SANFORD MEISNER: THE THEATER'S BEST KEPT SECRET (1984)

This documentary on the legendary acting teacher debuted at the Los Angeles International Film Exposition on July 18, 1984, and was first broadcast on PBS on August 27, 1990, as part of the network's "American Masters" series. "Sanford Meisner: The Theater's Best Kept Secret" is photographed, edited, and directed by Nick Doob, with interviews conducted by Stephen Harvey and video segments directed by Sydney Pollack, who was Meisner's teaching assistant in the 1950s before he directed films like "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" (1969), "Three Days of the Condor" (1975), "Tootsie" (1982), "Out of Africa" (1985), and "The Firm" (1993). (video source: Bravo, then identifying itself as "the film and arts network," via InterMedia cable, in Athens, Georgia, July '98)
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[@martarubio9726]

Thank you for everything you gave us, Sanford Meisner, for teaching us how to act, and more importantly, how to live truthfully 😄

[@thompsonapproachacademy]

I love NYC people. They have such respect for Sandy. He gave all he had even after his surgery.

[@johngeoffrion4590]

That scenework with Frances Sternhagen (starts at 40:53) is utterly amazing. I keep coming back to that. A simple adjustment from Sandy turned a generic recitation into a focused, compelling moment of magic. RIP, Frances.

[@bryanbolta9407]

I requested this at the New York Public Library a couple days ago. It had yet to arrive. I have been searching for this online for years. Thank you for this rare gem!

[@RobertCass]

Happy to help! And here's hoping the NYPL's copy has a higher video resolution if you still plan to watch it.

[@natbasilio905]

He makes me feel passionate about acting :)

[@srivenus]

so grateful, thanks!

[@RobertCass]

You're welcome!

[@itsnlee]

The last advice he gave at the end was moving, even the student felt his genuine words. Thank you for sharing this video.

[@RobertCass]

You're welcome!

[@123456789772951]

I might be taught this style of acting he teaches at drama school . Fascinating !

[@jannichi6431]

Gregory Peck, a fav. Columbo too. Meisner really loved and cared about the student, knowing a classroom cannot be replaced. ⭐🤓

[@bagpakpark7097]

Meisner is simple and practical. He gets to the point.. I think most teachers try to over complicate his intentions... people communicate with their tones and gestures more than words that was his big point.. words lie.. he was getting his students to use their instincts.. also in his 7hr video he didn't go into detail, but using imagination or whatever form to get you into an emotional state like emotional recall.. he mentioned keep it to yourself.. if it works use it and implied if whatever the actor was using wasn't fit for the scene to use stronger imagination or different emotional recall, et. whatever they used to get in the state. he mentions whatever you use, if it gets the job done, it gets it done.

[@mariamtoure1452]

Thank you for making this material available here ❤

[@RobertCass]

You're welcome!

[@nfk6838]

thank you so much for posting this. I have been looking for it for years. I am a NPH alumni. This brings back lots of memories. I still find the repetition exercise thrilling to watch.

[@RobertCass]

I'm glad you found it! I posted this video before I'd fully figured out how to use the video-capture device I bought earlier this year, so I hope the picture didn't freeze at certain points when you watched it.

[@ingridhubert3649]

I Learned more about a Meisner the Acting Coach. He had a Stauch Passion for guiding his students about being..emotional Preparation in order Imagine Authentically while Acting. Strip all false and the lies about others whom real made student unrealistic as the character. I love his methods with a mixture of my own blend. Learning about Stanislavski, Adler and Meisner is seeing the world with new eyes. Legendary!

[@paddycool]

what a remarkable man and teacher

[@umarm.nadeem2615]

Thanks for the masterpiece, God bless you !!!

[@RobertCass]

Happy to be of service!

[@snazoqaqamba9582]

Thank you so much for this!, now reading the book will be much easier. Sandy is a GOD!! We were truly blessed to have him

[@RobertCass]

You're welcome!

[@hollygagnier9220]

Gotta love Pollack directing Hoffman on how to do a Spoon River!

[@inaptomatuto249]

thanks a lot, man!

[@RobertCass]

You're welcome!

[@malachesis]

this was inspiring and very moving to watch

[@alexandervue9464]

Sublime

[@actonusactonus7890]

Thank you for posting this masterpiece

[@RobertCass]

You're welcome - glad you found it!

[@natbasilio905]

Oh god i love it!!

[@airforcemax]

*¡watched at 8:15 pm Pacific Standard Time on Thursday, 17 November 2022!*

[@reginapapadopoulou4611]

Informative and inspiring,thank you!

[@RobertCass]

You're welcome!

[@lakshmanparthiban1339]

Thanks

[@RobertCass]

You're welcome!

[@tejaschaudhari4520]

Very helpful

[@danielpincus221]

Tragically, this brilliant man was a tobacco addict, smoking cigarettes until he had throat cancer, and then his larynx had to be removed. Tragic.

[@theexpresidents]

The guy from _The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly_ is on this. And hes normal!

[@subidchoudhury3168]

Thank you for this video and request to upload "Stanford meisner masterclass " DVD which is 8 hours long and directed by great Sydney pollack

[@RobertCass]

You're welcome for posting this documentary, but I'm afraid I don't have the "Master Class" DVD.

[@Vegan_scorpioo]

Sandy,Stella,Lee💎💎💎rare

[@MarvinMonroe]

Mary Steenbergen is so beautiful good lord

[@jannichi6431]

May be a silly question, but was Mary's name in the beginning of her career 'Steinvirgin'? I know she was raised in the South. Doubt if a Google search would answer, but I recall chuckling???

[@theexpresidents]

​@@jannichi6431You're right: it was a silly question.

[@ThePurplebear77]

what parts of the film is stephen harvey on camera interviewing people?

[@RobertCass]

I'm guessing that Harvey conducted the interviews with actors like Mary Steenburgen and Tony Randall.

[@liquidbraino]

I think you might find more of that footage in another program called the "Sanford Meisner Master Class DVD" which most of this footage is taken from. But the Master Class DVD is about eight hours long.

[@ThePurplebear77]

@@liquidbraino is this doc an edited version of the master class dvd?

[@RobertCass]

@@liquidbraino Thanks! I'm guessing that Sydney Pollack was behind the camera for that master class. Now I'm curious to see it.

[@liquidbraino]

@@ThePurplebear77 No, it uses some of the same footage but with interviews added. Keep in mind though that BOTH are made from archival footage from when he was still in New York. He never stopped innovating his approach to acting, even after he came to Los Angeles and began teaching out here. Some of the exercises you see here were later abandoned and he also further developed his emotional preparation techniques.

[@joncampos5551]

The sound of his voice would have been too distracting to me.

[@joncampos5551]

@Dystopian Space Saga that, and also having his larynx removed. He had to learn how to speak by burping up air.

[@LittleTimmyO]

Because you judge. And that’s why your acting isn’t where it would be called genuinely good probably.

[@nononouh]

8:05 11 37

[@theexpresidents]

Let me buy you a pack of gum, I'll teach you how to chew.

[@brianusa1471]

Yelling at, and intimidating your students is never a long-term answer. I don’t care if you’re Sandy Meisner, Lee Strasberg, or anyone else. Respect for your teacher is one thing. Bullying people is completely another. I do hope Sandy was always respectful.

[@The_Return_of_JoyBoy]

What made you say this?

[@theexpresidents]

​@@The_Return_of_JoyBoyBeing Gen-Z. Generation Pussy.

[@zyxyuv1650]

I gave the 4th downvote to re-dialecticize the dialectic

[@RobertCass]

May the ghost of Sanford Meisner haunt you evermore!