We don’t seem to be doing a whole lot of laughing lately, do we?
Sure, we chuckle from time to time. And there’s some derisive laughter that goes on when we hear someone saying something we don’t like. Or when someone says something we might consider stupid. All in all, there is a distinct feeling of melancholy that permeates these COVID-19 days, unfortunately.
My friend and I were lamenting this the other day. One of the reasons for this, we decided, is one of the greatest laugh inducers ever to grace our lives for the last seven decades left us in June.
The Associated Press called him comedy’s rare untortured genius.
Time said his greatest gift was letting others shine.
Dick Van Dyke said, “He's not only been my mentor and good friend, but possibly the best comedy writer who ever lived."
National Public Radio called him a mensch.
Who else could earn these and ever so many more accolades? Why, Carl Reiner, of course.
He was an entertainer extraordinaire. Actor, writer, director on stage, screen, television, author — and then even on Twitter with 300,000 followers!
He didn’t just make us laugh each and every time he opened his mouth or wrote a word, he made us feel more human. I love this gem of his: “Lust is easy. Love is hard. Like is most important.”
I confessed to my friend that I couldn’t remember the exact time and place we met because heavens, that was at least 60 years ago! I do think it was at the Ed Sullivan Theatre during a rehearsal.
But I do remember it was when I was still in New York in the late 1950s before making the leap toward my next career in Hollywood. I was still figuring out who I wanted to become while Carl had already become much of what he would continue to become — the legendary entertainer everyone cherished and admired.
Carl was a close friend of my dear friend, David Chasman, who passed away last year. My guess is Carl must have figured if a 20-something was a good friend of David’s she was more than okay with him. It was a heady experience to be in the company of such cream of the top talent of the generation before me.
Carl and Mel Brooks, his lifelong compatriot in comedy, would usually “enter laughing.” My guess is it was as much their ingrained training as consummate entertainers as it was that they knew everyone would want to be in on the joke. They were happy to oblige us. And we obliged them, always begging for more of their effortless riffing off each other.
When I left New York for Hollywood and what would become my new career shepherding “Young Hollywood,” Carl was already working on what would become his next phase, “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” (and then “fill in the blank” of over 400 credits!) so our paths didn’t really cross afterwards.
Yes indeed, Carl is legendary. And, I’m sure you have your own superlatives for him if you were lucky enough to see one of his shows, his films, read his books, or follow him on Twitter.
If you haven’t been lucky enough, do yourself a favor and find him.
He’s everywhere where there’s laughter.
Until next time … keep thinking the good thoughts … and keep on laughing.