Culture That Made Me: Joe Duffy on why Some Like It Hot is his go-to movie when fed up
Joe Duffy - watches Some Like It Hot to cheer up
Joe Duffy, 67, grew up in Ballyfermot, Dublin. He joined RTÉ as a producer in 1989.
In 1992, he won a Jacob’s Award for his reports on on radio.
He is the author of several books, including two prize winners, and .
He hosts on RTÉ Radio 1 and he will present the next season of on RTÉ One, starting Sunday, 3 September.
See www.rte.ie.
As a child, the first book I remember becoming totally obsessed with from the local public library in Ballyfermot – which was an Aladdin’s Cave of treasures – was Dervla Murphy’s . I loved it because it was such a great travel book, the intimacy of it. It was mainly her on her own, on her bicycle, afraid of nothing. Every day was a new adventure with her. It was just a completely different world.
The first book I read that was kind of “reality” was a book by the great Lee Dunne called . He wrote on the radio series. was set in Mount Pleasant Buildings. The book was so real to the life in those buildings. They were in Rathmines, working-class flats basically. He was a very Dublin character. It was a very easy read. I remember my father – who wasn’t a great book reader; he mainly read newspapers, particularly the – reading it.
My favourite writer of all time – and my favourite playwright – and the only book we had in the house growing up was Sean O'Casey’s autobiography. I’m delighted that Druid are putting on his trilogy of great plays – , and – over a single day at the Abbey Theatre this month and next. I have a fair collection of his works, a lot of them are out of print. I listen to audio versions of his plays non-stop. I pick up phrases, which I often find myself using on like, for example, when somebody is being a bit florid, I say, “Can you stay within the borders of the Ten Commandments?”
I’ve always been fascinated with President John F. Kennedy. I remember standing in my short trousers on the corner of Dame St and Parliament St in Dublin watching his cavalcade pass through the city 60 years ago. The motorcade was a sight to see, full of Army, secret service, and JFK standing in an open-top car holding a crossbar. I couldn’t get over his suntan and youth. The best book on him is , which is the report investigating his assassination. I know there’s loads of conspiracy theories, but has stood the test of time.
We had a cinema in Ballyfermot called The Gala, growing up, which could hold – including a balcony – nearly 2,000 people. It was one of the big cinemas dotted around Dublin in the sixties. I remember going to see . It was a three-hour movie full of stars in it, including Henry Fonda and Gregory Peck. It was basically the story of the conquest of the Prairies in the United States. It was incredible. It had everything in it: cowboys, Indians, settlers, wagon trains, rifles, guns, sheriffs, stand-offs, saloons. I remember going to a matinee screening on a Saturday afternoon and running home afterwards shooting everyone in sight with my pretend gun.
One of my two favourite movies of all time is . The writing is stunning. It’s written by David Mamet. The acting is incredible. Jack Lemmon, Alec Baldwin, Al Pacino, the list of fine actors in it is endless. It’s an ensemble piece. Nothing happens. There’s no shootings, murders, car crashes, falling down stairs, break-ins, but you’ve access to this whole world, which tells you more about life, than the actual events on the surface. I love the phrase, “Always be closing.” You have to know what you want out of a phone call, especially on , so you stay focused. Alec Baldwin, flicking his Rolex watch, saying, “Always be closing.” In other words, always be trying to close the deal.
My other favourite film is . A genius film, from beginning to end. From the Prohibition shooting, to the chase. It’s out of this world. It’s so funny. Jack Lemmon, Marilyn Monroe and Tony Curtis are pure magic. We’ll never see an ensemble like it again. I’ve read so much about it. It's my go-to movie when I’m fed up. Sometimes, if I’m sitting there on a Friday night, and you say, “What will I watch?” I’ll go for . I must have watched it a hundred times. I love it.
A play I adore is Brian Friel’s . I love the rhythm of it. I love the feel of it. I love the music in it. I love the innovation in it. I remember the hairs standing on the back of my neck when I saw it, which was a good long time ago, over 30 years ago. It’s a gorgeous play.
Brendan Balfe was a genius broadcaster. The last series Brandan did was a history of Ireland in a hundred records. He had incredible archive footage. He compiled it himself. He’s a brilliant narrator.
The first broadcaster I ever met was John Bowman. My father was a barman in a gentleman’s club on O’Connell St in Dublin called The Catholic Commercial Club. John Bowman’s father was a member. My father taught John Bowman how to play snooker as a teenager. He is an extraordinary broadcaster. His breath of knowledge. He has so many abilities. He was a producer before he became a presenter – like myself – so has an idea of how to put a programme together, what works, what’s important. I love John and he’s still going strong.
I love mountaineering documentaries. There's one that came out recently about climbing K2 called . I love the endeavour. You’re sitting there at home looking at what’s going on in comfort. The climbers’ endurance is breathtaking. I love the cinematography; it’s breathtaking as well.
I love Phil Lynott, but when it comes to music U2 are top of the pops. U2 are the soundtrack of my life. My favourite album of theirs is . It’s stunning. It’s 11 tracks of perfection.
