publication_date the slender thread
Tootsie is a ___MASK16___ American comedy film that tells the story of a talented but volatile actor whose reputation for being difficult forces him to adopt a new identity as a woman to land a job . The movie stars Dustin Hoffman , with a supporting cast that includes Bill Murray , Jessica Lange , Teri Garr , Dabney Coleman , Charles Durning , Geena Davis ( in her acting debut ), Doris Belack and producer / director Sydney Pollack . " Tootsie " was adapted by Larry Gelbart , Barry Levinson ( uncredited ), Elaine May ( uncredited ) and Murray Schisgal from the story by Gelbart and Don McGuire . Lee Strasberg ( born Israel Strasberg ; November ___MASK30___ , 1901February ___MASK30___ , ___MASK16___ ) was an Austrian - born American actor , director , and theatre practitioner . He was born in a part of Galicia , Austrian Poland , in what is now Ukraine . He co founded , with directors Harold Clurman and Cheryl Crawford , the Group Theatre in ___MASK72___ , which was hailed as " America ' s first true theatrical collective ". In 1951 , he became director of the nonprofit Actors Studio in New York City , considered " the nation ' s most prestigious acting school ", and in ___MASK54___ , was involved in the creation of Actors Studio West in Los Angeles . Sir Sidney Poitier , KBE ( or ; born February ___MASK88___ , 1927 ), is a Bahamian - American actor , film director , author and diplomat . The Slender Thread is a 1965 film starring Anne Bancroft and Sidney Poitier . It was the first feature - length film directed by Academy Award - winning director , producer and actor Sydney Pollack . Poitier portrays Alan , a college student who is volunteering at Seattle ' s then - new Crisis Clinic , a crisis call center . Shortly after beginning his night shift , Alan receives a call from a woman named Inga ( Bancroft ) who says she has just taken a lethal dose of pills and wants to talk to someone before she dies . The story line follows the efforts of Alan , a psychiatrist ( Telly Savalas ) and a detective ( Ed Asner ) to locate Inga and her husband ( Steven Hill ) . Various flashback scenes depict the events that led Inga to make the attempt on her life . The film was inspired by a Life magazine article by Shana Alexander about actual events and partially shot on location in Seattle , Washington . This movie is noted for the physical tracing of the call to find Inga ( Bancroft ) before she dies . Throughout the movie , the call is traced by hand through several electro - mechanical telephone central office switches which leads to the hotel where Inga was staying ( originally the Hyatt House ) near the Seattle - Tacoma Airport . The Academy Awards , or " Oscars ", is an annual American awards ceremony hosted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences ( AMPAS ) to recognize excellence in cinematic achievements in the United States film industry as assessed by the Academy ' s voting membership . The various category winners are awarded a copy of a statuette , officially called the Academy Award of Merit , which has become commonly known by its nickname " Oscar ." The awards , first presented in ___MASK46___ at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel , are overseen by AMPAS . Anna Maria Louisa Italiano ( September ___MASK30___ , ___MASK72___  June ___MASK75___ , 2005 ), known professionally as Anne Bancroft , was an American actress associated with the method acting school , having studied under Lee Strasberg . Respected for her acting prowess and versatility , Bancroft was acknowledged for her work in film , theatre and television . She won one Academy Award , three BAFTA Awards , two Golden Globes , two Tony Awards and two Emmy Awards , and several other awards and nominations . Sydney Irwin Pollack ( July ___MASK33___ , ___MASK21___  May 26 , 2008 ) was an American film director , producer and actor . Pollack directed more than ___MASK88___ films and 10 television shows , acted in over 30 films or shows , and produced over 44 films . His 1985 film " Out of Africa " won him Academy Awards for directing and producing ; he was also nominated for Best Director Oscars for " They Shoot Horses , Don ' t They ?" ( 1969 ) and " Tootsie " ( 1982 ), in the latter of which he also appeared .