1 00:00:02,360 --> 00:00:05,800 Speaker 1: This is Alec Baldwin and you're listening to here's the thing. 2 00:00:07,240 --> 00:00:11,360 Speaker 1: My guest today is Russ Tamblin. In a long and 3 00:00:11,480 --> 00:00:15,560 Speaker 1: varied career, He's been a child actor and acrobat and 4 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:19,840 Speaker 1: MGM studio star who ditched the whole scene to become 5 00:00:20,040 --> 00:00:24,319 Speaker 1: a painter. After that, he was a successful choreographer and 6 00:00:24,360 --> 00:00:27,240 Speaker 1: then one of the stars of Twin Peaks. But you 7 00:00:27,320 --> 00:00:32,640 Speaker 1: probably know him as Riff, hard bitten, vulnerable and leader 8 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:36,960 Speaker 1: of the Jets. When you're a jet, you're agin all 9 00:00:37,000 --> 00:00:39,800 Speaker 1: the way from your first singer rent to your last 10 00:00:39,840 --> 00:00:43,720 Speaker 1: guy and day West Side Stories. Riff In nineteen sixty 11 00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:47,559 Speaker 1: one was the culmination of a long string of classic 12 00:00:47,720 --> 00:00:52,360 Speaker 1: teen roles. He was Elizabeth Taylor's little brother and father 13 00:00:52,479 --> 00:00:55,360 Speaker 1: of the bride, and the younger version of King Saul 14 00:00:55,840 --> 00:01:00,360 Speaker 1: and Cecil b de Mills, Sampson and Delilah. His through 15 00:01:00,440 --> 00:01:03,920 Speaker 1: role for MGM was the youngest of the namesake brothers 16 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:07,680 Speaker 1: in Seven Bribes for Seven Brothers, directed by the legendary 17 00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:12,679 Speaker 1: Stanley Donnin, fresh off Singing in the Rain, and you 18 00:01:12,800 --> 00:01:16,800 Speaker 1: can't we count Russ Tamblin's career without mentioning the long 19 00:01:16,880 --> 00:01:21,360 Speaker 1: string of young Tufts before Riff, the young gun Slingers, 20 00:01:21,600 --> 00:01:24,679 Speaker 1: the future Criminals, and the good for nothing Tony Baker, 21 00:01:25,080 --> 00:01:28,720 Speaker 1: who's really an undercover cop in the now classic anti 22 00:01:28,800 --> 00:01:35,400 Speaker 1: marijuana be movie High School Confidential. Hey you torching up. Look, 23 00:01:35,440 --> 00:01:37,320 Speaker 1: don't be a dry kitten. We don't want to get 24 00:01:37,319 --> 00:01:39,600 Speaker 1: caught with a reefer again. Had enough of the poke 25 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:42,039 Speaker 1: and all of that jazz. I'll get my kicks out 26 00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:45,280 Speaker 1: of you these days. However, he keeps it classy. You 27 00:01:45,400 --> 00:01:48,560 Speaker 1: got your martini. This is like so old Hollywood said, 28 00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:51,680 Speaker 1: as they come to my podcast and I get here 29 00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:55,120 Speaker 1: and they're like, he's in there. He's having a martini. Yeah, 30 00:01:55,560 --> 00:01:59,880 Speaker 1: well that'll help me to yak a little. Tamblin spent 31 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:03,720 Speaker 1: his earliest years in the middle class Inglewood neighborhood of 32 00:02:03,760 --> 00:02:07,040 Speaker 1: Los Angeles, son of a chorus girl and what he 33 00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:10,480 Speaker 1: calls a Broadway song and dance man who came West 34 00:02:10,639 --> 00:02:14,280 Speaker 1: to seek fame and fortune. The family arrived just in 35 00:02:14,360 --> 00:02:19,440 Speaker 1: time for the Depression. Eddie Tamblin made a few movies, though, 36 00:02:19,840 --> 00:02:23,600 Speaker 1: a good thing for his son's future and for American cinema. 37 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:26,040 Speaker 1: That's where I really got turned on. I think when 38 00:02:26,040 --> 00:02:28,239 Speaker 1: I was living in Englewood. One of his old movies 39 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:31,360 Speaker 1: was playing at a theater there, so I went to 40 00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:33,359 Speaker 1: see him and I saw him up on the screen 41 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:35,600 Speaker 1: and he was just like you do you know that? 42 00:02:35,919 --> 00:02:38,600 Speaker 1: Oh my god, I want to be there. And my 43 00:02:38,720 --> 00:02:43,119 Speaker 1: father said no, no, Um, my father did not want 44 00:02:43,160 --> 00:02:45,200 Speaker 1: me to be in show business. So what did he 45 00:02:45,240 --> 00:02:47,520 Speaker 1: want you to do? Well? He didn't care. He was 46 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:49,920 Speaker 1: not doing that well at that point, it was in 47 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:52,520 Speaker 1: the thirties. He did wanted to end up like him. 48 00:02:52,760 --> 00:02:55,320 Speaker 1: He had a hot dog stand. He sold hot dog 49 00:02:55,400 --> 00:02:57,079 Speaker 1: We had dinner that we used to go and eat 50 00:02:57,080 --> 00:03:00,520 Speaker 1: hot dogs at his hot dogs stand. And why didn't 51 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:03,160 Speaker 1: you stay away? Meaning when he said I don't want 52 00:03:03,160 --> 00:03:08,240 Speaker 1: you to do this, why did you persist? Um? There 53 00:03:08,280 --> 00:03:11,600 Speaker 1: was a theater in Englewood. I was about ten years old, 54 00:03:11,600 --> 00:03:14,240 Speaker 1: and I used to go to the Saturday morning matinees 55 00:03:14,320 --> 00:03:16,519 Speaker 1: with all the other little kids, and it was filled 56 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:19,800 Speaker 1: with kids yelling and screaming because of seeing my father. 57 00:03:19,960 --> 00:03:21,680 Speaker 1: I would get so excited and run up on the 58 00:03:21,720 --> 00:03:24,680 Speaker 1: stage and I would just like jump around and go 59 00:03:24,760 --> 00:03:28,320 Speaker 1: into a and I wasn't really dancing, but I would 60 00:03:28,400 --> 00:03:31,359 Speaker 1: jump around and make all the kids laugh, and they 61 00:03:31,360 --> 00:03:34,280 Speaker 1: were roaring, and I'd see that the owner of the 62 00:03:34,280 --> 00:03:37,000 Speaker 1: theater come running down the island. I'd leave off the theater, 63 00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:39,560 Speaker 1: and I was very very fast, so I could crawl 64 00:03:39,600 --> 00:03:42,720 Speaker 1: into the seats and disappear, and he couldn't find me. 65 00:03:43,040 --> 00:03:45,160 Speaker 1: And I came again. It was maybe like the second 66 00:03:45,240 --> 00:03:48,720 Speaker 1: or third time. Uh, Saturday morning. He was waiting for 67 00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:51,680 Speaker 1: me backstage, and I got up on the stage and 68 00:03:51,720 --> 00:03:53,360 Speaker 1: he came out and he grabbed me by the arm, 69 00:03:53,760 --> 00:03:55,920 Speaker 1: took me back in his office and called my mother. 70 00:03:56,160 --> 00:03:59,400 Speaker 1: And my mother knew that, uh, my father did not 71 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:03,520 Speaker 1: want me to be in show business, so she secretly 72 00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:08,080 Speaker 1: started me in tap dancing lessons at Hold. I was 73 00:04:08,120 --> 00:04:12,120 Speaker 1: about nine. You're a little kid, nine or ten. What 74 00:04:12,160 --> 00:04:14,680 Speaker 1: was it about your mom? Was your mom in the business? Oh? Yeah, 75 00:04:14,720 --> 00:04:16,839 Speaker 1: she was a show girl. That's where my mother and 76 00:04:16,880 --> 00:04:19,360 Speaker 1: father on Broadway. That's where they met at the road Show, 77 00:04:19,560 --> 00:04:21,320 Speaker 1: one of the shows, and she was in the line 78 00:04:21,360 --> 00:04:25,760 Speaker 1: and she um, she was only like sixteen or seventeen. 79 00:04:25,839 --> 00:04:28,719 Speaker 1: She lied to because she wanted to be in the show. 80 00:04:29,400 --> 00:04:31,320 Speaker 1: I think my mother had my older brother when she 81 00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:34,600 Speaker 1: was seventeen and had me when she was eighteen. How 82 00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:37,680 Speaker 1: many kids in your family? Two brothers, an older brother 83 00:04:37,680 --> 00:04:40,479 Speaker 1: who passed away and a younger brother who has a 84 00:04:40,520 --> 00:04:44,159 Speaker 1: group called the stand Els and uh rock and roll group. 85 00:04:44,200 --> 00:04:49,400 Speaker 1: And he's still around and still doing concerts and uh 86 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:53,560 Speaker 1: he deaf now, but he goes out, doesn't anything, and 87 00:04:53,640 --> 00:04:57,080 Speaker 1: he yells all over. But when you come and you 88 00:04:57,120 --> 00:04:59,599 Speaker 1: start making films, your first film as the Boy with 89 00:04:59,640 --> 00:05:01,919 Speaker 1: the green bean hair, isn't that Dean Stockwell, yeah, that 90 00:05:02,040 --> 00:05:10,320 Speaker 1: was Dean. We became friends and I think that's when 91 00:05:10,360 --> 00:05:13,039 Speaker 1: I was like nine or nine or ten. How do 92 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:15,599 Speaker 1: they find you then to be in a film? Oh? 93 00:05:15,720 --> 00:05:18,320 Speaker 1: I did a play at the corn at theater. The 94 00:05:18,360 --> 00:05:21,200 Speaker 1: first thing I did was a play directed by Lloyd 95 00:05:21,240 --> 00:05:25,000 Speaker 1: Bridges called The Stone Jungle, and I had a great 96 00:05:25,040 --> 00:05:27,279 Speaker 1: part in it, and I end up getting killed in 97 00:05:27,360 --> 00:05:30,159 Speaker 1: it and and it was killed a nine year old 98 00:05:30,160 --> 00:05:32,880 Speaker 1: boy in this play. Oh yeah, it was about kids 99 00:05:32,920 --> 00:05:35,640 Speaker 1: to go to a rock quarry and uh, there were 100 00:05:35,640 --> 00:05:38,880 Speaker 1: good actors in it. A talent scout came and then 101 00:05:38,920 --> 00:05:41,480 Speaker 1: he brought me over to audition for a couple of parts. 102 00:05:41,920 --> 00:05:44,680 Speaker 1: And the Boy with green hair, Joseph Losi, I think, 103 00:05:44,760 --> 00:05:48,000 Speaker 1: directed it, and uh introduced me to him, and uh, 104 00:05:48,360 --> 00:05:50,200 Speaker 1: I tried out for a couple of parts and didn't 105 00:05:50,200 --> 00:05:52,640 Speaker 1: get anything, and finally they just said, would you like 106 00:05:52,680 --> 00:05:54,960 Speaker 1: to be one of the kids in it? So I 107 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:58,320 Speaker 1: said yeah, and so I became one of the background 108 00:05:58,320 --> 00:06:00,640 Speaker 1: and kids in it, and that was my first movie. 109 00:06:00,960 --> 00:06:03,320 Speaker 1: You know, I always think of young people working in films, 110 00:06:03,320 --> 00:06:05,440 Speaker 1: and we have all kinds of protections now when we 111 00:06:05,480 --> 00:06:08,559 Speaker 1: have all kinds of laws and rules with the Union 112 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:11,839 Speaker 1: to protect young people and tutors and how many hours 113 00:06:11,880 --> 00:06:13,360 Speaker 1: they can work. But when you were a kid, what 114 00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:14,560 Speaker 1: was that like? How did they treat you? Were they 115 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:18,720 Speaker 1: affectionate and well? It was okay except for for Cecil b. 116 00:06:18,839 --> 00:06:30,520 Speaker 1: De Mill. Working for the Mill was Samson and Delilah. Yeah, 117 00:06:30,960 --> 00:06:34,680 Speaker 1: how are you then? About ten? I think I was 118 00:06:34,760 --> 00:06:37,920 Speaker 1: ten years old. I played King Saul as a boy. 119 00:06:38,000 --> 00:06:40,359 Speaker 1: You did four movies and this you do Boy with 120 00:06:40,440 --> 00:06:43,600 Speaker 1: the Green Hair, Rain of Terror, Kid from Cleveland. Your 121 00:06:43,600 --> 00:06:47,240 Speaker 1: fourth movie is Samson and Delilah. I mean, I'm a 122 00:06:47,320 --> 00:06:50,320 Speaker 1: sap for those epic movies. And it's Demil obviously, so 123 00:06:50,400 --> 00:06:52,000 Speaker 1: you see the other directors they might have been a 124 00:06:52,040 --> 00:06:54,279 Speaker 1: little more coddling and a little warmer to you. What 125 00:06:54,320 --> 00:06:58,520 Speaker 1: was Demill like? The Mill was like like you would expect. 126 00:06:58,600 --> 00:07:02,719 Speaker 1: He wore short pants, I guess, with high socks. He 127 00:07:02,800 --> 00:07:06,880 Speaker 1: had a stick. The voice of God, Samson and Delilah 128 00:07:07,760 --> 00:07:12,360 Speaker 1: was the Mill. So that was that was what general. Yeah, 129 00:07:12,400 --> 00:07:14,360 Speaker 1: And when I went in for the audition, I auditioned 130 00:07:14,360 --> 00:07:18,160 Speaker 1: with a paramount actor and it was this room. Um, 131 00:07:19,040 --> 00:07:20,480 Speaker 1: I remember it was a room and there was like 132 00:07:20,520 --> 00:07:24,080 Speaker 1: a big window, one way mirror. And when I finished 133 00:07:24,120 --> 00:07:27,480 Speaker 1: the scene, the doors came bursting open and out came 134 00:07:27,560 --> 00:07:30,480 Speaker 1: the Mill with his entourage, and he said, you got 135 00:07:30,520 --> 00:07:35,240 Speaker 1: the part, my boy, And uh, that was that was 136 00:07:35,280 --> 00:07:36,800 Speaker 1: a big one for him. You get to spend any 137 00:07:36,840 --> 00:07:38,800 Speaker 1: time with Victor maturege, you get to meet the adult. 138 00:07:39,840 --> 00:07:43,120 Speaker 1: What was he like? It was funnier than hell. He 139 00:07:43,200 --> 00:07:45,880 Speaker 1: was wild. People told me some p wouldn't even repeat 140 00:07:45,880 --> 00:07:47,480 Speaker 1: the stories I've been told about him. I've heard some 141 00:07:47,480 --> 00:07:49,760 Speaker 1: pretty He came in with a black eye one time, 142 00:07:49,880 --> 00:07:51,760 Speaker 1: and you know, and they had to put makeup on 143 00:07:51,840 --> 00:07:54,840 Speaker 1: his eye. And I asked him, I said, Jesus Vic, 144 00:07:54,880 --> 00:07:56,520 Speaker 1: how the hell did you get that? He says, I 145 00:07:56,600 --> 00:07:59,160 Speaker 1: went home last night and my wife punched me in 146 00:07:59,200 --> 00:08:01,400 Speaker 1: the eye, and I said, what's that for? You said, 147 00:08:01,440 --> 00:08:06,720 Speaker 1: that's for what you're gonna do. He was very mischievous. 148 00:08:07,080 --> 00:08:10,120 Speaker 1: He moved signs so that people would drive the wrong way, 149 00:08:10,200 --> 00:08:13,160 Speaker 1: and you know he was crazy. Oh yeah. And then 150 00:08:13,240 --> 00:08:15,920 Speaker 1: one of the things was was Hetty Lamar, and I 151 00:08:15,960 --> 00:08:20,200 Speaker 1: thought she was gorgeous in it, claimed Delilah. And I 152 00:08:20,280 --> 00:08:23,720 Speaker 1: remember sitting in a dressing room one time and mature. 153 00:08:23,840 --> 00:08:26,400 Speaker 1: I never forget this. His dog was with him. The 154 00:08:26,440 --> 00:08:28,480 Speaker 1: dog came into the dressing room and he went over 155 00:08:28,520 --> 00:08:30,960 Speaker 1: and started to lick Hetty Lamar's legs and he says, 156 00:08:31,120 --> 00:08:33,120 Speaker 1: get away from there. If I can't do that, you 157 00:08:33,160 --> 00:08:41,800 Speaker 1: can't do it. Hetty Lamar, Oh my god. She took 158 00:08:41,840 --> 00:08:43,800 Speaker 1: me to lunch one time. At on the lunch you 159 00:08:43,840 --> 00:08:45,640 Speaker 1: would like to go to lunch? I said, yeah, you know, 160 00:08:45,720 --> 00:08:48,680 Speaker 1: So I went to lunch with Hetty and she said, oh, 161 00:08:48,880 --> 00:08:50,800 Speaker 1: let's stop by this stage. I want you to see 162 00:08:50,840 --> 00:08:53,600 Speaker 1: something you'll you'll like. So we go into the stage 163 00:08:54,720 --> 00:08:57,880 Speaker 1: and it was Dan Martin and Jerry Lewis's first movie, 164 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:01,319 Speaker 1: My friend Irma and everybody. He was just in hysterics. 165 00:09:01,679 --> 00:09:04,320 Speaker 1: Jerry was smoking a cigarette and he got a bunch 166 00:09:04,360 --> 00:09:06,120 Speaker 1: of ashes under the end of the cigarette, and at 167 00:09:06,160 --> 00:09:09,840 Speaker 1: one moment he reached down an unsipped the pants and 168 00:09:10,960 --> 00:09:14,280 Speaker 1: flashes and everybody was just cracking up. He was like 169 00:09:14,320 --> 00:09:16,959 Speaker 1: that constantly, I'm gonna steal that. I love. That is 170 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:19,160 Speaker 1: then a good one. Now, you know, you know these 171 00:09:19,240 --> 00:09:22,880 Speaker 1: movies Boy with the Green Hair, Sampson, and Ala, these 172 00:09:22,880 --> 00:09:25,000 Speaker 1: are straight dramas. But then you get to do Seven 173 00:09:25,000 --> 00:09:29,199 Speaker 1: Brides and had you done much you know, your mother 174 00:09:29,240 --> 00:09:30,760 Speaker 1: wanted you to learn how to tap dance. Had you 175 00:09:30,840 --> 00:09:33,720 Speaker 1: done much hoofing, and you were much into the musical 176 00:09:33,760 --> 00:09:36,199 Speaker 1: world on stage. Well, let me explain to you how 177 00:09:36,200 --> 00:09:39,080 Speaker 1: I got it. To tell me. Okay, I did a 178 00:09:39,120 --> 00:09:43,400 Speaker 1: movie at Warner Brothers called Retreat Hell. Joseph H. Lewis 179 00:09:43,440 --> 00:09:46,280 Speaker 1: directed it, and I played a young marine in it. 180 00:09:46,760 --> 00:09:50,080 Speaker 1: And I had worked for him before in uh one 181 00:09:50,080 --> 00:09:54,240 Speaker 1: of his classic film the Wall Movies. Um, it was 182 00:09:54,280 --> 00:09:57,200 Speaker 1: a class crazy crazy. I think we're on a game 183 00:09:57,240 --> 00:10:02,120 Speaker 1: show here, and it was. It had one of the 184 00:10:02,440 --> 00:10:06,280 Speaker 1: classic bank robbery scenes in it. I don't know if 185 00:10:06,280 --> 00:10:09,440 Speaker 1: you ever saw it, but it was. It was the best. 186 00:10:10,120 --> 00:10:12,520 Speaker 1: The King Brothers came and said, Hey, I'm sorry, Joe, 187 00:10:12,800 --> 00:10:14,800 Speaker 1: you gotta shoot this in like a couple of hours. 188 00:10:14,880 --> 00:10:17,360 Speaker 1: We don't have the time, we have the money, broke, 189 00:10:17,720 --> 00:10:19,880 Speaker 1: so he didn't know what to do, so he just 190 00:10:19,920 --> 00:10:22,720 Speaker 1: stuck a camera in the back seat of the car 191 00:10:23,080 --> 00:10:25,640 Speaker 1: and shot over the back of their heads and they 192 00:10:25,679 --> 00:10:29,080 Speaker 1: actually drove to the bank all in one take, and 193 00:10:29,120 --> 00:10:31,000 Speaker 1: he parked the car that kept the camera in there 194 00:10:31,040 --> 00:10:33,600 Speaker 1: and showed him going in and then finally he came 195 00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:35,240 Speaker 1: out and there was like a policeman. Then I kept 196 00:10:35,400 --> 00:10:37,360 Speaker 1: jumped in the car and they drove. It was all 197 00:10:37,520 --> 00:10:39,840 Speaker 1: one shot, and they said that was one of the 198 00:10:39,880 --> 00:10:45,520 Speaker 1: best bankrupt scenes. It was by accident. So he took 199 00:10:45,559 --> 00:10:47,920 Speaker 1: the film that I did, Retreat Hell, which was a 200 00:10:48,880 --> 00:10:52,320 Speaker 1: Korean war film, and he showed it to MGM, and 201 00:10:52,360 --> 00:10:56,280 Speaker 1: I guess MGM was looking for actors to sign at 202 00:10:56,320 --> 00:10:59,000 Speaker 1: the time, so they signed me under contract and the 203 00:10:59,040 --> 00:11:01,120 Speaker 1: first movie I did it was to Take the high Ground. 204 00:11:01,200 --> 00:11:03,679 Speaker 1: I played a comedy character in it, and it was 205 00:11:03,720 --> 00:11:06,760 Speaker 1: a basic training movie where Richard Widmark teaches us all 206 00:11:06,800 --> 00:11:09,560 Speaker 1: how to and Karl mull and teach us how to 207 00:11:09,600 --> 00:11:14,959 Speaker 1: become good soldiers, which was great, and uh Simn Brides 208 00:11:15,280 --> 00:11:17,880 Speaker 1: came up. It was like the next film there and 209 00:11:18,040 --> 00:11:20,600 Speaker 1: Michael Kidd told the studio that he wanted all the 210 00:11:20,679 --> 00:11:24,400 Speaker 1: six brothers to be great dancers. And the studio said, 211 00:11:24,440 --> 00:11:26,840 Speaker 1: wait a minute, we have actors under contract here. So 212 00:11:26,880 --> 00:11:29,640 Speaker 1: I'll tell you what. You can have four great dancers 213 00:11:30,480 --> 00:11:33,720 Speaker 1: and two actors that are under contract. And I was 214 00:11:33,760 --> 00:11:36,640 Speaker 1: one of the actors that was under contract. And the 215 00:11:36,679 --> 00:11:40,160 Speaker 1: other actor was Jeff Richards who was a baseball player 216 00:11:40,320 --> 00:11:43,880 Speaker 1: before he became an actor who hated dancers. He is 217 00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:46,480 Speaker 1: one of the brothers. I said, let's go visit our 218 00:11:46,520 --> 00:11:49,720 Speaker 1: brothers without rehearsing. And he says, oh Jesus, do I 219 00:11:49,760 --> 00:11:51,160 Speaker 1: have to go over there and talk to all of 220 00:11:51,200 --> 00:11:54,720 Speaker 1: those fags. Oh god, yeah, that's how we felt. Yeah. 221 00:11:54,880 --> 00:11:57,480 Speaker 1: So we go over there and Michael Kidd came up 222 00:11:57,480 --> 00:11:59,240 Speaker 1: to me and he said, somebody told me you're a 223 00:11:59,280 --> 00:12:02,120 Speaker 1: tumbler that or an acrobat. I did a backflip for 224 00:12:02,200 --> 00:12:04,320 Speaker 1: him right on the spot. He says, oh my god, 225 00:12:04,360 --> 00:12:06,520 Speaker 1: we'll use it in the number. And I said, no, 226 00:12:06,640 --> 00:12:09,160 Speaker 1: wait a minute, I'm not dancing with Jack dem Loss 227 00:12:09,200 --> 00:12:12,240 Speaker 1: from New York City Ballet and Mathematics and Mark Platt 228 00:12:12,440 --> 00:12:15,199 Speaker 1: and I've never had any dance trading except for the 229 00:12:15,240 --> 00:12:18,000 Speaker 1: tap dancing. I said, I can't dance. He said, look, 230 00:12:18,240 --> 00:12:21,160 Speaker 1: this is just square dancing. All you gotta do is 231 00:12:21,360 --> 00:12:25,240 Speaker 1: lift your legs. So we do this number called Going 232 00:12:25,360 --> 00:12:34,559 Speaker 1: Courting Janie Powell trying to make gentleman out of us, 233 00:12:37,640 --> 00:12:42,400 Speaker 1: teaching everybody how to dance, and uh to get a 234 00:12:42,520 --> 00:12:45,560 Speaker 1: really professional dancer to look awkward, It's hard to do 235 00:12:45,600 --> 00:12:48,760 Speaker 1: because they automatically stand up in the fifth position. So 236 00:12:49,440 --> 00:12:51,600 Speaker 1: Michael had had the choice of either putting me way 237 00:12:51,600 --> 00:12:54,360 Speaker 1: in back of these great dancers. I ended up in 238 00:12:54,440 --> 00:12:58,800 Speaker 1: front of all the dancers looking awkward, just going crazy, 239 00:12:58,920 --> 00:13:02,560 Speaker 1: jumping around and then flipping up and falling down on 240 00:13:02,600 --> 00:13:04,840 Speaker 1: the floor saying keep your dancing. You know. That was 241 00:13:04,880 --> 00:13:07,520 Speaker 1: the end of the number. That number was just made 242 00:13:07,559 --> 00:13:10,080 Speaker 1: for me because I was learning how to do in Courton. 243 00:13:10,960 --> 00:13:14,200 Speaker 1: Going Courton was the number. And then, of course the 244 00:13:14,240 --> 00:13:16,640 Speaker 1: other big number was the Barn Dance number. We were 245 00:13:16,760 --> 00:13:19,240 Speaker 1: dancing on planks and stuff like that. That was up 246 00:13:19,320 --> 00:13:25,880 Speaker 1: my alley because I could do flips. I always get 247 00:13:25,880 --> 00:13:29,040 Speaker 1: the impression that those films it was a lot of work. Yes, 248 00:13:29,520 --> 00:13:32,720 Speaker 1: it was all one take. There were no cuts in it. 249 00:13:33,120 --> 00:13:36,839 Speaker 1: How was Donna? I'm a big admirer of his film 250 00:13:36,920 --> 00:13:41,440 Speaker 1: you are I thought he was overrated? Yeah, Well, we 251 00:13:41,480 --> 00:13:43,400 Speaker 1: had to shoot a bunch of stuff over again that 252 00:13:43,520 --> 00:13:46,320 Speaker 1: he did in that they put snow on everybody's faces 253 00:13:46,320 --> 00:13:48,240 Speaker 1: and it just looked like they forgot to put makeup 254 00:13:48,320 --> 00:13:51,520 Speaker 1: on in certain places. And I know he's done some 255 00:13:51,600 --> 00:13:55,160 Speaker 1: good films, but it was really Michael films. Other people 256 00:13:55,200 --> 00:13:57,640 Speaker 1: you think made him look good. Yeah, other people made 257 00:13:57,679 --> 00:13:59,920 Speaker 1: him again. And gene Kelly, you know, he was a 258 00:14:00,040 --> 00:14:02,480 Speaker 1: friend of gene Kelly's. When we had finished the Barn 259 00:14:02,600 --> 00:14:05,360 Speaker 1: Dance number and it was pretty well choreographed and everything, 260 00:14:05,559 --> 00:14:08,520 Speaker 1: we came back from lunch and Stanley came on the 261 00:14:08,600 --> 00:14:11,160 Speaker 1: stage with gene Kelly and said, I want you all 262 00:14:11,200 --> 00:14:13,720 Speaker 1: the run through the whole number from top to bottom 263 00:14:14,000 --> 00:14:17,000 Speaker 1: for Jeane. So we we did, and he was wonderful. 264 00:14:17,040 --> 00:14:19,560 Speaker 1: He just said, hey, guys, all I can tell you 265 00:14:19,640 --> 00:14:21,920 Speaker 1: is there's nothing else for you to do but cut 266 00:14:21,960 --> 00:14:30,600 Speaker 1: yourself in bleed. But let me just say this, beyond 267 00:14:30,640 --> 00:14:33,160 Speaker 1: the music, beyond Bernstein, who I worship. When I think 268 00:14:33,160 --> 00:14:35,920 Speaker 1: of West Side Story, I think of a young Natalie Wood. 269 00:14:36,360 --> 00:14:38,120 Speaker 1: And the other thing I remember is that you're not 270 00:14:39,480 --> 00:14:42,800 Speaker 1: the male lead in the show, and yet and I'm 271 00:14:42,800 --> 00:14:47,800 Speaker 1: not asking you pop off that screen man like ten 272 00:14:47,840 --> 00:14:53,720 Speaker 1: million dollars end to end. You kind of Sergeant Krupkey. 273 00:14:54,000 --> 00:14:57,560 Speaker 1: You gotta understand it's just all bring an update that 274 00:14:57,600 --> 00:15:01,320 Speaker 1: gets us out of hand. Our models, all junkies, our fathers, 275 00:15:01,360 --> 00:15:09,520 Speaker 1: all our drunks. Naturally, Officer, you got old swagger, you 276 00:15:09,760 --> 00:15:13,360 Speaker 1: become one of the stars of the film. Was that 277 00:15:13,480 --> 00:15:16,160 Speaker 1: Robert Wise's intention or did that just happen in the 278 00:15:16,160 --> 00:15:22,120 Speaker 1: cut of the film? Um, it was weird. I was 279 00:15:22,160 --> 00:15:26,520 Speaker 1: in the Army when um uh and on tour for 280 00:15:26,640 --> 00:15:28,480 Speaker 1: Tom Thumb. When I went to New York and I 281 00:15:28,520 --> 00:15:30,520 Speaker 1: saw a West Side story and I said, oh my god, 282 00:15:30,520 --> 00:15:33,080 Speaker 1: I want to do this. I bought the album, took 283 00:15:33,120 --> 00:15:36,400 Speaker 1: it back to UH, to Oklahoma where I was at 284 00:15:36,440 --> 00:15:38,440 Speaker 1: Fort So, how long are you in the Army? For 285 00:15:38,960 --> 00:15:41,440 Speaker 1: two years? You didn't have to go overseas on Oklahoma 286 00:15:41,440 --> 00:15:45,240 Speaker 1: and the whole time you were in Oklahoma and I 287 00:15:45,320 --> 00:15:49,600 Speaker 1: fucked up? What? Yeah, that's a good question, shooting blanks 288 00:15:49,640 --> 00:15:52,440 Speaker 1: at a sign that said I am the enemy? You know, 289 00:15:53,040 --> 00:15:56,440 Speaker 1: I mean the last thirty days. I took leave and 290 00:15:56,520 --> 00:16:00,320 Speaker 1: did a simmer Un in Arizona with Glenn Ford, and 291 00:16:00,320 --> 00:16:02,240 Speaker 1: then I had to go back to the Army, finished 292 00:16:02,280 --> 00:16:06,720 Speaker 1: it up, and I drove back and what happened was is. 293 00:16:06,760 --> 00:16:09,280 Speaker 1: I went over to United Artists where they were shooting, 294 00:16:09,680 --> 00:16:14,360 Speaker 1: and I auditioned as Tony. And I even auditioned with 295 00:16:14,360 --> 00:16:18,120 Speaker 1: with Mickey Callan who played Riff on Broadway. He played 296 00:16:18,280 --> 00:16:22,320 Speaker 1: my part on Broadway. I auditioned with several girls Anna 297 00:16:22,400 --> 00:16:26,640 Speaker 1: Murial Baghetti, uh was several actresses that were they were 298 00:16:26,640 --> 00:16:29,720 Speaker 1: off for the part of Maria and and I had 299 00:16:29,760 --> 00:16:34,360 Speaker 1: the same agent as as Robert Wise, so I had 300 00:16:34,360 --> 00:16:37,720 Speaker 1: a really close connection, you know, and I kept checking, well, 301 00:16:38,120 --> 00:16:41,120 Speaker 1: how's it going. Had they picked Tony? Is not yet, 302 00:16:41,400 --> 00:16:44,120 Speaker 1: Bob isn't sure what he he's not sure yet. But 303 00:16:44,520 --> 00:16:47,960 Speaker 1: finally he called me and he said, well, I'm sorry, 304 00:16:48,320 --> 00:16:52,040 Speaker 1: but they picked Richard Baymer to play the part of Tony. 305 00:16:52,280 --> 00:16:55,440 Speaker 1: But they said Richard. Yeah, I had no idea who 306 00:16:55,480 --> 00:16:58,080 Speaker 1: he was. They said, but they've offered you the role. 307 00:16:58,600 --> 00:17:00,960 Speaker 1: They've offered you the role of and I said Riff. 308 00:17:01,400 --> 00:17:03,800 Speaker 1: I said no, no, no, no. He said, you don't 309 00:17:03,800 --> 00:17:06,000 Speaker 1: want to do it, and I said, yes, I do 310 00:17:06,080 --> 00:17:08,800 Speaker 1: want to do it. You know, it's like really really quick. 311 00:17:08,840 --> 00:17:10,560 Speaker 1: I said, I really want to be in this film. 312 00:17:10,760 --> 00:17:12,440 Speaker 1: But I said, I don't think I can handle the 313 00:17:13,640 --> 00:17:17,840 Speaker 1: dancing is like incredibly difficult for Riff. But am I 314 00:17:17,880 --> 00:17:19,679 Speaker 1: glad I didn't do it. I mean, it's not a 315 00:17:19,680 --> 00:17:23,000 Speaker 1: good part, Tony. But when they offered me the part 316 00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:25,480 Speaker 1: of Riff, they wanted to see me both Bob and 317 00:17:25,560 --> 00:17:28,639 Speaker 1: Jerry Robbins. So I go to the studio and I 318 00:17:28,680 --> 00:17:30,520 Speaker 1: go in to see them and they're both sitting there 319 00:17:30,840 --> 00:17:34,240 Speaker 1: and the first thing that Jerry says to me, he says, now, Russ. 320 00:17:34,760 --> 00:17:37,520 Speaker 1: He says, I've seen your musical Seven Brides and the 321 00:17:37,520 --> 00:17:40,600 Speaker 1: Fastest Gonna Live where you dance on shovels. And he says, 322 00:17:40,840 --> 00:17:44,320 Speaker 1: on all your films, even comedies, you do tumbling. But 323 00:17:44,400 --> 00:17:46,320 Speaker 1: I kept to tell you right now, there'll be no 324 00:17:46,760 --> 00:17:50,320 Speaker 1: tumbling in this movie. There'll be none. And he said, 325 00:17:50,320 --> 00:17:52,960 Speaker 1: you're gonna have to do straight dancing. That's the way 326 00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:55,119 Speaker 1: the part is for Riff. And I said, all right, 327 00:17:55,160 --> 00:17:58,159 Speaker 1: I'll do That's what he told me. And I was 328 00:17:58,240 --> 00:18:01,440 Speaker 1: so Jerome. Robbins was because he was taken too long. 329 00:18:01,800 --> 00:18:05,360 Speaker 1: We were doing shots in New York, going like dancing 330 00:18:05,400 --> 00:18:10,200 Speaker 1: down two blocks, you know, and then of the West Sideway. 331 00:18:10,359 --> 00:18:12,280 Speaker 1: Then he then he would come back and get this 332 00:18:12,359 --> 00:18:15,120 Speaker 1: and he would say that was fine. And Robert Wise. 333 00:18:15,640 --> 00:18:18,119 Speaker 1: He would say that was terrific, that was great, printed 334 00:18:18,320 --> 00:18:20,120 Speaker 1: We're all done, And Jerry said, no, no, no, I'd 335 00:18:20,119 --> 00:18:22,080 Speaker 1: like to do one more, but I would like all 336 00:18:22,080 --> 00:18:24,879 Speaker 1: the dancers to do it on the other foot. So 337 00:18:25,000 --> 00:18:28,159 Speaker 1: Jerry so Robbins was the choreographer, not the director. Robbins 338 00:18:28,280 --> 00:18:31,360 Speaker 1: well the co director, but but they had an agreement 339 00:18:31,400 --> 00:18:35,040 Speaker 1: that Bob Wise would would do the dramatic scenes and 340 00:18:35,040 --> 00:18:40,000 Speaker 1: and uh, Robin Robins numbers, so do it on the 341 00:18:40,040 --> 00:18:42,000 Speaker 1: other foot. Now you may not know what that means. 342 00:18:42,280 --> 00:18:44,359 Speaker 1: That means instead of stepping on the left and kicking 343 00:18:44,400 --> 00:18:46,320 Speaker 1: to the right, you gotta step on the right, kick 344 00:18:46,359 --> 00:18:49,480 Speaker 1: to the left. You gotta do with the other way. 345 00:18:49,760 --> 00:18:52,520 Speaker 1: And so every all these dancers are walking around crazy. 346 00:18:52,840 --> 00:18:56,400 Speaker 1: So we were there in New York for Oh my God. 347 00:18:56,400 --> 00:18:58,879 Speaker 1: We are there for a month late, and by the 348 00:18:58,920 --> 00:19:00,760 Speaker 1: time he got back to l A, they closed the 349 00:19:00,800 --> 00:19:02,960 Speaker 1: production down. They said that's it. He had it in 350 00:19:03,040 --> 00:19:04,840 Speaker 1: his option that if it didn't work out for a 351 00:19:04,840 --> 00:19:07,399 Speaker 1: certain amount of time that he could be let go. 352 00:19:07,800 --> 00:19:09,760 Speaker 1: He was just gone. By the time we came back 353 00:19:09,760 --> 00:19:13,120 Speaker 1: to work, he was gone. And all the dancers were 354 00:19:13,200 --> 00:19:18,080 Speaker 1: like depressed. They've been complaining the whole time complaining about 355 00:19:18,119 --> 00:19:22,440 Speaker 1: how they'd rather have Jerry Robins and complaining, Yeah, it's 356 00:19:22,480 --> 00:19:25,160 Speaker 1: not like calling them names or anything. There was there's 357 00:19:25,200 --> 00:19:27,960 Speaker 1: a book written his biography is Dancing with the Devil, 358 00:19:28,359 --> 00:19:30,359 Speaker 1: you know. So, I mean, he just was a prick. 359 00:19:30,640 --> 00:19:33,960 Speaker 1: So it was until after he was fired that one 360 00:19:33,960 --> 00:19:38,479 Speaker 1: of his assistants, Tony Mordente, married Rivera, you know Tony, 361 00:19:38,720 --> 00:19:41,879 Speaker 1: and Tony took over. So Tony said, let's put some 362 00:19:41,960 --> 00:19:45,000 Speaker 1: tumbling back in the in the in the film, let's 363 00:19:45,040 --> 00:19:47,600 Speaker 1: put So that's when I in the dance all number. 364 00:19:47,720 --> 00:19:49,720 Speaker 1: I did the round off back with a full twist, 365 00:19:50,160 --> 00:19:55,320 Speaker 1: kept dancing and everything. And so later on Jerry Robins 366 00:19:55,400 --> 00:19:58,880 Speaker 1: had a show called Jerome Robbins Broadway and the kid 367 00:19:58,920 --> 00:20:01,800 Speaker 1: that was playing riff did a flip on the stage 368 00:20:02,160 --> 00:20:04,159 Speaker 1: and I saw that, and I almost had a heart attack. 369 00:20:04,200 --> 00:20:05,960 Speaker 1: I turned to buy, I said, did you see that? 370 00:20:06,280 --> 00:20:08,159 Speaker 1: So I couldn't wait to get back to stage, you 371 00:20:08,160 --> 00:20:09,919 Speaker 1: know what. I met him and he was so happy 372 00:20:09,960 --> 00:20:12,199 Speaker 1: to meet me, and I said, now I gotta ask you, 373 00:20:12,480 --> 00:20:14,600 Speaker 1: how were you able to do a flip on the stage. 374 00:20:14,600 --> 00:20:17,840 Speaker 1: He says, that was part of the audition. So I 375 00:20:17,880 --> 00:20:20,399 Speaker 1: give myself a pat on the back for that. Were 376 00:20:20,440 --> 00:20:23,040 Speaker 1: you ever seriously injured doing the work? You've done only 377 00:20:23,080 --> 00:20:27,000 Speaker 1: once in a Wonderful World of Brothers Grim, which was 378 00:20:27,040 --> 00:20:28,919 Speaker 1: in cinerama. So it was hard to do and I 379 00:20:28,960 --> 00:20:30,919 Speaker 1: had to roll down a hill and jump over the 380 00:20:30,960 --> 00:20:33,000 Speaker 1: camera and I think I hit the top of the 381 00:20:33,080 --> 00:20:37,400 Speaker 1: camera and cut my like Tom Cruise and mission impossible. Yeah, 382 00:20:37,640 --> 00:20:39,639 Speaker 1: did you know when you were doing the movie what 383 00:20:39,800 --> 00:20:41,919 Speaker 1: the movie was going to be? Did you know? I 384 00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:45,639 Speaker 1: knew I was doing a classic movie, but I didn't 385 00:20:45,680 --> 00:20:49,320 Speaker 1: know that it was gonna end up history as history 386 00:20:49,320 --> 00:20:51,520 Speaker 1: and as big as it was. It's an epic film, 387 00:20:51,680 --> 00:20:54,600 Speaker 1: and there's a lot of big stars, so like Glenn Ford, 388 00:20:54,680 --> 00:20:57,520 Speaker 1: there's like tons of them that are big stars that 389 00:20:57,600 --> 00:21:00,800 Speaker 1: have never really had an epic phil you know that 390 00:21:00,880 --> 00:21:03,719 Speaker 1: they could hang their shirt on a big movie. I mean, 391 00:21:03,760 --> 00:21:07,400 Speaker 1: you think Georgia Carriss, you know, think what else has 392 00:21:07,440 --> 00:21:11,600 Speaker 1: he done? West Side Story is his premier and because 393 00:21:11,640 --> 00:21:14,679 Speaker 1: of that, we got to go to Grummin's Chinese and 394 00:21:14,720 --> 00:21:17,760 Speaker 1: get our hands and feet as it should cement, you know, 395 00:21:17,840 --> 00:21:22,680 Speaker 1: which was pretty pretty much of a trip. Actor dancer 396 00:21:23,040 --> 00:21:27,400 Speaker 1: West Side Story star Russ Tamblin another Here's the Thing. 397 00:21:27,480 --> 00:21:30,760 Speaker 1: Guest who came up through the old Hollywood studio system 398 00:21:30,920 --> 00:21:33,600 Speaker 1: is Robert Osborne, who, before he was the host of 399 00:21:33,640 --> 00:21:37,480 Speaker 1: Turner Classic Movies, was a member of Lucille Ball's stable 400 00:21:37,520 --> 00:21:41,920 Speaker 1: of actors at Desilu Studios in the nineties. It didn't 401 00:21:41,960 --> 00:21:44,760 Speaker 1: pay us much money at all, but it was like 402 00:21:44,800 --> 00:21:48,760 Speaker 1: a masterclass for me because Lucy took us under her wing. 403 00:21:49,080 --> 00:21:52,560 Speaker 1: Now DESI at this point was womanizing. He wasn't around much, 404 00:21:53,160 --> 00:21:56,280 Speaker 1: so she would show us I love Lucy, show she'd 405 00:21:56,280 --> 00:21:59,480 Speaker 1: done bad ones and show us why they didn't work. 406 00:21:59,800 --> 00:22:01,640 Speaker 1: They show us a good one and why it did work. 407 00:22:01,640 --> 00:22:06,000 Speaker 1: I wanted to share with something. The rest of my 408 00:22:06,160 --> 00:22:10,280 Speaker 1: interview with Robert Osborne is in our archives that Here's 409 00:22:10,320 --> 00:22:15,280 Speaker 1: the Thing dot Org Tamblin talks life after Riff coming up. 410 00:22:27,480 --> 00:22:30,520 Speaker 1: This is Alec Baldwin. You're listening to Here's the Thing, 411 00:22:30,920 --> 00:22:34,720 Speaker 1: and we're back with my guest, Russ Tamblin. West Side 412 00:22:34,760 --> 00:22:38,919 Speaker 1: Story director Robert Wise made a surprising choice to follow 413 00:22:39,000 --> 00:22:42,040 Speaker 1: up his musical mega hit. It was a genre film 414 00:22:42,080 --> 00:22:46,600 Speaker 1: co starring Julie Harris and Claire Bloom, a supernatural horror 415 00:22:46,640 --> 00:22:50,600 Speaker 1: project called The Haunting Tamblin decided to join the cast, 416 00:22:51,040 --> 00:22:53,840 Speaker 1: but it took some convincing. I don't even think I 417 00:22:53,880 --> 00:22:55,840 Speaker 1: wanted to do it at the beginning, because I was 418 00:22:55,920 --> 00:22:58,520 Speaker 1: the one person in the haunting that that wasn't one 419 00:22:58,560 --> 00:23:01,879 Speaker 1: of the strange people that had some sort of psychological 420 00:23:02,160 --> 00:23:05,399 Speaker 1: damage damage, you know. I was just a guy that 421 00:23:05,480 --> 00:23:08,320 Speaker 1: was going to inherit. The house turned it down at first, 422 00:23:08,400 --> 00:23:11,399 Speaker 1: to tell you the truth, but then MGM said, you know, 423 00:23:11,520 --> 00:23:14,639 Speaker 1: Bob really wants you, and unfortunately we're gonna have to 424 00:23:14,680 --> 00:23:16,639 Speaker 1: put you on what is it where they where you 425 00:23:16,680 --> 00:23:19,000 Speaker 1: don't get paid for a bunch of months, you know, 426 00:23:19,040 --> 00:23:22,040 Speaker 1: And so I said, well, their salary, Maybe i'll read 427 00:23:22,080 --> 00:23:25,199 Speaker 1: the script again. So I decided to do it. And 428 00:23:25,240 --> 00:23:27,920 Speaker 1: I was in the south of France and then doing 429 00:23:27,960 --> 00:23:30,239 Speaker 1: some other movie when he offered it to me. So 430 00:23:30,280 --> 00:23:35,320 Speaker 1: I flew back to England and uh, and that's where 431 00:23:35,320 --> 00:23:37,639 Speaker 1: we did the haunting. And we did it just in 432 00:23:37,680 --> 00:23:43,280 Speaker 1: this amazing place which was in Stratford upon Avon, and 433 00:23:43,320 --> 00:23:46,600 Speaker 1: they found this house that had been it was actually 434 00:23:46,680 --> 00:23:51,919 Speaker 1: like a big manner that had been haunted for you know, 435 00:23:52,480 --> 00:23:55,960 Speaker 1: hundreds of years, and it was all run down and 436 00:23:55,960 --> 00:23:59,280 Speaker 1: there were weeds growing everywhere, and uh, it was an 437 00:23:59,280 --> 00:24:03,959 Speaker 1: incredible place. So it was it was quite amazing. So 438 00:24:04,000 --> 00:24:07,400 Speaker 1: what was the set of that on the Haunting? It 439 00:24:07,440 --> 00:24:10,000 Speaker 1: was incredible. I mean a lot of it was shot 440 00:24:10,040 --> 00:24:13,600 Speaker 1: at Elstree. The the interior of the house was shot 441 00:24:13,600 --> 00:24:16,760 Speaker 1: at Elstreet where they could really really work it out 442 00:24:16,800 --> 00:24:21,480 Speaker 1: better when we mainly use the outside of the hotel, 443 00:24:22,240 --> 00:24:26,919 Speaker 1: uh for um for shooting the openings and everything. But 444 00:24:27,040 --> 00:24:30,040 Speaker 1: I had this experience one night and we were staying 445 00:24:30,080 --> 00:24:32,240 Speaker 1: there the night. We only stayed there one night, and 446 00:24:32,359 --> 00:24:34,640 Speaker 1: my bedroom was right above where they were shooting, where 447 00:24:34,680 --> 00:24:37,920 Speaker 1: the entrance was, so there were arc lights and they 448 00:24:37,920 --> 00:24:41,399 Speaker 1: were shooting out front and I wasn't working then and 449 00:24:41,400 --> 00:24:43,480 Speaker 1: and I these lights kept coming on and I could 450 00:24:43,520 --> 00:24:46,199 Speaker 1: hear the noise, and ah, ship, I'm gonna go just 451 00:24:46,240 --> 00:24:47,960 Speaker 1: take a walk in the back and see there was 452 00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:51,679 Speaker 1: supposed to have been a ghost in the back. And uh, 453 00:24:51,960 --> 00:24:53,920 Speaker 1: there was like a path that went up and there 454 00:24:53,960 --> 00:24:55,960 Speaker 1: was a little graveyard up there, and there was like 455 00:24:56,000 --> 00:25:00,240 Speaker 1: a eight year old that was murdered. And so I 456 00:25:00,320 --> 00:25:02,360 Speaker 1: decided I'd walk up there. And they say, well, that's 457 00:25:02,359 --> 00:25:05,080 Speaker 1: where you where the ghost is, you know, So and 458 00:25:05,160 --> 00:25:07,280 Speaker 1: I would said I'd love to see a ghost. I 459 00:25:07,280 --> 00:25:10,080 Speaker 1: thought that would be really really cool. So I go 460 00:25:10,160 --> 00:25:13,439 Speaker 1: out the back and it was pitch dark. I couldn't 461 00:25:13,480 --> 00:25:16,760 Speaker 1: see a thing, so I had to walk backwards because 462 00:25:16,800 --> 00:25:18,919 Speaker 1: the arc lights from the other side of the building 463 00:25:19,160 --> 00:25:22,359 Speaker 1: were lighting up the stone path, so I could walk 464 00:25:22,440 --> 00:25:24,880 Speaker 1: backwards and see where I was where I was going. 465 00:25:25,240 --> 00:25:27,200 Speaker 1: I got up to a certain point and all of 466 00:25:27,240 --> 00:25:29,919 Speaker 1: a sudden, I felt like somebody put a brick of 467 00:25:29,960 --> 00:25:32,280 Speaker 1: ice on the back of my neck. I swear to god, 468 00:25:32,960 --> 00:25:35,879 Speaker 1: I never told anybody this, never told any of the 469 00:25:35,920 --> 00:25:38,639 Speaker 1: cast and getting the exclusive and I said, you know what, 470 00:25:39,119 --> 00:25:41,720 Speaker 1: if I turn around right now, I'm going to see 471 00:25:41,720 --> 00:25:44,760 Speaker 1: a ghost. I mean I felt that really strongly. Because 472 00:25:44,800 --> 00:25:47,200 Speaker 1: of that, it was like freezing right in the back 473 00:25:47,200 --> 00:25:50,480 Speaker 1: of my neck. So instead I just high tailed it 474 00:25:50,560 --> 00:25:53,120 Speaker 1: back and went to bed. And I thought, you could 475 00:25:53,119 --> 00:25:56,440 Speaker 1: really run back. I can't that. I can't tell anybody 476 00:25:56,480 --> 00:25:59,639 Speaker 1: about this ever, and I didn't didn't tell any I 477 00:25:59,680 --> 00:26:01,439 Speaker 1: was in my house on Long Island. Someone told me 478 00:26:01,480 --> 00:26:03,520 Speaker 1: that my house had a ghost. And one night I'm 479 00:26:03,600 --> 00:26:05,760 Speaker 1: laying in bed and I hear these voices in my house. 480 00:26:05,800 --> 00:26:07,399 Speaker 1: I swear to god, I heard people talking and I 481 00:26:07,400 --> 00:26:10,679 Speaker 1: heard a woman like raising her voice, and I listened 482 00:26:10,720 --> 00:26:12,320 Speaker 1: to it, and I listened to it. It's two in 483 00:26:12,359 --> 00:26:14,320 Speaker 1: the morning, a's three in the morning, and I'm insomnia. 484 00:26:14,359 --> 00:26:16,600 Speaker 1: I got have bed in zomnia and I jumped out 485 00:26:16,600 --> 00:26:18,600 Speaker 1: of my bed. I swear to god, I jumped out 486 00:26:18,600 --> 00:26:21,199 Speaker 1: of my bed and I started screaming. I started screaming 487 00:26:21,200 --> 00:26:23,480 Speaker 1: at the top of my lungs. Come on, you want 488 00:26:23,480 --> 00:26:26,919 Speaker 1: to funk with me? Come on, show yourself. Don't you 489 00:26:27,119 --> 00:26:29,560 Speaker 1: fucking hide for me? Come on out and showed me 490 00:26:29,600 --> 00:26:32,320 Speaker 1: your face. I go nuts in my bedroom of my 491 00:26:32,359 --> 00:26:34,560 Speaker 1: house on Long This is about twenty years ago. Anyway, 492 00:26:35,080 --> 00:26:39,040 Speaker 1: very soon in the timeline of the business, paint your 493 00:26:39,080 --> 00:26:43,600 Speaker 1: wagon as a flop, Finian's Rainbow as a flop. And 494 00:26:43,640 --> 00:26:46,320 Speaker 1: in that seem easy Rider comes up and it's the 495 00:26:46,359 --> 00:26:49,199 Speaker 1: death of the musical as we know it in from Hollywood. 496 00:26:49,680 --> 00:26:51,359 Speaker 1: How did you feel during that period? Whre you get 497 00:26:51,400 --> 00:26:54,600 Speaker 1: to the late sixties and everything becomes the countercultural thing 498 00:26:54,600 --> 00:26:58,359 Speaker 1: in Nicholson and five Easy Paces and all everything becomes 499 00:26:58,359 --> 00:27:02,680 Speaker 1: a little more. I dropped out. I actually dropped out 500 00:27:02,680 --> 00:27:06,679 Speaker 1: of show business. UH, moved to to Panga and UH 501 00:27:06,960 --> 00:27:11,280 Speaker 1: and got into fine art as opposed to do that. 502 00:27:11,480 --> 00:27:15,480 Speaker 1: Oh boy, I was out for years. For several years, 503 00:27:15,520 --> 00:27:18,320 Speaker 1: I did nothing. Uh. The last movie I did, I 504 00:27:18,359 --> 00:27:21,920 Speaker 1: think was The Long Ships, a movie with Sydney Portier 505 00:27:22,040 --> 00:27:27,080 Speaker 1: and and wind Mark and and um. Then I dropped 506 00:27:27,080 --> 00:27:29,159 Speaker 1: out and I went I went up to to Panga 507 00:27:29,240 --> 00:27:33,439 Speaker 1: and got into I met an artist, Wallace Berman. I 508 00:27:33,440 --> 00:27:38,120 Speaker 1: got involved with like Alan Ginsburg and uh, Michael McClure, 509 00:27:38,359 --> 00:27:42,520 Speaker 1: the poet, uh. And I got involved with a lot 510 00:27:42,560 --> 00:27:45,480 Speaker 1: of those people, and I got turned onto fine art 511 00:27:45,920 --> 00:27:49,160 Speaker 1: as opposed to the performing. You've got quite a few 512 00:27:49,200 --> 00:27:52,520 Speaker 1: credits after them. Yeah. Yeah, but there b movies. I 513 00:27:52,520 --> 00:27:55,040 Speaker 1: did them just for some money so I could support myself. 514 00:27:55,280 --> 00:27:57,159 Speaker 1: But I didn't give a funk what I did. I 515 00:27:57,680 --> 00:27:59,760 Speaker 1: just did them, you know. I did him in there, 516 00:28:00,119 --> 00:28:02,400 Speaker 1: made up my own line and a lot of them, 517 00:28:02,600 --> 00:28:05,760 Speaker 1: and uh, they were happy to have you. Yeah, Oh, 518 00:28:05,800 --> 00:28:09,480 Speaker 1: they were thrilled to have me. But I did well 519 00:28:09,520 --> 00:28:12,280 Speaker 1: in the fine art. I did had shows and I 520 00:28:12,320 --> 00:28:14,920 Speaker 1: did we still doing that soul art well when I 521 00:28:14,960 --> 00:28:16,680 Speaker 1: get a chance. I've been writing my book for the 522 00:28:16,760 --> 00:28:19,479 Speaker 1: last twenty years, by the way, it's called Dance on 523 00:28:19,520 --> 00:28:22,600 Speaker 1: the Edge. When's it coming out early next year? We 524 00:28:22,720 --> 00:28:26,639 Speaker 1: finished it, and Bonnie is is putting in all of photos. Now, 525 00:28:26,640 --> 00:28:30,199 Speaker 1: we got tons of photos that we're putting. Tell you 526 00:28:30,280 --> 00:28:33,840 Speaker 1: one of the stories about West Side Story. When um 527 00:28:35,040 --> 00:28:37,800 Speaker 1: we finished and and I was friends with Natalie and 528 00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:40,720 Speaker 1: UH and r J. And they came out to the 529 00:28:40,720 --> 00:28:43,400 Speaker 1: beach house one time to have dinner. And we had 530 00:28:43,440 --> 00:28:47,720 Speaker 1: dinner and we were we were drinking and UH and 531 00:28:47,720 --> 00:28:50,360 Speaker 1: and Tony Bardente was came came to. He was a 532 00:28:50,360 --> 00:28:52,840 Speaker 1: friend of Natalie's. And so we're all sitting around, We're 533 00:28:52,840 --> 00:28:55,760 Speaker 1: having a few drinks, and I got this crazy idea. 534 00:28:55,840 --> 00:28:57,560 Speaker 1: It was just because I had done it one time 535 00:28:57,600 --> 00:29:01,000 Speaker 1: at Anthony Quinn's house up in Oxen RD. He had 536 00:29:01,000 --> 00:29:04,160 Speaker 1: a big ranch and I went there and we were 537 00:29:04,200 --> 00:29:07,200 Speaker 1: out in the back and he was barbecuing and and 538 00:29:07,200 --> 00:29:09,760 Speaker 1: he said, let's play. You ask somebody a question and 539 00:29:09,800 --> 00:29:12,200 Speaker 1: you have to tell the truth. So I said, let's 540 00:29:12,200 --> 00:29:14,840 Speaker 1: play that. So we started doing it with Natalie and 541 00:29:14,840 --> 00:29:17,680 Speaker 1: and r J. We went around the room and I thought, well, 542 00:29:17,680 --> 00:29:19,880 Speaker 1: I'm gonna liven up. So I thought for sure that 543 00:29:19,920 --> 00:29:23,080 Speaker 1: I knew the answer to this. So I said to Natalie. 544 00:29:23,080 --> 00:29:26,200 Speaker 1: I said, Natalie, and that if you had your choice 545 00:29:27,240 --> 00:29:30,920 Speaker 1: of getting an Academy Award for west Side story getting 546 00:29:30,920 --> 00:29:34,360 Speaker 1: an Academy Award. But in order to get the Academy Award, 547 00:29:34,600 --> 00:29:38,280 Speaker 1: you would have to divorce r J, you know? Or 548 00:29:38,320 --> 00:29:42,560 Speaker 1: would you rather keep your marriage with r J? You know? 549 00:29:42,840 --> 00:29:45,840 Speaker 1: And and so she thought about it for a second. 550 00:29:45,920 --> 00:29:52,440 Speaker 1: She said, I'll take the Academy award. That's a true story. 551 00:29:53,480 --> 00:29:56,200 Speaker 1: I was so surprised. I mean, I thought, sure, did 552 00:29:56,320 --> 00:30:00,800 Speaker 1: RJ nod? He pounded the table, he ethically, broke a 553 00:30:00,840 --> 00:30:03,720 Speaker 1: bottle again, he rang the back. And I was living 554 00:30:03,760 --> 00:30:05,760 Speaker 1: at the beach out, a beach out, and he ran 555 00:30:05,840 --> 00:30:08,680 Speaker 1: down to the beach and Tony went to help him. 556 00:30:08,960 --> 00:30:11,080 Speaker 1: And I was sitting there with Navig. I said, Ned, 557 00:30:11,360 --> 00:30:13,880 Speaker 1: why did you say that? She said why? She said, well, 558 00:30:13,920 --> 00:30:15,960 Speaker 1: I thought about it, and I thought, you know, it 559 00:30:16,040 --> 00:30:18,440 Speaker 1: maybe my only chance to get an Academy ward. I 560 00:30:18,440 --> 00:30:21,720 Speaker 1: could always marry r J again. But they came back up, 561 00:30:21,800 --> 00:30:25,280 Speaker 1: and uh, I thought about that story when you know, 562 00:30:25,480 --> 00:30:27,280 Speaker 1: with that big deal that they had on the yacht 563 00:30:27,320 --> 00:30:29,640 Speaker 1: where she drowned and they had a big fight and 564 00:30:29,680 --> 00:30:31,640 Speaker 1: all that. Yeah, and I don't know what. He was 565 00:30:31,760 --> 00:30:33,160 Speaker 1: very much in love with her. Yeah, you could tell 566 00:30:33,200 --> 00:30:35,040 Speaker 1: he was a little Oh yeah, he was. He was 567 00:30:35,080 --> 00:30:37,480 Speaker 1: really possessed by But I went go to dinner with 568 00:30:37,520 --> 00:30:39,280 Speaker 1: people in New York and I noticed to play a game, 569 00:30:39,680 --> 00:30:41,840 Speaker 1: and I'd say, and my friends back then, this is 570 00:30:41,880 --> 00:30:43,600 Speaker 1: like ten fifteen years ago. They were all ten years 571 00:30:43,640 --> 00:30:46,240 Speaker 1: older than me, So I'm fifty there, sixty there, seventy, 572 00:30:46,520 --> 00:30:48,320 Speaker 1: and I'd have like, I went with a friend of 573 00:30:48,320 --> 00:30:51,840 Speaker 1: mine and his wife and two couples that were friends 574 00:30:51,840 --> 00:30:53,560 Speaker 1: of his. So I'm gonna table. There's eight of us there. 575 00:30:53,600 --> 00:30:55,920 Speaker 1: I'm the youngest one that everybody's in their seventies. And 576 00:30:55,960 --> 00:30:58,200 Speaker 1: I turned to this woman who was very an Bancroft 577 00:30:58,320 --> 00:31:02,240 Speaker 1: kind of salty, sat the New York Dame. Uh, And 578 00:31:02,280 --> 00:31:04,800 Speaker 1: I said to her, I said, uh, I love Danny. 579 00:31:04,840 --> 00:31:06,360 Speaker 1: And the game I played with m do you want 580 00:31:06,400 --> 00:31:08,280 Speaker 1: to know your husband or your wife, your partner you're 581 00:31:08,320 --> 00:31:12,160 Speaker 1: married to in the next life when you die, will 582 00:31:12,240 --> 00:31:14,920 Speaker 1: you see them again? And the first person I turned 583 00:31:14,920 --> 00:31:16,960 Speaker 1: to was this woman who was like this and Bancroft type. 584 00:31:16,960 --> 00:31:20,240 Speaker 1: I said, you, Julia, you and Irving here, I said, 585 00:31:20,400 --> 00:31:22,040 Speaker 1: do you before I even opened my mouth because she 586 00:31:22,120 --> 00:31:26,040 Speaker 1: was oh god, no, my god. Forty years with him 587 00:31:26,240 --> 00:31:29,400 Speaker 1: is enough. You think I'm going to see him on 588 00:31:29,440 --> 00:31:33,800 Speaker 1: the other side for eternity. Oh christ, I thought, what 589 00:31:33,840 --> 00:31:36,280 Speaker 1: an honest thing to say in front of your husband 590 00:31:36,400 --> 00:31:38,920 Speaker 1: that when you're dead, they're I always obsessed about that, like, well, 591 00:31:38,960 --> 00:31:40,880 Speaker 1: I know my wife and my kids on the other side, 592 00:31:41,040 --> 00:31:44,640 Speaker 1: will I see my dad? Blah blah blah real quickly, Um, 593 00:31:44,680 --> 00:31:47,640 Speaker 1: how do you get dialed into David Lynch and Twin Peaks? 594 00:31:47,720 --> 00:31:49,720 Speaker 1: How did you get pulled into that? I was living 595 00:31:49,720 --> 00:31:52,600 Speaker 1: with Dan Stockwell and Dean and I were living up 596 00:31:52,600 --> 00:31:58,040 Speaker 1: in Laurel Canyon. I just divorced my second wife and 597 00:31:58,280 --> 00:32:01,760 Speaker 1: uh moved in with and that two of us were 598 00:32:01,760 --> 00:32:04,360 Speaker 1: living there. And then I went to do a play 599 00:32:04,800 --> 00:32:08,960 Speaker 1: and Dean and Dennis Hopper did Blue Velvet. And so 600 00:32:09,400 --> 00:32:11,280 Speaker 1: Dennis said he was gonna have a birthday party for 601 00:32:11,360 --> 00:32:13,840 Speaker 1: David Lynch and and so I went with Dean to 602 00:32:14,240 --> 00:32:18,520 Speaker 1: Dennis's place, and uh, and Lynch was getting cards and 603 00:32:18,640 --> 00:32:21,440 Speaker 1: gifts and stuff. And he opened up this one card 604 00:32:21,480 --> 00:32:23,840 Speaker 1: and it was a guy standing in the center with 605 00:32:23,920 --> 00:32:26,240 Speaker 1: these naked women around him, you know, with all these 606 00:32:26,320 --> 00:32:29,640 Speaker 1: naked women, and he sort of laughed and everybody laughed, 607 00:32:29,640 --> 00:32:31,280 Speaker 1: and it was like a funny thing, you know, And 608 00:32:31,320 --> 00:32:33,640 Speaker 1: I was standing next to him. He said, wouldn't you 609 00:32:33,680 --> 00:32:36,120 Speaker 1: love to be this guy is funny like that? And 610 00:32:36,160 --> 00:32:38,760 Speaker 1: it was an opportunity and I said to him, I said, 611 00:32:39,080 --> 00:32:41,280 Speaker 1: what I would really loved, David, is to work with 612 00:32:41,320 --> 00:32:43,680 Speaker 1: you sometime. And he looked at me and he said, 613 00:32:44,400 --> 00:32:47,200 Speaker 1: the next project. I do the next project. And it 614 00:32:47,240 --> 00:32:49,840 Speaker 1: was it was like a year later that I got 615 00:32:49,840 --> 00:32:52,360 Speaker 1: a call from my agent. Remember, David Lynch wants to 616 00:32:52,400 --> 00:32:54,920 Speaker 1: see you, and so I went in. He remembered, and 617 00:32:55,480 --> 00:32:57,880 Speaker 1: I went in to see him, and uh, he said 618 00:32:57,920 --> 00:33:00,479 Speaker 1: the part that And I'll never forget what he's head was. 619 00:33:00,560 --> 00:33:02,920 Speaker 1: And I went home and told Bonnie later what he 620 00:33:02,960 --> 00:33:04,440 Speaker 1: said to me, not the part I want you to 621 00:33:05,080 --> 00:33:07,240 Speaker 1: I'm thinking of you for. The part I want you 622 00:33:07,280 --> 00:33:10,960 Speaker 1: to do in this film is his eccentric character called 623 00:33:11,040 --> 00:33:14,000 Speaker 1: Dr Jacoby. I want you to do that in the film. 624 00:33:14,040 --> 00:33:16,800 Speaker 1: So I went home and I kept thinking about it 625 00:33:16,800 --> 00:33:19,000 Speaker 1: all the way home. And what he said. I didn't say, 626 00:33:19,120 --> 00:33:21,400 Speaker 1: I want you to audition or try out, or I'm 627 00:33:21,440 --> 00:33:23,560 Speaker 1: thinking of you the part I want you to do. 628 00:33:23,600 --> 00:33:25,080 Speaker 1: And I went on when I told Bonnie and said, 629 00:33:25,280 --> 00:33:29,000 Speaker 1: that's what he said. So my agent called and said, yeah, 630 00:33:29,080 --> 00:33:30,960 Speaker 1: he wants you to do it. He don't have a 631 00:33:31,000 --> 00:33:34,680 Speaker 1: part yet written for Dr Jacoby, but they wrote a 632 00:33:34,720 --> 00:33:37,360 Speaker 1: scene in for the pilot, and I decided to do 633 00:33:37,440 --> 00:33:40,600 Speaker 1: something nuts. Dean told me Dean had worked with him. 634 00:33:40,640 --> 00:33:43,239 Speaker 1: He said, David loves something that's out there, you know, 635 00:33:43,800 --> 00:33:48,240 Speaker 1: So I decided to Uh, I put air plugs in 636 00:33:48,280 --> 00:33:50,840 Speaker 1: my ears. I figured he's a psychiatrist. So when I 637 00:33:50,840 --> 00:33:53,880 Speaker 1: get off the elevator in the one scene and the 638 00:33:53,920 --> 00:33:58,280 Speaker 1: agent Cooper says to me, Agent Cooper, I said, Gary Cooper, 639 00:34:00,040 --> 00:34:01,840 Speaker 1: that was about the only scene I had. But after 640 00:34:01,880 --> 00:34:04,640 Speaker 1: the pilot, Lynch loved it, and so they picked it 641 00:34:04,720 --> 00:34:07,120 Speaker 1: up and I'm going to shoot it a year later. 642 00:34:07,320 --> 00:34:09,720 Speaker 1: And that's when I went to Venice and I wanted 643 00:34:09,719 --> 00:34:13,120 Speaker 1: to find some crazy glasses. So I narrowed it down 644 00:34:13,160 --> 00:34:15,759 Speaker 1: to a blue pear or a red pair, and then 645 00:34:15,840 --> 00:34:18,319 Speaker 1: finally I stopped. I was looking in the mirror and 646 00:34:18,360 --> 00:34:20,640 Speaker 1: I said, oh my god, that's it. So I had 647 00:34:20,640 --> 00:34:23,279 Speaker 1: a pair of glasses made with one red lens and 648 00:34:23,360 --> 00:34:27,920 Speaker 1: one blue lens, and that was my Jacoby showed him 649 00:34:27,920 --> 00:34:31,160 Speaker 1: to Lynch. I said, the blue lens affects the creative 650 00:34:31,200 --> 00:34:33,440 Speaker 1: side of the eye. On the logical side of the 651 00:34:33,480 --> 00:34:35,719 Speaker 1: eye was a red lens to give it some light. 652 00:34:36,040 --> 00:34:37,560 Speaker 1: So I explained all this to him and he says, 653 00:34:37,800 --> 00:34:41,680 Speaker 1: I love it. But let's not tell anybody why you're 654 00:34:41,680 --> 00:34:45,080 Speaker 1: wearing those glasses. Let's keep it a secret. He loves secrets. 655 00:34:45,320 --> 00:34:47,480 Speaker 1: Let me just say this. Here's my last quick question. 656 00:34:48,239 --> 00:34:51,560 Speaker 1: Do everybody knows uh? Because you have you now have 657 00:34:51,600 --> 00:34:57,040 Speaker 1: a multigenerational show business family. Uh that your Amber Tamblin's dad. 658 00:34:57,239 --> 00:34:58,959 Speaker 1: Did you ever give her any advice about the business 659 00:34:59,080 --> 00:35:02,200 Speaker 1: you ever want the advice you about the bis? Uh? 660 00:35:02,480 --> 00:35:06,000 Speaker 1: She did a she did a soap opera, General Hospital 661 00:35:06,040 --> 00:35:08,359 Speaker 1: that she was on. I wasn't working, so I used 662 00:35:08,400 --> 00:35:11,080 Speaker 1: to take her. My mother was taking her for a while, 663 00:35:11,440 --> 00:35:14,120 Speaker 1: passed away. Then I took her and I used to 664 00:35:14,160 --> 00:35:16,320 Speaker 1: stand next to the camera and when she would finish 665 00:35:16,320 --> 00:35:18,400 Speaker 1: a scene. You know in soap opera the director is 666 00:35:18,440 --> 00:35:21,520 Speaker 1: not there, directors in a booth. Yeah, And I used 667 00:35:21,560 --> 00:35:23,520 Speaker 1: to stand next to the camera and when she would 668 00:35:23,520 --> 00:35:26,239 Speaker 1: finish a scene. The one piece of advices I gave her, 669 00:35:26,440 --> 00:35:30,480 Speaker 1: whatever you do, don't get caught acting. Yeah, that's the 670 00:35:30,520 --> 00:35:32,880 Speaker 1: main thing. Don't get caught acting. That should be the 671 00:35:32,920 --> 00:35:36,440 Speaker 1: name of your book. Don't get caught acting. Russ Tamplin, 672 00:35:36,800 --> 00:35:38,839 Speaker 1: thank you from the bottom. Thank you. It's such an 673 00:35:38,880 --> 00:35:45,040 Speaker 1: honor to be interviewed by question. Russ Tamblin on a rich, 674 00:35:45,200 --> 00:35:50,520 Speaker 1: exciting life in the movies. This is Alec Baldwin and 675 00:35:50,600 --> 00:36:02,400 Speaker 1: you're listening to Here's the Thing, A ban a school 676 00:36:02,840 --> 00:36:04,160 Speaker 1: post