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Downloaded from
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Official YIFY movies site:
YTS.MX
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♪ ♪
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♪ ♪
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♪ ♪
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♪ ♪
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♪ ♪
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Gail Collins:
You know, where
I used to go to work,
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00:01:13,022 --> 00:01:15,017
I would see
all these people
on the subway,
10
00:01:15,019 --> 00:01:17,002
reading the paper.
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00:01:17,004 --> 00:01:20,021
They're working
at working-class jobs,
12
00:01:20,023 --> 00:01:23,025
and they get up in the morning
and they grab this paper,
13
00:01:23,027 --> 00:01:25,025
and they read the whole thing.
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00:01:25,027 --> 00:01:28,013
The firefighter,
the emergency room nurse,
15
00:01:28,015 --> 00:01:30,018
the beleaguered
schoolteacher,
16
00:01:30,020 --> 00:01:33,008
the factory worker
losing the job.
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00:01:35,008 --> 00:01:37,009
♪ ♪
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There was nothing like
a big city paper,
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00:01:42,001 --> 00:01:44,018
especially
a big city tabloid.
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00:01:44,020 --> 00:01:46,003
Nick Pileggi:
These cities
were big enough
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00:01:46,005 --> 00:01:48,029
and interesting enough
to be able to justify
22
00:01:49,001 --> 00:01:51,008
three, four, in my day,
seven newspapers.
23
00:01:51,010 --> 00:01:53,028
Ed Kosner:
You know, the WASPs
read theHerald Tribune
24
00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:55,020
and theWorld-Telegram.
25
00:01:55,022 --> 00:01:58,018
The Jews read thePost
and theTimes.
26
00:01:58,020 --> 00:02:00,028
And the Irish and Italians read
27
00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:02,023
theJournal-American,
28
00:02:02,025 --> 00:02:05,012
and theDaily News,
and theMirror.
29
00:02:05,014 --> 00:02:07,010
And there was
the number one columnist,
30
00:02:07,012 --> 00:02:09,010
and, usually,
it was an Irish columnist.
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00:02:09,012 --> 00:02:12,013
Back in the day,
I mean, you would buy the papers
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00:02:12,015 --> 00:02:15,017
to see what
Jimmy Breslin's saying,
you know, or Pete Hamill.
33
00:02:16,017 --> 00:02:19,028
I mean, these guys
were like superstars.
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00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:22,007
They were able to connect,
and that's why people saw them
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00:02:22,009 --> 00:02:24,004
as the voice of
true New Yorkers.
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00:02:24,006 --> 00:02:26,012
Richard Wald:
Both of them were people
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00:02:26,014 --> 00:02:28,014
imbued with that sense
38
00:02:28,016 --> 00:02:31,003
that we're on the side
of the little guy.
39
00:02:31,005 --> 00:02:33,013
And the way to be on
the side of the little guy
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00:02:33,015 --> 00:02:34,024
was personal stories.
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00:02:34,026 --> 00:02:37,028
Tom Brokaw:
They had their own
kind of street poetry.
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00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:42,003
They always brought
a blue-collars sensibility
to whatever they did,
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00:02:42,005 --> 00:02:45,008
but they could also explain
about what was happening
in the underclass.
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00:02:45,010 --> 00:02:46,025
Jonathan Alter:
Sometimes they
were colleagues
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00:02:46,027 --> 00:02:47,024
at the same paper,
46
00:02:47,026 --> 00:02:49,024
sometimes
they were rivals,
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00:02:49,026 --> 00:02:52,019
but they were
always good friends.
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00:02:52,021 --> 00:02:56,011
Pete, he had almost no enemies.
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00:02:56,013 --> 00:02:58,007
Jimmy had more than a few.
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00:02:58,009 --> 00:02:59,029
Man: How do you define
your enemies?
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00:03:00,001 --> 00:03:02,007
Everybody that doesn't like me,
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00:03:02,009 --> 00:03:03,023
and that's
an awful lot of people,
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00:03:03,025 --> 00:03:05,007
that's an all-inclusive topic.
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00:03:06,001 --> 00:03:08,004
Michael Daly:
He loved being
Jimmy Breslin.
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00:03:08,006 --> 00:03:09,024
It's infectious
to be around somebody
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00:03:09,026 --> 00:03:11,002
who really loves
being who they are.
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00:03:11,004 --> 00:03:13,013
-(laughing)
-I went to
John Adams High School,
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00:03:13,015 --> 00:03:14,019
and I wasn't a dropout.
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I went the full five years.
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00:03:16,009 --> 00:03:18,021
(laughter, applause)
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00:03:18,023 --> 00:03:20,024
-Man: The New York Times
said that you wrote literature.
-Yes.
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-That this is literature.
-That was the worst thing
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-that could've
happened to me, too.
-(laughter)
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There's something the matter,
I don't know.
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There's something very much
the matter with the thing.
It doesn't work.
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Tom Wolfe:
He looked like you'd
taken a ball of clay,
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00:03:31,013 --> 00:03:35,006
and then you'd gotten
another ball of clay
for the head,
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00:03:35,008 --> 00:03:37,008
and these arms were stuck on.
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00:03:37,010 --> 00:03:39,021
What color were
the four kids who got shot?
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-Host: Black.
-What color was the gunman?
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00:03:42,003 --> 00:03:43,025
-White.
-Thank you.
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00:03:43,027 --> 00:03:47,004
So what are you saying,
this was a racial murder,
is that what you're saying?
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No, it was over geraniums.
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Lemme call you back in
a little while. Okay, bye.
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Breslin.
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00:03:53,026 --> 00:03:55,006
Charlie Carillo:
Pete went for the heart
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00:03:55,008 --> 00:03:56,015
without being
sentimental.
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00:03:56,017 --> 00:03:58,009
Pete had a high school
education.
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Everything he learned,
he learned on the streets.
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00:04:00,003 --> 00:04:02,011
You would come
in the subway
home at night,
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00:04:02,013 --> 00:04:05,002
and there was an
aroma of perspiration
in the place,
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00:04:05,004 --> 00:04:07,027
a salty kind of
smell in the subways
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00:04:07,029 --> 00:04:11,008
because working men
were on their way home.
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00:04:11,010 --> 00:04:14,010
Gay Talese:
The guy had another side
beyond the journalism.
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00:04:14,012 --> 00:04:16,027
He had this almost
movie star life!
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00:04:16,029 --> 00:04:19,016
You know, with
Ms. Kennedy or Onassis.
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00:04:19,018 --> 00:04:22,004
Shirley MacLaine,
they were together
for years.
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♪ ♪
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Colin Quinn:
Two guys in New York,
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00:04:25,024 --> 00:04:28,000
they're both like these
Irish bar columnists,
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00:04:28,002 --> 00:04:32,013
and they both are
so similar and so different
at the same time.
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00:04:32,015 --> 00:04:35,018
Man:
Hamill was, I always
thought, like a poet.
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00:04:35,020 --> 00:04:38,007
He'd give you
the poetry of New York.
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00:04:38,009 --> 00:04:40,028
(Hamill speaking)
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00:04:52,027 --> 00:04:56,019
Robert Krulwich:
This guy had sweep
and majesty.
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00:04:56,021 --> 00:04:59,010
It was like walking into,
you know, a French novel--
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00:04:59,012 --> 00:05:03,008
the light glancing
off the buildings,
the atmosphere.
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00:05:03,010 --> 00:05:05,014
-And Breslin
would give you the...
-(smacks palm)
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00:05:05,016 --> 00:05:08,013
...here's what happened
yesterday in New York.
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00:05:08,015 --> 00:05:11,013
(Breslin speaking)
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00:05:25,008 --> 00:05:28,026
This is literature
in real time, on deadline,
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and it still lasts.
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♪ ♪
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(train rattling)
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00:05:43,024 --> 00:05:45,017
(typewriter clacks)
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♪ ♪
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00:05:55,027 --> 00:05:56,023
(gunshot)
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00:05:58,004 --> 00:05:59,002
(gunshot)
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00:06:01,003 --> 00:06:01,029
(gunshot)
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00:06:03,007 --> 00:06:04,003
(gunshot)
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00:06:05,011 --> 00:06:06,012
Newswoman:
Berhnard Goetz,
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00:06:06,014 --> 00:06:08,013
New York's so-called
"Death Wish Gunman,"
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00:06:08,015 --> 00:06:09,027
is in a New York
jail this morning,
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00:06:09,029 --> 00:06:13,002
after confessing to the
vigilante-style shooting
of four youths
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00:06:13,004 --> 00:06:14,025
aboard a New York
subway last month.
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00:06:14,027 --> 00:06:16,014
Newsman:
Goetz wounded
four teenagers
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00:06:16,016 --> 00:06:18,013
whom he said
surrounded him
on the subway
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00:06:18,015 --> 00:06:19,021
and asked for money.
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00:06:19,023 --> 00:06:21,015
Newsman 2:
Police say the teenagers
had arrest records
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00:06:21,017 --> 00:06:23,015
and three were carrying
long screwdrivers.
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00:06:23,017 --> 00:06:26,006
It is not clear exactly
what the kids intended.
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00:06:26,008 --> 00:06:27,027
Newsman 3:
Many New Yorkers
consider him a hero,
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00:06:27,029 --> 00:06:30,004
and fundraising efforts
are underway to pay
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00:06:30,006 --> 00:06:32,013
his bail
and legal expenses.
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00:06:32,015 --> 00:06:34,010
If I were in his place
and I had a gun,
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00:06:34,012 --> 00:06:36,001
I would do exactly
the same thing.
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00:06:36,003 --> 00:06:37,023
I have no pity
on criminals, you know.
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00:06:37,025 --> 00:06:40,023
If they're gonna rip off people,
they get what they deserve.
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00:06:41,024 --> 00:06:44,011
Les Payne:
This was the most
terrifying period
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that I have experienced
in New York.
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00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:51,000
The city had rose up
almost as one,
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00:06:51,002 --> 00:06:54,004
and said that yes,
he should have shot them.
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00:06:54,006 --> 00:06:56,016
You know, it served them right.
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00:06:56,018 --> 00:06:58,007
Alfonse D'Amato:
I've been on that subway
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00:06:58,009 --> 00:07:00,006
when these young thugs
come in there.
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00:07:00,008 --> 00:07:02,003
And they don't even
have to approach you.
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00:07:02,005 --> 00:07:03,028
When three or four
or five come in,
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00:07:04,000 --> 00:07:05,027
and they start their
messing around,
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00:07:05,029 --> 00:07:09,010
they are menacing
by their presence.
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00:07:09,012 --> 00:07:12,008
Payne:
It was that vacuum
that happens
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00:07:12,010 --> 00:07:14,025
when journalism is
not doing its job.
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00:07:15,009 --> 00:07:17,029
Journalism was out to lunch,
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00:07:18,001 --> 00:07:19,019
save Breslin.
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00:07:19,021 --> 00:07:22,021
Breslin:
They burned down
something irreplaceable
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00:07:22,023 --> 00:07:24,013
in New York this week,
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00:07:24,015 --> 00:07:26,008
and there were people
who looked at the ashes
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00:07:26,010 --> 00:07:28,021
and termed them
beautiful.
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00:07:28,023 --> 00:07:32,002
A man on a subway
took out a gun
and shot four people--
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00:07:32,004 --> 00:07:34,005
two in the back--
and ran away.
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00:07:35,009 --> 00:07:37,011
One of the two shot
in the back was 19
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00:07:37,013 --> 00:07:40,001
and he will be
in a wheelchair
for the rest of his life.
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00:07:41,028 --> 00:07:44,026
There were people
who praised the gunman.
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00:07:44,028 --> 00:07:46,017
As lawlessness
was applauded,
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00:07:46,019 --> 00:07:50,001
we in New York
arrived at the sourest
of all moments:
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00:07:50,003 --> 00:07:52,010
when people become
what they hate.
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00:07:53,013 --> 00:07:54,016
Would the gunman
have fired,
157
00:07:54,018 --> 00:07:56,004
and would people
now be jubilant
158
00:07:56,006 --> 00:07:57,025
if the four
had been white?
159
00:07:58,024 --> 00:08:01,012
Almost no one wants
to hear that question
160
00:08:01,014 --> 00:08:03,021
because it would
shorten the celebration.
161
00:08:04,027 --> 00:08:07,015
Mr. Breslin,
if somebody were to attack you,
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00:08:07,017 --> 00:08:10,018
would you just stand
there with your arms out
and not protect yourself?
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00:08:10,020 --> 00:08:13,000
I hope I'd fight back,
and I also hope I wouldn't shoot
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00:08:13,002 --> 00:08:15,022
two people in the back
and another one in the side,
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00:08:15,024 --> 00:08:17,013
because he didn't turn
around quick enough
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00:08:17,015 --> 00:08:19,007
that I could shoot
him in the back!
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00:08:19,009 --> 00:08:22,018
Once my father found out
168
00:08:22,020 --> 00:08:24,023
from one of his
169
00:08:24,025 --> 00:08:28,001
friends in the NYPD that
the kids were shot in the back,
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00:08:28,003 --> 00:08:29,020
that's when my father
said game over.
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00:08:29,022 --> 00:08:32,022
How can you be threatened when
they have their back to you?
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I can understand how he cracked,
and I think the people who--
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00:08:36,018 --> 00:08:38,005
Breslin:
Do you know
what he did?
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00:08:38,007 --> 00:08:40,000
Did you know that he bent down
175
00:08:40,002 --> 00:08:42,001
and he shot a kid on the floor
with the fifth bullet
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00:08:42,003 --> 00:08:44,016
because he had one left and
he said lemme get rid of it?
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00:08:44,018 --> 00:08:48,010
Behind this lunatic gunman,
you had New York City.
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00:08:48,012 --> 00:08:52,005
We in America, the victims,
have been portrayed to be
the wimps.
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00:08:52,007 --> 00:08:55,001
Give your money over,
wave the white flag, roll over
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00:08:55,003 --> 00:08:58,006
and hope that these guys
are gonna spare your life.
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00:08:58,008 --> 00:09:02,000
Jimmy Breslin was
the only voice out there.
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00:09:02,002 --> 00:09:05,019
Mr. Breslin, sir,
you do appear to be
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00:09:05,021 --> 00:09:07,023
whistling
a very lonely tune.
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00:09:07,025 --> 00:09:09,024
-No. (scoffs)
-(laughter)
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00:09:09,026 --> 00:09:12,005
(applause)
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00:09:12,007 --> 00:09:14,002
Donahue:
This is not to say
that you are wrong.
187
00:09:14,004 --> 00:09:17,000
-How can I be wrong?
-Your speeches are not
playing in New York City.
188
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I don't care!
It's the law!
189
00:09:19,001 --> 00:09:21,000
It's in a book!
Go look it up in the book!
190
00:09:21,002 --> 00:09:23,003
You're not supposed
to shoot four people!
191
00:09:29,010 --> 00:09:31,012
Payne:
It began to
become obvious
192
00:09:31,014 --> 00:09:34,027
that this guy was not
this fair-haired hero,
193
00:09:34,029 --> 00:09:37,021
the Death Wish Gunman
that everyone said
that he was.
194
00:09:37,023 --> 00:09:40,004
If I had more bullets,
I would've shot them
all again and again.
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00:09:40,006 --> 00:09:41,020
Payne:
And this is why Breslin,
196
00:09:41,022 --> 00:09:44,010
people who stand
head and shoulders
above the mob
197
00:09:44,012 --> 00:09:46,006
in this craft
of journalism,
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00:09:46,008 --> 00:09:47,027
they're so important.
199
00:09:47,029 --> 00:09:52,009
They realize that, yes,
crime is rampant.
200
00:09:52,011 --> 00:09:54,011
But if your son is
one of those four kids,
201
00:09:54,013 --> 00:09:56,013
should he be shot in the back
202
00:09:56,015 --> 00:09:59,016
by Bernhard Goetz
because crime is rampant?
203
00:09:59,018 --> 00:10:00,024
(typewriter clacks)
204
00:10:00,026 --> 00:10:02,023
♪ ♪
205
00:10:02,025 --> 00:10:05,019
You better believe
that I hate the people
206
00:10:05,021 --> 00:10:08,020
that took this girl
and raped her brutally.
207
00:10:08,022 --> 00:10:10,014
You better believe it.
208
00:10:10,016 --> 00:10:12,017
And it's more than anger,
it's hatred,
209
00:10:12,019 --> 00:10:14,006
and I want society to hate them.
210
00:10:14,008 --> 00:10:16,027
-(yelling)
-Newswoman: It is
the ages of the accused,
211
00:10:16,029 --> 00:10:19,000
14 to 17 years old,
212
00:10:19,002 --> 00:10:22,013
and the horror
of their alleged crimes
that has caused a furor.
213
00:10:23,018 --> 00:10:25,017
A woman, jogging in
New York Central Park,
214
00:10:25,019 --> 00:10:27,019
raped and nearly
beaten to death.
215
00:10:28,002 --> 00:10:30,014
Man:
She was dragged
about 200 feet
216
00:10:30,016 --> 00:10:33,019
into the woods,
where they beat her
with their fists,
217
00:10:33,021 --> 00:10:35,024
we believe a rock,
and a metal pipe.
218
00:10:39,016 --> 00:10:42,005
We must reinstitute
the death penalty.
219
00:10:42,007 --> 00:10:43,028
Newsman:
So outraged by the
brutal rape attack
220
00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:46,010
of the young jogger
in New York Central Park,
221
00:10:46,012 --> 00:10:50,007
Trump took out
full-page ads in four
city newspapers.
222
00:10:50,009 --> 00:10:55,005
It was an ad
that suggested that there
was no mercy necessary,
223
00:10:55,007 --> 00:10:58,012
no justice,
as we know it,
necessary.
224
00:10:58,014 --> 00:11:00,024
He thought they just
should be killed.
225
00:11:01,022 --> 00:11:03,024
They hadn't even
been indicted yet.
226
00:11:03,026 --> 00:11:05,021
They were still
in the police precincts.
227
00:11:05,023 --> 00:11:08,011
♪ ♪
228
00:11:08,013 --> 00:11:12,001
Trump inflamed race hate
in New York City.
229
00:11:12,003 --> 00:11:14,000
Of course I hate these people,
230
00:11:14,002 --> 00:11:15,015
and let's all hate these people,
231
00:11:15,017 --> 00:11:16,029
because maybe hate
is what we need
232
00:11:17,001 --> 00:11:18,010
if we're gonna get
something done.
233
00:11:18,012 --> 00:11:21,013
Esposito:
Donald Trump is happy
to inflame divisiveness.
234
00:11:22,010 --> 00:11:26,003
That's what makes
a gifted writer
like Pete Hamill--
235
00:11:26,022 --> 00:11:30,015
the sensibility
to see that before
other people see it.
236
00:11:32,014 --> 00:11:34,004
Hamill:
Snarling and heartless
237
00:11:34,006 --> 00:11:36,020
and fraudulently tough,
238
00:11:36,022 --> 00:11:40,000
insisting on the virtues
of stupidity,
239
00:11:40,002 --> 00:11:43,010
it was the epitome
of blind negation.
240
00:11:44,009 --> 00:11:46,020
Hate was just
another luxury.
241
00:11:47,013 --> 00:11:50,006
(Hamill speaking)
242
00:12:04,025 --> 00:12:08,002
♪ ♪
243
00:12:08,004 --> 00:12:10,014
Newsman:
Now, after each has
completed his sentence,
244
00:12:10,016 --> 00:12:12,008
this man, Matias Reyes,
245
00:12:12,010 --> 00:12:13,027
imprisoned for
another rape,
246
00:12:13,029 --> 00:12:15,026
says he raped
the jogger,
247
00:12:15,028 --> 00:12:18,003
and DNA evidence
confirms it.
248
00:12:18,005 --> 00:12:21,005
And then we find out that,
years later,
249
00:12:21,007 --> 00:12:22,025
those guys were innocent,
250
00:12:22,027 --> 00:12:25,004
and their lives' are never
gonna be the same.
251
00:12:27,018 --> 00:12:30,002
What the best, the past
in the tabloid era did
252
00:12:30,004 --> 00:12:32,006
was it put forward
big personalities
253
00:12:32,008 --> 00:12:35,016
with big opinions who backed
them up with real reporting.
254
00:12:35,018 --> 00:12:37,024
And they were
uncompromising in trying
255
00:12:37,026 --> 00:12:39,029
to hold people in
power to account,
256
00:12:40,001 --> 00:12:42,009
and tell the stories of
people who were suffering.
257
00:12:42,025 --> 00:12:45,026
-(typewriter clacks)
-(indistinct chatter)
258
00:12:46,013 --> 00:12:48,013
Keep walking,
but watch your step, Jim.
259
00:12:49,014 --> 00:12:51,018
There's wires
on the floor.
260
00:12:51,020 --> 00:12:54,018
-Step lightly.
-Oh, just what you said.
261
00:12:55,029 --> 00:12:57,027
There you go,
almost there.
262
00:12:57,029 --> 00:13:00,011
-Hamill: There we go.
-Breslin: All right.
263
00:13:00,013 --> 00:13:03,006
-Hamill: Here.
-Breslin: You got
coffee here somewhere?
264
00:13:03,008 --> 00:13:06,000
-Man 1: Oh, coffee!
-Man 2: You want coffee?
265
00:13:06,002 --> 00:13:08,024
-You okay? Good.
-Yeah, I'm all right.
266
00:13:08,026 --> 00:13:14,005
♪ Nice and easy does it
all the time ♪
267
00:13:14,007 --> 00:13:16,008
-Man: Marking.
-(clacks)
268
00:13:16,010 --> 00:13:19,011
♪ ♪
269
00:13:23,005 --> 00:13:24,029
Interviewer:
Where were you born?
270
00:13:25,001 --> 00:13:27,020
Breslin:
Ozone Park, Queens,
New York City.
271
00:13:27,022 --> 00:13:28,026
Interviewer:
What year?
272
00:13:28,028 --> 00:13:30,029
Breslin:
10/17/29.
273
00:13:34,007 --> 00:13:36,020
I lived on 101st Avenue,
274
00:13:36,022 --> 00:13:39,008
and it was a house
with a porch
275
00:13:39,010 --> 00:13:41,017
that people
used to sleep on.
276
00:13:41,019 --> 00:13:44,020
Those were
the Depression days.
277
00:13:44,022 --> 00:13:46,029
Scraping to get a job.
278
00:13:48,001 --> 00:13:52,011
And then we'd go down two blocks
from there to Liberty Avenue,
279
00:13:52,013 --> 00:13:54,009
there was a bar.
280
00:13:54,011 --> 00:13:57,003
By the time I'm 17,
281
00:13:57,005 --> 00:14:00,022
two guys came in with guns
and held the joint up.
282
00:14:03,026 --> 00:14:05,021
Hamill:
Oh, in my neighborhood,
283
00:14:05,023 --> 00:14:08,016
there was a bar on
every corner except
284
00:14:08,018 --> 00:14:10,013
the one with
the movie house.
285
00:14:12,027 --> 00:14:16,026
A lot of them
had been speakeasies
during Prohibition.
286
00:14:16,028 --> 00:14:19,021
Most of them were
populated by men.
287
00:14:19,023 --> 00:14:23,001
They lived across
the street from the bar.
288
00:14:23,003 --> 00:14:26,004
Their favorite bar
was the closest one.
289
00:14:26,006 --> 00:14:29,020
That was it, the bar.
Everybody was in the bar.
290
00:14:30,016 --> 00:14:32,022
Every-freaking-body.
291
00:14:33,026 --> 00:14:36,006
The main problem
in my house
292
00:14:36,008 --> 00:14:38,006
was anything
outta the bottle.
293
00:14:38,008 --> 00:14:40,004
There was
a lot of drinking.
294
00:14:40,006 --> 00:14:42,004
Interviewer:
And you didn't know
your father, right?
295
00:14:42,006 --> 00:14:45,029
No, he was around.
That didn't last long.
296
00:14:46,001 --> 00:14:49,016
My father took off when,
I guess, when I was about seven.
297
00:14:49,018 --> 00:14:52,010
He went out for rolls one
morning and didn't come back.
298
00:14:52,012 --> 00:14:54,024
And that took care of
that end of the family,
299
00:14:54,026 --> 00:14:57,022
and then the rest of it,
it was just a nice,
300
00:14:57,024 --> 00:14:59,017
large, cold Irish family.
301
00:14:59,019 --> 00:15:01,012
Do you know where
your father is now?
302
00:15:01,014 --> 00:15:02,027
No, he died
a couple of years ago.
303
00:15:02,029 --> 00:15:06,002
-Did you see him after
he left the house?
-No, never. No.
304
00:15:06,004 --> 00:15:07,011
-He must've--
-No.
305
00:15:07,013 --> 00:15:08,024
What? What,
are you gonna tell me
306
00:15:08,026 --> 00:15:10,020
-it's a heart-tugging thing?
Who the hell cares?
-(laughing)
307
00:15:10,022 --> 00:15:11,026
The guy went away. Who cares?
308
00:15:11,028 --> 00:15:14,027
Oh come on, Breslin,
cut it out. (laughing)
309
00:15:14,029 --> 00:15:17,006
♪ ♪
310
00:15:17,008 --> 00:15:20,015
Breslin:
My mother, she got mad
and just declared him dead.
311
00:15:21,014 --> 00:15:23,015
He just was gone,
and that's it.
312
00:15:23,017 --> 00:15:26,000
All those years.
313
00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:30,014
When I grew up, my mother
never kissed me, ever.
314
00:15:30,016 --> 00:15:32,019
Nor did I ever kiss her.
315
00:15:32,021 --> 00:15:35,008
The closest we ever came
to touching each other
316
00:15:35,010 --> 00:15:38,000
was when we sat
together on the subway.
317
00:15:38,002 --> 00:15:40,018
I was a stranger
who was out of her.
318
00:15:42,028 --> 00:15:46,012
I sat on the staircase
and peered through
the banister.
319
00:15:46,014 --> 00:15:49,000
My mother was there for
a long time, for hours,
320
00:15:49,002 --> 00:15:52,011
weeping and talking
to her reflection
in the big mirror.
321
00:15:52,013 --> 00:15:53,025
I dozed.
322
00:15:53,027 --> 00:15:56,006
Suddenly,
a click woke me up.
323
00:15:56,008 --> 00:15:58,007
My mother was motionless.
324
00:15:58,009 --> 00:16:00,027
My eyes closed.
There was another click,
325
00:16:00,029 --> 00:16:03,002
and her weeping rose
almost to a shriek,
326
00:16:03,004 --> 00:16:06,011
and I saw that
she had a pistol
at her left temple.
327
00:16:06,013 --> 00:16:08,023
She was gonna shoot herself.
328
00:16:08,025 --> 00:16:11,020
So, I told my grandmother,
329
00:16:11,022 --> 00:16:14,001
and she just came
down from her bed,
330
00:16:14,003 --> 00:16:16,018
and just took it from
her and turned around,
331
00:16:16,020 --> 00:16:19,015
and walked back up to the room.
332
00:16:19,017 --> 00:16:24,010
Afterward, nobody ever
mentioned in the house
what had happened.
333
00:16:24,012 --> 00:16:26,028
The night was part of
the dust in the air.
334
00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:30,027
Barry:
His father leaves.
His mother is troubled.
335
00:16:30,029 --> 00:16:32,024
He's a lonely kid.
336
00:16:32,026 --> 00:16:34,004
And what he would do is,
337
00:16:34,006 --> 00:16:36,003
he would get lost
in the newspapers.
338
00:16:36,005 --> 00:16:39,004
♪ ♪
339
00:16:39,006 --> 00:16:41,011
Harriet Arnone:
Jimmy Breslin was devoted
340
00:16:41,013 --> 00:16:44,008
to newspapers from the day
he was able to read.
341
00:16:45,007 --> 00:16:46,021
He always said,
342
00:16:46,023 --> 00:16:49,022
"I'm going to be a newspaper
reporter when I grow up."
343
00:16:49,024 --> 00:16:52,028
Breslin:
I was in a Catholic
grammar school.
344
00:16:53,000 --> 00:16:56,014
The nuns were interested
in the writing.
345
00:16:56,016 --> 00:16:58,015
Subject, verb, and object--
346
00:16:58,017 --> 00:17:01,020
that was the story
of the whole thing.
347
00:17:01,022 --> 00:17:03,005
Concrete nouns,
348
00:17:03,007 --> 00:17:05,009
-active verbs.
-Yeah, it's all...
349
00:17:05,011 --> 00:17:06,028
That's what we were
taught that way.
350
00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:09,009
It was pretty
good teaching.
351
00:17:10,017 --> 00:17:12,002
Well, we'd put out a paper,
352
00:17:12,004 --> 00:17:15,007
the kids' paper,
on 134th Street.
353
00:17:15,009 --> 00:17:16,029
The Flash.
354
00:17:17,001 --> 00:17:19,007
We never heard of, in fact,
the typewriter thing.
355
00:17:19,009 --> 00:17:20,022
-(chuckles)
-Never.
356
00:17:20,024 --> 00:17:23,009
It was always your hand.
357
00:17:23,011 --> 00:17:25,027
I realized early that
bad news was great,
358
00:17:25,029 --> 00:17:27,028
even if it involved me.
359
00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:30,023
I protected myself
by writing about it.
360
00:17:30,025 --> 00:17:33,029
Interviewer:
When you were putting that your
mom had tried to kill herself,
361
00:17:34,001 --> 00:17:35,028
were you upset when
you wrote the article?
362
00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:38,003
I had to write
an article!
363
00:17:38,005 --> 00:17:41,009
What's going on inside your
head and your heart at that age?
364
00:17:41,011 --> 00:17:43,008
Me.
365
00:17:43,010 --> 00:17:45,013
When I finishedThe Flash,
366
00:17:45,015 --> 00:17:47,016
I took it around to
Worship's Candy Store
367
00:17:47,018 --> 00:17:50,007
and asked them to put
it in the newsstand.
368
00:17:50,009 --> 00:17:53,028
My headline said,
"Mother Tried Suicide."
369
00:17:54,000 --> 00:17:55,008
Later, I learned
that the headline
370
00:17:55,010 --> 00:17:57,010
should've been in
the present tense.
371
00:17:57,028 --> 00:18:00,004
"Mother Tries Suicide."
372
00:18:00,006 --> 00:18:03,005
♪ ♪
373
00:18:03,007 --> 00:18:05,001
To get here,
I had to beat a rough,
374
00:18:05,003 --> 00:18:07,005
bleak, shrinking business.
375
00:18:07,007 --> 00:18:08,029
I started out
in Queens County,
376
00:18:09,001 --> 00:18:11,016
where I was born,
on theLong Island Press,
377
00:18:11,018 --> 00:18:14,006
as one of the last
of the generation
with no college,
378
00:18:14,008 --> 00:18:16,027
and who came off
the copyboys' bench.
379
00:18:16,029 --> 00:18:18,029
People at desks in
the City Room called out,
380
00:18:19,001 --> 00:18:20,027
"Boy! Copyboy!"
381
00:18:20,029 --> 00:18:22,020
Copy!
382
00:18:22,022 --> 00:18:24,011
And a copyboy
comes running over.
383
00:18:24,013 --> 00:18:26,011
There is no thing
like it today.
384
00:18:26,013 --> 00:18:29,012
City rooms have no sound.
385
00:18:29,014 --> 00:18:31,019
People are sitting
at their computers,
386
00:18:31,021 --> 00:18:33,000
and they're
sending messages
387
00:18:33,002 --> 00:18:35,007
to people six feet away.
388
00:18:35,009 --> 00:18:37,002
Man:
Boy! Take that over there.
389
00:18:37,004 --> 00:18:39,005
Breslin:
I was 16, just 16.
390
00:18:39,007 --> 00:18:41,013
It was tough
making a living
391
00:18:41,015 --> 00:18:44,001
for being that young
in that business.
392
00:18:44,003 --> 00:18:47,007
Eighteen dollars a week was
a huge amount of money
393
00:18:47,009 --> 00:18:48,021
from the newspaper.
394
00:18:48,023 --> 00:18:51,023
Eighteen dollars
and ten cents,
that I remember.
395
00:18:51,025 --> 00:18:56,001
That's one fact
outta the whole life
that I remember.
396
00:18:56,026 --> 00:19:00,006
I mean, in the early,
gritty days of journalism,
397
00:19:00,008 --> 00:19:02,014
you didn't have
an Ivy League degree,
398
00:19:02,016 --> 00:19:05,019
and you never made
a particularly good salary.
399
00:19:05,021 --> 00:19:09,003
You were much more
naturally of the street
400
00:19:09,005 --> 00:19:12,008
than you were when
the whole thing
401
00:19:12,010 --> 00:19:14,019
became a profession.
402
00:19:14,021 --> 00:19:16,018
These journalists today
403
00:19:16,020 --> 00:19:19,012
go to best-- the elite colleges.
404
00:19:19,014 --> 00:19:21,021
We went to
the not-elite colleges.
405
00:19:22,019 --> 00:19:24,016
Hamill didn't even go
to any college at all.
406
00:19:24,018 --> 00:19:26,018
I would say more
than half of the guys
407
00:19:26,020 --> 00:19:29,020
I was a reporter with in that
time had not gone to college.
408
00:19:29,022 --> 00:19:32,003
What happens when you have
409
00:19:32,005 --> 00:19:34,015
that kind of employee base?
410
00:19:34,017 --> 00:19:37,006
You have connections
to the street.
411
00:19:37,008 --> 00:19:39,004
You have cops in your family.
412
00:19:39,006 --> 00:19:42,002
You have guys who
work at sanitation.
You have all that stuff.
413
00:19:42,004 --> 00:19:45,006
If you're gonna cover a city
like Breslin covered it,
414
00:19:45,008 --> 00:19:46,023
you have to have
that street sense.
415
00:19:46,025 --> 00:19:49,015
You can go to Oxford
four and a half,
a thousand years,
416
00:19:49,017 --> 00:19:52,010
you're not gonna come in
and cover the street
like Jimmy Breslin.
417
00:19:52,012 --> 00:19:53,018
♪ ♪
418
00:19:53,020 --> 00:19:56,027
Caldwell:
He could understand
419
00:19:56,029 --> 00:19:58,019
the working guy's,
420
00:19:58,021 --> 00:20:01,003
or woman's situation.
421
00:20:01,005 --> 00:20:02,016
(typewriter clacks)
422
00:20:05,004 --> 00:20:07,029
Breslin:
One day, Cibella Borges
met a photographer
423
00:20:08,001 --> 00:20:10,004
who offered her $150
424
00:20:10,006 --> 00:20:12,013
to pose for pictures that
were supposed to give men
425
00:20:12,015 --> 00:20:14,028
the thought of
incredible pleasures.
426
00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:17,002
Her photographer
spent many months
427
00:20:17,004 --> 00:20:19,006
showing the pictures
around town.
428
00:20:19,008 --> 00:20:21,019
Jimmy and Cibella:
Finally, he was able
to sell them to a magazine
429
00:20:21,021 --> 00:20:23,026
"...called Beaver,
which is a publication
430
00:20:23,028 --> 00:20:26,010
read with one hand."
(chuckles)
431
00:20:26,012 --> 00:20:28,018
TheBeavereditor had
no idea of the name
432
00:20:28,020 --> 00:20:31,008
of the small, Hispanic
woman in the pictures.
433
00:20:31,010 --> 00:20:33,005
That was me.
434
00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:36,005
When I came
on to the police academy,
435
00:20:36,007 --> 00:20:38,006
I knew I was gonna
have a rough time.
436
00:20:38,008 --> 00:20:40,007
Number one,
I was a female.
437
00:20:40,009 --> 00:20:44,020
I was a Hispanic,
and I was 4 feet
11.5 inches.
438
00:20:44,022 --> 00:20:47,005
I was recruited to work
for Public Morals Division,
439
00:20:47,007 --> 00:20:48,027
as an undercover.
440
00:20:48,029 --> 00:20:51,007
And when I went
to the 19th Precinct
441
00:20:51,009 --> 00:20:52,029
that day,
to report to work,
442
00:20:53,001 --> 00:20:55,014
the administrative lieutenant
called me into his office,
443
00:20:55,016 --> 00:20:58,001
went into his drawer,
took out the magazine,
444
00:20:58,003 --> 00:20:59,027
and just threw it
at me, and said,
445
00:20:59,029 --> 00:21:01,013
"Is this you?"
446
00:21:01,015 --> 00:21:04,025
♪ ♪
447
00:21:04,027 --> 00:21:06,022
I said, it's me.
448
00:21:06,024 --> 00:21:08,003
Newsman:
Cibella Borges,
she's a cop
449
00:21:08,005 --> 00:21:09,021
who posed nude in
a girlie magazine,
450
00:21:09,023 --> 00:21:11,022
faced police brass...
451
00:21:11,024 --> 00:21:13,020
Newsman 2:
...posed nude in
a men's sex magazine
452
00:21:13,022 --> 00:21:15,002
before she joined
the force...
453
00:21:15,004 --> 00:21:17,006
Newsman 3:
Ms. Borges is
accused of misconduct
454
00:21:17,008 --> 00:21:19,019
and bringing discredit to
the police department...
455
00:21:19,021 --> 00:21:21,017
Newsman 4:
...disqualifies her
as a member
456
00:21:21,019 --> 00:21:22,016
of the police force.
457
00:21:22,018 --> 00:21:24,013
Pictures in
Beaver magazine.
458
00:21:25,004 --> 00:21:27,002
Borges:
Before I became
a police officer,
459
00:21:27,004 --> 00:21:29,002
a guy approached me and told
me that I was beautiful,
460
00:21:29,004 --> 00:21:30,019
and I would've been
a perfect model.
461
00:21:30,021 --> 00:21:34,024
The pictures never identify me,
just by a name, Nina.
462
00:21:34,026 --> 00:21:36,001
Newsman:
Well, as of today,
463
00:21:36,003 --> 00:21:38,000
Ms. Borges is no longer
a police officer...
464
00:21:38,002 --> 00:21:39,021
Borges:
It just ripped
my heart out
465
00:21:39,023 --> 00:21:42,007
because this
is the job I love.
466
00:21:42,009 --> 00:21:45,009
-(indistinct chatter)
-I hated the news media.
467
00:21:46,007 --> 00:21:48,005
It was like
a Salem witch hunt.
468
00:21:48,024 --> 00:21:51,017
Major headlines
for weeks.
469
00:21:51,019 --> 00:21:52,028
I kept on telling myself,
470
00:21:53,000 --> 00:21:54,023
I'm not a criminal.
471
00:21:54,025 --> 00:21:57,002
I didn't do anything wrong.
472
00:21:58,011 --> 00:21:59,022
And then Jimmy wrote
an article
473
00:21:59,024 --> 00:22:02,006
about what was
happening to me.
474
00:22:02,008 --> 00:22:04,017
♪ ♪
475
00:22:04,019 --> 00:22:06,029
Breslin:
The nasty thought arose
that the police union
476
00:22:07,001 --> 00:22:09,012
did not stand up
for a member because,
477
00:22:09,014 --> 00:22:12,010
in this case, she was
Hispanic and female.
478
00:22:12,012 --> 00:22:15,006
And Cibella Borges has been
suspended from her job,
479
00:22:15,008 --> 00:22:17,015
which paid over
$400 a week,
480
00:22:17,017 --> 00:22:20,015
the most anyone in her
family had ever earned.
481
00:22:23,004 --> 00:22:25,008
Borges:
The union that was supposed
to be representing me
482
00:22:25,010 --> 00:22:27,015
paid $16,000 for an ad
483
00:22:27,017 --> 00:22:30,003
in theDaily News
to attack Jimmy Breslin
484
00:22:30,005 --> 00:22:32,014
because Jimmy Breslin
was in my corner.
485
00:22:32,016 --> 00:22:34,027
He was my champion.
486
00:22:34,029 --> 00:22:38,018
Bill Clark:
Jimmy was probably not
running for PBA president.
487
00:22:39,024 --> 00:22:41,026
Jimmy was left of center,
488
00:22:41,028 --> 00:22:44,015
and cops are always...
489
00:22:44,017 --> 00:22:46,002
(chuckles) right of center,
490
00:22:46,004 --> 00:22:48,020
so when it became any
kind of political issue,
491
00:22:48,022 --> 00:22:51,000
Jimmy was always on
the opposite side.
492
00:22:51,002 --> 00:22:53,026
And he wasn't
gonna back down.
493
00:22:53,028 --> 00:22:55,018
Breslin:
The police department
should've been
494
00:22:55,020 --> 00:22:57,000
proud of the pictures,
495
00:22:57,002 --> 00:22:58,022
as they proved that
at least one member
of the force
496
00:22:58,024 --> 00:23:01,007
is in marvelous
physical condition.
497
00:23:01,009 --> 00:23:03,024
Most officers are in
such deplorable shape...
498
00:23:03,026 --> 00:23:06,000
Breslin and Borges:
...that if called upon
to pose for pictures,
499
00:23:06,002 --> 00:23:09,010
"they would put on
overcoats." (chuckles)
500
00:23:09,012 --> 00:23:10,026
♪ ♪
501
00:23:10,028 --> 00:23:14,016
Borges:
I was so happy that there
was somebody out there,
502
00:23:14,018 --> 00:23:17,002
backing me up because
nobody else was doing it.
503
00:23:18,009 --> 00:23:20,021
I was reinstated by
the Appellate Division
504
00:23:20,023 --> 00:23:23,025
of the Supreme Court
in April of 1985.
505
00:23:23,027 --> 00:23:26,022
Man:
Detective Cibella R. Borges.
506
00:23:26,024 --> 00:23:29,025
(applause)
507
00:23:32,010 --> 00:23:34,000
-Man: Two...
-(shutter clicks)
508
00:23:34,002 --> 00:23:35,001
That's great.
509
00:23:35,003 --> 00:23:36,029
(smooches)
510
00:23:37,001 --> 00:23:39,003
Take care, and thank you
for everything you did.
511
00:23:39,005 --> 00:23:41,021
Oh, shut up. Good.
God bless you.
512
00:23:43,019 --> 00:23:45,000
All over the country,
513
00:23:45,002 --> 00:23:47,012
even in little bitty
cities and towns,
514
00:23:47,014 --> 00:23:49,012
there were people
trying to be a Breslin,
515
00:23:49,014 --> 00:23:50,029
trying to get that
kind of writing
516
00:23:51,001 --> 00:23:53,000
about their community out.
517
00:23:53,002 --> 00:23:54,018
Esposito:
You have Mike Barnicle
518
00:23:54,020 --> 00:23:56,005
up in Boston.
519
00:23:56,007 --> 00:23:58,010
Mike Royko in Chicago.
520
00:23:58,012 --> 00:24:00,024
These people were anchored
in a place and time,
521
00:24:00,026 --> 00:24:03,026
and they told stories
to their audience.
522
00:24:04,023 --> 00:24:07,013
Collins:
They brought
a sense of urgency
523
00:24:07,015 --> 00:24:09,029
about local reporting,
in an attempt
524
00:24:10,001 --> 00:24:13,001
to make local stories
not only important,
525
00:24:13,003 --> 00:24:15,023
but incredibly,
wildly readable.
526
00:24:15,025 --> 00:24:17,023
Interviewer:
What happens
if communities
527
00:24:17,025 --> 00:24:19,021
don't really have
good local journalism?
528
00:24:19,023 --> 00:24:21,004
Well, it's bad.
I'll tell you what happens
529
00:24:21,006 --> 00:24:23,012
is the crooks get away with
what they wanna get away with.
530
00:24:23,014 --> 00:24:26,022
I mean, you know, it's not
at the federal government,
531
00:24:26,024 --> 00:24:29,027
is my view, that your
pocket gets picked.
532
00:24:29,029 --> 00:24:32,024
It's in statehouse,
and it's the city hall.
533
00:24:32,026 --> 00:24:34,024
You know,
the New York Times
used to cover local news,
534
00:24:34,026 --> 00:24:37,000
it no longer does.
I mean, nothing.
535
00:24:37,002 --> 00:24:39,019
Even if you go
on the web page
of the Daily News,
536
00:24:39,021 --> 00:24:41,027
it starts with the fact
that somebody in Australia
537
00:24:41,029 --> 00:24:43,022
ate their baby
or something like that.
538
00:24:43,024 --> 00:24:47,013
The complete obliteration
of statehouse coverage
539
00:24:47,015 --> 00:24:49,014
and coverage at
the local level...
540
00:24:49,016 --> 00:24:51,028
I mean, if you're gonna
be upset about something,
541
00:24:52,000 --> 00:24:55,023
focus on that because
that affects you directly,
542
00:24:55,025 --> 00:24:57,028
every single day.
543
00:24:58,000 --> 00:25:01,002
-(horns honking)
-(sirens wailing)
544
00:25:06,003 --> 00:25:09,010
Hamill:
This is 75 West Street.
545
00:25:09,012 --> 00:25:13,010
It was then the home
of the New York Post.
546
00:25:13,012 --> 00:25:15,000
I had more laughs
547
00:25:15,002 --> 00:25:18,000
and more joy
in this building
548
00:25:18,002 --> 00:25:21,004
than almost any other
place I ever worked.
549
00:25:21,006 --> 00:25:24,009
♪ ♪
550
00:25:24,011 --> 00:25:25,022
(typewriter clacks)
551
00:25:28,007 --> 00:25:30,027
I had been writing letters
to thePosteditor,
552
00:25:30,029 --> 00:25:33,028
and he was
publishing these letters
every once in a while.
553
00:25:34,000 --> 00:25:35,022
And finally he sent me
a letter back saying,
554
00:25:35,024 --> 00:25:38,017
have you ever thought about
becoming a newspaperman?
555
00:25:38,019 --> 00:25:40,029
If so, give me a call.
556
00:25:41,001 --> 00:25:42,007
Kosner:
And he walks in
and he says,
557
00:25:42,009 --> 00:25:44,018
"I'm Pete Hamill
and I have a tryout."
558
00:25:44,020 --> 00:25:48,002
And lo and behold,
his very first story
559
00:25:48,004 --> 00:25:49,013
ran right in the front
of the paper,
560
00:25:49,015 --> 00:25:52,001
and that was the beginning
of his career.
561
00:25:52,026 --> 00:25:55,006
Hamill:
Newspaper people
were flamboyant,
562
00:25:55,008 --> 00:25:57,021
hard-drinking,
bohemian anarchists
563
00:25:57,023 --> 00:26:00,011
with great gifts
for obscenity.
564
00:26:00,013 --> 00:26:02,013
I loved being
in their company
565
00:26:02,015 --> 00:26:04,004
in city rooms,
566
00:26:04,006 --> 00:26:05,009
at murder scenes,
567
00:26:05,011 --> 00:26:08,020
or standing at
the bar after work.
568
00:26:08,022 --> 00:26:10,013
Kosner:
TheNew York Post
nightside,
569
00:26:10,015 --> 00:26:12,003
it was like Devil's Island.
570
00:26:12,005 --> 00:26:13,020
The night city editor was
571
00:26:13,022 --> 00:26:16,008
the former managing editor
of the Daily Worker.
572
00:26:16,010 --> 00:26:18,019
There were drunks,
573
00:26:18,021 --> 00:26:21,009
and screenwriters, and poets.
574
00:26:21,011 --> 00:26:22,028
Everyone was strange.
575
00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:25,001
There was one guy
who was an opera singer,
576
00:26:25,003 --> 00:26:26,023
who wanted to be a newspaperman.
577
00:26:26,025 --> 00:26:28,010
So he would sing... ♪ Oh! ♪
578
00:26:28,012 --> 00:26:29,016
-...and he would type.
-(laughter)
579
00:26:29,018 --> 00:26:31,013
You know... ♪ Oh! ♪
...and type.
580
00:26:31,015 --> 00:26:33,016
(typewriter clacking)
581
00:26:36,006 --> 00:26:38,007
(train clattering)
582
00:26:40,017 --> 00:26:43,001
Hamill:
I grew up in
a blue-collar neighborhood
583
00:26:43,003 --> 00:26:45,008
in Brooklyn in
the 1940s and '50s.
584
00:26:45,010 --> 00:26:47,027
And I was the oldest
of seven kids.
585
00:26:47,029 --> 00:26:49,024
♪ ♪
586
00:26:49,026 --> 00:26:51,022
We didn't think of
ourselves as poor.
587
00:26:51,024 --> 00:26:53,017
And we lived in a place
588
00:26:53,019 --> 00:26:55,020
that was cold water.
589
00:26:55,022 --> 00:26:56,025
There was no heat.
590
00:26:56,027 --> 00:26:58,016
(kids laughing)
591
00:26:58,018 --> 00:27:00,020
♪ ♪
592
00:27:00,022 --> 00:27:04,011
Kathy:
Our neighborhood was
like a small town
593
00:27:04,013 --> 00:27:06,026
because everyone
knew everybody else,
594
00:27:06,028 --> 00:27:08,026
and everyone knew
one of my brothers.
595
00:27:08,028 --> 00:27:11,013
Hamill: We were poor,
but we weren't impoverished
596
00:27:11,015 --> 00:27:15,003
'cause four blocks away
was a public library.
597
00:27:15,005 --> 00:27:16,021
They had a sign outside,
598
00:27:16,023 --> 00:27:18,023
chiseled into the wall. It said,
599
00:27:18,025 --> 00:27:23,018
"Here are enshrined
the longings
of great hearts."
600
00:27:23,020 --> 00:27:26,029
And I'd be 12 or 13,
walking around saying,
601
00:27:27,001 --> 00:27:30,002
maybe I could be
a great heart some day.
602
00:27:31,018 --> 00:27:34,004
♪ ♪
603
00:27:34,006 --> 00:27:36,006
(recording playing)
604
00:27:50,011 --> 00:27:54,005
Kathy:
My mother was a really
gentle kind of a person.
605
00:27:54,007 --> 00:27:57,008
Everything we are,
we can owe to our mother.
606
00:27:57,010 --> 00:28:00,000
Hamill:
I remember when
the atom bomb dropped,
607
00:28:00,002 --> 00:28:02,020
and we were running
around all excited,
608
00:28:02,022 --> 00:28:04,009
"We got a secret weapon!"
609
00:28:05,001 --> 00:28:07,001
And I remember
my mother saying,
610
00:28:07,003 --> 00:28:08,018
"Don't do that.
611
00:28:08,020 --> 00:28:10,029
"Pray for those
poor Japanese.
612
00:28:11,001 --> 00:28:13,006
"They didn't start the war.
613
00:28:13,008 --> 00:28:16,004
"It was the guys with
the fancy uniforms
614
00:28:16,006 --> 00:28:18,004
"and everything
who started the war.
615
00:28:18,006 --> 00:28:19,025
They're just like us."
616
00:28:19,027 --> 00:28:21,022
Denis:
She was a Catholic,
a devout Catholic.
617
00:28:21,024 --> 00:28:24,009
But better than that,
she was a real Christian.
618
00:28:24,011 --> 00:28:27,006
-She hated bigotry,
in any shape or form.
-Kathy: Yeah.
619
00:28:27,008 --> 00:28:29,024
She was an early, early
supporter of Martin Luther King.
620
00:28:30,016 --> 00:28:33,006
You were not allowed
to use any racist terms
in our family.
621
00:28:33,008 --> 00:28:34,029
-You got hit with
a wet dish rag.
-Kathy: Yeah.
622
00:28:35,001 --> 00:28:37,018
Poverty was not a sin.
It wasn't something
to be condemned.
623
00:28:37,020 --> 00:28:39,017
It was something to be fought.
624
00:28:40,007 --> 00:28:41,009
(typewriter clacks)
625
00:28:41,011 --> 00:28:44,012
♪ ♪
626
00:28:45,002 --> 00:28:48,019
Hamill:
There had been no
heat at 165 Eldridge
627
00:28:48,021 --> 00:28:50,022
for more than a year.
628
00:28:50,024 --> 00:28:52,013
The kitchen bathtub
was filled
629
00:28:52,015 --> 00:28:55,020
with a solid block
of dirty yellow ice.
630
00:28:55,022 --> 00:28:58,025
But the inspectors
come around,
and fill out their forms,
631
00:28:58,027 --> 00:29:01,014
and go away,
and nothing happens.
632
00:29:01,016 --> 00:29:03,027
It just stays this way.
633
00:29:03,029 --> 00:29:06,017
Maybe that is
the story of the city,
634
00:29:06,019 --> 00:29:09,016
or at the least,
the story of the poor:
635
00:29:10,010 --> 00:29:12,017
it just stays this way.
636
00:29:14,028 --> 00:29:16,008
Kathy:
He was an ordinary kid,
637
00:29:16,010 --> 00:29:18,006
but he had an
extraordinary brain.
638
00:29:19,008 --> 00:29:22,014
He was always looking
for the next adventure.
639
00:29:23,010 --> 00:29:25,022
He couldn't wait to
get out and actually
640
00:29:25,024 --> 00:29:27,007
experience life.
641
00:29:27,025 --> 00:29:30,007
(recording playing)
642
00:29:34,025 --> 00:29:37,005
Hamill:
I had dropped out
of high school,
643
00:29:37,007 --> 00:29:39,007
breaking my mother's heart,
644
00:29:39,009 --> 00:29:42,028
and I found this apartment
for eight dollars a week.
(chuckles)
645
00:29:43,000 --> 00:29:44,027
I wanted to be a painter.
646
00:29:44,029 --> 00:29:47,028
I originally wanted
to draw comics,
647
00:29:48,000 --> 00:29:50,000
and went to Mexico,
648
00:29:50,002 --> 00:29:53,018
and there I failed out
of painting into writing.
649
00:29:53,020 --> 00:29:55,010
By the time I came back,
650
00:29:55,012 --> 00:29:57,009
I was a writer
rather than a painter.
651
00:29:58,014 --> 00:30:01,012
I knew nothing. I never
went to journalism school,
652
00:30:01,014 --> 00:30:04,026
or anything like that, but you
didn't have to in those days.
653
00:30:04,028 --> 00:30:07,005
You needed editors
who took a chance
654
00:30:07,007 --> 00:30:10,013
in what they saw as
some kind of talent.
655
00:30:10,015 --> 00:30:12,025
'Cause it's a craft,
it's teachable.
656
00:30:12,027 --> 00:30:16,013
♪ ♪
657
00:30:16,015 --> 00:30:19,000
Breslin:
I once went
to the racetrack
658
00:30:19,002 --> 00:30:20,021
with one of the
sportswriters,
659
00:30:20,023 --> 00:30:22,021
and I saw they had
a big cooler of beer,
660
00:30:22,023 --> 00:30:24,029
and all you had to do was
reach in, in the press box,
661
00:30:25,001 --> 00:30:27,017
-and you had a free beer.
-(laughter)
662
00:30:27,019 --> 00:30:30,024
-So, I sat there that day
and I had, like, 50 of them.
-(laughter)
663
00:30:30,026 --> 00:30:34,013
And I said,
"Jeez, I'm gonna be
a sportswriter for sure."
664
00:30:35,026 --> 00:30:38,014
1951, I covered
a baseball game,
665
00:30:38,016 --> 00:30:40,022
the Giants
against the Dodgers.
666
00:30:40,024 --> 00:30:42,002
The pictures came
667
00:30:42,004 --> 00:30:44,020
by carrier pigeons
from the baseball field.
668
00:30:44,022 --> 00:30:47,020
They'd strapped the film,
after they took it,
669
00:30:47,022 --> 00:30:49,006
onto the homing pigeon,
670
00:30:49,008 --> 00:30:50,012
and threw them up
in the air.
671
00:30:50,014 --> 00:30:51,027
They circle around home plate,
672
00:30:51,029 --> 00:30:53,013
while the umpire
and everybody ducked.
673
00:30:53,015 --> 00:30:55,009
And then they went
up in the sky,
674
00:30:55,011 --> 00:30:58,000
and they flew
to theJournal-American,
theHerald Tribune,
675
00:30:58,002 --> 00:31:01,003
all these newspapers,
and theLong Island Press.
676
00:31:04,011 --> 00:31:06,029
-(flashbulb pops)
-(crowd cheering)
677
00:31:07,001 --> 00:31:08,017
(bell ringing)
678
00:31:11,012 --> 00:31:13,029
Dan Barry:
He will tell you, "Go to
the losers' locker room.
679
00:31:14,001 --> 00:31:17,003
The person you don't remember,
that's where the story is."
680
00:31:17,005 --> 00:31:19,000
Breslin:
The losers' dressing room,
681
00:31:19,002 --> 00:31:21,014
or the loser always
was the best story
682
00:31:21,016 --> 00:31:24,013
'cause there's nobody
there in the language biz.
The best.
683
00:31:24,015 --> 00:31:27,002
Then he hauls off and writes
the funniest freaking
684
00:31:27,004 --> 00:31:30,013
baseball book that
anybody's ever written
in the history of the world.
685
00:31:30,015 --> 00:31:32,015
I mean,Can't Anybody
Here Play This Game?,
686
00:31:32,017 --> 00:31:34,021
you could pick it up today
and read it like a novel
687
00:31:34,023 --> 00:31:36,000
and laugh your ass off.
688
00:31:36,002 --> 00:31:37,024
Barry:
Breslin is drawn to
the New York Mets
689
00:31:37,026 --> 00:31:40,002
because they sucked so bad.
690
00:31:40,004 --> 00:31:42,019
They're horrible, okay?
They're horrible.
691
00:31:42,021 --> 00:31:44,018
Esposito:
Jock Whitney,
692
00:31:44,020 --> 00:31:46,024
who is the publisher
of theHerald Tribune,
693
00:31:46,026 --> 00:31:48,016
his sister owns the Mets.
694
00:31:48,018 --> 00:31:50,028
And the book led Whitney
695
00:31:51,000 --> 00:31:53,028
to want Jimmy to come to
work at the Herald Tribune.
696
00:31:54,000 --> 00:31:55,002
-(typewriter clacks)
-(chatter)
697
00:31:55,004 --> 00:31:56,018
His writing his fresh,
698
00:31:56,020 --> 00:31:58,017
his writing is concise,
699
00:31:58,019 --> 00:32:01,000
and his writing cuts to
the heart of a matter
700
00:32:01,002 --> 00:32:03,003
very colloquially.
701
00:32:03,005 --> 00:32:05,019
TheHerald Tribunewas
none of those things.
702
00:32:05,021 --> 00:32:07,017
It was a dull newspaper.
703
00:32:07,019 --> 00:32:09,004
The New York Times
just overwhelmed us,
704
00:32:09,006 --> 00:32:11,010
so the Tribhad to stay
in business somehow.
705
00:32:11,012 --> 00:32:12,027
It became a writer's newspaper.
706
00:32:12,029 --> 00:32:15,002
It became kind of,
almost avant-garde.
707
00:32:15,004 --> 00:32:17,005
So, Jimmy Breslin was
the star columnist,
708
00:32:17,007 --> 00:32:19,002
and Tom Wolfe was
the star writer.
709
00:32:19,004 --> 00:32:21,017
Wolfe:
The editor would come right
over to your desk and says,
710
00:32:21,019 --> 00:32:23,009
"pour it on!
Don't worry about length."
711
00:32:23,011 --> 00:32:25,008
'Cause I was always saying,
how long should this be?
712
00:32:25,010 --> 00:32:27,001
And he'd look at me
incredulously and say,
713
00:32:27,003 --> 00:32:28,009
"Until it's boring!"
714
00:32:29,006 --> 00:32:31,023
Talese:
Breslin introduced
what became known as,
715
00:32:31,025 --> 00:32:33,015
the New Journalism,
716
00:32:33,017 --> 00:32:37,008
using the specific
techniques of fiction,
717
00:32:37,010 --> 00:32:39,018
but sticking to the facts.
718
00:32:39,020 --> 00:32:42,011
He tried to be a storyteller,
719
00:32:42,013 --> 00:32:44,022
but to tell a story
that's also true.
720
00:32:44,024 --> 00:32:46,025
Breslin:
And they were walking
around looking at me
721
00:32:46,027 --> 00:32:49,008
as if I was doing something
new and I was a genius.
722
00:32:49,010 --> 00:32:51,003
It was all
sports page stuff.
723
00:32:51,005 --> 00:32:54,015
The columns they had in
newspapers before that
724
00:32:54,017 --> 00:32:56,029
consisted of somebody
like Arthur Krock.
725
00:32:57,001 --> 00:32:59,024
You know,
big name from the past.
You ever read him?
726
00:32:59,026 --> 00:33:01,026
You wanna freaking die.
727
00:33:01,028 --> 00:33:03,017
(laughter)
728
00:33:03,019 --> 00:33:06,002
Hamill:
Before I ever had a column,
729
00:33:06,004 --> 00:33:07,025
Breslin had a column.
730
00:33:07,027 --> 00:33:10,012
It was not
the Alsop brothers,
731
00:33:10,014 --> 00:33:12,016
or the guy who read
theWashington Post
732
00:33:12,018 --> 00:33:14,000
and wrote a column.
733
00:33:14,002 --> 00:33:17,000
It was going out,
get outta the building,
734
00:33:17,002 --> 00:33:18,026
get outta the house.
735
00:33:18,028 --> 00:33:20,027
♪ ♪
736
00:33:20,029 --> 00:33:23,003
That was like a revolution.
737
00:33:24,002 --> 00:33:27,008
Bob Costas:
How would you define
yourself as a journalist?
738
00:33:27,010 --> 00:33:28,028
Breslin:
Reporter, not a journalist.
739
00:33:29,000 --> 00:33:30,012
I don't know what
those words mean.
740
00:33:30,014 --> 00:33:31,029
That's a college word.
741
00:33:32,001 --> 00:33:34,023
I just go out and report.
Wanna chase news.
742
00:33:34,025 --> 00:33:37,008
That's the keyword: chase,
chase, chase, chase.
743
00:33:37,010 --> 00:33:39,021
And in the chasing,
you always ran into something.
744
00:33:39,023 --> 00:33:42,008
♪ ♪
745
00:33:46,020 --> 00:33:48,015
Hamill:
Jimmy had opinions
746
00:33:48,017 --> 00:33:50,013
because he was a columnist,
747
00:33:50,015 --> 00:33:53,020
but the opinions were
all based on reporting.
748
00:33:53,022 --> 00:33:56,013
Knowledge that
you can get only
749
00:33:56,015 --> 00:33:58,023
from talking to
ordinary people,
750
00:33:58,025 --> 00:34:00,001
one at a time.
751
00:34:00,003 --> 00:34:02,025
♪ ♪
752
00:34:02,027 --> 00:34:05,016
He knew about worlds
I didn't know about,
753
00:34:05,018 --> 00:34:08,019
and made me feel like
I understood them.
754
00:34:10,001 --> 00:34:12,010
Collins:
If something bad
happened to somebody,
755
00:34:12,012 --> 00:34:15,009
man, woman, young,
old, black, white,
756
00:34:15,011 --> 00:34:18,018
Jimmy was so there,
and he was literally there.
757
00:34:18,020 --> 00:34:20,028
He would go there
to their place.
758
00:34:21,000 --> 00:34:23,011
Carillo:
You hope the dog
doesn't bite you.
759
00:34:23,013 --> 00:34:25,004
You sit down there.
You accept the drink
760
00:34:25,006 --> 00:34:27,018
from a glass that
may or not be clean.
761
00:34:27,020 --> 00:34:28,016
You're part of it.
762
00:34:28,018 --> 00:34:29,020
Breslin:
Because you're dead
763
00:34:29,022 --> 00:34:31,014
with stories done by the phone.
764
00:34:31,016 --> 00:34:33,004
You're not gonna
hold my interest.
765
00:34:33,006 --> 00:34:35,025
There has to be some
chemistry in a story,
766
00:34:35,027 --> 00:34:37,027
and that has to come
from the reporter
767
00:34:37,029 --> 00:34:39,022
talking to the person involved,
768
00:34:39,024 --> 00:34:43,008
face-to-face, getting
those little odd facts
769
00:34:43,010 --> 00:34:45,013
that really make a story.
770
00:34:45,015 --> 00:34:47,003
Wald:
The beginning columns,
771
00:34:47,005 --> 00:34:49,020
the people Jimmy was talking to
772
00:34:49,022 --> 00:34:52,007
were people you could
recognize as New Yorkers.
773
00:34:52,009 --> 00:34:54,002
Tony Bennett:
I used to be a
singing waiter in Astoria
774
00:34:54,004 --> 00:34:55,004
when I was a kid.
775
00:34:55,006 --> 00:34:57,005
I used to wait on tables
and take requests.
776
00:34:57,007 --> 00:35:00,019
And he would be going from bar
to bar underneath the L trains.
777
00:35:00,021 --> 00:35:02,009
Esposito:
He had this place
in Queens,
778
00:35:02,011 --> 00:35:03,017
Pep McGuire's Bar,
779
00:35:03,019 --> 00:35:05,017
and that's the place
where he held court,
780
00:35:05,019 --> 00:35:07,006
and that's the place where
781
00:35:07,008 --> 00:35:09,020
these characters
would congregate.
782
00:35:09,022 --> 00:35:11,019
Jim Hennessey:
Pep McGuire's
was the center.
783
00:35:11,021 --> 00:35:13,025
There was judges
there sometimes,
784
00:35:13,027 --> 00:35:15,016
and there was wise guys there.
785
00:35:15,018 --> 00:35:17,004
It was a colorful place.
786
00:35:17,006 --> 00:35:18,009
Daly:
I mean,
it's not for nothing
787
00:35:18,011 --> 00:35:20,002
Jimmy wrote a biography
of Damon Runyon.
788
00:35:20,015 --> 00:35:22,005
But these are
like people who,
789
00:35:22,007 --> 00:35:23,019
it isn't like they
were on Broadway.
790
00:35:24,003 --> 00:35:25,019
They were out living
their lives in Queens.
791
00:35:25,021 --> 00:35:27,008
Sam Roberts:
Queens Boulevard was his
792
00:35:27,010 --> 00:35:29,016
boulevard of broken dreams.
793
00:35:29,018 --> 00:35:31,022
This is where he
found his characters.
794
00:35:31,024 --> 00:35:34,013
Fat Thomas, Marvin the Torch,
Klein the Lawyer.
795
00:35:34,015 --> 00:35:37,011
They were like some
kind of dreamscape of
796
00:35:37,013 --> 00:35:39,023
what it would be
like if you lived
797
00:35:39,025 --> 00:35:42,014
in the richest,
craziest movie on Earth.
798
00:35:42,016 --> 00:35:44,026
-(alarm ringing)
-There was a guy who
professionally burned down
799
00:35:44,028 --> 00:35:47,012
any house that ceased to
be valuable to its owner,
800
00:35:47,014 --> 00:35:49,013
and you could hire him,
his name was Marvin.
801
00:35:49,015 --> 00:35:51,009
Breslin:
Two weeks later
on a dark night,
802
00:35:51,011 --> 00:35:54,011
Marvin the Torch
arrived at the restaurant
with his team.
803
00:35:54,013 --> 00:35:56,020
Now, arson is
a three-man job.
804
00:35:56,022 --> 00:35:59,008
Two men pour, then one
of his pourers comes out
805
00:35:59,010 --> 00:36:01,002
and becomes
the blanket man.
806
00:36:01,004 --> 00:36:03,005
He holds an old car
blanket and throws it over
807
00:36:03,007 --> 00:36:05,026
anyone coming out whose
clothes are on fire.
808
00:36:05,028 --> 00:36:07,029
Marvin the Torch is my favorite.
I mean, we used to get
809
00:36:08,001 --> 00:36:11,014
fire helmets for Christmas
every year. "MT Torch 1."
810
00:36:11,016 --> 00:36:13,012
We were introduced to
811
00:36:13,014 --> 00:36:15,004
all kinds of
felonious people
812
00:36:15,006 --> 00:36:16,011
when we were
very, very young.
813
00:36:16,013 --> 00:36:18,003
Fat Thomas, you know,
814
00:36:18,005 --> 00:36:19,025
he was my babysitter
a whole bunch of times.
815
00:36:19,027 --> 00:36:21,012
Daly:
He was a bookmaker.
816
00:36:21,014 --> 00:36:23,025
His brother was in
jail for robbery.
817
00:36:23,027 --> 00:36:25,001
During the
Civil Rights Era,
818
00:36:25,003 --> 00:36:26,000
he went down to hotels
819
00:36:26,002 --> 00:36:28,010
and registered as
Martin Luther Fat.
820
00:36:28,012 --> 00:36:31,007
Rembrandt was another guy.
He was an art thief.
821
00:36:31,009 --> 00:36:33,007
Melvin Lebetkin was
Klein the Lawyer,
822
00:36:33,009 --> 00:36:34,020
who he really had a ball with.
823
00:36:34,022 --> 00:36:37,023
Mel was a criminal attorney
on Queens Boulevard.
824
00:36:37,025 --> 00:36:40,007
These were all real people.
They were real.
825
00:36:40,009 --> 00:36:43,010
Many of Jimmy's characters
were at least half Jimmy.
826
00:36:43,012 --> 00:36:45,011
They never complained
because he made them look
827
00:36:45,013 --> 00:36:47,007
wonderful and colorful and wise.
828
00:36:47,009 --> 00:36:48,021
But on the street,
829
00:36:48,023 --> 00:36:51,000
when I worked for UPI,
it was the saying that,
830
00:36:51,002 --> 00:36:53,026
if a guy jumps out of
the 33rd story window,
831
00:36:53,028 --> 00:36:55,011
Breslin's the only
person who'll tell you
832
00:36:55,013 --> 00:36:56,028
what he was thinking
on the way down.
833
00:36:57,000 --> 00:36:58,002
Daly:
Somebody at theTimes
834
00:36:58,004 --> 00:36:59,020
started saying
this stuff isn't real.
835
00:36:59,022 --> 00:37:02,010
You know, there's no Marvin
the Torch, Fat Thomas.
836
00:37:02,012 --> 00:37:04,027
Jimmy took him out
to Pep McGuire's Bar,
837
00:37:04,029 --> 00:37:06,010
and there they all were.
838
00:37:06,012 --> 00:37:08,013
There's Fat Thomas,
there's Marvin the Torch.
839
00:37:08,015 --> 00:37:09,018
You know, they're all there.
840
00:37:09,020 --> 00:37:10,025
♪ ♪
841
00:37:10,027 --> 00:37:12,014
David Frost:
Summarize for us,
if you could,
842
00:37:12,016 --> 00:37:15,014
what the gang that couldn't
shoot straight were like.
843
00:37:15,016 --> 00:37:17,009
Breslin:
Inept criminals, which is
844
00:37:17,011 --> 00:37:19,018
the worst charge of all
you can level at people.
845
00:37:19,020 --> 00:37:22,019
They're not as smart as
everyone says they are, simply.
846
00:37:22,021 --> 00:37:24,023
They can be buffoons.
847
00:37:25,025 --> 00:37:28,026
Robert De Niro:
I read for the movieThe Gang
That Couldn't Shoot Straight
848
00:37:28,028 --> 00:37:30,024
for Irwin Winkler
and Bob Chartoff,
849
00:37:30,026 --> 00:37:32,019
and somehow I got cast.
850
00:37:32,021 --> 00:37:35,006
(speaking Latin) Amen!
851
00:37:35,008 --> 00:37:37,023
De Niro:
I read the book.
I loved the book.
852
00:37:37,025 --> 00:37:39,016
I liked the sense of humor.
853
00:37:39,018 --> 00:37:41,024
It had that New York kind of,
854
00:37:41,026 --> 00:37:44,009
Italian neighborhood
sort of humor.
855
00:37:44,011 --> 00:37:46,009
Go starta the car.
856
00:37:46,011 --> 00:37:47,025
Breslin:
So one guy I know,
857
00:37:47,027 --> 00:37:50,014
when he goes
in the morning
to start the day,
858
00:37:50,016 --> 00:37:52,006
his wife,
they have breakfast,
859
00:37:52,008 --> 00:37:53,024
and then she goes
out in the driveway,
860
00:37:53,026 --> 00:37:55,021
and she gets in
the car to start it,
861
00:37:55,023 --> 00:37:58,001
and he sits down on the floor
of the kitchen, he's like this.
862
00:37:58,003 --> 00:38:00,011
(laughter)
863
00:38:00,013 --> 00:38:02,002
(engine starts)
864
00:38:03,024 --> 00:38:05,002
If there's no explosion
865
00:38:05,004 --> 00:38:07,008
when his wife
starts the car,
866
00:38:07,010 --> 00:38:08,019
he comes out
and kisses her on the head,
867
00:38:08,021 --> 00:38:10,027
and says thank you,
and gets in and drives away.
868
00:38:12,012 --> 00:38:14,007
Oh, he knew everybody.
He knew a lot of guys.
869
00:38:14,009 --> 00:38:15,023
He certainly hung out with
870
00:38:15,025 --> 00:38:18,006
certified bad guys
871
00:38:18,008 --> 00:38:19,027
who the cops were looking for.
872
00:38:21,005 --> 00:38:23,021
(John Gotti speaking)
873
00:38:36,013 --> 00:38:37,014
Costas:
You, like Runyon,
874
00:38:37,016 --> 00:38:39,010
have always found
something fascinating
875
00:38:39,012 --> 00:38:41,028
about these guys
who live on either
side of the fence.
876
00:38:42,000 --> 00:38:44,018
Oh, I like bad boys.
Legitimate people are boring.
877
00:38:44,020 --> 00:38:46,017
They're terrible,
I mean...
878
00:38:46,019 --> 00:38:47,024
That's the worst
sentence of all,
879
00:38:47,026 --> 00:38:49,016
to spend the night
with legitimate people.
880
00:38:49,018 --> 00:38:52,022
♪ ♪
881
00:38:52,024 --> 00:38:54,008
(typewriter clacks)
882
00:38:54,010 --> 00:38:56,016
Newsman:
This is what we have
on a flash basis
883
00:38:56,018 --> 00:38:58,013
from the Associated Press.
884
00:38:58,015 --> 00:39:01,021
Two priests in Dallas who
were with President Kennedy
885
00:39:01,023 --> 00:39:03,025
say he is dead
of bullet wounds.
886
00:39:03,027 --> 00:39:05,005
There is no further
confirmation...
887
00:39:05,007 --> 00:39:08,020
Breslin:
I went to Dallas on
November 22nd, 1963,
888
00:39:08,022 --> 00:39:10,013
when Kennedy was shot,
889
00:39:10,015 --> 00:39:13,013
and I thought that
every minute of every hour
I ever had worked
890
00:39:13,015 --> 00:39:15,022
had prepared me for
writing about this.
891
00:39:16,016 --> 00:39:18,020
This is a marvelous
emotion for you to have
892
00:39:18,022 --> 00:39:21,011
when a guy with a wife
and two children gets shot.
893
00:39:22,016 --> 00:39:24,017
That is called
news reporting.
894
00:39:26,017 --> 00:39:28,007
Pileggi:
You know, you have
the press conference,
895
00:39:28,009 --> 00:39:30,012
and everybody gets
the same information.
896
00:39:30,014 --> 00:39:32,009
So, you all go off and
you write it differently,
897
00:39:32,011 --> 00:39:34,017
but it's the same
pool of information.
898
00:39:34,019 --> 00:39:37,007
Harvey Araton:
Most journalists
would've said,
899
00:39:37,009 --> 00:39:39,025
Fine, I have enough.
I have an incredible deadline.
900
00:39:39,027 --> 00:39:41,018
But this was
the essence of Breslin.
901
00:39:41,020 --> 00:39:43,006
Breslin said, no,
I don't have enough.
902
00:39:43,008 --> 00:39:45,000
I want more. I want more
than every other person,
903
00:39:45,002 --> 00:39:47,016
every other journalist
who's in this room
right now.
904
00:39:47,018 --> 00:39:50,009
And so, he pursued
Malcolm Perry,
905
00:39:50,011 --> 00:39:51,025
and he got
an interview with him
906
00:39:51,027 --> 00:39:53,010
where he found out
everything
907
00:39:53,012 --> 00:39:56,011
down to what the guy
was eating for lunch
when the call came
908
00:39:56,013 --> 00:39:58,003
that Friday afternoon.
909
00:39:58,005 --> 00:40:00,021
John Avlon:
He opens up with the doctor
910
00:40:00,023 --> 00:40:03,002
who gets called to
see if he can save
911
00:40:03,004 --> 00:40:05,002
the president's life, and...
912
00:40:05,004 --> 00:40:07,002
Jackie Kennedy is
standing there,
913
00:40:07,004 --> 00:40:09,019
and you're in the room,
and he's telling their stories.
914
00:40:09,021 --> 00:40:12,008
♪ ♪
915
00:40:12,010 --> 00:40:15,004
(Breslin speaking)
916
00:40:23,001 --> 00:40:25,007
(Breslin continues)
917
00:40:51,019 --> 00:40:53,005
Lupica:
"A Death in
Emergency Room One"
918
00:40:53,007 --> 00:40:54,025
just blew the doors off of
919
00:40:54,027 --> 00:40:57,006
however people had
covered stories like this,
920
00:40:57,008 --> 00:40:59,009
from the beginning of
time in newspapers.
921
00:41:01,017 --> 00:41:03,013
What you were basically doing
922
00:41:03,015 --> 00:41:06,006
is using the tools of a novelist
923
00:41:06,008 --> 00:41:07,011
to tell a news story.
924
00:41:08,015 --> 00:41:10,000
(typewriter clacks)
925
00:41:10,002 --> 00:41:12,000
♪ ♪
926
00:41:12,002 --> 00:41:15,003
Breslin:
I came to the White House
for the day of the funeral,
927
00:41:15,005 --> 00:41:18,012
and there were
3,000 reporters there.
928
00:41:18,014 --> 00:41:20,018
I can't make a living here.
929
00:41:20,020 --> 00:41:23,018
Everybody's gonna
have the same thing.
930
00:41:23,020 --> 00:41:26,015
So, where does he go?
He goes to the cemetery.
931
00:41:26,017 --> 00:41:28,021
He finds the poor bastard
932
00:41:28,023 --> 00:41:30,011
who has to dig the grave.
933
00:41:30,013 --> 00:41:33,018
A working man,
a black man,
934
00:41:33,020 --> 00:41:34,025
digging a grave
935
00:41:34,027 --> 00:41:37,027
for the assassinated President
of the United States.
936
00:41:37,029 --> 00:41:41,007
And in the midst
of what we're witnessing
on television,
937
00:41:41,009 --> 00:41:44,021
a parade filled with heads
of state following a casket
938
00:41:44,023 --> 00:41:47,021
borne on a caisson
and horses driving
the casket,
939
00:41:47,023 --> 00:41:49,019
you have this piece,
940
00:41:49,021 --> 00:41:53,012
and it appears when the country
cries together.
941
00:41:55,010 --> 00:41:57,026
The whole country
cries together.
942
00:41:58,029 --> 00:42:00,019
Breslin:
Clifton Pollard
was pretty sure
943
00:42:00,021 --> 00:42:02,023
he was gonna be
working on Sunday.
944
00:42:02,025 --> 00:42:04,010
So, when he woke
up at 9 a.m.
945
00:42:04,012 --> 00:42:07,001
in his three-room apartment
on Corcoran Street,
946
00:42:07,003 --> 00:42:09,000
he put on khaki overalls
947
00:42:09,002 --> 00:42:11,025
before going into
the kitchen for breakfast.
948
00:42:11,027 --> 00:42:13,009
His wife, Nettie,
949
00:42:13,011 --> 00:42:15,011
made bacon
and eggs for him.
950
00:42:15,013 --> 00:42:17,015
Pollard was in the middle
of eating them
when he received
951
00:42:17,017 --> 00:42:19,029
the phone call he
had been expecting.
952
00:42:20,001 --> 00:42:21,028
Wolfe:
You're in the home
of this gravedigger,
953
00:42:22,000 --> 00:42:24,008
and you don't even know
how he fits into the story.
954
00:42:24,010 --> 00:42:26,004
But he wakes up,
he gets a phone call...
955
00:42:26,006 --> 00:42:29,020
(Breslin speaking)
956
00:42:43,002 --> 00:42:45,018
♪ ♪
957
00:42:47,003 --> 00:42:50,005
Clifton Pollard
wasn't at the funeral.
958
00:42:50,007 --> 00:42:51,021
He was over
behind the hill,
959
00:42:51,023 --> 00:42:54,018
digging graves
for $3.01 an hour,
960
00:42:54,020 --> 00:42:56,016
in another section
of the cemetery.
961
00:42:59,001 --> 00:43:01,017
"I tried to go over to
see the grave," he said.
962
00:43:01,019 --> 00:43:05,004
"But it was so crowded,
a soldier told me
I couldn't get through.
963
00:43:05,006 --> 00:43:07,029
"So I just stayed
here and worked, sir.
964
00:43:08,021 --> 00:43:11,005
"But I'll get over
there later a little bit.
965
00:43:12,013 --> 00:43:15,014
"Just sort of look around
and see how it is,
you know.
966
00:43:15,016 --> 00:43:17,007
"Like I told you,
967
00:43:17,009 --> 00:43:19,010
it's an honor."
968
00:43:22,014 --> 00:43:26,028
Jimmy Breslin wrote that
our father earned $3.01
969
00:43:27,000 --> 00:43:29,022
to dig the Kennedy grave,
per hour.
970
00:43:29,024 --> 00:43:31,027
And he came in on his off day,
which was Sunday,
971
00:43:31,029 --> 00:43:34,001
and I don't think he got
overtime for that.
972
00:43:34,003 --> 00:43:35,015
But he didn't care
about the money.
973
00:43:35,017 --> 00:43:38,013
He cared more about
being able to
perform that honor.
974
00:43:40,000 --> 00:43:43,001
♪ ♪
975
00:43:50,015 --> 00:43:53,016
Hamill:
Jimmy revolutionized
the column
976
00:43:53,018 --> 00:43:56,000
when he was at
theHerald Tribune,
977
00:43:56,016 --> 00:43:57,019
and...
978
00:43:57,021 --> 00:44:00,029
I ended up with
an opportunity at the Post
979
00:44:01,028 --> 00:44:03,010
because the editor said,
980
00:44:03,012 --> 00:44:06,005
we have to have some
equivalent of Breslin.
981
00:44:07,000 --> 00:44:09,021
And I was offered the shot.
982
00:44:09,023 --> 00:44:11,011
Breslin:
We were doing
the same thing,
983
00:44:11,013 --> 00:44:13,012
against the world.
984
00:44:13,025 --> 00:44:14,027
Araton:
They were like Zelig.
985
00:44:14,029 --> 00:44:16,013
They were like
Forrest Gump.
986
00:44:16,015 --> 00:44:17,016
They were everywhere.
987
00:44:17,018 --> 00:44:20,016
(gunfire)
988
00:44:22,026 --> 00:44:24,008
(explosion)
989
00:44:24,010 --> 00:44:25,023
-(gunfire)
-(yelling)
990
00:44:25,025 --> 00:44:28,008
Hamill:
In all wars, some men die
991
00:44:28,010 --> 00:44:31,004
and some men
add up the losses.
992
00:44:32,001 --> 00:44:35,022
The foot soldier lies in
the stink of a rice paddy,
993
00:44:35,024 --> 00:44:38,012
his feet rotting
in his boots.
994
00:44:38,014 --> 00:44:40,024
The clerks move in
to compile
995
00:44:40,026 --> 00:44:42,027
the statistics of horror,
996
00:44:43,013 --> 00:44:45,028
and hope that, somehow,
997
00:44:46,000 --> 00:44:49,026
such statistics will
dilute the brutality.
998
00:44:50,026 --> 00:44:53,029
♪ ♪
999
00:44:59,024 --> 00:45:01,009
Breslin:
There are people
who have been beaten
1000
00:45:01,011 --> 00:45:03,002
because they are black.
1001
00:45:03,004 --> 00:45:04,027
They have had friends
and relatives killed
1002
00:45:04,029 --> 00:45:06,015
because they are black.
1003
00:45:06,017 --> 00:45:08,005
They have been
laughed at and spat at
1004
00:45:08,007 --> 00:45:09,020
because they are black.
1005
00:45:09,022 --> 00:45:11,029
And they have been
held down on the dust
of the streets
1006
00:45:12,001 --> 00:45:14,004
and made to be
dirty and uneducated
1007
00:45:14,006 --> 00:45:17,002
for all their lives
because they are black.
1008
00:45:17,004 --> 00:45:19,004
Yesterday, they stood
up from the dust,
1009
00:45:19,006 --> 00:45:20,026
and they asked for
the right to vote,
1010
00:45:20,028 --> 00:45:23,014
which is the start
of the right to live.
1011
00:45:24,024 --> 00:45:28,003
-(crowd cheering)
-King: We come
baring a message
1012
00:45:28,005 --> 00:45:30,021
that Chicago
can change.
1013
00:45:32,009 --> 00:45:34,021
Hamill:
King got up
and shook hands.
1014
00:45:34,023 --> 00:45:37,016
He had caused more
controversy in Chicago
1015
00:45:37,018 --> 00:45:40,003
than anyone
since Al Capone.
1016
00:45:40,005 --> 00:45:43,019
But on this afternoon,
he just looked very tired.
1017
00:45:44,006 --> 00:45:46,012
He knows
what is coming up,
1018
00:45:46,014 --> 00:45:48,015
and none of it
will be pretty.
1019
00:45:49,011 --> 00:45:51,010
For Martin Luther King,
1020
00:45:51,012 --> 00:45:54,006
it was all a more
innocent time
1021
00:45:54,008 --> 00:45:56,002
when your only goal
1022
00:45:56,004 --> 00:45:59,013
was to sit in the front
of a Montgomery bus.
1023
00:45:59,015 --> 00:46:01,021
♪ ♪
1024
00:46:03,007 --> 00:46:06,026
Breslin:
One cold Sunday morning
in January of 1965,
1025
00:46:06,028 --> 00:46:10,001
I went to the
Audubon Ballroom
to see Malcolm X.
1026
00:46:10,003 --> 00:46:11,023
He was working on a Sunday,
1027
00:46:11,025 --> 00:46:14,002
and I needed a column
for the Monday paper.
1028
00:46:14,004 --> 00:46:15,029
I went upstairs
into the back
1029
00:46:16,001 --> 00:46:17,016
where the fighters
used to get dressed,
1030
00:46:17,018 --> 00:46:19,016
and I was smoking a
Pall Mall cigarette there.
1031
00:46:20,014 --> 00:46:22,023
You couldn't smoke at
a Muslim gathering,
1032
00:46:22,025 --> 00:46:24,026
but you could shoot guns.
1033
00:46:25,023 --> 00:46:26,024
(gunshot)
1034
00:46:27,026 --> 00:46:30,008
By the time I looked out,
Malcolm had been shot down.
1035
00:46:32,002 --> 00:46:35,004
In the Audubon,
a uniformed cop asked
if anybody had any chalk.
1036
00:46:39,025 --> 00:46:41,015
(typewriter clacks)
1037
00:46:42,020 --> 00:46:44,004
Hamill:
We're lecturing
people in Detroit
1038
00:46:44,006 --> 00:46:46,006
and Newark about violence,
1039
00:46:46,008 --> 00:46:47,024
when we're using
violence to attain
1040
00:46:47,026 --> 00:46:49,027
the same ends that they
think they're after.
1041
00:46:49,029 --> 00:46:52,026
I think it's quite clear that
some of the domestic programs
1042
00:46:52,028 --> 00:46:55,008
are going to be cut back
because of the war...
1043
00:46:55,010 --> 00:46:59,004
Kathy:
Bobby Kennedy was getting
ready to run for president.
1044
00:46:59,006 --> 00:47:00,024
Denis:
Bobby was on the fence
about running,
1045
00:47:00,026 --> 00:47:02,014
and Pete wrote
him a letter.
1046
00:47:02,016 --> 00:47:04,025
♪ ♪
1047
00:47:05,017 --> 00:47:07,008
Hamill:
Dear Bob.
1048
00:47:07,010 --> 00:47:09,012
In Watts,
I didn't see pictures
1049
00:47:09,014 --> 00:47:12,026
of Malcolm X or Ron Karenga
on the walls.
1050
00:47:12,028 --> 00:47:15,025
I saw pictures of JFK.
1051
00:47:15,027 --> 00:47:19,016
That is your capital in
the most cynical sense.
1052
00:47:20,015 --> 00:47:23,024
It is your obligation
in another.
1053
00:47:23,026 --> 00:47:26,005
The obligation
of staying true
1054
00:47:26,007 --> 00:47:28,001
to whatever it was
1055
00:47:28,003 --> 00:47:30,000
that put those pictures
1056
00:47:30,002 --> 00:47:32,018
on those walls.
1057
00:47:32,020 --> 00:47:35,007
Denis:
Two days later,
a telegram came.
1058
00:47:35,009 --> 00:47:37,007
"I've decided to run.
I need your help."
1059
00:47:37,009 --> 00:47:40,010
I think he had learned
from his brother
1060
00:47:41,007 --> 00:47:43,012
that you can't
postpone everything.
1061
00:47:43,014 --> 00:47:46,027
-(crowd cheering)
-(typewriter clacks)
1062
00:47:46,029 --> 00:47:48,015
Kennedy:
So, uh...
1063
00:47:48,017 --> 00:47:50,000
My thanks to all of you,
1064
00:47:50,002 --> 00:47:52,007
and now it's on to Chicago
and let's win there.
1065
00:47:52,009 --> 00:47:54,009
-Thank you very much.
-(cheering)
1066
00:47:57,020 --> 00:47:59,013
Man:
Senator! Senator...
1067
00:47:59,015 --> 00:48:03,004
(indistinct chatter)
1068
00:48:07,002 --> 00:48:08,011
And then, bang.
1069
00:48:11,005 --> 00:48:13,009
Senator Kennedy
has been shot.
Is that possible?
1070
00:48:13,011 --> 00:48:14,019
-Is that possible?
-(screaming)
1071
00:48:14,021 --> 00:48:16,022
Oh my God.
1072
00:48:16,024 --> 00:48:18,025
Senator Kennedy
has been shot.
1073
00:48:19,027 --> 00:48:21,024
Pow-pow-pow!
1074
00:48:21,026 --> 00:48:23,016
Pow pow! Five shots.
1075
00:48:23,018 --> 00:48:25,004
(indistinct shouting)
1076
00:48:26,019 --> 00:48:28,025
(yelling continues)
1077
00:48:28,027 --> 00:48:31,005
(Hamill speaking)
1078
00:48:43,015 --> 00:48:45,018
(indistinct yelling)
1079
00:48:45,020 --> 00:48:48,017
Hamill:
And there was Sirhan
with his arm out
1080
00:48:48,019 --> 00:48:50,020
like this and a long...
1081
00:48:50,022 --> 00:48:53,003
group of us...
1082
00:48:53,005 --> 00:48:54,016
leaped on him.
1083
00:48:54,018 --> 00:48:56,023
Breslin:
What's his name, Sirhan.
1084
00:48:56,025 --> 00:48:58,019
I'm on his feet,
1085
00:48:58,021 --> 00:49:00,010
and sat on him.
1086
00:49:00,012 --> 00:49:02,007
(yelling continues)
1087
00:49:02,009 --> 00:49:04,010
Hamill:
Robert Kennedy
was on the floor.
1088
00:49:04,012 --> 00:49:06,011
His eyes were open.
1089
00:49:06,013 --> 00:49:09,029
And the blood coming
from back here.
1090
00:49:10,001 --> 00:49:12,004
He had a look that was...
1091
00:49:12,006 --> 00:49:15,007
fatalistic.
He never said a word.
1092
00:49:16,005 --> 00:49:18,011
Man:
Move back!
Move back, please.
1093
00:49:18,013 --> 00:49:21,002
Hamill:
He got rushed
to a hospital.
1094
00:49:21,004 --> 00:49:23,019
He lived through all that
night into the morning,
1095
00:49:23,021 --> 00:49:25,021
and then died.
1096
00:49:25,023 --> 00:49:28,020
Did you go with him to
the hospital, Jimmy?
1097
00:49:28,022 --> 00:49:30,018
(siren wails)
1098
00:49:30,020 --> 00:49:33,006
Breslin:
They took him back
into the hospital,
1099
00:49:33,008 --> 00:49:35,026
and I went right
into the first cab
1100
00:49:35,028 --> 00:49:37,011
there or something.
1101
00:49:37,013 --> 00:49:39,014
'Cause I had to
make a deadline.
1102
00:49:40,026 --> 00:49:43,013
Robert Kennedy
is on his back.
1103
00:49:43,015 --> 00:49:45,024
His lips are open in pain.
1104
00:49:45,026 --> 00:49:48,008
He has a
sad look on his face.
1105
00:49:48,010 --> 00:49:49,023
You see,
1106
00:49:49,025 --> 00:49:52,011
he knows so much
about this thing.
1107
00:49:55,028 --> 00:49:58,008
It affected me
1108
00:49:58,010 --> 00:50:01,016
even worse because I had
made a terrible mistake
1109
00:50:01,018 --> 00:50:03,013
as a journalist.
1110
00:50:03,015 --> 00:50:06,017
I had become friends
with Robert Kennedy.
1111
00:50:07,005 --> 00:50:08,013
You know, I liked him,
1112
00:50:08,015 --> 00:50:11,000
and I was friends with him,
and that was a mistake.
1113
00:50:11,002 --> 00:50:14,004
I never was friends
with a politician again.
1114
00:50:14,006 --> 00:50:16,012
Right after it happened,
we went to the hospital,
1115
00:50:16,014 --> 00:50:18,013
and we were both still
drinking in those days,
1116
00:50:18,015 --> 00:50:20,019
and we bought a bottle of booze,
and we sat on the curb
1117
00:50:20,021 --> 00:50:23,013
right across from the hospital,
and got drunk.
1118
00:50:23,015 --> 00:50:25,011
In the days after,
Pete was...
1119
00:50:26,009 --> 00:50:27,021
you know, he was depressed.
1120
00:50:27,023 --> 00:50:29,020
Hamill:
I went into a funk.
1121
00:50:30,008 --> 00:50:31,022
Wasn't writing,
1122
00:50:31,024 --> 00:50:33,016
and I had lunch
1123
00:50:33,018 --> 00:50:36,020
with Paul O'Dwyer,
one of my favorite
Irishmen.
1124
00:50:37,008 --> 00:50:39,029
He said, "What are
you doing now?"
1125
00:50:40,001 --> 00:50:41,015
I said, nothing, Paul.
1126
00:50:41,017 --> 00:50:44,003
I have a kind of
a writer's block.
1127
00:50:45,009 --> 00:50:47,006
He says, "For Christ's sakes!
1128
00:50:47,008 --> 00:50:51,002
You're not important enough
to have a writer's block!"
1129
00:50:51,004 --> 00:50:52,019
And I laughed out loud,
1130
00:50:52,021 --> 00:50:55,017
and I started writing
as soon as I got home.
1131
00:50:56,018 --> 00:50:58,025
♪ ♪
1132
00:50:58,027 --> 00:51:00,016
Hamill:
For almost 20 years...
1133
00:51:06,025 --> 00:51:08,026
Hamill:
On a national stage,
1134
00:51:08,028 --> 00:51:10,026
-cultivating the haters...
-(cheering)
1135
00:51:10,028 --> 00:51:13,025
...the resenters,
the paranoids.
1136
00:51:13,027 --> 00:51:17,015
He played on the very worst
instincts of Americans
1137
00:51:17,017 --> 00:51:19,016
on his way to power.
1138
00:51:19,018 --> 00:51:21,025
And when he finally
attained power,
1139
00:51:21,027 --> 00:51:23,021
he did not change.
1140
00:51:25,007 --> 00:51:27,020
(indistinct chatter)
1141
00:51:28,015 --> 00:51:29,026
At Kent State,
1142
00:51:29,028 --> 00:51:32,009
two boys and two girls
were shot to death
1143
00:51:32,011 --> 00:51:34,005
by men unleashed
1144
00:51:34,007 --> 00:51:36,026
by a president's
slovenly rhetoric.
1145
00:51:37,018 --> 00:51:40,009
If that's the brave
new America,
1146
00:51:40,011 --> 00:51:42,006
the hell with it.
1147
00:51:42,008 --> 00:51:43,011
Cronkite:
Vice President Agnew
1148
00:51:43,013 --> 00:51:45,002
charged that
the liberal news media
1149
00:51:45,004 --> 00:51:47,001
are so irresponsible
and thoughtless,
1150
00:51:47,003 --> 00:51:49,002
that the American
people are beyond
1151
00:51:49,004 --> 00:51:50,025
being shocked by what
they read and hear.
1152
00:51:51,014 --> 00:51:54,002
In the United States
today, we have
1153
00:51:54,004 --> 00:51:55,027
more than our share of
1154
00:51:55,029 --> 00:51:59,002
the nattering nabobs
of negativism.
1155
00:51:59,004 --> 00:52:00,022
Hamill:
Then to find out
that by writing
1156
00:52:00,024 --> 00:52:02,003
what in fact is happening
1157
00:52:02,005 --> 00:52:05,000
that you're under attack for
being vicious, outrageous, etc.
1158
00:52:05,002 --> 00:52:07,011
by the president of the United
States, is a little strange.
1159
00:52:07,013 --> 00:52:09,024
Interviewer:
Agnew attacked you
at one point, right?
1160
00:52:09,026 --> 00:52:13,008
Hamill: Oh, yeah.
He said, "But worst of all
is Pete Hamill
1161
00:52:13,010 --> 00:52:15,018
"of the illiberal
New York Post.
1162
00:52:15,020 --> 00:52:19,007
Listen to his
irrational ravings."
1163
00:52:19,009 --> 00:52:22,027
I used it as the name of my
first book of journalism.
1164
00:52:22,029 --> 00:52:25,007
Irrational Ravings.
1165
00:52:25,009 --> 00:52:27,017
Interviewer:
What was it like to be
on Nixon's enemies list?
1166
00:52:27,019 --> 00:52:29,026
Hamill:
Oh, it was an honor.
1167
00:52:29,028 --> 00:52:31,029
There were a lot of good
people on that list.
1168
00:52:35,017 --> 00:52:37,003
They call my people
1169
00:52:37,005 --> 00:52:40,006
the white lower middle
class these days.
1170
00:52:41,001 --> 00:52:44,011
It is an ugly,
ice-cold phrase.
1171
00:52:45,003 --> 00:52:47,007
All over
New York City tonight,
1172
00:52:47,009 --> 00:52:48,028
in places like Inwood,
1173
00:52:49,000 --> 00:52:51,015
Corona, and Bay Ridge,
1174
00:52:51,017 --> 00:52:53,028
men are standing
around saloons,
1175
00:52:54,000 --> 00:52:56,029
talking darkly about
their grievances,
1176
00:52:57,001 --> 00:52:58,027
and even more darkly
1177
00:52:58,029 --> 00:53:01,022
about possible remedies.
1178
00:53:01,024 --> 00:53:05,022
(Hamill speaking)
1179
00:53:21,000 --> 00:53:24,026
Kosner:
Pete was drinking all
through hisPostperiod,
1180
00:53:24,028 --> 00:53:26,021
and he got sent home once.
1181
00:53:26,023 --> 00:53:29,011
He didn't think anybody
knew he was drunk,
1182
00:53:29,013 --> 00:53:32,026
but Paul Sann, the executive
editor, spotted it.
1183
00:53:33,014 --> 00:53:36,010
Pete always felt that
he was undereducated,
1184
00:53:36,012 --> 00:53:38,020
and he was kind of
an outsider.
1185
00:53:38,022 --> 00:53:40,021
That these guys
were towering
1186
00:53:40,023 --> 00:53:42,005
journalistic talents,
1187
00:53:42,007 --> 00:53:45,004
and so the drinking
probably helped then.
1188
00:53:45,016 --> 00:53:47,029
And then I guess, at a certain
point, it kind of tipped over,
1189
00:53:48,001 --> 00:53:50,018
and he felt it
wasn't helping him,
1190
00:53:50,020 --> 00:53:52,022
and he wasn't in
control of it anymore.
1191
00:53:54,001 --> 00:53:56,005
Interviewer:
So, you quit
in 1972, right?
1192
00:53:56,007 --> 00:53:59,025
Hamill:
Yeah. I had exhausted
the good times,
1193
00:53:59,027 --> 00:54:01,010
and I had other things to do.
1194
00:54:01,012 --> 00:54:05,010
I had Deirdre,
my daughter, and Adriene,
1195
00:54:05,012 --> 00:54:08,019
who were in my custody,
and I didn't wanna be
1196
00:54:08,021 --> 00:54:11,010
an asshole in front of them.
1197
00:54:11,012 --> 00:54:13,026
♪ ♪
1198
00:54:13,028 --> 00:54:16,006
One night, drunk again,
I came home,
1199
00:54:16,008 --> 00:54:18,018
and lurched into
the inner door,
1200
00:54:18,020 --> 00:54:21,008
smashing the window.
1201
00:54:21,010 --> 00:54:24,001
(Hamill speaking)
1202
00:54:31,008 --> 00:54:32,027
Hamill:
They'd awakened
with the crash,
1203
00:54:32,029 --> 00:54:35,019
and there, suddenly,
was their father.
1204
00:54:36,013 --> 00:54:39,020
Their eyes were wide in
fright or apprehension.
1205
00:54:40,017 --> 00:54:42,011
I handed each of them
a rose,
1206
00:54:42,013 --> 00:54:44,019
and told them
I loved them.
1207
00:54:44,021 --> 00:54:46,011
I did,
1208
00:54:46,013 --> 00:54:48,029
but I'd broken
too many things.
1209
00:54:50,004 --> 00:54:51,009
I realized,
1210
00:54:51,011 --> 00:54:53,028
I don't wanna do this anymore.
1211
00:54:54,000 --> 00:54:55,017
On a different level,
1212
00:54:55,019 --> 00:54:59,014
I wanted to see how
big my talent might be.
1213
00:54:59,016 --> 00:55:00,024
I had no idea.
1214
00:55:00,026 --> 00:55:03,010
And I couldn't
do that while
1215
00:55:03,012 --> 00:55:05,024
semi-conscious
part of the day.
1216
00:55:06,026 --> 00:55:08,003
(typewriter clacks)
1217
00:55:08,005 --> 00:55:11,006
♪ ♪
1218
00:55:12,006 --> 00:55:13,010
Jonathan Alter:
In the 1970s,
1219
00:55:13,012 --> 00:55:14,023
theNew York Daily News,
which was then
1220
00:55:14,025 --> 00:55:17,005
the largest-selling
newspaper in America,
1221
00:55:17,007 --> 00:55:19,021
scored a coups. They
had both Jimmy and Pete
1222
00:55:19,023 --> 00:55:22,009
in the newspaper
at the same time.
1223
00:55:22,027 --> 00:55:24,026
Some people preferred
Jimmy's column.
1224
00:55:24,028 --> 00:55:26,017
Other people preferred
Pete's column.
1225
00:55:27,002 --> 00:55:28,018
Lupica:
At a time
when most people
1226
00:55:28,020 --> 00:55:30,014
are trying to do
Jimmy's act,
1227
00:55:30,016 --> 00:55:32,006
Pete never tried
to do Jimmy's act.
1228
00:55:32,008 --> 00:55:34,029
Hamill:
I didn't feel
a rivalry at all.
1229
00:55:35,001 --> 00:55:37,015
I was a big fan.
1230
00:55:37,017 --> 00:55:40,005
Alter:
Jimmy, by then,
was the most famous
1231
00:55:40,007 --> 00:55:42,012
print journalist in
the United States.
1232
00:55:42,014 --> 00:55:43,028
But he did all this other stuff.
1233
00:55:44,000 --> 00:55:46,025
He had run for city council
president of New York
1234
00:55:46,027 --> 00:55:49,020
on a ticket with
Norman Mailer for mayor.
1235
00:55:49,022 --> 00:55:51,009
Gloria Steinem:
Jimmy came to me and said,
1236
00:55:51,011 --> 00:55:54,007
he wouldn't do it unless
I ran as controller.
1237
00:55:54,009 --> 00:55:56,011
I said, Jimmy,
no way I can do this.
1238
00:55:56,013 --> 00:55:58,012
I can't speak in public.
I had never
1239
00:55:58,014 --> 00:55:59,022
spoken in public in my life.
1240
00:55:59,024 --> 00:56:02,009
Breslin:
The first step should be
taken to start New York
1241
00:56:02,011 --> 00:56:04,018
on its way to becoming
the 51st state.
1242
00:56:04,020 --> 00:56:06,022
We've been trying to
live under a system
1243
00:56:06,024 --> 00:56:08,011
where a man from
an upstate county,
1244
00:56:08,013 --> 00:56:10,018
which has more
cows than people,
1245
00:56:10,020 --> 00:56:13,020
decides the destiny of
our public school system.
1246
00:56:13,022 --> 00:56:15,018
...and let Harlem run
its own businesses.
1247
00:56:15,020 --> 00:56:18,009
Start getting the white
guys out of your lives.
Start running it yourself.
1248
00:56:18,011 --> 00:56:20,012
Steinem:
It was never
intended to win.
1249
00:56:20,014 --> 00:56:21,021
It was trying to insert
1250
00:56:21,023 --> 00:56:24,006
new ideas into the atmosphere,
which I think it did.
1251
00:56:24,020 --> 00:56:26,025
Breslin:
I'd like to say
that I am mortified
1252
00:56:26,027 --> 00:56:29,015
to have taken part
in a process
1253
00:56:29,017 --> 00:56:30,025
which required
1254
00:56:30,027 --> 00:56:33,004
the bars to be
closed all day.
1255
00:56:33,006 --> 00:56:34,025
(laughter)
1256
00:56:34,027 --> 00:56:36,023
Nothing gets my Irish up more
1257
00:56:36,025 --> 00:56:39,010
than a soggy,
wishy-washy cereal.
1258
00:56:39,012 --> 00:56:40,014
I'm Jimmy Breslin...
1259
00:56:40,016 --> 00:56:42,010
Krulwich: He was famous
for being famous.
1260
00:56:42,012 --> 00:56:44,000
He was really famous.
1261
00:56:44,002 --> 00:56:46,002
It's a good drinking beer.
1262
00:56:46,004 --> 00:56:49,007
That's how I describe Piels.
It's a good drinking beer.
1263
00:56:49,009 --> 00:56:51,025
♪ Piels! It's a good... ♪
1264
00:56:51,027 --> 00:56:54,003
I don't think there's ever been
1265
00:56:54,005 --> 00:56:56,017
another journalist
1266
00:56:56,019 --> 00:56:58,001
bigger than Jimmy Breslin.
1267
00:56:58,003 --> 00:57:01,019
Announcer:
Ladies and gentlemen,
Jimmy Breslin!
1268
00:57:01,021 --> 00:57:03,000
-(music playing)
-(cheering)
1269
00:57:03,002 --> 00:57:05,011
Hamill:
Occasionally, someone
in the subway would say,
1270
00:57:05,013 --> 00:57:07,024
"Are you Jimmy Breslin?"
1271
00:57:07,026 --> 00:57:09,018
And I'd laugh and say,
1272
00:57:09,020 --> 00:57:11,004
no, I'm the other guy.
1273
00:57:11,006 --> 00:57:13,002
♪ ♪
1274
00:57:13,004 --> 00:57:14,016
Lupica:
There was a time
at theDaily News
1275
00:57:14,018 --> 00:57:15,022
when you'd smell the smoke
1276
00:57:15,024 --> 00:57:18,001
before you got
to the office
1277
00:57:18,003 --> 00:57:19,026
because Jimmy's
smoking cigars
1278
00:57:19,028 --> 00:57:21,011
on this side,
1279
00:57:21,013 --> 00:57:23,026
and Pete's smoking
cigarettes on this side.
1280
00:57:23,028 --> 00:57:25,028
And if secondary
smoke can kill you,
1281
00:57:26,000 --> 00:57:27,002
it would've
killed Anne Marie,
1282
00:57:27,004 --> 00:57:29,025
who sat between them, often,
1283
00:57:29,027 --> 00:57:31,005
you know, like Switzerland.
1284
00:57:31,007 --> 00:57:33,012
Caldwell:
Anne Marie
was the secretary.
1285
00:57:33,014 --> 00:57:36,024
She knew a lot of stuff
that was going on,
1286
00:57:36,026 --> 00:57:39,013
you know, in...
1287
00:57:39,015 --> 00:57:41,003
Interviewer:
Organized crime.
1288
00:57:41,005 --> 00:57:43,026
(laughing)
1289
00:57:43,028 --> 00:57:46,009
There is a name for
everything, isn't there?
1290
00:57:46,011 --> 00:57:47,024
I knew she had
connections.
1291
00:57:47,026 --> 00:57:50,009
Her dad was a guy
named Quiet Dom.
1292
00:57:50,011 --> 00:57:52,000
Patrick:
My father wrote
something about
1293
00:57:52,002 --> 00:57:53,011
Tony Salerno once,
1294
00:57:53,013 --> 00:57:55,006
and Anne Marie came in
the next day and said,
1295
00:57:55,008 --> 00:57:57,010
"Mr. Salerno says thank you."
1296
00:57:57,012 --> 00:57:59,021
That's when my mother said,
"Anne Marie is...
1297
00:57:59,023 --> 00:58:00,028
she's hardcore."
1298
00:58:01,000 --> 00:58:03,004
Lupica:
And then you'd
hear Jimmy yelling,
1299
00:58:03,006 --> 00:58:04,005
and Pete laughing.
1300
00:58:04,007 --> 00:58:06,019
It was like a carnival.
1301
00:58:06,021 --> 00:58:08,026
And if you were
going to add it up,
1302
00:58:08,028 --> 00:58:11,027
one of them was a bit more of
a handful to manage than...
1303
00:58:11,029 --> 00:58:14,003
(chuckle) than the other one.
1304
00:58:15,005 --> 00:58:17,005
Breslin:
All these people today,
they run around
1305
00:58:17,007 --> 00:58:18,004
and they put their arms
1306
00:58:18,006 --> 00:58:19,012
around each other's
shoulders,
1307
00:58:19,014 --> 00:58:21,019
and they say how much
they like each other,
1308
00:58:21,021 --> 00:58:24,019
and they hope
the new year is better
than the old year.
1309
00:58:24,021 --> 00:58:27,010
(Breslin speaking)
1310
00:58:33,010 --> 00:58:35,012
(typewriter clacks)
1311
00:58:35,014 --> 00:58:36,027
♪ ♪
1312
00:58:36,029 --> 00:58:38,026
Lupica:
Every phone conversation
we ever had
1313
00:58:38,028 --> 00:58:40,015
would begin
the following way.
1314
00:58:40,017 --> 00:58:42,005
"Yeah?"
1315
00:58:42,007 --> 00:58:43,025
What kind of greeting is that!?
1316
00:58:43,027 --> 00:58:46,006
Barnicle:
"Yeah?" That's when you
know Breslin's on the line.
1317
00:58:46,008 --> 00:58:47,028
"What are you doing?
What are you doing?
1318
00:58:48,000 --> 00:58:49,014
The fuck are you doing?"
1319
00:58:49,016 --> 00:58:52,013
I was the media critic
at Newsweekon deadline,
1320
00:58:52,015 --> 00:58:54,022
on a story about Jimmy
that was a little critical.
1321
00:58:54,024 --> 00:58:56,020
The phone rings.
All I hear is,
1322
00:58:56,022 --> 00:59:00,000
"Alter! You fuck with me,
I will fuck you good
1323
00:59:00,002 --> 00:59:01,029
'cause I'm the fucking
John Gotti of journalism!"
1324
00:59:02,025 --> 00:59:04,002
Daly:
"JB Number One!"
1325
00:59:04,004 --> 00:59:06,028
My kids'll go,
"It's Mr. Breslin on the phone."
1326
00:59:07,000 --> 00:59:08,006
"JB Number One."
1327
00:59:08,008 --> 00:59:10,002
Who says that!?
Nobody says that!
1328
00:59:10,004 --> 00:59:12,009
Pileggi:
It's like he starts
talking to me
1329
00:59:12,011 --> 00:59:13,024
before he gets
to the phone.
1330
00:59:13,026 --> 00:59:15,026
Then he gets to the phone,
he dials. Then I answer,
1331
00:59:15,028 --> 00:59:17,024
and he's in the middle
of the conversation.
1332
00:59:17,026 --> 00:59:19,024
And then he says, "okay!"
Boom! And he hangs up!
1333
00:59:19,026 --> 00:59:22,027
But then he'd call
and my wife Nora
would answer the phone.
1334
00:59:22,029 --> 00:59:25,017
And he'd be this
sweet guy on the phone.
1335
00:59:25,019 --> 00:59:27,026
And she's,
"Eh, Jimmy's on the phone!"
1336
00:59:27,028 --> 00:59:29,029
Jim Dwyer:
There was a fire
in Brooklyn.
1337
00:59:30,001 --> 00:59:32,005
The editor had one of
the clerks call him.
1338
00:59:32,007 --> 00:59:34,008
"Uh, Mr. Breslin..."
"What, what, what!?"
1339
00:59:34,010 --> 00:59:36,003
"There was a fire
in Brooklyn and..."
1340
00:59:36,005 --> 00:59:37,009
"How many dead?"
1341
00:59:37,011 --> 00:59:39,023
Kid said, "Well, there's
two people dead." He said,
1342
00:59:39,025 --> 00:59:42,013
"More must die
before Breslin goes!"
1343
00:59:42,015 --> 00:59:43,029
And then he hung up the phone.
1344
00:59:44,001 --> 00:59:45,010
Cuomo:
My father would
answer the phone
1345
00:59:45,012 --> 00:59:46,014
and just say,
"Yep! Yep!"
1346
00:59:46,016 --> 00:59:49,007
So I would imitate
my father's yep.
1347
00:59:49,009 --> 00:59:51,012
That's all it took to start
1348
00:59:51,014 --> 00:59:53,018
the Jimmy Breslin machine.
1349
00:59:53,020 --> 00:59:56,023
And he would just go,
"F-ing this, that."
1350
00:59:56,025 --> 00:59:58,011
Just a string
of profanity,
1351
00:59:58,013 --> 00:59:59,020
which I enjoyed.
1352
00:59:59,022 --> 01:00:02,003
And I would say,
"Oh, Mr. Breslin.
1353
01:00:02,005 --> 01:00:03,020
You must want my father."
1354
01:00:03,022 --> 01:00:06,007
To which he would
take off again
1355
01:00:06,009 --> 01:00:09,005
with a string
of expletives.
1356
01:00:09,007 --> 01:00:12,008
"You little this,
you little that--" Click!
1357
01:00:13,008 --> 01:00:14,028
Breslin:
I'm very rude in the
course of business
1358
01:00:15,000 --> 01:00:16,012
because I got no time.
1359
01:00:16,014 --> 01:00:19,013
I'm always late
and I'm always nervous
about deadlines.
1360
01:00:19,015 --> 01:00:22,003
Bombast never hurt anybody.
1361
01:00:22,020 --> 01:00:24,002
Kevin:
We grew up in
Forest Hills Gardens,
1362
01:00:24,004 --> 01:00:26,010
which is a very
elite neighborhood.
1363
01:00:26,012 --> 01:00:27,018
All our neighbors were doctors.
1364
01:00:28,017 --> 01:00:30,025
Everybody, and their wives,
were perfectly quiet.
1365
01:00:30,027 --> 01:00:32,024
And he were the Breslins,
who's bombastic.
1366
01:00:32,026 --> 01:00:34,027
He always worked hard.
1367
01:00:34,029 --> 01:00:37,015
You thought a machine gun
was going off inside.
1368
01:00:37,017 --> 01:00:39,007
(imitates typing)
1369
01:00:39,009 --> 01:00:40,029
With the cage, he'd slam it.
1370
01:00:41,001 --> 01:00:44,015
He built the office
right next to the
kitchen refrigerator.
1371
01:00:44,017 --> 01:00:46,011
You couldn't open the
refrigerator.
1372
01:00:46,013 --> 01:00:47,014
You'd open the door,
1373
01:00:47,016 --> 01:00:48,029
"Aah!" he'd scream.
1374
01:00:49,001 --> 01:00:50,017
"I can't hear sounds!
1375
01:00:50,019 --> 01:00:52,006
I have to think!"
1376
01:00:52,008 --> 01:00:53,020
Breslin:
I've decided that
boring people
1377
01:00:53,022 --> 01:00:55,005
are the true criminals.
1378
01:00:55,007 --> 01:00:57,023
In a world where
you live for about a
minute and 40 seconds,
1379
01:00:57,025 --> 01:01:00,020
what right does
anybody have to deaden
one moment of time?
1380
01:01:00,022 --> 01:01:02,018
Kevin:
He's like a mad scientist.
1381
01:01:02,020 --> 01:01:04,007
Everybody would
walk on eggshells
1382
01:01:04,009 --> 01:01:06,010
because he was writing.
1383
01:01:08,005 --> 01:01:11,024
Jimmy, of course, would
sweat over every single word.
1384
01:01:11,026 --> 01:01:15,008
Pete would either phone
in from the Hamptons,
1385
01:01:15,010 --> 01:01:17,005
or come in,
1386
01:01:17,007 --> 01:01:20,023
dash out a column
in 45 minutes,
1387
01:01:20,025 --> 01:01:22,004
and disappear.
1388
01:01:22,006 --> 01:01:25,011
♪ ♪
1389
01:01:26,028 --> 01:01:29,023
Interviewer:
So, what do you mean
by hearing the music?
1390
01:01:29,025 --> 01:01:32,003
You write about that.
What does that mean?
1391
01:01:32,005 --> 01:01:35,015
I wanna see whether
while I'm reading,
1392
01:01:35,017 --> 01:01:38,017
my foot starts to keep time
1393
01:01:38,019 --> 01:01:40,020
to the rhythm
of the sentences.
1394
01:01:41,027 --> 01:01:45,009
I remember
reading an interview
with Gene Krupa.
1395
01:01:45,011 --> 01:01:48,021
"You're keeping a rhythm
going for the band.
1396
01:01:48,023 --> 01:01:51,021
What keeps the rhythm
going for you?"
1397
01:01:53,002 --> 01:01:55,004
And he said,
"I have a sentence
1398
01:01:55,006 --> 01:01:57,017
"I use all the time.
1399
01:01:57,019 --> 01:02:01,001
"Lyonnaise potatoes,
no pork chops.
1400
01:02:01,003 --> 01:02:05,004
Say, "Lyonnaise potatoes,
no pork chops."
1401
01:02:05,006 --> 01:02:09,009
♪ Lyonnaise potatoes
and some pork chops ♪
1402
01:02:09,011 --> 01:02:12,020
Hamill:
Was trying to get a rhythm
into the language,
1403
01:02:12,022 --> 01:02:14,024
and still tell the story.
1404
01:02:14,026 --> 01:02:16,018
♪ ♪
1405
01:02:16,020 --> 01:02:19,007
Man:
Pete was this dashing guy
1406
01:02:19,009 --> 01:02:21,012
who you saw everywhere,
1407
01:02:21,014 --> 01:02:23,025
with his shirt
sleeves rolled up.
1408
01:02:23,027 --> 01:02:25,011
Brokaw:
He was...
1409
01:02:25,013 --> 01:02:26,028
so authentically male.
1410
01:02:27,000 --> 01:02:29,002
Man:
He dated Jackie Kennedy.
1411
01:02:29,004 --> 01:02:30,020
Brokaw:
I was on a boat
with Jackie Kennedy
1412
01:02:30,022 --> 01:02:32,008
and Pete Hamill
one time.
1413
01:02:32,010 --> 01:02:34,000
He was wearing a bathing
suit that came out of
1414
01:02:34,002 --> 01:02:37,008
Queens, 1948, (laughing) and...
1415
01:02:37,010 --> 01:02:39,017
there was
the elegant first lady.
1416
01:02:39,019 --> 01:02:41,006
So I thought,
that's Yin and Yang,
1417
01:02:41,008 --> 01:02:42,025
if you ever want
to describe it.
1418
01:02:42,027 --> 01:02:44,009
You couldn't walk down
the street with him.
1419
01:02:44,011 --> 01:02:47,017
Ron Galella was a famous
paparazzi photographer,
1420
01:02:47,019 --> 01:02:49,000
and he hounded
Jackie Onassis.
1421
01:02:49,002 --> 01:02:51,027
And Pete wanted to whack
him out a couple of times.
1422
01:02:51,029 --> 01:02:53,009
It made the old
Brooklyn come out.
1423
01:02:53,011 --> 01:02:55,017
♪ That's the way to live ♪
1424
01:02:55,019 --> 01:02:56,028
You never knew
who the hell
1425
01:02:57,000 --> 01:02:58,026
he was bringing to
Thanksgiving dinner.
1426
01:02:58,028 --> 01:03:02,020
One day, Linda Ronstadt
came walking into my house.
1427
01:03:02,022 --> 01:03:04,015
Talese:
I thought,
what does he have?
1428
01:03:04,017 --> 01:03:06,022
I mean, what is he,
Mr. America in the bed?
1429
01:03:06,024 --> 01:03:08,001
What is the deal with him?
1430
01:03:08,003 --> 01:03:10,010
He knew how to listen.
And these women,
1431
01:03:10,012 --> 01:03:14,016
they didn't have men who gave
a shit about what they said,
1432
01:03:14,018 --> 01:03:16,010
and they didn't
know how to listen.
1433
01:03:16,012 --> 01:03:19,008
And listening is the route
to sex and grammar.
1434
01:03:19,010 --> 01:03:21,012
And Pete Hamill, who
went to high school,
1435
01:03:21,014 --> 01:03:22,025
maybe, and not much further,
1436
01:03:22,027 --> 01:03:26,000
seemed to pick up
that this is the key
1437
01:03:26,002 --> 01:03:29,000
to a glamorous life,
with some damn glamorous women.
1438
01:03:29,028 --> 01:03:31,029
Man: I got to know
Shirley MacLaine
through Pete Hamill.
1439
01:03:32,001 --> 01:03:33,021
♪ ♪
1440
01:03:33,023 --> 01:03:35,028
MacLaine:
His assuredness
in what was fair
1441
01:03:36,000 --> 01:03:39,001
and what wasn't
really moved me.
1442
01:03:39,026 --> 01:03:42,022
I loved that he
was from Brooklyn.
1443
01:03:42,024 --> 01:03:44,017
We lived in Brooklyn
for a while.
1444
01:03:44,019 --> 01:03:47,026
We had so much
fun doing nothing.
1445
01:03:47,028 --> 01:03:51,019
I loved our long
walks in New York.
1446
01:03:51,021 --> 01:03:55,001
But Jimmy, I remember,
called me up one day,
1447
01:03:55,003 --> 01:03:56,023
and said, "God damn it,
1448
01:03:56,025 --> 01:04:00,000
"I hope what you're writing
is all made up.
1449
01:04:00,002 --> 01:04:02,014
You can't believe
that shit, can you?"
1450
01:04:02,016 --> 01:04:03,016
I said, no, Jimmy.
1451
01:04:03,018 --> 01:04:05,015
I'm believing what I'm learning,
1452
01:04:05,017 --> 01:04:10,000
from other dimensional
truth, Jimmy. Um...
1453
01:04:10,025 --> 01:04:13,013
(Breslin speaking)
1454
01:04:23,011 --> 01:04:26,000
Denis (laughing):
And then God damn
Breslin writes a column!
1455
01:04:26,002 --> 01:04:29,012
And then Pete's sitting
in New York,
1456
01:04:29,014 --> 01:04:30,023
and he sees this column!
1457
01:04:31,015 --> 01:04:34,025
Breslin writing about
Shirley and Jackie!
1458
01:04:34,027 --> 01:04:36,013
Breslin:
Shirley should
get another guy
1459
01:04:36,015 --> 01:04:37,026
and go out on Pete Hamill.
1460
01:04:37,028 --> 01:04:40,016
What's good for the goose
is good for the gander.
1461
01:04:40,018 --> 01:04:42,001
Denis:
Shirley hit the roof,
1462
01:04:42,003 --> 01:04:44,024
but Jackie got a big kick
out of it. You know...
1463
01:04:45,025 --> 01:04:47,015
And he finally got
Breslin on the phone,
1464
01:04:47,017 --> 01:04:48,018
and in classic Breslin,
1465
01:04:48,020 --> 01:04:50,009
Breslin said, "I needed it!"
1466
01:04:50,011 --> 01:04:52,025
Like he was stuck
for a column!
1467
01:04:52,027 --> 01:04:54,005
Breslin was a
notorious thief.
1468
01:04:54,007 --> 01:04:55,017
You could give
Jimmy an idea,
1469
01:04:55,019 --> 01:04:57,025
you'll find it in his
column the next day.
1470
01:04:57,027 --> 01:04:59,019
MacLaine:
I called Jimmy
and raised hell.
1471
01:04:59,021 --> 01:05:02,003
What the hell are you doing?
1472
01:05:03,006 --> 01:05:05,015
Think of something more
1473
01:05:05,017 --> 01:05:09,006
advanced where your
intelligence is concerned,
1474
01:05:09,008 --> 01:05:12,006
than who Pete dates,
for God's sake.
1475
01:05:12,008 --> 01:05:14,001
Interviewer:
So, talking about Jackie,
1476
01:05:14,003 --> 01:05:15,018
were you in love
with her, Pete?
1477
01:05:15,020 --> 01:05:18,008
Uh, I wouldn't tell you that.
1478
01:05:18,010 --> 01:05:19,029
I'd really agree with
1479
01:05:20,001 --> 01:05:22,017
Garcia Marquez,
who said once,
1480
01:05:22,019 --> 01:05:25,029
that everybody's
got three lives.
1481
01:05:26,001 --> 01:05:28,009
Public life,
a private life,
1482
01:05:28,011 --> 01:05:29,027
and a secret life.
1483
01:05:29,029 --> 01:05:33,007
Private life is by
invitation only.
1484
01:05:33,009 --> 01:05:36,019
The secret life is
nobody's business.
1485
01:05:38,003 --> 01:05:39,022
(typewriter clacks)
1486
01:05:39,024 --> 01:05:41,014
♪ ♪
1487
01:05:41,016 --> 01:05:43,004
Newsman:
In New York,
the search continues
1488
01:05:43,006 --> 01:05:46,002
for the .44 Caliber Killer,
Son of Sam.
1489
01:05:46,004 --> 01:05:48,013
His victims,
mostly young women
1490
01:05:48,015 --> 01:05:50,011
with shoulder-length
dark hair,
1491
01:05:50,013 --> 01:05:52,020
usually shot at
very close range,
1492
01:05:52,022 --> 01:05:55,010
while sitting in
parked cars at night.
1493
01:05:55,012 --> 01:05:58,027
They've been shot
with a .44 caliber,
Bulldog revolver.
1494
01:05:58,029 --> 01:06:00,017
(gunshots)
1495
01:06:00,019 --> 01:06:02,020
(alarm ringing)
1496
01:06:03,026 --> 01:06:05,019
Breslin:
I was living in
a section of Queens
1497
01:06:05,021 --> 01:06:07,020
called Forest Hills
Gardens.
1498
01:06:07,022 --> 01:06:10,014
He killed one young woman,
Christine Freund,
1499
01:06:10,016 --> 01:06:12,018
five blocks from my house.
1500
01:06:13,019 --> 01:06:16,018
Five weeks later,
at virtually the same spot,
1501
01:06:16,020 --> 01:06:19,010
Virgina Voskerichian,
walking from the subway
1502
01:06:19,012 --> 01:06:22,007
after classes at Barnard
College in Manhattan,
1503
01:06:22,009 --> 01:06:24,025
had a gunman suddenly
crouch in front of her.
1504
01:06:25,020 --> 01:06:28,015
(Breslin speaking)
1505
01:06:37,006 --> 01:06:38,025
Patrick:
Anne Marie called
and said, "Jimmy,
1506
01:06:38,027 --> 01:06:40,025
"I got the scariest
letter in the world
1507
01:06:40,027 --> 01:06:42,021
here at the paper."
1508
01:06:42,023 --> 01:06:44,002
♪ ♪
1509
01:06:44,004 --> 01:06:46,016
Breslin:
"Hello from
the gutters of NYC,
1510
01:06:46,018 --> 01:06:49,010
"which are filled with
dog manure, vomit,
1511
01:06:49,012 --> 01:06:51,018
"stale wine,
urine, and blood.
1512
01:06:51,020 --> 01:06:55,010
"Hello from the sewers
which swallow up
these delicacies
1513
01:06:55,012 --> 01:06:58,002
when they are washed away
by the sweeper trucks."
1514
01:06:58,020 --> 01:07:02,001
It was printed in big,
backslash printing,
1515
01:07:02,003 --> 01:07:04,009
marvelous cadence.
1516
01:07:04,011 --> 01:07:06,000
Signed, Son of Sam.
1517
01:07:07,000 --> 01:07:09,027
All of a sudden, you get
a letter from Hannibal Lecter
1518
01:07:09,029 --> 01:07:12,019
saying I wanna talk
to you. Holy smokes!
1519
01:07:12,021 --> 01:07:14,024
What kind of power
did he have? I mean,
1520
01:07:14,026 --> 01:07:16,021
that gives you
an indication of the...
1521
01:07:16,023 --> 01:07:19,011
seductiveness of those
columns he wrote.
1522
01:07:19,013 --> 01:07:21,014
He got into people's heads
1523
01:07:21,016 --> 01:07:23,021
in a way that most
writers can't do.
1524
01:07:23,023 --> 01:07:26,005
"Oh wow, he wrote to Breslin!
He wrote to Jimmy Bre--"
1525
01:07:26,007 --> 01:07:29,000
But like in those days,
Jimmy Breslin was a big enough
1526
01:07:29,002 --> 01:07:30,018
star, where you'd be like,
1527
01:07:30,020 --> 01:07:33,009
oh, it's a little crazy,
but yeah. (laughing)
1528
01:07:33,011 --> 01:07:34,019
Yeah, why not Jimmy Breslin?
1529
01:07:35,018 --> 01:07:36,023
Breslin:
The police called and said,
1530
01:07:36,025 --> 01:07:38,019
"could we meet you at
the 109th Precinct?
1531
01:07:38,021 --> 01:07:40,013
This is a letter
from the fella."
1532
01:07:40,015 --> 01:07:43,028
He said now,
"What do you think you could
do with it to help us?"
1533
01:07:44,017 --> 01:07:47,002
Clark:
Jimmy comes up to the squad
room. It was like,
1534
01:07:47,004 --> 01:07:49,028
"What the hell is that
guy doing here? You know,
1535
01:07:50,000 --> 01:07:52,022
he hates cops. What is he
doing up here? Who let him in?"
1536
01:07:52,024 --> 01:07:56,024
This is the guy
who brought us the letter
from the Son of Sam.
1537
01:07:56,026 --> 01:07:58,012
Roberts:
The police urged us to
1538
01:07:58,014 --> 01:08:02,007
print the letters and Jimmy
to reply to the letters,
1539
01:08:02,009 --> 01:08:04,018
in hopes that he would
continue writing,
1540
01:08:04,020 --> 01:08:07,023
and there would be more
clues to his identity.
1541
01:08:08,009 --> 01:08:10,000
Interviewer:
What would you wanna
talk to him about?
1542
01:08:10,002 --> 01:08:12,010
-You wanna talk to
him about his writing?
-I mean, he writes so well.
1543
01:08:12,012 --> 01:08:14,003
It's a shame to
waste it out there!
1544
01:08:14,005 --> 01:08:16,013
I thought Hamill wrote
the thing, it was... to me.
1545
01:08:16,015 --> 01:08:18,007
I'm not kidding!
It's a well-written piece.
1546
01:08:18,009 --> 01:08:20,005
The guy could make
a living writing!
1547
01:08:20,007 --> 01:08:22,012
He told me, "We're telling
the guy he's a good writer."
1548
01:08:22,014 --> 01:08:24,028
I was like, what!?
You're using the newspaper
1549
01:08:25,001 --> 01:08:26,021
to see if he can sucker a guy?
1550
01:08:26,023 --> 01:08:28,015
And he said,
"Well, basically, yes."
1551
01:08:28,017 --> 01:08:30,026
He probably is the first
1552
01:08:30,028 --> 01:08:32,018
killer that I can ever recall
1553
01:08:32,020 --> 01:08:35,006
who understands the use
of the semi-colon.
1554
01:08:35,008 --> 01:08:38,015
I think he's had
some kind of training,
obviously.
1555
01:08:38,017 --> 01:08:39,027
Clark:
There's no doubt
in the world that
1556
01:08:39,029 --> 01:08:41,018
Jimmy was very instrumental
in keeping attention
1557
01:08:41,020 --> 01:08:45,002
on the case. I mean, he was
a major player in the thing.
1558
01:08:45,004 --> 01:08:46,028
♪ ♪
1559
01:08:47,000 --> 01:08:48,012
Shane Smith:
"The only way
for the killer
1560
01:08:48,014 --> 01:08:50,003
"to leave this
special torment
1561
01:08:50,005 --> 01:08:52,001
"is to give himself
up to me.
1562
01:08:52,003 --> 01:08:55,005
"All he has to do
is call or write me
at theDaily News.
1563
01:08:55,007 --> 01:08:56,010
"It's simple to get me.
1564
01:08:56,012 --> 01:08:59,015
The only people I don't
answer are bill collectors."
1565
01:08:59,017 --> 01:09:01,012
So, he's asking a serial killer
1566
01:09:01,014 --> 01:09:03,018
to give himself up to him.
1567
01:09:03,020 --> 01:09:05,016
Fantastic. Takes balls.
1568
01:09:06,023 --> 01:09:09,021
Man:
I am very pleased to
announce that the police
1569
01:09:09,023 --> 01:09:11,012
have captured
1570
01:09:11,014 --> 01:09:14,014
a man whom they believe
to be the Son of Sam.
1571
01:09:14,016 --> 01:09:16,014
Newsman:
David Berkowitz, 24,
1572
01:09:16,016 --> 01:09:19,006
spent his days
sorting letters
in the post office,
1573
01:09:19,008 --> 01:09:22,012
so meek and mild and quiet,
nobody ever noticed him.
1574
01:09:22,014 --> 01:09:23,024
Newsman 2:
He had a faint smile
1575
01:09:23,026 --> 01:09:25,020
as police moved him
around the city today
1576
01:09:25,022 --> 01:09:27,008
for booking, to court,
1577
01:09:27,010 --> 01:09:29,003
finally, to a mental ward.
1578
01:09:29,005 --> 01:09:32,013
He made a statement,
"Well, you got me."
1579
01:09:32,015 --> 01:09:34,021
Newsman:
In the end,
it was this parking ticket
1580
01:09:34,023 --> 01:09:36,016
that lead police
to Berkowitz.
1581
01:09:36,018 --> 01:09:38,013
Breslin:
There was a woman in
Brooklyn was out the night
1582
01:09:38,015 --> 01:09:40,018
Son of Sam had shot
the last two people.
1583
01:09:40,020 --> 01:09:42,010
And she had seen the car
1584
01:09:42,012 --> 01:09:45,010
and remembered it had
a parking ticket in the car.
1585
01:09:45,012 --> 01:09:47,010
And when she told police
what she had seen,
1586
01:09:47,012 --> 01:09:49,006
it was bingo.
1587
01:09:50,003 --> 01:09:51,024
Interviewer:
Did you ever have
a moment saying,
1588
01:09:51,026 --> 01:09:53,006
"Jeez, did I cause this?
1589
01:09:53,008 --> 01:09:55,004
Did this column
trigger this nut?"
1590
01:09:55,006 --> 01:09:59,020
No. And in reading
the psychiatric report
1591
01:09:59,022 --> 01:10:02,021
on Berkowitz, it just would--
when it's released finally,
1592
01:10:02,023 --> 01:10:04,008
it'll just reinforce
that, too. I mean...
1593
01:10:04,010 --> 01:10:05,028
Garry Trudeau:
The Son of Sam story
1594
01:10:06,000 --> 01:10:08,019
raised all kinds of
horrible questions about,
1595
01:10:08,021 --> 01:10:10,028
you know, how this is
taking new journalism
1596
01:10:11,000 --> 01:10:14,012
into new territory by having
1597
01:10:14,014 --> 01:10:17,015
a public dialogue
with a serial killer.
1598
01:10:17,017 --> 01:10:19,010
You know, I think it
came to the fact that,
1599
01:10:19,012 --> 01:10:21,022
explaining why
that original letter
was published in the news,
1600
01:10:21,024 --> 01:10:23,001
which I have a lot
of problems with,
1601
01:10:23,003 --> 01:10:25,013
-it's the police--
-You have problems with
1602
01:10:25,015 --> 01:10:26,018
publishing
that letter?
1603
01:10:26,020 --> 01:10:28,015
Then obviously, you're
not in the news business.
1604
01:10:28,017 --> 01:10:30,010
You never even
considered that that
1605
01:10:30,012 --> 01:10:32,016
might have prompted him to do
a killing that particular time?
1606
01:10:32,018 --> 01:10:34,014
Well, then, what should
we do? Not write?
1607
01:10:34,016 --> 01:10:36,021
I think you wrote a good
deal too much about it, yeah.
1608
01:10:36,023 --> 01:10:38,000
I certainly do,
and I think that...
1609
01:10:38,002 --> 01:10:40,025
The strips that I did
were a parody
1610
01:10:40,027 --> 01:10:44,003
on this exploitation
of a very terrible story.
1611
01:10:44,005 --> 01:10:45,016
♪ ♪
1612
01:10:45,018 --> 01:10:47,024
In the strip, I had
a fictional character named
1613
01:10:47,026 --> 01:10:49,026
Son of Arnold
and Mary Leiberman,
1614
01:10:49,028 --> 01:10:52,024
call into the
New York Daily News,
and try to pitch his story
1615
01:10:52,026 --> 01:10:55,005
before he'd actually
started committing murders.
1616
01:10:55,007 --> 01:10:56,026
And over the week,
1617
01:10:56,028 --> 01:10:58,019
he couldn't get
a hold of Breslin,
1618
01:10:58,021 --> 01:11:00,017
because Breslin's
too busy negotiating
1619
01:11:00,019 --> 01:11:02,015
the movie rights
for Son of Sam.
1620
01:11:02,017 --> 01:11:04,026
And by the end of the week,
he gives up.
1621
01:11:06,028 --> 01:11:10,007
Interviewer: Do you think that
that was the biggest story
of your career?
1622
01:11:10,009 --> 01:11:12,022
Oh, God forbid,
no, I hope not.
1623
01:11:12,024 --> 01:11:14,025
What was the biggest
story of your career?
1624
01:11:14,027 --> 01:11:17,029
-Me.
-Why were you the biggest
story of your career?
1625
01:11:18,001 --> 01:11:20,021
Read! You'll see.
1626
01:11:20,023 --> 01:11:22,023
(thunder rumbling)
1627
01:11:22,025 --> 01:11:26,010
♪ ♪
1628
01:11:26,012 --> 01:11:29,000
Breslin:
My first wife Rosemary
and I lived together
1629
01:11:29,002 --> 01:11:31,001
in love and affection
that was deeper
1630
01:11:31,003 --> 01:11:34,029
when she died in the
middle of a rainy night
in June in 1981,
1631
01:11:35,001 --> 01:11:37,003
than when I met her
on a Saturday night
1632
01:11:37,005 --> 01:11:40,000
in the spring of 1952.
1633
01:11:40,002 --> 01:11:42,027
She came running into
the Crossroads Bar.
1634
01:11:42,029 --> 01:11:44,018
The car had dropped
dead across the street
1635
01:11:44,020 --> 01:11:46,018
on the way home
from the wedding.
1636
01:11:47,006 --> 01:11:48,023
She came through
the door laughing
1637
01:11:48,025 --> 01:11:50,021
and with rain on her face.
1638
01:11:50,023 --> 01:11:53,003
"I caught the bride's
bouquet," she said.
1639
01:11:53,005 --> 01:11:54,028
She threw
the flowers to me.
1640
01:11:55,000 --> 01:11:57,016
"Now you caught it!
You wanna get married?"
1641
01:11:57,018 --> 01:11:59,008
♪ ♪
1642
01:12:00,025 --> 01:12:04,017
I knew she was
gone just as fast
as I fell in love with her.
1643
01:12:04,019 --> 01:12:07,023
She had an operation for
breast cancer in 1976,
1644
01:12:07,025 --> 01:12:10,010
and then seemed fine
for years.
1645
01:12:10,025 --> 01:12:14,019
She ran my life,
and those of her children,
almost totally.
1646
01:12:14,021 --> 01:12:16,028
She leaves us with
a tradition of decency
1647
01:12:17,000 --> 01:12:19,014
that we must
accept to carry on.
1648
01:12:20,006 --> 01:12:23,001
As was said
of another aristocrat
such as this one...
1649
01:12:24,008 --> 01:12:26,029
"Earth received
an honored guest."
1650
01:12:28,011 --> 01:12:29,027
He was devastated.
1651
01:12:29,029 --> 01:12:32,011
Completely devastated.
1652
01:12:33,014 --> 01:12:36,015
♪ ♪
1653
01:12:40,002 --> 01:12:43,018
James:
It was really the end of
the era in Forest Hills.
1654
01:12:43,020 --> 01:12:46,017
The door on that house,
for him, was closed.
1655
01:12:46,019 --> 01:12:49,000
He did not have
the ability
1656
01:12:49,002 --> 01:12:51,000
to, you know,
really deal with
1657
01:12:51,002 --> 01:12:53,013
the single-parent family.
1658
01:12:54,012 --> 01:12:56,017
Patrick:
I've never seen a person
1659
01:12:56,019 --> 01:12:59,003
who cares about
people so much,
1660
01:12:59,005 --> 01:13:01,023
but doesn't express it
directly to that person.
1661
01:13:02,022 --> 01:13:06,002
And I don't even think
I saw him cry
at my mother's funeral.
1662
01:13:06,004 --> 01:13:09,000
And he wouldn't let
us do it either.
1663
01:13:17,019 --> 01:13:19,020
♪ ♪
1664
01:13:33,016 --> 01:13:35,021
Breslin:
My wife died and that
took me out of here.
1665
01:13:35,023 --> 01:13:38,021
I walked out. I couldn't
even look at the place.
1666
01:13:39,018 --> 01:13:41,004
Gone!
1667
01:13:41,028 --> 01:13:43,014
Get me out.
1668
01:13:44,019 --> 01:13:46,015
I don't want any memories.
1669
01:13:50,002 --> 01:13:53,003
♪ ♪
1670
01:14:07,006 --> 01:14:09,022
I always went to
work the next day.
1671
01:14:12,004 --> 01:14:14,005
What do you--
Do you wanna sit home?
1672
01:14:14,024 --> 01:14:16,014
Oh...
1673
01:14:17,013 --> 01:14:19,014
Not I.
1674
01:14:20,025 --> 01:14:23,015
He came up to
the bedroom in Forest Hills.
1675
01:14:23,017 --> 01:14:26,003
It was six o'clock
in the morning. Kicked my bed,
told me to...
1676
01:14:26,023 --> 01:14:28,023
I'll speak truthfully, "Get
the fuck up and go to work."
1677
01:14:28,025 --> 01:14:31,006
That was the day after
my mother was buried.
1678
01:14:31,008 --> 01:14:33,004
"Stop your crying.
1679
01:14:34,000 --> 01:14:36,003
Life goes on,
the clock doesn't stop."
1680
01:14:36,005 --> 01:14:37,010
I remember those quotes.
1681
01:14:37,012 --> 01:14:40,001
They're burned in my brain.
1682
01:14:40,003 --> 01:14:42,014
The clock doesn't stop.
1683
01:14:42,016 --> 01:14:45,018
Time is the most
valuable thing on Earth.
1684
01:14:48,007 --> 01:14:51,023
♪ ♪
1685
01:14:55,004 --> 01:14:56,025
Ronnie Eldridge:
He thinks there's nothing
1686
01:14:56,027 --> 01:14:59,008
as lonely as the sun
on a blade of grass,
1687
01:14:59,010 --> 01:15:02,016
and nothing as beautiful
as a crowded street
in Brooklyn.
1688
01:15:02,018 --> 01:15:05,006
He thinks boring
is a felony crime.
1689
01:15:05,008 --> 01:15:06,021
He loves New York
1690
01:15:06,023 --> 01:15:09,017
and thrives on its
energy and excitement.
1691
01:15:09,019 --> 01:15:13,010
And finally, he's been my
husband for almost 20 years.
1692
01:15:13,012 --> 01:15:15,015
Together, we have nine children,
1693
01:15:15,017 --> 01:15:17,020
and 10 grandchildren.
1694
01:15:17,022 --> 01:15:19,019
So, welcome
to my program,
1695
01:15:19,021 --> 01:15:21,006
Eldridge & Company.
1696
01:15:21,008 --> 01:15:23,010
-Yes.
-Can you believe that
you've been married to me
1697
01:15:23,012 --> 01:15:25,005
-for almost 20 years?
-Yes.
1698
01:15:25,007 --> 01:15:26,023
Been delightful. Why,
you haven't liked it?
1699
01:15:26,025 --> 01:15:29,004
No, it's been a challenge,
but it's been great.
1700
01:15:29,006 --> 01:15:31,015
It's never boring.
As we've already said,
1701
01:15:31,017 --> 01:15:33,005
-you don't like that, right?
-No.
1702
01:15:33,007 --> 01:15:36,000
Anybody out there
that is thinking
1703
01:15:36,002 --> 01:15:38,010
of getting married,
and gonna take on
1704
01:15:38,012 --> 01:15:40,012
step-children from
two marriages,
1705
01:15:40,014 --> 01:15:42,008
under the same roof,
1706
01:15:42,010 --> 01:15:45,001
do me a favor, I'll give you
the home number. 212-496--
1707
01:15:45,003 --> 01:15:46,015
-Host: Oh, I wouldn't do that.
-(laughter)
1708
01:15:46,017 --> 01:15:48,017
Call me! 7616.
1709
01:15:48,019 --> 01:15:50,018
Call me,
I'll tell you the truth.
1710
01:15:50,020 --> 01:15:52,011
Don't even try it!
1711
01:15:52,013 --> 01:15:54,025
(laughter, applause)
1712
01:15:54,027 --> 01:15:57,003
Everybody hated everybody.
1713
01:15:57,005 --> 01:15:59,010
It was beautiful.
1714
01:15:59,012 --> 01:16:02,025
Eldridge:
Jimmy is very supportive
of me and my career.
1715
01:16:02,027 --> 01:16:04,009
He wanted me
to run for office.
1716
01:16:04,011 --> 01:16:07,014
I don't think I would've
if he hadn't really
prodded me.
1717
01:16:07,016 --> 01:16:10,015
He taught me a lot because
he has that ability
1718
01:16:10,017 --> 01:16:12,009
to go to the heart of an issue.
1719
01:16:12,011 --> 01:16:14,008
You know, shortly
after we were married,
1720
01:16:14,010 --> 01:16:16,012
I'd pick up the news,
and it's Jimmy saying
1721
01:16:16,014 --> 01:16:18,019
he's gonna go
and live on the street.
1722
01:16:18,021 --> 01:16:20,010
He's gonna be
a homeless man.
1723
01:16:20,012 --> 01:16:22,027
He had had a feud with
the Koch administration
1724
01:16:22,029 --> 01:16:25,019
'cause they had moved
a homeless man off a highway.
1725
01:16:25,021 --> 01:16:27,001
This homeless man
had been living there
1726
01:16:27,003 --> 01:16:29,020
in a beach lounge chair
and holding his cup out.
1727
01:16:29,022 --> 01:16:30,024
And Jimmy
wrote about him,
1728
01:16:30,026 --> 01:16:32,001
and the next thing
you knew,
1729
01:16:32,003 --> 01:16:34,010
Jimmy became
a homeless man.
1730
01:16:34,012 --> 01:16:35,023
Every homeless
person in New York,
1731
01:16:35,025 --> 01:16:37,023
it seemed to me,
came to visit him.
1732
01:16:37,025 --> 01:16:39,013
Interviewer:
When he finally
got his Pulitzer,
1733
01:16:39,015 --> 01:16:43,002
it was for that connection
to ordinary people.
1734
01:16:43,004 --> 01:16:45,000
And putting faces
to AIDS patients.
1735
01:16:45,002 --> 01:16:47,010
To me, he won the Pulitzer
Prize for that,
1736
01:16:47,012 --> 01:16:50,007
in a time when AIDS was
scaring people half to death.
1737
01:16:50,009 --> 01:16:51,005
(typewriter clacks)
1738
01:16:52,012 --> 01:16:53,028
(crowd shouting)
1739
01:16:57,003 --> 01:17:00,027
James Duff:
All around us,
there was a crisis.
1740
01:17:00,029 --> 01:17:03,024
I lost 70% of my friends.
1741
01:17:04,026 --> 01:17:07,004
David Camacho was
1742
01:17:07,006 --> 01:17:10,002
the first big love
of my life.
1743
01:17:10,023 --> 01:17:13,002
When David got sick,
1744
01:17:13,004 --> 01:17:15,015
we went to dinner
with 10 people.
1745
01:17:15,017 --> 01:17:17,023
And everybody else was served
1746
01:17:17,025 --> 01:17:19,025
with plates and silverware,
1747
01:17:19,027 --> 01:17:22,005
and we were served
with plastic dishes
1748
01:17:22,007 --> 01:17:24,028
and plastic forks
and knives.
1749
01:17:25,000 --> 01:17:27,019
And this is the kind
of willful ignorance
1750
01:17:27,021 --> 01:17:29,024
in which people
were living.
1751
01:17:29,026 --> 01:17:33,014
And into this
walked Jimmy Breslin.
1752
01:17:34,003 --> 01:17:37,012
Jimmy was looking for
a way to tell this story,
1753
01:17:37,014 --> 01:17:40,004
and asked David if he...
1754
01:17:40,006 --> 01:17:41,017
would be willing
to talk about it.
1755
01:17:41,019 --> 01:17:44,002
David was, "Absolutely.
1756
01:17:44,004 --> 01:17:47,014
I want people to know
this is happening
to human beings."
1757
01:17:48,012 --> 01:17:49,023
Breslin:
He had two
good weeks in July,
1758
01:17:49,025 --> 01:17:50,027
and then the
fever returned
1759
01:17:50,029 --> 01:17:52,008
and he was back
in the hospital
1760
01:17:52,010 --> 01:17:54,001
for half of last August.
1761
01:17:54,026 --> 01:17:57,014
He got out again
and returned to 8th Street.
1762
01:17:57,016 --> 01:17:59,022
The date this time
doesn't count.
1763
01:17:59,024 --> 01:18:02,026
(Breslin speaking)
1764
01:18:15,023 --> 01:18:17,017
Tell me about
living with David.
1765
01:18:17,019 --> 01:18:19,008
Duff:
Well, let's see.
1766
01:18:19,010 --> 01:18:22,011
He came home from work one day
1767
01:18:22,013 --> 01:18:24,022
with a temperature
of 104 degrees,
1768
01:18:24,024 --> 01:18:26,014
and he was bright red.
1769
01:18:26,016 --> 01:18:27,029
He had those damn things
1770
01:18:28,001 --> 01:18:30,003
-that show on your
face. Those...
-The lesions, yeah.
1771
01:18:30,005 --> 01:18:32,009
He didn't care about the
lesions, out he was going.
1772
01:18:32,011 --> 01:18:34,020
But you can't convince a
government that a disease is...
1773
01:18:34,022 --> 01:18:37,023
No, this person, this
person, who went to Rutgers,
1774
01:18:37,025 --> 01:18:40,007
who worked his,
his heart out...
1775
01:18:40,009 --> 01:18:41,003
Mmm.
1776
01:18:41,005 --> 01:18:43,026
for the rights of the...
1777
01:18:43,028 --> 01:18:45,027
underprivileged
in this country,
1778
01:18:45,029 --> 01:18:48,019
is not considered a human
being by this government.
1779
01:18:48,021 --> 01:18:51,004
-Hmm.
-And so, what does it matter?
1780
01:18:51,006 --> 01:18:53,001
It's just one more faggot
1781
01:18:53,003 --> 01:18:55,001
in a graveyard.
1782
01:18:55,003 --> 01:18:57,028
♪ ♪
1783
01:18:58,000 --> 01:19:00,029
After the interview
Jimmy did with me,
1784
01:19:01,022 --> 01:19:04,002
I was working at
a theater restaurant,
1785
01:19:04,004 --> 01:19:07,016
and Jimmy would come in,
1786
01:19:07,018 --> 01:19:10,011
and he would
ask for a coffee.
1787
01:19:10,013 --> 01:19:12,020
And he said to me,
1788
01:19:12,022 --> 01:19:16,000
"What are you doing, James?
What are you doing here?"
1789
01:19:16,002 --> 01:19:18,003
I didn't come from
a wealthy family.
1790
01:19:18,005 --> 01:19:19,017
I had to work.
1791
01:19:19,019 --> 01:19:22,011
And I also thought I was
probably gonna drop dead soon.
1792
01:19:22,013 --> 01:19:25,001
And Jimmy was like, "But,
what if you don't drop dead?
1793
01:19:26,005 --> 01:19:28,020
"You don't wanna do this
the rest of your life.
1794
01:19:28,022 --> 01:19:29,028
You should be
writing something."
1795
01:19:30,000 --> 01:19:31,021
And I would say, "Well,
I don't know what to write."
1796
01:19:31,023 --> 01:19:33,026
And he goes,
"Like that makes a difference.
1797
01:19:33,028 --> 01:19:35,029
"I don't know what to
write most of the time.
1798
01:19:36,001 --> 01:19:37,024
"I go outside, I find
something to write about.
1799
01:19:37,026 --> 01:19:38,028
Write something."
1800
01:19:39,000 --> 01:19:40,016
He would hector me.
1801
01:19:41,027 --> 01:19:43,020
He came in
a difficult time,
1802
01:19:43,022 --> 01:19:45,005
and he could have
just walked away.
1803
01:19:45,007 --> 01:19:46,024
He got everything
he needed.
1804
01:19:47,015 --> 01:19:49,001
And he didn't.
1805
01:20:04,010 --> 01:20:06,016
Carillo:
We're looking at the Manhattan
Mini Storage facility
1806
01:20:06,018 --> 01:20:08,029
in Lower Manhattan,
and this used to be
the New York Post.
1807
01:20:09,001 --> 01:20:10,019
This is where I worked
for many years.
1808
01:20:10,021 --> 01:20:13,028
Right on the river,
between the Manhattan
and the Brooklyn Bridges.
1809
01:20:14,000 --> 01:20:16,003
Any time there was
a Brooklyn Bridge jumper,
1810
01:20:16,005 --> 01:20:17,020
everybody would
rush to the window,
1811
01:20:17,022 --> 01:20:19,020
and the photographer would
put a long lens on the camera,
1812
01:20:19,022 --> 01:20:22,025
and follow the guy.
Click, click, click, click,
splash!
1813
01:20:22,027 --> 01:20:24,020
It was quite an experience
for a young man.
1814
01:20:24,022 --> 01:20:27,010
And this is where
I knew Pete Hamill.
1815
01:20:27,012 --> 01:20:28,019
(typewriter clacks)
1816
01:20:30,005 --> 01:20:33,005
Alter: In the '90s,
when newspapers
were hemorrhaging cash,
1817
01:20:33,007 --> 01:20:35,012
and often changing hands,
1818
01:20:35,014 --> 01:20:37,022
Pete somehow managed,
at different times,
1819
01:20:37,024 --> 01:20:41,024
to be editor of both
the New York Daily News
and the New York Post.
1820
01:20:41,026 --> 01:20:44,008
Avlon:
Pete Hamill goes on
an editor's track.
1821
01:20:44,010 --> 01:20:47,000
He notably goes and tries
to be editor-in-chief
1822
01:20:47,002 --> 01:20:49,013
at theNew York Post,
in a time of real flux,
1823
01:20:49,015 --> 01:20:51,012
trying to turn the tide
1824
01:20:51,014 --> 01:20:52,014
during the death of print.
1825
01:20:52,016 --> 01:20:54,017
Kosner:
Pete is a wonderful editor.
1826
01:20:54,019 --> 01:20:56,000
And he was a
wonderful manager
1827
01:20:56,002 --> 01:20:58,014
because he's a wonderful
person. Everybody loved him,
1828
01:20:58,016 --> 01:21:00,002
and people respected him.
1829
01:21:00,004 --> 01:21:01,027
Carillo:
He'd come to you,
and he'd say, "Well,
1830
01:21:01,029 --> 01:21:04,005
you know, that lead,
maybe you should try..."
1831
01:21:04,007 --> 01:21:05,008
He would never say, "Do this!"
1832
01:21:05,010 --> 01:21:07,005
And you'd realize, oh,
he's right. He's right.
1833
01:21:07,007 --> 01:21:10,026
I think this man knows
what he's talking about,
and he certainly did.
1834
01:21:12,006 --> 01:21:14,010
I did not fire
Pete Hamill.
1835
01:21:14,012 --> 01:21:17,004
(crowd shouting angrily)
1836
01:21:17,006 --> 01:21:19,022
Newswoman:
Two days after a bankruptcy
judge awarded ownership
1837
01:21:19,024 --> 01:21:21,010
of thePost
to Abe Hirschfeld,
1838
01:21:21,012 --> 01:21:23,013
Hirschfeld held a news
conference announcing
1839
01:21:23,015 --> 01:21:25,006
Wilbert Tatum
to run the paper.
1840
01:21:25,008 --> 01:21:27,010
This is what happened when
Hirschfeld told workers
1841
01:21:27,012 --> 01:21:28,021
he didn't fire Hamill.
1842
01:21:28,023 --> 01:21:30,027
(angry shouting)
1843
01:21:30,029 --> 01:21:34,000
♪ ♪
1844
01:21:36,017 --> 01:21:37,026
Newsman:
Hirschfeld shot back today
1845
01:21:37,028 --> 01:21:39,027
by firing 71 employees,
1846
01:21:39,029 --> 01:21:41,011
and threatening
to fold the paper
1847
01:21:41,013 --> 01:21:42,018
if it doesn't
publish tomorrow.
1848
01:21:43,010 --> 01:21:44,026
Man:
This is for
Abe Hirschfeld,
1849
01:21:44,028 --> 01:21:48,004
this is a cheap two-dollar tie
that he gives out as a gift.
1850
01:21:48,006 --> 01:21:49,023
This is a cheap
piece of shit.
1851
01:21:49,025 --> 01:21:51,022
We're gonna burn it here.
1852
01:21:53,008 --> 01:21:55,008
Fuck you, Abe!
Fuck you!
1853
01:21:56,002 --> 01:21:57,029
Hamill:
More than anything else,
1854
01:21:58,001 --> 01:21:59,021
I'm sad about
the possibility
1855
01:21:59,023 --> 01:22:01,028
that this paper is
in mortal danger.
1856
01:22:03,006 --> 01:22:04,025
Alter:
In defiance
of Abe Hirschfeld,
1857
01:22:04,027 --> 01:22:06,029
the inmates, basically,
took over the asylum.
1858
01:22:07,001 --> 01:22:08,022
And with Pete barred
from the building,
1859
01:22:09,010 --> 01:22:12,014
the staff put out a paper
that trashed their owner.
1860
01:22:13,001 --> 01:22:15,005
Carillo:
The opponent's weapons
are money and power.
1861
01:22:15,007 --> 01:22:18,005
Our weapons are only
words and images.
1862
01:22:18,017 --> 01:22:19,028
So, we fight with
what we've got.
1863
01:22:20,000 --> 01:22:21,025
Newsman:
After Hirschfield
got a court order
1864
01:22:21,027 --> 01:22:23,028
banning Hamill from
thePostbuilding,
1865
01:22:24,000 --> 01:22:26,014
the renegade editor
conferred with his
reporters and editors
1866
01:22:26,016 --> 01:22:28,013
from a diner next door.
1867
01:22:28,015 --> 01:22:30,024
When I picked up today's paper
and I saw what those guys did,
1868
01:22:30,026 --> 01:22:33,020
laying their entire
careers on the line,
1869
01:22:33,022 --> 01:22:36,023
to put out a newspaper
that was totally fearless,
1870
01:22:36,025 --> 01:22:38,002
I had no choice.
1871
01:22:38,004 --> 01:22:40,009
Carillo:
So, Pete sat in
the South Street Diner,
1872
01:22:40,011 --> 01:22:42,016
and the layout sheets
were brought down to him,
1873
01:22:42,018 --> 01:22:44,019
so he could edit the paper,
and they went back upstairs
1874
01:22:44,021 --> 01:22:46,026
with ketchup and vinaigrette
dressing on them.
1875
01:22:46,028 --> 01:22:48,004
And it was really glory days.
1876
01:22:48,017 --> 01:22:50,011
People got
a vicarious thrill
1877
01:22:50,013 --> 01:22:52,028
about the wild west element
of theNew York Post.
1878
01:22:54,001 --> 01:22:55,029
-(shutter clicks)
-(laughter)
1879
01:22:56,001 --> 01:22:57,010
Newsman:
It was a zany scene
1880
01:22:57,012 --> 01:22:58,020
outside bankruptcy court,
1881
01:22:58,022 --> 01:23:00,018
as prospective
New York Post publisher,
1882
01:23:00,020 --> 01:23:02,012
Abe Hirschfeld,
kissed and made up
1883
01:23:02,014 --> 01:23:04,013
with the editor
he fired last week.
1884
01:23:04,015 --> 01:23:06,000
The slaphappy ending came
1885
01:23:06,002 --> 01:23:08,005
after the judge worked
out a compromise
1886
01:23:08,007 --> 01:23:09,029
in which Editor-in-Chief
Pete Hamill
1887
01:23:10,001 --> 01:23:11,006
gets editorial control,
1888
01:23:11,008 --> 01:23:13,021
and Hirschfeld has legal
control of the business.
1889
01:23:14,002 --> 01:23:16,016
Carillo:
The revolution was
a thrilling thing,
1890
01:23:16,018 --> 01:23:19,014
and even though it wound up to
be, sort of, in a losing cause,
1891
01:23:19,016 --> 01:23:20,025
it was unforgettable.
1892
01:23:20,027 --> 01:23:23,014
♪ ♪
1893
01:23:23,016 --> 01:23:24,015
Newsman:
The nation's oldest,
1894
01:23:24,017 --> 01:23:26,003
continuously
published newspaper,
1895
01:23:26,005 --> 01:23:27,021
is now officially bankrupt.
1896
01:23:29,012 --> 01:23:30,027
Newswoman:
Enter thePost's
former owner,
1897
01:23:30,029 --> 01:23:32,026
Rupert Murdoch.
1898
01:23:34,004 --> 01:23:35,029
Alter:
When Murdoch demoted Pete,
1899
01:23:36,001 --> 01:23:38,027
he quit, and that
chapter was closed.
1900
01:23:40,020 --> 01:23:42,026
Jimmy was also in
the headlines around that time,
1901
01:23:42,028 --> 01:23:44,029
but not in a way
you would wanna be.
1902
01:23:46,014 --> 01:23:48,002
Dwyer:
I think Jimmy is a genius
1903
01:23:48,004 --> 01:23:50,009
who spent a good
part of his life
1904
01:23:50,011 --> 01:23:53,003
trying to persuade
people that he's not.
1905
01:23:53,005 --> 01:23:56,010
He does this by being boorish,
1906
01:23:56,012 --> 01:23:57,024
by being impossible,
1907
01:23:57,026 --> 01:24:02,002
making up lists of people
he's not talking to this year.
1908
01:24:02,004 --> 01:24:05,011
And it's an act, but sometimes,
1909
01:24:06,010 --> 01:24:08,020
as they say, the dancer
becomes the dance.
1910
01:24:08,022 --> 01:24:11,017
♪ ♪
1911
01:24:11,019 --> 01:24:13,018
Newsman:
Jimmy Breslin is in
a heap of trouble
1912
01:24:13,020 --> 01:24:15,013
for alleged racial slurs,
1913
01:24:15,015 --> 01:24:18,001
and the staff of
Newsday's in an uproar.
1914
01:24:18,003 --> 01:24:19,006
Newsman 2:
It all began when
1915
01:24:19,008 --> 01:24:21,016
New YorkNewsday
columnist Jimmy Breslin
1916
01:24:21,018 --> 01:24:23,007
wrote this column
last week,
1917
01:24:23,009 --> 01:24:24,013
complaining that his wife
1918
01:24:24,015 --> 01:24:26,019
was not spending enough
time at home with him.
1919
01:24:26,021 --> 01:24:28,022
Enter Ji-Yeon Mary Yuh,
1920
01:24:28,024 --> 01:24:32,004
25-year-old reporter
working for the
same newspaper.
1921
01:24:32,006 --> 01:24:35,002
Yuh:
It seemed off
from the image
1922
01:24:35,004 --> 01:24:36,015
of Jimmy Breslin,
the columnist,
1923
01:24:36,017 --> 01:24:38,005
that I had in my mind.
1924
01:24:39,003 --> 01:24:40,019
And so,
I sent him an email,
1925
01:24:40,021 --> 01:24:42,028
saying that
I was disappointed
with his column today,
1926
01:24:43,000 --> 01:24:44,026
and outlining
my reasons why.
1927
01:24:44,028 --> 01:24:46,014
Newsman:
She sent a message
to Breslin,
1928
01:24:46,016 --> 01:24:48,002
saying the column
was sexist.
1929
01:24:48,017 --> 01:24:50,026
Breslin reportedly
stormed into the newsroom,
1930
01:24:50,028 --> 01:24:53,016
taking aim at Yuh's
Korean heritage.
1931
01:24:53,018 --> 01:24:55,029
The tirade went
something like this.
1932
01:24:56,001 --> 01:24:58,024
"I can't stand people who
don't know their place.
1933
01:24:58,026 --> 01:25:01,003
"The explicative
doesn't know her place.
1934
01:25:01,005 --> 01:25:03,021
"She's a little dog.
Just a little cur,
1935
01:25:03,023 --> 01:25:05,019
"a cur running down
the street.
1936
01:25:05,021 --> 01:25:07,000
"She's a yellow cur.
1937
01:25:07,002 --> 01:25:08,023
Let's make it racial."
1938
01:25:08,025 --> 01:25:10,020
Esposito:
He insulted the woman.
1939
01:25:10,022 --> 01:25:12,012
Jimmy was a
big commodity,
1940
01:25:12,014 --> 01:25:13,021
an important part
of the paper,
1941
01:25:13,023 --> 01:25:15,029
but Newsdaywas
a very ethical place,
1942
01:25:16,001 --> 01:25:17,028
and so this was
taken very seriously.
1943
01:25:18,000 --> 01:25:21,005
So, I said, well,
you know, you have
to write an apology.
1944
01:25:21,007 --> 01:25:24,008
And he goes,
"This is my apology.
1945
01:25:24,010 --> 01:25:26,020
"Once again, I am wrong.
1946
01:25:27,008 --> 01:25:28,028
JB Number One."
1947
01:25:29,000 --> 01:25:30,019
It was like...
1948
01:25:30,021 --> 01:25:31,020
that's it?
1949
01:25:31,022 --> 01:25:34,005
Okay, that's the apology?
1950
01:25:34,007 --> 01:25:35,021
It's not an apology, of course.
1951
01:25:35,023 --> 01:25:37,022
It's an acknowledgment
that he was wrong.
1952
01:25:38,008 --> 01:25:41,000
So I write, you know,
an apology for him.
1953
01:25:41,021 --> 01:25:43,025
Yuh:
He did send me a note.
1954
01:25:43,027 --> 01:25:45,013
It wasn't quite an apology.
1955
01:25:45,015 --> 01:25:48,016
"I'm sorry if I offended you,"
I believe is what he said.
1956
01:25:48,018 --> 01:25:50,011
But,
1957
01:25:50,013 --> 01:25:52,028
after I received that note,
1958
01:25:53,000 --> 01:25:55,007
is when he went on
the Howard Stern Show.
1959
01:25:55,009 --> 01:25:57,014
(recording playing)
1960
01:26:12,024 --> 01:26:15,007
♪ ♪
1961
01:26:15,009 --> 01:26:16,019
Esposito:
He made it worse.
1962
01:26:16,021 --> 01:26:19,028
He dug himself in
and he made it worse.
1963
01:26:20,000 --> 01:26:21,012
So, we had a meeting.
1964
01:26:21,014 --> 01:26:24,001
And there was a debate as to
whether we would fire Jimmy.
1965
01:26:25,015 --> 01:26:27,015
I objected. I thought
1966
01:26:27,017 --> 01:26:29,029
that was too big
a price to pay.
1967
01:26:30,001 --> 01:26:32,008
So, they said,
"Well, we'll suspend him."
1968
01:26:32,010 --> 01:26:34,002
At which point they
told me, "You do it."
1969
01:26:34,016 --> 01:26:36,009
I was like,
"Thank you very much.
1970
01:26:36,011 --> 01:26:38,013
I'm the youngest
person in the room."
1971
01:26:38,015 --> 01:26:40,021
So, I call Jimmy up,
and I say,
1972
01:26:40,023 --> 01:26:43,023
"Look, you're suspended,
two weeks."
1973
01:26:43,025 --> 01:26:45,023
He just lets me have it.
1974
01:26:45,025 --> 01:26:47,028
"You're just a clerk.
You were always a clerk.
1975
01:26:48,000 --> 01:26:49,003
You're no good."
1976
01:26:51,012 --> 01:26:54,001
Patrick:
I think the suspension
probably killed him,
1977
01:26:54,003 --> 01:26:57,004
'cause I don't think he had
a bigoted bone in his body.
1978
01:26:57,006 --> 01:26:59,022
We weren't brought up
to be like a lot
of the other people
1979
01:26:59,024 --> 01:27:01,015
in our neighborhood
who, you know,
1980
01:27:01,017 --> 01:27:02,028
were bigots. True bigots.
1981
01:27:04,014 --> 01:27:06,022
Costas:
Suppose I work next to you,
and you're 20 years,
1982
01:27:06,024 --> 01:27:08,006
and there's a general
level of respect,
1983
01:27:08,008 --> 01:27:10,003
and I didn't think
you didn't have
your fastball one day,
1984
01:27:10,005 --> 01:27:11,026
or you missed the point
and I say, "Jimmy,
1985
01:27:11,028 --> 01:27:13,028
that column
wasn't very good."
1986
01:27:14,000 --> 01:27:15,026
-Gonna take a swing...
-No, you don't come up and say,
1987
01:27:15,028 --> 01:27:18,004
"How could you
write such a thing?"
1988
01:27:18,018 --> 01:27:20,017
"How could write such a thing
about women," or something.
1989
01:27:20,019 --> 01:27:22,009
"How could you write
such a thing about men?"
1990
01:27:22,011 --> 01:27:24,011
I do what I please,
and you shut up, huh?
1991
01:27:24,013 --> 01:27:26,013
Do me a favor.
And that's the way it must go!
1992
01:27:26,015 --> 01:27:28,023
-I've got to--
-To anybody, or just
to Jimmy Breslin,
1993
01:27:28,025 --> 01:27:29,026
because he's
Jimmy Breslin?
1994
01:27:29,028 --> 01:27:31,012
Because I've gotta
do it tomorrow.
1995
01:27:31,014 --> 01:27:33,002
I don't know what
you're doing tomorrow.
1996
01:27:33,004 --> 01:27:36,003
I have to do my thing tomorrow,
and I don't wanna be bothered.
1997
01:27:36,016 --> 01:27:39,010
You know,
Jimmy is an impulsive
1998
01:27:39,012 --> 01:27:41,003
guy from the streets,
1999
01:27:41,005 --> 01:27:42,025
and I thought, you know,
2000
01:27:42,027 --> 01:27:45,000
he just made a huge mistake.
2001
01:27:45,002 --> 01:27:48,025
In anger, he said a really
dumb, destructive thing.
2002
01:27:49,016 --> 01:27:51,022
Eldridge: You know,
I said, how could you
have done that?
2003
01:27:52,013 --> 01:27:54,007
But he never realizes
2004
01:27:54,009 --> 01:27:56,020
the impact of what he
says on other people.
2005
01:27:56,022 --> 01:27:58,008
He doesn't.
2006
01:27:59,007 --> 01:28:01,028
I don't even know if
he knows what he said,
2007
01:28:02,010 --> 01:28:04,020
but he doesn't like it when
other people criticize him.
2008
01:28:05,013 --> 01:28:07,001
Esposito:
It's been said
of Breslin that
2009
01:28:07,003 --> 01:28:09,002
no sleight was too small
2010
01:28:09,004 --> 01:28:11,006
for him to elevate
to a feud.
2011
01:28:12,005 --> 01:28:13,022
That you are gifted,
2012
01:28:13,024 --> 01:28:16,022
that you are creative,
doesn't mean you're wise.
2013
01:28:16,024 --> 01:28:18,025
Doesn't mean you're balanced.
2014
01:28:18,027 --> 01:28:21,004
Doesn't mean you're
not an insecure,
2015
01:28:21,006 --> 01:28:23,018
sniveling little child inside
2016
01:28:23,020 --> 01:28:25,003
who takes
an insult from a rookie
2017
01:28:25,005 --> 01:28:27,002
and turns it into a war.
2018
01:28:27,022 --> 01:28:30,021
Like anyone who's
so self-involved,
2019
01:28:30,023 --> 01:28:32,026
that was part
of who he was.
2020
01:28:32,028 --> 01:28:35,010
Collins:
He was terrible in
many ways, but...
2021
01:28:35,012 --> 01:28:37,028
his sense of sympathy
2022
01:28:39,011 --> 01:28:40,023
was just amazing.
2023
01:28:40,025 --> 01:28:42,018
♪ ♪
2024
01:28:42,020 --> 01:28:44,029
Caldwell:
From the time that
I met Breslin,
2025
01:28:45,001 --> 01:28:47,020
he had such a feel
2026
01:28:47,022 --> 01:28:49,018
for the plight,
2027
01:28:49,020 --> 01:28:52,019
condition of black people.
2028
01:28:52,021 --> 01:28:54,004
Breslin wasn't
2029
01:28:54,006 --> 01:28:56,008
afraid to go into their homes.
2030
01:28:56,010 --> 01:28:59,003
He wasn't afraid to go
into their communities.
2031
01:28:59,005 --> 01:29:01,000
He asked me to take
him a lot of places.
2032
01:29:01,002 --> 01:29:02,002
"I want you to take me to
2033
01:29:02,004 --> 01:29:04,013
the roughest black
bar in this town."
2034
01:29:04,015 --> 01:29:07,005
And I told him,
if he went down there,
you might get hurt.
2035
01:29:08,007 --> 01:29:09,029
I can't defend you down there.
2036
01:29:10,001 --> 01:29:12,016
I don't even like
to go there myself!
2037
01:29:12,018 --> 01:29:14,013
We went down there,
2038
01:29:14,015 --> 01:29:17,003
and he went right
talking to people,
2039
01:29:17,005 --> 01:29:19,018
and they were acting
sensibly to him.
2040
01:29:20,003 --> 01:29:21,014
(typewriter clacks)
2041
01:29:23,000 --> 01:29:24,010
-(yelling)
-(glass breaking)
2042
01:29:24,012 --> 01:29:26,012
Reporter:
Demonstrators gathered
again near the site
2043
01:29:26,014 --> 01:29:28,007
of a car accident that
left a child dead,
2044
01:29:28,009 --> 01:29:31,002
and set off violence in
that Brooklyn community,
2045
01:29:31,004 --> 01:29:33,022
where blacks
and Hasidic Jews
live as neighbors.
2046
01:29:33,024 --> 01:29:36,019
(yelling)
2047
01:29:36,021 --> 01:29:38,028
Reporter 2:
Angry protesters
took to the streets,
2048
01:29:39,000 --> 01:29:40,029
tossing Molotov cocktails,
2049
01:29:41,001 --> 01:29:42,014
overturning cars,
2050
01:29:42,016 --> 01:29:44,000
setting fires...
2051
01:29:44,002 --> 01:29:45,022
Daly:
I remember coming home.
On the TV,
2052
01:29:45,024 --> 01:29:48,007
there's a picture of
a burning yellow cab.
2053
01:29:48,009 --> 01:29:50,022
I say to myself, there's
only one person on Earth,
2054
01:29:50,024 --> 01:29:52,028
first of all, who's dumb
enough to take a cab to a riot.
2055
01:29:53,000 --> 01:29:54,024
Second of all, could
get the cabbie to do it.
2056
01:29:54,026 --> 01:29:56,013
And I was right, it was him.
2057
01:29:56,015 --> 01:29:58,016
-(yelling)
-(police radio beeping)
2058
01:30:01,029 --> 01:30:04,004
(yelling continues)
2059
01:30:05,014 --> 01:30:07,016
(siren)
2060
01:30:09,029 --> 01:30:11,009
Breslin:
The cab I'm riding in
2061
01:30:11,011 --> 01:30:13,019
suddenly is running
into a wall of young
black kids.
2062
01:30:13,021 --> 01:30:15,022
-(yelling)
-(glass breaking)
2063
01:30:17,026 --> 01:30:20,027
Into the cab, they piled,
the young and the angry.
2064
01:30:22,020 --> 01:30:24,022
One of these young guys was
up on the hood of the cab,
2065
01:30:24,024 --> 01:30:27,000
and he swung a baseball
bat at the windshield,
2066
01:30:27,002 --> 01:30:29,023
until the windshield
turned seafoam green.
2067
01:30:30,022 --> 01:30:32,015
They were throwing
punches, holding me,
2068
01:30:32,017 --> 01:30:33,021
ripping up my clothes
2069
01:30:33,023 --> 01:30:35,024
for the only thing they
wanted at the moment.
2070
01:30:35,026 --> 01:30:37,010
Money.
2071
01:30:37,012 --> 01:30:38,011
(yelling)
2072
01:30:38,013 --> 01:30:39,022
Quinn:
They ripped
his clothes off,
2073
01:30:40,005 --> 01:30:41,021
and he's there
in his underwear.
2074
01:30:41,023 --> 01:30:43,026
Jimmy probably had, like,
the old-school underwear.
2075
01:30:43,028 --> 01:30:45,023
You know,
just those old-school,
2076
01:30:45,025 --> 01:30:47,020
you know,
tighty-whiteys and T-shirt.
2077
01:30:48,017 --> 01:30:49,027
Eldridge:
We had to go
to the hospital
2078
01:30:49,029 --> 01:30:51,028
to have stitches
in the eye.
2079
01:30:52,000 --> 01:30:53,005
He didn't make it
a big issue.
2080
01:30:53,007 --> 01:30:55,016
Other people made it
a bigger issue than he did.
2081
01:30:55,018 --> 01:30:57,027
The thing he made
a big thing of was
2082
01:30:57,029 --> 01:31:01,003
that what stopped
the crowd was some black man
2083
01:31:01,005 --> 01:31:03,006
there recognized Jimmy,
2084
01:31:03,024 --> 01:31:06,009
and pulled-- got
everybody away from him.
2085
01:31:06,011 --> 01:31:08,015
That was what was
important to him.
2086
01:31:08,017 --> 01:31:09,021
♪ ♪
2087
01:31:09,023 --> 01:31:11,018
Costas:
Did the irony of
this occur to you?
2088
01:31:11,020 --> 01:31:12,026
You spent a whole career...
2089
01:31:12,028 --> 01:31:14,027
-Breslin: Yeah.
-...as a champion
of blacks...
2090
01:31:14,029 --> 01:31:16,009
-Yeah, sure.
-...for decades,
2091
01:31:16,011 --> 01:31:18,012
putting their words
and their concerns
in the paper,
2092
01:31:18,014 --> 01:31:21,005
-and now, you were
just another white guy.
-So, what?
2093
01:31:21,023 --> 01:31:23,018
I've been for them
all their lives,
2094
01:31:23,020 --> 01:31:25,010
what do they care?
What does that mean?
2095
01:31:25,012 --> 01:31:27,005
You've been for me
all of your life,
2096
01:31:27,007 --> 01:31:28,025
well, you didn't do
very good for me,
2097
01:31:28,027 --> 01:31:31,000
I'll tell you that
'cause I'm still here.
2098
01:31:31,002 --> 01:31:33,020
(yelling)
2099
01:31:36,018 --> 01:31:37,028
Daly:
The cops came and
basically said,
2100
01:31:38,000 --> 01:31:40,016
"How do you like all your
stinking friends now, huh?"
2101
01:31:41,021 --> 01:31:44,002
Real happy you've been
championing these...?
2102
01:31:44,020 --> 01:31:46,024
Some cop said, "How do
you like the animals now?"
2103
01:31:46,026 --> 01:31:47,022
That was a cop.
2104
01:31:48,017 --> 01:31:50,018
-Interviewer:
What did Jimmy say?
-Fuck you.
2105
01:31:51,018 --> 01:31:53,007
Breslin:
I get down to
the police station.
2106
01:31:53,009 --> 01:31:54,022
They were standing outside.
"What happened?"
2107
01:31:54,024 --> 01:31:55,027
I says, get lost,
2108
01:31:55,029 --> 01:31:57,003
and I got in the cab
and went.
2109
01:31:57,005 --> 01:31:58,005
I didn't even want them.
2110
01:31:58,007 --> 01:31:59,024
I got beat up.
I wouldn't even go in there.
2111
01:31:59,026 --> 01:32:01,024
How do you like that?
Now that's carrying a feud good.
2112
01:32:01,026 --> 01:32:04,008
-You gotta gimme that, right?
-(laughing)
2113
01:32:05,006 --> 01:32:07,002
Payne:
Jimmy's an Irish American.
2114
01:32:07,004 --> 01:32:08,026
And the Irish,
over time, occupied
2115
01:32:08,028 --> 01:32:11,002
a dominant space in the
New York City Police Department.
2116
01:32:11,017 --> 01:32:13,012
Breslin:
People with
Irish backgrounds
2117
01:32:13,014 --> 01:32:14,011
in the city of New York
2118
01:32:14,013 --> 01:32:15,027
have hardly been
in the forefront
2119
01:32:15,029 --> 01:32:17,028
of the drive towards
civil rights. In fact,
2120
01:32:18,000 --> 01:32:19,024
they might have been on
the other side of the fence
2121
01:32:19,026 --> 01:32:21,014
too much and there was...
2122
01:32:21,016 --> 01:32:23,004
I've had quarrels
with them over that.
2123
01:32:24,002 --> 01:32:26,029
Barry:
He famously referred to
the Irish as having those
2124
01:32:27,001 --> 01:32:28,026
shopping center faces.
2125
01:32:28,028 --> 01:32:31,006
In other words,
the Irish had come up
2126
01:32:31,008 --> 01:32:33,006
and struggled in a city
that didn't initially
2127
01:32:33,008 --> 01:32:36,007
welcome them, and now,
we're not as receptive
2128
01:32:36,009 --> 01:32:38,010
to others who had
come up behind them.
2129
01:32:39,009 --> 01:32:40,019
Daly:
Crown Heights,
that just shows
2130
01:32:40,021 --> 01:32:41,025
that it was all genuine.
2131
01:32:41,027 --> 01:32:43,013
Here's a guy who actually
2132
01:32:43,015 --> 01:32:45,023
believes and feels
what he writes.
2133
01:32:45,025 --> 01:32:47,025
If you go and you read him,
2134
01:32:48,002 --> 01:32:50,019
you see what's wrong about us
2135
01:32:51,011 --> 01:32:53,001
and what's right about us.
2136
01:32:54,009 --> 01:32:57,024
Interviewer:
You didn't have even
a touch of bitterness about
2137
01:32:57,026 --> 01:32:59,026
the fact that you'd just gotten
the shit kicked out of you?
2138
01:32:59,028 --> 01:33:02,014
No, it's part
of the game!
2139
01:33:04,001 --> 01:33:05,021
I really believe that.
2140
01:33:09,019 --> 01:33:12,016
If Jimmy Breslin would just
put it down in plain words,
2141
01:33:12,018 --> 01:33:14,026
you know, short sentences,
and build,
2142
01:33:14,028 --> 01:33:16,023
build little bricks of beauty
2143
01:33:16,025 --> 01:33:18,015
from small little parts...
2144
01:33:19,017 --> 01:33:22,000
Pete Hamill was like Mahler.
2145
01:33:22,002 --> 01:33:25,003
♪ ♪
2146
01:33:26,029 --> 01:33:28,020
Hamill:
A great gray cloud
2147
01:33:28,022 --> 01:33:31,003
billowed in slow motion,
2148
01:33:31,005 --> 01:33:34,024
growing larger and larger,
like some evil genie
2149
01:33:34,026 --> 01:33:37,013
released into
the cloudless sky.
2150
01:33:38,016 --> 01:33:42,014
Sheets of paper fluttered
against the grayness,
2151
01:33:42,024 --> 01:33:45,002
like ghostly snowflakes.
2152
01:33:45,017 --> 01:33:49,000
Anybody who can place
you in the moment,
2153
01:33:49,002 --> 01:33:52,018
and make you feel what he
was feeling in that moment,
2154
01:33:53,000 --> 01:33:55,003
has done all the job
you can ever ask
2155
01:33:55,005 --> 01:33:56,020
for a reporter
or a columnist.
2156
01:33:56,022 --> 01:33:57,029
And Pete did that that day.
2157
01:34:01,018 --> 01:34:02,019
(inaudible)
2158
01:34:02,021 --> 01:34:03,029
Woman:
Oh my God!
2159
01:34:04,018 --> 01:34:07,019
-(rumbling)
-(people screaming)
2160
01:34:12,020 --> 01:34:14,026
Hamill:
I yelled to my wife, "Run!"
2161
01:34:14,028 --> 01:34:17,010
And we start together,
and this immense cloud,
2162
01:34:17,012 --> 01:34:20,017
perhaps 25 stories high,
2163
01:34:20,019 --> 01:34:22,002
is rolling at us.
2164
01:34:22,026 --> 01:34:26,004
Bodies come smashing
together in the doorway of
2165
01:34:26,006 --> 01:34:27,029
25 Vesey Street,
2166
01:34:28,001 --> 01:34:30,003
and I can't see my wife.
2167
01:34:30,005 --> 01:34:32,019
I keep calling her
name and saying,
2168
01:34:32,021 --> 01:34:35,018
"I've gotta get outta
here! Please, my wife!"
2169
01:34:36,020 --> 01:34:38,006
Go, go, go, go!
2170
01:34:38,008 --> 01:34:40,019
I thought he is following me.
2171
01:34:40,021 --> 01:34:42,008
Finally,
I turn back and,
2172
01:34:42,010 --> 01:34:44,004
"Oh my gosh,
he's not here!"
2173
01:34:44,006 --> 01:34:46,013
And I said, oh my gosh, I...
2174
01:34:46,015 --> 01:34:49,022
made the worst
mistake in my life.
2175
01:34:49,024 --> 01:34:52,007
I felt that I had
failed her somehow.
2176
01:34:52,009 --> 01:34:54,002
That I should've been with her,
2177
01:34:54,004 --> 01:34:56,020
hand in hand all the way.
2178
01:34:56,022 --> 01:35:00,010
♪ ♪
2179
01:35:00,012 --> 01:35:03,029
The street before us is
now a pale gray wilderness.
2180
01:35:05,000 --> 01:35:08,020
There is powdery white dust
in gutter and sidewalk,
2181
01:35:09,007 --> 01:35:11,013
and dust on
the roofs of cars,
2182
01:35:11,015 --> 01:35:15,003
and dust on the tombstones
of Saint Paul's.
2183
01:35:15,027 --> 01:35:18,014
Dust coats police
and the civilians,
2184
01:35:19,002 --> 01:35:20,016
white people and black,
2185
01:35:21,002 --> 01:35:22,014
men and women.
2186
01:35:23,006 --> 01:35:25,027
It's like an assembly
of ghosts.
2187
01:35:28,000 --> 01:35:30,016
(Hamill speaking)
2188
01:35:42,023 --> 01:35:45,000
That moment where
I opened the door,
2189
01:35:45,002 --> 01:35:47,010
and she was right
there coming out,
2190
01:35:47,012 --> 01:35:49,002
tried to find me.
2191
01:35:49,024 --> 01:35:50,020
Uh...
2192
01:35:51,021 --> 01:35:53,025
it was like, phew!
2193
01:35:53,027 --> 01:35:56,028
♪ ♪
2194
01:36:03,022 --> 01:36:05,004
-Woman (on phone):
Hi, Mr. Breslin.
-Hi.
2195
01:36:05,006 --> 01:36:07,027
I just finished
your daughter's book,
and I really enjoyed it.
2196
01:36:07,029 --> 01:36:10,002
I thought she was very
honest and courageous,
2197
01:36:10,004 --> 01:36:12,021
and I just wanted to know
how she's doing right now.
2198
01:36:12,023 --> 01:36:13,029
S'all right.
2199
01:36:14,001 --> 01:36:16,019
You know, this week,
fine. Thank you.
2200
01:36:16,021 --> 01:36:19,006
She's got a blood disease.
That's what that's about.
2201
01:36:19,008 --> 01:36:21,007
-(hospital chatter)
-(machine beeping)
2202
01:36:21,009 --> 01:36:23,010
♪ ♪
2203
01:36:29,024 --> 01:36:31,015
Eldridge:
You know, she was
sick for 16 years,
2204
01:36:31,017 --> 01:36:34,012
and he never
missed a visit.
2205
01:36:34,014 --> 01:36:35,016
Never.
2206
01:36:37,004 --> 01:36:39,021
Dunne:
Every doctor's appointment.
2207
01:36:39,023 --> 01:36:43,001
Every infusion.
Every transfusion.
2208
01:36:43,003 --> 01:36:45,011
Jimmy was there,
2209
01:36:46,011 --> 01:36:49,006
100%.
2210
01:36:49,020 --> 01:36:51,019
Culkin:
She had her mother's name,
2211
01:36:51,021 --> 01:36:55,014
and because Rosemary
pursued writing,
2212
01:36:55,016 --> 01:36:58,008
I think the apple of Daddy's
eye was exactly who she was.
2213
01:36:58,010 --> 01:37:00,011
(beeping)
2214
01:37:04,013 --> 01:37:05,029
Patrick:
What Tony Dunne
said to my father
2215
01:37:06,001 --> 01:37:08,003
while my sister Rosemary
was deathly ill,
2216
01:37:08,005 --> 01:37:10,009
he goes, "You know, JB,
we love you. I love you.
2217
01:37:10,011 --> 01:37:13,003
Rosie loves you."
And my father, he...
2218
01:37:13,005 --> 01:37:16,027
the word was hard to say.
But he gave you a little dip.
2219
01:37:16,029 --> 01:37:18,024
A little hit with
his right shoulder.
2220
01:37:18,026 --> 01:37:20,013
And that's a big thing,
2221
01:37:20,015 --> 01:37:22,012
to get the shoulder.
2222
01:37:22,014 --> 01:37:24,016
I knew exactly what that meant.
2223
01:37:24,018 --> 01:37:26,009
You know, it meant...
2224
01:37:27,008 --> 01:37:29,023
It meant, "Thank you.
I love you, too."
2225
01:37:29,025 --> 01:37:31,011
Interviewer:
But he would never say it.
2226
01:37:31,013 --> 01:37:33,004
I don't think he ever could.
2227
01:37:34,016 --> 01:37:36,000
I don't think he ever could.
2228
01:37:36,002 --> 01:37:39,014
♪ ♪
2229
01:37:39,016 --> 01:37:41,021
Maria:
His column after
Rosemary's death,
2230
01:37:41,023 --> 01:37:43,018
Jimmy had this vision.
2231
01:37:43,020 --> 01:37:46,015
In the last moments of
Rosemary's life that
2232
01:37:46,017 --> 01:37:48,018
her mother came to her.
2233
01:37:50,028 --> 01:37:53,007
(Breslin speaking)
2234
01:38:18,000 --> 01:38:21,001
...as if to the first
day of school.
2235
01:38:35,020 --> 01:38:39,010
♪ ♪
2236
01:38:45,025 --> 01:38:47,015
Eldridge:
He would always talk
about the fact that
2237
01:38:47,017 --> 01:38:49,022
three women
in his life died.
2238
01:38:49,024 --> 01:38:51,019
His wife Rosemary,
his daughter Rosemary,
2239
01:38:51,021 --> 01:38:54,000
and his daughter Kelly.
Always.
2240
01:38:54,026 --> 01:38:58,005
He would just say it.
"Three women in my life died."
2241
01:38:59,010 --> 01:39:01,011
Death's taken
a lot out of Jimmy.
2242
01:39:03,001 --> 01:39:05,009
Jimmy, Jimmy gets angry.
2243
01:39:05,011 --> 01:39:08,016
Jimmy's angry at the people
who've been taken from him.
2244
01:39:11,023 --> 01:39:14,014
Interviewer:
When are you absolutely
the happiest?
2245
01:39:17,017 --> 01:39:20,007
You're not put on this
Earth to be happy.
2246
01:39:20,009 --> 01:39:22,000
You're really not.
2247
01:39:24,002 --> 01:39:24,028
Eldridge:
Jimmy...
2248
01:39:25,010 --> 01:39:26,028
What do you want?
2249
01:39:27,000 --> 01:39:29,005
You have...
a thing about
2250
01:39:29,007 --> 01:39:32,004
people dying. I mean, you say
you don't have any feelings.
2251
01:39:32,006 --> 01:39:33,008
But, you know,
the other day,
2252
01:39:33,010 --> 01:39:35,000
we were looking up
a number in your phone book,
2253
01:39:35,022 --> 01:39:37,016
and you looked at
the page and you said,
2254
01:39:37,018 --> 01:39:40,011
"God, everybody's
gone." Right?
2255
01:39:40,013 --> 01:39:43,004
And what do you
do when they die?
2256
01:39:43,006 --> 01:39:44,028
You write what?
2257
01:39:45,000 --> 01:39:47,014
What's that? Oh, in
the book? What do I write?
2258
01:39:47,016 --> 01:39:49,010
-1-800-Heaven?
-Oh yeah.
2259
01:39:49,012 --> 01:39:52,010
-So what does that mean?
-That's his number.
2260
01:39:52,012 --> 01:39:54,005
So, you do believe
they're in Heaven?
2261
01:39:54,007 --> 01:39:56,011
I don't know.
I'm rooting for them.
2262
01:39:56,013 --> 01:39:58,025
I don't think they deserve
it, if I knew them.
2263
01:39:58,027 --> 01:40:00,017
(Eldridge laughing)
2264
01:40:00,019 --> 01:40:02,009
Interviewer:
Are you scared of dying?
2265
01:40:02,011 --> 01:40:04,013
Breslin:
No, it's too late.
2266
01:40:04,015 --> 01:40:06,007
I'm gonna be 87.
2267
01:40:06,020 --> 01:40:08,008
So, what does
it matter
2268
01:40:08,010 --> 01:40:11,006
whether I wanna go
or I don't wanna go?
2269
01:40:11,008 --> 01:40:13,019
The game-- (chuckles)
look at the scoreboard.
2270
01:40:13,027 --> 01:40:17,025
How exciting can it be when
you're in the last inning?
2271
01:40:17,027 --> 01:40:19,026
♪ ♪
2272
01:40:19,028 --> 01:40:21,011
(indistinct chatter)
2273
01:40:21,013 --> 01:40:22,024
One, two, three!
2274
01:40:22,026 --> 01:40:24,005
-(blowing)
-(laughing)
2275
01:40:24,007 --> 01:40:26,018
-Man: Give him a hand.
One for good luck.
-Woman: Woo hoo!
2276
01:40:26,020 --> 01:40:29,000
-(clapping)
-Happy birthday!
2277
01:40:29,002 --> 01:40:30,020
Look at that.
2278
01:40:30,022 --> 01:40:32,015
(indistinct chatter)
2279
01:40:32,017 --> 01:40:33,027
Jim, I'll talk to you later.
2280
01:40:33,029 --> 01:40:36,006
Yeah. I'll call you,
I'll give you a call.
2281
01:40:38,027 --> 01:40:41,017
(typewriter clacks)
2282
01:40:59,004 --> 01:41:02,005
Man:
There aren't anymore
Breslins and Hamills.
2283
01:41:05,001 --> 01:41:07,024
This was the
last expression
2284
01:41:07,026 --> 01:41:10,015
of great 20th-century,
2285
01:41:10,017 --> 01:41:12,025
muscular
American journalism.
2286
01:41:21,028 --> 01:41:24,014
Journalism that's gone.
2287
01:41:24,016 --> 01:41:26,002
It's gone.
2288
01:41:34,005 --> 01:41:37,024
♪ ♪
2289
01:41:37,026 --> 01:41:41,010
Hamill:
When I got the news
that Jimmy had died,
2290
01:41:41,012 --> 01:41:45,012
it was like 25, 30 people
had just left the room.
2291
01:41:47,006 --> 01:41:50,017
He had adapted
certain masks
2292
01:41:50,019 --> 01:41:53,000
to get through life.
2293
01:41:55,004 --> 01:41:57,000
I never mistook the masks
2294
01:41:57,002 --> 01:42:00,003
with the complicated
human being that he was.
2295
01:42:01,006 --> 01:42:04,013
-(typewriter clacks)
-(chatter)
2296
01:42:05,012 --> 01:42:08,020
Breslin:
I wrote the day seen
exactly as it was.
2297
01:42:08,022 --> 01:42:11,014
I always figured that
this was the only game.
2298
01:42:11,016 --> 01:42:13,023
Just go to any neighborhood
where the poor live,
2299
01:42:13,025 --> 01:42:15,026
and tell the truth
about what you see.
2300
01:42:17,011 --> 01:42:19,010
Please do not
put out a sermon.
2301
01:42:19,012 --> 01:42:21,014
That is for Sunday.
2302
01:42:39,013 --> 01:42:41,014
Avlon:
The old newsroom culture,
2303
01:42:41,016 --> 01:42:44,002
that he came out of,
certainly is gone.
2304
01:42:44,004 --> 01:42:45,019
But the heart of it
2305
01:42:45,021 --> 01:42:47,025
is absolutely real
and transcendent,
2306
01:42:47,027 --> 01:42:50,021
which is real reporting
with a ton of voice,
2307
01:42:50,023 --> 01:42:53,002
that comforts the afflicted
and afflicts the comfortable.
2308
01:42:53,004 --> 01:42:54,023
And that's eternal,
2309
01:42:54,025 --> 01:42:57,003
as long as the press is doing
its job in a free society.
2310
01:42:57,005 --> 01:42:59,010
The need for narrative
is never gonna go away.
2311
01:42:59,012 --> 01:43:02,003
It is why we've been
sitting around campfires
2312
01:43:02,005 --> 01:43:04,021
for 100,000 years,
listening to stories.
2313
01:43:04,023 --> 01:43:06,015
But it's gonna change form.
2314
01:43:06,017 --> 01:43:09,013
So, it may be the same
content in different bottles.
2315
01:43:09,015 --> 01:43:11,012
It's more democratic.
2316
01:43:11,014 --> 01:43:13,010
There's more public access.
2317
01:43:13,012 --> 01:43:16,007
On the other hand,
there's more public access
2318
01:43:16,009 --> 01:43:17,019
to a lot of bullshit.
2319
01:43:17,026 --> 01:43:19,004
You know,
I think if you hooked
2320
01:43:19,006 --> 01:43:21,012
the craft up to technology,
2321
01:43:21,023 --> 01:43:24,007
I think it would be greater
than we ever imagined.
2322
01:43:24,009 --> 01:43:26,007
I think you just get
older and you die.
2323
01:43:27,005 --> 01:43:30,003
It's over, and some other
guy will pick it up and...
2324
01:43:30,005 --> 01:43:32,003
do something that we've
never seen before.
2325
01:43:32,005 --> 01:43:33,025
I mean (laugh),
it's that simple.
2326
01:43:33,027 --> 01:43:35,006
There's always
gonna be new people.
2327
01:43:35,008 --> 01:43:37,015
Hopefully who take up the time,
2328
01:43:37,017 --> 01:43:39,007
and keep moving forward.
2329
01:43:39,009 --> 01:43:42,005
Whatever it is,
this chaos of the moment,
2330
01:43:42,007 --> 01:43:43,022
will resolve itself eventually,
2331
01:43:43,024 --> 01:43:46,025
and those people
will swim into place.
2332
01:43:46,027 --> 01:43:47,028
They're there.
2333
01:43:48,000 --> 01:43:51,010
♪ ♪
2334
01:43:52,025 --> 01:43:55,006
Hamill:
Journalism,
if it's any good,
2335
01:43:55,008 --> 01:43:57,015
becomes history.
2336
01:43:57,017 --> 01:43:59,001
(birds chirping)
2337
01:43:59,003 --> 01:44:01,007
It's always being adjusted.
2338
01:44:01,009 --> 01:44:05,001
It's always being
enriched by the new
people that come,
2339
01:44:05,003 --> 01:44:06,026
who, in turn,
get enriched by
2340
01:44:06,028 --> 01:44:08,025
the old people
who are here.
2341
01:44:12,004 --> 01:44:15,005
This tree is a
symbol of it.
2342
01:44:17,005 --> 01:44:20,010
This tree has
watched the change.
2343
01:44:20,012 --> 01:44:23,011
Has lived through it.
Has survived.
2344
01:44:24,006 --> 01:44:25,015
It's held up with help,
2345
01:44:25,017 --> 01:44:27,028
like most old creatures.
2346
01:44:29,028 --> 01:44:32,006
It's got a cable
running across it
2347
01:44:32,008 --> 01:44:34,007
to help some of the branches.
2348
01:44:35,000 --> 01:44:36,011
But, here it is.
2349
01:44:36,028 --> 01:44:39,004
And so this tree reminds us
2350
01:44:39,006 --> 01:44:41,007
of the passage of time,
2351
01:44:42,007 --> 01:44:44,014
and the ache we have,
2352
01:44:44,016 --> 01:44:46,024
and the joy we have,
2353
01:44:46,026 --> 01:44:49,025
being able to find out and say,
2354
01:44:49,027 --> 01:44:52,028
it's still here, God damn it.
2355
01:45:09,023 --> 01:45:12,024
♪ ♪
2356
01:45:46,002 --> 01:45:49,003
♪ ♪
2357
01:46:16,001 --> 01:46:19,002
♪ ♪