By any standard, Walter Mirisch qualifies as one of the most electric, dynamic and resoundingly successful producers in the history of American cinema - and the irony of this is the fact that he operated almost completely outside the Hollywood system. In this documentary special, Mirisch engages in a lengthy and revealing, reflective conversation with Turner Classic Movies host Robert Osborne. In the discussion, Mirisch relays how he began as a low-budget producer for Monogram, then took a position with Allied Artists and worked his way up to executive producer, meanwhile forging priceless relationships with such talent as the directors Billy Wilder, William Wyler and Norman Jewison. When an opportune moment arrived, Mirisch then struck out on his own, assisted by two of his brothers, and founded The Mirisch Company; he then drew on the prior relationships established with the said directors and others of their ilk to turn out hit, after hit, after hit - from Blake Edwards's A Shot in the Dark, to the Billy Wilder-directed Best Picture-winner The Apartment, to the Norman Jewison-directed Best Picture winner In the Heat of the Night. Here, Mirisch tells his amazing, anecdote-laced story to Osborne, reflecting on the highs, the lows, and everything in between. He also reflects on what he recognizes as the fundamental nature and origins of his success. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide