When I get around to writing my memoirs - you know, reminiscences of all those 15-minute interviews that bond reporter and celebrity - I have my title: "Waiting for Redford."
Of course, I'm not the only person who has been kept waiting by Robert Redford. He has a reputation for always being late. In fact, let's not quibble here, he is always late.I recently saw a mini-documentary produced some 25 years ago on the making of "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," and director George Roy Hill complained back then that Redford was always late to the set.
And I'm sure many other directors, producers and Hollywood dealmakers have waited for Redford for many hours, on many occasions.
But as far as lower-rung, non-network, non-top-10-market reporters are concerned, there are probably not too many who have been kept waiting as often as I have.
I'm not complaining, mind you. . . . Well, I am complaining - but I'm not whining . . . Well, yeah, I'm whining, too. But I don't mean to appear ungrateful. After all, when Redford does come through, it's easy to forget all about the waiting. Like any other reporter, I'm happy for my 15 minutes or half-hour on the phone, just to be able to meet my deadline and get a story in the paper.
It's when the interview doesn't happen that's frustrating.
And this year, the interview hasn't happened twice.
He has his reasons, of course. Few filmmakers have as many pressures as Robert Redford. And it's obvious from all the cover stories and television appearances that have dominated the media over the past month that he's been very busy on the interview circuit for "Quiz Show." So, in retrospect, it's easy to see how one reporter in li'l ol' Salt Lake City could be overlooked.
But that doesn't reduce the frustration of creating a story without the benefit of an interview that was promised.
In fact, it's become a joke around the office. "Did you hear from Bob last night?" I hear as I come to work in the morning. Or, "Hey, Chris, Bob's on the phone - oh, that's Bob Bernick!"
Oh, well.
The first time I felt like the perennial prom queen whose date didn't show up was just prior to the Sundance Film Festival in January. Redford was in San Francisco previewing a rough cut of "Quiz Show" to get some audience reaction from Joe Public. Redford was scheduled to call me at the Deseret News in the morning to discuss this year's festival. Then came a call from an assistant, asking to reschedule the interview until later in the afternoon. It was subsequently rescheduled to the early evening. I stayed around, but by 11 p.m. I figured it wasn't going to happen.
And since a color photo of Redford was already locked into place on the cover of the Today section for the next day, I had to turn in a story. So, I made one up. The story was true, of course - I just had to take information from other sources and try to come up with a lead paragraph that would make the huge photo of Redford make sense.
To my surprise, Redford called me at my home the next evening to apologize. I appreciated the call - not too many big-time Hollywood types would do that - and we chatted for a few minutes . . . but it was too late for the story. He said goodbye with a promise to make it up to me in the fall, when "Quiz Show" was about to open.
The second time occurred last week. I was tentatively promised a telephone interview in mid-August, just before I went on vacation. At the time, Redford was scheduled to begin shooting a movie called "Crisis in the Hot Zone," and would be unavailable for interviews after mid-August.
I saw "Quiz Show" at a private screening - alone in a 300-seat theater - on Aug. 11. Over the next couple of days I waited but the interview didn't happen and I went on vacation, sorry to have missed the opportunity to discuss the film but happy that I'd seen it.
But while I was on vacation, Redford dropped out of "Crisis in the Hot Zone" and was suddenly free to do interviews again. And he seemed to be doing one for every publication out of New York or Los Angeles - and just about every point in between.
When I returned to work, I was assured an interview would happen. Disney reps asked for my home phone number, told me they would give it to Redford and he would be giving me a call.
Over the next couple of weeks I bothered Disney people so often they got sick of me . . . but the interview still didn't happen. Even though right up to the last minute, I was assured he'd be calling.
Then, last Thursday night, with a color photo of Redford locked into our Weekend section for the next day, I had to come up with a story. Again, without the benefit of an interview.
Now, to put all of this into context, you have to know that even though Robert Redford has said "Call me anytime," he has a gaggle of people you have to get through to reach him. Especially when he's busy, as he has been recently, promoting "Quiz Show."
So, for all I know, he never got my number. Or he simply didn't see my name on the list of hundreds of reporters from around the country who wanted to talk with him. Or maybe he just got tired and quit doing interviews before he got to me. After all, even movie stars get tired.
But you can be sure that next time I won't lock in that color photo until after the interview happens. And what's more, I'll have another "just-in-case" photo and story ready to go.
Maybe an interview with Paul Newman.
- QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Robert Redford, interviewed for Rolling Stone magazine:
"I didn't grow up being told I was good looking, I was a freckle-faced kind of redheaded kid that people made fun of because my hair had so many cowlicks. And then, suddenly you're referred to as a glamorous figure, and it's flattering. Then, shortly after that, you begin to realize that what's also coming with that is reduction, that you're going to be seen in only one light. `So, Redford's a movie star, and therefore that's all he can be.' It begins to unnerve you."