Thank you, Sue Sue. It was grand.


...and Moraldo, if Roger Edens is seated at your piano, then I say let the girl sing! Thanks for the chuckle.

Until soon.

Brent

Hi Moraldo! was there anything that you wish you could've included in your book, but didn't? Great question! You know, writing a biography about a very private man who shied away from the public spotlight and who passed away more than 30 years ago was (in a word) daunting. I am happy that I was able...

Sue Sue -- I would love to learn more about Chuck's relationship with Judy Garland. A lot has been written about the professional relationship between Garland and her MGM musical mentor Roger Edens -- and rightfully so. Similarly, the role that Vincente Minnelli played in Garland's on-screen maturat...

Sue Sue --

I have much to say about Judy and Chuck. Let me gather my thoughts....

Good afternoon, Professional Tourist -- Thanks for asking about Agnes Moorehead. Alas, I did not come across anything more about their friendship other than what wrote in your post. Sorry. You are correct about Walters "staging" that Conga line. For the most part, Chuck Walters did not spe...

Good morning Sue Sue, I'd love to hear any details about Presnell! I'm afraid I won't be of much help. Sadly he died in 2009 while I was gathering interviews for the book. I would have liked to have asked whether Chuck assisted his performance when transitioning from stage to screen, and -- if so --...

Hi, Lynn-- Those are some amazing memories. Thank you so much for sharing. Mary Whitely programmed a terrific retrospective on Gene Kelly that included an evening with Gene Kelly talking about his career. Mary told me a charming story about how she never told Chuck Walters that Gene Kelly was her al...

Moraldo - Were you able to pour over MGM archives? [This too, is a fantasy of mine.] I was able to pour over the archives of Arthur Freed, Roger Edens, Joseph Pasternak, and Chuck Walters at USC. I think I floated back to my hotel room every night. Talk about a treasure trove. Were you able to see h...

Sue Sue - Thanks for asking about writer Helen Deutsch. I am absolutely wild about this remarkable woman. Her archive is at Boston University and I could have sat reading her lengthy letters and memos for days. Dore Schary once wrote that Deutsch was not entirely a calm woman, which I figure meant s...

Hello, Lynn in Sherman Oaks. It’s amazing that you were at USC the same time Walters and Taurog were teaching. How exciting that must have been! So many of Taurog’s films hold up remarkably well, and — like Chuck’s — they possess a great deal of heart. Glad the students at USC had the opportunity th...

Hi, Moraldo. Well, I am absolutely “in” should any of your fantasy dinner parties ever come true! (…and sincerely honored, as well.) Initially Chuck had hoped to have a career in front of the camera. In the early 1930s he screen-tested for MGM but didn’t make the cut. Just as well because he then we...

Hi, Sue Sue. Hm…those are some big questions (that you posted earlier). :) It would be difficult for me to narrow Walters’s professional achievements down to one. There were certainly high points on Broadway and in Hollywood. On the Great White Way he triumphed in Jubilee , stopping the show when da...

Good morning! Hello, Moira — and Silver Screeners everywhere. Before I dive into kingrat’s great questions, let me first take a moment to say a big ‘thank you’ to Christy for this invitation. It’s not everyday you get asked to visit an Oasis! It’s a typically chilly February day here in New York Cit...