. What’s left from the fabulous Hellenistic culture and history is not the formidable “Water Fire” of their mighty naval forces, the swords and shields of the Macedonians or the strategic genius of Alexander the Great but, the glorious temples of Athena, the Pantheons, the teachings of Sophocles, Aristotle, the superb Greek statues, the sublime Greek theaters, the divine plays and the half deity half human actors, human frescoes eternally projected on the silver screen. Thus, it is always proper and necessary to talk about art, about cinema. It is a sacred duty to nourish art and cinema in order to revive and preserve our nation. Cinema as Art is an immortal human necessity. If art or cinema never existed, humanity would have not lasted throughout centuries. And we witness this enchanting truth, every time we hear Mr. Osborne and listen to his films intros. OSBORNE: OUR CINEMA AMBASSADOR TO THE WORLD The Academy of motion pictures got to create a new award, a special Oscar to honor outstanding people like Mr. Osborne who are enriching our world of cinema and enlightening generations on most vital topics and history development of cinema. The big screen could be -unfortunately- a trampoline for ego boosting of vain actors and actresses. Nevertheless, it remains a rainbow of one million splashes of rays of remarkable contributions to humanity and the arts. And Mr. Osborn is the very fabric of that rainbow. Entertainment is necessary. But knowledge that nourishes entertainment is precious.
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Photo: Mr. Robert Osborne at the OSCAR. Without learning about the environment, source of creation, original ideas, events that happened behind the screen which created the film or at least added to its cache and mystique...and without knowing the background of the film and what was going on in the mind of those who created it, including, the leading stars, the director, the genius who wrote the screenplay, the hustles the wardrobe designers went through, the complexity of choices, the location manager had to face, the challenging characters and confronting personalities of the actors and actresses who fueled and shaped friendly or unpleasant working environment, the editing battles between the director, the editor, the leading stars and producers, without our awareness of all these tragicomic events and phases of the filmmaking we are watching, our excitement about the film is not totally fulfilled, and our appreciation of the final product is not complete. And this is exactly what Robert Osborn has accomplished and offered us on a silver dish -every night- . His intros of the classics we love to watch on TCM encompass all of the above; everything that surrounded and created those treasures in motion, from conception to realization. And he did it with class, style, warmth, beauty and charming authority. Here is what we got for you: His official biography; brief narrative press releases about his background; statements issued by the companies and networks he worked at and or still offering his services; synopsis of articles written about him provided by reliable sources. According to Wikipedia, Robert Joline Osborne is an American actor and film historian best known for his work as the host of the Turner Classic Movies network since its inception in 1994. Robert Osborne (sometimes credited as Bob Osborne) began his career working as an actor for Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball. Early on, Ball suggested that rather than act, Osborne should combine his love of film with his abilities as a journalist. Osborne took this advice, though has taken a number of small parts in various productions on both television and in film, including a recent appearance on the show Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law. Robert Osborne has been writing a column for The Hollywood Reporter since 1982. In 2003, Abbeville Press published "75 Years of the Oscar®: The Official History of the Academy Awards®", a comprehensive book written by Osborne detailing the history of The Academy Awards. According to its press release, it is the most accurate and definitive book ever published on the subject. CONTINUES NEXT
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Photo:
Mr. Robert Osborne with the legendary June Allyson.
BUT
WHO IN HEAVENS IS ROBERT OSBORNE?