Osborne was face of TCM
NEW YORK — Robert Osborne, the genial face of Turner Classic Movies and a walking encyclopedia of classic Hollywood, has died. He was 84.
Jennifer Dorian, general manager of TCM, announced Osborne’s death Monday. A publicist for the network said he passed away Monday in New York.
“His calming presence, gentlemanly style, encyclopedic knowledge of film history, fervent support for film preservation and highly personal interviewing style all combined to make him a truly world-class host,” said Dorian. “Robert’s contributions were fundamental in shaping TCM into what it is today and we owe him a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid.”
A cause of death was not announced, though Osborne’s waning health had forced him to miss the previous two TCM Film Festivals, which he hosted annually in Los Angeles.
Osborne was there from the inception of Ted Turner’s commercial-free classic movie network. To open its first broadcast on April 14, 1994, he introduced “Gone With the Wind.” In the decades after, he remained Turner Classic’s primary — and often sole — host.
For TCM viewers, Osborne was a constant and comforting presence. He presented nightly films and movies packaged in series like “The Essentials” with bits of history and trivia. He also conducted interviews with stars for the network’s guest programmer evenings. His intros — always beginning “Hi, I’m Robert Osborne” — were the warm appetizers to countless feasts of Hollywood classics.
In a 2014 interview with The Associated Press, Osborne — who previously worked as a Hollywood Reporter columnist and as host of the Movie Channel — recalled his long-standing obsession with Hollywood. Even in college, he maintained a black book, nicknamed “Blackie,” of his research into films and the details of their making.
“I was ready with all that information when a job was created. I prepared for something that didn’t exist,” said Osborne.
