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| The trailer for "Desperately Seeking Paul McCartney" |
(5/5/2008) Thanks to Ruth Sowby (then Ruth Anson) for answering our questions. This interview is copyrighted and may not be reproduced elsewhere without our permission. “Desperately Seeking Paul McCartney” will have its Los Angeles debut at the 2008 Mockfest film festival at 5 p.m. May 18 at the Vine Theatre, 6321 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood, CA. The comedy documentary is the story of Ruth Sowby (then Ruth Anson), who in 1965 was a teenage reporter for KABC-TV in Los Angeles. While doing an interview with The Beatles at Capitol Records, Ruth asked Paul McCartney if he had any plans for marriage. His on camera response was…“Only if you’ll marry me.” More than forty years later, now married, a mother and a college professor, the film is Ruth's contemplation of the question, “What if I had said, yes?”
Q: What was your career as a TV journalist like leading up to the meeting with Paul?
A: Originally, I was selected out of 3,000 teenagers to be a staff teenage reporter on Channel 7. I was supposed to cover just teenage-type stories. But the station only had 3 news units. When a story broke, the nearest news unit had to cover it. Often, that was my unit. I wound up covering everything--even the Watts riots in 1965. Q: Describe the meeting with the Beatles and Paul in 1965 and your initial reaction to his "only if you'll marry me" statement? A: You can imagine how excited I was when Paul asked me to marry him. I answered back, "I'd love to" and threw my free arm around him (The other was holding the mike.) Of course, I knew it was all in fun. But I've often asked myself, "What if?" Q: What made you decide to do this kind of a project? From the sound of the press release and a look at the trailer, it almost sounds like a film that is not exactly complimentary to you. Why not, for example, write a book instead? A: I did write an outline and sample chapters of a book which a senior editor at Doubleday considered years ago but ultimately turned down. The film was an opportunity to tell a similar story, with the emphasis on Paul. The writing process of a book is tough, tedious and isolating. It was much more fun to make a movie. I realize the film isn't exactly "complimentary," but it's the truth. And film can convey the truth more powerfully than any other medium. (Remember, in my other life I'm a university film professor.) Q: Have you remained a Beatle fan all these years? Have you seen Paul in concert since 1965? A: I'm still a Beatles fan. I've followed them in the news, on film, TV and books. Q: Who's the "11th hour" friend who comes to your rescue in the movie? A: Watch "Desperately Seeking Paul McCartney" to find out. Q: When will the movie be released on DVD to the stores? A: It now looks like the DVD will be released this fall.|
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