60 MINUTES: 25 YEARS (TV)

Summary

One in this series of news magazine programs. This installment, hosted by Charles Kuralt, is a celebration of the silver anniversary of the series, including profiles of the major reporters who have worked on the show, story updates, and reactions from celebrities who have been the subjects of past segments. First, Kuralt profiles Mike Wallace, focusing on the difficulties of his life with a pacemaker; his start on television as an actor and his decision to switch to news reporting following the death of his nineteen-year-old son, Peter; footage of his interviews with Eleanor Roosevelt, President Jimmy Carter, and Barbra Streisand; his bout with depression following a libel suit filed against him by General William Westmoreland in the early 1980s; and footage of the reporter working on a story about sexual misconduct in the Catholic archdiocese of New Mexico. Next, Kuralt updates three stories from the past: "Secret Service Agent #9," a 1975 story focusing on Clint Hill, the secret-service agent tortured by his failure to save President Kennedy's life in Dallas in 1963; "Genius," a 1983 story about two savants, George Finn, who would later become Dustin Hoffman's inspiration for "Rain Man," and Leslie Lemke, a savant pianist who can play any music he has ever heard; and "The Lambs of Christ," a 1992 story about Dr. Sue Wickland, a doctor who performs abortions and whose life is turned upside-down by a radical pro-life group. Past subjects Ray Charles, Kermit the Frog, and Miss Piggy then comment on their experiences with "Sixty Minutes." Kuralt next turns his attention to Morley Safer, whom he dubs the "rumpled Renaissance man of Sixty Minutes." Kuralt discusses the reporter's extensive travel for the show, his coverage of the War in Vietnam, his passion for painting, his flair for writing, and his interview with Jackie Gleason. The third profile focuses on Dan Rather, highlighting his trademark toughness, footage of his interview with Fidel Castro, and his coverage of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. A piece on Ed Bradley focuses on his love of music; his alter-ego, "Teddy"; his talent as an interviewer; his fear during an interview with convicted murderer Jack Henry Abbott; the difficulties he has faced as an African-American journalist; and his interview with Lena Horne.

Next is a profile of Sixty Minutes' creator and executive producer, Don Hewitt, describing his start at CBS over forty-five years earlier; his supervision of the first televised presidential debates between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy in 1960; his reputation as a "showman journalist"; and his relationship with Mike Wallace. In the next segment, Oprah Winfrey comments on her 1986 appearance on the program, and Kuralt gives an update on two past segments: "Joyce Ann Brown Is in Jail," a 1989 story about a woman who served ten years in prison for a crime she didn't commit; and "Pillar of the Community," a 1983 story about Dr. Joseph Kramer and his medical work in a poor Brooklyn neighborhood. Kuralt then leads a tribute to the late Harry Reasoner, including a montage of his stories. The next profile focuses on Steve Kroft, including his knack for catching con men like Bill Whitlow, an odometer-altering used-car dealer; unseen footage of his 1992 interview with Hillary Rodham and then-Governor Bill Clinton, in which a bank of lights falls and nearly kills Mrs. Clinton; and his report on the after-effects of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Kuralt then profiles Lesley Stahl, focusing on her history as a White House correspondent, her interview with Ross Perot, and her reaction to a story in which she reported on a brain surgeon dying of cancer. Kuralt then updates three more segments: "Bonnie," a 1980 story about a woman born without arms; "Alcee Hastings," a 1985 story about a judge impeached on charges of bribery; and "Ten Extraordinary Women," a 1987 story about a cancer-recovery group at a wilderness-survival retreat. After George Burns comments on his 1988 interview, Kuralt talks about the power of "Sixty Minutes" to effect change, using as examples the conviction of Ernest Sinclair for selling phony college degrees after an expose on the program; the role the program played in the case of James Thornwell, a former Army private used as a human guinea pig; and the release of Lenell Jeter from prison just days after a "Sixty Minutes" report proclaiming his innocence. The program concludes as commentator Andy Rooney gives a behind-the-scenes look at "Sixty Minutes." Includes commercials and promos.

Cataloging of this program has been made possible by the Bell Atlantic Foundation, 2000.

Details

• NETWORK: CBS
• DATE: November 14, 1993 7:00 PM
• RUNNING TIME: 0:56:46
• COLOR/B&W: Color
• CATALOG ID: T:33294
• GENRE: News
• SUBJECT HEADING: News; Talk/Interview; Politics
• SERIES RUN: CBS - TV series, 1968-
• COMMERCIALS:
  • TV - Commercials - American Express credit cards
  • TV - Commercials - Buick automobiles
  • TV - Commercials - Cadillac automobiles
  • TV - Commercials - Campbell's soups
  • TV - Commercials - Drixoral cough syrup
  • TV - Commercials - Ernest and Julio Gallo wines
  • TV - Commercials - Federal Express delivery services
  • TV - Commercials - Ford automobiles
  • TV - Commercials - Healthy Choice meals
  • TV - Commercials - Honda automobiles
  • TV - Commercials - K-Mart stores
  • TV - Commercials - KPMG Peat Marwick
  • TV - Commercials - Lexus automobiles
  • TV - Commercials - Lincoln automobiles
  • TV - Commercials - MGM Grand hotel/casinos
  • TV - Commercials - MasterCard credit cards
  • TV - Commercials - Mazda automobiles
  • TV - Commercials - Merrill Lynch securities
  • TV - Commercials - Mr. Goodwrench service stations
  • TV - Commercials - Nestle hot chocolates
  • TV - Commercials - Princess cruise lines
  • TV - Commercials - Ragu tomato sauce
  • TV - Commercials - Robitussin cough syrup
  • TV - Commercials - UPS delivery service
  • TV - Commercials - Vaseline hand lotion
  • TV - Commercials - Visa credit cards
  • TV - Commercials - Wausau rehabilitation centers
  • TV - PSA - AIDS: Facts for Life
  • TV - Promos - "A Muppet Christmas Carol" motion picture
  • TV - Promos - "CBS Evening News"
  • TV - Promos - "CBS This Morning"
  • TV - Promos - "Dave's World"
  • TV - Promos - "Evening Shade"
  • TV - Promos - "Hearts Afire"
  • TV - Promos - "Jack"
  • TV - Promos - "Late Night with David Letterman"
  • TV - Promos - "Love and War"
  • TV - Promos - "Murphy Brown"
  • TV - Promos - "My Life" motion picture
  • TV - Promos - "Northern Exposure"
  • TV - Promos - "Return to Lonesome Dove"
  • TV - Promos - "The Nanny"
  • TV - Promos - "The Olympic Winter Games"
  • TV - Promos - "The Remains of the Day" motion picture
  • TV - Promos - "Who Killed JFK"

CREDITS

• Holly K. Fine … Executive Producer, Producer, Director
• Paul R. Fine … Executive Producer, Producer, Director
• David McGloin … Co-Producer
• Maureen O'Leary … Associate Producer
• Vanessa Procopio … Associate Producer
• Miriam Weintraub … Associate Producer
• Alex Chadwick … Writer
• Charles Kuralt … Writer, Host
• Andy Rooney … Commentator, Guest
• Ed Bradley … Reporter, Guest
• Steve Kroft … Reporter, Guest
• Dan Rather … Reporter, Guest
• Harry Reasoner … Reporter, Guest
• Morley Safer … Reporter, Guest
• Diane Sawyer … Reporter, Guest
• Lesley Stahl … Reporter, Guest
• Mike Wallace … Reporter, Guest
• Don Hewitt … Guest
• Jack Henry Abbott
• Joyce Ann Brown
• George Burns
• Jimmy Carter
• Fidel Castro
• Ray Charles
• Bill Clinton
• Hillary Rodham Clinton
• George Finn
• Jackie Gleason
• Alcee Hastings
• Clint Hill
• Lena Horne
• Lenell Jeter
• John F. Kennedy
• Kermit the Frog
• Joseph Kramer
• Leslie Lemke
• Richard Nixon
• Ross Perot
• Miss Piggy
• Eleanor Roosevelt
• Ernest Sinclair
• Barbra Streisand
• James Thornwell
• Peter Wallace
• William Westmoreland
• Sue Wickland
• Oprah Winfrey