tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post6489916208335721054..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: Don't forget Neil SimonBy Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-56847352980275782322014-05-09T16:13:18.413-07:002014-05-09T16:13:18.413-07:00Murray: "Did you know that Felix was locked i...Murray: "Did you know that Felix was locked in the john overnight? He wrote out his entire will on a half a roll of toilet paper."<br /><br />"The Cheap Detective" was no great shakes, but I did love Eileen Brennan's chanteuse performance of "La Vie En Rose" with "la-la's" instead of lyrics.<br /><br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3R-D45baMcUGreg Ehrbarhttp://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/category/animation-spin/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-23338771201258390032014-05-06T06:53:17.996-07:002014-05-06T06:53:17.996-07:00The Sunshine Boys is still an all time family favo...The Sunshine Boys is still an all time family favorite. Ken, youngsters may not know the name, but his work will live on forever. Because he did write very character driven material, time and setting are almost irrelevant. His stuff is so good, that just listening to The Odd Couple as an audio production had me laughing out loud. McAlvienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-44784278418774769852014-05-05T20:38:40.773-07:002014-05-05T20:38:40.773-07:00I was fortunate enough to act in a production of &...I was fortunate enough to act in a production of "Come Blow Your Horn" some years ago, playing the dad (Lou Jacobi originally played the part). Even in his first play, the lines have such exquisite pacing that it made it so easy on us to get the laughs.<br /><br />I always loved this bit, where Dad finds out that his son wants to be a writer instead of going into the wax fruit business:<br /><br />FATHER: A writer? What kind of writer? Letters? Letters, you write beautiful. I don't know who's gonna buy them but they're terrific.<br /><br />BUDDY: But supposing I'm good? Supposing I could write plays -- for television or the theater?<br /><br />FATHER: Plays can close. Television you turn off. Wax fruit lays in the bowl till you're a hundred.<br />Jim Russellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07840228636027306303noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-21073312111262427922014-05-05T19:04:28.045-07:002014-05-05T19:04:28.045-07:00I don't remember the line from Odd Couple verb...I don't remember the line from Odd Couple verbatim, but still laugh in my head when Oscar remarks, "it took me all day to figure out what F. U. meant". <br />Classic N.S.!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-17435173614771727382014-05-05T08:32:10.501-07:002014-05-05T08:32:10.501-07:00Regarding Danny Simon - As someone who studied wit...Regarding Danny Simon - As someone who studied with him for a few years I can tell you he was tough, critical, and made you sweat when he asked you defended your work. He was also kind, helpful and open. When he saw what he called "gold" in your writing, he'd perk up, get wide-eyed, and help you mold it into something great. His techniques could take work from passable to knocking it out of the park. He taught structure, character and how to let brilliant lines organically bubble up rather shoehorning them in for a cheap "Joke, joke."<br /><br />It's well documented that Danny's relationship with Neil was tenuous, but IMHO it was loving nonetheless. When Neil was seven years old, Danny told him "You're going to be the greatest comedy writer who ever lived."(Seven!) Should Neil have held back to please his brother when he struck out on his own? Hell no. Instead he honored him by writing him many times over as a brother in his plays.<br /><br />Back in the 90s Danny invited Neil to our class to teach for an evening. Surely, Danny knew Neil would once again take the spotlight away from him, but he had Neil come in anyway. At one point during the class when Neil explained that he hand wrote his first drafts on yellow lined sheets of paper, then handed them over to a secretary type up, a display of their relationship surfaced. “Neil,” said Danny, “I’ve tried to get you to get a computer. This way you can type directly into it and easily edit your work on a screen instead of hand writing it on the sheets, then writing again on the typewritten sheets, which have to be typed again. You could get a lot more work done.” “Danny,” Neil replied, “I’ve written more successfully produced plays than anyone in the 20th Century. How much faster do you want me to write?”<br /><br />God bless Danny and all his "mishigos" for nurturing Neil when he did. We're all the richer for it.Pete Grossmannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-28137691225521844742014-05-04T12:24:08.796-07:002014-05-04T12:24:08.796-07:00One play that never gets its due: "G-ds Favor...One play that never gets its due: "G-ds Favorite." Its a modern (1960's) retteling of the story of Job.<br /><br />one of my favorite jokes.<br /><br />Son, do you know what it says in the bible?<br /><br />Yes Dad, This book belongs to the Sheration Plaza Hoteldaniel from Cherry Hillnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-63353208251917716472014-05-04T12:23:48.228-07:002014-05-04T12:23:48.228-07:00We saw a local theater production of The Odd Coupl...We saw a local theater production of The Odd Couple Friday evening. His stuff is every bit as funny now as it was when it first appeared.Gourillahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09400729660756737918noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-86461293864445727382014-05-04T11:19:14.561-07:002014-05-04T11:19:14.561-07:00Definitely aware of Neil Simon. I watched the Odd...Definitely aware of Neil Simon. I watched the Odd Couple show on TV. Great chemistry between Jack Klugman and Tony Randall. I thought maybe the Grumpy Old Men movie could be done as a TV show with Randall and Klugman.Mike Barerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14447874605833321732noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-57036667188530567622014-05-04T08:10:57.170-07:002014-05-04T08:10:57.170-07:00Not all of Neil Simon's screenplays were trans...Not all of Neil Simon's screenplays were transposed plays.<br /><br />Did you ever check out his screenplay for the original 1972 Heartbreak Kid starring Charles Grodin, Eddie Albert and Cybil Shepherd, directed by Elaine May, from a short story by Bruce Jay Friedman?<br />Waynenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-78208376137467317672014-05-04T07:19:37.397-07:002014-05-04T07:19:37.397-07:00I love Neil Simon. (Max Dugan Returns and The Odd ...I love Neil Simon. (Max Dugan Returns and The Odd Couple were twin towers of my childhood and adolescence and still love them so much.) And not to mention Murder By Death, which my family more often than not quotes liberally when we all get together, a tradition observed as recently as two weekends ago.<br /><br />When I was a freshman at University of Rhode Island and took a playwriting class, our prof asked if we had any authors we wanted to look at. I said Neil Simon. Everyone (literally) laughed and shook their heads at me. I'll never forget that. One of the first signs that what you come across in college, particularly in theater/ english departments, often makes no sense outside theater/ english departments. B McMolohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02706178983936146307noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-9267892397977942902014-05-03T22:38:16.898-07:002014-05-03T22:38:16.898-07:00Dubin: Many of my comic idols (Kaufman, Benchley, ...Dubin: Many of my comic idols (Kaufman, Benchley, Thurber, the Marx Brothers, and on and on) were long before my time. I saw a stand-up comic last week at the Addison Improv who had a bit that really hit home with me. It was about being fed up with young snots who think that anyone who came before they arrived is irrelevant. His comments were based on the recent Grammy Beatles tribute and all the young Internet posters sneering, "Who is this old guy, Paul McCartney?" He said, hey, you're the generation that thinks you know it all because you've got the Internet. So why don't you spend five seconds on Google and find out who Paul McCartney is and how his music changed the entire world? And then you can come back online and tell us all "Who the F--- YOU are?!!!<br /><br />BTW, my wife took that class once from Danny Simon, but it was not a positive experience. She got the impression he believed he was the greatest comedy writer ever, and that his way of doing things was the only way. She's the type of writer who works best when she can go to a quiet spot and think. He was rude and dismissive to her, and told her that sitcoms were written in rooms full of writers fighting like dogs to get their lines in, and if she couldn't do that, she'd never make it. Ironically, her writing style is much more like Neil Simon, his far more successful younger brother. I've often wondered if that wasn't really what rubbed him the wrong way about her. This old article might shine some light on that: <br /><br />http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20085362,00.html<br /><br />BTW, she's been my writing partner for about 20 years of making a pretty good living as syndicated radio comedy writers, working on our material quietly in separate rooms. Pat Reedernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-6207081323650874572014-05-03T22:36:04.096-07:002014-05-03T22:36:04.096-07:00A little known fact about Neil Simon was that he o...A little known fact about Neil Simon was that he owned a small duplex apartment in West LA off of Beverly Glen just South of Wilshire. Strangely this is where he did a lot of writing (At least from around 1990 - 2003). I only know this as I lived two doors down and would see him all the time. Once my dog was off leash and ran up to him as he was leaving the apartment, I trailed quickly behind letting him know not to worry that the dog was friendly and wouldn't bite, he replied without hesitation, "But I do." Jason Robertsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-54221535748105473222014-05-03T22:33:25.660-07:002014-05-03T22:33:25.660-07:00Hi Ken, great post about Neil Simon, and those quo...Hi Ken, great post about Neil Simon, and those quotes are amazing!<br /><br />By the way, I've been reading most of your recent posts, and I really enjoyed your comments on Captain America: The Winter Soldier.<br /><br />I just wrote a short review about it; in case you're interested you can check it out here:<br /><br />http://artbyarion.blogspot.com/<br /><br />Cheers!<br />Arionhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00794190466838336293noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-23677495443062468122014-05-03T21:29:40.424-07:002014-05-03T21:29:40.424-07:00The "FU" exchange is a great fave. Anoth...The "FU" exchange is a great fave. Another priceless piece:<br /><br /> Oscar Madison: Now kindly remove that spaghetti from my poker table.<br /><br />[Felix laughs]<br /><br />Oscar Madison: The hell's so funny?<br /><br />Felix Ungar: It's not spaghetti, it's linguini.<br /><br />[Oscar picks up the linguini and hurls it against the kitchen wall]<br /><br />Oscar Madison: Now it's garbage! Pete Grossmannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-4422711723602782782014-05-03T17:24:25.918-07:002014-05-03T17:24:25.918-07:00This post makes me sad...it sucks that as newer ge...This post makes me sad...it sucks that as newer generations come along certain people get forgotten.Kleehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14306497851609490015noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-44394894342544556152014-05-03T17:23:27.638-07:002014-05-03T17:23:27.638-07:00Of Simon's films, I particularly enjoyed "...Of Simon's films, I particularly enjoyed "The Out of Towners" (Lemmon and Dennis). Also the silliness of "Murder By Death", which was worth the price of admission (an outrageous $3.25 in 1976 if memory serves) just to hear Elsa Lanchester say, "Up yours, fella." And who can forget the host's (Lionel Twain) street address: 22 Twain.<br /><br />VP81955: I'm rather glad that neither Loy nor Powell appeared in the film; I prefer to remember them in black and white, '30s elegance.RCPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04251247613686669877noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-6665706341958162422014-05-03T16:21:24.356-07:002014-05-03T16:21:24.356-07:00"After The Fox" is the Neil Simon movie ..."After The Fox" is the Neil Simon movie few know he wrote. It stars Peter Sellers as a gold thief who convinces an Italian Village that he's a famous director and needs them as extras to unload a gold shipment from a boat as part of the movie. When the boat is delayed, he must pretend for 24 hours that he's making an actual film. Very funny, much, much different than any other Neil Simon. Worth checking out.Candanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-74915372736602276082014-05-03T14:49:37.511-07:002014-05-03T14:49:37.511-07:00@Durbin: That's really disheartening to hear....@Durbin: That's really disheartening to hear. If Daniel Tosh is currently an inspiration to today's comedy writers, then I guess in the very near future we can expect sitcoms to basically be a half hour of a character saying "penis penis vagina boob rape", followed by something racist. Wow...I can't wait....Don Scalesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-48158284954507942832014-05-03T14:15:20.602-07:002014-05-03T14:15:20.602-07:00I was just thinking of him, that "F.U." ...I was just thinking of him, that "F.U." joke, and the major differences between his style and Mel Brooks. And now I read this. Not a good sign.... But a good post and I hope the young aspirants to be writers take your advice.Toby O'Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06999037844031101965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-90555287568822110262014-05-03T13:36:19.920-07:002014-05-03T13:36:19.920-07:00Most of the kids in my comedy writing class don...Most of the kids in my comedy writing class don't know Neil Simon. Never heard of him. They have no idea that anything funny happened before Tosh 2.0. Never heard of George Kaufman and Moss Hart. Never heard of Preston Sturges, or Dorothy Parker, not even Igor Stravinsky. ~DubinDubinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16997673618610444288noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-86254175683018841782014-05-03T12:57:51.375-07:002014-05-03T12:57:51.375-07:00Oh, and don't forget Brighton Beach Memoirs! S...Oh, and don't forget Brighton Beach Memoirs! Some great lines there. That and Biloxi Blues always seemed to be playing on TV in my formative years. Johnny Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13302545167970532080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-1587391537021074512014-05-03T12:55:33.754-07:002014-05-03T12:55:33.754-07:00Loved THE ODD COUPLE (who doesn't) and really ...Loved THE ODD COUPLE (who doesn't) and really liked BILOXI BLUES, too. I wanted to catch THE SUNSHINE BOYS (with Judd Hersh and Danny DeVeto) last time I was in LA, but missed it... But at 35, I guess I'm old enough that I SHOULD know who Neil Simon is. Johnny Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13302545167970532080noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-3769468425494407602014-05-03T12:36:09.350-07:002014-05-03T12:36:09.350-07:00I grew up on Neil Simon and I'm so much the be...I grew up on Neil Simon and I'm so much the better for it. It seemed as though he was constantly writing a movie or a Broadway play. I will always be grateful for the mirth he provided for me in my life. I think THE PRISONER OF SECOND AVENUE should also be thrown in there. I think it was one of his funniest. Who else could make an hilarious story about a man who lost his job and is having a resulting nervous breakdown? The movie with Jack Lemmon and Ann Bancroft is terrific, but I would have killed to have seen the original Broadway production with Peter Falk and Lee Grant!VincentSnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-81044645632583131042014-05-03T12:34:16.403-07:002014-05-03T12:34:16.403-07:00It's been a while since I've seen Murder b...It's been a while since I've seen Murder by Death, so I looked up quotes on IMDB and there's a lot of gems I'd forgotten.<br /><br />Peter Sellers' character, Sidney Wang, with his son Willie:<br /><br />Willie Wang: I don't hear nothing. What do you hear?<br /><br />Sidney Wang: Double negative, and dog.<br /><br />Peter Falk's Sam Diamond: "The last time I trusted a dame was in Paris in 1940. She said she was going out to get a bottle of wine. Two hours later, the Germans marched into France".<br /><br />Another Sam Diamond line: "Locked from the inside. That can only mean one thing. And I don't know what it is".Hamidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-23581871971461135282014-05-03T12:26:24.133-07:002014-05-03T12:26:24.133-07:00I own the Ratner's cookbook. It was indeed a ...I own the Ratner's cookbook. It was indeed a dairy restaurant.<br /><br />My library had a free audiobook of all of Simon's plays. Listening to them and seeing them in my mind's eye, particularly Biloxi Blues, made them work for me that the films could not. But how many plays can make entire sense without being able to see any of the business? That is a pure tribute to Mr. Simon's words.Breadbakernoreply@blogger.com