CinemaMartin Scorsese was a ‘very scary’ professor at film school, says Billy CrystalWhen he was 19, Billy Crystal interacted with Martin Scorsese at the beginning of his career, when he was making his first film, Who Knocks on My Door?By Editorial Staff

One of the greatest filmmakers in the history of Hollywoodresponsible for films such as The Good Companions (1990), Taxi Driver – Taxi Driver (1976), The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) and Fear Island (2010), Martin Scorsese was a “very scary” professor at film school, according to Billy Crystalactor Friends, Always Friends (1991) and Harry and Sally – Made for Each Other (1989).

During participation in the podcast Today’s Sunday Sitdown With Willie Geistin an episode released on December 15, 2024, Crystal recalled the experience of taking classes at New York University (NYU) with the legendary director.

“I was in film school and Martin Scorsese was my film production professor,” he stated. “He was a graduate student at the time, just making his first film, called Who Knocks on My Door?. And it was in 1968, 1969, 1970.”

“[Ele] He had a big beard, granny glasses and hair down to his shoulders,” he continued. “He looked like everyone else. He would stand behind you while you were editing your film and it was very scary, because he stared, he was very intense and he spoke very fast – even then – he spoke faster because he was, you know, 50 years younger.”

And he’d say, ‘Why did you film it that way? Use a wide image! Howard Hawks always used an open framing.’ I said, ‘I’m 19 years old – I don’t know who that is. Howard Hawks!’

Right away, Billy Crystal explained that, despite the college period being almost 60 years ago, Martin Scorsese still feels the same, with “the same energy” when he sees the 82-year-old director. At another point in the conversation, the actor recalled what it was like to live in West Village of New York at the height of counterculture.

“This neighborhood was wild. It was a terrible time for America, but at the same time, a great time. It causes all this adversity and all the protests against the Vietnam War. It brought us together… what came of it was a renaissance in music, in poetry, in art – which we still feel today,” he said. “Suddenly, voices appeared. There was Joan Baezthere was [Bob] Dylanthere was Grateful Dead. That whole world was like here.”