Barry Morrow Gives Emmy Award to Univ. of Iowa

http://www.BillSackter.com This is Barry Morrow's full speech where he donates the Emmy Award he received for his screenplay for the television movie "Bill" to the University of Iowa (Oct. 30, 2009)

The tv movie "Bill" starred Mickey Rooney and Dennis Quaid who portrayed the real life relationship of Bill Sackter who spent 44 years in an institution and then was befriended by Barry Morrow who became Bill's legal guardian and brought him to the University of Iowa in the mid-1970s.

Bill became a hero for people with disabilities through his good cheer and positive attitude at Wild Bill's Coffee Shop in North Hall on campus in Iowa City.

When Barry pitched the idea of a documentary to Univ. of Iowa Foundation Board Members in 1977, the idea was transformed into the highly successful Mickey Rooney project.

In 2008, the original documentary was completed by filmmaker Lane Wyrick, and in 2009 Barry's decision to give his Emmy Award to the University completed the circle. The Emmy will be on permanent display at the University of Iowa Library.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• Barry Morrow
• Emmy Award
• Bill Sackter
• Mickey Rooney
• Dennis Quaid
• university of iowa
• foundation
• award winning
• speech
• gift
• Wild Bill
• North Hall
• Iowa City

[lanexap]

Barry's speech took place after the DVD of "A Friend Indeed - The Bill Sackter Story" was created, so it is not included in the special features, however it is on the BillSackter(dot)com website. The DVD has nearly two hours of extras along with the documentary and director's commentary.

For those of you familiar with Iowa City, the Premiere event is on the DVD, and it was the last event before Hancher Auditorium was destroyed by the floods of '08.

-Lane Wyrick, Director/Editor

[lauram7991]

This was just wonderful to find! I will be ordering a DVD soon. Wondered whether anyone knew if this speech was included perahps in special features?

The movie and story of BILL had a great deal to do with my mother entering the special education field, and I'm now old enough to appreciate the kind of person it takes to do so. Barry and his "team" are just extraordinary.

[Viojezajanu23]

What an awesome guy.

[heeter71]

Great speech! Thanks for posting.

I love the Bill movies! I'd love to see the documentary.

I had no idea that Barry was also involved in creating 'Rain Man'.

If only there were more people in this world who cared as much about others as Barry. That's a true hero in my book.