▪ L
Born Louis Terkel in 1912 to a
Jewish family in New York City,
Studs grew up in Chicago, where
he went to the University of
Chicago and the University of
Chicago Law School.
His passion for the performing
arts started when he was a boy,
helping out at his mother's hotel
at Wells Street and Grand Avenue,
a short stroll from Chicago's
Loop. Advance men for plays and
films who made their living by
Studs Terkel: "Most are long gone, but their
hyping upcoming shows often
visions still haunt me."
stopped there. Whenever the
we did anything slightly cockeyed," the
youngster hung their posters in the
actor replied.
hotel lobby, they'd give him free the-
ater tickets.
In other Spectator talks, Terkel discov-
"That's how I got to be a movie fan,'
ered that Charming was nowhere near as
Terkel recalled. "I was a theatergoer at
bubble-headed as many of the roles she
the age of 13, 14, 15, by myself."
played. "She wasn't dumb at all; she was
astonishing," he said.
By the 1930s, Terkel had graduate d
to occasional roles in some Chicago
The great Jewish French mime,
plays. Like many others of the
Marcel Marceau, also seemed far out of
character the day he talked with Terkel
Depression-era generation, he recalled
and talked, and talked.
"My dream was to have a 9-to-5 job
— civil service, preferably, and see a
"You can't stop him from talking,"
lot of plays and films. Maybe, to be a
Terkel remembered, laughing. "It was all
critic someday."
dammed up, and the dam burst."
In another interview, playwright
In so many ways, those dreams have
come true.
Arthur Miller revealed his feelings
The Spectator includes the example o f toward his father. "I had no animosity
a searing, 1979 review Terkel wrote after
toward him," he recalled. "I simply had
seeing The Deer Hunter. Among other
no great relationship with him. It was
like two searchlights on different
things, he blasted the film's portrayal of
islands."
Vietnamese people as inhuman and
unfeeling.
Asking Terkel to choose a favorite
from his Spectator interviews is like ask-
But his new book highlights the ways
in which his interviews coaxed actors
ing him to name his all-time movie idol.
and directors into critiquing their own
"Spencer Tracy is my favorite actor.
work and influences, Brando's example
Well, sort of. If I had to pick one," he
notwithstanding.
said, unconsciously twisting a fat rubber
"I feel bad about that," Terkel said of
band around the fingers of his left hand.
his 1963 talk with Brando. "He's a
But a few moments later, another name
pops up.
thoughtful guy; he had some thoughtful
things to say.
"Charlie Chaplin may have lived on
this street, for all I know," Terkel
"He didn't want to talk about his act-
ing, which is what I wanted to talk
gushed, noting that his uptown neigh-
about."
borhood once was known for the movie
Others were more helpful, such as
greats who lived and worked there dur-
Cagney.
ing the silent-film era.
Terkel threw his hands into the air.
During a 1981 interview with Terkel,
the aging, gangster-movie star revealed
"Charlie Chaplin! My favorite actor of
all time." ❑
that he'd always wanted to be ... a
farmer.
"Can't tell you why. It was just that
the country attracted me," said
Cagney, who grew up in a tough, New
Last week's article on the art
York neighborhood. In fact, Cagney
exhibit at the Janice Charach
told Terkel he drew upon the examples
Epstein Museum/Gallery ("A
of roughneck childhood friends for
Really Big Show," Feb. 4) inad-
material in his gangland roles, includ-
vertently omitted the name of
ing friends who wound up doing
artist Eileen Aboulafia, who is
prison time in real life.
one of 21 artists showing large
"What kept you from being like
works at the gallery through
them?" Terkel asked.
March 16.
"I had a mother who would belt us if
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