LARRY KING LIVE {MARLON BRANDO} (TV)
Summary
One in this series of interview programs hosted by Larry King. This special extended episode features actor Marlon Brando at his home in Beverly Hills. Topics discussed include the following, among others: his recent autobiography, "Songs My Mother Taught Me"; his general dislike for interviews and how he was contracted to do this one by his publisher; his "fascination with people"; his early interest in acting as a way of making money while deciding what to do with his life; the strange "market value" of famous actors; his revered acting coach Stella Adler and how she made him "aware of the process" of gaining access to emotions; his initials doubts about his ability to play his iconic role in "The Godfather" (1972); his lack of regret for any roles taken or refused; why he does not miss the stage and often finds theatre boring; his sense of himself as "culturally" Jewish, due to his studies and associations in New York City; his education at the New School and early study of dance and drumming; the "sociological purpose" behind acting; the need to create a "willingness to believe" in one's audience; his love for Tahiti because of the down-to-earth nature of the people and their disinterest in fame; his disinterest in other biographies written about him; his sense of isolation because of his fame and former quick temper; his adolescent friendship with writer James Baldwin and the relative nature of their difficult childhoods; his need to "look inwards" and meditate to control emotions; his experiences with psychoanalysis; his uncertainty about the location of his Oscar and his disinterest in awards in general; and his decision to write a book in order to "be free" with his own life story.
King and Brando then take calls from viewers, which leads Brando to discuss the following subjects: his assertion that he would do certain films for free because of their message; his strong feelings about the genocide of the native Americans; his direction of "One-Eyed Jacks" (1961) and praise for Martin Scorsese, Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro and other contemporaries; his fondness for ham radios and the anonymity they provide; his interest in environmentalism and explanation of the highly useful salicornia plant, which grows in seawater; the dangers of global warming and carbon dioxide; his support of other political issues and frustration with the US government's abandonment of certain treaties; praise for the works of Toni Morrison; the importance of peaceful coexistence between nations and cultures; and his involvement with the Planetary Design Corporation. King and Brando also sing two duets, "I Can't Get Started" and "Got a Date With an Angel," and share an impromptu kiss at the end of interview.
Clips featuring Brando's film work are interspersed throughout the program, including "Julius Caesar" (1953), "The Wild One" (1953), "On the Waterfront" (1954), "One-Eyed Jacks" (1961), "Mutiny on the Bounty" (1962), "Apocalypse Now" (1979), "The Godfather" (1972) and "Don Juan DeMarco" (1994). Commercials deleted.
This selection from the Alan Gerry Cable Collection has been made available by the Gerry Foundation, Inc.
Details
- NETWORK: CNN
- DATE: October 7, 1994 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:01:39
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:39661
- GENRE: Talk/Interviews
- SUBJECT HEADING: Talk/Interview; Actors
- SERIES RUN: CNN - TV series, 1985-2010
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Larry King … Host
- Marlon Brando … Guest
- Stella Adler
- James Baldwin
- Robert DeNiro
- Toni Morrison
- Al Pacino
- Martin Scorsese