LATE LATE SHOW WITH TOM SNYDER, THE {DELLA REESE, JEFFREY TOOBIN} (TV)
Summary
One in this series of late-night talk shows hosted by Tom Snyder. This episode's guests include actress/singer Della Reese and journalist Jeffrey Toobin. Before the interviews, Snyder notes that the Spice Girls have made an appearance on another CBS series that evening, and adds that "The Late Late Show" has been renewed for another season, though it is losing its "radio half."
Reese then joins Snyder, and the conversation touches on such topics as: her highly successful TV series "Touched by an Angel," in which the network originally had very little faith; her memories of her many appearances on "The Ed Sullivan Show" and how Sullivan himself fought back against segregation when they traveled to Las Vegas; and her earliest memories of singing and travels with gospel singer Mahalia Jackson, who exercised great maternal strictness over her.
Phone calls from viewers lead to further discussion of the following topics: her views on her "Harlem Nights" (1989) co-star Eddie Murphy's recent legal troubles; why she dropped out of Wayne State University after the death of her mother in 1949; her many non-entertainment jobs, including cabbie and truck driver; her early singing gigs; whether she has personally experienced divine intervention from angels, like the one she portrays on "Touched"; her upcoming autobiography "Angels Along the Way"; why she was reluctant to return to television after the upsetting 1991 death of friend Redd Foxx on the set of "The Royal Family"; agreeing to shoot the "Touched" pilot under the belief that it would not be successful, and why she changed her mind after some rewrites; and reenacting her mother's favorite "sinful" movies for her father, leading to a career on the chitlin circuit.
Next, Snyder talks with Toobin, who is in Denver, Colorado, covering the trial of Timothy McVeigh, accused of masterminding the April 1995 Oklahoma City bombing that killed 168 people. Toobin predicts a conviction, though Snyder jokes that he made the same statement about the 1995 O.J. Simpson murder trial, which infamously ended in an acquittal, and Toobin discusses the overwhelming forensics evidence and eyewitnesses testimony against McVeigh; the emotional "Hollywood moment" in the courtroom when the video evidence of McVeigh's telltale Ryder truck appearing on the scene was shown; his sister Jennifer's damning testimony about McVeigh's letters and comments of intent; whether defense attorney Stephen Jones is trying to "make a name for himself" by frequently appearing on television; and whether McVeigh is likely to receive the death penalty, given that his "first offense" was such a catastrophic crime. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: CBS
- DATE: 12:35 AM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:40:21
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 118297
- GENRE: Talk/Interview
- SUBJECT HEADING: Talk/Interview; African-American Collection - News/Talk
- SERIES RUN: CBS - TV series, 1995-1999
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Tom Snyder … Host
- Della Reese … Guest
- Jeffrey Toobin … Guest
- Redd Foxx
- Mahalia Jackson
- Stephen Jones
- Jennifer McVeigh
- Timothy McVeigh
- Eddie Murphy
- O.J. Simpson
- Spice Girls, The
- Ed Sullivan