Edward R. Murrow: The Best of Person to Person

Contrary to the image presented in the feature film Good Night, and Good Luck, Edward R. Murrow's talk show Person to Person was anything but a vapid and silly celebrity chitchat. Rather, it was a groundbreaking program that brought TV audiences into the homes of the reigning superstars of the 1950s, where star auras were relaxed to the point that real-life personalities—sometimes deviating wildly from their carefully-conceived reel-life personalities—often emerged. From 1953 to 1959, Murrow was anchored in a New York studio, where he visited with his guest for 15 minutes through remote “picture window” interviews. This three-disc collection offers many of Murrow's sterling encounters, most memorable of which are Marlon Brando, fresh off his On the Waterfront Oscar win, who plays the bongo drums for a bemused Murrow; Marilyn Monroe—interviewed in photographer Milton Greene's Connecticut home—whose initial discomfort with live TV gradually disappears to reveal a witty, intelligent woman; Milton Berle, putting his vaudeville shtick aside to talk up a serious novel he co-wrote; Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh doing an impromptu interview with each other when Murrow's audio connection is lost; and Jerry Lewis being rushed by a flock of children and dogs (he mutters that it's like being married to Clyde Beatty). One could bemoan the inclusion of a few desultory talks, most notably Carol Channing and Robert F. Kennedy, instead of—for instance—Murrow's classic interview with a miming Harpo Marx, but overall this is an extraordinary compilation of episodes from the granddaddy of all talk shows. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. (P. Hall)