Elliot Silverstein, who helmed episodes of such acclaimed TV shows as Naked City, The Twilight Zone and Route 66 before guiding Lee Marvin to a best actor Oscar in Cat Ballou, his feature directorial debut, died Friday in Los Angeles, his family announced. He was 96.
The Boston native also helmed A Man Called Horse (1970), which starred Richard Harris in the title role as an English aristocrat who eventually becomes the leader of the Native tribe that had captured and tortured him. The action movie spawned a couple of sequels.
Most importantly, Silverman was instrumental in the formation of the milestone Bill of Creative Rights for directors.
“Every director today owes a debt of gratitude to Elliot Silverstein,” DGA president Lesli Linka Glatter said in a statement. “No one ever worked harder or was more passionate about protecting artists from having their work and vision altered than Elliot.”
It was Silverstein...
The Boston native also helmed A Man Called Horse (1970), which starred Richard Harris in the title role as an English aristocrat who eventually becomes the leader of the Native tribe that had captured and tortured him. The action movie spawned a couple of sequels.
Most importantly, Silverman was instrumental in the formation of the milestone Bill of Creative Rights for directors.
“Every director today owes a debt of gratitude to Elliot Silverstein,” DGA president Lesli Linka Glatter said in a statement. “No one ever worked harder or was more passionate about protecting artists from having their work and vision altered than Elliot.”
It was Silverstein...
- 11/27/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Barry Newman, best known for playing the muscle-car-driving Kowalski in the cult classic Vanishing Point and the titular defense attorney in the NBC series Petrocelli, has died. He was 92. The veteran actor passed away on Thursday, May 11, of natural causes at NewYork-Presbyterian Columbia University Irving Medical Center, his wife, Angela, told The Hollywood Reporter. Born on November 7, 1930, in Boston, Massachusetts, Newman started his acting career in Herman Wouk’s comedy Nature’s Way, playing a jazz musician. Following this, he landed a featured part in Mel Tolkin’s play Maybe Tuesday. He would go on to appear in numerous Broadway productions, including the musical What Makes Sammy Run, Sidney Kingsley’s Night Live, and Jean-Claude van Itallie’s America Hurrah. This soon led to film and TV work, including the role of John Barnes in the daytime drama The Edge of Night and the breakthrough role of Tony Petrocelli in...
- 6/5/2023
- TV Insider
Barry Newman, the Emmy-nominated actor who starred in the 1971 cult action thriller “Vanishing Point” and as the eponymous lawyer in the NBC series “Petrocelli,” died on May 11. He was 92. No further details are currently available on his death.
In “Vanishing Point,” Newman played former race car driver Kowalski, a speedster that darts around in a Dodge Challenger after becoming entangled in a criminal conspiracy. The film is regarded as one of the defining American action films of the ’70s by genre enthusiasts.
Two decades and change later, Newman would play a heavy in Steven Soderbergh’s fractured crime yarn “The Limey,” which featured a second act car chase involving the actor getting back behind the wheel.
Newman was born in Boston on Nov. 7, 1938, where he would attend Boston Latin School and go on to attend Brandeis University. During his education, Newman met Lee Strasberg and became inspired to pursue acting.
In “Vanishing Point,” Newman played former race car driver Kowalski, a speedster that darts around in a Dodge Challenger after becoming entangled in a criminal conspiracy. The film is regarded as one of the defining American action films of the ’70s by genre enthusiasts.
Two decades and change later, Newman would play a heavy in Steven Soderbergh’s fractured crime yarn “The Limey,” which featured a second act car chase involving the actor getting back behind the wheel.
Newman was born in Boston on Nov. 7, 1938, where he would attend Boston Latin School and go on to attend Brandeis University. During his education, Newman met Lee Strasberg and became inspired to pursue acting.
- 6/4/2023
- by McKinley Franklin
- Variety Film + TV
Barry Newman, who propelled a supercharged Dodge Challenger across the American West in Vanishing Point and portrayed a defense attorney on the NBC series Petrocelli, has died. He was 92.
Newman died May 11 of natural causes at NewYork-Presbyterian Columbia University Irving Medical Center, his wife, Angela, told The Hollywood Reporter.
After appearing on Broadway and starring in The Lawyer (1970), the Boston-born actor was up for a change of pace when he was offered the role of a man tasked with transporting a car from Denver to San Francisco in the action-packed Fox film Vanishing Point (1971), directed by Richard C. Sarafian.
“This was very unique,” he said. “I had just done this film about a lawyer, a Harvard graduate, and I thought this is a different kind of thing. The guy was the rebel, the antihero. I enjoyed doing that very much.”
Newman’s taciturn character, Kowalski, was a Vietnam veteran, former...
Newman died May 11 of natural causes at NewYork-Presbyterian Columbia University Irving Medical Center, his wife, Angela, told The Hollywood Reporter.
After appearing on Broadway and starring in The Lawyer (1970), the Boston-born actor was up for a change of pace when he was offered the role of a man tasked with transporting a car from Denver to San Francisco in the action-packed Fox film Vanishing Point (1971), directed by Richard C. Sarafian.
“This was very unique,” he said. “I had just done this film about a lawyer, a Harvard graduate, and I thought this is a different kind of thing. The guy was the rebel, the antihero. I enjoyed doing that very much.”
Newman’s taciturn character, Kowalski, was a Vietnam veteran, former...
- 6/4/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“Over hill, over dale, as we hit the dusty trail, and those caissons go rolling along. In and out, hear them shout, counter march and right about, and those caissons go rolling along.”
Catchy tune, isn’t it? The war tune, “The Army Goes Rolling Along” was belted out on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel every time someone used the bathroom in Gordon Ford head writer Alvin’s office. God forbid anyone in the writers’ room hear someone pee.
But this was the ’60s when modesty and manners were still important. So singing the catchy song was an added quirk to tickle the audience’s funny bone.
Why was ‘The Army Goes Rolling Along’ chosen for ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ Season 5?
Even choosing the right tune for the writers’ room scene was a bit for Maisel writers and creators Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino. “The funny story is Dan Palladino wrote that episode.
Catchy tune, isn’t it? The war tune, “The Army Goes Rolling Along” was belted out on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel every time someone used the bathroom in Gordon Ford head writer Alvin’s office. God forbid anyone in the writers’ room hear someone pee.
But this was the ’60s when modesty and manners were still important. So singing the catchy song was an added quirk to tickle the audience’s funny bone.
Why was ‘The Army Goes Rolling Along’ chosen for ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ Season 5?
Even choosing the right tune for the writers’ room scene was a bit for Maisel writers and creators Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino. “The funny story is Dan Palladino wrote that episode.
- 4/18/2023
- by Gina Ragusa
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
NBC’s landmark “Your Show of Shows” won its second consecutive best variety program statuette at the primetime Emmy Awards held Feb. 5, 1953 at the old Hotel Statler hosted by Art Linkletter. The 90-minute live program had strong competition- “Arthur Godfrey and His Friends” (CBS); “The Colgate Comedy Hour” (NBC); “The Jackie Gleason Show” (CBS) and “The Toast of the Town” (CBS).
Other winners that evening included another landmark series, CBS’ “I Love Lucy” which was named best situation comedy with NBC’s “Robert Montgomery Presents” receiving best dramatic program honors. CBS’ “What’s My Line? claimed the title of best audience participation, quiz or panel show. NBC’s “Dragnet” was the recipient of the best mystery, action or adventure program. Ktla’s “Time for Beany” won best children’s program, while Edward R. Murrow’s “See It Now” (CBS) received the Emmy for public affairs program.
On the acting front, Oscar-winners...
Other winners that evening included another landmark series, CBS’ “I Love Lucy” which was named best situation comedy with NBC’s “Robert Montgomery Presents” receiving best dramatic program honors. CBS’ “What’s My Line? claimed the title of best audience participation, quiz or panel show. NBC’s “Dragnet” was the recipient of the best mystery, action or adventure program. Ktla’s “Time for Beany” won best children’s program, while Edward R. Murrow’s “See It Now” (CBS) received the Emmy for public affairs program.
On the acting front, Oscar-winners...
- 3/21/2023
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
For four seasons between 1950 and 1954, a collection of trailblazing performers and writers shaped the future of television comedy on NBC's 90-minute variety series "Your Show of Shows." The wildly versatile trio of Sid Caesar, Imogen Coco, and Howard Morris, abetted by straight-man supreme Carl Reiner, had America's living rooms roaring with laughter once a week, and they couldn't have done it without the brilliant contributions of an all-time writers room that included Mel Tolkin, brothers Neil and Danny Simon, Selma Diamond, and Mel Brooks.
That last fella was 24 years old when he joined the staff and quickly struck up a dazzling creative rapport with the thirty-year-old Reiner. The two reteamed for "Caesar's Hour" for a few years before hitting upon an improvisatory premise that would launch their careers into the comedic stratosphere. In "The 2,000-Year-Old Man," Reiner deadpans as an interviewer asking after the exploits of a guy who...
That last fella was 24 years old when he joined the staff and quickly struck up a dazzling creative rapport with the thirty-year-old Reiner. The two reteamed for "Caesar's Hour" for a few years before hitting upon an improvisatory premise that would launch their careers into the comedic stratosphere. In "The 2,000-Year-Old Man," Reiner deadpans as an interviewer asking after the exploits of a guy who...
- 12/3/2022
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
When a classic television series goes off the air they rarely ever ride into the sunset thanks to the nostalgia channels that rerun the show, streaming services and DVD and Blu-Ray box sets. They are also often rebooted or turn up as a TV movie such as “Return to Mayberry,” “Return from the Man from U.N.C.L.E” and “Still the Beaver.” And networks also have mined ratings gold bringing back the casts of TV series often on a notable anniversary of the show for reminisces, tears and a plethora of clips.
This year, HBO Max scored with its much ballyhooed and at times surprisingly emotional “Friends: The Reunion,” It just received an Emmy nomination for Best Variety Special (pre-taped), as did “A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote,” which found the cast of the multi-Emmy Award-winning NBC series reuniting to encourage people to vote...
This year, HBO Max scored with its much ballyhooed and at times surprisingly emotional “Friends: The Reunion,” It just received an Emmy nomination for Best Variety Special (pre-taped), as did “A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote,” which found the cast of the multi-Emmy Award-winning NBC series reuniting to encourage people to vote...
- 7/15/2021
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Michael Tolkin, the Emmy-nominated creator of Showtime’s Escape at Dannemora, is urging WGA members to stop vilifying agents and to start the reconciliation that will be needed to resolve the ongoing feud with the Association of Talent Agents in advance of the upcoming negotiations for a new film and TV contract.
“I’ve never felt such hatred within the Guild,” he said Friday in an email blast to members of the WGA West in support of opposition leader Phyllis Nagy and her WGA Forward Together slate of running mates.
Here’s the full letter:
“My family has been in the Writers Guild since 1949, when my father, Mel Tolkin, started writing for live TV in New York. We have seventy years of continuous membership. He was nominated for five or six WGA awards, and won four times. One year, my parents came home from the awards banquet disturbed by a...
“I’ve never felt such hatred within the Guild,” he said Friday in an email blast to members of the WGA West in support of opposition leader Phyllis Nagy and her WGA Forward Together slate of running mates.
Here’s the full letter:
“My family has been in the Writers Guild since 1949, when my father, Mel Tolkin, started writing for live TV in New York. We have seventy years of continuous membership. He was nominated for five or six WGA awards, and won four times. One year, my parents came home from the awards banquet disturbed by a...
- 9/6/2019
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
Mel Brooks celebrates his 93rd birthday on June 28, 2019. One of only 15 people to win the Egot, the legendary funnyman has excelled on the big screen, the stage and television. But it’s his movies that have made him a household name. In honor of his birthday, let’s take a look back at 12 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.
SEEWhich 15 People Have the Egot?
Born in 1926 in Brooklyn, New York, Brooks got his start as a writer for Sid Caesar on “Your Show of Shows,” working alongside Carl Reiner, Neil Simon, Danny Simon and Mel Tolkin. He then moved onto “Caesar’s Hour,” which added Woody Allen and Larry Gelbart to the writing team. The show brought Brooks three consecutive Emmy nominations (1956-1958), and he won his first prize for co-writing the 1967 reunion special. In 1965, he co-created the spy comedy “Get Smart” with Buck Henry, which brought him...
SEEWhich 15 People Have the Egot?
Born in 1926 in Brooklyn, New York, Brooks got his start as a writer for Sid Caesar on “Your Show of Shows,” working alongside Carl Reiner, Neil Simon, Danny Simon and Mel Tolkin. He then moved onto “Caesar’s Hour,” which added Woody Allen and Larry Gelbart to the writing team. The show brought Brooks three consecutive Emmy nominations (1956-1958), and he won his first prize for co-writing the 1967 reunion special. In 1965, he co-created the spy comedy “Get Smart” with Buck Henry, which brought him...
- 6/28/2019
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Mel Brooks celebrates his 93rd birthday on June 28, 2019. One of only 15 people to win the Egot, the legendary funnyman has excelled on the big screen, the stage and television. But it’s his movies that have made him a household name. In honor of his birthday, let’s take a look back at 12 of his greatest films, ranked worst to best.
Born in 1926 in Brooklyn, New York, Brooks got his start as a writer for Sid Caesar on “Your Show of Shows,” working alongside Carl Reiner, Neil Simon, Danny Simon and Mel Tolkin. He then moved onto “Caesar’s Hour,” which added Woody Allen and Larry Gelbart to the writing team. The show brought Brooks three consecutive Emmy nominations (1956-1958), and he won his first prize for co-writing the 1967 reunion special. In 1965, he co-created the spy comedy “Get Smart” with Buck Henry, which brought him another Emmy bid for writing...
Born in 1926 in Brooklyn, New York, Brooks got his start as a writer for Sid Caesar on “Your Show of Shows,” working alongside Carl Reiner, Neil Simon, Danny Simon and Mel Tolkin. He then moved onto “Caesar’s Hour,” which added Woody Allen and Larry Gelbart to the writing team. The show brought Brooks three consecutive Emmy nominations (1956-1958), and he won his first prize for co-writing the 1967 reunion special. In 1965, he co-created the spy comedy “Get Smart” with Buck Henry, which brought him another Emmy bid for writing...
- 6/28/2019
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Article by Sam Moffitt
It’s tough to say goodbye to Sid Caesar. I’ve been pondering what I can possibly say about a comedy legend who has been around as long as I can remember and contributed so much to comedy, mostly on television but also many times in motion pictures.
Firstly Sid Caesar was in on the ground floor of television, his earliest programs done live in 1949 before the video switch board had even been invented. In those earliest shows the director was on the stage telling the floor managers which cameras and mikes to hook or unhook to the coax and audio cables! Consider that just for a moment!
Caesar’s wonderful book Caesar’s Hours: My Life in Comedy, with Love and Laughter, co written with Eddie Friedfeld tells all about Sid Caesar’s years in show business and the legendary live variety shows; Your Show of Shows...
It’s tough to say goodbye to Sid Caesar. I’ve been pondering what I can possibly say about a comedy legend who has been around as long as I can remember and contributed so much to comedy, mostly on television but also many times in motion pictures.
Firstly Sid Caesar was in on the ground floor of television, his earliest programs done live in 1949 before the video switch board had even been invented. In those earliest shows the director was on the stage telling the floor managers which cameras and mikes to hook or unhook to the coax and audio cables! Consider that just for a moment!
Caesar’s wonderful book Caesar’s Hours: My Life in Comedy, with Love and Laughter, co written with Eddie Friedfeld tells all about Sid Caesar’s years in show business and the legendary live variety shows; Your Show of Shows...
- 3/31/2014
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Eddy and Sid after a Master Class at Nyu, 2003. (Photo: Michael Doft)
Sid Caesar’s funeral service was held on Sunday afternoon, February 16 at a private ceremony in Los Angeles. Among the family and friends paying tribute was Sid’s biographer and friend, Cinema Retro’s Eddy Friedfeld, who co-authored Sid’s creative biography, Caesar’s Hours, published by Public Affairs in 2003.
What follows is the eulogy Eddy delivered before Sid's family, friends and colleagues.
Sid said that, like Isaac Newton, he stood on the shoulders of giants, his inspirations- Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Laurel and Hardy and W.C. Fields, who helped him develop his career and craft. Today, Sid, we stand on your shoulders- and celebrate your life, your art, your warmth, character, and friendship. You did things no one else could do and you inspired many others, including people in this room, to take the same artistic risks.
Sid Caesar’s funeral service was held on Sunday afternoon, February 16 at a private ceremony in Los Angeles. Among the family and friends paying tribute was Sid’s biographer and friend, Cinema Retro’s Eddy Friedfeld, who co-authored Sid’s creative biography, Caesar’s Hours, published by Public Affairs in 2003.
What follows is the eulogy Eddy delivered before Sid's family, friends and colleagues.
Sid said that, like Isaac Newton, he stood on the shoulders of giants, his inspirations- Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Laurel and Hardy and W.C. Fields, who helped him develop his career and craft. Today, Sid, we stand on your shoulders- and celebrate your life, your art, your warmth, character, and friendship. You did things no one else could do and you inspired many others, including people in this room, to take the same artistic risks.
- 2/23/2014
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
A true television legend has died. Sid Caesar, who influenced generations of comedy writers and performers, passed away earlier today in Los Angeles. He was 91 years old.
Born to immigrant parents in 1922, Caesar made his first television appearance on Milton Berle's Texaco Star Theater in the late 40's. He soon met NBC president Pat Weaver and landed his first TV series, The Admiral Broadway Revue, with Imogene Coca.
In 1950, he appeared on the first episode of Your Show of Shows, a 90-minute variety show. The series featured comedy sketches, satires, monologues, musical guests and production numbers -- an early predecessor to Saturday Night Live (which Caesar guest-hosted in 1983). On-screen talent included Caesar, Carl Reiner, Howard Morris, and Imogene Coca. Backstage, the show's legendary writing staff included Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Mel Tolkin and Danny Simon.
Your Show of...
Born to immigrant parents in 1922, Caesar made his first television appearance on Milton Berle's Texaco Star Theater in the late 40's. He soon met NBC president Pat Weaver and landed his first TV series, The Admiral Broadway Revue, with Imogene Coca.
In 1950, he appeared on the first episode of Your Show of Shows, a 90-minute variety show. The series featured comedy sketches, satires, monologues, musical guests and production numbers -- an early predecessor to Saturday Night Live (which Caesar guest-hosted in 1983). On-screen talent included Caesar, Carl Reiner, Howard Morris, and Imogene Coca. Backstage, the show's legendary writing staff included Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Mel Tolkin and Danny Simon.
Your Show of...
- 2/13/2014
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
Television legend Sid Caesar, the actor and writer behind the iconic '50s comedy series "Your Show of Shows" and "Caesar's Hour," passed away earlier today at the age 91. The hugely influential Caesar pioneered the small screen sketch form, and brought together the likes of Mel Brooks, Imogene Coca, Lucille Kallen, Howard Morris, Carl Reiner, Neil Simon, Michael Stewart and Mel Tolkin as performers and writers. Caesar and "Your Show of Shows" were also the inspiration for "My Favorite Year" and "Laughter on the 23rd Floor." In honor of his achievements, Indiewire has complied a video list of some of his best sketches. Check them out below: 1. This is Your Story In this clip from "Your Show of Shows," Caesar mocks the well-known NBC series "This Your Life," which was hosted by Ralph Edwards and featured him bringing in guests and together going through their lives with appearances being made by their family and friends.
- 2/12/2014
- by Eric Eidelstein
- Indiewire
Hollywood is mourning the death of comedy titan Sid Caesar. The comic, who forever changed the course of television with his groundbreaking 1950s live Saturday night variety shows Your Show of Shows and Caesar’s Hour, was 91. Photos: Hollywood's Notable Deaths of 2014 His two variety shows influenced the likes of Woody Allen, Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Carl Reiner, Larry Gelbart, Imogene Coca, Nannette Fabray, Howard Morris, Lucille Kallen, Mel Tolkin and Fiddler on the Roof playwright Joseph Stein. Story: Hollywood Mourns Sid Caesar While Caesar's work spans several decades — encompassing both film and TV -- here's a look at
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- 2/12/2014
- by THR Staff
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
TV pioneer Sid Caesar has died at the age of 91 in Los Angeles. The Yonkers, NY-born comedian made his first appearance on TV in 1949 on Milton Berle’s Texaco Star Theater. On February 25, 1950, Caesar was among the ensemble cast on the premiere of Your Show Of Shows. With Caesar, Imogene Coca and Carl Reiner in front of the camera and Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Larry Gelbart, Mel Tolkin and Danny Simon among the writers, the 90-minute weekly NBC show became one of early TV’s biggest hits, running until June 1954, and served as a launching pad for future TV comedy talent — with proteges spawning protoges through the years. Ceasar moved on to topline several shows: the one-hour satirical Caesar’s Hour debuted just a few months later and ran until 1957, followed by 1958’s The Sid Caesar Show, which had Woody Allen as a writer. He starred in a series of...
- 2/12/2014
- by DOMINIC PATTEN
- Deadline TV
The Sopranos was named the best-written show in television history by the Writers Guild of America, edging out an eclectic collection of some of the most beloved and admired series. Members of the Writers Guild of America, West (Wgaw) and the Writers Guild of America, East (Wgae) voted online for the 101 Best Written TV Series, with David Chase’s iconic “family” drama topping Seinfeld, The Twilight Zone, All in the Family, and M*A*S*H*.
“At their core, all of these wonderful series began with the words of the writers who created them and were sustained by the writers...
“At their core, all of these wonderful series began with the words of the writers who created them and were sustained by the writers...
- 6/3/2013
- by Jeff Labrecque
- EW - Inside TV
Mel Brooks: Comedy As The Currency Of Friendship
By Eddy Friedfeld
(Photo copyright Steven R. Stack)
Mel Brooks is profiled in a superb American Masters documentary entitled Mel Brooks: Make a Noise, which premieres nationally on PBS stations on May 20th. One of 14 Egot (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony) winners, he has earned more major awards than any other living entertainer, and shows few signs of slowing down. With new interviews with Brooks, his friends and colleagues, including Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane, Cloris Leachman, Joan Rivers, Tracey Ullman, Rob Reiner, and his close friend, with whom he created The 2000 Year Old Man, Carl Reiner. A DVD with bonus material will be available Tuesday, May 21 from Shout Factory.
"When they called me to say I had been chosen as the next 'American Master,' I thought they said I was chosen to be the next Dutch Master. So I figured what the hell,...
By Eddy Friedfeld
(Photo copyright Steven R. Stack)
Mel Brooks is profiled in a superb American Masters documentary entitled Mel Brooks: Make a Noise, which premieres nationally on PBS stations on May 20th. One of 14 Egot (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony) winners, he has earned more major awards than any other living entertainer, and shows few signs of slowing down. With new interviews with Brooks, his friends and colleagues, including Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane, Cloris Leachman, Joan Rivers, Tracey Ullman, Rob Reiner, and his close friend, with whom he created The 2000 Year Old Man, Carl Reiner. A DVD with bonus material will be available Tuesday, May 21 from Shout Factory.
"When they called me to say I had been chosen as the next 'American Master,' I thought they said I was chosen to be the next Dutch Master. So I figured what the hell,...
- 5/17/2013
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Scheduled for airing on Showtime in the spring, Neil Simon's "Laughter on the 23rd Floor" had its world premiere at the Nortel Networks Palm Springs International Film Festival in January. The film screened in a 35mm print Saturday at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. A crowd-pleaser no matter how big the crowd is, "Laughter" is delightfully salty from beginning to end, but younger audiences will be hard to woo.
Set in 1954-55 New York, the movie is a "Front Page"-paced comedy about a group of pioneer TV writers and their famous boss.
Based on his experiences working as a writer on Sid Caesar's "Your Show of Shows", screenwriter Simon expands and fleshes out his 1993 play in key areas for this Paramount/Showtime production. Richard Benjamin deftly -- if unspectacularly -- calls the shots in another visit to the milieu he had much success with in his 1982 directorial debut, "My Favorite Year".
"Laughter" is surprisingly nimble about shifting emotional moods. The more serious moments -- dealing with the characters' personal and professional problems or the ongoing witch hunt of Sen. Joseph McCarthy -- are welcome respites from the otherwise frantic pace.
Nathan Lane reprises the role of supertalented TV star Max Prince, a role he first performed on Broadway. Lane is unstoppable as the charismatic lead funnyman, who in some ways is drowning and in other ways is surfing through the turbulent waves of change. The entire cast is wonderfully in the spirit, and the production values effortlessly evoke the period. Yet the project is far more than a nostalgic rerun of more hilarious times.
Popping pills, drinking like a fish and smoking big cigars, Prince is the dynamic but frazzled star of a hit weekly show on NBC that reflects his personality and the jokers he employs. While much of the action takes place in the writers' room on the titular 23rd story -- all of the play was set there -- the movie shows us Prince at home, Prince out in public with the writers, Prince at the graveyard with his older brother Harry Richard Portnow), Prince meeting with pompous network executives and so on.
Lest one thinks times have changed, Prince and his crew are fighting for the right to air the "urbane" show they want, without pressure from the network, but business is business. Prince goes on the warpath when the message comes down that ordinary American viewers aren't interested in satires of foreign movies and other inspired routines the show has tried in the past. The story more or less follows the decline of the show, including the intrusion of a network spy/censor, along with Prince's deteriorating physical and mental health. But we spend a good portion of the movie with the writers, who worriedly pass the time by verbally sparring or trying to help the proud, mercurial Prince behind his back.
The real writers Simon worked with included Mel Brooks, Larry Belbart and Mel Tolkin. The film's supporting cast of seven scribes has nary a weak link.
Always late and a wildly imaginative hypochondriac, Ira (Saul Rubinek) is the head writer, whom the others love to hate and bait. The rest of Prince's gag team is Russian emigre Val (Mark Linn-Baker, who also played the role on Broadway), lone female Carol (Peri Gilpin), newcomer Lucas (Mackenzie Astin), bemused Milt (Dan Castellaneta) and aggressive needlers Kenny (Victor Garber) and Brian (Zach Grenier).
Frank Proctor as real-life columnist Walter Winchell, Sherry Miller as Prince's wife and Colin Fox as network head Cal Weeb are nicely given their moments to play off Lane's dominating presence. Indeed, starting with Lane's generous and often superbly executed comedic and dramatic performance in a crowd, "Laughter" is classic material preserved for the ages.
LAUGHTER ON THE 23RD FLOOR
Showtime Networks and Paramount Television
Director: Richard Benjamin
Screenwriter: Neil Simon
Producer: Jeffrey Lampert
Executive producers: Emanuel Azenberg, Neil Simon
Director of photography: Danny Nowak
Production designer: Franco De Cotiis
Editor: Jacqueline Cambas
Costume designer: Tamara Winston
Music: Joseph Vitarelli
Color/stereo
Cast:
Max Prince: Nathan Lane
Val: Mark Linn-Baker
Kenny: Victor Garber
Ira: Saul Rubinek
Carol: Peri Gilpin
Milt: Dan Castellaneta
Harry: Richard Portnow
Brian: Zach Grenier
Lucas: Mackenzie Astin
Walter Winchell: Frank Proctor
Faye: Sherry Miller
Cal Weeb: Colin Fox
Running time --102 minutes
No MPAA Rating...
Set in 1954-55 New York, the movie is a "Front Page"-paced comedy about a group of pioneer TV writers and their famous boss.
Based on his experiences working as a writer on Sid Caesar's "Your Show of Shows", screenwriter Simon expands and fleshes out his 1993 play in key areas for this Paramount/Showtime production. Richard Benjamin deftly -- if unspectacularly -- calls the shots in another visit to the milieu he had much success with in his 1982 directorial debut, "My Favorite Year".
"Laughter" is surprisingly nimble about shifting emotional moods. The more serious moments -- dealing with the characters' personal and professional problems or the ongoing witch hunt of Sen. Joseph McCarthy -- are welcome respites from the otherwise frantic pace.
Nathan Lane reprises the role of supertalented TV star Max Prince, a role he first performed on Broadway. Lane is unstoppable as the charismatic lead funnyman, who in some ways is drowning and in other ways is surfing through the turbulent waves of change. The entire cast is wonderfully in the spirit, and the production values effortlessly evoke the period. Yet the project is far more than a nostalgic rerun of more hilarious times.
Popping pills, drinking like a fish and smoking big cigars, Prince is the dynamic but frazzled star of a hit weekly show on NBC that reflects his personality and the jokers he employs. While much of the action takes place in the writers' room on the titular 23rd story -- all of the play was set there -- the movie shows us Prince at home, Prince out in public with the writers, Prince at the graveyard with his older brother Harry Richard Portnow), Prince meeting with pompous network executives and so on.
Lest one thinks times have changed, Prince and his crew are fighting for the right to air the "urbane" show they want, without pressure from the network, but business is business. Prince goes on the warpath when the message comes down that ordinary American viewers aren't interested in satires of foreign movies and other inspired routines the show has tried in the past. The story more or less follows the decline of the show, including the intrusion of a network spy/censor, along with Prince's deteriorating physical and mental health. But we spend a good portion of the movie with the writers, who worriedly pass the time by verbally sparring or trying to help the proud, mercurial Prince behind his back.
The real writers Simon worked with included Mel Brooks, Larry Belbart and Mel Tolkin. The film's supporting cast of seven scribes has nary a weak link.
Always late and a wildly imaginative hypochondriac, Ira (Saul Rubinek) is the head writer, whom the others love to hate and bait. The rest of Prince's gag team is Russian emigre Val (Mark Linn-Baker, who also played the role on Broadway), lone female Carol (Peri Gilpin), newcomer Lucas (Mackenzie Astin), bemused Milt (Dan Castellaneta) and aggressive needlers Kenny (Victor Garber) and Brian (Zach Grenier).
Frank Proctor as real-life columnist Walter Winchell, Sherry Miller as Prince's wife and Colin Fox as network head Cal Weeb are nicely given their moments to play off Lane's dominating presence. Indeed, starting with Lane's generous and often superbly executed comedic and dramatic performance in a crowd, "Laughter" is classic material preserved for the ages.
LAUGHTER ON THE 23RD FLOOR
Showtime Networks and Paramount Television
Director: Richard Benjamin
Screenwriter: Neil Simon
Producer: Jeffrey Lampert
Executive producers: Emanuel Azenberg, Neil Simon
Director of photography: Danny Nowak
Production designer: Franco De Cotiis
Editor: Jacqueline Cambas
Costume designer: Tamara Winston
Music: Joseph Vitarelli
Color/stereo
Cast:
Max Prince: Nathan Lane
Val: Mark Linn-Baker
Kenny: Victor Garber
Ira: Saul Rubinek
Carol: Peri Gilpin
Milt: Dan Castellaneta
Harry: Richard Portnow
Brian: Zach Grenier
Lucas: Mackenzie Astin
Walter Winchell: Frank Proctor
Faye: Sherry Miller
Cal Weeb: Colin Fox
Running time --102 minutes
No MPAA Rating...
Scheduled for airing on Showtime in the spring, Neil Simon's "Laughter on the 23rd Floor" had its world premiere at the Nortel Networks Palm Springs International Film Festival in January. The film screened in a 35mm print Saturday at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. A crowd-pleaser no matter how big the crowd is, "Laughter" is delightfully salty from beginning to end, but younger audiences will be hard to woo.
Set in 1954-55 New York, the movie is a "Front Page"-paced comedy about a group of pioneer TV writers and their famous boss.
Based on his experiences working as a writer on Sid Caesar's "Your Show of Shows", screenwriter Simon expands and fleshes out his 1993 play in key areas for this Paramount/Showtime production. Richard Benjamin deftly -- if unspectacularly -- calls the shots in another visit to the milieu he had much success with in his 1982 directorial debut, "My Favorite Year".
"Laughter" is surprisingly nimble about shifting emotional moods. The more serious moments -- dealing with the characters' personal and professional problems or the ongoing witch hunt of Sen. Joseph McCarthy -- are welcome respites from the otherwise frantic pace.
Nathan Lane reprises the role of supertalented TV star Max Prince, a role he first performed on Broadway. Lane is unstoppable as the charismatic lead funnyman, who in some ways is drowning and in other ways is surfing through the turbulent waves of change. The entire cast is wonderfully in the spirit, and the production values effortlessly evoke the period. Yet the project is far more than a nostalgic rerun of more hilarious times.
Popping pills, drinking like a fish and smoking big cigars, Prince is the dynamic but frazzled star of a hit weekly show on NBC that reflects his personality and the jokers he employs. While much of the action takes place in the writers' room on the titular 23rd story -- all of the play was set there -- the movie shows us Prince at home, Prince out in public with the writers, Prince at the graveyard with his older brother Harry Richard Portnow), Prince meeting with pompous network executives and so on.
Lest one thinks times have changed, Prince and his crew are fighting for the right to air the "urbane" show they want, without pressure from the network, but business is business. Prince goes on the warpath when the message comes down that ordinary American viewers aren't interested in satires of foreign movies and other inspired routines the show has tried in the past. The story more or less follows the decline of the show, including the intrusion of a network spy/censor, along with Prince's deteriorating physical and mental health. But we spend a good portion of the movie with the writers, who worriedly pass the time by verbally sparring or trying to help the proud, mercurial Prince behind his back.
The real writers Simon worked with included Mel Brooks, Larry Belbart and Mel Tolkin. The film's supporting cast of seven scribes has nary a weak link.
Always late and a wildly imaginative hypochondriac, Ira (Saul Rubinek) is the head writer, whom the others love to hate and bait. The rest of Prince's gag team is Russian emigre Val (Mark Linn-Baker, who also played the role on Broadway), lone female Carol (Peri Gilpin), newcomer Lucas (Mackenzie Astin), bemused Milt (Dan Castellaneta) and aggressive needlers Kenny (Victor Garber) and Brian (Zach Grenier).
Frank Proctor as real-life columnist Walter Winchell, Sherry Miller as Prince's wife and Colin Fox as network head Cal Weeb are nicely given their moments to play off Lane's dominating presence. Indeed, starting with Lane's generous and often superbly executed comedic and dramatic performance in a crowd, "Laughter" is classic material preserved for the ages.
LAUGHTER ON THE 23RD FLOOR
Showtime Networks and Paramount Television
Director: Richard Benjamin
Screenwriter: Neil Simon
Producer: Jeffrey Lampert
Executive producers: Emanuel Azenberg, Neil Simon
Director of photography: Danny Nowak
Production designer: Franco De Cotiis
Editor: Jacqueline Cambas
Costume designer: Tamara Winston
Music: Joseph Vitarelli
Color/stereo
Cast:
Max Prince: Nathan Lane
Val: Mark Linn-Baker
Kenny: Victor Garber
Ira: Saul Rubinek
Carol: Peri Gilpin
Milt: Dan Castellaneta
Harry: Richard Portnow
Brian: Zach Grenier
Lucas: Mackenzie Astin
Walter Winchell: Frank Proctor
Faye: Sherry Miller
Cal Weeb: Colin Fox
Running time --102 minutes
No MPAA Rating...
Set in 1954-55 New York, the movie is a "Front Page"-paced comedy about a group of pioneer TV writers and their famous boss.
Based on his experiences working as a writer on Sid Caesar's "Your Show of Shows", screenwriter Simon expands and fleshes out his 1993 play in key areas for this Paramount/Showtime production. Richard Benjamin deftly -- if unspectacularly -- calls the shots in another visit to the milieu he had much success with in his 1982 directorial debut, "My Favorite Year".
"Laughter" is surprisingly nimble about shifting emotional moods. The more serious moments -- dealing with the characters' personal and professional problems or the ongoing witch hunt of Sen. Joseph McCarthy -- are welcome respites from the otherwise frantic pace.
Nathan Lane reprises the role of supertalented TV star Max Prince, a role he first performed on Broadway. Lane is unstoppable as the charismatic lead funnyman, who in some ways is drowning and in other ways is surfing through the turbulent waves of change. The entire cast is wonderfully in the spirit, and the production values effortlessly evoke the period. Yet the project is far more than a nostalgic rerun of more hilarious times.
Popping pills, drinking like a fish and smoking big cigars, Prince is the dynamic but frazzled star of a hit weekly show on NBC that reflects his personality and the jokers he employs. While much of the action takes place in the writers' room on the titular 23rd story -- all of the play was set there -- the movie shows us Prince at home, Prince out in public with the writers, Prince at the graveyard with his older brother Harry Richard Portnow), Prince meeting with pompous network executives and so on.
Lest one thinks times have changed, Prince and his crew are fighting for the right to air the "urbane" show they want, without pressure from the network, but business is business. Prince goes on the warpath when the message comes down that ordinary American viewers aren't interested in satires of foreign movies and other inspired routines the show has tried in the past. The story more or less follows the decline of the show, including the intrusion of a network spy/censor, along with Prince's deteriorating physical and mental health. But we spend a good portion of the movie with the writers, who worriedly pass the time by verbally sparring or trying to help the proud, mercurial Prince behind his back.
The real writers Simon worked with included Mel Brooks, Larry Belbart and Mel Tolkin. The film's supporting cast of seven scribes has nary a weak link.
Always late and a wildly imaginative hypochondriac, Ira (Saul Rubinek) is the head writer, whom the others love to hate and bait. The rest of Prince's gag team is Russian emigre Val (Mark Linn-Baker, who also played the role on Broadway), lone female Carol (Peri Gilpin), newcomer Lucas (Mackenzie Astin), bemused Milt (Dan Castellaneta) and aggressive needlers Kenny (Victor Garber) and Brian (Zach Grenier).
Frank Proctor as real-life columnist Walter Winchell, Sherry Miller as Prince's wife and Colin Fox as network head Cal Weeb are nicely given their moments to play off Lane's dominating presence. Indeed, starting with Lane's generous and often superbly executed comedic and dramatic performance in a crowd, "Laughter" is classic material preserved for the ages.
LAUGHTER ON THE 23RD FLOOR
Showtime Networks and Paramount Television
Director: Richard Benjamin
Screenwriter: Neil Simon
Producer: Jeffrey Lampert
Executive producers: Emanuel Azenberg, Neil Simon
Director of photography: Danny Nowak
Production designer: Franco De Cotiis
Editor: Jacqueline Cambas
Costume designer: Tamara Winston
Music: Joseph Vitarelli
Color/stereo
Cast:
Max Prince: Nathan Lane
Val: Mark Linn-Baker
Kenny: Victor Garber
Ira: Saul Rubinek
Carol: Peri Gilpin
Milt: Dan Castellaneta
Harry: Richard Portnow
Brian: Zach Grenier
Lucas: Mackenzie Astin
Walter Winchell: Frank Proctor
Faye: Sherry Miller
Cal Weeb: Colin Fox
Running time --102 minutes
No MPAA Rating...
- 3/12/2001
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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