FRESH AIR {BOB NEWHART, ARMISTEAD MAUPIN, WHIT STILLMAN} (RADIO)
Summary
One in this series of weekday magazine-style interview programs highlighting contemporary arts and issues. In this episode, host Terry Gross talks with comedian Bob Newhart. Gross first plays an excerpt from the 1960 album, "The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart," in which Newhart is heard having a one-sided phone conversation with Abraham Lincoln, who has been getting advice from a Madison Avenue p.r. expert. Newhart then comments on how he is credited with creating the one-sided phone conversation, though he says it originated with Shelley Berman and George Jessel. Newhart also addresses: how he found success early on, even though he didn't become an "ethnic comedian"; how and why he decided to do the sitcoms, "The Bob Newhart Show" with Suzanne Pleshette and "Newhart" with Mary Frann; his favorite episodes; and having a colorblind wardrobe coordinator. Gross then interviews author Armistad Maupin. His discussion includes the following topics: how "Tales of the City" evolved from a newspaper serial to a book to a television mini-series; his coming-out as a gay man while writing "Tales"; and why the storyline has proved so enduringly popular, despite being set in the '70s.
Next, book critic Maureen Corrigan lists her recommendations for vacation reading, which include "Wings of Fire" by Charles Todd; "N is for Noose" by Sue Grafton, and "Our Guys" by Bernard Lefkowitz. Finally, Gross talks with director Whit Stillman about his film, "The Last Days of Disco." He discusses, among other subjects, his "attraction to the party scene"'; how the debutante era of his first film, "Metropolitan" compares to the disco era; why he initially wanted to work in Democratic politics; and why he considers the 1997 Oscar-winning "Titanic" to be "immoral." Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: WHYY-FM / NPR National Public Radio
- DATE: June 12, 1998
- RUNNING TIME: 0:54:10
- COLOR/B&W: N/A
- CATALOG ID: R:17038
- GENRE: Radio - Talk/Interviews
- SUBJECT HEADING: She Made It Collection (Terry Gross); Talk/Interviews
- SERIES RUN: WHYY (Philadelphia, PA) - Radio, 1985-
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Danny Miller … Executive Producer
- Wolf, Cathy (audio i.d. only) … Producer
- Naomi Person … Producer
- Phyllis Myers … Producer
- Roberta Shorrock … Producer
- Amy Salit … Producer
- Tou, Alan (audio i.d. only) … Producer
- Monique Nazareth … Producer
- Tennenbaum, Tracey (audio i.d. only) … Producer
- Ann Marie Baldonado … Producer
- Terry Gross … Host
- Maureen Corrigan … Guest
- Armistead Maupin … Guest
- Bob Newhart … Guest
- Whit Stillman … Guest
- Shelley Berman
- Mary Frann
- Sue Grafton
- George Jessel
- Bernard Lefkowitz
- Suzanne Pleshette
- Charles Todd