Person to Person, hosted by Edward Murrow - Leonard & Felicia Montealegre Bernstein (1955)

In 1955, Leonard Bernstein and his wife Felicia Montealegre Bernstein appeared on the popular television series "Person to Person," hosted by Edward R. Murrow, who would interview celebrities in their homes from a comfortable chair in his New York studio (think early Zoom!).
Original CBS Television Network Airdate: September 23, 1955

[@msMagoo825]

Just got home from watching "Maestro"...I knew nothing about the Bernsteins before going (some friends bought me a ticket and got me to tag along), and now I'm haunted by them, in a good way. I was absolutely floored, stunned....it was an emotional journey I wasn't expecting. And this scene in the film....the don't do the whole thing, but a lot of it is there, and they nailed it. Both leads were amazing.

[@stevenwaldman89]

Me toooo!! Saw the film last night and it was an emotional rollercoaster highlighting the glory and tragedies of their marriage and their art.

[@ElizabethPoet]

I'm sorry but I felt the film was quite flawed. There were too many close-ups. Too much in our faces. Also, there was almost nothing about his creative process. The emphasis seemed to be ego-based, when he was actually pretty humble. There was no subtlety and too bombastic. I enjoy KZbin videos of him much better.

[@lydiakviola]

His works are amazing too, you should take a listen! And watching his young person’s concerts is so nostalgic

[@megankemmis]

@@ElizabethPoet Bradley Cooper has been very clear that "Maestro" is an exploration of Leonard and Felicia's marriage, which it does extremely well.

[@ElizabethPoet]

That movie was a waste of time and money. It was as subtle as a sledgehammer. Almost the whole movie was overbearing close ups. The script was awful and trite and repetitive.

[@robkeeleycomposer]

What a stunningly beautiful woman Felicia was. Damn those ubiquitous cigarettes....

[@MrRickschott]

The cigarettes took both their lives too early in life.

[@Twentythousandlps]

And Edward R. Murrow as well.

[@hopeemch8511]

Everybody smoked in those days and both Lenny and Felicia died of complications from that deadly habit.

[@choward5430]

Does anyone notice the class and grace of people in 1955 vs 2024?

[@094340]

Uncanny how much Cooper resembles his appearance, especially at certain angles. He did a fine job of capturing him overall.

[@JeannineUdall]

Cooper nailed the personal of Bernstein!

[@zeek2436]

I disagree; I think Bernstein was way better looking than Bradley's depiction with that stupid prosthetic nose and his closer set eyes. Bernstein in my opinion was gorgeous. I also think Bradley swallowed too many of his words & spoke a bit too fast in many scenes...

[@094340]

@@zeek2436 I said he "resembled" him, I didn't say he was the spitting image of him. I also think that the younger depiction of him was more accurate than the older one, so we are in somewhat of an agreement on that.

[@waynej2608]

He was very good, but Carey Mulligan was on a different level. Brilliant. Imho.

[@094340]

@@waynej2608 Agreed, brilliant and beautiful.

[@LPJack02]

RIP Edward R. Murrow (April 25, 1908 - April 27, 1965), aged 57 RIP Leonard Bernstein (August 25, 1918 - October 14, 1990), aged 72 RIP Felicia Montealegre Bernstein (February 6, 1922 - June 16, 1978), aged 56 You will be remembered as legends.

[@somecontrol268]

So sad after seeing the movie. My father smoked at a similar rate to Leonard, Felicia and Edward R. He was dead at 49 and his last year was as painful and debilitated as Felicia’s. It is so difficult to watch them all unable to function without a lit cigarette. What a cruel waste of life. Leonard actually had quite a good innings for a smoker. I watched his young persons’ programs as a child and he always reminded me of my father. My goodness how times have changed for the better. If I had my own cinema I would be very tempted to screen Maestro on a double bill with The Insider - another brilliant film that I will never forget.

[@dbadagna]

@@somecontrol268 3 to 4 packs per day -- that's 60 to 80 cigarettes

[@danavixen6274]

😔🙏🏾❤️🕊️

[@lesleyheller2271]

All killed by cigarettes, way too soon.

[@MalEvansUSA]

They all died from smoking related cancer.

[@samosullivan1744]

They depict this in the upcoming film about Bernstein and Montealegre and they do a beautiful thing by squeezing in a mini tribute to the late Great Stephen Sondheim (the lyricist of West Side Story) by adding a line for Carey Mulligan, it’s really touching!

[@iangreer4585]

It's on the soundtrack that just released a few days ago, and now that I'm discovering the original interview for myself Bradley got it down.

[@Twentythousandlps]

In the movie, Felicia refers in the interview to a musical project as "West Side Story", which actually was not the name back in 1955.

[@iangreer4585]

@Twentythousandlps I do remember hearing about that. It was East Side Story. I also remember Stephen Sondheim wasn't initially part of the project as the lyricist, but I think it's okay if we let this one detail slide. Besides, it's playing into the final result for the show anyway.

[@dbadagna]

@@Twentythousandlps Someone also said, "I'm good" (meaning "no, thank you"), an idiom that doesn't seem to have existed until around 1990.

[@lucindaarmour7422]

​@@TwentythousandlpsSomething to be forgiven for clarity.

[@warsd4]

What incredible footage. Thank you for this.

[@sgsmozart]

Why couldn't they put the watermark in a corner rather than right in the center ?

[@66moonshine]

I'm here because of the movie Maestro, they nailed it. He always loved his wife

[@suzetebrito4506]

I allways admired Bernstein as a musician and a conductor. The Felicia's work as an actress I didn't know, because was a child in 70"s and never lived in America. But as Felicia said their relationship was based on tenderness not on passion. I don't belive they were happy together as a couple, cause a heterosexual woman is not completly happy living with a husband she Knows loves other men. He admired Felicia and " loves" her, but not exactly as a man loves a woman. He admittied he was homosexual in 1976.

[@IshaniMehta]

Loved this video....and what a pathbreaking format for interview.... We think we do zoom and visit the celebrity house in this day and age. This guy was doing it so comfortably and meaningfully in 1950s! The only quip I have in the interview is he never really asks Felicia about her work - only about managing work and home, keeping up with Lenny's interests, the kids and her interest in music. She was interviewed as Lenny's famous wife rather than an actor in her own right. That reminded me that this was still the 1950s!

[@Twentythousandlps]

The only video featuring the couple.

[@judithglasser3072]

What a couple! I am and always have been fascinated by Lenny Bernstein, his prodigious talent, that stunning, multi talented Felicia, Thank you for this very special footage!

[@geraldineclarke5434]

This is the first time I've ever seen film of Felicia. Thank you.

[@benrosn8154]

I really really love this as a singer songwriter this man is such a genius, so iconic and influential in classical music being such a vital part in music today Harry understood it leaves a head of like many other people is truly inspiring and how he describes the difference between being a composer and conductor performing in creating the two different perspectives of it is just completely ingenious. This insight is so instrumental to me thank you, Leonard Bernstein for being such a beautiful, completely fantastic human you are phenomenal at what you did absolute maestro.

[@davidmayhew8083]

Going through my teen years in the 60's there were alot of great artist around to soak up. A real cornucopia! And Bernstein was the king for me. His influence was astounding. His brilliant reintroduction of Mahler's music at the height of the stereo craze was a high point for western culture. He was the real deal. One wonderful album after another. And they're everywhere on YT! Mahler was a great conductor who had very little time to write his own music. Bernstein was justified in his championing of Mahler. He had charisma. And Felicia is so charming and intelligen. She should have been a movie star. Imagine seeing a video like this with Gustav and Alma. Great talents are a rare thing. Hope this movie and the music inspire a new generation.

[@susanlloyd7395]

Carey Mulligan was perfectly cast as Felicia.

[@kevinmoran1319]

Academy Award forthcoming.

[@margaretdockery5046]

Absolutely great movie

[@beverlystraus9300]

Great acting! Great filming! Great music! Great film? MEH 😮

[@jackieb8265]

i LOVED THE MOVIE MAESTRO...AND THIS VIDEO WAS ENDEARING...BERNSTEIN BESIDES BEING ENORMOUSLY TALENTED WAS QUITE GOOD-LOOKING AND CHARMING....HIS WIFE ALSO LOVELY REALLY SUBJECTED HER LIFE TO HIS AND DESPITE SOME OF HIS OUTSIDE DALLIANCES I THINK THERE WAS REAL LOVE AND A STRONG PARTNERSHIP.

[@LaRush62]

Except they weren't dalliances. They were long term relationships. He even left Felicia when she told him either him or me...he chose Tommy...and only came back to her when she got sick. The movie made them look more casual than they were.

[@renzo6490]

Ease up on the capitalization.

[@zeek2436]

There's no reason to point out the capitalization unless it comes across as screaming at someone; being nasty. The above example didn't come across as either. @@renzo6490

[@shadykatie100]

I agree with you that he was a very good looking man! A lot of charisma too.

[@FREDGARRISON]

Glad that lighter didn't work. Hopefully it added a few more moments to their lives. Nice interview. Use to watch Ed and his Person to Person show as a youngster, but I must have missed this one. Thanks for posting.

[@sarahjones-jf4pr]

@FREDGARRISON No luck there Maestro just lent her his lighter.

[@richardkirk5098]

Amazing couple. Interesting from today’s perspective how everyone is completely attached to cigarettes.

[@vinista256]

It’s something I think about when I get depressed about gun violence or climate change-I was able to witness the transformation from ubiquitous smoking to smoke-free public spaces in my lifetime, so maybe we’ll manage to tackle those other problems eventually.

[@hopeemch8511]

It was considered glamorous and socially acceptable in those days, thanks to the propaganda put out by the cigarette companies. The Surgeon General's report did not come soon enough to save Murrow and the Bernsteins. All three died of cancer related to their heavy smoking. Bernstein's heart attack was brought on by the cancer. Today cigarettes are much more expensive, not socially acceptable and considered to be a death sentence but still too many young people smoke almost as a rebellion. More adults are quitting or trying to which is a good thing. Smoking is not only an expensive habit for individuals but a costly one for our healthcare system. Alcohol was also a major player in those days. Science has come a long way in discovering the dangers we face from our life style choices. Don't get me started on junk food. Thank you for noticing and making your comment, Richard.

[@sharonw4325]

Cooper deserves an award. He was perfect.

[@suzetebrito4506]

I don't think so ...

[@waynej2608]

Mulligan. 👍

[@TinaLucas49]

@@suzetebrito4506Can you give your views on why he doesn’t deserve an award?

[@suzetebrito4506]

@@TinaLucas49 In fact, I didn't like the way B. Cooper chose to approach the Bernstein's life. I was born in 1966 and I grew up listening to my grandfather who was born in 1912 and who loved classical music, talking to me about Bernstein as a conductor and listening some of his records recorded with various orchestras. When I was finishing college, Bernstein died and, for the first time, a colleague who was more traveled and had already visited NY, commented on his homosexuality and sexual behavior. In the film B. Cooper emphasizes too much the story of Bernstein and Felicia without taking care to highlight their great talent, their work, the exhaustion of traveling and hours of studying scores, their work as a professor at Harvard. We see too much of his personal and sexual life, and in the end, those who didn't know him, for example, my 20-year-old son, leave the cinema with only the image of a maestro who lived a life of pure debauchery, a perverted and drunk Bernstein. I'm not saying that this part of his life isn't true, but when it comes to a truly important and talented figure, we need to know how to select what we want to put on the screen in 130 minutes. I think Bernstein's talent deserved more. He deserved a film that paid homage to him and promoted his work a little more. He worked with Callas, with Pavarotti, promoted Mahler's work, conducted several orchestras in Europe and the world and the image we have of him is just that of a perverted old man who had multiple relationships.

[@sebastiankinnunen5549]

Ohboy those days when everybody was smoking everywhere and anytime❤love from Finland❤ PS. The movie Maestro is fantastic❤Bradley deserves Oscar🎥🏆❤

[@Workingman-u7s]

This movie is all about making it as boring as possible and winning a bullshit Oscar which is rigged. This movie is more about Bradley Cooper and his fake conducting than about Bernstein. Super boring movie.

[@sharonw4325]

@@Workingman-u7s It was boring but Cooper does deserve the Oscar.

[@fjdyyh2542]

​@@Workingman-u7smaybe you need to grow a little

[@vdlapp]

He loves showmanship and poor Felicia, she tries really hard not to feel like his accessory. That must have taken a huge toll.

[@zeek2436]

She was enamored with him from the start. She knew his passion was music and that he was always going to be consumed by it and the life. Still they adored each other.

[@isabellas.c.scanderbeg2670]

Fantastic ✨✨✨💫

[@bonnyvondolores2647]

Sadly… they all smoked heavy… but what lives they lived❤

[@archelceballos7683]

Vengo de ver la peli en Netflix. Excelentes actuaciones. Enfatizaron más sobre la doble vida del maestro que en su gran legado. Respecto a ella, la esposa, Ufff, soportar la debilidad de su marido aún que fue una decisión de ambos, y callar ante los hijos y ante una sociedad debió ser una enorme carga emocional.

[@lorettanericcio-bohlman567]

After watching Maestro I’m sad anyone has to be in the closet; both for Bernstein and Montealegre. THIS is the reason we fight for our rights both gay rights and women’s rights. Especially in 2023.

[@madeleine9907]

Lenny was a handsome man ❤

[@lornadryden5650]

Those poor kids that grew up in a two parent smoker house 😵‍💫

[@priscillamarsh4623]

They are vocal about hating cigarettes. Both their parents died of lung cancer.

[@maestromuffin1]

honey.....we all did!

[@johnscanlan9335]

OH PULEEZE!!! Can you make an attempt to get over yourself??? Everyone smoked and drank a lot in those days. Just deal with it.

[@suzetebrito4506]

In that time, people were not the knowledge that we have today about the damaging effects of the tobacco and alcohol. I was born in 1966, and I remembered in 70's and in the early 80's the ads in the tv and outdoors promoting several brands of cigarettes and spiritis and associating their consumption with a life of glamour. I remembered to watch, here in Portugal, an ad with John Wayne on his horse, promoting the Malboro cigarettes...Bernstein's death is also a consequence of alcohol and cigarettes...😢

[@Twentythousandlps]

Actually they were quite aware. Bernstein wrote a letter lamenting his smoking when he was 15 years old! It was part of being cool and hip. Just as drug taking has been cool and hip for 60 years.​@@suzetebrito4506

[@hv1946FLUSA]

Sound quality is poor.

[@stevenledbetter9997]

One problem with the movie was that Cooper wasn't handsome enough to play Bernstein.

[@malenurse51]

remember when we all smoked everywhere all the time? that was before everybody had their own personal gun to carry around.

[@williammay5799]

Rather unusual, how the so-called original screenplay of Maestro goes from this video virtually word for word. For me, while I enjoyed Mulligan‘s performance, I think this video shows that her accent came out too British. And of course, where they did cheat in their screenplay version of this video is in name dropping Stephen Sondheim who wasn’t even really on the project for sure until 1956 and originally was to be credited as co-lyricist with Bernstein. Sadly, I guess you can’t name drop Lillian Hellman anymore because most of the people who post on this site or watch Netflix wouldn’t have the slightest idea who she was. Overall, I was disappointed that Maestro did not flesh out Lenny’s internal conflicts as a closeted gay man in those years. So while Maestro is a good film, it is also a tremendous missed opportunity!

[@ibrahimmazarelly8839]

He was 37 years old? she 35 years old! Itwas a different kind of life

[@Twentythousandlps]

She was 33.

[@laraine8857]

All three died relatively young… Constant smokers, as many people were then.

[@lugubrioz]

RIP Leonard in the GAY HEAVEN with ALL THE BEAUTIFUL BOYS HE COULDN'T MARRY IN THIS WORLD.

[@christophercameron3304]

Did Americans really sound like this back then?

[@Twentythousandlps]

The two both created their accents.

[@twraven1]

Chain smokers interviewed by a chain smoker. Too bad.

[@maestromuffin1]

and back in 1955 - nobody would have even thought of that! Just ask the ghosts of Lucy and Desi.....and MY parents!

[@jubeltr]

Mi comentario es el primero wow

[@drmuller77]

This video told me more about Bernstein than the empty Maestro which is simply a ‘Bradley desperate an oscar’. Did not go into the young persons series., his musical achievements. Like west side story, candide as more than foot notes. The movie paid no respect to his monumental musical and conducting. achievements.

[@beverlystraus9300]

Totally agree although Cooper did do great acting & had awesome make-up. However, the HBO MAX Lenny Bernstein documentary was AWESOME; much better than the Maestro film. Blame it on the script! 😮

[@suzetebrito4506]

I agree with you...My son who is in his twenties leave the cinema knowing nothing about Bernstein's work... I don't like the film because I think Bernstein deserves to be remembered as a great musician and conductor, not just as a gay man in a complicated marriage. Of course the film could approach is personal life, but not emphasized it so much that the young people who never heard about him, leave the cinemas without nothing about his work and his talent. He worked with Callas, Pavarotti, recorded Ma hler, was a conductor for many years and certainly spends hours and days studying music. The film protrays him as sexual pevert...

[@fjdyyh2542]

​@@suzetebrito4506The film does not portray him as a sexual pervert. You do.

[@suzetebrito4506]

@@fjdyyh2542 Don't be offensive. I don't portray Bernstein as pervert, because I' m not an author of any written work or a film about him... My point of view is that we have to be careful when we write a script of a film about the lives of the great geniuses. If I want to make a film about Sartre I shouldn't just talk about his relationship with Simone de Beauvoir and focus on the fact that she was Camus' lover, his best friend. People leave the cinema knowing only about Bernstein's complicated relationship with Felicia and his lovers. Bernstein musician, music theorist, professor at Harvard, working with big names like Callas, above all, the investment of a lifetime with recordings, exhaustive travels, none of this is seen in the film.

[@fjdyyh2542]

@@suzetebrito4506 The movie is just taking a look in his relationships and there's nothing sexually perverted in having them, only in your mind because he was not straight, just admit it. Bisexuality was obviously a big part of his struggle do why it wouldn't be shown in a movie about art and creating art. There would have been more showcase of his work that's true. But I was not expeting a document anyway but a well thought, mature art movie. And that's what I got. It treated also Felicia with a special respect and that I loved.

[@ttrons2]

you say a performer is not creative

[@OctPSfever]

Did he married to cover up his being gay?

[@seethevolcane-qj8ys]

A preposterous and very sad couple. (Audio is horrid here).

[@johnscanlan9335]

Why?

[@seethevolcane-qj8ys]

The marriage was fake, for public show on his part. It killed her.@@johnscanlan9335

[@Workingman-u7s]

The family that smokes together, stays together.

[@seethevolcane-qj8ys]

But they didnt stay together.

[@saarlooswolfhund6237]

Bernstein has had gay lovers all the time, and he has left Felicia for living with another man. That's why she was suffering from a cancer.

[@Twentythousandlps]

@@saarlooswolfhund6237 She smokes heavily, gets cancer, but not because of the smoking but because of his gay lovers. Glad for your educated medical opinion.

[@saarlooswolfhund6237]

@@Twentythousandlps cancer is sometimes the result of psychological distress. Glad to help you 😆

[@Twentythousandlps]

@@saarlooswolfhund6237 You told us the cancer was not caused by the smoking but by her emotional distress. Thanks for your god-like diagnostic prowess.