Name: Lauren Bacall on Letterman, December 12, 1989
Uploaded: 2016-09-24T02:32:44.000Z
Description: Watch the stand-up comedy video 'Lauren Bacall on Letterman, December 12, 1989' from Don Giller on Comedy Buff. Published 2016-09-24. Transcript available. Lauren Bacall promotes her remake of "Dinner at Eight."

Watch the stand-up comedy video 'Lauren Bacall on Letterman, December 12, 1989' from Don Giller on Comedy Buff. Published 2016-09-24. Transcript available. Lauren Bacall promotes her remake of "Dinner at Eight."

Our first guest tonight, truly one of the legendary stars of Broadway and
motion pictures.
Her latest film is a remake of Dinner at 8, which is currently playing on the
Turner Network TNT.
Do you get that network, Paul?
I don't. I don't.
Well, that's where it is. TNT.
Ladies and gentlemen, here she is. Please welcome Lauren Bacall.
Hello.
Good to see you. Thank you very much for being here.
Thank you for being here. Welcome to the program.
You look terrific. You're all dressed up. I appreciate that.
I got dressed up for you. I've been at this all day.
How is the holiday season going for you? Have you been busy shopping? You've
been busy running around?
I know you had cable trouble today.
I have... You do know that, yes.
No, I have been busy traveling.
Traveling?
I just got back from England last week.
Doing what there?
I actually was on a television show with Dame Edna Everidge.
Barry Humphreys. Do you know him?
The Australian?
Yeah.
He's brilliant.
This is a comedian who dresses up like this woman.
Yes, yes, but it's not a drag act. I mean, he is a real...
He's created this character, and you are convinced that he is this character.
Yeah. And was that...
And even he's convinced that he is this character.
Well, see, there you go. Yeah, that's the fun of dressing up, isn't it?
Is it?
I don't know. I'm just sort of speculating.
So now you're back, and you've been...
And I'm back, and I'm shy. You know, I've done a lot of shopping, and I'm sick
of it.
And now I have to wrap, and I'm sick of that.
How many people would a person of your stature be shopping for for Christmas?
As few as possible.
Mm, good idea.
My children.
Uh-huh.
And...
We're talking about, what, three there?
Three there.
Yeah.
Yes, grandchildren.
Right.
And, um...
Although I realize that I only look 22, I...
Yes.
Nevertheless.
But now, let's get into the area of gifts for business associates.
I don't do that.
You don't do that?
No.
Neither does NBC.
I thought I was going to get a gift from you.
Oh, I have a little gift for you, if you would like.
Thank you, too.
Use a lot of cotton balls.
Careful.
So, uh, so you've done all your shopping, you haven't done any other wrapping
yet?
No.
That's the problem, yeah.
It's really interesting, isn't it? Have you done yours?
No, I haven't done it.
Who do you shop for?
Well, you know, the problem is, like, two days after Christmas, I get a lot of
calls from people saying, where's my gift?
But isn't...
Don't you shop for one special person?
You know what I mean?
Mmm.
A few years ago, there was one special person.
Not now?
I asked her if she'd just kind of forward the gift.
So now, no?
Well, yeah, of course.
There are special people that you shop for.
Yeah.
And I would guess the same is true for you.
What do you think?
Would you?
Yeah, probably so.
Um, now, do you, uh, the, uh, the dinner at eight?
Yes, dinner at eight, TNT.
Uh, it was shown last night.
TNT is Ted, it's the Turner Network Television.
Turner Network Television.
Another arm of Turner Broadcasting.
Yet another arm.
Yeah.
And, um, yes, and I had a great time.
I had a wonderful time.
Pleased with how it turned out?
Uh, yes, I think so.
Does it trouble...
It was just on last night.
My only beef is that there are too many commercials.
Mm-hmm.
And, uh, I want to see it straight through.
I don't know how you feel about that.
Yeah.
But I like to be able to see a dramatic show from start to finish.
And, uh, I know they have to have...
I mean, I realize it's a necessary evil, but nevertheless...
You hardly ever hear the complaint that there were not enough commercials in a
show.
No.
You know, people sitting at home, geez, went by too quickly.
No, I know.
Um, now, does it, does it trouble you at all that he, uh, is, uh, largely
responsible
for the, the trend of color, colorizing, uh, old films, old black and white
motion pictures?
It does trouble me.
I'm, uh, I, I, see, I have very mixed emotions about Ted Turner because I love
the experience
of Dinner at Eight.
Mm-hmm.
Uh, TNT is, all the people that work there are terrific, and I hope to do more
work with
them.
Uh, and I'm very against colorization, and I have been from the beginning, so
what do I
do about that?
Did you meet Ted Turner?
When it comes to the three meals a day, I gotta go to work, you know what I
mean?
Yeah.
Uh, were you able to meet Ted and discuss this with him?
No, I've never met him.
Yeah.
I've never met him.
Uh, let's do a...
Is he here?
No, he's not here, I don't think.
Uh, we'll do a, uh, commercial, and then we'll be right back here with, uh,
Lauren Bacall.
Welcome back to the show.
Lauren Bacall is here, and, uh, we'll be right back here with Ted Turner, and
we'll be right back
here with Ted Turner, and I'll be right back here with Ted Turner, and we'll be
right back here with Ted Turner, and we'll be right back here with Ted Turner.
Welcome back to the show.
Lauren Bacall is here, and, uh, Mario Joyner, and the Tower of Power horns over
there in the corner for no apparent reason.
Matt grinning, no, they're here, because, of course, we love the musical
enhancement.
This is, uh... Can I show this? You don't mind if I show this, do you? Do you
mind?
I don't mind, no. It's the way I used to be.
This is, uh, this is a Life magazine cover, and, uh, man alive, look at that.
I was cute, wasn't I?
Yeah, you were. This is not bad.
Yeah, unfortunately, uh, those things don't last forever.
Well, you're doing all right. Uh, how old were you when this was taken?
Nineteen.
And was this when you first arrived in Hollywood, and, and were...
It was before To Have and Have Not, uh, was released.
Uh-huh.
And, uh, yes, it was a very big moment for me, all part of the Warner Brothers
plot, of course, and the Howard Hawks plot to sell me.
Yeah. Uh, it must have been a terribly exciting time, though.
Oh, it was. It was thrilling.
Suddenly, I mean, there you are, nineteen years old, on the cover of one.
Yeah.
Now, what, is there any, anything behind this look? Is this the famous, uh,
this the killer look that, uh, you weren't known for?
Is there anything we should know about that?
I don't know. Is there, is, is it? I mean, what does it do to you?
Well, you know.
Man alive.
Yeah.
Uh.
Well, if you think it's the killer look, yeah. I mean, it was, it was so named,
uh, by the press, and it, it really was the result of my terrible nerves, which
I've had all my life.
Really?
Twitching, you know, like that.
Now, see, but, yeah, but this is far from twitching here.
This is, well, he caught me between twitches.
Now, did you, oh, so this was, you're saying, is accidental, this, this
particular pose?
No, well, not this particular, but, I mean, the look actually came as a result
of the fact that I was nervous, and the only way I could hold my head still was
to hold my chin down and look up.
Man, well, it works. It really does. Turned out pretty nicely. And then, on the
inside, there's another picture of you here, with, I believe, then, it was the,
uh, yeah, Vice President Harry Truman. How did that happen? You guys, uh.
Well, that's very fun. Oh, yes, the way that happened was, was that, uh, I had
been invited to the National Press Club, also set up by, uh, Warner Brothers,
um, in Washington. And they always gave lunches there once a year. And, uh.
So, I was taken there by Charlie Einfeld, who was then Vice President of Fox,
of, of Warner Brothers, and also in charge of publicity. And a brilliant,
brilliant public relations man.
And there we were at the National Press Club, and, um, Truman was Vice
President, was called out to play the piano.
And I was standing, I was...
Those were in the days when a Vice President could do something.
Thank you. Good night, everybody. Thank you.
Do something besides, you mean.
And, uh, anyway, I was on, I was standing on the stage, and, and, uh, Charlie
Einfeld said, get up on the piano.
Wow.
And being a very obedient type person, I got up on the piano.
They took the picture, and, and then, of course, he became President.
And, uh, I suppose his family felt that it was kind of embarrassing.
So, I'm sorry, someone's moving into a new apartment.
Uh, now, did you know how the, uh, the President, or then Vice President, felt
about you suddenly leaping on his piano?
No, I, I, he, he seemed to take it in stride, as they say.
I mean, he seemed quite pleased.
He didn't seem horrified, uh, at all.
But I, uh, I, I gather that, uh, his daughter then has since written that he
was somewhat embarrassed by it, and his wife felt it was undignified.
Although I saw him after that, and he made no mention of it.
Yeah.
I mean, I was just a kid, and I did, I was doing what I was told, and it turned
out to be a good move.
Absolutely, and more or less, I mean, looking at the photo, it was just pretty
much fun.
I mean, there was...
Yeah, it was nothing.
Yeah, it was not like you were trying to get him to reveal state secrets or
anything.
No, and I, and I didn't sit on his lap, and I wasn't getting fresh with him.
Yeah, um, you suppose anybody got fresh with Harry Truman, though?
I think Bess must have.
Maybe she did, a little bit.
Uh, uh, well, geez, I'm, I'm happy you could spend some time and come over and
visit with us here.
Is there, is there anything, uh, you're going to Oklahoma soon, right?
I'm going to Oklahoma for Christmas because I have a, a ravishing daughter-in-law,
uh, who is the product of a ravishing family.
Great mother and father, um, the Amuses who live in Oklahoma City, and she is
one of six children.
And, uh, she's, is married to my youngest son, Sam, and they're going to have a
baby next year.
My baby's having a baby.
And so, we are all meeting in Oklahoma and going to have one of those Christmases
that I've never had in my life
with a family of six plus their various husbands and wives and children and
mothers and, uh...
An old-fashioned Christmas.
And what is known as an old-fashioned Christmas.
Everybody will be there.
And I'm just an old-fashioned kid and I'm ready to go.
Here, Lauren, then, you're going to need one of these.
Oh, now, careful, you broke it again.
Thank you very much for being here.
It was a real pleasure meeting you.
I hope you'll come back.
Thank you, Dave.
Lauren DePaul, folks.
We'll be right back.
We'll be right back.
We'll be right back.