| Talk Show Appearances - 1994 | ||
| Today (NBC), June 22 Today (NBC), Oct. 19 Today (NBC), Dec. 12 Late Show with David Letterman, Dec. 12 Live with Regis & Kathie Lee, Dec. 14 Clicking on the thumbnail images will cause larger versions of the images to open in a separate window.
Bryant Gumbel is interviewing Tracey today outside in Rockefeller Plaza. He introduces her by reminding us that since her US debut 7 years ago, she has been dazzling people with her comedic talent and many impressions. We see three of those characters via film clips from her Takes On New York special. He also mentions that she's appeared on Broadway and now has two films in the can, one with Robert Altman and one with Woody Allen. It's been a good year for her. She says that while they were looking at the clips, which character was Bryant going for? The one with the big hair and the collagen lips [Linda Granger - RR]. No, he says, "you said I liked her." When he came out and saw Tracey this morning, he said she looked hot, with the long hair look. She says that the crew on the Linda Granger shoot liked what they saw, too, and were saying she (Tracey) was not bad looking. She described the collagen lip appliances as earthworms. She's not in town to specifically promote anything; she's there just to be on the show ("I'd do anything for you, Bryant") and to show off her new outfit, something she picked up in Paris while working of Pret-A-Porter. It's a Jean-Paul Gaultier creation made from a pair of his old jeans, which means that, in a sense, his groin is on her breasts. She couldn't be happier with the outfit, she goes on to say, for JPG is a hero of hers. Bryant points out that he does now who Gaultier is ("well done, granddad", replies Tracey). She says the Paris shoot was fantastic but that the French people don't get her -- she's not Jerry Lewis. Bryant asks if the fashion industry will like the film. They're scared, says Tracey, for they think the movie will be The Player of the fashion world, but she thinks the film will be good for them. She then reveals that even the top fashion models have cellulite. They may not have much of it, but they do have some ("that wrecks my fantasy", quips Bryant). The conversation now turns to her other film, Woody Allen's Bullets Over Broadway. It was a dream to work with Woody, she says, but that's all she'll say, for Woody has not given the word to talk about the film yet. She won't jeopardize her chances of working for him in the future by blabbing anything. However, she will say that it was really good fun. The conversation then turns to family life. They've just had a vacation in Scotland, where husband Allan has spent lots of time on the links and she's picked up a Scottish suntan. 8-year-old Mabel is doing a BBC film ("at least somebody is working in the family") -- apparently the producers wanted a kid who was 8 years old who could act 48. She then tells the story of a phone call from Mabel in England -- when she was in a restaurant, she saw a woman with one of those natural facelifts; it was "Ivana Trumpet." Johnny [almost 3 at this time -- RR] is still a demolition man at home. After ripping up some of Mabel's stuff, she commented to her mother that she's sharing a room with a man she hates. Bryant asks Tracey why she's not back on TV when people who aren't nearly as funny as she have their own shows. The kids, she replies. But she would like to do something -- perhaps something in a late-night slot. She doesn't want to be on at 8, nor does she want to be on the covers of those women's magazines talking about recipes and stuff like that; she's not that kind of gal. She then comments that it's like Donahue with all these people being around, referring to the audience; it's about time that Bryant has contact with the great unwashed again! And on that note, the interview ends.
Katie Couric says that there is one exciting thing about having Tracey on the show: you never know what she's going to say, but that's OK for she's one of the funniest people on either side of the Atlantic, and her fans are going to be happy that she's appearing in the new Woody Allen film Bullets Over Broadway. Tracey says she liked the buildup that Katie just gave her; Bryant Gumbel wears protective clothing whenever she comes on. We then learn the family motto: "Funny is money. Not funny, no money." She is wearing a hat today, a Mad Hatter or Tom Petty hat that's padded inside, which means it's comfortable to wear. But the real truth, says Katie, is that she (Tracey) didn't feel like washing her hair that morning. That's true, but now that she is one of People's 10 Best Dressed, she now has an image to maintain. They then compliment each other, and Tracey goes on to says that they're as perky as ever. And she gets to use her perkiness in her Bullets Over Broadway role, a role that Katie describes as making her look like she's on Valium. Tracey describes her character, Eden Brent, as an aging ingenue, playing the role as someone who's trying to be young and earnest and innocent and totally sexless. We then see a clip from the film. Afterwards, she says that Woody gives a lot of leeway -- she's so thrilled to work with him; it's the fulfillment of a longtime dream of hers. If you don't like the script, you can ad lib -- do you want your character to have a limp or twitch or impediment or something? The atmosphere on the set was great. Normally, she gets inhibited on film; can you imagine that? (no, says Katie). She's used to TV and its faster pace, which allows for more spontaneity. On the movie set, it can be very boring, for it can take three hours to set up a shot. Then when the shot's ready, you're there, standing on your mark, not able to talk at the same time as the other actors -- the spontaneity just drains out of you. That doesn't happen with Woody's films, she observes; he makes filming so easy. Everything is done in one shot, no closeups, and the actors can talk all at once -- it's so liberating! It also leads to a fast shoot. Katie then asks if the controversy about Woody's private life affected the film shoot. No it didn't, replies Tracey; besides, she thought it wasn't any of her business. She liked working in period costume, but she didn't see the benefit of working in vintage costume. All of a sudden, your body heat is activating old odors from 1921 -- sweat on top of sweat. As the interview winds down, Katie asks to borrow Tracey's hat. It looks good on her. Tracey says they're going to go to an S&M store in the Village and give Katie a new image ("with studs", says Katie).
Bryant Gumbel opens this segment by saying that they've had Tracey on Today many times because she's the funniest person on earth, a perception reinforced last September with her fifth Emmy win for her special Tracey Ullman Takes On New York. But today, she's here to plug her new film Ready To Wear, and we see a brief clip from the film. Tracey observes that it's the holiday season, but Bryant's not wearing a holiday sweater. She is, and a lot of people are. You Americans put them on after Thanksgiving and don't remove them until New Year's, she says. Then she asks Katie where her holiday sweater is; we hear her respond off-camera she doesn't have one. Bryant asks Tracey how she's doing; she's doing really well. She points out that she was voted Best Dressed Woman after appearing on the show in June with a Gaultier frock coat (see above for a summary -- RR). She also points out that Bryant did not receive a similar accolade ("I'd look funny in Gaultier", he responds). Working on Ready To Wear gave her an opportunity to pad her wardrobe. She's always loved fashion, she says. Bryant asks if she's become a workout freak, for some of the shots in the film were very revealing, and they revealed that she was looking pretty good. She demurs; she wouldn't call herself a workout freak, but she does work out some. It was a bit intimidating with all of the models around, but she went for it. The supermodels are not perfect once you inspect them up close, she says; they've got leg bruises, they've got cellulite. Bryant asks about the title change from Pret-A-Porter. Ready To Wear is the English translation of Pret-A-Porter, and the PA people thought that a French title would not play in Kansas City; they'd think it would be a subtitled film or something like that. Bryant then asks if she thought the fashion industry was strange. It was rather like showbiz, she replies, with 98% being hype, buzz and all that, and 2% being the talent and hard work. While attending the fashion shows, she noticed quite a contrast between the models modeling the clothes and the people who could afford to buy them ("wrinkly East Side socialites"). It's sad that those who should be wearing them can't afford to. Working with Robert Altman is amazing, says Tracey. It's kamikaze filming, with a great deal of improvisation. She's good at that sort of stuff, but some of the other actors were terrified at the prospect. How biting is the commentary in the film, asks Bryant. There's no reason for the fashion industry to be scared of it, replies Tracey; it's not so much The Player as it is Nashville, a kind of farcical documentary. It's not an art form, it's fashion. Then she asks us to imagine putting on a fashion show for 300 Detroit autoworkers; they'd burst out laughing! And on that note, plus a final reminder to wear those holiday sweaters, the interview ends. 4. Late Show with David Letterman, Dec. 12
As is customary whenever Tracey appears on Letterman, she enters the stage to the accompaniment of the band playing her hit song "They Don't Know." She's not been on the show for a while. Dave asks if she's living in London now, and she replies that she has spent some time there recently. It was nice being back -- the service may be terrible, and they may not gift-wrap in the stores, but daughter Mabel is going to a good school over there. Unfortunately, the class system still exists. She tells the story of a playmate of Mabel's who said to her one day "I can't come over because my parents don't approve of your parents." The next day, Tracey saw the mother at school; she describes her as a "mousy little bitch with a velvet headband" and wearing a coat in which one shoots animals. She was tempted to go up to this woman and say in an American accent, "Hey bitch, you got a problem with me?" Dave is wondering why they would think this of Tracey and Allan. She mentions another thing Mabel said one day, something about Mommy being common but Daddy being really common. Dave asks for a more specific reason for the discomfort; apparently, the other girl's father did not approve of Tracey coming to pick up Mabel while wearing motorcycle boots. The conversation turns: Tracey says it's nice to be in New York at Christmastime, drawing cheers from the audience. There are lots of holiday sweaters around, but Dave's not wearing one. She observes that we Americans take off our pumpkin sweaters after Halloween, put on our Christmas sweaters after Thanksgiving and don't remove them till New Year's Eve. She comments on Dave's upgraded wardrobe. She recalls when he used to look like the captain of the Love Boat -- first it was nautical blazers, then the Gap to be youthful again, and now he's got an account at Barney's -- an Italian loafers without socks kind of guy, like the CBS executives that hang around after the show. Dave says they don't hang around his show. The conversation then turns to Bullets Over Broadway, which Dave called a nice movie. It was a dream to work with Woody Allen, says Tracey. She then tells the saga of the two Mr. Woofles... The first dog signed for the role of the dog belonging to Tracey's character had jelly warts on its stomach -- yuk! Its owner was a bit on the obnoxious side, too, so Tracey complained to Woody about the warts. The next day, there was a new dog -- "the Tom Cruise of dogs." This has been a good year for her, for she got to work not only with Woody Allen but also Robert Altman on Ready To Wear, which used to be Pret-A-Porter. Dave asks if PAP is French for RTW. Yes, it is, responds Tracey, but she knew he would know that because he is a man of the world. The title change was the from the PR people thinking that people in America are stupid, that they'd think it was a foreign film with subtitles. Dave asks if the movie is about the fashion industry, which it is. Tracey says she really loves fashion. In fact, she tells us that she's wearing something by Jean-Paul Gaultier right now. This coat was made from his old jeans. In effect, she's wearing his groin on her breasts. She even points out the "willy wear", where the denim was worn away. Back to the movie: it opens January 23. It was good fun, but you can't really talk to the models. Beyond a few subjects, what can you say to them? Dave asks how long she'll be here; she's here for the holidays to get some sweaters! Then she notices crewman giving a "wrap-it-up" sign, at which point they go to commercial. After the break, Dave asks Tracey where her husband is tonight. He's back at the hotel perusing one of those "magic-eye" books. They've come into town on a special trip, but they don't have sex, they look at these books -- it's sad, she says. It reminds us of when we did drugs -- "hey wow, it's starting to come through now!". She reminds us to go and see Pret-A-Porter if only for the naked supermodels at the end. Guys, this is a movie for you as well; before you're done watching, you'll find yourself comparing the models' pubic hairs and nipples. Dave is uncomfortable with the current drift of the conversation; fortunately for him, it's time for another commercial. After the second break, Dave says that because one of his guests walked too slowly getting to the desk (i.e., Tracey's segment ran too long), Iris Dement will not be able to perform tonight and will be rescheduled for a later date. At that point, the show ends. NOTE: Here's an interesting fact that has nothing to do with Tracey but everything to do with Detroit TV history: this night's episode was the first to air on CBS's brand new affiliate in Detroit, channel 62. This was the first day of the big network change: their former affiliate of 46 years, channel 2, was bought by Fox and switched to Fox programming. 5. Live with Regis & Kathie Lee, Dec. 14
Regis introduces Tracey, who comes out wearing an interesting outfit: the coat is held closed by safety pins. Kathie Lee says the pins are more attractive there than in your nose. The outfit is by Jean-Paul Gaultier, Tracey's favorite designer. She did Ready To Wear to meet him, she says. She likes the outfit because you can look fashionable AND diaper your baby at the same time. He's her kind of designer. Kathie Lee asks if Tracey's daughter is six now; no, Mabel is 8 but menopausal -- an old soul. Now her son's an idiot [he is 3 at this time -- RR] -- he's walking around holding his willy and thinking he's Simba from The Lion King. "I always called it Bill," quips Regis. The jacket has served as quite an icebreaker, observes Tracey. Now the conversatioin turns to the movie RTW. Is it a sendup or a serious spoof, asks Kathie Lee. It reminds Tracey of Nashville, a farcical documentary. Now the fashion industry, which is not noted for having a sense of humor, feared that it would be more like The Player, more of a serious skewering of them, but it's not. You're not dealing with an art form here; it's fashion. It's 98% hype and hustle and hangers-on and 2% talent and work. It's a wonderful world to be involved in, she says, and the movie is a visual feast, not only for the ladies but also for the guys. They get to see supermodels totally naked, so there's something in it for the whole family. But Regis need not worry; there are no "Bills" in this film. Tracey then tells of the wonder of being in a film with Sophia Loren, Marcello Mastroianni and Anouk Aimee, and how Sophia is just the most beautiful person in movies to her. She's 60 but compares quite well to the young models; she looks like she's lightly sprayed and misted with olive oil ("extra virgin", says Regis). The crew on the set was great, Tracey says, but they smoked all of the time, even the makeup artists while they were making up the actors. Regis asks if much of the film was shot in New York. It was all shot in Paris, replies Tracey. They don't like kids that much in Paris -- don't try bringing your stroller into a Parisian restaurant! But it is OK to bring your dog, and if it does a doo-doo in the middle of the floor, no problem! "Don't you like the French?" asks Regis. Paris is a tough city, she replies, but she can argue in French now; she was there for so long, she had dealings with the French telephone company. How did she get the role? She asked Robert Altman to cast her, saying she knew a good bit about fashion and could bring that experience to the role. She really loves fashion; she's always been a freak for fashion. She says she should be on a 12-step program for people who buy too much. Kathie Lee says she's heard that Mabel is not too happy with her mother's fashion choices. Yes, it's true, responds Tracey; there are times when she'll says "Mom, you're trying to dress like a 16-year-old." But Mabel is developing her own fashion sense. Regis asks how old she is, having forgotten that Tracey had already said "8 and menopausal"; both women remind him of that. Kathie Lee asks if she wears a bag like the Queen, prompting Tracey to mention those royal hats, those fashion-setters in the UK. This leads into a film clip from Ready To Wear. After it's over, so's the interview. Prepared by Roger Reini |
