Color Blind Comedy Magic
June 4, 2020
We need them now more than ever. Stay safe and be nice to each other.
Arnaleh
May 22, 2020
Was sad to learn recently that Arnie Baskin, my favorite film professor at NYU and my mentor, died last September 24th. He was
83.
Arnie was a true New York Jew in the best sense. He always knew where to eat, where to hang out for margaritas (which I and many of
his students did with him), and, of course, what movies to see.
His skill as a professor of film was equaled by his innate ability to engage people, make them laugh, and instantly make you feel like you
were a lifelong friend. As a raconteur, he could easily compete with Tony Randall and Orson Bean.
Almost as soon as I met him, I started calling him Arnaleh, a Jewish endearment where you add "aleh" to the end of someone's first name. Does not work with every name. Samaleh, Jackaleh, Danaleh all work. Brianaleh just doesn't do it. Anyway, it always tickled him, and he would often point to me and say to whoever was in earshot, "He calls me Arnaleh."
Arnie was born three days before my mother. The two grew up in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn and both attended Thomas Jefferson
High School, but they never knew each other. Years later, before we all had cell phones, my mother served as my de facto receptionist. I would always come home to her wonderful
messages and sometimes just notes: "Anthony Perkins died. He was 60. Love, Mom." One note (see below) was a message from Arnie where she called him "a nice man" and was happy they
talked about the "old days."
Steve Lawrence (then Sidney Liebowitz) also went to Thomas Jefferson High. My mother would recall him singing and performing in a school production of The Mikado. She never knew him personally, though, something I chided her for practically her whole life. "Why couldn't Steve Lawrence be my father?!" I would say, about a quarter joking and, sadly, 75% serious. Arnie was friends with Steve/Sidney, though.
When I graduated NYU, Arnie took me, his companion Tia, and my then best friend, also a student of his, to dinner at this long gone
"Chino-Latino" joint near NYU called Bayamo. I had so many memories at this place, the great food and drinks aside. When the bill came, Arnie, noting I had more than a few margaritas,
said, "Brian, we're not a drinking people!" Hey, I was 22 - but yeah, I should have known better.
At another dinner, Arnie introduced us to one of his former students, Todd Solondz, who had just become a hot property with his
film Welcome to the Dollhouse. Todd was just as neurotic, nerdy, and forever sniffling as his persona. He would later go on to direct the amazing
film Happiness.
I made five short black and white films in Arnie's class, which was called "Sight and Sound," a required class for sophomore film majors to
learn how work in 16mm. I had them transferred to DVD and uploaded them to YouTube not long ago. The visual quality is poor and I was going more for laughs than fancy camera angles and swift
editing, but at least two of the films have merit.
Alas, I never became a Todd Solondz. Actually, no one in my classes at NYU rose to the level of well-known filmmaker, although I am
sure many work in some aspect of film or television. I could write a book about what a farce colleges - particularly arts colleges - are, but let's keep the focus on Arnie.
He was a bon vivant. He spoke French, Spanish, Hebrew, Yiddish, and Russian. Over the years he worked in Paris, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Israel, and Romania before ending up at NYU, where he was a tenured professor for forty years. He lived in Washington Square Village on Bleecker Street, an upscale dormitory, if you will, for longtime NYU faculty.
I'd visit Arnie in his office over the years and occasionally exchange emails with him. When he did not respond to an email last year,
I got a little worried but did not think much of it. I learned of his passing after emailing one of Arnie's colleagues. No official cause of death was given, but, according to Tia, he had
many health issues. If and when this whole coranvirus mess dies down, Tia and I plan to get together.
Arnie Baskin was a great guy. Miss ya, Arnaleh!
Comic Books
April 26, 2020
Just got Woody Allen's new autobiography. Can't wait to dive in (bummed there is no photo section, though). Pair this with last year's excellent Mel Brooks bio by Patrick McGilligan and my book, and you have the definitive portraits of the three greatest actor-writer-directors of all-time.
Max von Sydow: 1929 - 2020
March 10, 2020
Max von Sydow, the Swedish born actor best known for his longtime collaboration with Ingmar Bergman, died on March 8th. He was 90.
Von Sydow had a unique screen presence, becoming a well-known art house figure in the 1950s for his early roles in Bergman classics like The Seventh Seal and Wild Strawberries (both in 1957) and later works like The Virgin Spring (1960), Through a Glass Darkly (1961), and Winter Light (1963). In total, von Sydow appeared in 11 Bergman films.
He became known to mainstream audiences for playing Jesus in The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965), Father Lankester Merrin in The Excorist (1973), and Ming the Merciless in the camp sci-fi spectacle Flash Gordon (1980).
My personal favorite role was of his was in Woody Allen's Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), in which he portrayed Frederick, a misanthropic artist keeping house with a much younger woman (Barbara Hershey) who is cheating on him with her brother-in-law (Michael Caine). It was a brooding, complex performance in which he was able to convey the pain and pessimism of a man who intentionally isolates himself from the world. The scene where Hershey comes home after a tryst with Caine to Frederick, sitting at a table in the kitchen area, drinking a cup of coffee and reading the paper, is a practical master class in dramatic acting. He rants about the sad state of media, culture, and television, uttering such Allen gems as, "If Jesus came back, and saw what's going on in his name, he'd never stop throwing up."
Von Sydow was twice nominated for an Oscar, in 1988 for his leading role in the beautiful Danish film Pelle the Conqueror and for his supporting turn in 2011's Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. For years, I said the Academy should have awarded him an honorary Oscar but they clearly did not find him as deserving as such recent recepients as Jackie Chan (I'll never understand that one).
For the last two decades, von Sydow made France his home, and in 2002 became a French citizen, which required him to give up his Swedish citizenship. He died in Provence (no cause of death was announced) and is survived by his second wife and four sons.
Go to the Archive tab and read my entry from June 4, 2015 where, clearly having nothing better to do, I mulled what it might be like if Max von Sydow did his own grocery shopping.
Danny Aiello: 1933 - 2019
December 19, 2019
Danny Aiello, the consummate New York character actor who broke into show business at an age when many consider leaving it, died on December 12th at age 86. According to reports, Aiello died in a New Jersey hospital after a brief but undisclosed illness.
Aiello was raised by a single mother on West 68th Street in Manhattan before the family moved to the South Bronx. At age nine, Aiello was shining shoes in Grand Central Station. He lied about his age to get into the Army, where his athletic talent led him to play baseball to entertain the troops.
Upon his return home to the Bronx, Aiello met Sandy Cohen. "She was the most beautiful thing - I swear to you - that I had ever seen," he said of Sandy, whom he married in 1955. Catholic Aiello and Jewish Cohen would have three sons and a daughter.
To support his family, Aiello worked for Greyhound, first as a baggage handler and later as a the bus station's public address
announcer. He rose the ranks to become a union delegate, but was fired following an unauthorized strike. Not knowing where his next job would come from, he resorted to burglarly (he was
never caught) before being hired as a bouncer at the legendary Improv comedy club. He began filling in as emcee and found he had a gift for performing. He started to seriously pursue
acting, and, at age 40, landed his first film role in the 1973 Robert DeNiro film Bang the Drum Slowly. The roles kept coming in such films as The Godfather: Part
II (1974), The Front (1976), and Fort Apache the Bronx (1981).
In 1981, he appeared on Broadway opposite Bea Arthur in Woody Allen's play The Floating Lightbulb (he would go
on to play roles as a heavy in Allen's The Purple Rose of Cairo in 1985 and Radio Days in 1987).
Aiello worked steadily in film in the 1980s, but his first megahit was as Cher's beleagured fiancé in Moonstruck (1987), a role he admitted hating because his character was such a wimp. Two years later he landed the part that would define his career in Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing. As Sal, the caring yet conflicted Italian American owner of a pizzeria in a predominantly black Brooklyn neighborhood, Aiello dislayed humor, humanity, and rage as a man who took pride that the locals "grew up on my food." The film earned Aiello an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. I still remember my reaction on Oscar night 1990 when Aiello lost to Denzel Washington in Glory. I consider it one of the biggest Oscar slights ever.
Though Aiello mostly appeared in supporting roles, he occasionally was the lead in some outstanding (and very underrated) independent films such as 29th Street (1991), a fanciful comedy-drama based on an amazing true story, and Brooklyn Lobster (2005), where he played opposite Jane Curtin. But he defined tour de force with his performance as Louis Cropa in Dinner Rush (2000), a wildly entertaining comedy/crime drama about a restaurant owner being shaken down by the Mob. The role was classic Aiello, and he more than proved he could carry a picture on his own.
Aiello was also an accomplished singer, something he first displayed as Holly Hunter's father in Once Around (1991). He performed in small clubs in New York, as well as Atlantic City, and released several CD's, including the superb Live from Atlantic City and I Just Wanted to Hear the Words.
In addition to his Oscar nomination, he won supporting actor honors for Do the Right Thing from the Boston, Chicago, and Los Angeles film critics associations. He won a Daytime Emmy Award in 1981 for the ABC Afterschool Special "A Family of Strangers."
I was lucky enough to meet Aiello a few times over the years, and he was always very nice. The photo below of us is from a gala - I want to say it was a Catholic Charities event but it might have been the Italian Catholic Federation (either way, it wasn't the B'nai B'rith). My friend Linda Dano was being honored that night. I was about 19 - notice how he was tightly squeezing me as we had our arms around each other.
Aiello was always one of my favorite actors. He made any project he was in a little extra special.
In an industry known for its liberal politics, Aiello was an admitted but quiet conservative who never touched liquor ("I'm to the
right of Ronald Reagan," he once said).
In addition to his wife of 64 years, he is survived by two sons, Rick and Jaime; a daughter, Stacey; ten grandchildren; and a nephew, the sportscaster Michael Kay. His son Daniel III, an actor and stuntman, died of pancreatic cancer in 2010.
A memorial was held for Aiello today in Manhattan at Riverside Memorial Chapel. I was able to pay my respects to Sandy and several of his grandchildren. Afterwards I was interviewed by our local Fox 5 news station. Click here to watch.
Go Joe!
September 16, 2019
As a right-leaning independent, there was no way I could bring myself to vote for Hillary. If you want to blame anyone for Trump's presidency, blame her. I was largely supportive of Trump until he just went too far with his sick love affair with himself. I was no Obama fan but at least Obama was dignified, eloquent, and yes, presidential.
I cannot vote for Trump again, and I think the Dems are totally nuts. Biden is the only candidate I can feel comfortable supporting. He is a stand-up guy whose reputation for bipartisanship impresses me. He's also seen more tragedy than any one person should have to endure, and he's proven he is a man of fortitude, a very admirable quality in a leader.
I can deal with his gaffes, as he is the most common sense of any of these far left loonies. I think he will restore the presidency to what it used to be, if that's even possible. The more his own party attacks him, the more I like him. (I wanted to slap that pipsqueak Castro for his unnecessarily nasty digs at Biden's age during last week's debate.)
Biden may not be the ideal choice but considering the options, for me, he is the only choice. And if his frontrunner status continues into the new year, he will likely be the nominee. I thought Trump was unbeatable but when you lose people like me, I can see he's not. It's rare for me to agree with anything in The New York Times beyond its cooking section, but Frank Bruni's recent piece about how Trump will never go away (not unlike the Clintons) will likely be very prescient.
I would hate to see a Democratic House and Senate, but I believe balance of power is good for the country. A Republican
congress with a Democrat president like Biden - who knows how to negotiate with the other side - may be just what we need.
I shudder to think of a Sanders or Warren presidency, but I would be pleased with a President Biden. This is his to lose.
A Mama's Boy Without His Mama
August 22, 2019
"I am a Mama’s Boy, a description often viewed as disparaging, but it is not. It is a compliment—any boy who is not a mama’s boy is either an evil space alien, or Lizzie Borden. A mama’s boy is a manifestation and consequence of something great: a great mother."
- Greg Gutfeld
I realize I did not post anything last year about the seventh anniversary of the death of my beloved parents. Now it's eight years. My father died on August 22, 2011, my mother two days later.
Some of what I am writing is a rehash of my 2016 post when it was five years since their death. My mother died due to the incompetence of the doctors and staff at the hospital she was staying at. She went in for a bone infection in her foot and never left. My father was in a rehab facility nearby where he was going to learn how to walk following the amputation of a toe due to diabetes.
My mother was in a coma and would never come out of it. My father was confused but when I told him that I had to decide when to "take mommy off the breathing machine," he sank. "Just sell the house and put me in a room somewhere," he said, a more beaten up man I had never seen. He died in his sleep the next morning. I was devastated. This cannot be possible, I thought. How could I lose them both at the same time? That day I took my mother off the machine. She held on for two days. She was 75, he was 72. "So young," is what I am constantly told by anyone I relay this story to.
Yes, I tried to sue the hospital. Went to three different lawyers - one the top malpractice attorney in Manhattan - and while they all agreed there was negligence, they also all agreed I would never win if I sued. These hospitals are so lawyered up, it is nearly impossible to bring a case against them.
My parents both dealt with many health problems but they were not ready to die when they did. I used to think my parents were safer in the hospital than at home with me looking after them. How wrong I was. I lost all faith in the medical profession. To them, our parents, children, and loved ones are just another patient, nothing more.
Every year I write to the president and CEO of the hospital, a corporate coward named Andrew J. Mitchell, and cc at least one board member. Last year I received a call from the hospital's security department asking me to stop the annual letters. In the letter I sent earlier this week, I wrote, "I am still trembling."
The name of this death trap is Peconic Bay Medical Center, located in the armpit of suburban New York, a sad place called Riverhead, LI. If I had the money, I would take out full-page newspaper ads to get the message out about how dangerous this place is.
"You and your doctors have no shame," I wrote. "You feel no guilt. You simply do not care. Your mistakes take and ruin lives. You are a disgrace."
As I get older and deal with the health problems that accompany middle age, bad genes, and a lifetime of bad habits, I only wish I had faith. I wish I could believe that I will be with them and Daisy one day. But I know that is just fantasy. I had my first colonoscopy a few months ago. I was nervous until right before they put me under. The room was all white and clean and calming. The temperature was very cool, just how I like it when I want to go to sleep. My doctor asked me what kind of music I liked. Instantly Sinatra was singing (I think it was "Fly Me to the Moon"). They were all so nice and told me to relax. I jokingly asked if they could come to my apartment and do this every night when I am ready to go to bed - sure beats Ambien. And then I was out. Blackness. Nothingness. No nightmares, no bad thoughts. Just blackness. And then I woke up in recovery.
Woody Allen joked that the wonderful feeling right before going under for a colonoscopy is what death must be like...but that life is like the prep day. Truer words were never said.
Roger Ebert said towards the end of his life that he did not remember anything before he was born, it was all blackness, and he imagined death to be just the same.
My best friend knows my final wishes are to have my ashes and Daisy's scattered on my parents' graves (I also asked if he could reserve just a little to scatter at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas).
I am grateful my parents lived to see my first book published, especially since they knew it was a fifteen-year passion project that I had almost given up on. I am also glad that brought a little bit of showbiz into our lives, enabling my mother to meet and talk with some celebrities through me. But I never lived up to my potential to make them really proud, make it big in film and TV, make millions, give them grandchildren.
I long for one more Chinese dinner like the ones we frequently had at home or in a nice restaurant. We always got a booth. My mother sat next to me, my father across from us with our jackets and her bag. We'd always start with tea and soup, then split an order of spareribs before our main courses. And, of course, there were always doggie bags. One of my loveliest memories is how my mother would occasionally hold my hand before the food came. I had a very rough childhood for reasons I can't get into, but the one constant, into adulthood, was my mother's unwavering love and faith in me. She was the most selfless person I have ever known. She put me ahead of everything. When I was not living at home, if she and my father tried a new restaurant and liked it, the first thing out of her mouth would be, "Brian would love this. We gotta take him here when he visits."
There is a story I think of often from when I was in kindergarten when we lived in Brooklyn. During show and tell, some boy brought in this Godzilla toy he had just gotten. It was pretty neat, made sounds and maybe even moved. I do not remember but I liked it. The next morning, as they drove me to school, I told my parents about it but - seriously - did not ask them to buy it for me. Having not yet perfected the art of manipulation, I did not even express interest in wanting my own one. I simply told them about it.
That afternoon when they picked me up, what do you think they presented me with? Yep. I was thrilled, of course, and surprised. And I appreciated and loved them for it. I am sure my mother said to my father that morning, "Marty, let's find him Godzilla." She did it out of love. My father only knew how to show love by buying me things. He thought going to work, bringing in a paycheck, and buying me lots of toys made him a good husband or father. Hugs and kisses he knew nothing about. We fought like crazy, often going for weeks without speaking.
Less than a year before they died, my father was in the hospital. I had moved back with them and took care of them, doing all the shopping, driving them back and forth to doctor's appointments, walking Daisy, etc. During this stay, my father said, "I'm sorry you have no life. I'm sorry you have to take care of us." It was the only time he ever expressed anything vaguely emotional and sincere to me. "It's okay," I quietly said. I did not realize until he died that I really did love him.
I did feel shortchanged that I had to put my life on hold for two years to care for them. But they cared for me my whole life. I was their only child. I had to do what I had to do. And believe me, I am no hero. I still suffer from tremendous guilt for not doing more. If only I stayed with my mother every second of the day while she was in the hospital, maybe I could have saved her. I could have seen her fall and gotten her help before it was too late. And the screwed up thing is that I would gladly exchange the past eight years without them for the last two that I took care of them. I hated seeing them deal with their illnesses, but it was better than being without them now.
My grief has gotten more intense with the years. My father was a gun collector. When I cleared out their house, I came across the guns. They were loaded. I am not a gun person, but I cocked one. I thought this nightmare could end right now. First I'd have to shoot Daisy, though. Then what if after I shot her, I changed my mind? I threw the gun aside. I still often think I could have ended it just like that.
People who I thought were my friends drifted away as if death and grieving were contagious. When I started college and was depressed because I was not able to find a girlfriend and new friends were not being very nice to me, I told my mother one night over the phone, "There's you, there's me, and there's everyone else." Pretty profound for 18 years old. Now there's just me and everyone else.
I curse that hospital for taking my life eight years ago. I long for one last Chinese dinner with them. I hate I cannot pick up the phone when a celebrity dies and say to my mother, "Did ya hear?" And I would love to know her take on Trump.
People who don't like me (and even the few who do) will say I am a whiny, self-pitying mama's boy who blames everyone but himself for his misery. Part of that is true, but one thing you can never call me is dishonest.
When my time comes, I hope I go as peacefully as my colonoscopy began. Maybe Sinatra will be singing "That's Life" as I take my final curtain (I'd prefer "My Way" but my regrets are too many to mention). And instead of waking up in recovery, I will be in that booth at that restaurant, eating wonton soup and ribs, smiling and holding my beautiful mother's hand.
Case Closed
July 17, 2019
Prosecutors in Nantucket today dropped a felony sexual assault charge against Kevin Spacey after it became apparent the accuser's claims were baseless. I knew all along this was a farce, a pathetic attempt for some punk and his overbearing mother to profit by defaming Spacey with bogus groping allegations.
Spacey has been through hell for nearly two years. Thankfully he has enough money that he never has to work another day
in his life, but that's not the point. Spacey has been cleared. Now how does he get his reptuation and career back?
These days you are guilty until proven innocent. Look at Brett Kavanaugh and others who have been wrongly accused. I know
someone who was fired because his cowardly employers found out he posted something online, in his private time, in defense of Kavanaugh. Dangerous times.
Hollywood is the phoniest, most backstabbing industry there is. Everyone who was so quick to distance themselves from Spacey should be ashamed. This man is a brilliant artist. His loyal fans miss seeing him on stage and screen. I would applaud any major producer or director who has the courage to cast Spacey in a high-profile project. Spacey has been the victim of a movement that has ruined too many lives and careers.
The public can be very forgiving, especially of somebody who has been so wronged. I suggest he write a book, do interviews with
anyone who will give him air time, do book signings, and put himself out there. Maybe that's the first step to getting his career back. I personally would be first in line to buy the book
(title suggestion: Unusual Suspect.)
30 Years Later, It's Still Always Something
May 20, 2019
Hard to believe today is thirty years since we lost dear Gilda Radner. I remember the day vividly. It was a Saturday morning. I was having Corn Flakes
with a banana for breakfast. I asked my mother what the weather was, and she turned on the radio. 1010WINS. As I was enjoying my cereal, I heard the announcer say, "The comedy world
has lost one of its greats today..." I was expecting to hear that someone really old like George Burns or Milton Berle had died. The next words out the announcer's mouth were, "Gilda
Radner died today..." Shock! Total shock! I got up and looked at the radio as I heard the news. She was just six weeks shy of her 43rd birthday.
Gene's See No Evil, Hear No Evil was at the top of the box office. He had just said on Bob Costas' talk show that she was doing well. How could this be?
Making matters worse, this was before the internet and 24/7 cable news. I had to wait until 6:00 p.m. to watch the local newscasts. Was a terrible day...and no, I didn't finish my Corn
Flakes.
I could go on about how wonderful Gilda was - funny, beautiful, full of life and positive energy. A fighter. A doting wife, a dog lover, unquestionably needy and clingy, but always
loving and well-meaning. As they used to say, one great broad.
One could only imagine what work Gilda would have done had she lived. There were talks of her own sitcom. Maybe a return to Broadway? More films with Gene? More books?
We can only ponder but at least we can appreciate that in her short life, she left behind a comic legacy that is truly special.
Funny Man/Funny and Sad
May 15, 2019
So I was in Barnes & Noble today perusing the new Mel Brooks biography by Patrick McGilligan. I noticed one of the chapter
titles is the same as in Gene Wilder: Funny and Sad - total coincidence, I am sure. I then was looking through the
notes section in the back, and was thrilled to see that Patrick used my Wilder bio as a resource, calling it "insightful."
If you have already bought Gene Wilder: Funny and Sad, I recommend buying this. If you haven't bought Gene Wilder: Funny and Sad, buy that first, then buy Funny Man: Mel Brooks. Thanks to Patrick McGilligan - I wish his book much success.
Thumb Kind of Wonderful
April 10, 2019
I've been watching a lot of great clips on YouTube from Siskel & Ebert's shows and their many talk show appearances. I really miss these guys. Today I
came across this article Roger wrote on the 10th anniversary of Gene's death (hard to believe he is gone 20 years already). When I got to the end, I was in tears. These guys had a
fascinating friendship. Click here to read - but grab a few Kleenex first.
The Original Piano
Man
February 4, 2019
32 years ago today, we lost one of the world's greatest entertainers. Liberace was nicknamed Mr. Showmanship, and with good reason. His musical talent was often overlooked because of his
flamboyant costumes, rhinestone studded pianos, and grand entrances. But he was a gifted musician. Listen to his "Liberace and the London Philharmonic Orchestra" CD (sadly out of print,
although luckily I bought it years ago), and you will hear the artistry in such numbers as a rousing 10-minute Gershwin medley and the enthusiasm of his audience as they sing the lyrics to "You Made
Me Love You." Great stuff.
He was an easy target to parody, but in the end he had the last laugh. When asked how he felt about nasty reviews from critics, he replied, "I cried...all the way to the bank."
Liberace had a turbulent private life as he strived to hide his homosexuality, even though it was so blatantly on display. On a 1985 Donahue appearance, when an audience member asked him if there was anyone "special" in his life, he replied, "Oh, yeah, everybody." His death from AIDS, which he tried concealing until the very end, saddened his legions of fans, me chief among them, but it did not diminish our love, respect, and admiration for the man.
My mother took me to see Lee, as his friends called him, at Radio City Music Hall when I was 12. It was me who wanted to see him (yes, strange kid), and, thanks to some savvy finagling, my mother was able to get us tickets. It was a great treat and just another example of my mother's love for me. We were both the youngest people in the audience. We sat in the last row of the orchestra level. This was before giant screens that allowed the cheap seats to see what was happening up close, so Lee basically looked like a very colorful dot, but it still remains one of the very best live shows I have ever seen. At the end of the show, I ran down to the stage as he sang his signature closing song, "I'll Be Seeing You," and got to shake his hand, touch his candelabra ring, and take the great photo below.
Liberace was 67 when he died (his 100th birthday is in May). It was a huge loss for the entertainment world. Search for him on YouTube where thankully there are endless clips of him.
George H.W. Bush: 1924 - 2018
December 9, 2019
The outpouring of affection for George H.W. Bush has been quite overwhelming - and deserving. The 41st president, who died on November 30th at 94, was not one of the great modern presidents per se, but he was a decent man whose life and service made for an amazing American success story.
It's interesting how short America's memory seems to be, as the Bushes were reviled not long ago, but, due to the current divisive tone in this country, they are now looked upon in a favorable light for their civility and gravitas. How could anyone, regardless of political party, not be moved at George W. Bush's emotional eulogy for his father?
Bush's death was not unexpected, as he had been in ill health for years and, worse, lost his beloved Barbara after 63 years of marriage in April. She was a first class first lady, he a gentle, dedicated public servant. Forgive the cliche, but we need people like them now more than ever.
May George and Barbara Bush both rest in peace.
These Kids Definitely Are All Right
November 3, 2018
Haven't posted in a while. Not because there's nothing going on in the news but perhaps because there is just too much going on, and sadly none of it is pleasant. With all the violence and divisiveness, I thought I'd share this video, which is the most moving, hopeful thing I have seen in quite a while. Almost makes me change my mind about kids. Almost!
Burt Reynolds: 1936 - 2018
September 7, 2018
Burt Reynolds, the epitome of 1970s movie machismo, died yesterday at age 82. Reynolds, the top box office draw for five years in row, had been in failing health for years. He died of cardiac arrest in Jupiter, FL.
Reynolds was equally as known for his infectious laugh and innate charm as he was for his movies, of which he starred in more than 140.
His private life often overshadowed his acting, having been involved with such notable women as Dinah Shore, Farrah Fawcett, Sally Field, and Loni Anderson. Reynolds was one of the all-time great talk show guests, never failing to provide laughs during his numerous appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, most memorably the whipped cream and egg incident involving him, Carson, and Dom DeLuise.
When Gene Wilder died, all the press focused mainly on his role as Willy Wonka. When Reynolds died yesterday, for him it was Smokey and the Bandit. I do not know what role he wanted to be remembered for - I am ashamed to admit I have never seen Deliverance or Smokey - but one of my favorite films of his was one he directed in 1978 called The End. It really shows Reynolds knew how to direct comedy - and, even harder, direct himself. As always he surrounded himself with a great cast of friends - DeLuise, Field, David Steinberg, and Joanne Woodward. It also has one of the most underrated and hard-to-find movie songs, Glen Campbell's "Another Fine Mess," which plays over the end credits.
Reynolds' career waned in the mid 1980s, but he made two huge comebacks - on television with the early '90s sitcom Evening Shade, which won him an Emmy and Golden Globe, and in film with 1997's Boogie Nights. Playing a slick adult film director, Reynolds' performance earned him raves, as well as another Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor (he lost to Robin Williams in Good Will Hunting).
Reynolds taught acting at his dinner theater in Jupiter, and he was known for generously mentoring many young actors.
As his health declined over the years, he sadly saw many of his closest friends die - DeLuise, Charles Nelson Reilly, Hal Needham, Jerry Reed, and Charles Durning, to name a few. He wrote two memoirs, My Life in 1994 and the wildly entertaining But Enough About Me in 2015, in which he turned name-dropping into an art form. He got to be on friendly terms with ex-wife Anderson, and lamented letting Field get away, alluding that she was "the one." Despite at one time being the number one star in Hollywood, he was plagued for years by financial troubles, leading him to delcare bankruptcy and auction off many of his personal belongings, including his Emmy Award.
And - always the first to laugh at himself - who can forget his priceless cameo in one of the very best episodes of The Golden Girls in 1986?
At a time when there seems be a total void of authentic stars who can be funny, sexy, and charismatic both on and offscreen, Reynolds was one of the last his kind.
Reynolds is survived by his son Quinton, whom he and Anderson adopted in 1988.
Christopher Lawford: 1955 - 2018
September 6, 2018
Was saddened to hear this morning that Christopher Lawford died of a heart attack at 63. Many, many moons ago I produced a radio show dedicated to daytime soaps. Chris was on All My Children at the time and was a guest. We had dinner and he was a really nice guy - even for a Kennedy (sorry, I can't help it).
Lawford was the son of Peter Lawford and Patricia Kennedy. His uncles were JFK, RFK, and Teddy Kennedy, and among his cousins were JFK Jr. and Caroline. I do not remember the exact conversation we had during dinner and the interview, but we definitely discussed his lineage, but not to the point of being overly intrusive. He was pretty open and willing to talk about being a Kennedy. From the picture below, you can see he was a dead ringer for his father with the addition of Kennedy hair - a very handsome guy.
About 20 years ago I wrote him about a screenplay I was trying to get produced. He personally called and we discussed the project. Naturally, nothing came out of it but it says a lot about him that he called. I had a great photo of us together and have no idea where it is (buried in a box with thousands of others).
He had a lot of personal problems (again, a Kennedy), but from my experience, he was pretty terrific. He leaves behind two sons and a daughter.
Remembering Gene
August 29, 2018
Two years ago today we lost our dear Gene Wilder. Earlier this year I was a guest on The Wilder Ride, an excellent podcast hosted by Alan J. Sanders. On this sad anniversary, Alan has chosen to post the interview. Click here to listen.
It was a pleasure speaking with Alan and Walt Murray. I look forward to hopefully doing it again. Thanks, guys!
Neil Simon: 1927 - 2018
August 26, 2018
Neil Simon, arguably the greatest writer of American stage comedy, died today at 91. Simon, whose later years were marked by health problems, was on life support while hospitalized for renal failure. He also had Alzheimer's disease. According to Simon's publicist, Bill Evans, the cause of death was complications of pneumonia. Simon received a kidney transplant from Evans, his closest friend, in 2004.
From his early years as a writer on Sid Caesar's Your Show of Shows to his unstoppable string of Broadway successes starting in the 1960s, Simon was one of America's most prolific writers, penning over 30 plays and over 20 screenplays, many of which were adapations of his stage work.
I saw a number of Simon's later plays on Broadway, the funniest being Laughter on the 23rd Floor (1993), based on his time as a writer for Caesar. The Odd Couple (1965) may be his masterpiece (I recently rewatched the 1968 film with Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau, and it is still laugh-out-loud hysterical), but then again, how can you leave out his autobiographical 1980s trifecta of Brighton Beach Memoirs, Biloxi Blues, and Broadway Bound? Or The Sunshine Boys (1972) and The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1971), both also terrific movies? Or original screenplays, his best being the cult classic Murder by Death (1976)? But then there's also The Goodbye Girl (1977). And has a married couple ever fought with such elegance and venom as Maggie Smith and Michael Caine in his 1978 screen adaptation of California Suite?
His body of work was extraordinary. He also left behind a great gift to fellow writers and fans, two memoirs - Rewrites (1996) and The Play Goes On (1999) - that detail both the ups and downs of his personal and professional life.
Simon was the only living playwright to have a Broadway theater named after him. He was also honored with 3 Tony Awards, a Pulitzer Prize, 4 Oscar nominations, a Golden Globe Award, and the 2006 Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.
Neil Simon was the gold standard for American comedy. He is survived by his fifth wife, the actress Elaine Joyce, and three children.
Sen. John McCain: 1936 - 2018
August 25, 2018
We knew for some time this day would come, but it does not make the loss any easier. John McCain, the Republican U.S. Senator from Arizona, died today after a yearlong battle with brain cancer. He was 81.
McCain was a war hero, and all the vitriol and ignorance that has eminated from the current occupant of the White House cannot diminish that. He went through five years of hell, returning home permanently disabled but determined to forge a career in public service.
McCain was frustrating to many, myself included. He waivered on issues, sometimes seeming to have no real convictions. He called himself a maverick, and while overall I believe he was his own man, he himself recently admitted choosing Sarah Palin as his running mate when he ran for president in 2008 was a mistake. McCain caved in to advisers who persuaded him to choose Palin when he wanted to make history by forming a fusion ticket with Joe Lieberman as his VP running mate. He ran his presidential campaign with class, always showing the utmost respect for his opponent. He often voted against his party line (sometimes a good thing, sometimes not) and was accused of being that worst thing in modern politics - a moderate (a really good thing).
He could be difficult and feisty - and always had a quick wit - but he was never undignified, always willing to work with the other side of the aisle (I actually think he had more friends in the Senate who were Democrats than Republicans). It's that kind of bipartisanship that made McCain so special. I long for the days when being a moderate Republican was not something to be mocked or demeaned.
Politics has become a very ugly business in the last few years - without people like John McCain, I fear it's only going to get uglier.
With his passing, we lose a patriot, a gentleman, and, without question, a hero.
"Melania, Get Your Coupons and Immigration Papers. We're Going to Costco."
August 2, 2018
Went to Fairway last night for pork chops, broccoli, juice, bread, and eggs. Had two credit cards, one debit card, and $80 in cash. Left my ID at home. Had to put everything back and order in Chinese, which under current New York state law only requires a letter from your rabbi.
An Afternoon with the Great Renee Taylor
July 21, 2018
Had a great afternoon seeing the legendary Renee Taylor in her one-woman off-Broadway show My Life on a Diet. If you're in NYC, don't miss this very funny and moving performance that closes next month. My friend Michael and I met Renee afterwards, and I gave her a copy of Gene Wilder: Funny and Sad. Renee and her late husband Joe were friends of Gene's when they were all starting out in New York. I told her she and Joe are mentioned several times in the book. "What did he say about me?" she asked. Nothing bad, I assured her.
The 90-minute show, written by Renee and her late husband, reveals Renee's lifelong struggles with weight along with some intriguing stories about such notables as Marilyn Monroe, Lenny Bruce, Jerry Lewis, Elaine May, and many others. If you only know Renee Taylor from The Nanny, you'll be in for quite a surprise. She has led a fascinating life. Very sweet lady.
Charles Krauthammer: 1950 - 2018
June 21, 2018
There are few truly brilliant minds in this country. Today we have one less. Charles Krauthammer, who died today at age 68, defined the word mensch - the total opposite of the arrogant, foul-mouthed, and selfish Anthony Bourdain. Here was a man who had so many obstacles in his life but never complained. He cherished every minute of his life and wanted to live.
True conservatism’s voice was lost a long time ago, but Dr. Krauthammer kept it alive with his urbane columns, thoughtful commentary, and charming television presence. This was a true gentleman and thinker. This is a sad loss for his family, fans, and colleagues, and a real loss for those of us who cherish engaging in mature and civil political debate.
85 Years Ago Today...
June 11, 2018
...the world became a funnier place. Happy Birthday, my friend, my hero, my inspiration.
No Place Like Home
May 22, 2018
So these parents sued their 30-year-old son to get him out of their house. My parents
would would have sued to keep me there.
Wilder Like a Fox
May 9, 2018
So I am perusing Fox News' website this morning, as is my wont, and I see on the main page a story about Gene Wilder and how this author of a new book claims Gene wanted to be remembered for Young Frankenstein over Willy Wonka. Great, I thought. Some amateur wrote a new Gene Wilder bio to compete with mine. I then click on the story and the author they are referring to is ME! The interview I recently did for Woman's World was picked up by Fox! This is HUGE publicity. No fake news here. I'm waiting for Hannity to call any minute. Click here. Read, enjoy, share!
New Interview About Gene Wilder
May 8, 2018
I was recently contacted by a talented writer named Ed Gross for an interview about Gene Wilder. Click here to read Ed's terrific piece on Woman's World's website. Thanks, Ed!
Rudy Jumps the Shark
May 7, 2018
This opinion piece by Jimmy Gagliano is spot-on! I used to have such high regard for Rudy, but, as this piece so eloquently illustrates, he has jumped the shark. Huge disappointment.
Springtime Hours?
April 20, 2018
So my boss tells me he's closing the office an hour early today. Great. I asked why. He said, "Well, it's Friday...it's a nice
day...it's Hitler's birthday..."
Welcome, Snowflakes
March 7, 2018
The Parkland students came to NYC yesterday to perform at Carnegie Hall. Considering the weather we're having, I think it's
appropriate that the snowflakes are here to see the snowflakes.
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Rex
January 10, 2018
If you have the slightest interest in film, old Hollywood or the lost days of real show biz, you must read this fascinating NY Times interview with the legendary Rex Reed. They don't make movies like they used to and they certainly don't make people like him anymore.
We Still Need to Talk About Kevin
November 9, 2017
Don't tell me they're not out to get Kevin Spacey. Now a guy says he had an ongoing sexual relationship with Spacey when he was 14
and Spacey was 24. Young male production assistants on House of Cards say he flirted with them, touched them, and one says Spacey put his hand down his pants while Spacey was
driving him to the set. The production assistant would have been likely out of college, making him around 22 or 23. Are young people so sensitive these days that they can't deal with a
touch here or an innocent hand down their pants? And as for the alleged relationship with the 14-year-old, it is another termite coming out of the woodwork. Whether it
happened or not, I do not care! This is ancient history. How would you like to be judged for every mistake you made thirty-plus years ago? Enough already. They're destroying a
man's whole life and career for nothing!
And every day it seems there is a new Spacey allegation. This never-been news anchor Heather Unruh thinks she is a good mother to hop on the let's-get-Spacey bandwagon. If she is such a good mother, why didn't she know her 18-year-old angel - who she highlighted as "straight" - was getting sloshed after his shift ended at the restaurant he worked?
He was cunning enough to drink underage at his job but he runs home to mommy because big bad Kevin Spacey groped him?
Really? These sickening stories about Spacey are following the same pattern and getting more obvious each day. This twerp should have been honored that Spacey was nice enough
to buy him drinks or have any interest in him at all. Again, another leech out to destroy a good man - plus, the mother has a legal and civil case due to the fact this happened last year.
Wonder how much she will settle for. As for her delicate snowflake, I would like to get him in a room with that Rapp skunk and a few guys from Brooklyn with baseball bats.
At least there is a glimmer of common sense out there. Veteran journalist and author Gay Talese says that punk Rapp should
have "sucked it up" (well, not the exact choice of words I would have used), and I totally agree with him!
And then last night it was announced Spacey's entire performance in an upcoming Ridley Scott film called All the Money in
World will be cut, and he will be replaced by Christopher Plummer. This man is being denied his livelihood, his reptutation, and a career he worked very hard for.
This is a witch hunt, and Spacey is unjustly being made an example of. I wish him well. His "accusers" and detractors
should be ashamed of themselves.
We Need to Talk About Kevin
October 31, 2017
Okay, this has got to stop. Everyone is ripping into Kevin Spacey for using coming out as a way to deflect from the sexual assault allegation raised by Anthony Rapp. I feel bad for Spacey. He was in
a tough situation. He has always been very protective of his privacy, even though his being gay was the biggest non-secret in Hollywood.
I met Spacey years ago at the New York Film Critics Awards. He was drinking a lot, very happy, and amazingly nice. He was seated next to The Usual Suspects director Bryan Singer, and had his hands all over him the entire night. I must have been 23 at the time. Thinking back, I don't know why he didn't try hitting on me (after all, I was still in my adorable post-college period), but now I realize 23 must have been over the hill for him (cheap shot, Kev - sorry).
They're considering cancelling his TV show because this little punk claims Spacey tried to get in his pants 31 years ago? Enough already. Kevin Spacey should not be put in the same league as Cosby or Weinstein or Polanski. Terrible what is happening to him. This Rapp twerp is a little troublemaker who should have kept his mouth shut. And remember, back in 1986, Spacey was not a star, just a working actor. He did not have any power like Harvey Weinstein.
Today it was announced that the International Television Academy is revoking an honory Emmy Spacey was planned to receive later this month. What's next? Are they going to force him to give back his Oscars?
I think Kevin Spacey should have totally denied this runt's accusations and sued him for defamation. Is his career over now? One of the great modern actors is ruined by this B-level talent? Spacey was a 26-year-old working actor 31 years ago - a kid himself. He was drunk, he was randy, and remember: NOTHING HAPPENED! Is every drunk guy who hit on someone after knocking back a few now supposed to be considered a sex offender? I'd like to get my hands on this Rapp jerk and punch him in the face.
These are dangerous new times we live in, and sadly Kevin Spacey is a victim of them. The suspects are far from usual.
Eric Chase Bolling: 1998 - 2017
September 12, 2017
What shocking, horrible news to hear about the death of former Fox News host Eric Bolling's only son. Eric Chase Bolling was just nineteen when he was found dead Friday night in Boulder, where he was studying economics at the University of Colorado Boulder. He died just hours after his father was officially terminated from Fox News amid sexual harassment allegations.
The senior Bolling was nuts about his son, always doting on him back when he was on The Five, and posting photos of them on
social media, such as a father/son Easter weekend the two spent together in Colorado earlier this year. I cannot imagine the agony he and his wife are going through, especially at an already tough
time.
An autopsy was performed yesterday but the Colorado coroner's office will not release an official cause of death until toxicology tests are completed, which could take six to eight weeks. A source told TMZ that Eric Chase was suffering "emotional torture" because of his father's suspension following the sex allegations, intimating that he either accidentally overdosed or committed suicide. Friends of Eric Chase disputed such speculation, saying he was a very strong person who loved life.
Whatever happened, this is just a terrible family tragedy. Thoughts go out to the Bolling family.
Gene Wilder: A Year Later
August 29, 2017
Hard to believe today is one year since we lost our dear Gene Wilder.
IMDb did a very nice photo tribute to Gene today. I particularly like this photo below of him with Sparkle. This is actually the Gilda's Club 5k walk event from 1993 where I met Gene.
His family had a memorial yesterday where his ashes were scattered in the garden of his beloved Stamford, CT home, which he once called "my greatest treasure, for the peace and tranquility that surrounds it."
Six Years
August 24, 2017
So another year has passed as I mourn the sixth anniversary of my parents' deaths (my father was Tuesday, my mother today). My friend says it's stupid to take off from work and sit home and drink and mourn. I disagree but I had to meet my obligations, go to work, and tough it out until the weekend tomorrow when I shall sink into that dark place that I am always in anyway.
I am told to "get over it" and "move on." Hmmm - slavery ended 152 years ago and apparently many do not want to "get over" that. Check in on me in another 146 years to see how I am doing - maybe I'll have a girlfriend by then. Schmucks.
Losing them two days apart when they were my whole world is not something I will ever "get over."
Jerry Lewis: 1926 - 2017
August 21, 2017
"I shall pass through this world but once. Any good, therefore, that I can do or any kindness that I can show to any human being,
let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again."
-
Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis has died. I hate writing those words. News of his death yesterday came as a shock for many. He was 91
and, according to his family, died peacefully at his home in Las Vegas of natural causes.
The word legend is used rather loosely these days but he was the very definition of it, a master comedian, actor, filmmaker, singer,
and humanitarian. If you never had the pleasure of seeing him in person, you truly missed out on something. Luckily I saw him perform his act twice, once at the Westbury Music Fair in New York and
once at the Orleans Hotel in Las Vegas. Both shows were among the very best live performances I have ever seen, the others being Liberace, Dom DeLuise, and Joan Rivers.
I also was lucky enough to see his tour de force turn on Broadway in Damn Yankees, which I don't consider a great
musical, but he brought such magic to his role as the devil that it was one of those once in a lifetime theater experiences that you never forget.
As an actor, Jerry never got the respect he deserved. His role as Jerry Langford, a Carson like talk show host kidnapped by Robert
DeNiro in The King of Comedy (1983), is the best work he has done onscreen, a surprisingly low-key, nuanced performance that showed a serious side he rarely ever displayed in the
movies. It's a crime he was not nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for the role, but thankfully he received a much overdue Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 2009.
One of the great thrills in my life was answering the telephone one day in 2002 and hearing a crazy voice at the other end asking to
speak to me. Yep, it was Jerry, actually responding personally to a letter I sent him asking if he would let me interview him. We had a series of phone conversations in the following weeks as we
tried to arrange a time to meet when he was in New York. I consider one of my biggest accomplishments the fact that I actually was able to make him laugh a few times. He even sent me a comedy CD of
crank phone calls he had put out after I told him that I loved his Just Sings CD. Alas, Jerry's schedule was very hectic and the in-person interview never
happened.
If you go to YouTube and simply type in Jerry Lewis, you will find enough priceless clips of him to keep you entertained for hours.
There are too many to link to here, but among the ones I recommend most are his live performance in Vegas from the 1980s and his guest spot on Dick Cavett's show from the early 1970s. On the
latter, he spoke very eloquently about his reputation for being a perfectionist, saying that when he would direct a movie, the first day on the set he would fire the first crew member he caught
yawning. He felt laziness was contagious. He despised incompetence. He thought that an incompetent is taking a job away from someone who is competent. Can't argue with
that.
Jerry Lewis had a tumultuous life both professionally and personally - few stars have suffered as many career highs and lows and
health problems, yet he always managed to bounce back with his dignity and humor intact.
There were many stories about how difficult Lewis could be, both on the set and in his private life. His kids supposedly
panicked when he'd arrive home. He constantly cheated on his first wife of 36 years. He had mood swings that sometimes were obvious in interviews (look for his very dark demeanor in an
interview he did with Bill Boggs in the early 1980s). He had a temper. He often took himself too seriously. He also could be incredibly nice and generous, though in his later years
he made some statements that were so baffling one could only imagine his mind was going. He said he felt all women comics were unfunny, including Lucy. He bashed Joan Rivers for no reason
just months before her death, going so far to say she "set the Jews back a thousand years." And early this year, he gave an interview to The Hollywood Reporter where he appeared so
angry that it went viral and had many wondering if he was putting on an act and it just wasn't funny or if he was genuinely pissed off.
He was complicated, tormented, and absolutely brilliant - in other words, a true artist. Generations grew up on, idolized, and
were inspired by him. Aside from Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner, also well into their nineties, I cannot think of anyone else of his era left. A terrible loss. Thoughts go out to his
wife SanDee and sons and daughter.
Joseph Bologna: 1934 - 2017
August 15, 2017
Joe Bologna was not only a great actor but a nice man. Very sad to hear of his passing at age 82 from pancreatic cancer on
Sunday.
The Brooklyn-born Bologna was rarely seen without the company of his wife of 52 years, Renee Taylor. The two wrote the play and
movie Lovers and Other Strangers (1970), which earned them a screenwriting Oscar nomination. They later collaborated on the 1971 film Made for Each Other, and
won an Emmy for writing the 1973 Marlo Thomas comedy special Acts of Love...and Other Comedies, which also featured Gene Wilder, who was an old friend of the couple (one of Bologna's
best performances was as a philandering husband in Gene's 1984 The Woman in Red).
The 1980s saw Bologna in one plum supporting role after another in such memorable comedies as My Favorite
Year, Blame It on Rio, and Transylvania 6-5000.
I saw him and Renee twice live in shows they wrote together. After one of their Broadway matinees, they stayed at the stage door for the longest time, shaking hands, signing autographs, and posing
for pictures. Very down to earth and real, talking to fans like regular people.
I am sure Renee is devastated. Thoughts go out to her and their son Gabriel.
Gene
September 10, 2016
It's been nearly two weeks since Gene Wilder left us. The shock has given way to tears, yet I still do not know what to say. I am not going to write a typical tribute because I wrote so many about him while he was alive. I'll just say some random thoughts.
First, I want to relay how I heard the news. I was at work when I got a text message from an old friend that read, "Just heard the news. So very sorry." Instinctively I just knew what it had to be - what else could it be? I nervously fumbled through various news sites and did not see anything. Less than a minute later another old friend texted me, "Did you hear about Gene Wilder?" I went to Google and typed in his name. There it was. I was just totally in shock.
I knew Gene was very frail - a photo taken of him at last year's U.S. Open showing him extremely gaunt and old-looking immediately prompted rumors he was dying. But I just attributed it to age. He was an old 83, as opposed to Mel Brooks, who is a youthful 90 (and may very well live to be 2,000 at the rate he's going). I had no idea he was suffering from Alzheimer's. Gene was always an intensely private person, and this was not something he wanted to share with the public.
I must say I am overwhelmed by the amount of coverage and the worldwide reaction to his death. Ever the pessimist, I did not think he
would get this kind of attention. It is not only very moving but undeniably deserved. Almost as soon as the news broke, I was contacted by various media outlets for interviews. Gene was apparently
very big in Australia - I had to turn down two separate interviews with Australian morning TV shows because of the time difference. I did, however, do an interview with
an Australian radio network and BBC Radio 5
the day he died, and then one the next day with Mike Slater, who broadcasts out of San Diego. Several publications also interviewed me.
On a personal level, people I had not talked to in years reached out to me with condolences - an old flame, a fellow film student I went
to NYU with, various friends I hadn't spoken to in years. All said they immediately thought of me when they heard the news and that they knew how much I loved him. (I wish this many people reached
out when my parents died.)
I am flattered that people who know or used to know me think of me when they think of him. And yes, I did love him, not like some
star-crossed, obsessive fan (which is what I initially was as a young boy) but as someone I respected both personally and professionally. Whenever I am asked why I chose to spend so many years
writing a book about him, I explain it this way: growing up, every lonely moviegoer has one actor or actress they identify with, who they feel speaks directly to them. For me, it was Gene Wilder. In
every character he played, I saw a little bit of me. I still do. There is a very fine line between comedy and tragedy, and no other actor has ever walked that tightrope better.
The weekend following his death, AMC Theaters re-released Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and Blazing
Saddles in 55 movie theaters across the country, an unprecedented move that I cannot recall ever being done for any other actor immediately following their death. More tributes are to come.
On October 5th, Young Frankenstein will be shown in theaters throughout the country with a live stream tribute from Mel Brooks. On September 29th, TCM will honor him by airing
several of his films. And I have something up my sleeve that's a little ambitious but I'm hoping to get it done.
Ah, Gene. I cannot believe you are gone. Your work and humanity had an immeasurable impact on so many people. You changed my life. To paraphrase something you once said about Charlie Chaplin, you were my hero, my patron saint, my spiritual father. You brought happiness and laughter to a world filled with sadness and misery. Most of all, you brought love to your dear wife of 25 years Karen, your nephew Jordan, and your late sister Corinne and brother-in-law Gil. You said you did not believe in Heaven in the traditional sense. You said Heaven exists here on Earth - whatever happens later, who knows. I feel the same way but what I do know is that every person you touched got to feel like they were indeed in Heaven here on Earth. I join your millions of fans in saying we will never forget you, we will always miss you, and we will always be grateful for making us smile. Rest in peace, my friend.
No Words
August 30, 2016
I am just in shock. What sad news the world received yesterday. Proper tribute to follow.
Five Years an Orphan
August 24, 2016
Hard to believe it's been five years since I lost my dear parents. My father died on August 22, 2011, my mother two days later. I never got into the details of their death on here, but it was due to
the negligence of those who claim to heal us. My mother died due to the incompetence of the doctors and staff at the hospital she was staying at. She went in for a foot infection and never left. My
father was in a rehab facility, learning to walk following the amputation of a toe due to diabetes.
My mother was in a coma and would never come out of it. My father was confused but when I told him that I had to decide when to "take mommy off the breathing machine," he sank. He died in his sleep
the next morning. I was devastated. This cannot be possible, I thought. That day I took my mother off the machine. She held on for two days. She was 75, he was 72. "So young," is what I am constantly
told by anyone I relay this story to.
Yes, I tried to sue the hospital. Went to three different lawyers - one the top malpractice attorney in Manhattan - and while they all agreed there was negligence, they also all agreed I would never
win if I sued. These hospitals are so lawyered up, it is nearly impossible to bring a case against them. If I were Melissa Rivers, I feel things would have been different, but alas my parents were
just regular working people, not celebrities.
My parents both dealt with many health problems but they were not ready to die when they did. I used to think my parents were safer in the hospital than at home with me looking after them. How wrong
I was. I lost all faith in the medical profession. To them, our parents, children, and loved ones are just another patient, nothing more.
I wrote a very long letter to the hospital last week, copying the whole board of directors and including my past correspondence. "I do not know what the purpose of this letter is," I wrote. "I am not
writing this letter in the hopes of 'letting go.' I'll never let go. I do not want to let go. But I do want to shame you, to try to get it into your thick heads and cold hearts how you do the
opposite of helping people. But you know no shame. You feel no guilt. You simply do not care." I concluded the letter by writing, "You are not healers, you are murderers."
Well, I usually make these tributes to my parents much shorter, but so much for keeping it pithy this year.
This is the first anniversary of their deaths without Daisy. The "shrine" now includes her - I want them together. I wish I could believe they were. The loneliness and loss will never go away. I
said it before but I will say it again - I just wish I could have one more Chinese dinner with them.
Love and miss you all.
Arthur Hiller: 1923 - 2016
August 20, 2016
Arthur Hiller, the highly respected director of such film classics as Love Story and Silver Streak, died on August 17th at age 92.
Hiller may not have had his own particularly recognizable style as a director but he was an accomplished one nonetheless. He made one of my all-time favorite films, Silver Streak (1976), the first - and best - film to pair Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor. A Hitchcockian romantic comedy/action buddy movie, the film was a box office hit that, despite receiving mixed reviews at the time, is now regarded as a classic, in no small part because of Hiller's crackerjack direction, displaying his knack for blending several different genres seamlessly into one hugely entertaining experience.
A dozen years later he would again direct Wilder and Pryor in See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989), a far inferior film to Silver Streak but a very funny movie nonetheless.
Other Hiller films include Author! Author! (1982) with Al Pacino and The Lonely Guy (1984) with Steve Martin, both very underrated.
Showing what an accessible mensch he was, I had reviewed See No Evil, Hear No Evil for my high school newspaper and gave it a rave. I sent him my review and he responded with a beautiful two- (it could have been three - I need to check) page handwritten letter thanking me for the praise.
Years later, I got to interview him for Gene Wilder: Funny and Sad, and he gave me some great stuff, reminiscing me about dinners he had with Gene and Gilda, as well as telling me he saw no signs of a romance brewing on the set between Gene and now wife Karen, who was Gene's deaf coach for See No Evil, Hear No Evil.
Hiller was nominated for one Oscar for directing Love Story (1970). In 2001, the motion picture academy gave him the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. He served as the academy's president from 1993 - 1997 and as president of the Directors Guild of America from 1989 - 1993.
His wife of 68 years died in June, also at 92.
Great director. Great guy. Great loss.
Springtime in July
July 29, 2016
My third essay for the Library of Congress' Film Preservation Board went online today. The film I wrote about is The Producers, the 1968 comedy classic that made Gene Wilder a star. It was added to the National Film Registry in 1996.
So cuddle up with your favorite little old lady, grab your little blue blanket, and click here to read.
Happy 80th, Mom
May 5, 2016
Tough day. My mother would have been 80 today. She was my best friend, the person I cared about more than anyone and she for me was born 80 years ago today.
I remember her 70th. I was living and working in Manhattan. Came for the weekend. I think I sent her flowers with a note saying "here's to the next 70." I got her her favorite perfume - but got it from Saks, wrapped in an elegant grey box and in a fancy Saks gift bag. What did my father get her? Bubkes. A landmark birthday and he got her nothing. Jerk.
She was okay health-wise at 70. The following months and years would see her deteriorate as I, woefully unemployed and unable to keep my apartment, became full-time live-in caretaker for the both of them.
It is almost five years since I lost them, and with Daisy now gone, I really have no family whatsoever. I miss them. Enough time has passed, though, that I also find myself criticizing them about certain things. No one is perfect. My mother was no exception. But she always had one thing that mattered to her above everything else: me. I was her world, and yes, she was mine.
I took today and tomorrow off from work - was going to go away but cannot afford it and realize it just is not a good idea. My mother would not want me to grieve for her, but she would also know that I just can't help it. I have been grieving every day for nearly five years. I can't move on and I don't want to move on. Yes, she would want me to have a girlfriend and even a family of my own - I only want the former. She would want me to be a big success, make a lot of money, be surrounded by good friends. Alas, that is not the case.
There is a story I think of often from when I was in kindergarten when we lived in Brooklyn. During show and tell, some boy brought in this Godzilla toy he had just gotten. It was pretty neat, made sounds and maybe even moved. I do not remember but I liked it. The next morning, as they drove me to school, I told my parents about it but - seriously - did not ask them to buy it for me. I did not even express interest in wanting my own one. I simply told them about it.
That afternoon when they picked me up, what do you think they presented me with? Yep. I was thrilled, of course, and surprised. I did not know the art of coercion then. And I appreciated and loved them for it. I am sure my mother said to my father that morning, "Marty, let's find him Godzilla." She did it out of love. My father only knew how to show love by buying me things. He thought going to work, bringing in a paycheck, and buying me lots of toys made him a good husband or father. Hugs and kisses he knew nothing about.
So Bella. 80 years old. You left me at 75. For years I always thought you looked so much younger than whatever age you were. I know you would kill me for making this video public on YouTube but I did it anyway (mainly to never lose it). This was us visiting daddy when he was in rehab for something related to his kidney disease and dialysis. I now see you looked older than you were here. A few months later I would lose you both. And yes, those pork chops were delicious. I am so glad you liked them.
You spoiled me, ma. You made me the ultimate mama's boy, a title I take great pride in, but it is hard being one when you can no longer can pick up the phone to speak to the woman who gave you life, love, and everything good and meaningful. I can only imagine all the hours we would have spent talking about the election and all the craziness going on. Can't do that anymore. I don't care what anyone says but Norman Bates was right: a boy's best friend is his mother.
Daisy Mednick: 1994 - 2016
April 3, 2016
I had to do one of the hardest things in my life on Monday, March 28th. I had to put my Daisy down. My best friend. She was 11.
My mother always made me promise to take care of Daisy if something happened to them. For nearly five years, I did the best I could. No more pain. I wish I had faith and could believe they are all together now but I can't.
Daisy was not herself for a long time. She had "doggie Alzheimer's," in addition to several physical problems. But I miss the Daisy who would spoon with me in bed, like we were a couple. The Daisy who knew when I was sad and crawled over and put her paw on me, hating to see me weep.
I regret all the horrible things I said when she upset me. She was sick. She meant well. I used to complain about having to get up early to feed and walk her before work and do the same when I came home from work. Now, aside from going to work and the supermarket, I have no reason to leave my apartment. I wish I had to walk her.
I had three other dogs since I was six years old. But my mother always did all the hard work. I just played with them and loved them. Daisy was different - she was mine. I spent my money on her, she lived in my apartment, I took care of her.
I thank my friend Michael, who adored Daisy, for going with me to the vet on that horrible, appropriately rainy day. I thank my vet, Dr. Sasha Hilchuck, for not only taking such good care of Daisy for the four years I have lived here but also comforting me, hugging me, and assuring me I did the right thing. It simply was her time. I also am very moved by the kindness of my Facebook friends, who are always there for me, and their sympathetic words.
Daisy was a kind, loving, adorable little girl. I now officially have no family. I am heartbroken - a cork floating in the ocean.
Garry Shandling: 1949 - 2016
March 25, 2016
Shocked and saddened by the sudden passing of Garry Shandling. The beloved comedian died of a heart attack yesterday at age 66.
I grew up on Shandling. Always enjoyed him guesting or hosting The Tonight Show. It's Garry Shandling's Show was one of the most inventive sitcoms of the 1980s (remember when Gilda made a guest spot as herself and joked about her cancer battle?). For whatever reason, I have never seen a single episode of The Larry Sanders Show, but I am sure it merits all the praise that has been heaped upon it.
Shandling made a few films as well, most notably Mike Nichols' underrated What Planet Are You From? (2000), which co-starred Annette Bening. Shandling was a good friend of Warren Beatty, and also appeared with Beatty and Bening in the 1994 film Love Affair.
I most recently watched Shandling commenting on the "2000 Year Old Man" on The Incredible Mel Brooks DVD set. Shandling kept joking that Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner had to be lovers.
Shandling never married or had children. Was a funny guy, gone way too soon.
Go, Tootsie, Go!
March 23, 2016
Back in October, the Library of Congress asked me to write an essay for their National Film Registry website about Young Frankenstein. Being one of the more savvy government agencies, they came back and asked me to write another essay, this time about one of my five favorite films of all time, Sydney Pollack's Tootsie.
I got the Criterion Collection special edition DVD in December, and watching it again and the great special features reminded me why I have been in love with this film since first seeing it when I was nine years old (and also why I have owned a framed, ridiculously oversized poster of the film for over twenty years!).
Click here to read the essay.
Nancy Reagan: 1921 - 2016
March 8, 2016
I think Nancy Reagan got a bad rap. She was everything a first lady should be - elegant, strong, and totally devoted to her husband. I was saddened to hear of her passing at age 94 on Sunday. 94 is a great run - she lived a year longer than Ronnie - but a good woman's death is never welcomed.
Unlike the Clintons, the Reagans had a real marriage, not a business arrangement. They genuinely loved each other. Nancy was criticized by many for the influence she had on the president. Well, I think most first ladies have a lot of influence but this was different. Only two months into his first term, the president was nearly killed after an assassination attempt. Reagan recovered but Nancy was as protective as ever.
They complained when she got new china for the White House - which was paid for by private donations, not taxpayer dollars as her haters claimed. She brought style and class back to the White House after the disastrous Carter years. Just as Reagan brought the country back and made us once again proud to be Americans, Nancy made the White House the showplace it should be.
The anti-Reagan crowd wasted no time on Sunday saying hateful things about the couple, the most ridiculous being that Nancy herself denied Rock Hudson treatment for AIDS! Hudson was a friend of the Reagans. As much as I admire Ronald Reagan, he was flawed like any other human. The biggest mistake of his administration was the failure to acknowledge the growing AIDS crisis. People were dying. They were afraid. They wanted leadership from their president. Reagan did not even utter the word AIDS until 1986. On this, he was sadly out of touch. But he was not a homophobe and it is absurd to suggest he had no compassion for the sick and dying.
Ronald Reagan's final years were, of course, marked by his slow decline from Alzheimer's. Nancy stood by him bravely, speaking out
against the GOP in support of stem cell research. When Reagan died in 2004, the sight of Nancy saying good-bye to his flag draped coffin brought anyone with a heart to tears.
Nancy Reagan was a devoted wife, mother, and advocate. She will hopefully be remembered as one of our great first ladies.
I Confess
December 6, 2015
"Making movies is the most wonderful thing in the world."
- Ian McKellen as James Whale in Gods and Monsters (1998)
I am happy to announce that, after 23 years, my first short film is finally online. Confessions of a Male Prostitute is a 17-minute film I made when I was a freshman at NYU. It stars John Aprea, who was on Another World at the time and a good friend who did this for me as a favor. He is amazing in it. My friend Dene - also superb - plays Helen, the quintessential hooker with a heart of gold. The kid who plays Jamie was a classmate of mine - huge diva - who is supposedly a big soap star in China now.
Rex Reed said the following about it: "I am a bit speechless. This is exemplary work...revealing much sensitivity and intelligence. The actors were absolutely first-rate and directed with skill, precision and naturalism… I actually could have hung in there with [these] characters for another hour or so. I am really most impressed with by the writing more than anything else – an economy of words, a wealth of style, an almost minimal thrust in dialogue but with maximum believability. [Brian Scott Mednick] has obvious talent... This short film is so good I would be very keen to see what [Mednick comes] up with in the next few years."
Click here to watch.
"You Talkin' Turkey to Me?"
November 25, 2015
So tomorrow is Thanksgiving. Robert De Niro will undoubtedly enjoy himself some dark meat. I understand he's also having turkey.
October 10, 2015
I was recently contacted by the Library of Congress. Great, I thought. They found out about those library books I never returned. But alas, they wanted to know if I would write an essay about Young Frankenstein for their National Film Registry website. Well, knowing very little about the film or its star, I reluctantly agreed. The essay - pulled mostly from the chapter on the film from Gene Wilder: Funny and Sad with a few tweaks - is now alive - ALIVE!!! - on the site.
After Congress passed the National Film Preservation Act of 1988 (Congress actually gets things right on occasion), the National Film Preservation Board was established to ensure the survival, conservation, and increased public availability of America's film heritage. The Registry adds 25 films every year.
Young Frankenstein is among four Gene Wilder films on the Registry, the others being Bonnie and Clyde, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, and Blazing Saddles. It's a great organization.
So get comfortable, pour yourself a brandy or zum Ovaltine perhaps, and click here to read my thoughts on this enduring classic.
Joan
September 4, 2015
Hard to believe it's one year today that we lost our dear Joan Rivers. Such a senseless death. She was an amazing person.
My Best Friend
August 24, 2015
Lost my best friend, my world, my everything four years ago today. I will never "get over it" and I don't want to. Miss her so much.
Covering the National Dream Beat
June 15, 2015
Stumbled upon this excellent, very long interview Siskel & Ebert did with Playboy in 1991. Great stuff.
I think of them often. I didn't know it at the time but now I realize they were probably the main reason I wanted to go to film school (the irony is that watching them for free growing up was a much better film school than the hundred grand that was wasted on NYU).
Having had many jobs that I had zero passion for, I was reminded of something Gene Siskel said about a year before he died. He knew he had a brain tumor and was going to be operated on. His son was only about three years old. During a ceremony where he and Roger were being honored, Gene said to his daughters - and I paraphrase - "Do me a favor and tell your brother when he gets older to find something he loves and do it. Roger and I are lucky because we get to do what we love. Do something that you could not imagine not doing. Something that makes you want to get out of bed each morning. If you girls could tell your brother that, I would appreciate it."
I was trying to tell this to a friend last week and I could not finish the story. I welled up - and I was sober! So moving. He feared he would not live to see his son grow up. His son is now in his early twenties, a college graduate, and very handsome.
Reading this interview also made me weep when Siskel talked about his mother's death. He lost both of his parents in the same year when he was a young child. His aunt and uncle raised him.
Life sucks. These guys knew the value of great movies. A great movie could be life changing. A great movie could help you escape from life's miseries for two hours. As Siskel said, they had the best job in the world because they covered "the national dream beat." They had a deeper impact on movies than most of the people who made them.
Happy Birthday, Daisy
June 5, 2015
Happy birthday to my Daisy. She turns 11 today. Unfortunately, her age is catching up with her. She has very bad arthritis but it's under control with medication. But she cannot jump on the bed
anymore, I have to help her. I live in a fourth-floor walkup, and it takes her a long time to walk down the stairs. Some days are better than others. I am just thankful that she still has a voracious
appetite.
My mother always said that if anything happened to her or my father, I had to take care of Daisy. She made me promise. As much as I complain about her at times, she really is a good dog, my best
friend, and the only connection I have left to my mother. I cannot imagine her not sleeping next to me every night.
June 4,
2015
I am trying to picture him walking down the aisle at Waldbaum's, picking up a cantaloupe and smelling it. "Another two days maybe," he says, possibly in Swedish.
He goes to the customer service counter and says, "You are out of the Canada Dry 12-packs on sale. I want a rain check. If Jesus came back and saw how you stocked your shelves, he'd never stop
throwing up."
Then he goes to the deli counter. "I want half a pound of the Boar's Head low sodium ham, not too thin." He solemnly looks at the potato salad and wonders if it was made today. He isn't sure so he
only gets a quarter pound.
He proceeds to check out and presents his coupons. He insists on paper and plastic. He wheels his cart to his car - a Volvo, of course - and puts the groceries in the trunk. The gray sky opens
up and it starts raining. He drives home consumed with thoughts of death and potato salad.
The King of Late Night
May 22, 2015
As what has inadvertently turned into talk show week here on the site comes to an end, it does so, most appropriately, on the 23rd anniversary of Johnny Carson's last Tonight Show.
Carson was the undisputed king of late night. His Midwestern charm, quick wit, and mastery of the medium made him the last face millions chose to see before going to sleep at night.
And, unlike some of these little pishers who are the new face of late night, Carson possessed the most important trait a talk show host should have: he listened. Unlike Conan O'Brien, who interrupts
his guests and tries to one-up them, Carson loved sitting back and watching his guests shine. So confident was Carson that he found no need to try being funnier than a guest who was on a roll. We all
remember how he would react to something he found beyond hysterical, turning and looking as if he was going to fall off his chair.
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is probably my favorite TV show of all time. It was old-fashioned in a good way - everyone dressed nice, and Doc Severinsen's orchestra was truly
an orchestra (no one looked like they just came from a Bob Marley concert). The Carson era was about martinis, not marijuana.
Carson was a very lonely, unhappy person off-camera. He had no close friends and apparently had a very bad temper. But for that one hour, he felt alive, he once said. And so did we.
Final Late Show a Great Show
May 21, 2015
David Letterman nailed it last night. What a great last show. Letterman was funny, self-deprecating, and very mindful to thank everyone who worked for him. At
times it was quite moving but never maudlin. Unlike Johnny Carson, who welled up a bit when he bid farewell, Letterman kept his emotions in tact (but I thought he should have thanked Carson who,
after all, is responsible for making him a star).
The star-studded top ten list was fun, as were some great clips, especially one segment where he was talking to children. As Foo Fighters played him off, we saw quick stills of guests through
the years. It was particularly touching to see Gilda Radner, Liberace, Joan Rivers, Siskel & Ebert, and some others who are no longer with us.
Yesterday I wrote Letterman should probably have quit a few years ago but last night he was in top form. Maybe he should have done every show pretending it was his last.
Good Night, Dave
May 20, 2015
Tonight David Letterman ends a remarkable 33-year run on late night TV. I was a huge fan of his growing up. In recent years, however, he seemed to often be calling it in. He should have retired a few
years ago.
Letterman is incredibly smart and not just a wiseass. He demonstrated this with a series of compelling, serious interviews following 9/11 (remember Dan Rather crying?). He was also heartfelt (forgive
the pun) when he brought the medical team who performed his bypass surgery onto the show.
I personally do not know anyone who likes Letterman. I always found him quick-witted and genuinely funny, but many people seem to agree with Cher's famous assessment of him. My quibble with Letterman
is that in the years after 9/11 he turned political. Letterman is a big leftie, which is fine, but the way he blatantly fawned over Democratic politicians like the Clintons, Obama, and Al Gore -
while treating Republicans like George W. Bush as children - was not appropriate for a comedy talk show. Johnny Carson was a Republican but he never made his personal political views clear
on The Tonight Show. Carson knew his job was to entertain and therefore skewer everyone equally. In all fairness, though, Rudy Giuliani was on many times, and he and Letterman had a
mutual liking of one another - Giuliani even thanked Letterman in the acknowledgments section of his book. On his first show after 9/11, he heaped enormous praise on Giuliani
- click
here to see that and click here to see Giuliani's
first post-9/11 appearance.
Still, it's hard to deny Letterman's impact on television. I saw his NBC show when I was fifteen. The guests were Tom Cruise and Connie Chung - great show. Afterwards, I stayed and asked Letterman's
late announcer Bill Wendell if I could take a photo of him. He then asked if I wanted him to take a photo of me sitting in Dave's guest chair. As soon as the taping ends, the crew covers the desk and
chairs with drop cloths, but what a thrill to sit in that chair (and in retrospect I am grateful for the drop cloths since Tom Cruise had been sitting in that seat less than an hour ago).
So thanks for all the laughs, Dave. When it comes to TV's talk legends, you are most definitely in the top ten.
It's Good to Be the King
May 19, 2015
When writing my piece about Phil Donahue yesterday, I realized I left a few people of my list of the nicest celebrities I've met:
Larry King, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Spacey, and Tim Robbins. Most stars are smart about being nice to fans and they appreciate the attention. And it's usually the bigger, older celebs who are nicest
and "get it." It infuriates me when I read about some of these young actors who refuse to give autographs. (I'll dish on the very few unpleasant stars I have encountered another time.)
I am really remiss about not including King in yesterday's piece. He is a real mensch. He never forgot that he was some kid named Lawrence Zeiger from Brooklyn. I met him in 1991 when I was 18. My
mother and I attended an awards ceremony at the Waldorf-Astoria where I received honorable mention from the Scholastic Writing Awards for a short play I wrote about a bickering show biz couple (which
I now can admit was inspired by the Michael Caine/Maggie Smith part of Neil Simon's California Suite).
We were all decked out, me in my first big boy suit and her in a beautiful purple dress, one of maybe only two or three times I ever saw her in a dress. My mother went to use the ladies room. As I
waited for her, I see Larry King walking by. With my teenage, starstruck enthusiasm I stopped him. I told him what a fan I was. He said he was there to speak at some radio convention. I told him
about my awards ceremony. I then said I would love a picture with him but my mother is in the ladies room and she had the camera. "That's okay," he said. "We can wait." We can wait??? How many stars
would do that?
Luckily my mother was quick. When she saw me chatting with Larry King, she was in shock. She playfully smacked him on the shoulder and said, "What are you doing here?!" She snapped the great photo
below, and then the Mednicks and Mr. King went our separate ways. Shortly afterwards I mailed him the photo, told him how thrilled we were to meet him, and that I was starting NYU film school. He
mailed me back our photo signed along with a 5x7 of him that read, "For Brian, You'll make it. Larry King." Truly one of the nicest guys in the biz.
There is a reason he - like Donahue - interviewed nearly every major figure of the last fifty years. So what is this sudden admittance to my adulation of former male talk show hosts now in their
seventies and eighties? No idea. Maybe I should ask Dr. Phil.
Get Your Phil!
May 18, 2015
While browsing YouTube, I was delighted to find this absolutely priceless video of Phil Donahue's primetime television special from 1992 celebrating his 25th anniversary on the air.
I have always been a huge Donahue fan. I went to see his show three times. The last time was in 1992 and the guest was Jesse Jackson, who was running for president. Donahue always kibitzed and fooled
around with his audience during commercial breaks. He instructs the audience to raise their hand during the breaks if they want to ask a question. I raised my hand, but before he let me ask my
question, he kept personally addressing me during each break and saying things like, "Young man, I have a feeling you're gonna give me the Gettysburg Address. It's only an hour show." Eventually
the person next to me asked if I knew Donahue personally. No idea why he kept coming over to me (though, in all fairness, I was 19 but looked much younger, was thin, adorable, and had a great head of
hair).
Eventually he let me ask my question and looked at me with a devilish smile, as if he knew something good was coming. I have the show on videotape but alas, who has a VCR anymore? Anyway, I
remember my question to the good reverend verbatim: "A few years ago there was a big controversy when you called Jews 'Hymies' and New York 'Hymie Town.' How do you expect to have any credibility as
someone who wants to ease racial tensions when you say something like that, which only creates more hate?"
It was and will be my one moment in the national spotlight. Everyone applauded. Up until me, the audience was asking softball questions. I was the only one who challenged Jackson. Of course, he
responded with some nonsense and totally avoided the actual question. They kept cutting back to me, and when he was done they captured a perfect shot me turning my head with a WTF gesture.
After the show, Donahue always shook everyone's hand as they left and posed for pictures. When I shook his hand, I said, "See, it wasn't the Gettysburg Address." Like a Jewish mother, he put his hand
on my chin and said, "No, it was a good question." Little did I know I had a bromance with him before the word was coined.
Less than a year later I met him backstage at the Daytime Emmy Awards, which he co-hosted with Susan Lucci. Dick Clark was the producer. Despite his genial on-air demeanor, I heard some stories that
Clark was a nasty man off-camera. He seemed very unapproachable and bossy. Meanwhile, Donahue was just standing to the side by himself. I went over and asked if he remembered my question to Jesse
Jackson. He said he did and we chatted briefly. I also met Oprah Winfrey, who won that year, and she was actually very nice (but then again, she just won an Emmy).
I have met a lot of celebrities, and Donahue is without question one of the two or three nicest (the others would be Dom DeLuise, Joan Rivers, Mario Cuomo, Dick Cavett, Cliff Gorman, Joe Franklin,
Paul Shaffer, Ted Allen, and Linda Dano - okay, that's more than two or three).
Donahue, who turns 80 in December, is one of TV's great pioneers. He developed the format for the daytime talk show that set the standard for everyone else. He has no ego whatsoever. He befriended
and even championed rival Oprah, who beat Donahue in the ratings consistently. He is the ultimate entertainer - he can act, he can sing, he can dance, he is even a good cook (according to
Marlo). He's also a dog lover and family man who loved his mother.
There was no topic Donahue wouldn't tackle. His show was one of the first to regularly address the AIDS epidemic when so many would not. He interviewed nearly every major celebrity and politician
from the last fifty years (he even interviewed then senator JFK while a younger reporter in Ohio).
I know I usually write these long tributes to people after they depart us, but sometimes we need to celebrate them while they are alive. Television is a less interesting place without Phil Donahue.
He does still pop up here and there. He kicked Bill
O'Reilly's ass regarding the Iraq war. Hell, even Sean Hannity admires him.
Click here to watch the full special. You will laugh, cry, and be enthralled.
Happy Mother's Day, Mom
May 10, 2015
My mother's birthday and Mother's Day were always a week apart. This is my fourth Mother's Day without her and I get so upset when I see Mother's Day commercials on TV that I immediately change the
channel. I also delete every e-mail telling me what's on sale for Mother's Day.
I used to tell my mother that as far as I was concerned, every day was Mother's Day for her. May sound sappy but I meant it. If you are lucky enough to still have your mother, call her, visit her,
kiss her, hug her, take to her dinner, buy her something nice. You wouldn't be here without her. It all goes by too fast.
Happy Birthday, Mom
May 5, 2015
Sad day for me. My mother would have been 79 today. The pain and loss never stops - I don't want it to stop. She was my world, my everything. I still want to pick up the phone to discuss politics or
movies or this new restaurant I tried. But I can't. I lost not only the most caring, giving, loving mother anyone could wish for, but I also lost my best friend. No one will care about me the way she
did, and I will never love anyone as much as I loved her. Miss you, ma.
Jerry vs. Joan
May 3, 2015
How disappointing to hear of such nonsense between two of your heroes. In a SiriusXM Town Hall last year, three months before Joan Rivers died, Jerry Lewis said, "I always feel bad when someone
passes away...except if it was Joan Rivers." He continued his vitriol by saying, "She set the Jews back a thousand years."
This all stems from a comment Joan once made basically saying he is lucky to have the telethon because it helps his career. Jerry claims to have sent Joan a note saying, "Dear Miss Rivers: We've
never met, and I'm looking forward to keeping it that way. If you find it necessary to discuss me, my career or my kids ever again, I promise you I will get somebody from Chicago to beat your goddamn
head off." Real classy, Jerry. So macho to threaten a woman. (I doubt he ever had the cajones to actually put those words on paper.)
Alas, I would side with Joan. I never personally saw it but Jerry did have a reputation for having a bad temper and not liking female comics. He was always nice to me, but so was Joan. Joan was
always Joan. No phoniness or pretense. If you can't take a joke, you shouldn't be in comedy. Joan was an equal opportunity offender.
Jerry Lewis was always an idol of mine but I have lost all respect for him. At 89, I think he's starting to lose it. He says he never met Joan Rivers. Oh, really? Click here for the evidence.
For Jerry to disparage such a beautiful human being as Joan Rivers shows those legendary stories of his horrible temper, much of it aimed at his sons, who claimed to be terrified when he would arrive
home, are likely true. As Don Rickles used to say in jest to his pal Frank Sinatra, "It's over, Frank. The voice is gone. Face it, it's over."
Well, pains me to say this, Jerry, but it's over. When you open your mouth and, instead of jokes, you spew venom about a really NICE LAAAAAAADY, it's time to accept you're no longer the nutty
professor, you're just plain nuts!
Michael Douglas: Mensch
March 14, 2015
You must read this brilliant piece by Michael Douglas about his son being harassed for being Jewish. I have a newfound respect for Douglas. Bravo, you mensch...a horny mensch, but a mensch nonetheless. Click here to read.
Joe Franklin: 1926 - 2015
January 26, 2015
Joe Franklin the legendary talk show pioneer who was a fixture in New York for more than half a century, died on Saturday at
88. He had been ill for some time with prostate cancer.
Joe was a friend who I often spoke with on the phone. He interviewed me in early 2011 about my Gene Wilder book on his Bloomberg Radio show. It was a great interview, and we became friendly after
that.
We had a marvelous time together a few years ago at a Gene Wilder tribute event in Stamford, Connecticut (Gene did not show up but Kelly LeBrock did). He was warm, funny, feisty, and knew everybody
in the business. From his early days with Jolson to his historic WOR-TV show where he interviewed everyone from Woody Allen, Barbra Streisand, Debbie Reynolds - well, the list is too long. He also
featured lesser known talents whom he let shine, if only for a brief time in the early morning hours.
He probably received his greatest honor in the 1980s when Billy Crystal impersonated him regularly on Saturday Night Live.
In 2013, Joe gave me a great quote for the back of my first novel, Unnecessary Headaches. He always thrived on helping out other artists.
His Midtown office was famous for being cluttered with showbiz memorabilia. It seems everyone with even a slight connection to the "biz" knew Joe Franklin. He was as New York as they came. We are a
lesser city without him, and I have lost a dear man I called my friend.
Mario Cuomo: 1932 - 2015
January 3, 2015
2015 is not starting off on the right foot. Mario Cuomo, the greatest governor the state of New York has ever had, died on New Year's
day at 82, just hours after his son was sworn in for a second term as governor.
I loved the man. On July 9, 2004, I interviewed him in his office at Wilke Farr & Gallagher, where he was a partner. I had to wait over an hour because he was on an unexpected conference call.
His secretary came out several times and asked if I wanted to reschedule or do it another time by phone. I defiantly said no, I was happy to wait.
When she finally brought me in to meet him, Mario was so apologetic. "I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting," he said. "It's okay," I said. "It's not okay!" he fired back.
Then he immediately started asking me questions. Where ya from? Oh? My brother-in-law had a house there. This was a man who genuinely liked people and was interested in them.
Once I started the interview, I was in awe. This guy could answer any question about anything. You could see the wheels turning in his head. I had to keep myself composed as I realized I was sitting
two feet from a man who could have very well been president of the United States. Not asking him why he did not run was my only regret.
As our interview concluded, I told him that my boss loved him, said she would have worked on his campaign had he run for president, and thought he should still run for president. His response: "Oy
gevalt!"
"You like Lincoln?" he asked me.
"Of course," I said.
He then conveniently took two copies of his then new book Why Lincoln Matters and began to sign one for
me. "It's Bernard, right?"
"No, Brian."
"I'm all right," he said.
He signed it, "To Brian, Thanks for your patience, Mario Cuomo. 7/9/04."
"And your boss is Audrey?" he asked.
"Arlene."
He signed the other book to her (yes, big brownie points).
He then leaned over and said, "Look, if this isn't enough - if you need more stuff - just call me and we can talk some more."
Can you say Mensch City?
I then asked if he would sign an 8x10 photo of him that I had brought. "I'm not signing that!" he said of the lousy photo. "Mary, get me an 8x10," he said to his secretary.
And he proceeded to sign the photo below. "To Brian, Excelsior, Mario Cuomo." "Excelsior is the state motto," he told me. "Not a lot of people know that."
The man was amazing. He was 72 when I interviewed him. Not as tall as I would have imagined. Beautifully dressed in a light blue shirt, tie, and suspenders. Photos of Andrew and the grandkids all
over.
I ran into him at a restaurant a few years later. Always curious about people, he asked what I was up to. I told him I had just lost my job. He shook his head in despair. "We just let fifty people go
from my law firm," he said. (So much for hitting him up for a job.) He had lunch with some lady. It was a Friday. We both had the fish.
Confession: growing up, my family was not in the Cuomo camp. I voted for Pataki in 1994 and still regret it. Sure, I did not agree with Mario on most issues, but his integrity, his decency, his
drive, his compassion - well, that means more than anything. I left his office that day walking on air. I even contemplated becoming a Democrat. I said it then and I say it now: we are a lesser
country to not have had him as our president.
Rest in peace, you wonderful, kind man. Deepest sympathies to Matilda, Andrew, Chris, Maria, Margaret, Madeline, and his grandchildren.
I Love Dick!
December 14, 2014
At 78, Dick Cavett has recently had a well-deserved career resurgence. Earlier this year he appeared in a wonderful off-Broadway play as himself called Hellman v. McCarthy (and he
is bringing it to L.A. very soon). And now he has written another can't-put-down book of his writings for The New York Times online.
Brief Encounters: Conversations, Magic Moments and Assorted Highjinks (Henry Holt) contains so many engaging, thoughtful, and witty observances and memories of everything from sex, politics, aging,
alcohol abuse, celebrities, and everything in between. Cavett has met everyone, and his stories about Groucho, Liz Taylor, Mel Brooks, Jonathan Winters, and so many others are just thrilling.
Cavett refers to our current climate in this country as post-literate (he's right) but praises those readers who thoughtfully reply to his columns. He is a stickler for spelling and grammar (as I is)
and a self-admitted smarty-pants, but he also happens to remain down to earth and real (met him in April after the play and he could not have been nicer - can we say bromance?).
Dick Cavett is a national treasure. I am glad he is back in the spotlight. Now will someone please give him a new talk show?
Mike Nichols: 1931 - 2014
November 20, 2014
RIP Mike Nichols, one of the great American directors, who died suddenly last night of a heart attack at 83.
Now on to me: I met him around 20 years ago when he was directing Death and the Maiden on Broadway. I did not see the show but was passing by the theater as a weekend matinee had
just ended, and lots of people were waiting at the stage door to hopefully see Glenn Close, Richard Dreyfuss or Gene Hackman. None of them came out but Nichols did and signed autographs.
As he signed my piece of paper, I told him, "I loved Gilda Live." No reaction. Then I said, "I loved Heartburn." He looked at me, totally amused, and said, "You like the
obscure ones." "No," I said. "The Graduate was good."
I later dropped off a copy of my short film to his office but he never responded. Maybe he was too busy pasting his eyebrows on. Whatever. He was an exceptional director with a truly amazing
filmography.
Coming to "Terms"
October 24, 2014
Was speaking to a friend the other night. Remembering my mother. For a bunch of nobodies, I made us so showbiz. Oscar night 1984. One of the only times me, my mother, and my father all went
to the movies together was to see Terms of Endearment. We all loved it and rooted for it on Oscar night. But after Nicholson won, The Right Stuff seemed to dominate the
night and we thought we were in trouble.
The show went on forever. I had to go to sleep. My father left for work very early in the morning, and, however it happened, I wound up in my parents' bed. My mother woke me the next morning with the
news. "Shirley won," she said. "The movie won too."
You would think we lived in Beverly Hills and had a lifetime subscription to Variety. I was thrilled. We won! We beat those macho astronauts! Must be like what those nutty sports fans feel when their
team wins.
I miss not having anyone to wake me up to tell me something like that. These were our "terms." Miss her so much.
30 Years Ago Today...
September 18, 2014
...these wacky kids named Gene Wilder and Gilda Radner were married in the south of France.
Sadly, it was a short-lived union lasting only 4 1/2 years after Gilda's death from ovarian cancer at age 42 in 1989.
Buy your copy of Gene Wilder: Funny and Sad to read about
their funny, loving but far from perfect marriage.
The Funeral
September 8, 2014
Yesterday was Joan Rivers' funeral. Approximately 1,000 people gathered at Temple Emanu-El on the Upper East Side for the private, invitation only service. Joan was cremated the day before, and you can obviously see the pain on Melissa and Cooper's faces from the photo below.
The New York Gay Men's Chorus sang, as did Hugh Jackman and Audra McDonald. There were scores of famous faces, and a lot more laughs than at your typical funeral.
Thousands of fans lined Fifth Avenue just to get a glimpse of the event.
Joan is gone, and I suppose life must go on, but it won't be as funny.
My Memories of Joan
September 6, 2014
Where do I begin? When I was a kid, I had several heroes: Gene Wilder, Gilda Radner, Mel Brooks, Woody Allen, Jerry Lewis, Liberace, Johnny Carson, and, yes, Joan Rivers. In fifth grade, I used to do an impression of her, complete with her jokes and her distinctive clapping. At a parent-teacher conference, my teacher grabbed my mother and said, "Mrs. Mednick, Brian is naturally funny! Just like Joan Rivers!"
I longed to see Joan perform live, but that did not happen until I was an adult. I saw her act numerous times, saw her brilliant turn on Broadway as Lenny Bruce's mother, went to a taping of her morning talk show, and wound up personally meeting her five times over the years. There was never a nicer, more down to earth person.
When I saw her perform at The Duplex - a tiny venue that seats only about 70 people - I was up front and she bantered with me (she even asked if I was circumcised). After the show, we all gave her a standing ovation, and she came over and kissed me. That still remains one of the great thrills of my life.
The loss of Joan Rivers is just inconceivable. Andy Cohen told Anderson Cooper on the eve of her death, "I don't want to live in a world without Joan Rivers." I could not agree more. As I previously said, I viewed her as a friend.
The woman was a dynamo, never stopping to take a break, constantly performing, flying cross-country twice a week, writing, hocking her jewelry, and cementing her legacy as the hardest working woman in show business. Her death was unnecessary. Like my mother, she was done in by the incompetence of so-called "medical professionals." I hope that endoscopy place gets closed down, and Melissa collects as much as she can from them.
As sad as I was when Gilda died, I had never met her, so it was not the same. I feel I knew Joan. Hell, I did know her! This might be a terrible thing to say, but I have been crying over her in a way I have not cried for anyone since my parents died.
The last time I met her was exactly two years ago today when my friend Scott and I saw her perform at The Venetian in Vegas. He had never seen her live before and fell in love with her. She was brilliant. Afterwards we had a meet and greet. I gave Joan my first two books, and she said she loved Gene Wilder and that he was a nice man (yeah, unless you're his biographer). I asked if they ever met since they both did the voiceovers for the Letterman cartoons on The Electric Company. The voiceovers were done separately so they did not meet, which she said she regretted. I also asked if I could interview her for The Jewish Voice, and she had me speak to her assistant, a very nice guy named Graham Reed. We exchanged contact info but after numerous e-mails with Joan's publicist, sadly the interview never happened.
Joan was a fighter. She overcame enough personal and professional obstacles for two lifetimes. She never got over the suicide of her husband or being shunned by Johnny Carson. When I saw her at The Duplex, she took questions from the audience. Carson was still alive then, and one guy shouted, "What do you think of Johnny Carson?" Without missing a beat, she said, "Fuck him!" The whole audience applauded and was hysterical. Carson was warm and loveable on-camera, but, unlike Joan, he was an unhappy, lonely person in real life. Showing how classy she was, Joan never stopped crediting Carson for making her a star.
In 1990, Joan won a well deserved Daytime Emmy Award for her morning talk show. Click here to watch. And notice two real mensches - Phil Donahue, who kissed her and was beaming with pride, and the late great Jeff Smith, who gave her a standing "O."
When you think of the great funny women of all time - Gilda, Lucy, Carol Burnett, Lily Tomlin, Madeline Kahn - you must remember - as brilliant as they are/were - they were comedic actresses. Joan was a true standup comic in a field that was dominated by men. And she was the best.
Joan loved dogs, she was a great friend to the gay community (she became an ordained minister and performed two gay weddings), she was a staunch supporter of Israel, and she always appreciated how lucky she was to be rich and famous. She said she thanked God every time she got into a limo. She also believed in giving back - every Thanksgiving she and her grandson volunteered at God's Love We Deliver, bringing fresh hot meals to homebound people who were ill.
For most people, living to 81 would be considered a pretty good run. But Joan was spry and healthy - she easily could have lived another dozen years, and I bet she would have never stopped performing.
My heart goes out to her daughter Melissa, who, like me, is an only child and was incredibly close with her mother. I also feel for Joan's handsome grandson Cooper, whom she doted on. There is a scene in the documentary about her where she and Cooper are riding in a limo, and she is holding his hand. You could just see how much she loved him.
Life stinks. As Woody Allen once said, "Life is full of misery, loneliness, and suffering - and it's all over much too soon." But people like Joan Rivers made life a little more bearable. In this age of political correctness, Joan said what she felt and did not care what anyone thought. The people who did not like her because they thought she was mean just did not get it. Joan's detractors were small-minded and humorless. As she would say, grow up! It's a joke!
We lost a true legend, an icon, a trailblazer - and I feel I lost a friend.
Good-bye, funny lady.
Flowers for Joan
September 5, 2014
Just got back from Joan's apartment building where I left flowers and a note to Melissa and Cooper. Was very moving to see so many flowers and notes. There were two cops and lots of camera crews.
One reporter said Melissa had pizzas and bottled water sent down to the fans and news people who had gathered outside yesterday because that's what Joan would have wanted. Melissa is carrying on Joan's spirit of appreciating her fans.
Temple Emanu-El, where the funeral will take place on Sunday, is a few blocks from Joan's building on Fifth Avenue. Already there are blockades up, for there will no doubt be thousands of fans who will want to have a small part in saying good-bye to her. I am guessing it will be a private funeral with a public memorial hopefully in the coming weeks.
Joan Rivers: 1933 - 2014
September 4, 2014
At 1:17 p.m. today, the world became a less funny place. I am too upset to write a proper tribute now but will soon.
Rest in peace, you dear, wonderful, kind, funny lady.
Joan Rivers
September 1, 2014
I do not know what to say. I am just devastated. I have never shed tears for a celebrity the way I have the last few days for Joan Rivers. I met her so many times - she even kissed me once - that I
feel like she is a friend.
I am too upset to say anything more than that I am hoping for a miracle. I cannot imagine a world without her in it.
My thoughts are with her daughter Melissa and grandson Cooper.
Mom
August 24, 2014
Today is the third anniversary of my dear mother's death. Words seem so futile when trying to describe the pain of losing her. She was my best confidante. As my alleged "friends" prove over and over, no one will ever care about me the way she did. And I will never love anyone as much as I loved her.