Knowing the Real Petey Greene
WUSA-TV’s Bruce Johnson posted an old news clip (WMV) a couple of days ago that contained his report on Ralph Waldo “Petey” Greene’s 1984 death. A version of Petey Greene’s story is told on the big screen in Talk to Me, which came out in theaters last month.
After hearing (and writing about) the story of Lurma Rackley—the reporter Greene chose to write his autobiography just before he died—I’ve found old reports like Johnson’s to be all the more relevant. There’s so little information about Greene’s real life that people are taking the movie at face value.
For instance, I was watching Tavis Smiley’s talk show a few nights ago and Smiley was interviewing Don Cheadle, the actor who plays Greene in the movie. It was clear from Smiley’s line of questioning that he assumed Cheadle was an expert on Greene. It’s arguable that there are no experts on Greene—he wasn’t an elected official, and there aren’t gobs of information out there about him. But if there were an expert, it definitely wouldn’t be the man who played a dramatized version of him in a Hollywood movie.
Smiley asked Cheadle a few pointed questions about dramatized scenes in the movie, and it was obvious that Smiley assumed those scenes were taken from Greene’s real-life story. And Cheadle just went with it, improvising answers instead of informing Smiley and viewers that hey, he’s just an actor reading a largely fictionalized script about a man who died over 20 years ago.
But that just goes to show that when you’re dead and gone and someone decides to resurrect your story, they can tell it however they want. But check out the movie—it’s pretty good. And read Rackley’s book to get more from Petey in his own words.
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10:17 am
Un-Fuckin believeable. City Desk finally write a blog entry that is worthy reading!
Maybe if City Desk would write more stuff like this it might be read by more than my person and the four City Desk staffers who do.
12:27 pm
Stop hating on Don Cheadle.
12:36 pm
Nobody’s hating on Don Cheadle. But he’s still no expert, and should have said as much.
2:29 pm
I’ve been in contact with Ms. Rackley and she’s a wonderful source of information, but I should also mention that it’s not the least bit strange for Hollywood or the movies to not discuss or not try to fact check a fictionalized biography. The point, in ways, about such bios is that they are a script, not the true story. Anything that would alter the story arc (such as Petey begging for a job) would naturally be dismissed.
Because I was so young when he was on the air, I have a hard time dealing with the real Petey Greene. He didn’t speak to me and his satire went to places that a 13 yr old mind had trouble processing.
What would be great, however, would be to track down and release on the web old Petey Greene radio airchecks. His TV show was so strange, possibly not like the real Petey Greene, so I would really like to hear his 1970s material.
3:34 pm
I wanna hear that old material, too–the radio stuff, as opposed to the TV stuff. I wonder if the station would do it?
3:54 pm
To want Petey’s true strength of character known is in no way disrespectful of Don Cheadle. I, too, think he is a great actor, and I am sure he relied on the script to inform him. Amanda’s article helps the reader learn about Petey from people who knew him. And if people want to hear Petey’s own story in his own words, the book — Laugh If You Like, Ain’t a Damn Thing Funny — is there for that purpose. I commend Amanda and City Paper for the feature.
4:34 pm
One of the producers of “Talk To Me” called me about giving them videotapes of old Petey Greene shows for Don Cheadle to study. For years, I’ve been telling people that I have such tapes. I clearly recall recording several shows on Channel 20. One was an in-studio picnic, where Petey sat at a picnic table eating, I believe, KFC out of the bucket. Behind him was a Dodge Dart. What a set! He said, “Now we’re gonna sit down and dine sufficiently!” Which he did, as a song played.
Another episode involved Petey sitting in his trademarked high-back cane chair. He’d finished speechifying and sat back while Sinatra’s “My Way” played. The entire song. The camera just held on Petey the whole time. Great television.
Anyway, when I went to the deep recesses of the Nuttycombe Archives to retrieve these tapes–I couldn’t find them. There were several unlabeled tapes that were neither VHS or even Beta, but a short-lived format by Quasar. Maybe the shows are on these, but the machine to play them doesn’t work. So the producers, and history, are out of luck.
12:46 pm
Thanks for the plug, saw the movie and found it entertaining and I wasn’t really bothered by the hollywood treatment of Petey’s story. Happens all the time. I plan to read Lurma’s book..still waiting for the Marvin Gaye and Marion Barry movies.
10:56 am
http://www.labguysworld.com/VTR_Links.htm
Dave, just pay the money to convert the VX tapes from one of the above sources. Put the Davy Marlin Jones reviews on youtube and move forward.
11:21 am
Bruce Johnson’s clip reminds me that once upon a time, long, long ago, there was such a things as really good journalism practiced on what is now a “vast wasteland”. But I digress.
Yes, Mr. Cheadle deserves “props” for his on-screen portrayal of Petey. Mr. Smiley, on this occasion, deserves a “thumbs down” for going on air without demanding access to research that would have better informed his questioning of Mr. Cheadle. And, yes, the movie is entertaining.
But Hollywood’s treatment of Lurma Rackley reminds me very much of the Hollywood that will look you straight in the eye and tell you that no movie every makes a profit. The studios and the record labels can show you one set of books that will prove their point…until their “suits” are dragged into court and forced to testify under oath.
Oh, how different it would be if, somehow, the movie folks had to testify under oath about whether or not Lurma’s excellent book had any influence on the movie and, especially, on the forthcoming documentary. Certainly, it would be wonderful if Lurma received her “props” going forward, but I would not have her hold her breath until that happens. Frankly, I like her much too much to see an obiturary reporting her death to have been caused by Hollywood’s refusal to talk to her.
John