Murray Lerner
Murray Lerner (born May 8, 1927 in Philadelphia , United States , † September 2, 2017 in Queens , New York City ) was an American documentary filmmaker ( director , film producer and screenwriter ) and Oscar winner.
Live and act
Lerner studied literature at Harvard, where he graduated in poetry in 1948. While still a student, he set up a film group and taught himself everything about making films. His first full-length documentary was primarily underwater and was called Secrets of the Reef . Lerner shot the strip together with Lloyd Ritter and Robert M. Young and presented it to the public in 1956. But it was only his documentation of the Newport Folk Festival, which he produced between 1963 and 1966 and brought out under the title Festival in 1967 , that made Murray Lerner immediately known in relevant circles. In the following years Lerner made several musician portraits of singing icons like Bob Dylan , Joan Baez , Johnny Cash , Leonard Cohen , Donovan as well as Peter, Paul and Mary .
He filmed the majority of these ballad, rock and folk stars in 1970 during a major music event, the Isle of Wight Festival . Lerner's greatest success was the musician portrait From Mao to Mozart - Isaac Stern in China , when he accompanied the violinist Isaac Stern on a concert tour to the People's Republic of China in 1979 . The film brought Murray Lerner an Oscar in 1981 in the category "Best Documentary". Lerner's later output included various evaluations of the Isle of Wight Festival , in which he featured Jimi Hendrix (1991) and other artists, such as in Message to Love: The Isle of Wight Festival (1996). At the time of his death, Lerner had just finished another Isle of Wight film, this time focusing on Joni Mitchell .
Filmography (selection)
- 1956: Secrets of the Reef
- 1967: Festival
- 1979: From Mao to Mozart - Isaac Stern in China (From Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China)
- 1982: Magic Journeys
- 1995: Message to Love
- 1996: Listening To You: The Who At The Isle Of Wight Festival
- 2002: Blue Wild Angel: Live at the Isle of Wight
- 2004: Nothing Is Easy: Live at the Isle of Wight 1970
- 2004: Miles Electric: A Different Kind of Blue
- 2007: Amazing Journey: The Story of The Who
- 2007: The Other Side of the Mirror
- 2017: The Doors: Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970
- 2017: Joni Mitchell: Both Sides Now. Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970
Web links
- Obituary in Variety
- Obituary in The New York Times
- Obituary in The Washington Post
- Murray Lerner in the Internet Movie Database (English)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Lerner, Murray |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American documentary director, producer and screenwriter |
| DATE OF BIRTH | May 8, 1927 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Philadelphia , United States |
| DATE OF DEATH | 2nd September 2017 |
| Place of death | Queens , New York City |