Mark Harris Discusses His New Biography of Mike Nichols

WELL, HE REALLY WAS ONE OF A KIND.

I MEAN, IF HE HAD NEVER WORKED A DAY IN HIS LIFE AFTER 1963, WE WOULD STILL BE TALKING ABOUT HIM 60 YEARS LATER AS A COMEDY PIONEER.

BUT INSTEAD, THAT WAS JUST SORT OF THE APPETIZER ACTS TO THE MAIN COURSE OF HIS CAREER, WHICH WAS SIMULTANEOUS 50-YEAR MOVIE DIRECTOR CAREER AND 50 YEARS DIRECTING THEATER.

WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT?

SINCE YOU BROUGHT UP THE COMEDY, I ACTUALLY WANT TO PLAY A LITTLE CLIP THAT WE HAVE, BECAUSE THAT WAS WHAT SORT OF LAUNCHED HIM IN THE PUBLIC ARENA.

MIKE NICHOLS, ELAINE MAY.

HERE'S A CLIP OF ONE OF THEIR PERFORMANCES AND IT'S ABOUT A GUY WHO BREAKS DOWN AND HE'S CALLING ABOUT A BROKEN DOWN CAR.

MY CAR IS STUCK.

YOU SEE, STUCK OUT HERE.

I'M ALREADY HALF AN HOUR LATE FOR A VERY IMPORTANT BUSINESS APPOINTMENT.

THE INFORMATION, EXACTLY WHAT IS IT YOU WANT US TO DO?

I MEAN, WHAT IS YOUR POINT?

WELL, MISS, YOU HAVE MY DIMEá--

NO, WE DO NOT HAVE YOUR DIME.

IF YOU WANT YOUR DIME YOU HAVE TO HANG UP.

THAT'S THE WAY IT WORKS.

LOOK, THE DIME ISá-- I KNOW THAT SOUND.

I'VE HEARD IT ALL MY LIFE.

THE DIME IS IN THERE WITH ALL THOSEá-- YES.

INFORMATION CANNOT ARGUE WITH A CLOSED MIND.

I LOVE THAT LINE, INFORMATION CANNOT ARGUE WITH A CLOSED MIND IS FANTASTIC.

AND YOU SPENT SOME TIME OBVIOUSLY ON THAT PART OF HIS CAREER AND THEY WENT TO BROADWAY WITH A MAJOR BIG DEAL.

AND YOU DESCRIBE HIS WIT ASá-- IN FACT, YOU SAY MIKE NICHOLS WAS KIND OF A SCARY FELLOW TO A LOT OF PEOPLE BECAUSE HE DID HAVE A DEVASTATING WIT.

TELL ME ABOUT THAT PART OF HIS LIFE AND CAREER.

I THINK THE DEVASTATING WIT WAS DEVELOPED EARLY ON.

I MEAN, HE HAD A VERY HARD START.

HE WAS AN IMMIGRANT WHO GOT OUT OF BERLIN WITH HIS LITTLE BROTHER AT THE AGE OF 7 JUST IN TIME BEFORE WORLD WAR II.

HE HAD A BAD REACTION TO A VACCINE AND LOST HIS HAIR AND ABILITY TO GROW HAIR FROM THE TIME HE WAS 4 YEARS OLD.

SO HE REALLY GREW UP AS AN OUTSIDER IN TOUGH CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE A REALLY LACERATING CUTTING HUMOR ABLE TO CUT SOMEONE WITH ONE REMARK WAS SURVIVAL.

WHEN HE GOT TO A POINT OF HIS CAREER WHERE HE NO LONGER NEEDED THAT, IT WOULD FLASH OUT OF HIM UNEXPECTEDLY.

IT WASN'T SOMETHING HE WAS PARTICULARLY PROUD OF.

AS HE BECAME A DIRECTOR AND BECAME MORE AND MORE SUCCESSFUL, IT WAS AN ASPECT OF HIS PERSONALITY THAT HE WORKED TO TEMPER AND CONTROL.