MORT SAHL: 'I AM THE PERMANENT OPPOSITION TO THE ESTABLISHMENT'

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000700160008-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 27, 2004
• Sequence Number: 8
• Publication Date: October 29, 1967
• Content Type: NSPR

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Hy Trilliant Cilkerson
-OPT SAHLsat at a cor-.! i%e :vas a fait,,er3av r''
us e d, considering. He. `'.'eon of instant
his c:,rec. say, 25words' peer into any political situa-'
.gaze. .?1be[iliy aLlIlls coffee..; gated, and? get immr~ediateiy?i`
aril the permanent oppo- Complicated nuances, over Oswald.")
00.
! siuw to thn N.fitanTichmnnf tones. falcF hvnnthncnc # :st Mnrt 4;1hl c i a h e d. "I Ve
:ou:tlve force. It isn't that 1 Cur r e za t l y Mort Saki is `' with all this stuff. They said
ve changed, it's that Arneri- :',playing in the dining room at I 'was being fired for theayri
or, AA(1RT .CAL11 F 1, 4ina1
come, ironically enough, a Eight years passed. was told I'd bored peoplo;
t i u r1 t z I' y O 'r? 0 ' 9or19 PUJI Uwali iJUlll in I110 full 11loo. p0Op10 'tIOf't Went to Blear ljs
c:, .ce, t:u'ou;fh some weird goiii of till its absardit~+. '"nPa :Y. '` too much: When I I
! ? that I'm in the unlikely posi- has few other firm commit- 't Eight years later ... ones: I believed 'them. T7:e.
Lion of standing at the edge ments. Little TV,'no radio, no next day they got 31,000 c
of the cliff and saying - , other major night clubs. He; ters protesting my firing."
N , `Wait . a minute, have you j 1nr s been,fired troth his, . I ter Lawford and "'I had the And the rating of the show; I 11
thought this over?"' j and TV shoyvs and ' the, bid same agent. at that time,'Ivlilt at that time? A mirthless'.
Ebbi
s
arran
ed for me
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aga
Ther
It was in 1953 tht Mt clubs won
laugh
t th hi
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et
ith A
b
d
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m
assa
? me
w
e
or that capitalism is suspen
:i began talkin r ----
; profes oc:ally, and his first record 'Why? There are several] Kennedy, and- the ambassa- in my, case. My radio pro-,,
c...:,e four years later the viewpoints on. this.: According j dor. asked me to write mate- bram in Los Angeles was the
first of the mass-appeal com- to many critics he simply 'vial for his - son.. So I did. highest rated program "in;
sfopped being funny. Accord-;' Then Lawfprd and Ebbins night time radio. The TV
cdy talk records Withi
n a
. short time there were other ' ing :to others it was Sahl's served notice on' me. that I show? A.very healthy rating
records, And contracts. The Point. position in the militant:: was to. leave John Kennedy and a money maker. That's;
o p e n throated shirt the vanguard of those advocating alone when I was onstage - ? quoting the station manag-,
th
t P
"
a
r e s
i d c n t Kennedy's; that he was not to be treated brs. So ? my ? troubles were,
sweater and the blue jeans
I
death was the result
as mortal. If I. tore into him I
blish
t
E
i
f
th
a
e
s
a
nat
on
o
e ;
a i
d with
lly known trad
start
e- . -narks. There was a Time Plot. It is true that this has''! was'told there would be dire,, ment and not with the audi-,
`cover, major feature articles been Sahl's - idee fixe since consequences. ence
slick Magazines and a tot .. the assassination- talking
to" "What? I a s k ed.',You'll
audience after -audience on .see, ' they.: said. So I went ~,l,criticsy, have charged him certain, with of ?his
sell
n.c~,cy. the subject.
Mort Sahl was more than : ahead' and did it anyway t to establishment, he
ou
representing But Sahl'feels :differentI Suddenl the William Morris ''ing
the liberal left ? Y y professes to attack.
c ?.v;,s the liberal left,, and ' It really began 'before. the ' .Agency no longer was inter !'I think as far as my being
a
:oast,' comedian, casting directors and produc- with the establishment. The