‘Late Shift’ chronicles fight for late night TV
By Lynn Elber
The Associated Press
Producer Ivan Reitman finds out this weekend how viewers take to
his sly, satirical HBO movie detailing the guerrilla warfare over
Johnny Carson’s "Tonight Show" throne.
He’s already heard from one key figure: Mikey likes it.
That’s Michael Ovitz, president of Walt Disney Co., who in his
previous life as Hollywood agent-czar helped engineer the deal that
brought David Letterman to CBS and nearly pulled ”Tonight” out
from under Jay Leno.
Ovitz (in a deliciously silken turn by actor Treat Williams) is
among the behind-the-scenes powerbrokers depicted in HBO’s "The
Late Shift," which debuts at 8 p.m. Saturday.
With the proper measure of noblesse oblige, Ovitz didn’t keep
Reitman on edge.
"The only one who called me up and has spoken about his own
portrayal has been Michael Ovitz, who really liked it," Reitman
reports.
How about Bob Wright, chairman and CEO of NBC? How does he think
he comes across? What about the late-night stars themselves, Leno
and Letterman? Are they amused or spitting nails?
Why take on a project riddled with big names and big egos, and
all the potential angst that implies for a filmmaker?
"I’ve actually asked myself that question through the process,"
said Reitman, who as a successful director and producer
("Ghostbusters" and "Dave" are among his credits) wields a bit of
power himself.
"I certainly was not doing it for the money. … I hadn’t really
done anything for TV except for early series work," he said. "I
liked the book. It was one of those things."
The book is "The Late Shift" by New York Times television
reporter Bill Carter, who chronicled the frantic efforts by, and on
behalf of, Leno and Letterman to gain "Tonight" upon Carson’s 1992
retirement.
Carter’s work grabbed Reitman, and not because it was about show
business.
"I’ve always shied away from backstage stories. They have a
tendency to be inside," he said. "But this one was so accurately
written it wasn’t a parody of anything."
"I thought the book told a very emotional story of two men who
are friends with great dreams, similar dreams, who, ironically,
then have to confront each other, deal with each other, compete
with one another for the prize."
The movie, co-written by Carter and George Armitage and directed
by Betty Thomas, goes for the funny bone and hits it.
All that is imagined as the worst of Hollywood — the greed, the
posturing, the ambition — is laid out for our viewing pleasure.
Williams’ delightfully suave depiction of Ovitz is a case in point.
In one bravura scene, Ovitz creates a vision of glory for Letterman
— if he allows Ovitz and his Creative Artists Agency to act as
fairy godmother.
"If you give us the privilege of working with you, CAA will take
care of everything your talents deserve and your spirit desires,"
Ovitz tells Letterman (John Michael Higgins).
"Jesus, it was like having a meeting with the godfather,"
Letterman says afterward.
Both Leno and Letterman are shown as honorable competitors,
although a bit wimpy. Carson (courtesy of impressionist Rich
Little) remains the gold standard, a figure of sure-footed
grace.
The villains are network executives whose loyalty is to the
winner and Leno’s voracious manager Helen Kushnick.
In Kathy Bates’ remarkable tour-de-force performance, Kushnick
is depicted as a foul-mouthed, devious and spiteful woman — who is
clever enough to get Leno (Daniel Roebuck, with a fake jaw that
kinda works) exactly what he wants.
"Helen, you’re as subtle as a knee to the groin," then-NBC
programming head Brandon Tartikoff tells Kushnick at one point.
There’s no business like show business as "The Late Shift"
portrays.Comments to webmaster@db.asucla.ucla.edu