From the late 1960s through the 1980s Rona Barrett—queen of the gossip columnists—was practicing a form of respectful, empathetic celebrity journalism light years away from the "gotcha" tabloid approach that is the norm today. In 1986 she purchased a ranch in Santa Ynez, Calif., commuting to and from Los Angeles. By 1991 she retired to the ranch and devoted herself to various pet causes, including her own Rona Barrett Foundation for the Elderly Poor.
Now, a DVD compilation of many of her famous interviews, titled Rona Barrett's Hollywood: Nothing but the Truth, has been released, with $1 from each DVD going to the foundation. Barrett, famous for compassionate interview technique, was warm and forthcoming in an exclusive interview with Windy City Times.
Windy City Times: When I watch these interviews again I'm struck by your gentle approach to these celebrities and your ability to get them to trust you. Is there a journalist working today who still practices that kind of journalism?
Rona Barrett: I want to say Robert Osbourne on TCM but only because he's given the time on TCM to do more indepth pieces and I think that's the real issue and the real problem with all of these new programs that have come along. It's two minutes and out, a thirty second sound bite and very rarely do they allow more than a few minutes for anyone to say anything.
WCT: You work very hard to raise the profile of the plight of the homeless elderly—that's what led in part to this DVD collection—as a way to raise funds.
RB: I'm sorry if I ramble when I get on the subject but I'm very passionate about it.
WCT: No, no, I'm right there with you as an aging gay man. There's a whole other set of issues to talk about there. A lot of elderly gays and lesbians go back into the closet.
RB: Yes, they're fearful that they're going to be shunned. Proposition 8 here deals with people's freedom and you can't say everyone is basically free and has the right to do what they want to do when you suddenly put up a bar and say, "I'm sorry, gay people cannot get married if they want to." It's not about gay people—it could be about anybody. Who's next? What's next?
WCT: Your prime years as a gossip columnist coincided with the rise of Barbra Streisand and the death of Judy Garland, both major gay icons. Did you get a chance to interview either of them?
RB: One day after one of my newscasts I was in the newsroom around 11:30pm and someone said, "Hey, Rona there's a phone call for you" and I said, "Who is it?" and they said, "They say it's Judy Garland." Sure enough, it was Judy Garland and she was calling to tell me how much she appreciated my honesty on TV and that I was so refreshing and then we met and continued as friends and that's how I met Liza. I probably did one of the longest obits ever on television when Judy passed away. I think it ran about 13 minutes.
WCT: It was great to see this huge collection of celebrities together. Will there be another volume and who will be included?
RB: Let me put it to you this way: If this does well, we'll see! [ Laughs ]
Read the entire interview with Rona Barrett at www.WindyCityMediaGroup.com .