Joan Micklin Silver obit

Joan Micklin Silver, Director of ‘Crossing Delancey,’ Dies at 85

She broke barriers for women, directing seven feature films, including “Hester Street” and “Between the Lines,” as well as TV movies.

She was not on the list.

Joan Micklin Silver, the filmmaker whose first feature, “Hester Street,” expanded the marketplace for American independent film and broke barriers for women in directing, died on Thursday at her home in Manhattan. She was 85.

Her daughter Claudia Silver said the cause was vascular dementia.

Ms. Silver wrote and directed “Hester Street” (1975), the story of a young Jewish immigrant couple from Russia on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in the 1890s. It was a personal effort, a low-budget 34-day location shoot, that became a family project.

Studios said the story was too narrowly and historically ethnic. For one thing, much of the film, in black and white, was in Yiddish with English subtitles.

“Nobody wanted to release it,” Ms. Silver recalled in a visual history interview for the Directors Guild of America in 2005. “The only offer was to release it on 16 to the synagogue market,” she added, referring to 16-millimeter film.

Ms. Silver’s husband, Raphael D. Silver, a commercial real estate developer, stepped in to finance, produce and even distribute the film after selling it to some international markets while attending the Cannes Film Festival. “Hester Street” opened at the Plaza Theater in Manhattan in October 1975, then in theaters nationwide, and soon earned $5 million (about $25 million today), almost 14 times its $370,000 budget. (Ms. Silver sometimes cited an even lower budget figure: $320,000.)

Richard Eder of The New York Times praised the film’s “fine balance between realism and fable” and declared it “an unconditionally happy achievement.” Carol Kane, who was 21 during the filming, in 1973, was nominated for the best actress Oscar for her role as Gitl, the newly arrived wife who is, in the opinion of her husband (Steven Keats), humiliatingly slow to assimilate.

“Hester Street” made Ms. Silver’s reputation, but the next time she wanted to depict Jewish characters and culture, the same objections arose.

“Crossing Delancey” (1988) was a romantic comedy about a sophisticated, single New York bookstore employee (Amy Irving) who is constantly looking over her shoulder to be sure that she’s made a clean getaway from her Lower East Side roots.

With the help of her grandmother (played by the Yiddish theater star Reizl Bozyk) and a traditional matchmaker (Sylvia Miles), she meets a neighborhood pickle dealer (Peter Riegert) who has enough great qualities to make up for his being just another nice guy (her tastes ran more in the bad-boy direction).

The studios found this film “too ethnic” too — “a euphemism,” Ms. Silver told The Times, “for Jewish material that Hollywood executives distrust.”

 Luckily, Ms. Irving’s husband at the time, the director Steven Spielberg, was fond of Jewish history himself. He suggested that she send the script to a neighbor of his in East Hampton, N.Y. — a top Warner Entertainment executive. The film grossed more than $116 million worldwide (about $255 million today).

It is difficult to say which was Ms. Silver’s most vicious antagonist, anti-Semitism or misogyny.

“I had such blatantly sexist things said to me by studio executives when I started,” she recalled in an American Film Institute interview in 1979. She quoted one man’s memorable comment: “Feature films are very expensive to mount and distribute, and women directors are one more problem we don’t need.”

Filmography (director)

 

    The Immigrant Experience: The Long Long Journey (1972 short)

    The Case of the Elevator Duck (1974 short)

    Hester Street (1975)

    Bernice Bobs Her Hair (1976 TV film)

    Between the Lines (1977)

    Chilly Scenes of Winter (Head Over Heels) (1979)

    How to Be a Perfect Person in Just Three Days (1983 TV film)

    Finnegan Begin Again (1985 TV film)

    Crossing Delancey (1988)

    Loverboy (1989)

    Prison Stories: Women on the Inside (1991 TV film) - segment 2

    Big Girls Don't Cry... They Get Even (1992)

    A Private Matter (1992 TV film)

    In the Presence of Mine Enemies (1997 TV film)

    Invisible Child (1999 TV film)

    A Fish in the Bathtub (1999)

    Charms for the Easy Life (2002 TV film)

    Hunger Point (2003 TV film)

 

Dick Thornburgh obit

Dick Thornburgh, ex-Pa. governor and US attorney general, dead at 88

The Republican guided Pennsylvania through the Three Mile Island nuclear crisis in 1979

 

 He was not on the list.

Dick Thornburgh, who as Pennsylvania governor won plaudits for his cool handling of the 1979 Three Mile Island crisis and as U.S. attorney general restored credibility to a Justice Department hurt by the Iran-Contra scandal, has died. He was 88.

Thornburgh died Thursday morning at a retirement community facility outside Pittsburgh, his son David said. The cause is not yet known. He suffered a mild stroke in June 2014.

 

Thornburgh built his reputation as a crime-busting federal prosecutor in Pittsburgh and as a moderate Republican governor. As the nation’s top law enforcement official, he prosecuted the savings and loan scandal. He also shepherded the Americans with Disabilities Act; one of his sons had been severely brain damaged in an auto accident.

 

After leaving public office, Thornburgh became a go-to troubleshooter who helped CBS investigate its news practices, dissected illegalities at telecommunications company WorldCom and tried to improve the United Nations’ efficiency.

 

"I’ve always had an opportunity to right a vessel that was somewhat listing and taking on water," he told The Associated Press in 1999. "I wouldn’t object to being characterized as a ‘Mr. Fix It.’ I’ve liked the day-in, day-out challenges of governance."

 

President Ronald Reagan appointed Thornburgh attorney general in the waning months of his administration. Thornburgh succeeded the embattled Edwin Meese III, who was investigated by a special prosecutor for possible ethics violations, and his appointment in August 1988 was hailed on Capitol Hill as an opportunity to restore the agency’s morale and image.

He was asked to stay on as attorney general when George H.W. Bush became president in 1989.

Thornburgh ran into trouble with the press and members of Congress who were put off by his imperious manner. He also battled liberals and conservatives in Congress over Justice Department appointments.

 

Despite the difficulties, Thornburgh enjoyed the continued backing of President Bush and won unprecedented increases from Congress in the Justice Department’s budget to fight crime.

The prosecution of savings and loan operators and borrowers increased during his tenure as the nation faced a growing crisis in the thrift industry. He set up securities fraud and S&L task forces in several major cities.

Also under Thornburgh, the Justice Department pursued the prosecution of deposed Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega, who was brought to Miami to face drug trafficking charges after a U.S. invasion.

Thornburgh tried to halt unauthorized leaks of information about criminal investigations, but he ran into trouble in the spring of 1989 when CBS News aired a story that the FBI was investigating the congressional office of Rep. William Gray, D-Pa. The story produced expressions of outrage among Democrats because it was aired when Gray was seeking to be elected House majority whip.

An internal investigation later showed that Thornburgh’s own chief spokesman played a role in confirming the story.

U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey said Thornburgh led Pennsylvania and the Department of Justice "successfully and with integrity."

"The steady nature in which he guided Pennsylvania through one of its most dangerous crises – the nuclear accident at Three Mile Island – should serve as an example for all elected officials," the Republican senator said.

"The steady nature in which he guided Pennsylvania through one of its most dangerous crises – the nuclear accident at Three Mile Island – should serve as an example for all elected officials."

— U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, shared Toomey's sentiment, describing Thornburgh during the accident as a "necessary and steady voice of calm in the midst of a crisis."

As Pennsylvania governor from 1979 to 1987, Thornburgh won a reputation as a squeaky-clean, reform-minded executive who cut the state government’s payroll, but his defining moment came barely two months into office.

In March 1979, he was confronted with the worst nuclear accident in American history when a routine equipment failure at the Three Mile Island power plant turned into a partial meltdown, which released radioactive elements.

Thornburgh agonized over whether to order an evacuation of the area around the plant. He recalled years later that "some people were telling us more than they knew and others were telling us less than they knew."

He eventually ordered pregnant women and young children to leave an area five miles around the plant, which caused thousands of others near Harrisburg to flee.

His cool handling of the 10-day crisis was credited with averting panic.

He was praised in later years for recognizing that Pennsylvania’s manufacturing industry was fading and pumping state money into economic development for new businesses.

Thornburgh’s career in government services stretched back to the 1960s. He was U.S. attorney in western Pennsylvania from 1969 to 1975, prosecuting drug traffickers, organized crime figures and corrupt politicians.

From 1975 to 1977, he was assistant attorney general in charge of the Justice Department’s criminal division, where he stepped up federal prosecutions of public corruption in the post-Watergate era.

He showed his sense of humor at events during his first gubernatorial campaign in 1978, mocking the state Legislature’s generous compensation to the tune of "My Favorite Things." "Nice big fat paychecks and liberal pensions / Fringes and perks that we won’t even mention ..." As attorney general, he referred to white-collar crime as "crime in the suites," as opposed to streets.

When Thornburgh left the U.S. attorney general post in 1991, he made a run for U.S. Senate, losing to Harris Wofford in the general election.

The election landed Thornburgh in a courtroom in Texas, where Karl Rove, one of George W. Bush’s closest advisers, sued him to try to get back nearly $300,000 in back campaign debts. Thornburgh lost in court, appealed and eventually settled the case.

In 1992, Thornburgh accepted a top administrative job at the United Nations to fight bureaucratic excess and corruption. He left the job after his one-year contract ended, expressing frustration at inefficiency and saying the U.N. is "almost totally lacking in effective means to deal with waste, fraud and abuse by staff members."

In recent years, Thornburgh was tapped to investigate wrongdoing in the corporate world.

In 2002, the Justice Department tapped Thornburgh to help investigate WorldCom for mismanagement, irregularities and fraud. He described the company, which made the largest bankruptcy filing in U.S. history, as "the poster child of corporate governance failures."

Thornburgh was co-leader of an investigation conducted by CBS when its "60 Minutes Wednesday" program used faked documents to bolster a 2004 story that questioned George W. Bush’s Vietnam War-era military service. The probe’s damning final report led to the firing of three news executives.

Richard Lewis Thornburgh was born July 16, 1932, and grew up in Rosslyn Farms, near Pittsburgh. He trained as an engineer at Yale, seeking to follow his civil-engineer father’s footsteps, but went to law school at the University of Pittsburgh.

Upon graduation, he went to work as a corporate lawyer, later joining the law firm of Kirkpatrick and Lockhart.

Thornburgh married his childhood sweetheart, Virginia "Ginny" Hooton, in 1955. She was killed in an automobile crash in 1960 that left one of their three sons, Peter, severely brain damaged.

Three years later, Thornburgh married Ginny Judson, who raised his three sons and bore another, William. (He wrote in his memoir that "Ginny and my first wife shared not only a name but many characteristics that would no doubt have made them fast friends.")

He said the accident was a defining moment that forced him to refocus his life on what his mission and legacy would be.

Both he and his second wife became active in programs for the disabled. In 1985, the Thornburghs were named "Family of the Year" by the Pennsylvania Association for Retarded Citizens.

Five years later, the Americans With Disabilities Act was signed into law after Thornburgh played a key role in negotiating compromises with Congress.

Jeremy Burnham obit

Jeremy Burnham Has Died

 He was not on the list.

My life has been haunted by stones. Above are the Cow and Calf rocks that dominate the famous moor of Ilkley, Yorkshire, where I was born eight years before Hitler invaded Poland – just too young to confront him on the battlefield. Since then, it’s been quite an adventure: first, as an actor, trained at the Old Vic Drama School in London, then as an author and screenwriter.

BRITISH WRITER, ACTOR AND AUTHOR IN THE UK

Jeremy Burnham, British Writer, Actor and AuthorJeremy is a British screenwriter, actor and author who has appeared in, and written for the TV series ‘The Avengers‘, he has also written for many British TV programmes including ‘Minder‘ and ‘Inspector Morse‘. Jeremy made an appearance in many west-end plays, including ‘Hippo Dancing’ and ‘The Rehearsal’, he is also a co-author of ‘Children of the Stones‘, and has recently published a  ‘Return to the Stones‘.

It is with great sadness to announce Jeremy died peacefully on 31st December, 2020. His laugh, brilliant storytelling and mischievous quick wit will be especially missed.

The Burnham Family

Burnham began in the 1950s as an actor and appeared in many popular British TV series such as The Avengers episodes "The Fear Merchants", "The Town of No Return", and "The Forget-Me-Knot", The Saint and Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) in 1969.

In the mid-1970s he retired from acting and concentrated on screenwriting. With Trevor Ray, he co-authored the fondly-remembered children's science fiction horror serial Children of the Stones (1977). A novelization followed, also in 1977. A sequel novel, Return to the Stones appeared in 2012 as an e-book and in 2015 as a physical book. Ray and Burnham collaborated on a less well-known children's five episode serial entitled Raven (1977);[6] they also wrote the novelization (1977).

He also authored the children's tennis-based novel, Break Point, which was made into a BBC television series in 1982. Burnham himself played the leading role of tennis coach Frank Abbott.

Burnham also wrote for The Avengers, in which he had also appeared as an actor, Minder and Peak Practice.

He died in December 2020 at the age of 89.

Actor

Dirk Benedict, Jan Francis, and Peter Graves in Fox Mystery Theater (1984)

Fox Mystery Theater

7.2

TV Series

Producer

1984

1 episode

 

Break Point (1982)

Break Point

6.3

TV Mini Series

Frank Abbott

1982

6 episodes

 

Tony Curtis and Roger Moore in The Persuaders! (1971)

The Persuaders!

8.0

TV Series

Scott Maskell

1971

1 episode

 

Kenneth Cope in My Partner the Ghost (1969)

My Partner the Ghost

7.7

TV Series

Walter Previss

1969

1 episode

 

Claire Nielson and Calum Mill in The Revenue Men (1967)

The Revenue Men

8.7

TV Series

Toby Tyler

1968

1 episode

 

The Avengers (1961)

The Avengers

8.3

TV Series

Simon Filson

Gordon White

Jonathan Amesbury - the vicar

1965–1968

3 episodes

 

Barbara Cavan, Norma West, and Henley Thomas in Out of Town Theatre (1966)

Out of Town Theatre

TV Mini Series

Jack Shrimpton

1968

1 episode

 

Theatre 625 (1964)

Theatre 625

7.5

TV Series

Tom

1967

1 episode

 

Fay Compton in Sanctuary (1967)

Sanctuary

8.0

TV Series

Doctor Almond

1967

1 episode

 

Steve Forrest in The Baron (1966)

The Baron

7.1

TV Series

Phillip Tremayne

1967

1 episode

 

Roger Moore in The Saint (1962)

The Saint

7.5

TV Series

Harry

Flight Lieutenant Wills

Tim Burton

1964–1966

3 episodes

 

David Lodge in United! (1965)

United!

7.2

TV Series

Jeremy Dawson

1966

28 episodes

 

Death Is a Good Living (1966)

Death Is a Good Living

TV Mini Series

Tim Barton

1966

3 episodes

 

Patrick McGoohan in Secret Agent (1964)

Secret Agent

8.2

TV Series

Ellis

1965

1 episode

 

The Brigand of Kandahar (1965)

The Brigand of Kandahar

5.4

Captain Connelly

1965

 

Undermind (1965)

Undermind

6.9

TV Series

Dr. John Rossleigh

1965

1 episode

 

Gideon C.I.D. (1964)

Gideon C.I.D.

8.0

TV Series

Harold

1965

1 episode

 

ITV Play of the Week (1955)

ITV Play of the Week

6.8

TV Series

Mr. Cromwell

Westlake

Eric Brewer ...

1958–1965

5 episodes

 

No Hiding Place (1959)

No Hiding Place

7.5

TV Series

Peter Adams

Howard Reden

1962–1964

2 episodes

 

Oliver Reed and Jane Merrow in The Girl-Getters (1964)

The Girl-Getters

6.6

Ivor (uncredited)

1964

 

Martin Chuzzlewit (1964)

Martin Chuzzlewit

TV Mini Series

John Westlock

1964

8 episodes

 

Reginald Marsh, Barbara Murray, and Patrick Wymark in The Plane Makers (1963)

The Plane Makers

7.9

TV Series

Nigel Carr

1963–1964

2 episodes

 

The Launching

Short

Miles Davis

1963

 

James Mason and Lilli Palmer in Torpedo Bay (1963)

Torpedo Bay

6.1

1963

 

The Human Jungle (1963)

The Human Jungle

7.9

TV Series

Robin Gratrix

1963

1 episode

 

Bob Dylan, David Warner, Ursula Howells, Reg Lye, and Maureen Pryor in The Madhouse on Castle Street (1963)

BBC Sunday-Night Play

8.6

TV Series

Lt. Mann

1963

1 episode

 

Judy Garland and Dirk Bogarde in I Could Go on Singing (1963)

I Could Go on Singing

6.9

Young Hospital Doctor

1963

 

ITV Television Playhouse (1955)

ITV Television Playhouse

8.0

TV Series

Donald Roston

1963

1 episode

 

It Happened Like This

TV Series

Philip Fenton

1963

1 episode

 

Emergency-Ward 10 (1957)

Emergency-Ward 10

6.2

TV Series

Tom Whitney

1962

6 episodes

 

Strife

TV Series

Edgar

1960

2 episodes

 

Garry Halliday

8.5

TV Series

Philip Latters

1959

5 episodes

 

Upstairs and Downstairs (1959)

Upstairs and Downstairs

6.2

Frank (uncredited)

1959

 

World Theatre (1959)

World Theatre

7.1

TV Mini Series

Octavius Caesar

1959

1 episode

 

Hardy Krüger in Bachelor of Hearts (1958)

Bachelor of Hearts

5.7

Adrian Baskerville

1958

 

Murder Bag (1957)

Murder Bag

TV Series

1958

1 episode

 

Law and Disorder (1958)

Law and Disorder

6.3

Colin Brand

1958

 

Saturday Playhouse (1958)

Saturday Playhouse

TV Series

Roland Millward

1958

1 episode

 

"Bonjour tristesse" (Saul Bass Poster) 1958 Columbia Pictures

Bonjour Tristesse

6.8

Hubert

1958

 

Rupert of Hentzau

TV Movie

Lt. Bernenstein

1957

 

BBC Sunday-Night Theatre (1950)

BBC Sunday-Night Theatre

7.0

TV Series

Johnny

PC George Bacon

Arthur Cartwright

1955–1957

3 episodes

 

Tony Britton and Sylvia Syms in The Birthday Present (1957)

The Birthday Present

6.7

Dudley

1957

 

Battle Hell (1957)

Battle Hell

6.8

Flag Lieutenant to Vice-Admiral (uncredited)

1957

 

Peace and Quiet

TV Movie

Edward Russell

1957

 

The Good Companions (1957)

The Good Companions

5.6

Felton

1957

 

Armchair Theatre (1956)

Armchair Theatre

7.5

TV Series

Ronald Dukes

1956

1 episode

 

Nom-de-Plume

TV Series

Bryan

Gabriel Aubaret

1956

2 episodes

 

Writer

CI5: The New Professionals (1998)

CI5: The New Professionals

5.2

TV Series

written by

1999

1 episode

 

Peak Practice (1993)

Peak Practice

6.4

TV Series

writer

1995

1 episode

 

Jade Magri in Runaway Bay (1992)

Runaway Bay

8.2

TV Series

writer

1992

6 episodes

 

Keith Barron and Nigel Havers in The Good Guys (1992)

The Good Guys

8.2

TV Series

writer

1992

1 episode

 

The Paradise Club (1989)

The Paradise Club

7.3

TV Series

writer

1989–1990

2 episodes

 

Terence Alexander, Sean Arnold, Annette Badland, Deborah Grant, Lindsay Heath, Celia Imrie, David Kershaw, Geoffrey Leesley, Thérèse Liotard, Nancy Mansfield, Tony Melody, John Nettles, Cécile Paoli, John Telfer, and Mela White in Bergerac (1981)

Bergerac

6.9

TV Series

by

1990

1 episode

 

John Thaw and Kevin Whately in Inspector Morse (1987)

Inspector Morse

8.2

TV Series

written by

1990

1 episode

 

Storyboard (1983)

Storyboard

7.2

TV Series

written by

1989

1 episode

 

Maurice Colbourne, Jan Harvey, and Stephen Yardley in Howards' Way (1985)

Howards' Way

6.8

TV Series

writer

1986–1987

7 episodes

 

Amelia Shankley in A Little Princess (1986)

A Little Princess

8.4

TV Mini Series

adapted by

1987

6 episodes

 

The Miracle

7.5

TV Movie

Writer

1985

 

Leslie Ash, Jill Gascoine, and Rosalyn Landor in C.A.T.S. Eyes (1985)

C.A.T.S. Eyes

6.4

TV Series

Writer

1985

3 episodes

 

Tropical Moon Over Dorking

TV Movie

Writer

1985

 

Dirk Benedict, Jan Francis, and Peter Graves in Fox Mystery Theater (1984)

Fox Mystery Theater

7.2

TV Series

screenplay

1984

1 episode

 

Mitch (1984)

Mitch

7.5

TV Series

writer

1984

1 episode

 

Break Point (1982)

Break Point

6.3

TV Mini Series

writer

1982

6 episodes

 

The Secret of Seagull Island (1982)

The Secret of Seagull Island

4.9

Writer

1982

 

Jill Gascoine in The Gentle Touch (1980)

The Gentle Touch

6.6

TV Series

by

1982

1 episode

 

Peter Bowles, Iain Cuthbertson, and Paul Spurrier in Vice Versa (1981)

Vice Versa

7.1

TV Series

adaptation

1981

7 episodes

 

Seagull Island (1981)

Seagull Island

6.0

TV Mini Series

screenplay

1981

5 episodes

 

George Cole in Minder (1979)

Minder

7.8

TV Series

written by

1980

2 episodes

 

Hammer House of Horror (1980)

Hammer House of Horror

7.5

TV Series

screenplay

1980

1 episode

 

Iain Cuthbertson in Charles Endell, Esq (1979)

Charles Endell, Esq

7.4

TV Series

writer

1980

1 episode

 

Lewis Collins, Gordon Jackson, and Martin Shaw in The Professionals (1977)

The Professionals

8.0

TV Series

original story by

1978

1 episode

 

The Law Centre

TV Series

writer

1978

4 episodes

 

Tony Britton and Paul Freeman in Scorpion Tales (1978)

Scorpion Tales

7.3

TV Series

writer

1978

1 episode

 

Raven (1977)

Raven

7.0

TV Mini Series

writer

1977

5 episodes

 

James Bolam in When the Boat Comes In (1976)

When the Boat Comes In

8.4

TV Series

writer

1977

3 episodes

 

Iain Cuthbertson in Children of the Stones (1977)

Children of the Stones

7.5

TV Mini Series

created by

written by

1977

7 episodes

 

The Expert (1968)

The Expert

8.2

TV Series

writer

1971–1976

3 episodes

 

Emmerdale Farm (1972)

Emmerdale Farm

4.8

TV Series

written by

1976

2 episodes

 

Warship (1973)

Warship

7.8

TV Series

writer

1976

1 episode

 

Menace (1970)

Menace

7.9

TV Series

writer

1973

1 episode

 

Roddy McMillan in The View from Daniel Pike (1971)

The View from Daniel Pike

8.7

TV Series

writer

1971–1973

4 episodes

 

Julian Glover and Paul Daneman in Spy Trap (1972)

Spy Trap

8.6

TV Series

writer

1972

2 episodes

 

Francis Matthews in Paul Temple (1969)

Paul Temple

7.4

TV Series

writer

1970–1971

4 episodes

 

The Flaxton Boys (1969)

The Flaxton Boys

7.9

TV Series

writer

1970

2 episodes

 

The Horror of Frankenstein (1970)

The Horror of Frankenstein

5.8

screenplay

1970

 

The Avengers (1961)

The Avengers

8.3

TV Series

teleplay by

1968–1969

5 episodes

 

Dinsdale Landen in Mickey Dunne (1967)

Mickey Dunne

7.9

TV Series

Writer

1967

1 episode

 

Additional Crew

Leslie Ash, Jill Gascoine, and Rosalyn Landor in C.A.T.S. Eyes (1985)

C.A.T.S. Eyes

6.4

TV Series

story editor

1985

12 episodes