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Frost / Streisand |
Feature/February 2009 |
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Up until the time he sat down with former
president Richard Nixon, talk show host David Frost's
most famous - and elusive - interview of his career
was perhaps the sit-down he had with Barbra
Streisand. It was 38 years ago this month
when Frost interviewed Streisand in a light-hearted hour. Frost
was even able to convince Barbra to perform a pair of
numbers during the show.
But the most amazing thing about this appearance is
that it has never been seen. |
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The Interview that Never
Aired
February 1, 2009
The date was
February 5, 1971 when Barbra Streisand journeyed over to David
Frost's Hollywood studio to tape a one hour interview for his
monumentally successful television show. Never one to enjoy the give
and take of a journalist's questioning, the invitation to appear on
Frost's show was one that Barbra just could not turn down. After
all, David Frost was one of the biggest names in talk shows, perhaps
second only to Johnny Carson. And besides, Barbra had her brand new album
"Stoney End" to plug.
The interview was hardly hard hitting, which must have pleased
Barbra. The two main highlights of the hour were when
Frost asked Barbra to step center stage and sing. Since her newest
album "Stoney End" was being released concurrent to the
show's taping,
Barbra fittingly chose to perform one of the album's selections
during the first half hour. Her
rendition of "I Don't Know Where I Stand" showcased Barbra in
absolute pristine vocal condition.
During the next interview segment, Barbra discussed such topics as
the role of men and women in society, and her particular
responsibilities as a mother in bringing up her son. The hour ended
with Barbra performing a silky version of "Didn't We," a song she
was preparing for her upcoming fundraising concert for George
McGovern.
So what happened to this interview? While portions of the show,
particularly Barbra's performance of "Didn't We" pop up on places
like YouTube from time to time, the complete Frost/Streisand
interview
has never been broadcast. According to some, the reason was simple.
Barbra Streisand was still under contract with CBS television at the
time the Frost interview took place. The David Frost Show was
syndicated by Metromedia, a competitor of CBS. One might assume,
perhaps, that it was Barbra's as yet unfinished commitment to
provide a certain number of one-hour television specials for CBS
that prevented her appearance on David Frost's show from ever being
shown.
The Time is Right
Recently, the case of the elusive Frost/Streisand interview surfaced
again, offering a glimmer of hope that this long forgotten show might
eventually be shown on television or released on video. Interest in resurrecting this television gem
began to gather steam on July 25, 2007. That was the night David Frost attended Barbra Streisand's
concert in London. According
to a report in the UK Telegraph, Barbra gave one of her
trademark shout-outs to Frost by saying,
"Sir David Frost and I worked on something
together in the Seventies once. I'd like to see that air some day."
The Telegraph
immediately reported
that David Frost was also interested in seeing the Frost/Streisand
interview air. A spokesman for Frost said,
"Barbra was referring to an hour-long programme of music and chat
that she and David filmed years ago ... They got on really well and
there was a lot of joking around but for some reason it was never
aired ... Well, Sir David is very keen for it to be aired now, so
we'll see."
So stay tuned,
viewers. "Frost/Streisand" may yet have its day. And who knows. With
the highly acclaimed motion picture "Frost/Nixon" currently in Oscar
contention, a slightly belated TV airing of "Frost/Streisand" might
just be a shoe-in for a special Emmy in the category of Best Lost
Television Episode.
Did
You Know?
A year before the
Frost/Streisand interview took place, David presented Barbra with her
Tony Award as "Star of the Decade." The date was April 19, 1970, and
here's how David Frost introduced Barbra:
I've got the joy,
the very great joy of giving a special award to a star of
extraordinary brightness. The star, certainly of this theatrical
decade. She's brought to millions everywhere the excitement of the
Broadway theatre. "The Owl and the Pussycat," "On A Clear Day You
Can See Forever," films to come, "Hello, Dolly!" already with us.
These are some of her films. She's won an Oscar. We've all heard her
recordings, played them again and again. And she's won a Grammy.
We've seen her television performances, and rightly, she's won an
Emmy. And now this evening she's receiving the Tony, specially
inscribed with the words, "Star of the Decade," the first person to
have won all four major awards.
Ladies and gentlemen, Broadway's "Funny Girl," Miss Barbra
Streisand.
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