Roger Gimbel
Encyclopedia
Roger Gimbel was an American
television producer
who specialized in television movie
s. Many of Gimbel's television films dealt with real-life events, including Chernobyl: The Final Warning
, S.O.S. Titanic
, The Amazing Howard Hughes
and The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman
. Oftentimes, Gimbel's films also focused on serious societal problems, including mental illness
, war
and domestic abuse. Gimbel's produced more than 500 television films and specials, which earned eighteen Emmy Awards.
Gimbel was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, on March 11, 1925, into the family who owned the Gimbels department store
. He enrolled at Yale University
, where he studied economics
. Gimbel served as a member of the Army Air Forces in Italy
during World War II
.
In 1973, Gimbel won an Emmy with George Schaefer
for their work as the executive producers of A War of Children, which centered on Protestant and Catholic
friends during the Northern Ireland
conflict. His other credits as producer include Queen of the Stardust Ballroom
in 1975, The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman
in 1974, The Amazing Howard Hughes
in 1977, Chernobyl: The Final Warning
in 1991, The Glass House, I Heard the Owl Call My Name
, Shattered Dreams and Tell Me Where It Hurts.
Roger Gimbel died from pneumonia
at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
in Los Angeles
, California
, on April 26, 2011, at the age of 86. He was survived by his wife, actress Jennifer Warren
, whom he married in 1976, and four children.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
who specialized in television movie
Television movie
A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
s. Many of Gimbel's television films dealt with real-life events, including Chernobyl: The Final Warning
Chernobyl: The Final Warning
Chernobyl: The Final Warning is a 1991 made for television movie. The film chronicles the Chernobyl disaster.-Cast of Characters:*Jon Voight as Dr. Robert Gale*Jason Robards as Dr. Armand Hammer*Sammi Davis as Yelena Mashenko...
, S.O.S. Titanic
S.O.S. Titanic
S.O.S. Titanic is a 1979 television movie that depicts the doomed 1912 voyage from the perspective of three distinct groups of passengers in First, Second, and Third Class, and respectively in a historically accurate fashion...
, The Amazing Howard Hughes
The Amazing Howard Hughes
The Amazing Howard Hughes is a 1977 television movie about American aviation pioneer and filmmaker Howard Hughes, based on the book by Hughes' business partner Noah Dietrich. The film starred Tommy Lee Jones, Ed Flanders, and Tovah Feldshuh....
and The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman is a 1971 novel by Ernest J. Gaines. The story depicts the struggles of African Americans as seen through the eyes of the narrator, a woman named Jane Pittman...
. Oftentimes, Gimbel's films also focused on serious societal problems, including mental illness
Mental illness
A mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern generally associated with subjective distress or disability that occurs in an individual, and which is not a part of normal development or culture. Such a disorder may consist of a combination of affective, behavioural,...
, war
War
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
and domestic abuse. Gimbel's produced more than 500 television films and specials, which earned eighteen Emmy Awards.
Gimbel was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, on March 11, 1925, into the family who owned the Gimbels department store
Department store
A department store is a retail establishment which satisfies a wide range of the consumer's personal and residential durable goods product needs; and at the same time offering the consumer a choice of multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product categories...
. He enrolled at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, where he studied economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
. Gimbel served as a member of the Army Air Forces in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
In 1973, Gimbel won an Emmy with George Schaefer
George Schaefer (director)
George Louis Schaefer was a director of television and Broadway theatre from the 1950s to the 1990s.-Life and career:...
for their work as the executive producers of A War of Children, which centered on Protestant and Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
friends during the Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
conflict. His other credits as producer include Queen of the Stardust Ballroom
Queen of the Stardust Ballroom
Queen of the Stardust Ballroom is an American television movie directed by Sam O'Steen and produced by Roger Gimbel. It was broadcast by CBS on February 13, 1975...
in 1975, The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman is a 1971 novel by Ernest J. Gaines. The story depicts the struggles of African Americans as seen through the eyes of the narrator, a woman named Jane Pittman...
in 1974, The Amazing Howard Hughes
The Amazing Howard Hughes
The Amazing Howard Hughes is a 1977 television movie about American aviation pioneer and filmmaker Howard Hughes, based on the book by Hughes' business partner Noah Dietrich. The film starred Tommy Lee Jones, Ed Flanders, and Tovah Feldshuh....
in 1977, Chernobyl: The Final Warning
Chernobyl: The Final Warning
Chernobyl: The Final Warning is a 1991 made for television movie. The film chronicles the Chernobyl disaster.-Cast of Characters:*Jon Voight as Dr. Robert Gale*Jason Robards as Dr. Armand Hammer*Sammi Davis as Yelena Mashenko...
in 1991, The Glass House, I Heard the Owl Call My Name
I Heard the Owl Call My Name
I Heard the Owl Call My Name is a best-selling 1960s book by Margaret Craven. The book tells the story of a young Anglican vicar named Mark Brian who has not long to live, and who learns about the meaning of life when he is sent to a First Nations parish in British Columbia.-Publication:First...
, Shattered Dreams and Tell Me Where It Hurts.
Roger Gimbel died from pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Originally established as Kaspare Cohn Hospital in 1902, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is a non-profit, tertiary 958-bed hospital and multi-specialty academic health science centre located in Los Angeles, California, US. Part of the Cedars-Sinai Health System, the hospital employs a staff of over...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, on April 26, 2011, at the age of 86. He was survived by his wife, actress Jennifer Warren
Jennifer Warren
Jennifer Warren is an American actress and film director.Warren was born in the Greenwich Village section of New York City, the daughter of Paula Bauersmith, an actress, and Barnet M. Warren, a dentist. Her uncle was Yiddish theatre actor and director Jacob Ben-Ami. Warren graduated from Elisabeth...
, whom he married in 1976, and four children.