Roger Mayer, Champion of Film Preservation, Dies at 89

Source: Hollywood Reporter

by Mike Barnes

Roger L. Mayer, a former executive at Columbia Pictures, MGM and Turner who became a lifelong champion of film preservation, has died. He was 89.

Mayer, who received the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 2005, died Tuesday after suffering a heart attack at his doctor's office in Beverly Hills, his wife, Pauline, told The Hollywood Reporter. He was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

In 1996, Mayer became chairman of the National Film Preservation Foundation, which has helped rescue more than 2,100 orphan films since then. He also has served since 1992 on the National Film Preservation Board of the Library of Congress which, among other duties, each December helps select 25 "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant films" to be preserved. He remained active with both organizations until his death.

Martin Scorsese, himself a leading force in saving films, presented the Hersholt award to Mayer at the 77th Oscars. On Wednesday, the director said in a statement that “the film preservation community has lost a beloved friend.

FULL story at link.



Mayer with his Oscar as the Hersholt recipient in 2005.
Courtesy Everett Collection


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