NOTES ON A SCENE

For decades, celebrity interviewer LAWRENCE GROBEL has kept a meticulous diary, excerpts of which are published here for the first time, chronicling his surprising and sometimes maddening experiences with legends Marlon Brando, Dolly Parton, AI Pacino, and more

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1977

DREAMING OF BRANDO

November 3

First contact with Brando. At least, close. Got his secretary/assistant's number. So, I called. She said that Marlon would do this, and that it should be about the Indians. He was back East but back next week. She would give him my number and he'd get back to me. I said, or else I'll call him.

Had a Brando dream. He was sitting on a couch, his hair in a ponytail. I went over to him and tripped, sprawling on my face. He said nothing. I asked if I could call him Marlon. He said no. I followed him to an elevator, then to a room with people there, walked past them to a smaller, darker room with cushions on the floor. He said nothing. We sat in silence. I felt like the writer who once went to interview William Faulkner and sat in silence with him, finally standing and saying goodbye.

I'm obviously nervous about this one.

Christmas Day

"Marlon is a liar," Pat Cox said at Bernie Wolfe's house. "He was very mean to Wally. He's very destructive. He's often hostile. He still has some of Wally's ashes. I tried to sue him to get them back, but I couldn't find a lawyer to take the case. No one wants to sue Brando. He and I were both jealous over Wally, it's true. We were both possessive of him. Marlon's insecure around intelligent women. He probably wants to see your questions because he's such a liar, he has to prepare for them. If a woman won't go to bed with him, he thinks she's a lesbian. He needs to be stroked. Don't say what a great actor he is, tell him what a great man he is. We're not talking. We have a mutual dislike for each other."