As longtime followers of this blog are sick of hearing, I love the movie It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. I usually refer to it as my "favorite" movie rather than the "best" movie ever made…and I pick that adjective because when you use the word "best," there's always some clown who wants to correct you as if you'd stupidly said that 2 + 2 equals 749 or that the Mona Lisa was painted by Desi Arnaz. Like it's an established fact that whatever he thinks is the best movie is The Best Movie — end of discussion, you chowderhead!
"Favorite" cuts down on that, at least a little…though a few years ago, I did have one guy stop me at a convention and try to convince me that my favorite movie was not my favorite movie; that my favorite movie was actually his favorite movie. In fact, it was probably your favorite movie too, even if you didn't see it.
All that is one of the reactions I get when I say Mad World is my favorite movie. Another is that every few months, I get a call or e-mail from someone who wants me to tell them how to go visit The Big "W" from that film. I got one this morning from someone who read this article that I posted here. That piece was written by my dear, no-longer-with-us friend Earl Kress, who did once make the sacred pilgrimage to visit the location.
I need to inform the gent who wrote this morning that, first of all, that article is about thirty years old. Secondly, I have never bothered making that trek because I've been informed — reliably, I think — that the current owners of the property do not indulge visitors the way the previous owners did. I have also been told that there is absolutely nothing left there that in any way matches up with what was there when the movie filmed in 1962. The last of the four palm trees that formed The Big "W" fell down or was cut down a long time ago.
There are locations that can be visited. Stick "it's a mad mad mad mad world filming locations" into any search engine and you'll find all you need. The most recognizable and easiest-to-get-to is probably the California Incline, which is a road/ramp in Santa Monica that leads down to the Pacific Coast Highway. The ramp itself was completely rebuilt a few years ago but the area there still has the feel of the same period and a couple of key scenes were shot there.
But there's no reason to visit The Big "W" today, starting with the fact that there is no Big "W" there. And the $350,000 payroll from the tuna factory was dug up a long time ago.
Okay, another post about Trump. I was going to try to back away from the topic here but I was struck by what George Conway had to say in this interview, especially in the latter portion where he explained why he, a longtime Conservative attorney and Republican operative, donated the maximum amount to Joe Biden's campaign…
Let's see: It's been 93 days since I did an oopsie in the bathroom and busted my left ankle. It's healed but I feel like I'm now recovering from the operation that put things back together. I basically have a balance problem right now but a little less of one each day. My physical therapist has been enormously helpful and I expect to be up and about in plenty of time for Comic-Con.* That is said with an asterisk because there's always the chance that I'll do something stupid 'n' clumsy and break the other one.
All in all, it hasn't been as horrible as I would have thought if some fortune teller had told me how long I'd be hospitalized, confined to a rehab center and, since the end of February, largely confined to the second floor of my home. This is not to suggest that even one minute of it has been fun. I'm extremely satisfied with the medical care and grateful for all the friends who've helped, offered to help and/or come by to visit. But I wouldn't describe any of it as "fun."
Today's Video Link is a flashback to another time in another place…a time when you couldn't have a discussion longer than ten minutes without venturing into the question of "Did O.J. do it?" I spent much too much of my life following the case, reading books and articles about it and talking about it with friends. I'm not sure I can explain why we did this, especially given the fact that I — and everyone I knew — decided that yes, he did it. I remember "Hitler left fewer clues" as an oft-repeated comment.
There were other things to discuss about the case besides Simpson's obvious culpability: Did he act alone? Did the Los Angeles Police "enhance" the evidence against a guilty man? What did it all mean, racial-wise? How could the defense get away with doing so-and-so? But really, it was an enormous waste of time…which is not to say I'm not making the same waste with current trials. I wish I had more perspective on my own interest in it all.
With Simpson's death, there may be a new opportunity for the family of Ron Goldman to finally get some serious payments on the money Simpson owed them after the civil trial found him liable. That's what Devin "Legal Eagle" Stone discusses in the latter part of this video. The first part is refreshing our memories of the whole case…or informing anyone too young to have followed it at the time. You may be able to skip ahead if you don't need the refresher…
A lot of folks are praising House Speaker Mike Johnson for breaking with the Ultra-Maga and moving a Ukraine aid bill. Before you join in on that praising, read what my man Fred Kaplan has to say.
I'm going to try to get other things done today but I'll have about half-an-eye on the trial in New York where Opening Statements are about to commence. If you're wondering what's likely to happen, take twenty minutes and watch Michael Popok explain it all for you.
Apparently, the prosecution is calling as their first witness, David Pecker, who was formerly a head honcho at the National Enquirer. I was intrigued this morning to read this post on Facebook from my pal Paul Levitz…
Here's your little known comics connection to the events of day: some four decades ago, the young finance executive of CBS' Fawcett magazine group negotiating the sale of Shazam and the other Fawcett comics properties to DC was…David Pecker.
Let's see if we can find any other connections between this trial and the comic book industry. I'll bet there's at least one more.
Murray Sawchuck (aka "Magic Murray") is a popular, Vegas-based magician who was a fixture recently at the Tropicana Hotel there until its recent closure. Now, he's touring and he seems to be welcome everywhere…except at the Magic Castle in Hollywood. He was told his presence was no longer welcome there and this article headlined "Magic Castle Trial: 'America’s Got Talent' Magician Charged With Revealing Secrets" will explain the situation better than I can.
What is Mr. Sawchuck's side of this controversy? Again, I can't explain it as well as someone else can — in this case, it's Magic Murray himself on a recent podcast with Howie Mandel. The other performer weighing in is actor/comic Jamie Kennedy…
Last Wednesday, Magic Murray did visit the Magic Castle. He spoke to the Board of Directors and I have not heard anything about what they may have decided. In the meantime, I got a whole mess o' messages like this one from Jim Graves…
Curious to know if you've seen this article regarding Murray the Magician spilling "secrets" in YouTube videos and being called on the carpet by the Magic Castle for it. If you're uncomfortable commenting on this due to your membership there, I understand.
I'm not uncomfortable commenting on it because of my membership there. I'm uncomfortable because I don't think I know enough about the matter. But before I say what I think I can say, let me clarify some terminology here…
I am not a member of the Magic Castle. No one is. We're members of a group called The Academy of Magical Arts. The Magic Castle is the clubhouse for The Academy of Magical Arts. When you're a member of the Academy — which I joined in 1980 — you have special access to the clubhouse. But for shorthand, some of us say, "I'm a member of the Magic Castle."
Magicians everywhere frown on "exposing" magic but like most things in life, there are degrees of this supposed crime and it's hard to tell where the minor infractions leave off and the felonies begin. Most magicians will do a little teaching in their performances. As a tot, I got interested in magic because every week on his show, The Magic Land of Allakzam, magician Mark Wilson would teach a simple, you-can-do-this-at-home magic trick. So did a local kids' show host in Los Angeles, Chuck Jones the Magic Man on KCOP, Channel 13.
Often, teaching a magic trick was part of performing a magic trick. The magician would do it, show us how it was done, and then proceed to do it in a different, unobvious way. Some of the most impressive magical performances I've seen have been a matter of "Here's how other magicians do this and how the books tell you this is done…and here's how I do it, which as you can see is not at all the same way!"
A lot of the performers who impress Penn & Teller on Fool Us are doing a classic trick that both of those stars know well but at the same time, the performer is proving that he or she is not doing it the way Penn & Teller know. A lot of them are also demonstrating physical dexterity so skillful that it's almost more impressive when you do know how they're doing it.
The greatest sin in magic seems to be revealing a trick that is understood to be the property of another magician who is still earning his or her living by doing (or selling) a trick. I can explain this better in terms of stand-up comedy…
There are jokes that all professionals understand belong to no one. For example: At a Comedy Club, the performer often finds themselves looking out at a threesome in the front row…two guys and a gal. Many a comedian would point them out and then say, "I wonder which one takes the porn photos…oh, it's her!" One night when I was at the Improv, there was a trio like that at the front table and something like four out of six comics did what was basically that joke.
And there was a time when half the new comedians I saw seemed to have a joke with the punch line, "Exactly which part of the chicken is the McNugget?"
No one complained. No one accused anyone else of stealing their material. But if you got up on that stage and did part of Jeff Ross's act (as I have seen new comedians do) or Jay Leno's or Jerry Seinfeld's or anyone's, it would be a different matter. This distinction dates back as far as the concept of one person standing on a stage and trying to make others laugh. In burlesque, there were certain sketches — "Slowly, I Turned…" or "Pick Up Your Hat" or "Crazy House," to name three — that were understood as public domain. Anyone could do them. And then there were acts that belonged to one performer because he'd written the act or bought it from someone.
When The Masked Magician was on Fox exposing tricks, he earned the wrath of most magicians. The snide tone of those shows was insulting to the profession and many of the tricks he exposed were tricks that someone was performing or manufacturing to earn a living. He was said to be ruining someone else's career. I don't see anyone accusing Magic Murray of that…but like I said, I don't know a lot about this specific matter.
Maybe there's something going on here that I don't know about. We'll see. Any day now, the Board of Directors of the Academy of Magical Arts will announce its decision on whether Murray Sawchuck should be kicked out and have his wand broken in half. Maybe then we'll find out exactly what he did that caused this accusation and trial. I hope it turns out to be one of those nothingburgers we hear about because from what I've seen, he's a pretty entertaining guy.
Are you familiar with The Remotes? I wasn't until recently. They're a local band — local meaning "Los Angeles" — that bills itself as "Southern California's only TV theme song tribute band." Here's their main promo video. Keep your eyes and ears out for these folks. They're movin' on up and not just to the east side…
I'm not spending a whole lot of my life watching or thinking about Donald Trump but when I do, it's with more curiosity these days than anything else. He's starting to remind me the fleeing car in one of those police chases where you see the auto disintegrating — tires shredding, bumpers falling off — and you're just watching to see how long it's going to be before he crashes or gives up. His speeches are getting more incoherent, filled as some of them are with mystery words and demands that everyone feel sorry for the poor, abused zillionaire who's being treated worse than any of the great martyrs of history.
What I really don't get are the tweets…or I guess they're now called "truths" in the same reverse nomenclature that gave us a bald Stooge named Curly. You would think that even the stupidest person in the world — and I never thought Trump was that — would have some menial who would proofread them before sending. Or some built-in time delay where he writes them and has to wait two hours to post them so he or someone can ask, "Is it a good idea to send this?"
Someone with all the legal problems he has would (you'd think) have some lawyer check out his tweets/truths before transmission so they could advise him when applicable, "Hey, this one could conceivably be used against you in a court of law." Because some of them will be. And some of them, like when he gets a name wrong or confuses Jimmy Kimmel with Al Pacino just make him look sloppy and reckless. Is the man really so outta control that he doesn't care about such things? I've never thought he was honest but I thought he was smarter than this.
Someone actually wrote me to complain that I haven't posted a new Randy Rainbow video for quite a while…like it's my fault he's not making any while he's on tour. The tour goes on hiatus after May 5th and doesn't resume until October 11 so maybe we'll get something then.
In the meantime, some of you have sent me links to others who are working the same side of the street, especially a gent named Patrick Fitzgerald. Here's one of his…
Rob Dow, who lives in Toronto, sent me this in a message with the subject line, "The Greatest TV Show Ever"…
Mr. Evanier, I have been obsessed with The Dick Van Dyke Show for a very long time and would enjoy any recollections from your stint as a member of the audience (which is incredible to me, how a person only 10 years older than I saw something happen that seems like ancient history, although it isn't…much like it seems impossible that my neighbor saw The Beatles in the Cavern Club and there are living people who remember when WW2 ended).
Where was it taped? How long did it take (were there long gaps between scenes?) Were only friends and family invited or could schmucks walk in if the street? How many attended? Was it shocking to see the actors and sets in color and not black and white? Did the actors acknowledge the audience? Did you know that you were watching something that would endure the test of time or would you have felt the same watching another show?
(You may very well have previously provided an analysis of this subject and if so I will enjoy it as I devour your blog which I only recently discovered thanks to the Gottfried podcast. )
If you've been stumbling around this site, you've probably found this article that I wrote back in 1995. It answers some of your questions but since I've received a number of requests to go into greater detail about that very important evening in my life, here we go. And first off, I'll mention that the episode my parents and I saw filmed was this one…
It was filmed (not taped) on February 2, 1965 at Desilu Cahuenga Studios, which was located at 846 N. Cahuenga Blvd. That building has gone through many names and owners since then and is now called Red Studios and a lot of different shows and videos are made there. The last time I was in that complex was a few years ago when we recorded songs — not scripts, just songs — there for The Garfield Show. One of the folks who did voices in an episode and came in there to record a song was Rose Marie, who had many conflicting memories of the building.
And I should mention: One thing I learned early in my days working in television was that a good way to piss off the crew is to talk about "taping" when the show is filmed or "filming" when the show is taped.
We were there between two and three hours. The filming was "hosted" by Carl Reiner who was doing the warm-up and chatting with the audience between scenes because Rose Marie and Morey Amsterdam weren't in that episode. If they had been, they would have been doing what he was doing.
Mr. Reiner was, it will not surprise you to hear, a very good host…very friendly, very funny. At one point, he offered the prize of one dollar right out of his own wallet to the person in the audience with the oddest last name. Amazingly, "Evanier" did not win. Mel Brooks was also in the audience and they did a little bantering. The gaps between scenes were not long although at one point, there was a delay because a special effect did not go off — an ironing board was rigged to fall out of a cabinet on cue — and it had to be re-rigged.
The episode was about Rob and Laura buying their house and there was a business card which the actor playing the realtor had given Rob Petrie. Mr. Van Dyke used the delay to demonstrate how he could back-palm that card and make it vanish and reappear. I thought that was one of the neatest things I'd ever seen and I found a book in the public library (remember public libraries?) and taught myself how to do that.
I interacted twice with the folks on stage. At one point, the stage manager (or someone) "slated" for the cameras by calling out, "DVD, Episode number [some number]" and then they had to stop for tech reasons. Mr. Reiner told the audience, "We're the only show with the initials 'D.V.D.'" and I called out "What about Death Valley Days?" Everyone laughed and there was a brief discussion on the floor about how no one had ever thought of that before.
A bit later, Dick Van Dyke was taking some questions from the audience and someone asked about his well-known love of Laurel and Hardy. As part of his reply, he asked if there were Laurel and Hardy fans in the house. We were sitting in the front row of the bleachers and I waved my hand so enthusiastically that Dick asked me what my favorite one of their films was. I think he was expecting that the thirteen-year-old kid there would say something like, "Oh, I liked the one where they were pushing the piano up all those stairs." He seemed pleasantly startled when I started ticking off the names of "the boys'" best films.
I answered your other questions in the above-linked piece so I'll just wrap this up by answering the one where you asked, "Did you know that you were watching something that would endure the test of time or would you have felt the same watching another show?" I saw other shows being taped or filmed and I was always thrilled to see how the magic happened. But this one was really special. I wasn't thinking, "Boy, I'll bet people will be watching these in reruns forever." I was too busy thinking, "I wanna be a TV writer."
(And also: "I didn't realize that anything on this planet could look as good as Mary Tyler Moore in color, in makeup and in person.")
A Lesson To Be Learned: All the pundits and law professors I heard said it might take weeks to select the twelve jurors and six alternates for the Donald Trump Hush Moola Trial. They started today, the third day of this trial, with six selected…then they lost two…but by the end of the day, they had all twelve regular jurors and one alternate. In spite of what the experts said.
A lot of folks are sending me their lists of what should have been on that list of important comedy albums…and some of their lists have thirty or forty entries. If the folks who picked the 13 had been able to pick that many, I'm sure many or most of those additional names would be on it. My trouble with the list is not that So-and-So was left off. It's that it's only thirteen records. No matter who makes the selections, if they can only pick thirteen, they're going to leave off a lot of deserving So-and-So's.
This weekend, the streaming/cable channel Catchy Comedy is going to run something like forty hours of Looney Tunes. If you have kids and a DVR with room for all those shows, you could probably record all those cartoons and from then on, your children could watch nothing else. More on this Bugs Binge over at the Catchy Comedy website.
People keep writing to ask if Sergio Aragonés and I will be at Comic-Con International in San Diego this coming July. Here's my answer: My ankle is healing nicely and it'll take another accident of that severity to keep me away. Sergio hasn't decided yet. When he does, you'll read about it here.
I saw an item on the news about how the Red Lobster restaurant chain is in serious financial trouble. The guy saying this launched into a long explanation about finances that I didn't fully understand but he seemed to be saying that the chain was losing money because they were offering Endless Shrimp and people kept coming in and eating Endless Shrimp. If that is indeed the problem, I just might have a solution for it.
I guess I knew about this somewhere in the rarely-visited recesses of my mind but the Library of Congress has this thing called the National Recording Registry which — well, it'll be simpler if I just steal a description off its website…
Each year, the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress chooses 25 recordings showcasing the range and diversity of American recorded sound heritage in order to increase preservation awareness. The diversity of nominations received highlights the richness of the nation's audio legacy and underscores the importance of assuring the long-term preservation of that legacy for future generations. Currently, there are 600 works/titles on the National Recording Registry.
I'm not sure if some of the million-selling records in it are in any danger of not being available for future generations but I guess it's a noble program. Today, they added another batch of records to the list and one of them is This is a Recording, Lily Tomlin's first record. It's the thirteenth comedy album to be inducted (I guess that's the right word) and the first one by a female.
There are 650 records in the National Recording Registry and it strikes me that there oughta be more than 13 comedy records in there but the other twelve aren't bad choices. There are records by Tom Lehrer, Mort Sahl, Carl Reiner & Mel Brooks, Bob Newhart, Stan Freberg, Vaughn Meader, Bill Cosby, The Firesign Theater, George Carlin, Groucho Marx, Richard Pryor and Steve Martin. If it were up to me, I'd add in records by Robert Klein, Mike Nichols & Elaine May, Jonathan Winters, Shelley Berman, Allan Sherman, Monty Python and about forty others.
But if I had to pick just thirteen, it's not a bad thirteen…though I don't think Groucho's record is there because it's a great record but because it's Groucho. The whole list of 13 is here for your inspection and the link above will show you all 650 honored records.
