The Brothers Warner Page #5

...to a certain extent there's been

that kind of continuity of attention...

...being paid to that kind of hero

at Warners.

They brawled their way through life

and it's one thing and another...

...and that's what those characters

in those movies did.

Jimmy Cagney, the ultimate brawler.

Now, boys, boys, don't let

all that smooth talk fool you.

Farrell and the rest of that gang of leeches

up at headquarters...

...are supposed to be working for us.

We sweat blood

to give them their fat salaries...

...their fancy offices and

high-priced cars to ride around in.

- You bet.

- That's right.

There was a time when there were

more films of social relevance...

...and they came out

of the studio system.

And today,

I've come to believe actually...

...that the marketing of a movie

is more important than the movie.

And that is to me a very, very sad thing.

And perhaps that explains...

...Why there are less films of social

relevance, because they're harder to market.

It wasn't only message films

that my grandfather liked to make.

Producer Leon Schlesinger

tickled the brothers' fancy...

...and Merrie Melodies began in 1931...

...exhibiting their scene of humor

and spirit of play.

I remember Bugs Bunny.

I can quote Words from Bugs Bunny.

I can quote the little character in--

That was looking out to kill a rabbit.

- Elmer Fudd?

- Fudd, yeah, that's the guy.

And he goes up to this big rabbit

and he looks at him and he says:

"Say, What is--? What is a rabbit?"

So Fudd says,

"Well, a rabbit has big ears."

And then the rabbit says, "Like this?"

Fudd says, "And a rabbit has a little tail."

And the rabbit says, "Like this?"

And then Fudd says,

"Hey, you're a rabbit."

I am a rabbit!

The Warner Bros. cartoons,

with a figure like Bugs Bunny...

...a kind of a cynical, ironic figure,

makes a connection to the audience there.

Looks at the audience.

What am I doing?

Bugs looks at the audience

a lot more than Mickey ever does.

Now, another thing those cartoons do

that always intrigued me...

...is how often they bring the movies

themselves into the cartoons.

Say, pardon me, but could you help out

a fellow American who's down on his luck?

Hit the road.

I was fascinated by Great-Uncle Jack...

...who had all the cockiness of Bugs Bunny.

We only met a few times...

...as he was rarely present

at family gatherings...

...and, in fact, his name was said

only in hushed tones.

If you could think of Jack Nicholson

as The Joker...

...that would be sort of Jack Warner.

Oh, I think Jack Warner was a big ham...

...and he had the smell

of show business.

Well, you know, he told jokes all the time.

Even-- They Were terrible.

And he then would repeat them...

...When he didn't think

people got the point of them.

He'd trap you one-on-one...

...where you made eye contact

and you couldn't escape.

He knew he was Jack Warner...

...and he'd start his one-liners on you.

And of course, I'm ha-ha-ha-ing...

...and he knows it.

He's not a stupid guy.

And he's rattling off nine or 10

and I'm laughing...

...and anybody else who he trapped

was laughing.

He always liked Jewish humor.

Yiddish humor, you might say,

vaudeville humor.

I like just as much corny, Yiddish,

vaudeville shtick.

- Yeah.

- I always say the "khe."

You know, you're mishpokhe.

And, you know, that means--

Mishpokhe means your family.

The "khe." If you can say "khe" right.

Over the years, Jack became known...

...for things he'd say in public

that could hardly be believed.

I can only imagine Albert Einstein's

reaction when Jack told him:

Hey, bub,

I've got a theory of relativity too.

Don't hire them.

And who can forget

Jack's historic meeting...

...with Madame Chiang Kai-shek?

How could I be so dumb?

I forgot my laundry ticket.

No tickie, no laundry, right?

When the lights went up...

...after Warren Beatty showed Jack

the first cut of Bonnie and Clyde:

So, Jack, what did you think?

I always know when a picture's too long.

Really? How?

Depends on how many times

I get up to take a leak.

One piss, fine. Two piss, trouble.

But goddamn it, kid,

you made a three-piss picture.

I don't think Harry or Albert played parts.

I think they were simply your Jewish uncle

that is very familiar.

But Jack was:

And that's how he did it.

It wouldn't be fun for me

to play that part.

That's a tough--

That's a tough part to keep playing.

And so many people think you're a jerk, you

know, because you're out there doing that.

But the great thing was, he didn't care.

He didn't have to care, and

he could go to Monte Carlo, he could do--

"I can do anything I want."

That's the kind of attitude

that he brought to it.

"I don't care What you think,

I'm me and f*** you."

And he did that with a kind of aggression

too, so that you stood back.

It was clear that that Jack

was more interested in publicity...

...more interested in

playing the media game...

...more interested in

the machinations of Hollywood.

But Harry was clearly doing it

for moral reasons.

These poor devils

have all had their homes burned...

...their families beaten and starved to death

by your tax-gatherers.

- Bless you, Robin, we'll never forget you.

- Our humble thanks, master.

- May we be worthy, Robin.

- You are, Mother, you are.

- Have you eaten Well, friend?

- Yes, thank you, Robin.

I'm sorry to have to show you that...

...but once these poor people

Were all happy and contented...

...just simple villagers

who never harmed a soul.

Grandpa often read the newspaper...

...as he took pride in being aware

of local and world news.

His associate told me that

he would often come across a story...

...about somebody being persecuted

or experiencing some personal difficulty.

He'd send someone

to collect more information...

...so if he could,

he would anonymously help them out...

... with a couple months' rent or a job.

I came back from lunch one day

and I had all this money on my desk.

I went in to Sylvia and I said,

"Somebody's left a lot of money on my desk.

Do you know who it belongs to?"

And she says, "It's yours."

I said, "Mine? How did I get it?"

It was about 100 dollars.

Well, that was, like,

a week's salary in those days.

And she said,

"Mr. Warner bet his horse, Honey's Alibi...

...on all of us across the board,

and it won."

That was pretty nice.

In Los Angeles...

...the Medical Achievement Award goes to

Harry M. Warner, president of Warner Bros.

Apparently others noticed his generosity...

...as he was given the title of "the man

who brought charity to Hollywood."

I'm grateful to our great country

for having given me the opportunity...

...that enabled me to do

whatever I have been able to do...

...for my fellow man

for which I seek no honors.

He was on his way to Germany

to open up the exchanges...

...and as a side trip,

we went to Belgium to the Aragon...

...and in through the forests where a lot

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