Monday Passings

R.I.P Ingmar Bergman (my introduction was “The Seventh Seal,” which I watched in an auditorium with a bunch of eighth graders who were as confused at the time as I was – as depressing as it was, “Wild Strawberries” may have been the most beautifully photographed black and white film I ever saw, and “Fanny and Alexander” is a favorite also; a humorous – I hope – appreciation follows)...

...and Tom Snyder; I’m not sure exactly why he never caught on as a media personality. I guess it was because he was trained as a journalist but couldn’t quite find that Letterman/Leno appeal to make a large audience gravitate towards him.

It’s a shame because he conducted some really interesting interviews, such as the one with John Lennon while his deportation hearings were going on (and Snyder’s show after Lennon’s murder was memorable also), and even the one with Wendy O. Williams of the Plasmatics during the ‘80s. Snyder always dove head first into some edgy stuff and sometimes paid for it – the Williams show definitely qualified, and the 1981 interview with Charles Manson was a lowlight for him as Manson did his crazy act trying to get into Snyder’s head for about an hour or so…it was an uninformative interview, but worse, it was really boring television.

Snyder had a sense of humor, though, and reportedly had no issue with Dan Aykroyd’s impersonations of him on “Saturday Night Live,” which frequently portrayed Snyder as an amiable klutz.

So here’s to Tom Snyder, Philadelphia broadcast pioneer – enjoy a “colortini” in the afterlife for a career of good work.

Update: Interesting stuff from Matt Cooper here...but boy, is he wrong about '70s T.V.

Update 7/31: Not a good week for legendary filmmakers (here)...