“Wild Card: Downfall of a Radio Loudmouth” premieres Wednesday night at 9 p.m. on HBO and HBO MAX, chronicling the rise and fall of former WFAN morning host Craig Carton.
Martin Dunn and Marie McGovern, the filmmakers behind the documentary, joined the Boomer & Gio Show Tuesday morning to discuss the making of, and revealed that it was actually Carton’s idea, born out of him seeing the pair working on the life story of another New York icon.
“Really, Craig came to us; years ago we had met Craig briefly when we filmed a pilot for a sports chat show idea, and that day Craig was arrested, we reached out to him to support him,” McGovern said. “All he texted back was thanks, and it wasn’t until after his conviction but before his sentencing that he gave us a call. We were just finishing a Tom Seaver documentary, and he told us that if Seaver, a notoriously private man, could trust us to tell his story, he could trust us to tell his.”
In the film, Carton discusses his rise and fall, obviously, but the one thing Dunn and McGovern did ensure is that it isn’t just based on a true story, it IS a true story.
“We listened to Craig, and what we tried to do was corroborate what he was telling us. We backed up everything he told us in regards to the amount of money he was gambling and the people he was involved in,” McGovern said. “We dug up all of the research and spoke to the right people to corroborate everything. Did Craig get everything right? No, but I think that was part of the year-long process of coming to terms with his issues.”
And within that process, the filmmakers were often surprised at some of the details.
“When Craig came in and talked to us that first time, it was jaw dropping,” Dunn said. “In essence, what I think Craig wanted to do was put his situation into perspective; there were many stories in the press he didn’t participate in, so this was his opportunity to set the record straight, give people an idea of how and why it happened.”
One of those stories was that of his sexual abuse while at summer camp in 1980, which Carton wrote a chapter on for his 2013 book “Loudmouth” but saw excluded at the publishers’ behest.
“Craig told us that the publishers chose not to put it in the book because they felt it didn’t fit the tone, and we spoke to the publishers and they confirmed they had read it,” Dunn said. “We were very comfortable that those issues had happened – but it was one of the more retching moments when we sat down and Craig read excerpts of that chapter for the film. You can’t help but be touched by how emotional he becomes.”
“We thought it was very important to include that in the film,” McGovern added. “There were a lot of folks who wrongly accused Craig of trying to gain sympathy by bringing it up during his sentencing, or making it up, so we thought it was important to show that it did happen, and answer those questions about why Craig was so angry during the Jerry Sandusky situation.”
Dunn and McGovern visited Carton in prison several times, and while they weren’t allowed to film, they did gain some more insight into the Craig they had encountered in the filming, most of which took place in that period between his trial and his sentencing.
“There was real acceptance after his trial of his issues and what had happened to him, and understand that what he was being charged with was not necessarily what the public thought he had done wrong,” Dunn said. “You see in the film an acceptance of his issues, and a willingness to deal with them.”
And that’s something that is very evident in the final moments of the film, which were taken from an interview after Carton was released from prison – a chance the makers got by chance, thanks in part to the documentary’s completion being delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“When you see Craig at the end, there is a real acceptance that his issues were affecting other people, and what he did affected others,” Dunn and McGovern both echoed. “I think the most telling part will be the end, when you see Craig after he comes out of prison, which is a very different Craig than you see in the rest of the film.”
The makers also thanked those from WFAN who participated for their candid discussions of the situation, something they thought was both refreshing and incredibly powerful.
“Everyone was so candid, and that was what was so great. Everyone was remarkably open, but underpinning all that was that you could sense the affection and respect everyone had for Craig and that came across strongly,” they said.
Carton’s rise and fall may be most interesting to those in the markets he has called home, but because of all they uncovered, Dunn and McGovern agree that this film is more powerful than just local flavor.
“There are millions of Craig’s fans who will be interested in the full story, and this is his chance to put it forward,” Dunn said, “but I think this is a real human interest story – a story of someone who spent 30 years getting to the very top of his profession, but made some wrong decisions and caused himself issues he shouldn’t have, and saw that success taken away. We hope that comes across, because it’s very easy to forget there is a real human being here, and I think one of the things Craig wanted to do is express all these things, hoping other people in similar situations may get some comfort from this.”
And now, the big question: is Craig Carton truly a changed man, or is it all part of his act?
“The things Craig opens up about are so personal and candid, it’s just not something you’d choose to do as a promo vehicle. I think he wants to put his story in perspective,” Dunn said.
Added McGovern: “To be honest, you can’t go through what Craig has gone through without it affecting you in a deep way. This is a man who went through one of the darkest moments of his life, I don’t know how you can go through it without it changing something deep inside of you.
And, to finish the interview on a lighter note, the filmmakers did respond to the controversy of Al Dukes not being featured much in the trailer, and having a photo he took of Craig used as promo art.
“That’s our sequel!” McGovern laughed when Boomer asked if a Dukes doc was next. “I will say that Al has been spectacular and wonderful with regards to supplying photos – we did use your photo for the poster and credit appropriately!”
Listen to the entire interview below, and check out “Wild Card: Downfall of a Radio Loudmouth,” premiering Wednesday at 9 p.m. on HBO and HBO MAX.
Follow WFAN's morning team on Twitter: @7BOOMERESIASON, @GioWFAN, @Alsboringtweets, @JerryRecco, and @WFANMornings
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