By Lee Pfeiffer
Acclaimed film director Sidney Lumet has died at age 86 from lymphoma. Lumet was nominated four times for Best Director Oscars but never won. However, he did receive an honorary Oscar for his life's work in 2005. Lumet, who started as a child actor, was - along with Woody Allen- the quintessential New York director and preferred working in Gotham whenever possible. He expressed an aversion to Hollywood early in his career. His career boasted a remarkable and diverse number of classic movies including 12 Angry Men, Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon, Network, The Pawnbroker, Murder on the Orient Express, The Verdict, The Anderson Tapes, The Hill and Fail Safe. I had the pleasure of spending an afternoon with Lumet in his New York office and screening room some years ago when we worked on his audio commentary for the Fox DVD of The Verdict. I had met him previously at a cocktail party at Lincoln Center for Sean Connery in 1997. Lumet struck me as a quiet, unassuming man. In an industry of giant egos, he didn't even take a possessive director's credit until late in his career. I last saw him a few years ago when he was inducted into The Players club in New York City. Always soft-spoken, he had a wry sense of humor and a passionate love of film. He truly deserves to be regarded as a giant of the American cinema. Click here for more