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Now being a professional playwright, William Gibson talked about being able to write one of his plays in 8 days. A lot of the discussion is about his play, "The Miracle Worker". After reading one of Annie Sullivan's letters, and learning about a battle royale that Sullivan had with Helen Keller, Gibson envisioned what that battle royale would look like. It became a now famous part of the play.
Writer and critic Walter Kerr discusses his book "The Silent Clowns," about the film era's greats including Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, Raymond Griffith, and Harry Langdon. Studs begins by reading an excerpt from James Agee's "Death in the Family" with music in the background followed by Kerr reading from his book. They begin talking about how silent films affected the audience, lesser known stars Lloyd Hamilton and Charley Chase, and then analyze several famous Charlie Chaplin scenes to assess the complex nature of his characters.
American screenwriter, Walter Bernstein, discusses his book "Inside Out: A Memoir of the Blacklist".
American screenwriter, Walter Bernstein, discusses his book "Inside Out: A Memoir of the Blacklist", a memoir about his life during and following his blacklisted status due to his alleged communist views. Bernstein uses the case of John Henry Faulk versus Laurence A. Johnson to serve as an example of how the entertainment industry was being diminished during this time.
Erich Lüth's discussion with Studs Terkel is similar to part 3 but Luth offers a more in-depth conversation on the role of teachers in schools and how the time of Hitler is taught. There were those teachers that joined the party to continue their love of teaching and those teachers that were brought into the Nazi Party to follow their convictions. This lack of courage to resist influences pupils today because teachers are not saying they were cowards. The relationship is altered out of shame, and embarrassment.
Ring Lardner Jr. discusses the writings of his father Ring Lardner, and his new book "The Lardners: My Family Remembered", discussing his family life, Mother, Father, and siblings.
Film critic Pauline Kael critiques some films in her book, "When the Lights Go Down: Film Writings, 1975-1980". Kael also talks about seeing the people's faces when they exit a movie, knowing they did not receive the experience they had hoped for. The trend of films, explained Kael, is to return to a type of blandness.
Part 2 of celebrated fim critic Pauline Kael discussing her book "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" as well as Laurence Olivier, Sidney Poitier, safe roles, older actors, distortion of women's contributions, and Lillian Hellman's frustrations.
Part 1 of celebrated fim critic Pauline Kael discussing her book "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" as well as business versus creativity, struggles of young filmmakers, humiliations of older actors competing for limited roles, and limiting movies to fit on television screens.
Nelson Algren and Mario De Vecchi discuss the international appeal of Federico Fellini’s film, “La Dolce Vita.” In part one, Algren and Devecchi focus on the film’s main character, journalist Marcello Rubini, and his quest for identity, particularly in relation to his interactions with the film’s intellectual character, Steiner. They discuss the film’s key metaphorical images and its portrayal of the influence of media and the emotional detachment and dehumanization it can create.
Film critic John Simon and Studs Terkel discuss various movies, filmmaking techniques, and how film is a newer form of art. Terkel plays an audio clip from an interview he did he with Italian actor Marcello Mastroianni.
James Mills, a novelist and journalist, talks to Studs about his book "Report to the Commissioner". Mr. Mills and Studs discuss the story and Mr. Mills goes in depth into the process of police detectives working a case. Studs plays an excerpt of a Chicago policeman talking about working on the tactical squad on the police force. The policeman tells of how they go into a neighborhood as civilians to stop crime.
Discussing "Goldwyn: A Biography," (published by Knopf) with the author A. Scott Berg.