tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post7445499488467461313..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: The life and genius of Robin WilliamsBy Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-39824325172808991252018-07-26T00:52:58.082-07:002018-07-26T00:52:58.082-07:00Recently, I was rearranging some shelves full of m...Recently, I was rearranging some shelves full of my childhood books, and realized that I still have the copy of "The Robin Williams Scrapbook" that I bought from Scholastic Book Services in late '79/early '80 (which fact gives my age away more? Don't answer that!). It's a slim paperback volume with large type and no words past 6th grade level, if ya gets my drifts. There's a big section of B&W photos in the center, including one of Robin, Christopher Reeve (sweet mother of Bowie, WHAT a gorgeous man), and John Ritter, on stage doing improv at Catch a Rising Star. They looked so young and happy, my eyes welled up... must've been the dust... can't be how hard I crushed on three of them...<br /><br />Then I turned to some pictures of him and his first wife Valerie on the beach in Malibu. He's wearing a Speedo and-- no shade, no read, all love-- but holy cats, was he ever hairy, Mary! Not that it was a bad thing; I love me some fur on a man, but like my old drag/costume mentor used to say, "Darling, it's like he's the Wolf Man, and it's a quarter to twelve."<br /><br />I hope he is truly at peace, because as wonderful as he was, it always seemed to me (even as a kid) that it must've been exhausting to be him all the time. Those of you that actually knew him must feel his loss even more than we strangers that still miss him, and I wish you strength.<br /><br />Cheers, thanks a lot,<br /><br />StormStormnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-56960811555455481222018-07-25T11:45:06.539-07:002018-07-25T11:45:06.539-07:00Special mention should also be given to Good Morni...Special mention should also be given to Good Morning, Vietnam and Dead Poets Society, which was produced by Paul Junger Witt and Tony Thomas, who usually did TV. <br /><br />When it comes to animation, if a performer and a character come together with the artists in a truly great Disney feature, it's likely to last forever. Lots of great actors, famous and not-as-well-known, voiced characters, but only a few are inextricably connected, one to another. A few examples are Phil Harris as Baloo and Ed Wynn as the Mad Hatter. <br /><br />Only Robin Williams can ever be the Genie (though there were and will be very fine sound alikes) and that role combined everything he did in one performance, switched on and off. Yes, most of us know about the conflicts that came about concerning backstage finances at the time, but all of that ultimately fades and a classic film and performance lives longer than any of us. How the artist and the audience connect is emotionally charged. It's hard to watch Aladdin without getting a little verklempt. Greg Ehrbarhttp://www.gregehrbar.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-40199248568886986402018-07-25T07:23:23.832-07:002018-07-25T07:23:23.832-07:00I just wish Robin had been in better movies late i...I just wish Robin had been in better movies late in his career. I guess the Night At The Museum movies were successful but I thought, this is what he's reduced to doing? Supporting roles? He also made some awful family films like RV and at least one of his final films went direct to video. His wife once remarked that she wished Robin had only made half the films he did make but she wouldn't say which ones she thought were stinkers.James Van Hisehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06658381884799398658noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-59907653493138147842018-07-25T01:12:35.917-07:002018-07-25T01:12:35.917-07:00"blinky said...
I will be interested to see i...<i>"blinky said...<br />I will be interested to see if it has any comments from Pam Dauber. I heard he was quite mean to her. That was maybe the cocaine talking."</i><br /><br />Pam is a talking head throughout the documentary, and speaks of Robin only with love. Don't believe rumors.<br /><br />Robin and I were friends. I never thought of him having an "On" and "Off" switch. Rather, I thought of Robin as a sponge. He had two settings: "Squeeze" and "Absorb." When Robin was "Off" he was on "absorb." He shut up and listened <i>intently!</i> I was at many parties with Robin (And did a lot of drugs with him; it's amazing either of us lived to 35) and Robin was never the life of the party. Rather, he'd find the oddest person there, sit with them, get them talking, and sit and listen with rapt attention. He was absorbing what they said, who they were and how they behaved.<br /><br />Onstage, he hit "Squeeze" and it all came shooting out of him.<br /><br />The Robin I knew was kind and generous, never full of himself, never a star complex. I loved him. And I thought the documentary was excellent. (There was a far less excellent one on REELZ, called <i>Robin Williams: Behind Closed Doors</i> which I hang onto merely because there are two photos of Robin and I in the film.)D McEwannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-79687019213566064572018-07-24T20:45:23.992-07:002018-07-24T20:45:23.992-07:00When I realized in 2014 that Williams had a Twitte...When I realized in 2014 that Williams had a Twitter account, I followed it in hope of seeing what funny stuff he would put out there. Instead, it was rather tame, mostly mentions of upcoming projects, birthday wishes to loved ones, etc. The only one that played on his career was wishing the US soccer team good luck in their World Cup playoff game: he posted a picture of him playing Teddy Roosevelt in "A Night at the Museum" next to a picture of Teddy "Goalsevelt" (a US fan who dresses like Teddy at games). Looking back, I wonder if that was from his "off" switch activated, or from his disease taking hold.<br /><br />I think if he just did serious drama movies he still would've had a fine career. But he was at his best in interviews; while watching YouTube clips of him doing the late night circuit, one host (Fallon?) called him "The World's Greatest Talk Show Guest". Yep.<br />Liggienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-69337395536308869182018-07-24T19:55:22.025-07:002018-07-24T19:55:22.025-07:00Last night on Johnny Carson, Antenna TV, Robin was...Last night on Johnny Carson, Antenna TV, Robin was his only guest. He was there to promote The World According to Garp, so that was 1982. Was a wonderful 20+ minutes with RW & JC playing off one another. A wonderous and brilliant comedy mind! Ralph Mnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-76296747699262540302018-07-24T18:33:49.664-07:002018-07-24T18:33:49.664-07:00On the subject of documentaries, run (don't wa...On the subject of documentaries, run (don't walk) to see Three Identical Strangers. It's not the film you think it's going to be, and it's VERY well done!slgchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05947656936483533667noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-72865771923981156112018-07-24T18:29:01.695-07:002018-07-24T18:29:01.695-07:00Nick, if you get it, I believe MORK AND MINDY runs...Nick, if you get it, I believe MORK AND MINDY runs on Antenna TV. At least it used to. It's worth checking out to get perhaps a better viewing experience than what you might get on YouTube.Janet Ybarranoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-61428359470107628902018-07-24T16:58:59.936-07:002018-07-24T16:58:59.936-07:00I loved Mork and Mindy (though it got stupid towar...I loved Mork and Mindy (though it got stupid toward the end) but I so enjoyed the other actors corpsing because Robin Williams went off on some tangent. To me that was just so brilliant. He was so clever.<br /><br />I will have to try to find this documentary, as I don't get HBO Carolhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01202427531137840740noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-11795343325900994552018-07-24T16:00:57.670-07:002018-07-24T16:00:57.670-07:00@MikeKPa: the second wife was busy with the Profes...@MikeKPa: the second wife was busy with the Professor.therealshellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05598639173652882797noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-70911471454852958992018-07-24T15:30:38.353-07:002018-07-24T15:30:38.353-07:00I saw it and felt the pain of a genius who everybo...I saw it and felt the pain of a genius who everybody, like you, always wanted to be on. It had to be draining, as the documentary showed time after time. His exchanges with Jonathan Winters, his idol and the one guy who could make his dad laugh, were always a treat for me. I wished he could have had a longer life like Winters, who had his own demons to fight but came to grips with them and found a new creative outlet in painting, and realized a new chapter in his career. Given his medical prognosis, he saw no other way to end his pain (emotional and physical). It was interesting the second wife, the nanny, wasn't interviewed.MikeKPa.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-41095656797649679122018-07-24T15:06:05.291-07:002018-07-24T15:06:05.291-07:00Content and energy are both crucial to comedy. Th...Content and energy are both crucial to comedy. There may be no "right" answer for the correct ratio, but Williams was too often 95 energy and 5 content. Offstage, he seemed like a very sweet person who was properly beloved by those who knew him.Exidornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-31483957026643424102018-07-24T14:20:17.259-07:002018-07-24T14:20:17.259-07:00He had his moments for me but by and large I found...He had his moments for me but by and large I found him unfunny and borderline annoying. Cap'n Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11783977137812876489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-37879259897991829922018-07-24T12:16:03.576-07:002018-07-24T12:16:03.576-07:00@blinky: Actually, Pam Dawber is very prominently...@blinky: Actually, Pam Dawber is very prominently featured in the documentary, but she has nothing but kind words to say, and in her final clip, she just tears up when talking about his death, and can't continue. She mentions that she did a guest appearance on his last TV show, The Crazy Ones, and noticed immediately that something was wrong, that he looked like a "wax figure" at times. She also provides an eyewitness account of how shook Robin was after John Belushi died, because Belushi seemed indestructible, and how that scared Robin sober for a long time. <br /><br />@Mike Bloodworth: I felt sort of the same way about his comedy. When he first hit it big, I thought he was hilarious, but re-watching those old specials, I find that it's less funny than it is exhausting. I think his greater legacy will be as an actor, because he was terrific when challenged to be. His performance in One Hour Photo, for example, was legitimately unnerving.Wallis Lanenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-20369890106020500432018-07-24T11:41:54.285-07:002018-07-24T11:41:54.285-07:00Approximately 1 billion dollars a year is spent on...Approximately 1 billion dollars a year is spent on Medical Research for Alzheimer’s Disease in the US. There are over 500 open trials going on. Some diseases have no cure, unfortunately. When asked if science will ever find a cure, the head of AD Research at Mayo Clinic said he wasn’t betting on it. It is much the same for LB Dementia. Thank goodness most people who get AD are quite old. Joe Blownoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-75848839119506286582018-07-24T10:45:46.146-07:002018-07-24T10:45:46.146-07:00I was a fan of R.W., but through the years his act...I was a fan of R.W., but through the years his act did get kind of old and repetitive. Almost like a form letter. He'd use the same riffs every time; just insert different nouns. I suppose FAMILY GUY could have gone a little easier on Robin, but I feel they did an excellent job of deconstructing his act and exposing his patterns.<br />M.B.Mike Bloodworthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04755626259169126800noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-44012580486003804072018-07-24T10:30:42.984-07:002018-07-24T10:30:42.984-07:00Agreed. But sadly, as cliched as it sounds, govern...Agreed. But sadly, as cliched as it sounds, governments of the world spend more money on things that kill people than on research to cure people. The fact that we still haven't got cures for most cancers and for diseases like Parkinson's but have ever more powerful ways to kill on an industrial scale is an indictment against the human race.Peternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-65672798416839842492018-07-24T10:07:18.342-07:002018-07-24T10:07:18.342-07:00I guess I'm the opposite of Ken in this story....I guess I'm the opposite of Ken in this story. I know a few people who rarely use their off=switch, and I always feel sorry for them that they can't let go of the act long enough to be human when they're offstage and hanging out with people - and a bit cheated that I don't have the opportunity to get to know the real person.<br /><br />wgWendy M. Grossmanhttp://www.pelicancrossing.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-41982464387083588992018-07-24T09:35:36.407-07:002018-07-24T09:35:36.407-07:00@Nick Alexander. Check out an animated film called...@Nick Alexander. Check out an animated film called "Everyone's Hero" (2006). It was produced and co-directed by Christopher Reeve, and Robin gives his vocal talents - without credit - to help his friend's project that was ultimately released after Christopher's death. As most of you probably know, Robin & Chrs were roommates at Williams College back in the day.JonCowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16803624302502293556noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-33362230833102200312018-07-24T09:32:22.702-07:002018-07-24T09:32:22.702-07:00I hate that he's gone, but I understand why he...I hate that he's gone, but I understand why he didn't want to live out his days in a wheelchair like Richard Pryor. And I'm so envious that you knew him, Ken.<br /><br /><br />Nick Alexander, your kids would probably love POPEYE. It got bad reviews but I liked it a lot, and Harry Nilsson's songs are charming.<br /><br />Buttermilk Skyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07430011403223875192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-77120997273176634552018-07-24T09:26:34.966-07:002018-07-24T09:26:34.966-07:00I like Robin Williams. Wished you had the chance t...I like Robin Williams. Wished you had the chance to make that movie with him.<br /><br />I known 'Family Guy' ridicules everyone, but they went extra lengths to be nasty about Robin Williams and to some extent Tom Cruise.<br /><br />Some said few writers on the show hated him, some said Seth hated him. So they took every chance to take a shot at him.<br /><br />Jealous, I guess.<br /><br />Michaelnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-7498752295805909372018-07-24T08:37:58.997-07:002018-07-24T08:37:58.997-07:00I only wish only more attention could be brought t...I only wish only more attention could be brought to Lewy Body Dementia. Estelle Getty of the GOLDEN GIRLS also died from the disease.<br /><br />Apparently as it progressed with her, her former costars would visit but she would not remember them or even remember appearing on the series at all.<br /><br />This entire area of disease... Parkinson's, ALS, Lewy Body, and Alzheimer's all need more work to fight and eliminate. So sad.Janet Ybarranoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-73553448887529279612018-07-24T07:58:22.230-07:002018-07-24T07:58:22.230-07:00I will be interested to see if it has any comments...I will be interested to see if it has any comments from Pam Dauber. I heard he was quite mean to her. That was maybe the cocaine talking. <br />He was a national treasure in any case.blinkyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04284135060900752329noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-23350386626565436212018-07-24T07:10:35.209-07:002018-07-24T07:10:35.209-07:00I saw Robin Williams at Massey Hall (in Toronto) a...I saw Robin Williams at Massey Hall (in Toronto) about thirty-odd years ago, just as his career was taking off. His opening act was Bobby McFerrin, and (since the audience was primed for Robin) when he came on stage, and commenced his vocalese, his unique style was not going over well. He continued, but the audience was restless (and rude, I thought), when Robin wandered on stage, and gently chastised the crowd for not giving Bobby a chance. He and Bobby riffed off one another for a bit, and then Robin left, and, for the rest of his set, Bobby had the audience in his hand. I thought it was wonderfully kind of Robin Williams to support his friend that way. therealshellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05598639173652882797noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-82434538135236959082018-07-24T07:06:23.385-07:002018-07-24T07:06:23.385-07:00This is perhaps the first time that I disagree wit...This is perhaps the first time that I disagree with you about a film/show.<br /><br />Obviously the clips of Robin are wonderful and it's worth watching the documentary for that alone, but I felt that the project lacked a clear story arc and left a lot of facts just hanging there. I didn't feel as drawn in as I should have.<br /><br />Then again, I'm now holding every documentary up to Won't You Be My Neighbor....slgchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05947656936483533667noreply@blogger.com