Billy Crystal is thinking back on his formative years in Martin Scorsese’s classroom.
On the Dec. 15 episode of the “Sunday Sitdown with Willie Geist” podcast, Crystal talked about his time being taught by Scorsese at New York University.
“He was a graduate student at the time, just doing his first movie, called ‘Who’s That Knocking at My Door.’ And it was 1968, 1969, 1970,” Crystal remarked on the podcast.
Crystal went on to describe Scorsese’s looks: “[He] had a big beard and granny glasses and hair down to his shoulders. He looked like everybody. He’d stand behind you while you were editing your film and he would be very scary, because he would look and he was so intense and he would speak very quickly — even then — he spoke quicker then because he was, you know, 50 years younger.”
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Scorsese would reference Howard Hawks always using wide shots in his films as a response to what his students were shooting. But while decades have passed since Crystal first crossed paths with Scorsese, he says Scorsese still retains the same energy and spirit.
As a student in the 1960s, Crystal also learned during the counterculture movement as it took over.
“[The West Village] was wild,” Crystal added. “It was a terrible time for America, but a great time at the same time. ‘Cause all of that adversity and all of the protesting against the Vietnam War. It brought us together … What came out of it was a renaissance in music, in poetry, in art — that we’re still feeling today.”