Free I'll Be Your Mirror: The Selected Andy Warhol Interviews by Kenneth Goldsmith

projects, including a young French-Canadian named “Rock” who had unsuccessfully tried several times to take his life (“Rock” became the star of Warhols film Suicide [1965] mentioned in the interview. The film, which consists of close-ups of “Rock’s” scarred wrists along with his descriptions of his various suicide attempts, was never shown due to legal threats by it’s subject).
    The interview took place during the entire day, as Ehrenstein followed Warhol around the Factory, turning on the tape recorder at various times to catch snippets of conversation. “What I wanted to do was to be there in the Factory and ask him questions in the course of whatever happened to be going on at the moment”
    Warhol’s enthusiasm in this interview for the just-opened film Sylvia is of note due to his interest in the film’s star, Carroll Baker. Baker’s impersonation of Jean Harlow in Harlow (1965) had helped inspire Warhols first sound movie, Harlot (1965), starring Mario Montez seductively devouring several bananas. Carroll Baker subsequently starred in Warhols Bad (1976), directed by Jed Johnson.
    –KG
    DAVID EHRENSTEIN: What was the first movie you ever saw or remember seeing and what did you like about it?
    ANDY WARHOL: Uh ....... Three Girls Grow Up 1 and I liked it because I was so young.
    DE: Who was that with?
    AW: Deanna Durbin 2 .
    DE: What was that?
    AW: Gloria Jean 3 .
    DE: What did you like about Gloria Jean?
    AW: Uh ....... she just sang so nice.
    DE: What recent movies have you enjoyed and why?
    AW: I saw uh ....... Sylvia 4 ; that was the best movie last week and the best movie this week was. . ...uh, Joy House 5 .
    DE: What did you like about Sylvia ?
    AW: Uh ....... so much happened ....... in it.
    DE: Like what in particular?
    AW: It starts with her very young and she grows up and she just lives a lot .............. and dies a lot.
    DE: Any outstanding things in Sylvia that might relate to your films?
    AW: Uh ....... they’re better than mine.
    DE: Really? Why?
    AW: So much happens in them.
    DE: What about the stars?
    AW: Stars are ....... so good.
    DE: You’d like to do a film with Carroll Baker? 6
    AW: Uh ..... no.
    DE: Why not?
    AW: Uh ....... she has too much acting ability .... for me.
    DE: People with acting ability are not the kind you need?
    AW: No. I want real people.
    DE: What films in particular do you like? Westerns? Gangster films? Musicals?
    AW: Oh, like them all.
    DE: How did you get started making movies?
    AW: Uh ..... I don’t know. What movie did you see last week, Ted?
    TED BERRIGAN: 7 We saw Sylvia .
    AW: Really?
    TB: I saw Sylvia in Times Square.
    AW: Oh, really? What did you think about Sylvia ?
    TB: I was stunned.
    AW: Really? I was stunned too.
    TB: We sat in the first row.
    AW: Oh, really? I sat in about the seventh. Oh, Ted, do you want to do a picture?
    TB: O.K..
    AW: All you have to do is ....... uh no, let’s do one without eating the banana ....... uh yeah, that’s an old movie ....... just a sit-down movie.
    DE: You’re making a movie now? What do you do, going about making one?
    AW: Uh ....... nothing. Oh, pull that chair in so if s more out in the open. Move it over, uh ....... yeah, over there ... Yeah, just right there ..... that’s great. ..... Oh, I know. We’re going to have to do something about that chair.
    DE: What are you going to ask Ted to do?
    AW: Uh. Just pretend he’s not doing anything.
    DE: Who in the New American Cinema do you admire?
    AW: Jaaaacck Smiiiitttth.
    DE: You really like Jack Smith? 8
    AW: When I was little, I always ..... thought he was my best director ..... I mean, just the only person I would ever try to copy, and just .... so terrific and now since I’m grown up, I just think that he makes the best movies.
    DE: What in particular do you like about his movies?
    AW: He’s the only one I know who uses color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .