Best Of: Casting Dir. Allison Jones / The Nazi's Jazz Propaganda

Fresh Air

NPR

Tv & Film, Arts, Society & Culture, Books

4.4 • 34.4K Ratings

🗓️ 23 September 2023

⏱️ 53 minutes

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Summary

Casting director Allison Jones is considered one of the greatest comedy casting directors of our time. Her credits include films and TV shows like Freaks and Geeks, The Office, Veep, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Bridesmaids, and now Barbie. She spoke with Terry Gross about some of these projects.

Maureen Corrigan reviews Lauren Groff's new novel, The Vaster Wilds.

Also, NPR's Scott Simon gives the history of why jazz was banned in Hitler's Germany, and how it was repurposed as propaganda on shortwave radio. His new audiobook is Swingtime for Hitler.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Support for NPR and the following message come from Bombas,
0:03.2	making socks, underwear, and t-shirts that feel good and do good,
0:07.4	giving 100 million items of clothing to people who need them.
0:11.3	Go to Bombas.com slash NPR and use NPR for 20% off your first purchase.
0:19.1	From WHYY in Philadelphia, I'm Terry Gross with Fresh Air Weekend.
0:24.8	Today, casting director Alison Jones,
0:27.6	the Barbie movie is just the latest example of why she's considered
0:31.2	one of the greatest comedy casting directors of our time.
0:34.4	She's credited with having helped usher in a new era of comedy,
0:38.4	casting films and TV shows like Freaks and Geeks, The Office,
0:42.1	Feed, Curbure Enthusiasm, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, and Bridesmaids.
0:47.0	Also at WHYJAS was banned in Hitler's Germany
0:50.1	and how it was repurposed as propaganda using existing catchy swing tunes
0:56.1	with rewritten repellent Nazi lyrics intended to weaken British and American resolve.
1:02.4	We talk with NPR Scott Simon about his new audiobook Swing Time for Hitler
1:07.6	and Marine Carg and Reviews Lauren Graf's new novel The Vaster Wilds.
1:12.8	That's coming up on Fresh Air Weekend.
1:16.4	This message comes from an PR sponsor, Robbinsburger.
1:19.5	Make time for fun and play with Robbinsburger.
1:22.7	Level up your next game night or relax with family and friends
1:26.3	over the perfect puzzle or immersive board game.
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