Fresh Air, MF Grimm, The Fabulous Moolah, And Ruth Leitman, November 7, 2007

Hear rapper Percy Carey, AKA MF Grimm; wrestler Mary Lillian Ellison, AKA The Fabulous Moolah; film director Ruth Leitman; and film critic John Powers, on this edition of Fresh Air.

MF Grimm is in a wheelchair, after surviving several murder attempts. He's just published an autobiographical graphic novel entitled Sentences: The Life of MF Grimm. He's also released a new album, his sixth: The Hunt for the Gingerbread Man. Carey grew up on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. His neighbor, Morgan Freeman, got him a job as a child actor on Sesame Street, where he worked for four years. He served time in jail for conspiracy of distribution and sale of narcotics. His other albums include American Hunger, Scars and Memories, and Special Herbs and Spices, Volume I.

Mary Lillian Ellison died Friday at age 84. She was a wrestler, promoter, and trainer on the women's circuit for more than 50 years. Ellison got her nickname because, when asked why she wanted to wrestle, she replied that it was for the money: "I want to wrestle for the moolah." From the 1950s to the 1980s, The Fabulous Moolah held versions of the Women's Wrestling Championship, save for brief periods. She made a comeback in 1999. At age 76, Moolah beat opponent Ivory in Cleveland and was again proclaimed champion. Ruth Leitman's 2005 documentary, Lipstick and Dynamite, takes a look at the world of lady wrestling, a phenomenon that started in the 1930s as a form of entertainment and sport. Ellison's 2002 autobiography, written with Larry Platt, is entitled The Fabulous Moolah: First Goddess of the Squared Circle. (Original Airdate: 4/18/2005)

Finally, John Powers reviews the documentary Terror's Advocate (L'Avocat de la Terreur). Directed by Barbet Schroeder, it's about the French lawyer Jacques Verges, best known for defending terrorists, war criminals, and militants. [Broadcast Date: November 7, 2007]