When Marlon Brando kissed Larry King: “Darling, goodnight”
The legacy of Marlon Brando as one of the foremost figures in Hollywood’s golden era is both enduring and indisputable. His raw, powerful performances in films such as A Streetcar Named Desire and The Godfather testify to his immense talent. But alongside his treasure trove of cinematic masterpieces, Brando also left behind tales and anecdotes that often bemused, and at times baffled, audiences and critics alike.
By his passing in 2004, these tales were as much a part of his legend as his iconic roles, and he stood at the top of the pantheon of peculiar actors. One such episode unfolded on the set of Larry King’s interview show in 1994, held specifically at Brando’s own residence due to the actor’s preference for privacy in his later, waning years. The two, promoting Brando’s book Songs My Mother Taught Me, clearly had a long-standing rapport.
At one point, King, keen to explore a less-known facet of Brando’s talents, said, “Now we’re gonna show you a side of Brando that you may not know since Guys and Dolls. We’re gonna do a tune. What tune you wanna do?” Brando, ever the spontaneous spirit, suggested ‘Limehouse Blues’. However, King confessed, “No, I don’t know ‘Limehouse Blues’.”
Their shared song eventually culminated in a light-hearted atmosphere. King, pleased with how the interaction went, said, “You were a terrific guest. Will you come back? You will do another session with me, and I will do another session with you.” But as they wrapped up with ‘Got a Date with an Angel’, the actor, in a surprising yet quintessentially Brando-esque moment, said, “Darling, goodbye” – and planted a kiss on King’s mouth.
The show’s executive producer, Wendy Walker candidly recalled her reaction to CNN, saying, “The only time I ever got in trouble in my 32 years at CNN was when we were interviewing with Marlon Brando.” The setting of the interview, Brando’s own home, was a nod to his reclusive tendencies. “We were doing it from his house because at that time he was a recluse and … that was the only way he would do it,” Walker added.
However, the on-screen kiss didn’t sit so well with everyone. Tom Johnson, CNN’s president at the time, contacted Walker post-broadcast, asking with genuine bewilderment, “Why did you let them kiss?” Walker quipped, “I guess I forgot … to tell them that if they were having a really good time that they shouldn’t kiss at the end of the show.”
Johnson himself couldn’t forget the unexpected peck. “It wasn’t just a light kiss. It was a full frontal kiss of the two of them,” he remarked, playfully recalling his own astonishment at the sight. Recounting his reaction, he joked, “And I just sat there … ready to get under the desk. Wendy, Why? Why did you let that happen?”
