---
name: "Walter Mirisch"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/walter-mirisch"
roles: ["Producer"]
born: "8 November 1921"
died: "24 February 2023"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 4
average_fi1m_score: 79
average_as: "producer"
average_over: 4
updated: "2026-09-20T05:26:25.859861+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Walter Mirisch

Producer. Born 8 November 1921 in New York City, New York, USA. Died 24 February 2023.

## Details

- **Work:** Producer
- **Born:** 8 November 1921, New York City, New York, USA
- **Died:** 24 February 2023
- **Active:** 1956–1971
- **Also known as:** Walter M. Mirisch, Mirisch
- **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar (1 won)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 79, as producer, over 4 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1950s 72 (1), 1960s 84 (2), 1970s 77 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 81 to 71 across 3 titles
- **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 2 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 4, War 2, Adventure 1, Crime 1, Mystery 1, Romance 1
- **Screen time:** 10 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $130m across 4 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Mirisch, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q707064, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0592387/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/14523

## Streaming the US now

- **The Roku Channel:** [*In the Heat of the Night*](https://film.one/film/in-the-heat-of-the-night.md) (85)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Walter Mirisch was an American film producer. With his brothers Marvin and Harold, he co-founded The Mirisch Company in 1957, an independent production outfit that released 68 films through United Artists.

He produced *In the Heat of the Night* (1967), which won the Academy Award for Best Picture. The company was also behind the Best Picture winners *The Apartment* (1960) and *West Side Story* (1961). Mirisch served as president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences from 1973 to 1977 and received the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.

Born in New York City in 1921, he died in Los Angeles in 2023.

*Sources: hollywoodreporter.com, vanityfair.com, deadline.com, theguardian.com, variety.com.*

## On Fi1m (4)

- *Fiddler on the Roof* (1971), Fi1m 77, Executive Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/fiddler-on-the-roof.md)
- *In the Heat of the Night* (1967), Fi1m 85, Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/in-the-heat-of-the-night.md)
- *The Great Escape* (1963), Fi1m 82, Executive Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/the-great-escape.md)
- *Friendly Persuasion* (1956), Fi1m 72, Executive Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/friendly-persuasion.md)

## Complete filmography (81)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Bridal Wave* (2015), Executive Producer
- *A Very Pink Christmas* (2011), Executive Producer
- *Pink Panther and Pals* (2010), series, Executive Producer
- *The Legacy of 'Some Like It Hot'* (2006), Thanks
- *The Making of 'Some Like It Hot'* (2006), Thanks
- *The Magnificent Seven* (1998), series, Executive Producer
- *Driving Mr. Pink* (1995), Executive Producer
- *Trouble Shooters: Trapped Beneath the Earth* (1993), Executive Producer
- *The Pink Panther* (1993), series, Creator
- *Desperado* (1987), Producer
- *Romantic Comedy* (1983), Producer
- *High Midnight* (1979), Executive Producer
- *The Prisoner of Zenda* (1979), Executive Producer
- *Dracula* (1979), Producer
- *Same Time, Next Year* (1978), Producer
- *Gray Lady Down* (1978), Producer
- *Midway* (1976), Producer
- *Mr. Majestyk* (1974), Producer
- *The Spikes Gang* (1974), Producer
- *Scorpio* (1973), Producer
- *Fiddler on the Roof* (1971), Executive Producer — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/film/fiddler-on-the-roof.md)
- *The Organization* (1971), Producer
- *They Call Me Mister Tibbs!* (1970), Executive Producer
- *The Hawaiians* (1970), Producer
- *The Landlord* (1970), Executive Producer
- *Halls of Anger* (1970), Executive Producer
- *Some Kind of a Nut* (1969), Producer
- *Sinful Davey* (1969), Executive Producer
- *The Thomas Crown Affair* (1968), Executive Producer
- *The Party* (1968), Executive Producer
- *Fitzwilly* (1967), Producer
- *In the Heat of the Night* (1967), Producer — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/in-the-heat-of-the-night.md)
- *How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying* (1967), Executive Producer
- *Hawaii* (1966), Producer
- *The Pink Phink* (1964), Executive Producer
- *A Shot in the Dark* (1964), Executive Producer
- *Toys in the Attic* (1963), Producer
- *The Great Escape* (1963), Executive Producer — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/the-great-escape.md)
- *Kid Galahad* (1962), Executive Producer
- *Two for the Seesaw* (1962), Producer
- *Follow That Dream* (1962), Executive Producer
- *The Children's Hour* (1961), Executive Producer
- *By Love Possessed* (1961), Producer
- *The Magnificent Seven* (1960), Executive Producer
- *Cast a Long Shadow* (1959), Producer
- *The Horse Soldiers* (1959), Executive Producer
- *The Man in the Net* (1959), Producer
- *The Gunfight at Dodge City* (1959), Producer
- *Man of the West* (1958), Producer
- *Fort Massacre* (1958), Producer
- *The Tall Stranger* (1957), Producer
- *Friendly Persuasion* (1956), Executive Producer — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/film/friendly-persuasion.md)
- *Crime in the Streets* (1956), Executive Producer
- *The Phenix City Story* (1955), Executive Producer
- *Wichita* (1955), Producer
- *The Dark Avenger* (1955), Producer
- *The Big Combo* (1955), Executive Producer
- *The Golden Idol* (1954), Producer
- *Fighter Attack* (1953), Executive Producer
- *The Maze* (1953), Executive Producer
- *Safari Drums* (1953), Producer
- *Hiawatha* (1952), Producer
- *Bomba and the Jungle Girl* (1952), Producer
- *Flat Top* (1952), Producer
- *The Rose Bowl Story* (1952), Executive Producer
- *African Treasure* (1952), Producer
- *Wild Stallion* (1952), Producer
- *Rodeo* (1952), Producer
- *Fort Osage* (1952), Producer
- *Flight to Mars* (1951), Producer
- *Elephant Stampede* (1951), Producer
- *Cavalry Scout* (1951), Producer
- *The Lion Hunters* (1951), Producer
- *Bomba and the Hidden City* (1950), Producer
- *County Fair* (1950), Producer
- *The Lost Volcano* (1950), Producer
- *Bomba on Panther Island* (1949), Producer
- *Bomba, the Jungle Boy* (1949), Producer
- *I Wouldn't Be in Your Shoes* (1948), Producer
- *Fall Guy* (1947), Producer
- *The Pink Panther*, Executive Producer

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 1 won

- 1968: Best Picture (won), for *In the Heat of the Night*

### Other awards — 1 won

- Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award 1983: Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award (won)

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/walter-mirisch