>>> Hi, I'm Gilda Radner.
And uh, okay now.
[applause]
>>> On April 18th it was the opening night of the 17th annual
Tribeca Film Festival, and the opening night movie selection
was a documentary called “Love Gilda,” about the late great
comedienne who made her mark in New York City as one of the
original cast members of Saturday Night Live.
Former colleagues and people who just loved her work came out to
pay tribute to this late great star.
>>> You got bumped from the first Saturday Night Live show
and Gilda was on that show.
Did you know her then?
>>> Yes, that's when we first met was in the preparation of
the very first show which was a couple of weeks and then we
stayed in touch all that time.
>>> Did you become friends with her?
>>> Oh, yeah very much so.
And the last time that we saw her was at the
friends and family screening of When Harry Met Sally.
It was the first time Rob was going to show the movie to
people and she and Gene came and she was battling her disease
then and she was as happy and as proud and as strong as you can
imagine anyone could be in normal conditions,
but here she was and everyone knew that she wasn't well,
but she she just denied all of that and was out to have a good
time that night.
>>> What are your thoughts on New York and being at you know
the Tribeca Film Festival, which is now in its,
unbelievably, 17th year?
>>> You know we were there right from the beginning at the very
first one and it's I think it's so important for New York and
filmmakers and you know that Jane was right over there and
Bob and all the artists who give their time to make this festival
what it is all of these years later.
It's a tremendous accomplishment.
It's tough to keep a restaurant open in New York.
To keep a film festival going.
>>> Ever think in a million years,
17 years ago when you started this as an outgrowth of like
9/11 that this would be still going on today?
>>> No.
I mean I had no idea but I'm very happy that it is.
>>> Did you know Gilda personally?
>>> I spent a little time with her.
I remember we hung out one night after Saturday Night Live.
>>> I mean you've done the show you've done SNL,
but did you -- I mean back then your career was in a -- kind of
taking off in a different direction.
Did you watch the show at all?
>>> Yeah, I've watched it from the time that it started.
I always loved SNL.
It was great.
It was, is, and will always be great to me.
>>> What are you most proud of, Bob,
in all the years of the festival,
the accomplishment of the festival?
>>> I can't specify one thing or another.
I'm just happy that it's still here after 17 years.
You know it's all good.
Sometimes we’re a little down, a little up,
but it's all good.
>>> What's all this fuss I hear about an Eagle Rights Amendment.
Now I realize that the eagle is the symbol for the United States
of America, but I wouldn't like to sit next to one on a bus.
>>> Tell me what it was like working with Gilda on Saturday
Night Live, if you would?
>>> It was great.
All of the memories are fond.
>>> Do you have a favorite sketch that you did with her?
>>> I can’t think of any specific one.
You know, we did a lot of work together,
but you know, I had my own thing going.
She had her -- John had -- you know,
all of us were very busy.
And if you could work with Gilda you were working with the
finest, you know, she was very malleable,
strong, great characters, and sweet.
>>> Very special connection.
I mean in addition to being one of the original writers on
Saturday Night Live, I mean it seems to me when I follow your
career path there’s connections to Gilda all throughout the way.
Tell me about that.
>>> Well, it was a real special relationship and you're right.
I mean not only did I write a book about she and I called
“Bunny, Bunny” and I made it into a play,
but there's a little bit of her in everything that I've written.
Whenever I think of a woman to write for,
prototypically I write for a character like Gilda.
So in some of my plays and some of my movies,
she's there.
>>> Did you write like the Roseanne Rosannadanna sketches?
The Loopner sketches?
>>> What is that bewitching scent you’re wearing?
>>> Vicks Vapo-Rub.
>>> I didn't write the Lisa Loopner sketches,
other writers wrote that.
But she and I created Roseanne Roseannadanna.
I had a pretty big hand in Emily Litella.
Gilda was my constant companion for the five years I was there.
>>> I know you were on Saturday Night Live after the original
cast which Gilda left.
You once told me you had a funny phrase for those years…
>>> Yeah, we were like the George Lazenby in James Bond
years, and uh, yeah.
>>> Did you know Gilda though prior to joining?
>>> I never met Gilda.
Yeah, never met her.
But I was on -- she was on Saturday Night Live when it was
a comedy, not when I was on it.
>>> There were some moments of the show when you were on it,
there was…
>>> Unintentional.
[laughing]
>>> That must have been a lot of pressure to follow that cast.
>>> Impossible.
Impossible.
It would be like if they got rid while Friends was on the air,
if they got rid of the cast of Friends and said,
oh just look at these people and act like
they're the other people.
>>> Did you watch the show?
Were you like a fan of Gilda Radner's?
>>> Yeah, I was a fan of the original show and I
was a fan of Gilda.
>>> Did you have a favorite character?
>>> Well Roseanne Rosannadanna was very funny.
>>> Some people got the bulgey, bulgey thighs.
The ones that get chafed because they’re always
scraping against each other.
And there’s other people that got these funny belly buttons
like some go in and some go out or it’s like a hole or it curls
around or it’s got a little knob on it like a door.
>>> Tell me about your relationship with Gilda since
you worked with her for five years on the show.
>>> Even before that though knowing her in Canada where --
she's from Detroit but was in Canada in ‘72 and both of us
were in a show together called the Godspell,
the Canadian Company.
This is a ‘70s rock musical.
We both came to New York around the same time,
’74, and worked together on the National Lampoon,
on the radio hour, on various records.
We wrote together all through Saturday Night Live.
I think we're going to hear on this movie I think some of the
stuff that she and I wrote together.
But awfully close and respectful working relationship.
>>> So were you a fan of Gilda Radner’s?
>>> I was.
I was Gilda’s from -- see here's the thing.
If you're from a particular city like Detroit,
Michigan and somebody that wonderful is from Detroit,
Michigan, you’re a fan no matter what.
I was -- I would have been a fan of I was from Mars,
but she happened to be a hometown gal.
So I, my parents, we were kind of all drawn
to her in that regard.
But I also just thought she was amazing.
>>> So you were like a kid when the show was on originally?
>>> Yeah, so I would have been...
>>> Did you stay up late and watch?
>>> I did.
I'd sit with my dad sometimes and watch.
I didn't know what was going on.
I was a little kid.
But as I got older, Gilda was one of the people that was more
accessible to me because her comedy was so physical and so
dynamic that even I could understand,
okay now that lady's funny or that lady’s silly or whatever
the case was when I was 7 or 8 years old and it was something
that's never left me.
>>> As the original -- one of the original seven cast members,
do you have a favorite sketch that you did with Gilda,
you know in the I think was five-year run?
Was it five?
>>> Yeah.
It was five years, my god.
It was the Dating Zone.
It was a combination of the Dating Game and
the Twilight Zone.
And Jane was amazing in it.
And Gilda was especially funny doing a character that would
really not be on TV today.
>>> The very, very beautiful Queen of France!
>>> The opening night of the 17th annual Tribeca Film
Festival, at a showing of the documentary,
“Love Gilda.” For Arts in the City, 00:08:09.856,00:00:00.000 I'm Neil Rosen.