GOOD HUMOR from page 74

`The Dick Van Dyke Show' is without
question one of the shows," notes enter-
tainment industry columnist David
Poland. "To knock out a sitcom and
write it yourself in that era on your own
was pretty amazing. [Reiner] was the
first one to come in who was not the
talent and didn't have the power of a
star to create a show like that that was
so completely his."
Reiner continued to perform as an
actor in several films, including It A
Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963),

him best as Rob Reiner's dad, but that
doesn't faze the veteran comedian.
"Why would that bother me?" he
asks. "We're close and my wife and I
are both thrilled with the wonderful
person that he's become."
The elder Reiner also is working on
a book of short stories, tided Sony

Solomon and Guey Jew, Or How Paul
Robeson Saved My Lift, slated for publi-

cation this fall. "Jew is a very big
Chinese name," Reiner attests. "I passed
a sign when I was doing 'Your Show of
Shows' every day going to work. There
The Russians Are Coming, The Russians
was a big Guey Jew laundry, so I made
Are Corning (1966) and The End
a fictionalized story about this man."
(1978), but slowly shifted towar'd the
Reiner admits he observes most of
director's chair.
the Jewish holidays
The first movie he over-
simply by eating
saw as director was the film
the foods associated
Enter
adaptation of his book
with
them.
in
1967,
followed
Laughing
However, Judaism
by Where's Poppa? (1970)
has always played a
and Oh God! (1977). He
major role in his
also worked with comedian
comedy routines.
Steve Martin on several of
"You can't help it. It
his early films, including
started
inadvertent-
The Jerk, Dead Men Don't
ly
[with
Mel Brooks
and
Wear Plaid, All Of Me
and the 2000 Year
The Lonely Guy.
Old Man]," he
Even now, Reiner says he
maintains.
can appreciate the .humor of
"After Hitler,
younger comics like Jerry
there
weren't a lot
Seinfeld, Ray Romano and
of
people
who
Carl
Re
iner
has
won
Tim Allen. Though his early
spoke
with
Yiddish
multiple
Emmys.
works were devoid of the foul
accents for humor.
language commonly found in
Before that, there were a lot on radio
today's comedy bits, Reiner isn't
and vaudeville. They actually called
offended by its use, as long as it has
them 'Jew comics' — that meant they
legitimate entertainment value.
spoke with a Yiddish accent. But when
"I don't like mean-spirited — making
Hitler came, making fun of Jews was
fun of people and the way they look,"
not a good thing for Jews to be doing,
he says. "But profanity never upset me if
so Jewish comics stopped doing it."
it was used correctly People have always
He and best friend Brooks have
sworn and cursed. [I don't mind it] if
toyed with the idea of taking their
the reason they are doing it is because
2000 Year Old Man routine to
you are showing people as they are. If
Carnegie Hall for a live show next
you - are using it to get a rise out of peo-
New Year's Eve. He might never make
ple and manipulate an audience, then I
it to the opera, but all in all, Reiner is
don't think it's an acceptable device."
pleased with the success his life has
Currendy, Reiner is working on a
brought him.
television script for a new half-hour_
"I have something in print, I have
comedy, but he declines to elaborate
something on film, I have something
on the concept. He and Brooks still
on tape and on CD," he says. "So,
get together once or twice a week for
there's a history of me someplace, that
dinner or a movie, and he still talks to
I've lived and I haven't fouled the uni-
Caesar by phone every now and then.
verse or been a toxic person." ❑
He realizes that Gen-Xers may know

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4189

3/5
1999

70 Detroit Jewish News

char() Fahe RootZ\
Orchar6 Lake

Carl Reiner will entertain 8 p.m. Saturday, March 6, as part of the
"Encore" series sponsored by the Jewish Community Center, at West
Bloomfield High School, 4925 Orchard Lake Road. After the show, Reiner
will sign copies of the book he co-authored with Mel Brooks, The 2000
Year Old Man in the Year 2000. Tickets for the evening are $25 mem-
bers/$35 non-members; they will be sold in advance and at the door. For
information and tickets, call (248) 661-7649.

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