04/05/08
Text: Nik Mercer
Legendary journalist Mike Wallace―AKA the face of Parliament cigarettes in the 1960s―debuted as a news broadcaster and journalist in the 1950s with his late-night interview program, The Mike Wallace Interview (prior to that he was primarily a game show host).
While the show aired only from 1957 - 1960, Wallace talked with some of the most significant figures in America and beyond! From comedian Steve Allen to Malcolm Muggeridge; Kirk Douglas to Eleanor Roosevelt; Salvadore Dali to Henry Kissinger. The guy spoke with practically everyone. Imagine a starker, harsher, and obviously older version of The Charlie Rose Show... with lots more smoking.
In the 1960s―after the program had gone off air―Wallace donated all his research materials, transcripts, and actual interview footage to the Ransom Center. Now, nearly fifty years after the final episode of The Mike Wallace Interview, all those resources are online and available for free! Check them out at the Harry Ransom Center.
