I love Charles Grodin’s acting – and always enjoyed when he was a guest on David Letterman’s show. Their act together was that Grodin had a barely hidden disdain for Dave, and even though if it was true then Letterman would never keep having him back and back – but Grodin was so convincing that there was still always a touch of uncertainty. I didn’t remember well-enough, but it turns out that this was a persona he took on back when Johnny Carson was hosting The Tonight Show. My friend Myles Berkowitz sent me this video, and it’s a hoot. I get the sense that, while Carson surely knew that Grodin would go into his pissed-off mood, he didn't know how it would manifest itself. Both Grodin and Carson are incredibly quick here. People "mad" at one another isn't inherently funny, even when it's fake. It takes real craft to pull it off. And the battle is helped when it's even. So, Carson is wonderful here -- but Grodin’s disdain is dripping. A couple of side notes. I’ve actually read the book he’s there to promote, one of his several memoirs, It Would Be So Nice If You Weren’t Here. The title comes from what a society lady said to him once when (if I remember the details correctly) a film crew was at her home. The other thing is that I had reason to meet Grodin once, briefly. It was when I was working at Universal Pictures and walking through the lot back to my office. I saw Grodin walking nearby, and went over for one specific reason. It was to tell him how much I absolutely loved one particular scene in the movie, The Heartbreak Kid -- "the pie scene." It’s when his character has tells his new bride (played by Jeannie Berlin) on their honeymoon that he wants a divorce, so he’s taken her to a restaurant known for great pecan pie. When it later turns out that they’re out of the pie, he takes all his pent up angst out on the waiter. It’s a brilliant scene (written by Neil Simon) that’s hilarious, painful and tragic – and goes on for about 11 remarkable minutes. I mentioned how difficult it must have been to film. I don’t recall much of our conversation, but he was very appreciative and personable – I suspect it wasn’t something most people brought up to him (though they should have…), and talked about how, yes, it was indeed a challenge to do. Anyway, here he is with Johnny Carson, going at one another.
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AuthorRobert J. Elisberg is a political commentator, screenwriter, novelist, tech writer and also some other things that I just tend to keep forgetting. Feedspot Badge of Honor
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