MUSEUM OF TELEVISION & RADIO, THE: WILLIAM S. PALEY TELEVISION FESTIVAL 1999: A SALUTE TO CARL REINER {LONG VERSION}
Summary
One in a series of evenings and special screenings presented as part of The Museum of Television & Radio's William S. Paley Television Festival in Los Angeles. Held this year at the Directors Guild of America Theatre Complex, the festival celebrates the excellence and diversity of American television, and is dedicated to television's creative community. This evening honors the career of writer, director, producer, and actor Carl Reiner. Museum television curator Ron Simon begins the evening by introducing the following panelists: producer Sam Denoff, actress Nanette Fabray, writer Larry Gelbart, playwright Neil Simon, actor Dick Van Dyke, and Carl Reiner. Next, Simon introduces a series of clips from Reiner's television work, including the following: "Fashion Story" (1948); "Your Show of Shows" with Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca (early 1950s); "Caesar's Hour" with Nanette Fabray (mid-1950s); "The Dinah Shore Chevy Show" with Shore (1959); "The Ed Sullivan Show" with Mel Brooks (1961); "Hollywood Palace" with Brooks (1965); "Van Dyke and Company" with Van Dyke (1976); "The Danny Thomas Show" with Thomas and Jim Nabors (1965); "Julie and Dick in Covent Garden" with Van Dyke (1974); "Mitzi . . . Roarin' in the 20's" with Mitzi Gaynor; "Burlesque Is Alive and Living in Beautiful Downtown Burbank" with Goldie Hawn and Bobby Darin (1969, unaired); "The Sid Caesar, Imogene Coca, Carl Reiner, Howard Morris Special" (1967); "The Carol Burnett Show" with Burnett and Harvey Korman (1972); "A Carol Burnett Special: Carol, Whoopi, & Robin" with Robin Williams (1987); "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" (1991); "Playhouse 90: Topaze" (1957); "Good Heavens" with Rob Reiner (1976); "Faerie Tale Theatre: Pinocchio" with Pee-wee Herman (1984); "The Bold Ones" with E.G. Marshall (1972); "Skokie" (1981); "Head of the Family" with Morty Gunty and Sylvia Miles (pilot for "The Dick Van Dyke Show," 1961); "The Dick Van Dyke Show" with Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore, Morey Amsterdam, and Rose Marie; "Mad About You" with Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt (1995); and Reiner at "The 5th Annual American Comedy Awards" (1991). Following the screening, the tape ends as Neil Simon and Gelbart respectively describe him as "the Lon Chaney of comedy" and the ultimate sideman; Reiner recalls his early disdain for television compared to the Broadway stage; and Fabray describes her first meeting with Reiner and his gang of comedy writers. Museum television curator Ron Simon speaks with producer Sam Denoff, actress Nanette Fabray, writer Larry Gelbart, playwright Neil Simon, actor Dick Van Dyke, and Carl Reiner about the following topics: Fabray and Reiner reminisce about performing in mock operas on "Your Show of Shows"; Neil Simon recalls working in an atmosphere of loud, crazy writers; and Reiner recalls his creation of The Haircuts, a mock music group whose musical number became a big hit. Next, Reiner explores the development of "The Dick Van Dyke Show," including: his foray into situation comedies as the television revue format ended, the way the show progressed from the original "Head of the Family" pilot, the fact it was based on Reiner's life, the Kennedy family's financial backing for the show under certain conditions, and the real models for the Alan Brady character. Denoff then comments on the motivation for writing the character of Rob Petrie, the importance of the show's producer Sheldon Leonard, and the use of a consistent tone for the show; the panelists then trade stories about conflicts between television executives and writers. Questions from the audience lead to comments on the following topics: Reiner remarks on censorship on television; Fabray laments the destruction of the last remaining footage of many old shows; Reiner recalls his collaboration with Mel Brooks on "The Two Thousand-Year-Old-Man"; Reiner, Van Dyke, and Denoff recall their memories and favorite episodes from "The Dick Van Dyke Show"; and, from the audience, Betty Garrett pays personal tribute to Reiner. Reiner talks about learning to shoot with three cameras before a live audience, and explains the reasons for certain name changes in "The Dick Van Dyke Show"; Van Dyke recalls that Reiner avoided current events in order to keep the show from being dated; and Reiner performs the famous "Diamond" routine written by Gelbart and Simon, leading them to recall other spy sketches, funny names for characters, and contributions by writers Lucille Callan and Mike Stewart. Writer Mel Tolkin then joins the panelists on stage to tell a story about Brooks clowning around when jokes ran out, and Reiner concludes the evening by leading the audience in singing "Happy Birthday" -- to himself.
Details
- NETWORK: Paley
- DATE: March 9, 1999 Tuesday 7:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:58:26
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:56784
- GENRE: Seminars
- SUBJECT HEADING: N/A
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Ron Simon … Moderator
- Sam Denoff … Panelist
- Nanette Fabray … Panelist
- Larry Gelbart … Panelist
- Carl Reiner … Panelist
- Simon, Neil (See also: Simon, Doc) … Panelist
- Dick Van Dyke … Panelist
- Morey Amsterdam
- Mel Brooks
- Carol Burnett
- Sid Caesar
- Imogene Coca
- Bobby Darin
- Mitzi Gaynor
- Morty Gunty
- Goldie Hawn
- Helen Hunt
- Harvey Korman
- Rose Marie
- E.G. Marshall
- Sylvia Miles
- Mary Tyler Moore
- Howard Morris
- Jim Nabors
- Rob Reiner
- Paul Reiser
- Reubens, Paul (See also: Herman, Pee-wee)
- Dinah Shore
- Danny Thomas
- Robin Williams