Rare footage: David Merrick announces Gower Champion's death

[Miserent]

Posted: 2/13/19 at 1:51am

https://youtu.be/XslMjYFo19s

I'm sorry, I'm posting this from my phone and there isn't an option to make it clickable. I've never seen actual video footage of this moment, and I have to say it's really annoying how the newscaster is essentially narrating the entire video and drowning out much of the audio. Still a pretty interesting find!

[uncageg]

Posted: 2/13/19 at 2:15am

There is footage out there without newscaster narration. Yep, it is annoying. He talks over the actual announcement.

[greensgreens]

Posted: 2/13/19 at 12:04pm

It's never less than thrilling to see a true legendary moment captured on film. I really thought the retellings over the years were making it more and more grandiose, but it's exactly as everyone describes it.

In some way, I appreciate Merrick thinking ahead to invite the press to capture the announcement. And I'm sure that was the best publicity in the world for the show (much like Jonathan Larson's passing was to Rent). They became more than just good shows, they were a fond farewell from some very talented friends.

[ggersten]

Posted: 2/13/19 at 12:25pm

Miserent said: "https://youtu.be/XslMjYFo19s

I'm sorry, I'm posting this from my phone and there isn't an option to make it clickable. I've never seen actual video footage of this moment, and I have to say it's really annoying how the newscaster is essentially narrating the entire video and drowning out much of the audio. Still a pretty interesting find!"

 

[Dollypop]

Posted: 2/13/19 at 7:33pm

The announcer was Stuart Klein who also served as the station's drama critc.

[Huss417]

Posted: 2/13/19 at 10:05pm

At the time this made the news everywhere. The day after ( before internet and such) the line to buy tickets was longer than you could possibly imagine. Amazing that it is coming up to 39 years and I was there.

[Age_of_Mendacity]

Posted: 2/13/19 at 11:52pm

What a strange coincidence -- I just read about this in Sam Wasson's bio of Bob Fosse today on the train (I knew most of the story already)! The newscaster talking over probably wasn't that unusual, but in the book, Wasson notes that Fosse was there and that the show was so well received (I believe he says it had 10 curtain calls) that the audience's clapping and whooping drowned out Merrick's announcement, so the news station probably missed the full audio too.

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 2/14/19 at 12:28am

Is there an actual transcript or quote of what exactly he said at the curtain call? What a shocking and uncomfortable moment, for the cast especially.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 2/14/19 at 2:10am

Especially for his girlfriend Wanda Richert, who originated Peggy Sawyer and found out the same way everyone else did...

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 2/14/19 at 5:00pm

greensgreens said: "...In some way, I appreciate Merrick thinking ahead to invite the press to capture the announcement...."

Thinking ahead? It was opening night, IIRC, back when most of the press showed up for the opening. The press was always going to be there.

What was "thinking ahead" was Merrick's withholding the news from the company. He knew star Wanda Richert was seeing Champion romantically, yet he withheld the info so the cameras would get her uncensored response.

David Merrick never won any awards for being a human being.

[AADA81]

Posted: 2/14/19 at 11:20pm

I saw this the day it happened on a local NYC news channel and believe me, the cast onstage was thunderstruck.  I did not like seeing their reaction because it was painful and to learn afterwards that it was orchestrated by Merrick only made it worse.  Sorry, but that's not theater .... that's cruelty.

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 2/14/19 at 11:38pm

I wouldn’t cry too many tears for Wanda Richert. By the time of the Tony Awards she was happily involved with David Hasselhoff... 

Updated On: 2/14/19 at 11:38 PM