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YOU ARE CREDITED FOR BRINGING
PROFESSIONAL THEATER TO
SULLIVAN.
>>RIGHT.
>>WHERE DID YOUR LOVE OF THEATER
COME FROM?
>> WELL, ACTUALLY IT WAS FROM MY
MOTHER SHE CAME TO SULLIVAN IN
THE 20S TO BE THE ENGLISH
TEACHER IN THE HIGH SCHOOL.
SHE LOVED THEATER, AND SHE
DIRECTED PLAYS.
MY FATHER WAS IN THE CATTLE
BUSINESS, AND HE WOULD GO TO
CHICAGO TO SELL CATTLE WHEN MY
MOTHER WOULD TAKE ME TO THE
THEATER WHEN I WAS FIVE YEARS
OLD OR EIGHT YEARS OLD.
AND, ACTUALLY, THE FIRST SHOW I
SAW WAS A PRODUCTION OF THE
"MERRY WIDOW."
I WAS FIVE, AND IT WAS AT THE
LINCOLN THEATER IN DECATUR.
I SATURDAY IN THE FRONT ROW, AND
I SAID "THAT'S WHAT I AM GOING
TO DO" WHEN I WAS FIVE.
FIRST THING, MY PARENTS GAVE ME
MARIONETTES, PUPPETS WITH
STRINGS, NOT THE HAND PUPPETS.
MY FATHER BUILT ME A STAGE, AND
I PRODUCED MARIONETTES.
I WAS PRODUCING "HANSEL AND
GRETEL" IN MY GRANDPARENTS' HOME
WHEN I WAS NINE.
THEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL, AND I
WENT TO SUMMER STOCK WHEN I WAS
16 YEARS OLD TO KEENE, NEW
HAMPSHIRE.
>>WHY, KEENE?
>> BECAUSE THEY WERE DOING
MUSICAL THEATERS AND THEY GAVE
ME A SCHOLARSHIP. I WAS 16 AND
DROVE MY LITTLE CAR FROM
SULLIVAN WHICH WAS A THOUSAND
MILES TO KEENE, NEW HAMPSHIRE.
I MADE MY DEBUT IN THE WILD MOSS
HART MUSICAL, "LADY IN THE
DARK," WHEN I WAS 16 PLAYING THE
JUVENILE LEAD.
I DID TWO SEASONS OF SUMMER
STOCKS, NEAR ATLANTIC CITY AND
ATLANTIC CITY-- AND OCEAN CITY,
RATHER, AND GOT MY EQUITY CARD
WHICH IS A UNION CARD FOR ACTORS
AND SINGERS WHEN I WAS 18 YEARS
OLD WHICH IS KIND OF UNHEARD OF.
I DID TEN SHOWS IN TEN WEEKS FOR
TWO YEARS THERE IN THE SUMMER.
THEN I WENT TO MIAMI AND WAS IN
THE SCHOOL OF MUSIC WHERE I DID
MY OPERA WORK SINGING WITH--
>>BUT NOW WHEN YOU WERE 16 AND
WENT TO KEENE, WERE YOU STILL IN
HIGH SCHOOL?
>> OH, YES, OF COURSE.
>>HOW WERE YOU STUDYING?
>> WELL, SUMMER STOCK.
YOUR PARENTS WERE OBVIOUSLY
PRETTY SUPPORTIVE?
>> VERY.
VERY, VERY SUPPORTIVE.
>> WERE THEY IN THEATER?
>> WELL, MY MOTHER LOVED
THEATER, AND SHE DIRECTED PLAYS
IN HIGH SCHOOL, AND MY FATHER
JUST KIND OF WENT ALONG AND WAS
VERY, VERY WONDERFUL, AND THEY
ARE BOTH WONDERFUL SUPPORTIVE
PEOPLE AND VERY COURAGEOUS
PEOPLE AND VERY HELPFUL PEOPLE
AND VERY LOVING PEOPLE.
I WAS BLESSED WITH THE BEST
PARENTS THAT ANYBODY COULD EVER
HAVE.
>>WONDERFUL.
SO YOU ENDED UP IN MIAMI BECAUSE
YOU GOT A SCHOLARSHIP.
>>YES.
>>AND WAS THAT A PARTICULARLY
NOTEWORTHY PROGRAM?
>>OH, OF COURSE.
YEAH, YEAH.
AND I WAS VERY HIGH TENOR, AND I
HAD E FLAT ABOVE HIGH C WHICH IS
VERY HIGH.
I GRADUATED IN THREE YEARS.
I TOOK LIKE 22 HOURS A SEMESTER,
AND GRADUATED IN THREE YEARS AND
MOVED TO NEW YORK CITY.
I WAS MARRIED AND HAD A
DAUGHTER, AND WE MOVED TO NEW
YORK CITY.
THEN I WAS WORKING ON MY
MASTER'S COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY,
AND ALSO TAKING CLASSES FROM THE
AMERICAN THEATER WING, AND ALSO
SELLING CURTAINS AND DRAPERIES
TO STARS AT B ALTMAN DEPARTMENT
STORE, WHICH WAS 34TH AND 5TH
AVENUE WHICH WAS RIGHT ACROSS
FROM THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING.
WAS THERE ANY TRADITION OF
MUSIC.
>>THERE WAS NO THEATER ANY PLACE
IN CENTRAL ILLINOIS.
I AM STILL THE ONLY-- I AM NOT
DOING IT ANY MORE, BUT I WAS THE
ONLY THEATER IN CENTRAL ILLINOIS
WHEN I OPENED IT, AND EVERYBODY
SAID "IT WILL NEVER WORK.
IT WILL NEVER WORK."
IT HAS BEEN THERE NOW FOR 58
YEARS.
>>WHAT YEAR DID IT START?
>> OPENED IN '57.
>>WITH WHAT PERFORMANCE.
>>"BRIGADOON" FOLLOWED BY NINE
MUSICALS, ONE A WEEK, MUSICALS,
ROBERTA, KISS ME KATE, SONG OF
NORWAY, FINNIGAN'S RAINBOW, GUYS
AND DOLLS, CALL ME MADAM.
HOW DID YOU CHOOSE THE
PERFORMANCES?
>> I WAS ALWAYS A STUDENT OF THE
THEATER FROM THE TIME I WAS A
VERY YOUNG CHILD, AND I HAD
EVERY RECORDING, AND I PLAYED
THEM A MILLION TIMES.
I WORKED IN THEM, THE THREE
SEASONS I WORKED IN THE EAST AND
NEW HAMPSHIRE AND IN NEW JERSEY,
I WORKED IN THEM, AND I KNEW
THEM.
WHEN I WENT TO COLLEGE, I
SUGGESTED THAT THEY DO "SONG OF
NORWAY" AT THE THEATER
DEPARTMENT AND MIAMI WAS THE
ONLY COLLEGE AT THAT TIME THAT
DID MUSICAL THEATER.
I WROTE TO LIKE 35 SCHOOLS TO
GET BULLETINS, AND THEY ALL HAD
SCHOOL OF MUSE, BUT THEY
WOULDN'T WORK TOGETHER.
>>ALONG THE WAY IN FORMATIVE
YEARS, BEFORE 21, YOU WERE NOT
JUST A PERFORMER.
YOU WERE LEARNING THE BACK END
OF THEATER ALSO.
>>OH, YEAH, AND I STARTED
PLAYING PIANO WHEN I WAS FIVE
YEARS OLD.
BUT, NO, I DID EVERYTHING.
I DID PROPS.
I SEWED THE GRAND DRAPE AT THE
THEATER.
I SEWED COSTUMES, AND DRAPERY.
WHEN YOU ARE PRODUCER AND
DIRECTOR, YOU DO EVERYTHING SO
IT GETS DONE.
YOU, YOUR WIFE AND A DAUGHTER
ARE LIVING HERE.
>>AND I HAD A SON LATER ON.
A AND A SON LATER ON.
YOUR WIFE WAS IN THEATER ALSO?
>> YES.
SHE HAD ACTUALLY GONE TO
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS FOR HER
FIRST TWO YEARS, FRESHMAN AND
SOPHOMORE YEARS.
AND INTERESTINGLY, SHE DID THE
LEAD IN THE MUSICAL "ROBERTA" BY
JEROME KERN.
THE MALE LEAD WAS PETER PALMER
WHO LATER DID-- 14 SHOWS FOR ME
IN SULLIVAN.
AND THE OTHER COMEDIAN IN THE
SHOW WAS JERRY ORBACH, BUT SHE
TRANSFERRED TO MIAMI HER JUNIOR
YEAR, AND I WAS A FRESHMAN, AND
WE MET THROUGH THE OPERA GUILD.
I HAD A CAR AND I COULD DRIVE
HER TO THE OPERA GUILD.
>>NICE.
THE FIRST SEASON THAT YOU DID AT
THE THEATER, DID YOU THINK THAT
WAS GOING TO BE A IT ONE SHOT OR
DID YOU HAVE A VISION OF WHERE
IT WAS GOING TO GO?
>> OH, I HAD A VISION AND I HOPE
40 YEARS, BUT NOW IT HAS GONE 55
YEARS-- 57 YEARS, WHATEVER IT
IS!
SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
IT SOUNDS A LITTLE LIKE THE
"MUSIC MAN."
YOU CREATED THE PERFORMANCE AND
AUDIENCE FOUND IT.
>>THAT'S RIGHT.
THAT'S RIGHT.
>>THAT'S WONDERFUL.
YOU SAID THE FIRST SHOW WAS
BRIGADOON, YOU HAD FROM THAT
POINT ON, A LOT OF STARS.
>>WELL, I STARTED WITH MY THIRD
YEAR, ACTUALLY THE SECOND YEAR I
TRIED TO GET ANNA MARIE DICKEY
WHO WAS AN OPERA STAR AT THE
METROPOLITAN OPERA IN NEW YORK,
AND HAD STARTED ON BROADWAY IN
ROGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN "ALLEGRO"
AND A NUMBER OF OTHER SHOWS.
SHE WAS VERY-- SINCE SHE WAS A
MILLIKIN GRADUATE, SHE WAS VERY
WELL-KNOWN IN DECATUR AREA AND
SO FORTH AND SO ON.
SO I APPROACHED HER MY SECOND
SEASON TO SEE IF SHE WOULD DO
SOMETHING FOR ME.
WHILE SHE WAS WORKING AT THE
MUNI OPERA IN ST. LOUIS OR WHAT
HAVE YOU AND WASN'T AVAILABLE.
AND THE THIRD YEAR I WAS VERY
PERSISTENT, AND I WENT BACK AND
OFFERED HER A SHOW, AND SHE
DECIDED TO DO "SONG OF NORWAY"
WHICH IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE
OPERETTAS, AND SHE PACKED THE
HOUSES.
WE WERE TOTALLY SOLD OUT FROM
ALL ELITE PEOPLE FROM DECATUR.
SO THAT WAS REALLY WHAT GAVE ME
THE INCENTIVE TO BRING IN STARS.
SO SHE WAS THE FIRST STAR, AND
FROM THEN ON, I HAD STARS.
>>HOW DID YOU GET THEM?
>> OH, I WAS VERY PERSISTENT,
AND I CALLED AGENTS AND I WROTE
LETTERS TO AGENTS AND TO
MANAGERS AND TO STARS.
I WOULD MAKE A LIST OF THE
TENTATIVE SHOWS I HAD PLANNED
AND WOULD SENT A LIST TO THE
AGENTS IN NEW YORK AND AGENTS IN
LOS ANGELES, AND SAID "DO YOU
HAVE ANY STARS THAT WILL WORK
FOR THE BUDGET I CAN AFFORD TO
PAY" WHICH WAS NOT A LOT.
SO THAT'S HOW I GOT MY STARS,
AND I JUST KEPT GOING AFTER
THEM.
>>WERE THEY EVER SURPRISED WHEN
THEY ARRIVED AT WHAT THEY SAW?
>> NO, BECAUSE ACTUALLY AFTER A
FEW STARS WERE THERE, LIKE PAT
O'BRIEN AND A NUMBER OF OTHER
PEOPLE, THEY WENT BACK TO
HOLLYWOOD AND SAID "OH, IT IS A
WONDERFUL THEATER IN SULLIVAN,
ILLINOIS.
THEY HAVE A GREAT PRODUCER.
YOU WILL LOVE IT" AND SO FORTH
AND SO ON.
MOST OF THEM WERE PRETTY
WELFARE-WARNED WHAT THEY WERE
COMING INTO.
>>GO AHEAD AND NAME DROP A
LITTLE BIT.
WHO WERE SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT
WE WOULD REMEMBER TODAY THAT
HAVE PERFORMED THERE.
>>I WILL TELL YOU OF THE 175
STARS I HAD IN SULLIVAN, HALF OF
THEM ARE UNFORTUNATELY UP IN
HEAVEN.
BUT I HAD MOST OF THE STARS I
ABSOLUTELY ADORED.
HE WAS CRAZY ABOUT KATIE
CARLYLE.
I HAD HER RECORDINGS SINCE LIKE
THE TIME I WAS FIVE YEARS OLD OF
THE MERRY WIDOW AND THE DESERT
SONG.
I WAS WILD FOR HER, AND I WAS
WILD FOR MARGARET HAMILTON, WWW,
THAT'S THE WICKED WITCH OF THE
WEST FROM THE-- FROM WIZARD OF
OZ.
SHE DID FIVE OR SIX SHOWS FOR
ME.
WE BECAME GREAT FRIENDS.
AND I HAD THE PLEASURE OF
STAYING IN HER CO-OP, 34 GRAMMAR
CITY PARK IN NEW YORK CITY MANY
TIMES, AND WE BECAME GREAT,
GREAT FRIENDS.
WHEN THEY MADE A BOOK ON THE
MAKING R, THE WIZARD OF OZ, THEY
ASKED HER TO GIVE THE FORWARD TO
IT.
SHE IS PICTURED IN THE FRONT
PAGE, AND SHE SAYS-- AND ASKED
HER TO SIGN HER AUTOGRAPH.
I USUALLY DIDN'T DO THAT, BUT I
DID WITH HER.
AND SHE WOULD DO IT.
SO ANYWAY, SHE SIGNED IT TO GUY
LITTLE, MOST BELOVED PRODUCER OF
MY ENTIRE CAREER.
>> WOW.
>>AND ROSE MARY PRINCE WHO WAS
THE SOAP OPERA STAR "AS THE
WORLD TURNS" DID 18 SHOWS FOR
ME, AND ALWAYS SOLD OUT.
WE ARE STILL GREATEST OF
FRIENDS.
SHE IS IN HER 80S NOW.
SHE IS STILL WORKING IN REGIONAL
THEATER IN NEW YORK AND
ELSEWHERE.
PETER PALMER, DID 14 SHOWS FOR
ME, AND HE AND HIS WIFE BOTH DID
MANY SHOWS.
THEY WERE GREAT FRIENDS, GREAT
FRIENDS.
THEY ARE REALLY OF THE 175 STARS
I HAD IN SULLIVAN, ARE THE OTHER
HUNDRED STARS I HAD WHEN I WAS
PRODUCING IN MILWAUKEE FOR EIGHT
YEARS OUT OF 2500 SEAT THEATER.
AND ALSO I HAD A THEATER IN
JOLIET CALLED PICCOLO PLAYHOUSE,
LITTLE THEATER.
I ALSO PRODUCED AT THE VERY
PRESTIGIOUS SOMBRERO HOUSE IN
PHOENIX, ARIZONA.
I HAD TOURS ALL OVER THE
COUNTRY.
PROBABLY I HAD AT LEAST 250 TO
300 STARS.
THERE WERE ONLY MAYBE A COUPLE
THAT WERE NOT DELIGHTFUL AND
CHARMING.
>>WHO MIGHT THEY BE?
>> WELL, THEY ARE BOTH-- THEY
HAVE BOTH PASSED ON, BUT ANN
SOTHERN WAS VERY DIFFICULT, AND
SHE STAYED AT MY HOME.
I COOKED FOR HER AND TOOK CARE
OF HER, AND SHE HAD A CADILLAC,
AND ADDRESSER, AND SHE WENT BACK
TO HOLLYWOOD AND TOLD HER AGENT
THAT I KEPT HER PRISONER IN MY
HOME!
(LAUGHING) HE LAUGHED BECAUSE HE
KNEW ME VERY WELL BECAUSE HE
BOOKED A LOT OF MY STARS.
THE OTHER ONE THAT WAS KIND OF
DIFFICULT WAS JOE E. BROWN,
COMEDIAN THAT DID A LOT OF
MOVIES.
HE WANTED TO GET ALL THE LAUGHS,
AND HE DIDN'T WANT ANYBODY ELSE
IN THE CAST TO TAKE A LAUGH AWAY
FROM HIM.
REALLY THOSE WERE THE ONLY TWO
THAT WERE REALLY-- AND THEY
WERE NOT REALLY BAD TO ME, BUT
THEY WERE NOT TOO NICE TO THEIR
FELLOW ACTORS, WE WILL PUT IT
THAT WAY.
>>I SEE.
BETTY GRABLE STAYED WITH YOU
ALSO?
>> SHE DIDN'T STAY WITH ME.
BUT I HAD A HOUSE FOR HER.
I ADORED BETTY.
SHE AND JUNE ALLYSON WERE THE
TOP HOLLYWOOD STARS FOR A
DECADE, YOU KNOW, ALL DURING THE
40S.
I ESPECIALLY WAS THRILLED TO
HAVE BETTY, AND SHE WAS THERE
FOR FOUR WEEKS.
BETTY WASN'T WELL, AND I DIDN'T
KNOW SHE WASN'T WELL.
SHE ACTUALLY DIED A YEAR LATER
OF CANCER.
BUT ANYWAY, I HAD A HOUSE FOR
HER.
BUT SHE WOULD GO OVER TO A LOCAL
BISTRO, AND ALL OF THE PEOPLE
WOULD GO OVER THERE-- THE
MEMBERS OF THE AUDIENCE WOULD GO
OVER THERE, AND WOULD WANT TO
TALK WITH HER.
SHE WASN'T REALLY FEELING VERY
WELL.
SHE WAS CHARMING, AND SHE WAS
LOVELY.
BUT AFTER LIKE THE FIRST NIGHT
OVER THERE, I SAID "BETTY, WOULD
YOU LOOK TO COME OUT TO MY
HOUSE, AND I WILL BE GLAD TO
COOK FOR YOU."
SHE SAID, "OH, THAT WOULD BE
WONDERFUL."
FOR THE NEXT THREE WEEKS WE
REHEARSED FOR A WEEK.
THE NEXT THREE WEEKS, SHE CAME
OUT TO MY HOUSE AFTER THE SHOW,
AND I SERVED HER ANYTHING SHE
WANTED.
AND SHE WOULD SAY "GUY, GOD IS
BLESSING YOU."
SO I HAVE MANY, MANY HANDWRITTEN
LETTERS FROM BETTY.
WE BECAME VERY GREAT FRIENDS.
>>NICE.
>>SHE WAS GONE A YEAR LATER.
BUT SHE WAS TOPS.
I BROUGHT JUNE ALLYSON OUT OF
RETIREMENT.
SHE HADN'T DONE ANYTHING IN
THEATER SINCE THE EARLY 40S, AND
THIS WAS IN THE 60S.
AND SHE DID A NEW PLAY CALLED
"GOOD-BYE GHOST."
WE DID IT AT CHRISTMAS TIME
WHERE THERE WAS SNOW ON THE
GROUND, AND IT WAS FREEZING
COLD.
WE SOLD OUT FOR TWO WEEKS AT
CHRISTMAS TIME AND INTO NEW
YEARS.
BUT EVE ARDEN WAS GREAT.
ANYWAY, JUST MOST OF THE STARS
WERE WONDERFUL.
>>VERY NICE.
>>WONDERFUL TO KNOW, AND WE HAVE
KEPT IN TOUCH AS LONG AS THEY
HAVE BEEN AROUND.
>>AT ONE POINT DID THE NAME OF
THE THEATER CHANGED AND WHY WAS
THAT?
>>IT WAS CALLED THE GRAND
THEATER.
I DIDN'T THINK THAT WAS VERY
APPROPRIATE.
MY NAME IS LITTLE.
I DIDN'T CHANGE MY NAME TO GO TO
THE NAME OF THE THEATER.
(LAUGHING) I THOUGHT IT WAS
APPROPRIATE TO CALL IT THE
LITTLE THEATER.
AND ACTUALLY AFTER ONE YEAR, I
THOUGHT, WELL, EVERY SMALL TOWN
HAS A COMMUNITY THEATER WHICH
THEY CALL A LITTLE THEATER.
SO I THOUGHT, WELL, THIS IS ON
THE SQUARE.
SO LET'S CALL IT THE LITTLE
THEATER ON THE SQUARE.
SO IT CHANGED TO THE LITTLE
THEATER ON THE SQUARE.
>> WONDERFUL.
NOW, YOU HAD A COUPLE OF OTHER
ENCOUNTERS, CELEBRITY
CELEBRITIES, YOU WERE ON A
CRUISE WITH PATRICIA NEAL.
>>NO, THE THEATER GUILD WHICH IS
A PRODUCING COMPANY FOR MANY,
MANY YEARS IN NEW YORK, IT IS NO
LONGER THERE.
BUT STARTING BACK IN THE 20S, IT
WAS ONE OF THE LEADING PRODUCING
GROUPS.
AND IT WAS MADE UP OF A NUMBER
OF SUCCESSFUL PRODUCERS AND SO
FORTH AND SO ON.
THEY USED TO TAKE CRUISES TO
VARIOUS PLACES EVERY YEAR AND
THEY WOULD ENGAGE ABOUT A DOZEN
STARS WHO WOULD PERFORM ON THE
CRUISE AND SING, DANCE, DO
MONOLOGS OR WHATEVER.
SO I HAD ALWAYS WANTED TO GO ON
IT, ONE OF THEIR CRUISING, AND I
KNEW SOME OF THE ACTORS THAT
WERE APPEARING.
BUT, ANYWAY, I DECIDED I WOULD
TAKE THE CRUISE, AND IT WENT
FROM STOCKHOLM TO LONDON WITH
STOPS ALL ALONG THE WAY.
WITH ABOUT A DOZEN STARS.
WELL, ONE OF THE STARS WAS
PATRICIA NEAL.
SHE WAS ALWAYS ONE OF MY
FAVORITE MOVIE STARS.
SHE HAD A VERY EARLY STROKE AND
THEN VERY, VERY ILL BUT MADE A
MIRACULOUS COME BACK.
SUBSEQUENT ROSES MOVIE.
SHE WAS IN A WHEELCHAIR, AND SHE
HAD A LADY THAT WAS PUSHING HER
AROUND.
THE LADY WAS OBVIOUSLY HAVING A
LITTLE BIT OF A PROBLEM.
I SAID "I WILL BE GLAD TO PUSH
MISSNEIL AROUND."
SO IT WAS A HIGHLIGHT.
UNFORTUNATELY, SHE DIED A YEAR
LATER, BUT SHE WAS A CHARMING,
CHARMING, BEAUTIFUL ACTRESS AND
LADY.
>>AMONG THE OTHER STARS, EARLY
IN YOUR CAREER, YOU HAD A
PASSING ACQUAINTANCE WITH JAMES
DEAN.
>>WELL, HE WAS BRIEFLY A
ROOMMATE, YES.
AND I WAS WORKING-- IT WAS IN
SUMMER POINT, NEW JERSEY.
IT WAS MY FIRST SEASON THERE.
IT WAS '52.
IT WAS-- IT HAD BEEN-- THE
THEATER HAD BEEN OLD CASINO, AND
WE VIRTUALLY BUILT IT INTO A
THEATER AND WORKED 24 HOURS A
DAY FOR ABOUT THREE WEEKS BEFORE
IT BECAME A STAGE AND A THEATER.
ACTUALLY WE WERE DOING
"BRIGADOON," THE FIRST SHOW
THERE ALSO.
AFTER WORKING FOR SIX WEEKS
BUILDING THE STAGE, BUILDING THE
THEATER, BUILDING THE SCENERY,
WE WERE ACTUALLY GOING TO HAVE A
DAY OFF.
THE NEXT SHOW WAS "BORN
YESTERDAY."
I HAD MY LITTLE CAR, AND ANYWAY,
WE WERE GIVEN THE NEXT DAY OFF,
MONDAY, AND THEN THE NEXT SHOW
WE HAD ALREADY REHEARSED "BORN
YESTERDAY" I WAS PLAYING A
BELLHOP, AND MY FRIEND ELIZABETH
SHERIDAN, SEINFELD'S MOTHER ON
THE SERIES WAS THE GIRLFRIEND OF
JAMES DEAN.
SO ANYWAY I WAS GOING TO NEW
YORK FOR MY DAY OFF AND SEE PAL
JOEY AND WALK THE STREETS OF
BROADWAY WHICH I LOVED, AND THEN
COME BACK THAT NIGHT AND GO INTO
REHEARSE-- OR GO INTO THE
OPENING OF "BORN YESTERDAY."
WELL, ANYWAY, ELIZABETH
SHERIDAN, CALLED HER DIZZY
SHERIDAN OR "DIZ" WAS GOING TO
GO WITH ME, ALONG WITH SIX OTHER
PEOPLE FROM THE THEATER.
I HAD ABOUT EIGHT PEOPLE IN MY
LITTLE CONVERTIBLE DRIVING INTO
NEW YORK AT MIDNIGHT ON A SUNDAY
NIGHT.
AND STAYING WITH A FRIEND IN THE
BRONX.
THEN GOING TO BROADWAY DURING
THE DAY AND SEEING A SHOW THAT
NIGHT.
SHE WAS GOING TO MEET ME AT THE
BROAD HURST THEATER WHERE PAL
JOEY WAS PLAYING.
AFTER THE SHOWY FOUND HER AND
JAMES DEAN WAS WITH HER, AND HE
WAS A NOBODY AT THE TIME.
I MEAN HE HAD DONE SOME
TELEVISION AND SOME COMMERCIALS,
BUT I MEAN NOTHING MAJOR.
SHE KEPT TELLING ME HOW
BRILLIANT HE WAS AND WHAT A BIG
STAR HE WAS GOING TO BE.
I JUST (NOD HEAD) WELL, THAT'S
GREAT.
THAT'S WONDERFUL!
BUT I MEAN I DIDN'T KNOW HIM
FROM ADAM.
WE GOT BACK-- WELL, THEY MET AT
THE THEATER AFTER THE THEATER,
AND ANYWAY SHE SAID, GUY, WHY
DON'T YOU LET JIMMY DRIVE YOUR
CAR BACK TO JERSEY SHORE.
I WAS VERY POSSESSIVE OF MY CAR.
IT WAS A 1946 FORD CONVERTIBLE,
BUT I WAS VERY POSSESSIVE OF IT.
BUT I WAS VERY--ALSO VERY TIRED
BECAUSE I HAD DRIVEN INTO NEW
YORK THE NIGHT BEFORE, AND I HAD
SIX WEEKS OF HARD LABOR WORKING
AT THIS THEATER THAT WE WERE
GETTING OPEN.
SO I SAID, WELL-- SHE KEPT
TELLING ME HE IS GOING TO BE A
BIG, BIG STAR.
WELL, THAT'S NICE.
>>STILL CAN'T DRIVE!
(LAUGHING).
>>SO ANYWAY, HE GOT IN MY CAR,
AND WE HEADED FOR SUMMER'S POINT
WHICH WAS 125MILES.
AND HE DROVE LIKE A MANIAC.
AND BACK THEN, THERE WERE NO
INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS.
EVERYTHING WAS LIKE A COUNTRY
ROAD, A HARD COUNTRY ROAD.
HE WAS GOING AROUND THOSE
CORNERS, AND I KIND-- THEY PUT
ME IN THE BACK SEAT, I LIFTED UP
MY HEAD, AND AHHH.
WE GOT BACK!
AND ELIZABETH SHERIDAN, DIZZY
SAID TO ME, SHE SAID IS IT
BECAUSE THE FELLOW THAT HAD BEEN
MY ROOMMATE WHO PLAYED THE LEAD
IN "BRIGADOON" WAS IN THE NEXT
SHOW, AND WE HAD BUNK BEDS.
SO ANYWAY, SHE SAID-- SHE WAS
IN A ROOM WITH ANOTHER GIRL, AND
SHE SAID IS IT OKAY IF JIMMY
STAYS IN YOUR ROOM?
I SAID, WELL, IT DOESN'T BOTHER
ME.
I AM REHEARSING OR BUILDING
SCENERY ALL DAY, AND I PERFORM
AT NIGHT.
IT IS NO PROBLEM.
SO HE WAS MY ROOMMATE FOR ABOUT
TEN DAYS.
AND HARDLY LEFT THE ROOM.
I MEAN I WAS OUTWORKING ALL DAY
AND AT NIGHT.
BUT IF I'D GO BACK TO GET
SOMETHING IN THE ROOM OR
SOMETHING, HE WOULD USUALLY
EITHER BE SLEEPING OR READING OR
SMOKING A CIGARETTE, AND VERY
POLITE AND VERY NICE, BUT VERY
QUIET, VERY INTROVERTED I WOULD
SAY.
SO ANYWAY THAT WAS THAT.
BUT HE WENT BACK INTO NEW YORK
THAT SAME FALL, AND HE GOT INTO
A PLAY CALLED "SEE THE JAGUAR"
BY N RICHARD NASH, WHO WROTE
"RAINMAKER." HE GOT RAVE
REVIEWS, AND IT RAN THREE OR
FOUR MONTHS. THEN HE GOT INTO
THE "IMMORALIST" WITH GERALD
PAGE AND LOUIE JOURDAN.
HE DIDN'T GET ALONG VERY WELL
WITH THE PRODUCER-DIRECTOR,
WHATEVER, AND SO HE GAVE HIS
NOTICE OPENING NIGHT OF THE
IMMORALIST.
ONE OF THE BIGWIGS FROM
HOLLYWOOD HAD SEEN HIM OPENING
NIGHT, AND HE IMMEDIATELY SIGNED
HIM TO A CONTRACT.
HE WENT TO HOLLYWOOD AND DID
FOUR SHOWS, AND WAS DEAD FOUR
YEARS LATER.
>>WOW.
WHAT ABOUT A BOOK?
YOU HAVE GOT SO MANY STORIES.
>>WELL I HAVE A LOT OF STORIES,
AND A LOT OF MY FRIENDS AND A
LOT OF MY STARS HAVE ASKED ME
FOR YEARS TO WRITE A BOOK, AND I
SAID, WELL, IF I DID, THEY WOULD
HAVE TO WAIT TEN YEARS TO
PUBLISH IT AFTER I AM DEAD.
IF I TOLD EVERYTHING THAT I KNOW
AND REMEMBER ABOUT EVERYBODY,
AND IF ANYBODY IS LIVING, MY
ESTATE MIGHT BE SUED.
SO I (LAUGHING) SO I HAVE GOT IT
ALL IN MY HEAD.
BUT EVERYBODY-- NOT EVERYBODY,
BUT SO MANY PEOPLE FOR SO MANY
YEARS HAVE BEEN AFTER ME TO
WRITE A BOOK.
I SAID IF I DID, I WOULD CALL IT
A LITTLE BY LITTLE.
REMEMBERING WHAT MIMI HINES TOLD
ME ONCE AT A PARTY I WAS GIVING,
I ALWAYS HAD OPENING NIGHT
PARTIES FOR THE CAST IF MY HOME,
AND I DID ALL THE COOKING.
ANYWAY, SHE HAD A FEW GLASSES OF
WINE, AND SHE CAME UP TO ME AND
WHISPERED IN MY EAR AND SAID "I
WANT A LITTLE BIT OF LITTLE."
I THOUGHT, WELL, THAT'S A GOOD
TITLE FOR A BOOK.
"A LITTLE BIT OF LITTLE."
>>WE WILL HAVE TO WAIT A LITTLE
LONGER BEFORE WE CAN READ THAT
BOOK.
WE WILL SEE.
WE WILL SEE.
IF I REALLY GET BORED, YOU KNOW,
BUT I CERTAINLY WOULDN'T WANT TO
OFFEND ANYBODY.
IF YOU CAN'T SAY SOMETHING NICE,
JUST KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT IN
OTHER WORDS.
IF I DID WRITE SOMETHING, IT
WOULD PROBABLY BE MAINLY ABOUT
PEOPLE THAT HAVE PASSED ON.
>> WELL, THANK YOU, GUY LITTLE.
>>THANK YOU.
>>FOR BEING ON "ILLINOIS
PIONEER."