Bud Greenspan is the preeminent master of sport films. A four-time producer of official films of the Olympic Games, Greenspan produced the official motion pictures of the 1984 (Los Angeles), 1988 (Calgary), 1992 (Barcelona), and 1996 Olympic Centennial Games in Atlanta. He also produced the non-official two-hour TV special on the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympics. His "The Spirit of the Olympics", a multi-screen visual/musical tribute to the quadrennial games, is on permanent display at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland. His book, 100 Greatest Moments in Olympic History, published in November 1995, has had multiple printings. Greenspan has produced numerous other Olympic-related productions, among them: 16 Days of Glory, Los Angeles, Triumph and Tragedy: The 1972 Olympics, The Measure of Greatness, An Olympic Dream, the television series For the Honor of Their Country, and the two-hour docu-drama, Time Capsule: The 1936 Berlin Olympic Games. The TV series: The Olympiad, produced with his late wife, Cappy, has been seen in more than 80 countries around the world. He has earned numerous industry honors, including: The Directors Guild of America Lifetime Achievement Award in 1995, and TV Academy Emmy Awards for The Olympiad series, his Olympic vignettes, and both of the 16 Days of Glory films--Calgary (1988) and Lillehammer (1994). Greenspan was awarded the Olympic Order in 1985 by International Olympic Committee President Juan Antonio Samaranch--the 17th American to receive this honor.
Tell us about your background.
My name is Bud Greenspan. I am a writer, producer, and director for my own company called Cappy Productions. I just finished filming the Athens Olympic Games and am putting it together in six months time to go on Showtime.
I started as a sports announcer for radio in New York during the pre-television days. In 1952 I had a job as a speed-carrier at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Opera was my first love. Standing next to me was a magnificent specimen of a man, an Afro-American named John Davis with a deep Baritone voice who was trying to become an Opera Star. He invited me to his home one day and I saw on the wall pictures of Billy Punds and Atheo Pinsa. I said, “I love those pictures but what is an Olympic Gold Medal doing in between them?” He said, “I won it.” I responded, “what do you mean you won it?” He said, “yes, I’ve been called the strongest man in the world. I won the weightlifting championship at the London Games in 1948 and am trying again for 1952.” I thought that was a fascinating story, so I wrote it, and the Reader’s Digest bought it. And then he went into Helsinki to compete again for the title of strongest man in the world, and I went with him with a camera crew. I didn’t know what I was doing. I had never done film before. I made a short film about 15 minutes long and tried to sell it but they weren’t running stories about black athletes on the minimal television channels at the time.
So, I was sad because I couldn’t sell the film and I had spent five thousand dollars of my Father’s money and he was really upset with me for spending his money for no reason. So I went to Washington D.C. to see the State Department and I found out they were looking for a vehicle to counter the Soviet Union Propaganda during the Korean War. They looked at my film and said they loved it. All I wanted was my five thousand dollars back. I said, “What can you pay?” They said, “Not enough, I don’t think. We can’t pay you more than fifty thousand dollars.” So then, I knew this was the business I wanted to be in.
How did you develop your filming skills?
I took a job at an advertising agency that produced one-minute commercials. It was the greatest training anyone could have. When I was at one of the agencies in 1964, I came across the Jesse Owens story.< |
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