John l. Wasserman
Encyclopedia
John L. Wasserman was an entertainment critic
for the San Francisco Chronicle
from 1964 until the time of his death in 1979. Known more for humor and originality than in-depth analysis, he's best known for his creative reviews of bad films, clever skewering of glitzy performers, and passionate advovacy for those in whose talents he believed.
Wasserman attended Tamalpais High School
in Mill Valley, California
. Never having graduated from college, Wasserman worked at many jobs before landing a position at the Chronicle at age 24. His first attempts to get a journalism job were rebuffed. Finally, an opening for an assistant critic came up in the paper's entertainment department. His audition review, A GATHERING OF EAGLES with Rock Hudson, landed him the job. The paper's executive editor, Bill German, recalled that John's review "was the only one that didn't bore me."
Wasserman's best writing years were 1970 to 1979, when he had his own column. His columns covered anything vaguely related to entertainment: film, theater, music, comedy, bodybuilding, and even live sex shows at the famous Mitchell Brothers O'Farrell Theater.
He counted Woody Allen
, Joan Baez
, poet Michael McClure
, Clint Eastwood
, Lily Tomlin
, Bill Graham
and numerous other celebrities among his friends. He could count Jerry Lewis
, Russ Meyer
, countless music promoters and crowds of Osmond fans among his enemies.
He was a highly visible presence in San Francisco. He was the first person Marty Balin
asked to manage Jefferson Airplane
. He taught an annual "Media and the Arts" extension course for San Francisco State. He served as a stand-in for George C. Scott
on the set of PETULIA and Clint Eastwood
on the set of THE ENFORCER. He also did a brief walk-on in the motorcycle film C.C. AND COMPANY.
He died in a car accident on February 25, 1979 south of San Francisco in which two others in another car were also killed. His blood alcohol level was found to be .26, nearly three times the legal limit at the time. Decades later, his writing and perspectives on entertainment are still missed.
A collection of more than 90 of his reviews and columns, and a narrative about his life based on interviews conducted after his death, by his sister, Abby Wasserman, was published by Chronicle Books in 1993. The book is Praise, Vilification & Sexual Innuendo, or How to Be a Critic: The Selected Writings of John L. Wasserman, 1964-1979.
Critic
A critic is anyone who expresses a value judgement. Informally, criticism is a common aspect of all human expression and need not necessarily imply skilled or accurate expressions of judgement. Critical judgements, good or bad, may be positive , negative , or balanced...
for the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
from 1964 until the time of his death in 1979. Known more for humor and originality than in-depth analysis, he's best known for his creative reviews of bad films, clever skewering of glitzy performers, and passionate advovacy for those in whose talents he believed.
Wasserman attended Tamalpais High School
Tamalpais High School
Tamalpais High School is a public secondary school located in Mill Valley, California. It is named after nearby Mount Tamalpais, which rises more than above Mill Valley....
in Mill Valley, California
Mill Valley, California
Mill Valley is a city in Marin County, California, United States located about north of San Francisco via the Golden Gate Bridge. The population was 13,903 at the 2010 census.Mill Valley is located on the western and northern shores of Richardson Bay...
. Never having graduated from college, Wasserman worked at many jobs before landing a position at the Chronicle at age 24. His first attempts to get a journalism job were rebuffed. Finally, an opening for an assistant critic came up in the paper's entertainment department. His audition review, A GATHERING OF EAGLES with Rock Hudson, landed him the job. The paper's executive editor, Bill German, recalled that John's review "was the only one that didn't bore me."
Wasserman's best writing years were 1970 to 1979, when he had his own column. His columns covered anything vaguely related to entertainment: film, theater, music, comedy, bodybuilding, and even live sex shows at the famous Mitchell Brothers O'Farrell Theater.
He counted Woody Allen
Woody Allen
Woody Allen is an American screenwriter, director, actor, comedian, jazz musician, author, and playwright. Allen's films draw heavily on literature, sexuality, philosophy, psychology, Jewish identity, and the history of cinema...
, Joan Baez
Joan Baez
Joan Chandos Baez is an American folk singer, songwriter, musician and a prominent activist in the fields of human rights, peace and environmental justice....
, poet Michael McClure
Michael McClure
Michael McClure is an American poet, playwright, songwriter, and novelist. After moving to San Francisco as a young man, he found fame as one of the five poets who read at the famous San Francisco Six Gallery reading in 1955 rendered in barely fictionalized terms in Jack Kerouac's Dharma Bums...
, Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood
Clinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide...
, Lily Tomlin
Lily Tomlin
Mary Jean "Lily" Tomlin is an American actress, comedienne, writer, and producer. Tomlin has been a major force in American comedy since the late 1960's when she began a career as a stand up comedian and became a featured performer on television's Laugh-in...
, Bill Graham
Bill Graham (promoter)
Bill Graham was an American impresario and rock concert promoter from the 1960s until his death.-Early life:...
and numerous other celebrities among his friends. He could count Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis is an American comedian, actor, singer, film producer, screenwriter and film director. He is best known for his slapstick humor in film, television, stage and radio. He was originally paired up with Dean Martin in 1946, forming the famed comedy team of Martin and Lewis...
, Russ Meyer
Russ Meyer
Russell Albion "Russ" Meyer was a U.S. motion picture director, producer, screenwriter, cinematographer, editor, actor and photographer....
, countless music promoters and crowds of Osmond fans among his enemies.
He was a highly visible presence in San Francisco. He was the first person Marty Balin
Marty Balin
Marty Balin is an American musician. He is best known as the founder and one of the lead singers of the psychedelic rock band Jefferson Airplane.-Early life:Martyn Buchwald was born in Cincinnati, Ohio...
asked to manage Jefferson Airplane
Jefferson Airplane
Jefferson Airplane was an American rock band formed in San Francisco in 1965. A pioneer of the psychedelic rock movement, Jefferson Airplane was the first band from the San Francisco scene to achieve mainstream commercial and critical success....
. He taught an annual "Media and the Arts" extension course for San Francisco State. He served as a stand-in for George C. Scott
George C. Scott
George Campbell Scott was an American stage and film actor, director and producer. He was best known for his stage work, as well as his portrayal of General George S. Patton in the film Patton, and as General Buck Turgidson in Stanley Kubrick's Dr...
on the set of PETULIA and Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood
Clinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide...
on the set of THE ENFORCER. He also did a brief walk-on in the motorcycle film C.C. AND COMPANY.
He died in a car accident on February 25, 1979 south of San Francisco in which two others in another car were also killed. His blood alcohol level was found to be .26, nearly three times the legal limit at the time. Decades later, his writing and perspectives on entertainment are still missed.
A collection of more than 90 of his reviews and columns, and a narrative about his life based on interviews conducted after his death, by his sister, Abby Wasserman, was published by Chronicle Books in 1993. The book is Praise, Vilification & Sexual Innuendo, or How to Be a Critic: The Selected Writings of John L. Wasserman, 1964-1979.