Book Read Free

Funny Man

Page 65

by Patrick McGilligan


  New York Journal-American, The, 111, 207

  New York magazine, 346, 383, 384, 530, 532

  New York Post, The, 375, 532, 536, 541, 542; reviews, 411, 537

  New York Review of Books, The, 524

  New York Times, The, 168; Bancroft interview, 463; Bancroft-MB marriage, 227–28; birth announcement, Stefanie Brooks, 129; on MB, 204, 242; MB interview, 361–62; on MB’s biggest moneymaker, 412; on MB trailers and ad spots, 235; Meehan piece, 460; The Producers and, 267–68; review of “Annie,” 295; review of Fatso, 403; review of New Faces, 87; review of The Miracle Worker, 207; review of Your Show of Shows, 66, 70, 111; reviews of MB’s works, 139, 195, 200, 267, 284, 298, 347, 354, 366, 375, 410–11, 442–43, 449, 460, 469, 488, 537, 540; on Robin Hood: Men in Tights, 503; on The Sid Caesar Show, 203; 2000 Year Old Man review, 178

  Nichols, Mike, 177, 186, 254, 271, 279, 534

  Nielsen, Leslie, 506–7

  Nielsens (ratings), 76, 116, 204, 237, 481

  ’night, Mother (film), 464

  Night Must Fall (film), 436

  Nikolic, Djordje, 288, 291

  No Laughing Matter (Heller and Vogel), 214

  Norman, Is That You? (play), 369

  North by Northwest (film), 229, 380

  Norton, Cliff, 148

  Norton, Graham, 552

  Nosferatu (film), 506

  Noto, Lore, 248, 259, 260

  Notorious Landlady, The (film), 204

  Nowhere to Go but Up (musical), 199–200, 202, 210, 261

  Nude Bomb, The (film), 237

  Nutt House, The (TV show), 479–81, 486, 501

  Obama, Barack, 544

  O’Brien, Conan, 104, 545

  Occupant (play), 531

  Ockrent, Mike, 520

  O’Connor, John J., 366

  Odd Couple, The (play and film), 164, 289

  Odets, Clifford, 23

  “Oh, God!” (film), 511, 511n

  Old Acquaintance (film), 389

  Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All, The (telefilm), 492

  Oliver! (musical), 189, 288, 299

  Olsen, Alfa-Betty, 245; “All American”, 186–88; break with MB, 290; Get Smart, 189, 223, 227; MB’s monetary gift to, 537; The Producers, 248–50, 252, 256–61, 263, 269, 289–90, 537; The Twelve Chairs, 280–83, 286–88

  Olsen, John “Ole,” 14

  Once Over Lightly (revue), 118–20, 256

  One in a Million (film), 11–12; “The Horror Boys from Hollywood,” 11–12, 342

  One Potato, Two Potato (film), 226

  Open End (TV show), 167–70, 220

  Oppenheimer & Co., 481–82, 484

  Orbach, Jerry, 207

  Oregon Journal, The, 428

  Oregon Repertory Theatre, 445

  Orso’s, West Hollywood, 518

  Osato, Sono, 119–20

  Oscar, Brad, 521, 532–33

  O’Shea, Michael D., 501

  O’Toole, Peter, 440, 443, 518

  Outside There, Somewhere (Kallen), 221

  Padula, Edward, 149–50, 166, 173, 179, 186, 188, 190, 191

  Page, Geraldine, 245

  Page, Patti, 153

  Palin, Michael, 413–14

  Pal Joey (film), 102–3, 105

  Palmer House, Chicago, Ill., 59

  Palumbo, Dennis, 437–40

  Paper Moon (film), 324

  Papp, Joseph, 29

  Paramount Pictures, 171, 172, 174, 365, 366; The Elephant Man and, 399–400; pass on Robin Hood, 496

  Parish, James Robert, 32, 50, 57, 73; see also It’s Good to Be the King

  Parker, Dorothy, 102

  Parks, Van Dyke, 404

  Parretti, Giancarlo, 485, 486n

  Patch, David, 245

  Pearlman, Ronny, 240

  Peerce, Jan, 189

  Penn, Arthur, 253, 318, 534

  Perelman, S. J., 362

  Perlman, Cliff, 377

  Perry Como Show, The (TV show), 184, 185, 225

  Persky, Bill, 69–70, 236, 255–56

  Persky, Lester, 32

  Peters, Bernadette, 373

  Petrov, Evgeny, 107, 280

  Philadelphia Inquirer, The, 489

  Phillips, Julia, 363

  Phil Silvers Show, The (TV show), 137, 159

  Piazza, Marguerite, 66, 71, 76, 135

  Pickens, Slim, 323, 330

  Pillot, Leo, 56

  Pink Panther, The (film), 220

  Pintoff, Ernest, 210–11

  Pitzer College, 491–92

  Platt, Edward, 229

  Playboy, 352; MB interview, 130, 132, 191–92, 414–15; MB Q and A, 354

  Playhouse Theatre, N.Y., 33

  Playtime (film), 347

  Point of No Return (film), 492, 493

  Poire, Jean-Marie, 503

  Poitier, Sidney, 211, 228

  Pollack, Howard, 115

  Polly Bergen Show, The (TV show), 142–44

  Pomerance, Bernard, 426–28, 428n

  Pons, Lily, 110

  Pontecorvo, Gillo, 289

  Porter, Cole, 14, 27, 43

  Portman, Richard, 356

  Portnoy’s Complaint (film), 440

  Poster, Steven, 488

  Poston, Tom, 229

  Powell, Eleanor, 59

  Prager, Stanley, 118–19, 120, 196

  Pratt, Anthony, 468

  Prelutsky, Burt, 362

  Preminger, Otto, 102

  Princess Bride, The (film), 501

  Prisoner of Second Avenue, The (film), 317–18, 352, 363

  Producers, The (1968 film), 132, 157, 190–91, 200, 212, 213, 216, 248–80, 299–300, 310, 322, 335, 338, 347, 355, 376, 487, 529; awards and Oscars, 278n, 288–89; Bloom’s blue blankie in, 255, 266; Bloom’s hysterics scene, 266–67; cast, 256–59, 260, 440; character of Leo Bloom, 249, 255, 257, 258; character of Max Bialystock, 28, 33, 224, 249, 256, 270; earnings, 285, 286l editing, 271–77; ending of, 281; filming, 264–71; Hitler audition scene, 269–70; “Hold Me, Touch Me,” 258; Lincoln Center fountain scene, 271; “Love Power,” 263, 270, 516–17; MB and rights to as a stage property, 286; MB as director, 253, 258, 263, 264, 265–69, 270, 284, 351; MB performing in, 275; MB pitching and finding backers, 250–53; Mostel and, 256–57, 270–71, 275, 278, 279, 283, 284, 289; national release, 280, 283, 285–86; Nice Mel vs. Rude Crude Mel in, 249, 271; Olsen and, 248–50, 252, 256–61, 263, 269; opening sequence, 264–65; previews and screenings, 277–79; production team, 261, 264; progenitors, 190n; promotion, 277–78; reviews, 283–84, 285; “Springtime for Hitler” (song), 33, 261–63, 278, 283, 284, 355, 408, 461, 515; “Springtime for Hitler” (title), 191, 252; “We’re Prisoners of Love,” 281, 515; Wilder, Gene, and, 212–13, 258, 259, 266–67, 270–71, 275, 279, 284, 288, 289

  Producers, The (musical), 514–28; “Betrayed,” 517; book credit, 516; as Broadway hit, 523; budget, 520; cast, 521–22; composer, 516; director, 520–21; early grosses and ticket scalping, 523, 527; film version, 530, 532, 536–37; gay characters, 517; Grammys, 529; “If You’ve Got It, Flaunt It,” 517; investors, 519–20, 522, 525; “Keep It Gay!,” 517; last Broadway performance, 539; London and world productions, 529–30, 532–33; MB and score, 516–17, 525, 525n; MB’s profit, 550; Meehan and, 516–18; records broken, 525, 526; reviews, 523–24; road company, 548; “Springtime for Hitler,” 461n, 517; Stadlen replaces Lane, 537–38; story changes, 517; ticket price, 525, 526–27; Tonys, 526

  Producers, The (2005 musical film), 530, 532–33, 536–37

  Pryce, Jonathan, 467

  Pryor, Richard, 247, 311–15, 318, 326, 356, 357, 367, 371, 409

  Puig, Manuel, 492

  Pullman, Bill, 474

  Pumpkin Eater, The (film), 226, 230

  Punch (magazine), Sid Caesar Invites You and, 147

  Purlie (musical), 327

  Putney Swope (film), 244

  Puzo, Mario, 214

  Rain Man (film), 387

  Randall, Tony, 160, 304, 305

  Randolph, Ann, 532

&
nbsp; Rathbone, Basil, 444

  Raucher, Herman, 80–81, 90, 108, 114, 115

  Rawlings, Marjorie Kinnan, 248

  Ray, Nicholas, 466

  Rea, Stephen, 467

  Reader, Joel, 482

  Red Bank Players, 48–51, 119

  Red Buttons Show, The (TV show), 116–17, 124

  Reed, Carol, 474

  Reed, Lou, 245

  Rees, Roger, 501

  Reik, Theodor, 76, 95, 131

  Reiner, Carl, 30, 63, 82, 113, 114, 161, 203, 227, 241, 245n, 266, 316, 352, 415, 492, 495, 509, 511, 528, 547, 548; analyst for, 75; Bancroft memorial and, 534; Caesar’s Hour, 111–12, 124, 126, 137; The Celebrity Game, 206; in Chicago with Caesar, 73; The Comedians, 304–5; Dick Van Dyke Show and, 82, 175, 204, 317n, 325, 443–44; Emmys, 204; Enter Laughing, 148, 204; fame and, 175; film writing and acting, 204; Fire Island incident, 75; History of the World, Part I, 409; in Hollywood, 172, 230, 322; MB’s friendship with, 74–75, 82, 116, 141, 172, 210, 213, 215, 230, 294, 322, 361, 465, 483, 543, 544, 547–48; on MB’s talent, 78, 82–83, 127; Other World friends, 377–78; politics and, 244; Sid Caesar Invites You and, 144–45; as straight man, 76, 205; tennis and, 360; 2000 Year Old Man and, 83, 89, 114, 123, 141, 158, 175–78, 205, 210, 317, 317n, 510–11, 548; Where’s Poppa? 301l William Morris Agency and, 72; Your Show of Shows, 66, 71, 76, 78, 82, 100, 254–56

  Reiner, Estelle, 74, 75, 89, 113, 114, 364, 377–78, 415, 465, 547

  Reiner, Rob, 318, 501, 504–5

  Reiser, Paul, 512

  “Retreat” (song), 41

  Reynolds, Burt, 372, 421

  Rhinoceros (film), 328, 337

  Rich, Bernard “Buddy,” 26, 479

  Rich, Frank, 375

  Rich, Mickey, 26

  Richler, Mordecai, 362

  Richmond, Bill, 153–54, 170–74

  Rickles, Don, 289

  Riddle, Nelson, 153

  Ritz, Harry, 74, 151, 373

  Ritz Brothers, 11–12, 131, 342, 370

  Rivera, Chita, 166

  Rivers, Joan, 391, 474

  Riviera nightclub (Fort Lee, N. J.), 52

  Rivkin, Stephen E., 501

  Roach, Wilbur (a.k.a. Will Jordan), 49–50, 51, 191

  Roberts, Ken, 113

  Robertson, Campbell, 541

  Robin Hood: Men in Tights (film), 404, 494–503, 543; cast, 501; earnings, 502–3; filming, 501; foreign market, 503, 505; funding, 497; MB acting in, 496, 498; MB’s war experiences and, 38–39; music for, 501–2; production team, 501–2; promotion, 502; release of, 502; reviews, 502; story credits, 499–500; story idea and script, 495, 498–501; title, 497–98

  Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (film), 496

  Robinson, Edward G., 176

  Robinson, Walter “Wally,” 136, 153, 285

  Rocky Mountain News, The, MB interview, 529

  Rogers, Ginger, 11, 157, 168

  Rolling Stone magazine, 489, 507

  Rome, Harold, 141

  Roney, John, 49, 51

  Roosevelt, Franklin Delano (FDR), 36

  Rose, Billy, 141, 158

  Rose, Charlie, 306

  Rose, Reginald, 295

  Rosen, Charles, 261

  Rosen, Milt, 117

  Rosenbaum, Thane, 524

  Rosenblum, Ralph, 261, 265, 272–77, 279, 288

  Ross, Herbert, 113n, 231, 232, 233

  Ross, Jerry, 66

  Ross, Katharine, 257

  Ross, Robert, 350

  Rosten, Leo, 22, 32n

  Roth, Joe, 497

  Rothberg, Howard, 406

  Rowan (Dan) and (Dick) Martin, 256

  Roxy Theater, N.Y., 69

  Royale Theatre, N.Y., 87

  Ruben, Aaron, 122, 126

  Ruskin, Mickey, 246

  Russell, Jack, 76

  Russell, Nipsey, 220

  Russell, Rosalind, 161

  Ruthless People (film), 474

  Ryan, Desmond, 489

  Sahl, Mort, 177

  Saks, Gene, 89

  Salamon, Julie, 477

  Sam (film), 549

  Sandler, Adam, 548

  Sandrich, Jay, 230

  Sanford, Charles, 62, 254

  San Francisco Chronicle, The, 537

  Sanger, Jonathan, 379, 391, 394–403, 426–28, 431–32, 434, 466, 533

  Santa Monica, Ca., 417–18, 546, 471

  Sargent, Herb, 295

  Sarris, Andrew, 190n, 284, 347, 460

  Saturday Evening Post, The, on Kelly, 231–32

  Saturday Review, 215

  Savoy Hotel, London, 551

  Schary, Dore, 162

  Schlatter, George, 256

  Schreiber, Avery, 404, 501

  Schulberg, Budd, 104

  Schulman, Max, 304

  Schwartz, Alan U., 156, 215, 243, 246, 297, 299, 390, 485, 522; Crossbow Productions, 183; The Elephant Man, 396, 397, 398, 400–401; Get Smart, 222, 238–39; Inside Danny Baker, 197–98; MB’s buyout of alimony deal, 321; 20th Century-Fox contract, 406; Young Frankenstein, 340

  Schwartz, Arthur, 161

  Schwartz, Marvin, 153, 172, 216, 230, 241, 243

  Schwimmer, Alden, 181

  Scott, A. O., 537

  Scott, Hazel, 28

  Screw Loose (film), 512–14

  Seattle Post-Intelligencer, The, 428

  Seattle Times, The, 541

  Segal, George, 303

  Seinfeld, Jerry, 498, 548

  Sellers, Peter, 148, 191, 211, 220, 224, 246, 257, 261, 280, 286

  Separate Rooms (play), 50–51

  Seroy, Helena, 107

  Sesame Street (TV show), 365

  7 Women (film), 230–31

  Seven Arts, 213

  Seymour, Dan, 83

  SFX Broadcasting/Entertainment, 520

  Shadowland (Arnold), 428, 429, 430, 431, 432

  Shaffer, Anthony, 215

  Shales, Tom, 525

  Shalit, Gene, 283, 375, 460

  Shampoo (film), 32

  Shandling, Garry, 498

  Shapiro, J. David, 496–501

  Shaw, Artie, 26, 27, 479

  Shaw, Frank, 245, 245n, 260, 339

  Shaw, George Bernard, 473

  Shawn, Dick, 178, 254, 256, 259, 263, 268, 295, 516

  Shelley, Mary, 11, 335, 375, 505

  Shepard, Sam, 432

  She Stoops to Conquer (proposed film version), 302–3, 305

  Shevelove, Burt, 204

  Shinbone Alley (musical), 138–40, 166, 200, 229, 262, 267

  Ship of Fools (film), 230

  Shockaholic (Fisher), 495

  Shore, Dinah (The Dinah Shore Show), 144, 161, 172

  Shore, Sammy, 370, 409

  Short, Martin, 530

  Sick Humor of Lenny Bruce, The (album), 190

  Sid Caesar Invites You (TV show), 144–45, 147; BBC version, 146–48, 155

  Sidney Glazier Productions, 302

  Signoret, Simone, 161

  Silence of the Hams, The (film), 505, 513

  Silent Movie (film), 79, 251n, 368–77, 388, 406, 408–9, 431, 529; Bancroft in, 372; budget, 374; Caesar in, 373, 381, 408, 418; cast, 372–74; celebrity appearances, 371–72; earnings, 376, 377; editing, 374; filming, 374; idea for and script, 368–71; lawsuit, 423–25; MB starring in, 369, 370, 371, 380; production team, 374; release of, 374–75; reviews, 375; Reynolds’s shower scene, 421; sight gags, 374; WGA award nomination, 377; writers, 370–71, 374

  Silent Running (film), 338

  Sillerman, Robert F. X., 520, 540, 542

  Sillman, Leonard, 85–89, 88n, 190n, 324

  Silverman, Fred, 398–99, 401, 416

  Silverman, Fred, 416

  Silvers, Phil, 90, 137, 161, 304

  Simon, Danny, 106–7, 116, 117, 124, 144, 150–52, 169

  Simon, Joan, 135

  Simon, Neil, 128, 151, 166, 203–4, 227, 256, 415, 441n, 443, 492, 528; Caesar’s Hour, 124–26, 128; The Odd Couple, 164, 289; The Prisoner of Second Avenue, 318; The Red Buttons Show, 116; Sid Ca
esar Invites You, 144; watching Blazing Saddles, 80; Your Show of Shows, 78, 106–7

  Simon, Paul, 534

  Sinatra, Frank, 103, 105, 153–54, 193, 203, 205, 289, 355, 380, 381

  Siskel, Gene, 412, 502

  Skelton, Red, 167

  Skin of Our Teeth, The (play), 253

  Slater, Christian, 495

  Sleeper (film), 346, 355

  Slender Thread, The (film), 228

  Smell of Fear, The (film), 506

  Smiley, Tavis, 545

  Smith, Patti, 245

  Smothers, Tommy, 295

  Snipes, Wesley, 504

  Solarbabies (film), 466, 467–71, 473, 475

  Solinas, Franco, 289

  Sondheim, Stephen, 196, 450

  Sorel, Ted, 421

  Southern, Terry, 246–47, 448n

  Spaceballs (film), 243, 404, 470–77, 486; budget, 474, 477; cast, 473–74; earnings, 477, 502; editing and postproduction, 475; filming, 475; G rating, 477; idea for and script, 470–73; MB as actor-director, 475, 476; MB promoting, 476; music for, 475; production design and locations, 474–75; release of, 475, 476; script credit, 500; video and ancillary markets, 477; writers, 471–73

  Spaceballs: The Animated Series (film), 473–74

  Spacek, Sissy, 464

  Spanglish (film), 531

  Spelling, Aaron, 361, 481

  Spence, Eulalie, 29, 32

  Spencer, Alan, 480

  Spencer, Walter, 375

  Spheeris, Penelope, 511

  Spivak, Charlie, 52

  Springsteen, Bruce, 543

  Squeeze Box (play), 532

  Stadlen, Lewis J., 452–59, 538

  Staff, Clement, 76, 77, 80–81, 98, 129–33

  Stallone, Sylvester, 504

  Stanfill, Dennis, 368, 395, 399

  Stanley, Kim, 253

  Stanley, Susan, 428–29

  Starbuck, James, 62, 254

  Start the Revolution Without Me (film), 328

  Star Wars (film), 470, 471

  Steig, William, 197, 200, 210

  Stein, Harry, 355, 355n

  Stein, Joseph, 106, 116, 122, 214, 266, 304, 355n

  Steinberg, David, 303

  Steinberg, Norman, 306, 310–11, 320, 365, 367, 494–95; Blazing Saddles, 306, 311–14, 316, 318–20, 326, 327, 329, 331, 356, 357, 495; MB’s friendship with, 319–20; My Favorite Year, 438–40, 444, 495; When Things Were Rotten, 365–67.

  Steiner, Rick, 520

  Stern, Leonard, 106, 230–33, 238, 240, 303

  Sternbergh, Adam, 530

  Steve Allen Show, The (TV show), 206, 285

  Stevens, Gloria, 71

  Stewart, James (Jimmy), 380

  Stewart, Michael, 124–30, 142, 144, 146, 149–50, 153, 165–66, 173, 186, 188, 255; MB collaboration, 142, 148–50, 156, 157

  Stewart, Patrick, 501

  Stewart, Sara, 532

 

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