MUSEUM OF TELEVISION & RADIO SEMINAR SERIES, THE: IT WAS 20 YEARS AGO TODAY: A LOOK AT TELEVISION AND THE 1984 LOS ANGELES OLYMPICS {LONG VERSION}
Summary
One in this series of seminars conducted by The Museum of Television & Radio. Held at the Museum in Los Angeles, and moderated by former Olympic champion and swimming play-by-play announcer John Naber, this seminar examines the 1984 Summer Olympics which took place in Los Angeles, California.
After some opening statements, Naber introduces a clip tape highlighting the key events of the 1984 Olympics, beginning with the opening ceremonies during which Rafer Johnson served as torch-bearer and including the medal-winning performances of the following U.S. Olympic legends: Mitch Gaylord, Bart Conner, and Mary Lou Retton (gymnastics); Evander Holyfield (boxing); Evelyn Ashford and Carl Lewis (track & field); and Greg Louganis (diving).
After the screening, Naber introduces the panelists: bronze medalist and member of the International Olympic Committee (I.O.C.) Anita DeFrantz; Bill Dwyre, sports editor for the Los Angeles Times; gold medal-winning decathlete and co-founder of the Special Olympics, Rafer Johnson; Olympic broadcaster Jim Lampley; and television producer and vice-chairman of the Organizing Committee for the Los Angeles Games, David Wolper.
The panelists discuss the following topics: how Los Angeles acquired the games and how Peter Ueberroth became involved; the public reaction to L.A. getting the games; working with Roone Arledge and ABC Sports; how the Communist bloc boycott affected things; the closing ceremonies' "spaceship"; the lone "bomb scare" of the games; Johnson's lighting of the torch; and the favorite and most shocking moments of the entire games.
Questions from the audience then lead to a discussion of the following topics: why American boxers are frequently ranked lower than they should be by Olympic judges; how the 84-piano performance of "Rhapsody in Blue" was arranged for the opening ceremonies; how the games would have been different had the Soviet Union participated; why the Goodwill Games have never taken off; and whether there is an overemphasis on gold medalists.
Cataloging of this program was made possible by the Harold Wetterberg Foundation, 2004.
Details
- NETWORK: Paley
- DATE: July 19, 2004 7:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:27:00
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:82431
- GENRE: Seminars
- SUBJECT HEADING: Olympic Games, 1984, Summer, Los Angeles; Sports; African-American Collection - Sports
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- John Naber … Moderator
- Anita DeFrantz … Panelist
- Bill Dwyre … Panelist
- Rafer Johnson … Panelist
- Jim Lampley … Panelist
- David Wolper … Panelist
- Roone Arledge
- Evelyn Ashford
- Bart Conner
- Mitch Gaylord
- Evander Holyfield
- Carl Lewis
- Greg Louganis
- Mary Lou Retton
- Peter Ueberroth