tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post6309637478723617084..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: The time I rewrote Neil SimonBy Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-43954011590299949832013-10-26T10:47:14.652-07:002013-10-26T10:47:14.652-07:00My daughter and I watched the episode of 'Inst...My daughter and I watched the episode of 'Instant Mom' that was co-written by your daughter. After the show my daughter had a question about the show's title. That got me to wonder about the genesis of show titles. 'Bilko',I think, was actually 'You'll Never Get Rich'. I thought 'Almost Perfect' was a great title for that show. Was 'Cheers' always 'Cheers'? (It seems that television show titles, and movie titles, are now more generic, bland.)scottmcnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-55526713024140247282013-10-21T07:39:04.034-07:002013-10-21T07:39:04.034-07:00What's your point?
So you had a bad interact...What's your point? <br />So you had a bad interaction-- a fleeting inconsequential experience with someone that didn't know you. What if the eggs he ate were about to blow his colon--and the contents therein--all over the inside of his underwear & pants? My point is that you don't know why he treated you that way. If he's a jerk to everyone, then that's his problem. Why should that change you, and why are you sorry that it's a true story?JT Anthonyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17859574895105837480noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-53958528348060797422013-10-20T18:04:37.131-07:002013-10-20T18:04:37.131-07:00One of my college drama professers, after I was ou...One of my college drama professers, after I was out of school, was staging a show called <i>The Surprising Uprising</i>," which was a musical he'd made out of <i>Lysistrata</i>. The problem was, it wasn't funny. He brought me in to punch up the script. So while I didn't "rewrite" Aristophanies, who practically invented Comedy, I did "punch-up" Aristophanies.<br /><br />(I was credited with "Additional Dialogue." The LA Times reviewed the show in a caustic, scathing review, which was fully deserved. But the final line of the review was: "Douglas McEwan is credited with 'Additional Dialogue,' probably the weakest link." I was <i><b>infuriated</b></i> by that comment. This asshole had no way on earth of knowing what lines I'd written and what lines were written by others, so his slam at my writing was wholly speculative. Who gives a persona bad review in a major paper beginning with "Probably"? I saw the same performance the critic did, and while I would have slammed the production also, the <i><b>ONLY</b></i> things that got laughs in the show were the lines I wrote. And every line I'd written landed a laugh. Of course, I had the advantage over the critic of actually knowing which were my lines and which were not. That critic had no future as a psychic.)D. McEwannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-41666795765429479762013-10-20T06:21:34.853-07:002013-10-20T06:21:34.853-07:00In high school in 1972, the drama class was assign...In high school in 1972, the drama class was assigned to put on "Thurber Carnival," a 1950s era revue based on 1930s work written by James Thurber. The problem was: many setups and almost every punchline was dated and meant nothing to a contemporary audience. So I rewrote almost half the play, on my own. The drama teacher accepted what I did and I got a co-writer credit on the Playbill. Mr First Nighternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-33585082586810846412013-10-19T23:08:39.686-07:002013-10-19T23:08:39.686-07:00I have no fears. I'll even rewrite Doug's ...I have no fears. I'll even rewrite Doug's gaul as gall. Cap'n Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11783977137812876489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-30166074274465709862013-10-19T17:03:28.784-07:002013-10-19T17:03:28.784-07:00@Anonymous: "You can't disappoint a pictu...@Anonymous: "You can't disappoint a picture!!!" <br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhOG3XwX9Ywcharlottehttps://twitter.com/TheCFullertonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-67530625269020964642013-10-19T16:40:05.339-07:002013-10-19T16:40:05.339-07:00Neil Simon led me to thinking of the incredible wr...Neil Simon led me to thinking of the incredible writers room for Your Show of Shows, which led me to this great article: http://splitsider.com/2011/06/the-greatest-tv-writers-rooms-ever/<br />on the greatest writers rooms ever. I can't really argue with any of them except that Rosanne didn't actually use anything from several of the great writers she hired (Joss Whedon in particular.)<br /><br />Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18351452512636422112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-34865302109720151092013-10-19T15:38:17.821-07:002013-10-19T15:38:17.821-07:00An old friend of mine who is a songwriter for musi...An old friend of mine who is a songwriter for musicals, also writes a lot of song parodies, mostly for benefits, but sometimes for cabaret performers also. (My favorite is his "Bewitched, Bothered and Bea Arthur.") Once, for a benefit, he rewrote Sondheim's "Buddy's Blues" from <i>Follies</i>, making it "I've got the 'God I don't believe that I'm rewriting Sondheim' blues." The whole song was about having the gaul to rewite Sondheim to write this song about rewriting Sondheim. He took a risk and sent it to Sondheim. Sondheim loved it and took my friend under his wing, becoming a mentor to him.D. McEwannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-60437985139230294582013-10-19T13:28:37.090-07:002013-10-19T13:28:37.090-07:00@DBenson: What you say is quite true. I have a fri...@DBenson: What you say is quite true. I have a friend who, quite a few years ago, was a performer in gay adult video. He's talked about how, when he was living in West Hollywood and was in the industry and working back then, it never ceased to amaze him how many men took his line of work as permission to manhandle, caress, fondle, grope and otherwise invade his personal space. People tended to think he should regarf all this as flattering, which he didn't. Dougnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-37037985848997190772013-10-19T12:26:38.787-07:002013-10-19T12:26:38.787-07:00Yes, it's always good to have someone else as ...Yes, it's always good to have someone else as an editor, although it's certainly possible to tighten up one's own work. This becomes easier if you've had experience yourself tightening someone else's work. <br /><br />Unfortunately, training opportunities in writing and editing for print are rapidly dwindling; all papers and magazines have websites with none of print's length restrictions. What other venues exist for people to edit each other's writing? Classrooms? Sure there are such classes, but there's no substitute for real experience (even if it's at a university paper).<br /><br />(I'm a multi-year alumnus of a large Big 10 university daily, which 20 years ago produced 5 print issues weekly and 3 during summer term; today these numbers are down to 4 and 1.) <br /><br />Of course I'm taking about not merely editing for length; what goes online even at professional sites tends to get no second read by anyone before it's posted. For example, last week TheWrap had a filler story/slideshow on books retitled for film adaptations, and one entirely suitable choice - Nicholas Pileggi's <i>Wiseguy</i> becoming <i>Goodfellas</i> - failed to mention that this was because the Stephen Cannell series <i>Wiseguy</i> was then in production. I can't imagine a print issue of <i>Variety</i> of 10 years ago, or some imagined print competitor, running a similar feature that wouldn't mention that little fact.<br />gottacooknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-726658351128324142013-10-19T12:20:28.284-07:002013-10-19T12:20:28.284-07:00Anonymous: I've never really craved meeting he...Anonymous: I've never really craved meeting heroes or celebrities for that reason. Not because they're jerks, but it must be tough being My Idol 24/7 (especially to total strangers talking about what they feel is a relationship). I'm not in "the business", and even I've been known to be surly with persons getting too effusive about a piece of work I did, even if I was pleased with the work. <br /><br />Comedians are expected to be funny, sex symbols are expected to be flattered by lechery, athletes are expected to live up to every kid's fantasies, and Idols are expected to dispense blessings and encouragement to everyone in their field. And all evidently become contemptible and unworthy if they fail to recognize that they owe everybody who likes their efforts.<br /><br />Make no mistake, a serious percentage of celebrities are jerks or worse, regardless of the quality of their professional achievements. But even the good guys among them are entitled to go off duty.DBensonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-14121296636565804102013-10-19T12:07:03.474-07:002013-10-19T12:07:03.474-07:00This just might be the funniest one-liner you'...This just might be the funniest one-liner you've ever written: "(And amazingly, he did it without the invaluable help of network notes.)"cbmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08341157122141290094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-7272346854287002732013-10-19T11:01:15.200-07:002013-10-19T11:01:15.200-07:00You also did a blog about having people talk like ...You also did a blog about having people talk like people. You don't want it to sound like they're reciting dialog. People stammer, they say "ummm", etc. So I'm wondering how these two topics reconcile. Is there a danger of editing a speech too much?tbnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-60930819630926456932013-10-19T10:23:11.214-07:002013-10-19T10:23:11.214-07:00"And that whole third act has got to go. I me..."And that whole third act has got to go. I mean, they're losing the war! It's so depressing!"Scooter Schechtmannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-31367021882080982852013-10-19T08:24:14.407-07:002013-10-19T08:24:14.407-07:00RSSRSSAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-66783778171328813982013-10-19T08:23:50.428-07:002013-10-19T08:23:50.428-07:00Way back in the mid 90's I would go to the Wes...Way back in the mid 90's I would go to the Westwood Hamburger Hamlet for breakfast on Friday mornings before seeing my shrink and I would see Neil Simon there eating breakfast. He (like all of my writer friends) looked up to Neil. He was our hero. Our comedy god. Just being thisclose was a thrill. One morning we paid our checks at the same time and exited the restaurant. With all the courage I could muster I told him how he made me want to be a comedy writer. And that I emulated him. And I always asked myself when writing a script, "what would Neil do?" Well, Neil couldn't have cared less. He looked right through me and walked away. I was crestfallen. Four or five years later I moved to NY to have a life as a writer rather than simply a career as one. On my 3rd night here I walked up to the Barnes and Noble in Columbus Circle. I stopped at a table just inside the door and picked up Neil Simon's first autobiography remembering that disappointing day in Westwood a few years earlier. Thumbing through the book I heard someone behind me say, "you should buy that book." And when I turned around it was Neil Simon himself with a few friends. I could've made a joke, or said nothing, but I just couldn't. So, I told Neil the story, how much of a disappointment it was, and why I couldn't bring myself to buy his book. Sometimes it's sad to meet a hero and to see what a jerk they are. This was one of those times. Sorry Ken. But this is a true story.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-57463983522095620302013-10-19T07:52:57.775-07:002013-10-19T07:52:57.775-07:00When we got married, my wife-to-be and I had to ch...When we got married, my wife-to-be and I had to choose music. We had seen "Kiss Me Kate" and wanted to include "So In Love With You Am I." But the chorus actually is about love gone wrong, so ... I rewrote Cole Porter. No lightning bolts, but the singer did shoot me a look.Michaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01998867386294693956noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-83618074054443972382013-10-19T07:44:02.621-07:002013-10-19T07:44:02.621-07:00Hey professor, thanks for sharing some of your rea...Hey professor, thanks for sharing some of your reading list and assignments. What kind of exams are you giving in this class? Dodgerdognoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-61109075862224616492013-10-19T06:58:12.328-07:002013-10-19T06:58:12.328-07:00Simon's autobiographies are wonderful, but he ...Simon's autobiographies are wonderful, but he loses points for not saving the original third act to The Odd Couple.<br /><br />I once wrote a short one-act play that was essentially a monologue. A friend of mine wanted to use it in an acting class but it was way too long. I found I could cut it down to half its length and preserve the story, but it really was a totally different animal. Different things work in different contexts.Professor Longnosenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-1122862471605962272013-10-19T06:45:48.635-07:002013-10-19T06:45:48.635-07:00*Everybody* needs an editor! Great story.*Everybody* needs an editor! Great story.Jimhttp://blog.jimgrey.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-29234219548381319412013-10-19T06:21:54.014-07:002013-10-19T06:21:54.014-07:00Nothing anyone writes is beyond improvement. The m...Nothing anyone writes is beyond improvement. The majority of Neil Simon movies prove that.Mitchell Hundredhttp://twitter.com/sackobooksnoreply@blogger.com