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Barry Levinson Finally Makes His Dream Project

Film critic Stephen Schiff reviews "Toys." It was originally going to be director Levinson's debut movie, but studios deemed it too complicated for a first time director.

03:48
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Other segments from the episode on December 17, 1992

Fresh Air with Terry Gross, December 17, 1992: Interview with Alvin Carter; Interview with Alger Hiss and Tony Hiss; Review of the film "Toys."
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22:47

Curtailing Gun Violence in the African American Community

Counselor Alvin Cater founded the Al Carter Foundation at Cabrini Green, a housing project in Chicago of 6000 people. The foundation is a hands-on intervention program that reaches youth by going into the streets, and makes referrals to the 13 human service agencies within Cabini Green. He tells Terry about the recent truce brokered among gangs at the project, and the effect recent gun violence has had on the community.

Interview
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15:26

A Son Tries to Clear His Father's Name

Alger Hiss & his son Tony Hiss. This is the infamous Alger Hiss who was convicted and jailed in 1950 for perjury after denying, under oath, that he had been a Soviet spy. This past October, with the opening of Soviet archives, there was found to be no evidence that Hiss had ever been an agent of the Kremlin. Hiss is 88 years old now, and has maintained his innocence all along. His son, Tony Hiss is a staff writer at "The New Yorker," and he wrote about his father's ordeal and exoneration in the November 16 issue of the magazine.

Interview

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30:29

Stephen Schiff Discusses His Latest Adventures in Hollywood.

Screenwriter Stephen Schiff talks about writing the scripts for "True Crime" and "Deep End of the Ocean."He first established his reputation as a film critic for Vanity Fair and Fresh Air. He also wrote film essays and profiles for The New Yorker. He served an unprecedented three terms as chairman of the National Society of Film Critics. His first screenplay was for the most recent film adaptation of Lolita.

Interview
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34:15

Stephen Schiff on How "Lolita" Explores the "Beastly and the Beautiful"

Fresh Air's former film critic returns to discuss writing the screenplay for the controversial film adaptation of Nabokov's "Lolita." The $58 million film inspired such controversy that distribution in the U.S. was delayed. "Lolita," directed by Adrian Lyne (Flashdance, 9 1/2 Weeks) will premiere on the Showtime cable channel August 2nd. It's just been announced that the film will be released in movie houses in September. Schiff's screenplay, "Lolita: The Book of the Film" (Applause books), will be published next month.

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