Day at Night: Christopher Isherwood 

Why do I never get to meet people like this! He oozes intelligence without arrogance. And he seems always about to burst out laughing. Marvellous, exotic creature.

I love the way the cameraman focuses close in on Isherwood so we see him and read his expressions so easily. Wonderful smile and spirit. Clearly a joyous person. What a treasure this interview is!

Brilliant. I had never heard of James Day before, he is an excellent interviewer, and Isherwood is completely charming, a glint of mischief in his eye.

What a great being. Absolutely transparent, like water. So very rare these days.

He had the knack of seeming boyish even in old age.

This is just wonderful, thank you for uploading it. I am more in love with Isherwood.

I agree about Isherwood's eyes. I kept watching how they seemed to look inward, and then outward; back and forth. At one moment his eyes would express an almost impish glint, and then he'd suddenly seem to grow sad, as if some thought had just occurred to him as the discussion proceeded. Marvelous. Such an interesting human being!

Fascinating. I hung in suspense on every pause 'for thought' that came along, unable to take my eyes off every movement of the face and twinkle in the eyes as, and when, he searched for the right word....with which to convey exactly, the answer to each question posed. A generous and honest human being.

I like their choice to come at Isherwood’s face from multiple angles. So many interviews are shot from a single camera perspective.

Could listen to him for hours. Wonderful mixture of contemplation, gravitas and humour. I got the idea he has trouble stopping himself bursting out laughing. Loved his books years ago but don't remember enough about them. Lions & Shadows made the biggest impression - but again, I can't remember why! I bet he remembers everything. Must read them again.

Oh, this is lovely. What a wonder he was, such endearing mannerisms too :)

A very affable and endearing man.

Wonderful. Great too see this footage. Funny that although Isherwood thought he wasn't good looking with an overly large head and nose....this shows off his wonderfully hypnotic eyes. Despite his age, you can see the young him...

A wonderful guy. I've read a lot of him, but it's nice to know he didn't disappoint in person.

Thanks for uploading this video. It's a wonderful introduction to an author whose books I've read but had never met in person.

Sensational interview! The interviewer's questions were very well thought through and the conversation flowed with such ease. I can't wait to read more work of this brave and cultured man. If the theatre cat in "Cats" was a person, I would think of C.I., indeed. I also love how the cameraman knew exactly when to zoom in on Christopher's features.

Isherwood is an alien from the future genius I've loved him most of my life...

such a wonderful spirit.

Absolutely wonderful. Earlier today I read a couple of stories from "Goodbye to Berlin". And last night I watched "Christopher and His Kind", which someone has been kind enough to upload here on You Tube, and the BBC has been even nicer not to pull down. Matt Smith has nailed his manner of speech perfectly. But the real Chris is best of all. He is so charming. Now, I would knit him a scarf, we're he still with us. Chris, we shall always love you!

New to Isherwood. Glad I found him.

Isherwood is as interested in other people's lives, perhaps more so, than he is in his own. One of his huge strengths as a writer.

He refutes the notion that age makes you wiser, but he certainly sounds very wise to me.

The interviewer is amazing, like those small pebbles which help the flowing water take momentary shapes.

Great contributions to Society

They did not have scissors in those days, it was the olden times.

As soon as the topic of Vedanta surfaced, he searched deeper to express. After the longest pause, it appeared as the word, the Foundation. So apt, so true.

I like when he talks about rebellion of children vs parents...he doesn't talk about it in a way that it should be done and over with, but says that children will not only rebel, but parents (because they are educated and because they have knowledge and accept how quickly the world is changing) must accept and themselves become educated about their own world as well as the world of their children...the downside of this is that those who are becoming parents aren't really growing up themselves all that much, especially in the US...daddy wants his XBOX and motorcycle and mommy needs her mani/pedis and new SUV every two years, and they have to borrow Grandma's credit card for Christmas...

Surprised at 4:30 or so that the interviewer seems to have no idea who and what happened to Sarah Bowles, wife of Paul (author of the Sheltering Sky). Isherwood is a true gentleman dealing with this twit, especially the Hitler/hair style comparison at the beginning of the interview.

I still feel titillated finding historical gay role model trailblazers even if they seem boring or stale to us now (on the surface)

Fascinating man.

De twinkeling in zijn ogen alsof hij net betrapt werd bij iets ondeugends. Prachtig interview.

@LadyBirdLoves wow how amazing! How did you come to have it? did you know the family? is there a way you could put it online? His father sounds such an amazing human being Are there any of his pictures on the net?

Wow, Matt Smith got his voice quite spot on

In 1986 Isherwood gave an interview in LA to Kelly Lange, and in it he speaks with a German-English accent. I wonder why he suddenly spoke only German?

dat left eyebrow

Does he ever mention the emcee

Too late to bash the interviewer, so many great questions could have been asked

Does anyone else see a similarity between many of Julie Harris' scenes in this film and scenes of Ruth Gordon in Harold and Maude? She even SOUNDS like Ms Gordon.

I don't get his left eyebrow

22:06 in America you get to be LOUD, you can create a world simply through a VOICE...but that freedom loses its value if it is has not a substantive foundation...if LOUDNESS is all it takes, then it is not worth it in the long run...there must be a counterbalance

What is the story he wrote that cabaret is based on

spent an afternoon tea at his santa monica home , don his loverboy was there, guess he was cosmic....seemed a tad depressed.

“.. upper class .. “? Of course not.. was this something of his self-applied label in America ..

I've never seen someone with emo hair over one eye where it's not from the hair on their head, but from their fucking eyebrow.

Why does he, at times, remind me of Hannibal Lector?