Ileen Maisel was born in Los Angeles, California, where she was raised.
She was lucky, too.
When Yablans became Chairman of MGM, Ileen followed him there as Executive Vice President.
Julian Fellows and Ileen Maisel at the ‘Romeo And Juliet’ premiere in 2013Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images
By this time, it was clear that Ileens show was definitely on the road.
Few would dispute that Ileen was not a country girl.
This would include not just feature films, but also television dramas, and documentaries.
By this time, she had other champions.
I was immediately impressed by her respect for audiences.
She was determined they should enjoy her films and have a good time watching them.
Just write a draft yourself, she said.
It was never made, but eventually it got me the job to write what becameGosford Park.
Ileen very much dictated the terms of her own life.
In conclusion, I suspect that Ileens greatest gift was her understanding and assessment of people.
None of this was true of Ileen.
She knew her place in that universe.
She felt she belonged there.
And she was right.
