Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You Page #3

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I don't know about

the lovable part of it.

We're presenting

the story of a man

who's basically

a pretty unhappy guy.

You people may laugh

at him and enjoy him,

but you mustn't.

Look at Archie as a man

who could be getting

a lot more out of his life

if he didn't have

these burdens on him

and these things

that have poisoned his life.

-I loved theater.

I was attracted to people

who performed

before a live audience,

and Carroll O'Connor

walked into a room,

sat at a table,

we said our pleasantries.

We didn't get off the first page

before I knew,

my God, this was Archie Bunker.

But Carroll

is an Irish Catholic liberal,

and he was carrying this role

on his shoulders,

in his body,

in every piece of his being.

So his responsibility...

I mean, he had a lot riding

that I didn't have.

I wasn't playing that character.

And so I knew shortly into it

that he would likely be unhappy

with the script every time.

Carroll would challenge me

at the end of a reading --

"This isn't gonna play.

This isn't gonna work."

But there was

a particular episode

where everything took place

in an elevator...

...and a woman's gonna deliver a

child while they were inside it.

-[ Moaning ]

-Shh.

-Geez. I don't think

I can get through this.

-He didn't think

that could happen.

He wasn't gonna do it.

I wasn't gonna do it

if he wasn't gonna do it.

There was not gonna be a show.

Oh, he had his lawyer,

his manager.

Everybody that could

be involved was involved.

-Carlos, Carlos.

-S, s, s, s, s.

Okay.

-All right. Hold my hand.

-I think it's the baby.

It's coming.

-Oh, no, no.

Listen.

We're gonna be downstairs

in a couple of minutes.

Now wait, wait!

Hold-o! Stop-o!

-It was so, so crazy,

but, of course,

the crying would take place

someplace below him.

He would look out of the corner

of his eye,

and the camera

would be on his face

at the birth of that child,

and it was gold.

It was platinum.

-Ain't it supposed to cry

or nothing?

[ Baby crying ]

That sounds kosher.

-Come see my son.

-You got a little boy.

-What do you think

Carroll O'Connor

is doing right now?

You know, I can't help

but think about that.

Does he know this is going on?

Does he know how -- oh, God --

how much I think of him?

- Boy, the way

Glenn Miller played

- Songs that made

the hit parade

- Guys like us,

we had it made

Those were the days

- Those were the days

And you knew

who you were then

- Girls were girls,

and men were men

- Mister, we could use a man

like Herbert Hoover again

- Didn't need

no welfare state

- Everybody pulled his weight

- Gee, our old LaSalle

ran great

Those were the days

- Those were the days

[ Applause ]

-Are you wearing your hat

on the show?

-I am. I am.

Oh, yeah.

-So I won't do too much up here.

-Nothing up there.

-Okay.

I have to say,

I love all your shows.

-Oh, thank you.

I certainly love this one.

-[ High-pitched voice ] And

they knew who you were then

[ Laughter ]

[ Normal voice ] Come on.

You raised me.

How are you, young man?

Nice to see you.

-Tell me,

what would you like me to say?

-You can talk about

whatever you want to talk about.

You've earned it.

It's just such a pleasure.

I can't even believe.

You know,

I used to sit in my house.

You know, back then,

there was nothing to watch.

You know,

people didn't have DVR.

They didn't have

any of that stuff.

And when "All in the Family"

would come on,

it was the greatest,

just the best.

-I mean, that's the way

we feel about

the Jon Stewart show.

-This one?

-Yes!

-So in some ways,

I'm raising you.

-Yes.

Isn't that life?

-Cycle of life, man.

Cycle of life.

[ Cheers and applause ]

Where I think I learned

how to process complex thoughts,

things that I really cared about

through the lens of comedy,

was watching Norman Lear shows.

-What could make me prouder?

We were all serious people.

Comedy was our business,

but there was something

on our minds.

The news

that to be a Jew in America

was to be different

had come to me

shockingly

when I was 9 years old,

just before they sent

my dad away.

-Re-creation 1-A, take one.

A-mark.

-When I was a kid,

I spent a lot of hours

listening

to a crystal radio set.

-All right, Jake, let's go.

Two of you men come with us.

-They might do something

to Uncle if we don't hurry.

-And I'm alone

with this crystal set one night,

and I hear a voice,

a fellow who was known

as Father Coughlin.

-I distinguish most carefully

between good Jews and bad Jews.

In all countries,

Jews are in the minority,

but a powerful minority

in their influence,

a minority endowed

with an aggressiveness

and initiative.

This is attributable

to the fact that Jews,

through their native ability,

have risen to such high places

in radio and in press

and in finance.

Perhaps this persecution is only

the coincidental last straw

which has broken the back

of this generation's patience.

[ Cheers and applause ]

-Ladies and gentlemen,

you have just listened

to Father Coughlin

delivering one

of the outstanding addresses

of this year.

-[ Sighs ]

God.

How the...

did I understand that?

But I did.

But I did.

It just...

It never left my mind.

Never, ever, left my mind.

[ Sirens wailing ]

It was a Sunday morning,

I was at Emerson College,

and somebody came scampering

down a fire escape

to tell us that the Japanese

had bombed Pearl Harbor.

You were automatically

excused from service

if you were in college,

so I didn't have to,

but I wanted to be known

as a Jew who served.

I wanted to battle.

I wanted to bomb.

I wanted to kill.

I was the radio operator

on a B-17.

I was closer to the bomb bays,

so I would look down

to see them dropping

and report to the pilot,

and I remember still,

watching those bombs go down,

hundreds of them, and think

maybe the bomb

could miss the target

and think, "I don't care."

You know, "If it just killed,

I don't care."

-Well, look at us.

[ Laughter ]

Hi. [ Grunts ]

-Come and sit.

Come further into the house.

-Further in.

-It was right after the war,

but it was very kind of Carl.

-You know that this is 61 years

ago you're talking about?

-Yeah.

-You may be right.

-You remind me,

getting out of the Army,

first thing I ever saw you

in -- "Call Me Mister."

-Yes, yes.

-And I've been trying

to find the senator song.

- Nothing is too good

for the man

Who fought for the man

who saved the day

Through the muck

and the mire

Through the flack

and the fire

The military magic

did its work

From the foreign shore,

he is back once more

Duddley-di-di, di-di

Still a jerk

-[ Laughs ]

I love it.

Very good.

You remind me of the Jews

in the mountains.

You want a bit?

Do you want a bit?

Jews came to the mountains

to get out of the heat

of New York City,

and a lot of them died.

What killed them was,

they all loved a song

called "Dancing in the Dark."

-Everybody did.

-And this is the only way

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