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48:22

The Inventor of the Steadicam Garrett Brown

Garrett Brown invented the Steadicam, a technological innovation which earned him an Oscar. He tells Terry Gross about its effect on cinematography as well as his brief tenure in the folk band Brown and Dana, and his career in advertising.

Interview
47:03

Billy Crystal's Comedy and Jazz Memories.

Billy Crystal is a comedian currently enjoying success on television. He also grew up around jazz musicians due to his father's business; Billie Holliday was his sometime-babysitter. Crystal joins the show to discuss his career and jazz memories. (INTERVIEW WITH DAVID KARPOFF)

30:13

Documentary Filmmaker Robert Drew

Documentary filmmaker Robert Drew has revolutionized the genre by dispensing with narrators and adopting a more dramatic, theatrical approach. His best known movie, Primary, follows the presidential run of John F. Kennedy and Hubert Humphrey.

Interview
28:57

Powers Boothe on the "Guyana Tragedy"

The actor portrays Jonestown leader Jim Jones in a new television movie about the infamous mass suicide. Boothe talks about the difficulties of making the film, as well as the research that went his portrayal of the cult leader.

Interview
34:37

The Search For Mary Stuart

Actress Mary Stuart has starred as "Joanne" on the television soap opera "Search For Tomorrow" since 1951. Stuart's autobiography is titled "Both of Me." Stuart joins the show to discuss her career and life.

Interview
56:36

Amos Vogel On Film.

Film critic Amos Vogel is a journalist and professor at the University of Pennsylvania. He is the author of "Film as a Subversive Art." His new television series "Reel Philadelphia: An Unusual Film Series" will highlight Philadelphian filmmakers.

Interview
42:14

Children's Authors Jan and Stan Baranstein Discuss Their Bears.

Jan and Stan Berenstain are the creators of the "Berenstain Bears" and the writers and illustrators of the children's books about the bear family. They have been creating animated holiday specials about the Berenstains for NBC, including an upcoming Thanksgiving special. Their most recent Berenstain Bears book, "Bears Christmas Tree," is an adaptation of their animated Christmas special. They have also written a new book geared towards parents, "How to Teach Your Children About Sex Without Making a Fool of Yourself."

55:21

Leonard Maltin On Film, Television, and Animation.

Film critic Leonard Maltin has two new releases. The first is an updated and revised edition of his "T.V. Movies," an index of films shown on television. The second is about silent cartoons and animations and is titled "Of Mice and Magic." He joins the show to discuss both.

Interview
56:01

Defending Television with Michael Arlen.

Michael Arlen is the television critic for The New Yorker. Arlen is also a writer. His latest is "The Camera Age," a collection of essays, and his book "Thirty Seconds" was recently released in paperback. He joins the show to discuss his work, television as a form of visual communication, his opinion on its "dangers,"an the perception of the medium as low brow.

Interview
22:43

Violence in Television.

Larry Gross is an academic and professor of Communication at the University of Pennsylvania. The focus of his research is largely television. He delivers a talk on violence in the medium.

56:29

Magicians' Tricks and Trick Films

Historian Erik Barnouw's new book looks into how the dawn of trick cinema and depictions of magic in films undermined the popularity of live magic shows. He later talks to Terry Gross about the pressure television broadcasters experience from boycotts and sponsors to highlight or remove certain kinds of content.

Interview
29:42

Tonight Show Guest Host David Letterman

The comedian's morning television program, The David Letterman Show, was recently canceled. Since then, he's been a frequent guest host on The Tonight Show. Letterman explains the differences between daytime and evening programming, as well as how he paid his dues as an up-and-coming comedian.

Talk show host David Letterman in 1986
52:32

A Late-Night Legend and the "Funny People" Who Inspire Him

Comedian, television host and musician Steve Allen performs his original songs and compositions for Fresh Air. He also talks about his career as the host of his own late-night television program and his new book, Funny People, which pays homage to some of his favorite comedians.

Interview

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