February 3, 1975, The Retriever, Page 9

I Valerie Perrine raps on 'Lenn.y'

BY BARRY HOFFMAN RETRIEVER: You know, that's really 'Nigger?' "Do we have a nigger here'?" Gardner, The Sun), that just left, who was Valerie Perrine's story seems more weird. I read a lot of the girls who were Right. "Hey, man, you're a Kike. We have up here for an interview? I couldn't stand suited to the Old Hollywood than the new interviewed during the Manson trial (The a kike. Now we've got a nigger and a kike. this room. I said, "Come on, let's go get a one. In fact, it's hokey to the point of the infamous "hippie death cult,., murders) My god, there's another nigger. Now we've drink, " and we went down to the bar. ridiculous. She knows it, and she said the same thing about him. got two niggers and a kike." And he keeps ESSEX: I was talking more about being laughingly takes it in stride. That's the VALERIE: That's a very good point, going on and on and on, and you see in the on top now. kind of person she is. because Lenny wasn't all that nice of a film, this black guy keeps getting a little ' VALERIE:' I don't think of that. I get Valerie spent her early years in Japan, human being. uptigh.t. 'Man, what's he doing calling me through with this tour and I'm back on the the daughter of an army officer stationed RETRIEVER: That was the impression a nigger? What's he doing calling me a. horses, and I'm back with the dogs, and there after World War II. She attended a I got. In fact, they left out to some degree ... kike?' I'm back into my boots, and I'm back into convent school in Yokohama and returned VALERIE: They sure did. And he gets back down to it, and he says, my cutoff Levis, and no makeup. And this to the states for high school. She then RETRIEVER: The thing that he turned "If we use these words every day, nigger coat goes into storage. You dig what I'm experimented with college, communes, in a lot of people to keep the heat off his nigger nigger nigger, kike kike kike kike, saying? and bumming around, and finally settled back. then the word would not become so bad ESSEX: Is it difficult for you to find down in placid Las Vegas. There, she VALERIE: This is controversial. We anymore, and some little kid wouldn't good roles like this? exposed her most visible assets to the really don't know. It~ never been proven, come home crying because some.body VALERIE: Definitely. This is, I think, customers of the Stardust Hotel in the Lido it's hearsay, but it could be possible. called her a nigger a t schooL" one of the best roles of the year and this is de Paris review. RETRIEVER: It might have been in They would not allow, in the New York why I'm getting a lot of critica I acclaim. I She trucked to Europe, and then to Goldman's book, but I'm not sure. (Note: Times or on most of the radio stations in think it's unfair. I'm not saying I can't act, Hollywood. There, she lucked into the The cpange is indeed in Albert Goldman's New York City, the word 'nigger,' the word obviously I can, but I've been fortunate highly amusing role of blue movie starlet Ladies and Gentlemen-Lenny Bruce. But 'Jew,' or the word 'kike'. enough to fall into a really good role. Montana Wildhack in the movie made for RETRIEVER: I think and I hope that' Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five. people are loosening up. I'd hope that after (She is, incidentally, a VOP.lJegut fan.) they publish the Watergate tapes in full, Soon afterward, Bob Fosse, 1972's people will Qe ready for Lenny Bruce. Academy Awards Best Director VALERIE: I think pp.ople are ready to (Cabaret), decided to film Lenny, Julian open up; inside, they feel they want to open Barry's Broadway smash based on the up; but they can't open up with a lot of career of "sick" comedian Lenny Bruce. people because they're afraid that they Fosse was looking for a gorgeous and won't accept them for opening up. And it's talented young woman to protray Hot those people who are doing the same thing, Honey Harlow, the tempestuous stripper saying 'I can't open up in front of them, who married Bruce. He found exactly because, I mean they might mmmmrrr, what he wanted in Valerie Perrine, who he but everybody, I think, has this desire to has described since then as an "acting just really be real again. robot" in tribute to her ability to ESSEX: I'm going to ask a very emotionally place herself in any given feminine question. What's it like working situation. with Dustin Hoffman? Valerie came to Baltimore a few weeks VALERIE: Dustin? I love and adore. back, as part of the promotion for Lenny. He's just a little teddy bear. Yeah, it's What follows is an excerpted version almost as if you get the feeling, when of a half hour interview she gave to the you're around him, of an law, shucks, Retriever, the Port City News, and the Valerie' kind of person. Essex Community College paper's RETRIEVER: In other words, to use a correspondents. Her informality and good­ pun, he still hasn't Graduated? natured humor came through in spite of VALERIE: Aw, don't say that. Dustin's the fact that she'd been interviewed since graduated as far as an intelligent human very early in the morning, with this in­ being's concerned, but he's really, terview coming at 3 p.m. The tacky suite in basically just a nice, shy kid. the Baltimore Hilton and her ultra­ RETRIEVER: But dealing with him, did Hollywood outfit, seemed somewhat out of you sometimes get Benjamin Braddock place, but not entirely. Valerie Perrine, vibes? veteran of a handful of movies, co-star of VALERIES: No, 'cause he's a very Lenny, is clearly going places. HOFFMAN AND PERRINE strong human being. But somehow or And it should be noted that since this .. .in 'Lenny' another, the way he treated me on the set-­ interview, Valerie has shaken up he kind of treated me like, uh, 'Valerie, television with her appearance in the PBS you wanna play some Scrabble tonight?' production of Bruce Jay Friedman's recently the book's accuracy has been And it shocked me that we could not And that's all we did. Steambath. In that daffy, sacriligious called into serious question. Goldman's· have on radio--they would not let them do I love him. Marvelous person. comedy, she took a shower without the main source, Lawrence Schiller, is the .routine about "Zsa Zsa Gabor earns RETRIEVER: What, if any, research benefit of a curtain. In addition, she is notorious for basing much of his "jour­ $60,000 a week for playing Las Vegas, and did you do for the role? slated for the role of 1930's movie nalism" on shreds of hearsay. A good a school teacher in Nevada earns $6,000 a VALERIE: I didn't have to do much, comedienne Carole Lombard in a movie example of this is his collaboration with year." They would not allow it on because Bobby (Fosse) did our own about her romance with matinee idol Clark Norman Mailer on Marilyn.) television, on radio, in the newspapers in version of a woman who would contend Gable. What next? "God knows if I know." VALERIE: It was in a couple of books. New York City. . with a man like Lenny, rather than what As the reporters prepared to go upstairs Honey made a few statements in some of ' ESSEX: Isn't it ironic that the movie is Honey did. Honey's still alive and has from Valerie's bedroom for the interview, the tape recordings that I heard in­ rated 'R' now when in his lifetime, the script approval and all that jazz, so we she emulated Lenny Bruce: sinuating that, but you see, this all might movie would be rated 'X'? couldn't do the real Honey. becoming from Honey. So you can't really VALERIE: It wouldn't have been out. It ESSEX: Did you meet her? put the man down, 'cause we really don't would have been sold to you on the streets. VALERIE: Yes, but I didn't do a whole VALERIE: Fuck you! know. RETRIEVER: What happened to Honey 'Where did you come from,' I did not do an PORT CITY: (After settling down up­ in the end? in-depth. It was more like "H:ow do you do, stairs) We taped your greeting. RETRIEVER: He was, I guess, as much VALERIE: I hear that she's in upstate how are you." RETRIEVER: No, I didn't tape 'Fuck ahead of her skull as he was of anybody's. California making hash pipes, and I also ESSEX: I've never seen Steambath. you.' I came in immediately after .. . Everybody, I'm sure, had a hard time hear that she's writing a book. How is it? A lot of stations took that off AGENT: That's about when he decided keeping up with his head. RETRIEVER: I heard that she's in an because there were objections ... it would be worth taping. VALERIE: I'm sure. The man was institution. VALERIE: There was reference to VALERIE: It's a line from the movie. definitely not your average human being. VALERIE: No, she's been in and out. homosexuals, there was a homosexual Anyone see the movie? RETRIEVER: The movie was a difficult She's out now. number, then I appeared, it. looked like I RETRIEVER: Right. Fuck you, mom! thing emotionally for the people in the RETRIEVER : You said somewhere was totally nude, and that's why they VALERIE: Yeah. Fuck you means nice story. Did you have any problems with that there's a tremendous problem in wouldn't do it. things. The worst thing you can say to that kind of thing? finding women's roles beyond someone ESSEX: What would you like to do next? somebody is 'Unfuck you.' VALERIE: No. I know it's weird, but I like Honey. VALERIE: Comedy next. RETRIEVER: Did you know much just get into it. I go on the set, I know my VALERIE: Yeah. Look at the best RETRIEVER: Somebody like about Lenny before you started work on lines, and all of a sudden I put myself in a women's roles of the past four years. You Bogdanovich? the film? situation and I really believe it. I'm really have Klute. Jane Fonda. Magnificent. VALERIE: No. VALERIE: No. Well, I heard of him, good at conning myself into thinking I'm Marvelous role. A prostitute. We had RETRIEVER: Think Cybill Sheppard sort of... someplace I'm not. Pamela Mason. Cinderella Liberty. would get in the way? (The model­ RETRIEVER: It's understandable PORT CITY: It strikes me, from what Marvelous role. A prostitute. You show me turned-actress is Director Peter because it's .. . little I've read of Lenny Bruce, that he was a nice girl who's had a good role in a long Bogdanovich's girlfriend and "star") VALERIE: Far beyond our age, right? put down from the word go for being ahead time, and I'll show you a 1940's film. VALERIE: Yes. RETRIEVER: Yeah. There are people of his time. RETRIEVER: That's weird, because RETRIEVER: Love can do strange going around who don't know about the VALERIE: I think in his day he was. He something that came to my mind when I things to even the best of theatrical minds. Beatles. was criticized by everybody. And un­ saw you in Lenny was that if they made the VALERIE: No ! fortunately, I'm beginning to find out that Janis Joplin story, you would be the one. VALERIE: (Chuckling) No comment. RETRIEVER: Not that many, but there even today he might be put down in certain VALERIE: It's being talked about, but I ESSEX: What kind of comedy would you are some. When you got into it, what did areas. Television, do you think they'd let think they should hold back on that film like to do? you think of the person - both of the people? him do his thing? No. Would newspapers awhile. It's too soon. You want to see VALERIE: I just like comedy. I like to Lenny and Honey. print his thing? No. Would radio let him do Joplin up there, man, you don't want to see laugh. I love to laugh! I think that people VALERIE: Lenny made me sexy. Not his thing? No . an actress. We've got to forget what Joplin should go to movies and be able to laugh! Dustin, but Lenny. There was something RETRIEVER: There are a lot or 1 0ok e~ iike. Let some girl twenty years RETRIEVER: That was the great thing about him. I talked to people, a lot of girls newspapers that would. . from now do Joplin. with Hollywood back in the Thirties. One of who had slept with him , and apparently he VALERIE: All right, they're the ull-" ESSEX: How does it feel to you to be in the reasons, I think, that we pulled through was very, very good in bed. And that's one derground. But now, we had some com:. the penthouse on top of the Hilton, doing a the Depression. of the reasons I think he and Honey hung mercials that were going out on radio in promotional tour? VALERIE: I think it's time, now that on to each other so much. I think they had New York City, and I will tell you what VALERIE: Fuck it! Tacky! You know we're into a depression again, to get back a really heavy scene going . . they are. You know the bit he does about what I did? This other gentleman (R.H. some fun movies.