Toni Tenille Show 1980

"Phobia" Film Release

TONI TENILLE (Host): My one...on...one guest is starring in a new movie called "Phobia." Paul Michael Glaser plays a psychiatrist who tries to rehabilitate a group of prisoners and cure their phobias. In this preview, Glaser, as Dr. Peter Ross, is being observed by two police officers who want to close down the program because of the death of one of his patients.

(Film clip from "Phobia"shown )

TONI: Ladies and gentlemen, Paul Michael Glaser.

PAUL MICHAEL GLASER: This is terrific.

TONI: You like that?

PAUL: What a lovely set.

TONI: Yes, it is. It's very special. They did it just for me.

PAUL: And the chair is comfortable. I was watching from the greenroom, and I kept saying to myself, "I wonder how far into the couch or the chair I'm going to sink?" Did you ever have that problem?

TONI: When I was on...when Daryl and I were on talk shows, sure. We always worried about that. Daryl usually ended up like this (slouches in her chair) by the time the show was over. Tell me a little more about the movie we just saw. Now you are a psychiatrist who is trying out a new theory on...but you're using prisoners as guinea pigs, is that it?

PAUL: Well, it's such a radical treatment for phobic's.

TONI: What type of a treatment is it?

PAUL: Well, basically what it is is you expose the phobic...you know what a phobic...a person who has a phobia...phobia…

TONI: Well, like a fear of spiders or a fear of heights or something, uh...huh.

PAUL: Yeah. Basically a phobia is a fear that is felt to such an extreme that it renders you unable to function.

TONI: Right.

PAUL: And so the basis of the treatment is to expose a phobic, through rear screen projections and other stimuli, to...I hear a camera snaking by.

TONI: Don't worry about it. He always does that.

PAUL: It's a little phobia I have about cameras. (Laughs) Exposing that person to their particular phobia to the point where they're going to break.

TONI: Oh.

PAUL: And then stopping just short of that and kind of talking them down and relaxing them, and then upping the stakes a little higher and a little higher.

TONI: I saw a publicity shot of you with a snake in your hand in front of some guy.

PAUL: That's right. That's right. I had a great time with that snake.

TONI: You did?

PAUL: Yeah, I had a great time because you know,...you know, on a movie set, you do an awful lot of sitting around and waiting.

TONI: Mm...hmm. Yes.

PAUL: And then as the time comes up to do the shot, you start getting...second guessing it and you start getting a little preoccupied, maybe a little nervous, maybe a little bored, maybe a little tired. And I had this snake. And the trainer used to come over,...they have trainers for everything in films. You know, they have trainers for bees, they have trainers for butterflies, they have trainers for everything. And they had this snake trainer. And the snake trainer would come over and say, "You want me to take the snake?" I'd say, "No way. I'm having a great time." And I used to sit there with this snake and let him walk...or whatever they do...crawl...slither all over. And he just calmed me down.

TONI: He calmed you down?

PAUL: Yeah. Yeah. Well, they're very,...they're cold blooded animals, Toni.

TONI: Yeah. What kind of a snake...I mean, it wasn't anything poisonous.

PAUL: It was a gopher snake.

TONI: Oh, a gopher snake.

PAUL: And he was about that long.

TONI: Uh...huh.

PAUL: And he was friendly. He was real friendly. And then we had a rattlesnake on the set, which,...it's a funny story. It wasn't funny to the camera operators, though. John Huston, who has done,...who was our director.

TONI: He's the director, yeah.

PAUL: He has done, oh, I don't know how many adventure films, and he's a man who loves danger and toying with danger, and he's quite an extraordinary person. And he...we had this shot to do of this rattlesnake. So the snake trainer brought in a rattlesnake. And there's this rattlesnake sitting there on the stage ( Paul imitates a rattlesnake) doing its number. And the snake trainer is prodding it with his prod and getting it more and more angry. And John is standing there behind the camera. I'm standing next to John and we're just kind of talking about other things and the camera is rolling. And John says, "Bring the snake a little closer," and so they bring the snake a little closer. Now it's about 20 feet away from the camera and the film is running. And John and I were talking about baseball, I think it was…

TONI: Sure.

PAUL: ...we're talking about baseball and the camera is rolling. And he says, "Excuse me." He says, "Bring the snake a little bit closer." And he keeps bringing the snake closer and closer. Now I'm not listening to John anymore; I'm watching the operator, right, because the operator is sitting there with his eye glued to the eyepiece and sweat is rolling off his face and he's like that. And John kept bringing that snake closer and closer and closer. Until pretty soon the snake got bored and just stopped rattling and walked...and…

TONI: Walked off.

PAUL: What do they do?

TONI: I don't know. Slithered off.

PAUL: Yeah.

TONI: But John is that kind of a person. He doesn't care about the dangerous things. Is he...do you have any phobias?

PAUL: Do I have any phobias?

TONI: Do you have any phobias?

PAUL: You mean a fear that renders me…

TONI: Immobile.

PAUL: I don't think I've run into it yet.

TONI: You must have thought about it, though, when you were preparing for this part, though. About anything...a fear of heights maybe or small spaces or…

PAUL: Well, you know, to whatever extent a role that you play or any artistic venture that you get involved in,...to whatever extent it parallels a reality in your life…

TONI: Mm...hmm.

PAUL: …and a lot of times it's...it helps you to look for that parallel. You know, if you're making a movie about somebody who's about to climb a great mountain and overcome a great obstacle, you look at what in your life at that moment you are trying to overcome. Well…

TONI: So you can have the same feeling when the time comes.

PAUL: Exactly, and you can draw those parallels. And pretty much your mind and your subconscious does those parallels by itself.

TONI: Mm...hmm.

PAUL: Well, to whatever extent that is true, when I did that film...it was my first feature film after doing "Starsky & Hutch."

TONI: Right.

PAUL: And I think to whatever extent I was concerned about failing, that was probably the parallel to which that character in the piece…

TONI: Ah!

PAUL: …has failed. He's very tenacious, this character that I play. So I guess there was a slight parallel there. And the character has a phobia...I can't say any more.

TONI: The doctor has one, but you can't tell us what it is.

PAUL: It's a suspense thriller…

TONI: You'll give it away.

PAUL: ….and I'm giving it away for free.

TONI: OK. Let me ask you something else. Now you did "Starsky & Hutch" for several seasons.

PAUL: Yeah.

TONI: And you have some very, very strong feelings about being a television actor as being,...as opposed to being a film actor and the way people,......that people react to you when they see you...people on the street. Do you feel that when you're in...on television and they see you every day, you're in their homes, that they feel more disposed to come up and touch you and…

PAUL: Yeah, I think there's….

TONI: Does that make you uncomfortable?

PAUL: Well, I was never...I've never been really comfortable with celebrity. I mean, there are parts of celebrity that are very enjoyable.

TONI: Mm...hmm.

PAUL:You know, but the old adage that it's good for cashing a check, getting a room in a restaurant...a room in a hotel and a table in a restaurant…

TONI: Right.

PAUL: …pretty much rings true.

TONI: Yeah.

PAUL: You don't really try to expect anything more than that. When people offer you some kind of special treatment, that's really nice and…

TONI:Yeah.

PAUL: …and...and it's a pleasant surprise. But beyond that, you don't want to get into a situation where you're looking for it. Because if you ever do say, "Excuse me, my name is Paul Michael Glaser and I would like"......bla, bla, bla,......and they go, "Yeah? So what?"

TONI: Yeah?

PAUL: So you...celebrity for me was something that came with... with the success of the show. I ...it comes with the turf, as the saying goes.

TONI: Right.

PAUL: And one tries...I'm sure, you know, you have the same element in your life. You lose some privacy and…

TONI: Yeah. It's something that we've thought about... Daryl and I have thought about. In fact, before we ever had any, you know, celebrity, we thought about what the repercussions would be of having it.

PAUL: Mm...hmm.

TONI: I want to talk to you more about that. I hope you stay around.

PAUL: Right. I'm not going anywhere.

TONI: Because we'll be back with Paul Michael Glaser right after this.

(Commercial break)

TONI: I'm back with Paul Michael Glaser. And, Paul, I understand congratulations are in order because you were recently married to your lady of many years.

PAUL: Thank you.

TONI: And we kind of share that, because Daryl and I lived together for several years before we finally decided to get married. But you at one time said you didn't want to get married, that you didn't feel you were ready for commitments. What made you change your mind?

PAUL: I think it's called getting older. (Laughs)

TONI: Well, OK. But getting older does make you change things.

PAUL: Yeah. I think that... I like being married. It feels good. I don't... I don't think it's anything more than that, than getting older and maturing, getting a little wiser... or maybe a little more foolish in some people's eyes. But it... I just changed my mind. I change my mind about a lot of things... a lot of things.

TONI: Yeah, but, see, that's the great thing, though, that you can feel free to change your mind when you want to.

PAUL: Yeah.

TONI: Instead of saying, "Well, I said this. I'd better stick with it." Because I think that the commitment that you make...when you have lived together for so many years, you realize that it is going to work and this is it and it's going to be the right thing, so why not go ahead and do the right thing, too?

PAUL: Well, the interesting thing is people keep saying, "Well, you don't know it until it happens." I mean, "You don't know what the difference is until you do it...until you've done it."

TONI: Well, there was no difference. Daryl and I felt no difference at all when we got married. Did you?

PAUL: Boy, listen to the way she defends that.

TONI: No, it's…

PAUL: "No difference! No difference at all!"

TONI: No, we... no, there isn't any. I am telling you, I thought when the... when we got married and the little thing came in the mail that said, "You are officially"... that I would really feel differently, but I didn't. Did you?

PAUL: I haven't seen anything in the mail.

TONI: Oh, you haven't gotten anything in the mail yet?

PAUL: No.

TONI: The little certificate that says, "You are officially married." Well, maybe that's your traumatic moment.
(Laughter)

PAUL: You know what I felt? I felt that it... it put Elizabeth more at ease and subsequently put me more at ease.

TONI: What about parents, too? That was kind of what we were getting at.

PAUL: Well, I was listening backstage to your explanation of how you guys got married, and Elizabeth and I did it pretty much the same way. You know, just get it done.

TONI: You did have a very quiet wedding, right?

PAUL: Very quiet, very private,...very private.

TONI: But, see, I think that's terrific. I have friends who have had these humongous weddings with eight million bridesmaids, and everybody's miserable. Nobody has any fun. And I have wonderful memories of my marriage.

PAUL: I know. I know.

TONI: In my cowboy boots and all that.

PAUL: I went to... well, I can't tell this story on the air. I went to one…

TONI: Maybe we can bleep you. Go ahead and tell it.

PAUL: No, no, no. I went to one wedding that I enjoyed very much, but I don't remember much of the wedding.

TONI: Really?

PAUL: Does that make sense?

TONI: Yeah, well, we won't pursue that any further. Are you and Elizabeth thinking about having a family? I mean, are children going to enter into your life one of these days?

PAUL: Sure. Sure. You know, why not?

TONI: What kind of father do you think you'll make?

PAUL: Oh, I think I'll make a very good father. I think I'll be... I'm... I'm looking forward to that. Very good.

TONI: Will you be strict or will you be more of a lenient type?

PAUL: I think I'll be pretty strict.

TONI: Is that the way your dad was with you?

PAUL: No. No, my father was very lenient. I might even go so far as to say that I was spoiled as a kid.

TONI: Ah!

PAUL: And I think you do a kid a lot of favors... child, pardon me... you do a child a lot of... a big favor by disciplining him early.

TONI: Now how much discipline are you talking about?

PAUL: Salute.
(Laughter all around)

TONI: No, I mean, are you... are you talking about... he might mean it! Are you talking about the...you know, the whammo on the legs with the... or the belt or just…

PAUL: Beatings, strappings, everything.

TONI: Beatings... oh, come on. I'm real... I'm really interested in this because some people feel like... they're over there talking about it. (referring to someone off screen) Old Italian families feel that that... that is the way. You know, that the father... why are you laughing? It's the truth.

PAUL: A sadist. He's a sadist.

TONI: He is a sadist. But would you just say things like, "Stay in your room," you know, or deny them the allowance, or would you actually give them a little whack every now and then?

PAUL: Well, I would hope that... that I would never have to raise my hand to a child of mine. However, I must say that I have experienced in raising my three dogs…

TONI: (Laughs) Oh, no! Please! No, finish. I want to hear this.

PAUL: No parallels, huh?

TONI: I want to finish this.

PAUL: That there is a bottom line as to establishing who is master. No, I don't... I... I think that the... I would like to think that... here he is laughing again... I would like to think that a dialogue... to realize a dialogue with the child…

TONI: Mm...hmm.

PAUL: …and through that dialogue, through that communication, to be able to achieve whatever parameters are necessary for behavior, for conduct like that. I... if it comes down to it, it comes down to it. But I'd hate like hell to have to do that.

TONI: Yeah. Just keep the lines of communication open and hope that they feel free to say anything or discuss anything with you.

PAUL: Yeah. Yeah. But…

TONI: It'll be interesting to have you back in a few years, when you've had your children, and see how you handled that one.

PAUL: We'll let them cart me on to the show.

TONI: We'll let them cart you on to the show. Once again, Paul's movie is called "Phobia." Paul Michael Glaser. But before we say goodbye to Paul, I just want to say one thing to Cy Kramer. Cy, we ran a little bit over, and we're not going to be able to talk about nudity in films, although that's one thing I could've talked to Paul about, and I forgot about it. But we can't wait. Ira has just been so hot to hear what you have to say. So, Cy, we'll see you in a future time. And, again, thank you so much to Paul Michael Glaser.

PAUL: Thank you, Toni.

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