Walter Winchell
From the Archives: No Celebrity Was Spared from Walter Winchell's Wrath.
Neal Gabler, author of a biography of Walter Winchell. He'll talk about Winchell and the power of celebrity. Martin Scorsese has bought the film rights to his biography of Winchell. (REBROADCAST from 10/12/94)
No Celebrity Was Spared from Walter Winchell's Wrath
Walter Winchell was the man who legitimized gossip columns, tabloid news, and celebrity watching. He rose from a poor New York family to become one of the most read columnists, and eventually consulted with F.D.R. and Joe McCarthy. Writer Neal Gabler has written a biography about Winchell. "Winchell: Gossip, Power, and the Culture of Celebrity" helps explain the man who was the source of our current celebrity-obsessed culture.
Writer Michael Herr.
Michael Herr. He wrote what's considered the definitive Vietnam book, "Dispatches." His new book is a novel based on the life of Walter Winchell.