Who the F*** is Roger Smith?!?

Who the F*** is Roger Smith?!?

So, who is Roger Smith? He testified at the Menendez trial. He got hit on by Grace Kelly. He worked with Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Orson Welles, Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson, Steven Spielberg, Gerald Ford, George Soros and Beverly Sills. He said opera needs subtitles. And Michael Eisner was heard to say... "Who the F*&% is Roger Smith?" Roger Smith. No, not the one married to Ann Margaret and not the one Michael Moore chased from General Motors. The OTHER one. Writer, marketing whiz, editor, entrepreneur. This Roger Smith sat down with PBS film critic and NPR radio host Bill McCuddy who asks So, who the F _is_ Roger Smith? "My real goal was to have an interesting life surrounded by fascinating people," says Roger Smith. "And at that I succeeded beyond my expectations." Have a listen and we think you'll agree.

Episodes

Episode 0217 Remembering Robert Redford

September 20, 2025 • 24 mins
In this special episode Roger gives us an exclusive glimpse into his relationship with the late Robert Redford; from Redford’s struggle to direct a film without having to act in it to his prescient concerns about the environment. Roger also fills us in on Redford’s love/hate relationship with Hollywood and the founding of the Sundance Institute. It’s an eyewitness view of an entertainment icon. Learn more about your ad choices. Vi...
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episode 0216 ROGER ON TRUMP'S FIRST 100 DAYS

March 21, 2025 • 27 mins
We’re now just two months into the second Trump presidency and many among us are reeling. Tariffs have been levied, unlevied and then levied again. Entire government departments have been emptied out. Experts in everything from weather to health have been let go. Our allies are concerned if not outright scared. Oh, and have you gone egg shopping lately? So, it’s time to find out what Roger thinks of all this. After all, in Roger’s ...
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episode 0215 Roger on the New Administration, 2025 and Beyond!

January 3, 2025 • 44 mins
2024 is over and we’re facing 2025 with a new administration in Washington. As The Who once said “Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss. We thought it’s time to get Roger’s take on all this. Do we make like a celebrity and leave the country? What’s a second Trump term going to be like? What are his cabinet appointments going to be like? Just why is Trump so popular in the first place? Roger has a unique perspective and it’s a ver...
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episode 0214 THE RETURN OF LYLE AND ERIK MENENDEZ

November 23, 2024 • 38 mins
Regular listeners to this podcast will remember that Roger testified in the first trial of the infamous Menendez brothers who were convicted of murdering their parents José and Kitty Menendez. Now there’s a Netflix series based on the case and there’s even the possibility Lyle and Erik may have their sentences shortened. Roger knew the family and worked with José at Live Entertainment. We thought it was time to get his take everyth...
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episode 213 - Roger Wraps It Up

August 3, 2024 • 54 mins
For his final episode Roger takes us all to the ultimate wrap party at his favorite haunt - Elaine's. The legendary restaurant hosted by its equally legendary namesake, Elaine Kaufman, from 1963 to 2011 and attracted luminaries such as Woody Allen, Tome Wolfe, Leonard Bernstein, Mick Jagger and many, many others. Those are just the raw facts. But Roger makes us feel like we're in the room with him amidst all the glitz, glamor and g...
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episode 212 Roger's Love of Movies

May 15, 2024 • 52 mins
Roger's talked a lot about movies; what he thinks of them and what it was like being in the movie business. But here he tells us how how he fell in love with the medium in the first place. From being taken to theaters by his mother to going to Boston's famous art-houses while at Harvard. And there's a lot more including the film Disney has kept hidden, the movie Warner Bros honcho Steve always wanted to remake and the film he predi...
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episode 211 - The Most Fascinating Woman

April 4, 2024 • 36 mins
As you well know by now, Roger has met some amazing people. Some famous, some not. But there is one woman who stands above the rest. You'll hear tales of Cuban exiles, dancing, operas, glamorous apartments in several countries and a lost diamond earring miraculously recovered. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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episode 210 - The Return of the Menendez Brothers

March 20, 2024 • 23 mins
In one of our most popular podcasts (season 1 episode 4) Roger told us how he came to testify at the Menendez Brothers murder trial. He had a unique perspective on one of the most famous trials on the 20th Century. Now Netflix has announced it will dramatize the events in a film produced by Ryan Murphy. Naturally we wanted to get Roger's take on all this and who he wants to play him in the movie! Learn more about your ad choices. V...
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episode 209 - Bonus Episode: Wokeness and American Culture

March 5, 2024 • 9 mins
Here's a quick take on a present day conundrum. Is today's "woke" culture eliminating unflattering depictions of certain cultures and groups? Is our history in danger of being erased? Roger has his own take on it all. He remembers how some very old photographs got him in a spot of trouble way back in the 1980s. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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episode 208 - Decisions, Decisions

February 1, 2024 • 28 mins
There's nothing like having to make a decision. In life and in business, making the right choice can mean everything. Here Roger tells us about some of his decisions as well as those made by savvy businessmen. But first he tells us how his own decision to impress someone by picking up the check at dinner almost went awry. You'll learn how his father decided what brand of car to buy and how someone as successful as George Soros pick...
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207: New Tech and Old Friends

January 4, 2024 • 49 mins
Roger takes us back to the days when cable TV and stations like MTV and Nickelodeon were the cutting edge of the entertainment business. Those were the days when Roger worked with and became fast friends with legendary Warner Brothers head Steve Ross. Roger tells us how Ross was not only business savvy but generous and gracious as well. Rare traits in big corporations these days. Roger also tells us his days selling encyclopedias a...
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206: Music Lessons

December 15, 2023 • 49 mins
No, Roger doesn't play the violin, but he does know a lot about the music business. Here he tells us about buying a chain of record stores back when that was how most people bought their music. It's a very colorful tale involving a mobster and such arcane terms as "rack jobbing." He also explains how something Danny DeVito said turned out to be good business advice. You'll also hear about his wise sister the talent agent and how he...
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episode 205: From Film Libraries to Streaming and Beyond

November 22, 2023 • 35 mins
If you follow the business end of show business you've no doubt heard about the film libraries own by various companies. Here Roger takes us behind the scenes of acquiring these valuable properties and how they can be leveraged. And although today you can get your entertainment via cable companies, streaming sites and even DVDs, Roger explains how no matter what the technology is, the basics of business remain the same. Learn more ...
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203: Roger's Wide World of Sports

November 2, 2023 • 51 mins
As you know by now, Roger's had some amazing experiences in show business, the arts and theater. But this is the first time he talks about sports. He remembers watching the great Sugar Ray Robinson box as well as what eventually turned him off about the sport. Roger also explains why even though he lives in New York, he's not a Mets or Yankees fan. He also tells how he helped bring soccer legend Pele to the Big Apple and Roger goes...
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episode 204: A Man of Letters

November 2, 2023 • 25 mins
As you've no doubt already realized, Roger knows his way around the spoken word. But he's had some success with the written word as well. In fact, Roger's been published by some pretty famous magazines such as Esquire, Playboy and the showbiz staple,Variety. But not always under his own name. He'll explain why a nom de plume may come in handy at times as well as some of the things he wanted to educate his readers about. Learn more ...
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202: Life In The Hamptons

October 6, 2023 • 23 mins
Once known primarily for potato farms and fishing, the area on the east part of Long Island known as "The Hamptons" is now considered one of the most exclusive areas in the country. It's the kind of real estate where if you have to ask the price you can't afford it. Roger knows it well and here he tells us what it was like there years ago and what celebrities now call it home as well as where they like to eat. He even tells about t...
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201: Roger Uncorked

September 21, 2023 • 14 mins
Roger is no stranger to the pleasures of the grape. In this episode he tells us about some of the very interesting people he's imbibed with. Plus he tells us several pieces of advice he's received while drinking wine as well as advice about ordering wine. And then there's the time he he almost had to pay for a super expensive bottle of the vintage stuff. As they say:"In Vino Veritas." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megapho...
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120: Special Bonus Conversation: Roger Speaks with Author John Berendt

August 31, 2023 • 25 mins
We're taking a break from our usual format with this episode in which Roger speaks with an old pal - John Berendt. The author of the best-selling non-fiction book "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" tells Roger what it's like to deal with editors and publishers, when he knew he had a hit on his hand and what it was like to travel the country doing publicity. John Berendt also acknowledges the role luck had in his success. Rog...
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119: Roger, Berenson, Kubrick and Beatty

August 17, 2023 • 28 mins
Here Roger fills us in on actress Merisa Berenson, who he first met when she was in prep school, just before she starred in "Barry Lyndon." One of the most beautiful women of her time, Roger became her protector of sorts, keeping the likes of Ginacarlo Giananni at a respectful distance. And speaking of "Barry Lyndon," Roger explains how its famously idiosyncratic director Stanley Kubrick grew to trust his advice. No easy trick. The...
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118: Roger, Clint and Dennis

August 10, 2023 • 29 mins
During Roger's days at Warner Brothers there was no one more important in the company's roster of talent than Clint Eastwood. He was easy to work with and his pictures made money. Roger tells us how Warners' efforts to show its appreciation could be a little awkward at times. Then Roger tells us about his dealings with the "mad genius" Dennis Hopper. The "Easy Rider" star had his wild side to be sure, but he also had a keen eye for...
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