On this episode, Melissa and Cheyenne take us from the illicit porn sets of the Bronx to the cascade of billboards of Times Square in the 70s. Our special guest is former Manhattan borough president Ruth Messinger. 

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On this episode

Does David Simon not fully understand his own show / Communism? / we called the shag / Edison and one-man peep shows / porn with a soup can of art / pandering feminist catchphrases / goodbye Village Voice / Siberia / the Times Square Redevelopment Corporation / "the crossroads of nowhere" / "loitering with intent to Elmo" / lost little rich girls / unpaid police companionship / watch Fort Apache, The Bronx / call us! / so long

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Cine 42, 1993 / Gregoire Alessandrini

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Times Square, 1978 / Fernando Natalici

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Times Square, 1978 / Fernando Natalici

Further reading and viewing

• Klute, d. Alan J. Pakula; 1971 
  • original theatrical trailer
  • Jane Fonda's shag politics (You Must Remember This) 
• Edison Kinetoscope films
  • 1894-1896 compilation reel
  • pictures.htm">The Black Maria studio 
• Haircut, d. Andy Warhol; 1963 
• "9 Peep Shows Are Raided in Times Square Area," New York Times; August 11, 1971 (peep-shows-are-raided-in-times-square-area-police-continue.html?mcubz=0">online archive)

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Klute, 1971

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San Francisco Kinetoscope Parlor, 1895

“The machines show two minutes of a film for a quarter. Some of the films are in 10 parts, some in 12. Nearly all the films are in color. Some films deal with male or female homosexual acts, but most are heterosexual.”

— 9 Peep Shows Are Raided in Times Square Area, New York Times

• Gail Sheehy and New Journalism
  • "Wide Open City/Part I: The New Breed," Gail Sheehy, New York magazine;  July 26, 1971, A1 (archive)
  • "The original ‘Deuce’ was a 1975 TV movie called ‘Hustling’," New York Post; September 11, 2017 (online) 
• Communism...?
  • "David Simon: HBO's new show 'The Deuce' is really about ... business," Yahoo; September 11, 2017 (hot-new-show-deuce-really-business-140300111.html">online) 
• Siberia
  • "Siberia Bar: Exiled in Times Square," Brooklyn Rail; July-August 2001 (online)

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Camel billboard, Times Square, 1943

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• Ruth Messinger and the Times Square Redevelopment Corporation
  • "DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR TIMES SQ. WINS UNANIMOUS BACKING OF ESTIMATE BOARD," New York Times; November 9, 1984 (plan-for-times-sq-wins-unanimous-backing-of-estimate-board.html?mcubz=0">archive)
  • "5 LAWMAKERS URGE EXTENDED HEARINGS ON TIMES SQ. PLAN," New York Times; May 3, 1984 (lawmakers-urge-extended-hearings-on-times-sq-plan.html?mcubz=0">archive)

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"The Mod Squad" promotional still

• "The Mod Squad"
  • “The Teeth of the Barracuda” (pilot); 1968 
• "Barney Miller"
  • "Christmas Story” (season 3, episode 10); 1976
  • "Barney Miller: 40 Years Later, The Most Intelligent, Literate US Sitcom Ever," ibt.com; 2014 (online) 
• Fort Apache, The Bronx, d. Daniel Petrie;1981
  • trailer

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Proto-peep

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Times Square, 1983 / Andreas Feininger

Featured Music

• "Shannon," Henry Gross; 1976 
• "Happening In The Streets," The Voltage Brothers (1978)

Credits

TERRIFIC CITY is hosted by Melissa Gira Grant and Cheyenne Picardo. The show was recorded and edited by Cheyenne Picardo, and it was produced by Melissa Gira Grant. (Thanks to Bradley Robinson for helping with music supervision.)