Friends,
Long before he first hosted “Late Night with David Letterman,” I was a fan of his wicked humor that was often based on his total lack of respect for authority, pomposity, and those who make life miserable for the little guy. When it was announced he would have a nightly show on NBC beginning on February 1, 1982, I made my way from Flint to New York to see if I could get a stand-by ticket to sit in the audience in his first week on the air. I succeeded. His guest that night? Filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola. I couldn’t believe my luck. At that time it would be another seven years before my first film would be released.
In this episode I will show you what I learned about satire from David Letterman while sitting and watching him from Flint. And how he impacted me (without knowing it) and the film and TV work I would eventually do. This episode of Rumble is a personal peek behind how I grew to reach my own audience thanks in part to the inspiration Dave offered me.
— Mike
Watch the Late Night with David Letterman episodes & clips featured in this episode of Rumble:
February 8, 1982 episode featuring Francis Ford Coppola
April 18, 1986 episode clip when Dave takes a fruit basket to GE, his new bosses.
December 27, 1989 episode clip of Michael’s first interview with Dave, after the release of Roger & Me.
Music in today’s episode:
I Was in the House When The House Burned Down — Warren Zevon
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A full transcript of this episode is available here.
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David Letterman & Me