Luise Rainer, Charlotte Chandler, Joe Franklin Show, 1981

Screen legend and two-time Academy Award winner Luise Rainer made this rare TV appearance on the Joe Franklin Show in 1981, joined by author Charlotte Chandler. Rainer, who won her back-to-bck "Best Actress" Oscars for "The Great Ziegfeld" and "The Good Earth," died Dec. 30, 2014, just two weeks short of her 105th birthday. (The original TV commercials are included).

[@chrispines9509]

What a genuine and talented lady, Luise Rainer was...Hollywood was once so lucky to have u...shame on MGM to have paid u so little for such a talent and the profit your movies accumulated for the studio. You have my respect and love...RIP miss Rainer....

[@CharlotteSpears]

A true lady and a very talented actress. I love her candid, yet humble way of speaking and not sugar coating the facts about her career. She was a wonderful inspiration and role model for future artists and actresses.

[@jasbegs1258]

Miss Rainer comes across as really unassuming and lovely.

[@IamMinnie90]

what a fantastic and intelligent woman

[@dsipe4341]

Minnie, I just finished watching "Toy Wife" with Louise , and Melvin Douglas. A delightful film, and I hope you can watch it sometime. I looked her up after the film, and was shocked to find out she died only 3 years ago. At the ripe old age of 104!!! I read up on her, and watched some interviews, and you're right,she is truly a fantastic and intelligent woman. Too bad we didn't hear more about her.

[@vin.handle]

I grew up watching Joe Franklin on TV and listening to him on radio. He was one of a kind.

[@SWDetboy]

What a Great rare Pleasure of This Beautiful Movie Star. thanks,,, wow

[@teeniebeenie8774]

i adore miss rainer

[@liesljones5987]

Probably the most unaffected celebrity interview I've ever seen.Rainer comes across as a delightful, straightforward individual with anincredible sense of herself and others.

[@jamesmonroe7406]

Her Anna Held is what Oscar winning performances were made for! Her tearful goodbye to Florenz Zeigfeld is priceless. The immortal Irene Dunne lost to her twice in a row! That's how amazing Luise is. She literally ran rings around Paul muni! She loved both the Fondas. That's how great she is. Such class. The first double winner. The longest living. There's only one Madame Rainer!

[@mikeway2223]

What a beautiful woman and such a beautiful vibrant soul. She has so much passion here. It’s wonderful to see.

[@arleneherring]

Wonderful. Thank you for posting this.

[@bbrown333]

Rainer is WONDERFUL here. She is giving a true glimpse into her genius artistic mind. Unfortunately, her intellect is not matched with Joe. He can't meet her on any intellectual level with how she's answering. I wish I were older so I could have had the chance to interview her. Imagine. Well, I'm happy we at least got this.

[@martinpictrusiewicz8506]

Joe Franklin is missed, great late night entertainment

[@jchow5966]

Thank you!!!!

[@angelacarleton9575]

Alan thank you for this upload of Luis Rainer always wanted to hear what she had to say about her career and her life.

[@wenhui900]

What a lovely lady !!

[@NoName-yb1iv]

So charming and in such a genuine, classy and unaffected way, too...why don't they make them like this anymore?!

[@Bigbadwhitecracker]

Luise R. - Too good for Hollywood. @Alan - First you introduce me to Skip Lowe and now Joe Franklin - although I've heard of Joe since I was a child growing up in Florida, this is my first look at him. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

[@lepetitchat123]

If I was ever a Hollywood star, I would be Luise. I totally resented being a cog in the machine and drawing attention to myself. I would have quit Hollywood too at the peak of my career just like her. She is the ultimate reluctant star, much more so than Garbo.

[@nowdid]

She had the same haircut back in '36

[@julianmarsh1378]

One reason she is so together is that she got out early.....

[@larrydirtybird]

This was such a frustrating interview to watch. That man was asking her the stupidest questions. I wanted to boot him out of the seat and ask her questions myself. I can’t believe he had her for that amount of time and those were the questions he was asking her.

[@mauricioexenberger6225]

Anna Held (1872-1918), Ziegfeld's first wife, was already forgotten when the film was released. Luise's Oscar rescued Anna's memory and made her immortal. Curiously, Ziegfield's second wife, Billie Burke, also gained immortality by playing the fairy in The Wizard of Oz (1939).

[@fabriziogarzi9892]

E chi se la ricorda più Louise Rainer...eppure e' stata una delle più grandi attrici del Novecento..

[@wmbrown6]

The opening V/O heard was freelancer Ray Marlin, who was also heard over WTNH Channel 8 in New Haven, CT.

[@ApeQuake]

Luise was far too blunt, bright and honest for the likes of Joe Franklin.

[@edyoung646]

he tried to "franklin-ize" (his word) her. ms rainer about as under-rated as they get in life. i love joe ... met miss chandler as well ... this is pure dada~

[@lepetitchat123]

His rapid-fire questioning style is just totally at odds with her genuine way of expressing herself

[@bbrown333]

@@lepetitchat123 THIS.

[@MMICGER]

She was born in my city! And I still look if her birthplace is here. Kind of difficould! I like to pay a plate on this house.

[@danielyoung6630]

this is the guy who had best guests of all JOHNNY was NO.1 but FRANKLIN had the people!

[@floris.927]

Daniel Young Dick Cavett?

[@bbrown333]

Lenny's Clam Bar is still open in Howard Beach if you care...

[@Mannyc53]

Joe Franklin Show street the beat 12/23/1983

[@ed3432]

MGM head L.B. Mayer blackballed her future movie roles. Why? Refused his sexual advances.

[@atiphwyne5609]

Congratulations a double whammy of racism in one sentence! You sir are a special individual.

[@celestesharp6120]

Family name can be a bad thing or a benefit. It may open doors, but then you have to live up to or down their reputation -- no matter your talent. People also wonder whether talent has anything to do with it or was built on your family name.

[@larrygevirtz30]

Who could guess that they would die within weeks of each other, some 34 years later!

[@mickeymantle-cg6ib]

back to back oscars

[@wiedep]

LENNY'S !!!!!!

[@gabbyb7347]

Sure she is great but let's not forget how she won an Óscar for doing yellow face

[@aeichler]

She won for her acting performance. Portraying asians was considered an accomplishment back then. Loretta Young, Katharine Hepburn, Myrna Loy and "Good Earth" star Paul Muni all did it.

[@gabbyb7347]

@@aeichler she won for depicting horrible stereotypes about asians and for getting the role over REAL and talented asian actresses. That win is an old Hollywood shame

[@larrydirtybird]

I’m so annoyed by people like you who didn’t live back in those times and make judgments about people in a world that you did not live in. Of course it’s wrong, and a total injustice that Anna May Wong was not able to play that role. But back then it was not considered politically incorrect for an actor of one race to play a character of another race. It was seen as versatility. Also, The Good Earth is not about offensive Chinese stereotypes. I lived in China for six years, and many of those old superstitions are still around today. I experienced them. They are simply a cultural difference. Have you ever read Pearl S Buck’s books? She had great respect for the Chinese people. And I do not see Rainer’s performance as being a negative stereotype. She imbued that character with great humanity. O-Lan was the heart and soul of the story and a very admirable person.

[@gabbyb7347]

@@larrydirtybird look, there's a reason why nobody talks about her or her Oscar win these days. The Oscar would overwrite her win if they could because it's SO shameful

[@aeichler]

@@larrydirtybird No nicely said and I agree wholeheartedly. It would have been a nice career break for Anna May Wong, but we'll never know if her performance could have matched Rainer's, who is indeed the heart of the film. And you're right that actors playing Asians or other nationalities was considered an impressive attribute. We'd never have had Myrna Loy!

[@adely-m189]

the host is very superficial, and he is uncomfortable with the intellectual guests.