THE INTERVIEW: ACTRESS AND TELEVISION PERSONALITY FLORETTE VASSALL: (PART 5 OF 5)

MM: Let's talk Television for a moment. You are so photogenic. And that beautiful voice over the telephone is unmistakable. You and I both have had to deal with the changes in television. With a few exceptions like "Oprah" and "Charlie Rose", so-called "originating TV" disappeared between 1985 and 1987. What are your views on what Television needs today?

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FV: WHAT TELEVISION NEEDS TODAY ARE FACES AND MINDS LIKE YOURS AND MINE! BACK IN THE EARLY SIXTIES, MY LATE HUSBAND ONCE MADE A COMMENT THAT "IT TOOK FORTY YEARS TO KILL RADIO AND NOW IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S ONLY GOING TO TAKE 20 TO KILL TELEVISION." HE WAS TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE NEW PROGRAMS THAT WERE BEING PLANNED. I THINK THAT MANY PEOPLE WHO THINK AS I DO ALWAYS HOPE TO LEARN SOMETHING FROM WHATEVER IT IS THAT THEY SEE ON TELEVISION. I HAVE A CABLEVISION SERVICE WITH OVER 1000 CHANNELS. YET, I HAVE TO REALLY SEARCH TO FIND A PROGRAM THAT WILL EITHER ENTERTAIN ME OR THAT I CAN LEARN OR BE INFORMED BY. I DO FIND MANY NICE LEARNING PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN THOUGH. TELETUBBIES, SESAME STREET AND DORA LA EXPLORADORA ARE GOOD. THIS EVENING "THE BELTWAY BOYS" DID TRY TO COME UP WITH A WAY TO EDUCATE THE UNKNOWING PUBLIC ON THE NAMES OF THE THREE BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT AFTER IT WAS REVEALED THAT A POLL SHOWED THAT MORE KNEW THE NAMES OF THE THREE STOOGES THEN KNEW THE NAMES OF THE LEGISLATIVE, EXECUTIVE AND JUDICIAL BRANCHES.

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MM: Many of my bloggers are parents, and that includes "step-parents"--I've never liked that term, but there it is. And single parents have so much to deal with. You can certainly relate to being a widow. How did you manage afterwards, Flo?

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FV: IT'S ALL ABOUT EFFORT. I JUST KEEP PLUGGING AWAY. I DO MY BEST TO TRY TO PRESENT SOMETHING THAT I THINK PEOPLE WILL ENJOY ENOUGH TO WANT TO SEE MORE OF. I TRY TO APPEAL TO THE PERSONAL TASTES OF THE VIEWERS AS WELL AS THEIR VISIBLE PLEASURES AND TO THEIR SENSES OF ENTERTAINMENT. EACH PROGRAM SHOULD END LEAVING THE VIEWERS WITH A FEELING OF SATISFACTION, INFORMATION AND PLEASURE. I WASN'T A YOUNG WIDOW. SIDNEY DIED IN 1989. MY DAUGHTER WAS FULL GROWN AND WE WERE AT HIS BEDSIDE.

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MM: I'm so sorry. I've heard so many fine things about your late husband, Sid Vassall. For the benefit of our readers, Sid was a renowned Producer. Tell us about Sid?

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FV: REGARDING SID, "TO KNOW HIM WAS TO LOVE HIM." THAT WAS A COMMENT MADE TO ME ABOUT HIM BY AN NBC CO WORKER. LIKE ME, SID WAS THE FIRST BORN OF IMMIGRANT PARENTS. HIS WERE ALSO BORN IN JAMAICA. SIDNEY CAME FROM A FAMILY OF PROFESSIONALS. HIS FATHER AND HIS GRANDFATHER WERE TEACHERS IN JAMAICA. THREE OF HIS AUNTS WERE NURSES AND ONE WAS A DOCTOR WHO MAINTAINED A VERY LARGE PRACTICE IN BROOKLYN. WHEN I MET SID HE WAS THE CAPTAIN OF THE USHERS AT THE NEW YORK PARAMOUNT THEATRE ON BROADWAY AND WEST 43RD STREET. EVEN THEN, HE WAS A PRINCE AMONG MEN. EVERYONE LOVED HIM. AS AN ACTOR, HE SIMULTANEOUSLY RECEIVED A CONTRACT WITH 20TH CENTURY FOX AND AT THE SAME TIME HAD GOTTEN HIRED BY NBC RADIO. A FEW DAYS LATER HE RECEIVED HIS DRAFT NOTICE AND LATER SERVED OVERSEAS IN HAWAII. IT WAS DURING HIS SERVICE IN HAWAII THAT WE BECAME ENGAGED. AT OUR WEDDING, ONE OF MY AUNTS NEVER STOPPED BRAGGING TO THE GUESTS HOW HE FLEW MY ENGAGEMENT RING TO ME ACROSS THE OCEAN ON A JET. WHEN SID RETURNED FROM THE SERVICE, HE WAS REHIRED BY NBC AS A MAIL CLERK. THESE WERE SOME VERY FRUSTRATING DAYS FOR HIM, BUT SHORTLY AFTER WE WERE MARRIED, HE RECEIVED A TRANSFER TO THE TODAY SHOW WITH DAVE GARROWAY. LATER ON HE WAS DIRECTING "THE TONIGHT SHOW" WITH STEVE ALLEN. SHORTLY AFTER THE BIRTH OF OUR DAUGHTER, HE WORKED THE SHOW, "CONCENTRATION" WITH HUGH DOWNS AND GENE RAYBURN. HE ALSO DID THE HUNTLEY-BRINKLEY REPORT WITH CHET HUNTLEY AND DAVE BRINKLEY. IN THE LATE SIXTIES, HE WAS WORKING "THE TODAY SHOW" WITH BARBARA WALTERS. SID ENJOYED A POSITIVE WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH ALL WHO KNEW HIM AT NBC. SID VASSALL WAS A GOOD HUSBAND AND A GOOD FATHER AND A VERY GOOD FRIEND.

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MM: We've talked a lot about your past and in a wonderful way, your life and career have come full-circle today. So, please tell us what you are currently up to and where you see the next stage of your life going?

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FV: AT PRESENT I AM TRYING TO COMPLETE THE INTERNATIONAL "EVVY" CULTURAL INTERCHANGE BETWEEN NEW YORK 2007, MEXICO 2008 AND CANADA 2009. IT IS A LOT OF WORK AND I NEED PLENTY OF MONEY, TIME AND HELP. ONCE I COMPLETE THIS, I HOPE TO FINISH MY BOOKS THAT I HAVE BEEN WRITING OVER THE DECADES. THEN I HOPE TO REALLY BE ABLE TO RETIRE AND CELEBRATE MY 50TH YEAR IN ACAPULCO WITH MY GRANDCHILDREN AND MY FAMILIES FROM BOTH COUNTRIES.

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MM: Flo, I know you're on a tight schedule today and I can't thank you enough for this wonderful visit! One of the things I enjoy doing is to encourage my Guests here on "THE INTERVIEW" to open up and expound on whatever you'd like. As I'm fond of saying, 'The floor is yours', my dear friend.

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FV: I WISH MORE PEOPLE WOULD BE LIKE YOU.

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MM: Thank you.

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FV: UNDERSTANDING IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT CONCEPT. I WISH PEOPLE WOULD TRY HARDER TO COMMUNICATE AND UNDERSTAND ONE ANOTHER. SOMETIMES, EVEN IF WE DON'T ALWAYS UNDERSTAND, IT DOESN'T HURT TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND.

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I want to thank my Guest of this past week, a beautiful lady with a beautiful heart and soul. The multi-talented Florette Vassall. Main stream Television Producers take note! You are missing out on a fabulous personality here. One that I'm sure we will be seeing much more of. I certainly hope so. It's been my joy!

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