Sunday, August 26, 2018

Neil Simon

I am out of the country with limited internet access.  I’m devastated but will discuss fully next week.

11 comments :

Michael said...

Quinn Cummings tweeted Sunday that she has an original copy of a first draft to a THE GOODBYE GIRL sequel Neil Simon wrote called MR. FAMOUS that was never produced. She got it at a reading Neil did with the cast and producers a couple years after THE GOODBYE GIRL came out. She is planning on auctioning it off with all proceeds going to charity.

The Bumble Bee Pendant said...

He is one of my comedy heroes. Perhaps #1.

The only thing people need to know about him is to pick up his works.
READ THEM.
You will laugh. I promise.

VincentS said...

Can't wait to read your tribute, Ken. We are all devastated. The world is now a much less funny place.

Janet Ybarra said...

Neil Simon will forever be identified with THE ODD COUPLE. But he ought to remembered for some "forgotten gems,' particularly BAREFOOT IN THE PARK and especially GOODBYE GIRL.

It may likely have been different elsewhere but here around the nation's capital--for obvious reasons--Neil Simon's death has been overshadowed by that of Sen John McCain.

Andrew said...

"It's not spaghetti, it's linguine."
"Now it's garbage."

There are some nice comments on Twitter at #RIPNeilSimon.

I forgot that he wrote Murder by Death, which is a very funny and underrated movie.

We all look forward to your reminiscences, Ken.

Liggie said...

"Lost in Yonkers" was one of his lesser-known works, but exceptional.

Ninety-one years. What a life.

Andrew said...

"It may likely have been different elsewhere but here around the nation's capital--for obvious reasons--Neil Simon's death has been overshadowed by that of Sen John McCain."

I always find it sad when that type of thing happens (two famous people dying, with one person overshadowing the other). Neil Simon won't get the attention he deserves, although it's certainly understandable.

The most memorable example of that happening in my lifetime was the death of Princess Diana. Mother Teresa died around the same time, but it was under the radar. (Perhaps she would have wanted it that way.)

Probably the most famous example is the death of C.S. Lewis, which hardly anyone knew about because of the assassination of JFK.

Mike Doran said...

The Rules:

(1) Don't die on a weekend.

(2) Don't die the same day as somebody else who's equally (or more) famous.

For me, the classic example comes from 1977: Elvis Presley and Groucho Marx.

To the above, I added a third Rule:

(3) Don't die when the whole last year of your life has been spent as the object of a highly contentious court battle.
(OK, that was just Groucho, but Elvis was headed that way.)

In the current era of the Tabloid Deathwatch, I suppose that Neil Simon was (sort of) lucky; he and his family had some privacy.
A United States Senator who found himself on Mr. Trump's shitlist in his final days - well, I think we can all see who's winning that battle …

We close with the Traditional Highwayman's Toast:

A Long Life … And A Merry One;
A Quick Death … And An Easy One;
A Young Girl … And A Pretty One;
A Cool Drink … And ANOTHER ONE!


tavm said...

Andrew, perhaps the most recent example of one celeb death overshadowing another was that of Farrah Fawcett-after a long battle fighting for her life-being put behind in the headlines after the surprise passing of superstar Michael Jackson hours after...

The Bumble Bee Pendant said...

ANDREW,
I once got a chance to sit in an audience Q&A session with Neil Simon, and I actually got to ask him abt THAT exact line.
I asked him if he literally wrote the action of Oscar picking up the plate of pasta and throwing it against the wall, or if this was a suggestion by the play’s Director. He said it was his action because he wanted to convey how much Oscar was angry. He understood that Oscar was a physical person and he wanted to be true to the character. I thought that was intriguing.

Andrew said...

@Mike Doran: Great rules to die by.

@tavm: I didn't realize that. Sad to say, I forgot that she had passed away, although your comment brings it back to memory. And Fawcett (in my opinion) was 10x the person that Jackson was.

@BumbleBee: Thanks for sharing such a great insight.