Walter Mirisch, legendary Hollywood producer, has died

Los Angeles, California - Legendary Hollywood producer Walter Mirisch has died at the age of 101. The three-time Oscar award winner produced acclaimed movies, including Some Like It Hot starring Marilyn Monroe.

Walter Mirisch and his wife Patricia Mirisch were together for 60 years until her death in 2005.
Walter Mirisch and his wife Patricia Mirisch were together for 60 years until her death in 2005.  © Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images/AFP

On Sunday, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences paid tribute to Mirisch in a statement, noting that the three-time Oscar winner died of natural causes on Friday in Los Angeles.

The academy's CEO Bill Kramer (58) and its president Janet Yang (66) said Mirisch was a "true visionary" who had a "powerful impact" on the film industry.

Steven Spielberg (76) told Variety that he'd treasured Mirisch as a friend and a longtime advisor: "Walter cut a gigantic figure in the film industry and his movies were trailblazing classics that covered every genre, while never failing to entertain audiences around the world."

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"He achieved so much in life and in the industry – if you live to be 101 and produced The Apartment, I’d say it’s been a good run," Spielberg added.

Mirisch was one of the most lauded and influential producers in Hollywood in the mid-20th century. He founded the Mirisch Company with his brothers Harold and Marvin in 1957 and produced classics like Some Like It Hot (1959) starring Marilyn Monroe, the musical West Side Story (1961), and The Pink Panther (1963).

More than 20 of the Mirisch Company productions won Oscars.

Legendary Hollywood producer Walter Mirisch had a heck of a run

Mirisch was president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences from 1973 to 1977.
Mirisch was president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences from 1973 to 1977.  © Jason Merritt/Getty Images/AFP

Walter Mirish was born in New York on November 8, 1921. He worked for an aircraft manufacturer during World War II before studying at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Harvard Business School.

Mirisch worked in the film industry for more than six decades, but he got his start in Hollywood as a studio manager. Shortly thereafter, he began producing low-budget movies.

Mirisch's breakthrough creation was in 1960 with the western The Magnificent Seven.

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In 1968, he won an Oscar for Best Picture for In the Heat of the Night. His production company went on to win another 23 Oscars.

In 1978 and 1983, he received two honorary Oscars: one for his lifetime achievement and one for his humanitarian work.

Walter Mirisch is survived by his three children, Anne, Andrew, and Lawrence; a granddaughter; and two great-grandchildren.

Cover photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images/AFP

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