Monthly Archives: March 2014

Here is Les Misérables as it gets performed on Sesame Street. I'm not sure but I don't think these actors are singing live…

This morning on Facebook, I posted a photo of the Three Stooges in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World: Larry Fine, Moe Howard and "Curly" Joe DeRita. In response, I received a couple of really nasty e-mails from people who couldn't resist telling me how much they loathed Joe DeRita. And what was the horrible thing Mr. DeRita did to warrant such hatred? Why, he'd committed the cardinal sin — one of which we are all guilty to some extent — of not being Curly Howard.

Some history. Leaving aside a few short-lived configurations of the group when they supported Ted Healy, Moe and Larry were always two-thirds of the Stooges. It was the third guy who kept changing. First, in their pre-movie days, it was Shemp. Then Shemp left and he was replaced by Curly. (As everyone knows, Moe, Shemp and Curly were all brothers.) Curly was the guy when they started making shorts for Columbia and Curly was the guy when their films were made on decent budgets and weren't just quickly-shot and/or retreads of what had gone before.

Then Curly had a stroke so Shemp came back to the act and took his brother's place. Then Shemp died and his spot was taken by Joe Besser, and he was the third Stooge until they came to the end of their contract to make pictures for Columbia.

After that, the only prospect for the Stooges was to tour, and that's when Besser pulled out. He said it was because his wife was ill and he had to stay home in Hollywood to take care of her. While Mrs. Besser may have been ill at the time, it's pretty obvious to me that Besser was using that an excuse. He could and did get plenty of work in town as a character actor but at the moment, no one was rushing to hire the Stooges. If you'd been Joe Besser's agent, you would probably have told him it was a good time to jump ship and go it alone. Besides, he was never really a full-time member of the act. Even while making the films with Larry and Moe, he still went out and did non-Stooge roles in movies and on TV programs.

If Moe and Larry were going to make any further money as the Three Stooges, they needed a third stooge…and they got DeRita. I am now going to commit what some will deem as heresy by suggesting he was the best possible choice and that he was probably no less funny than Curly or Shemp would have been in those films, given the writing, production values and the ages of everyone at the time. It also didn't help that given those ages, and their growing following among children, they toned down the physical comedy and what some called "violence."

No, 1960 Curly Joe was not as funny as 1940 Curly…and guess what! 1960 Larry was not as funny as 1940 Larry, and 1960 Moe was not as funny as 1940 Moe, and the scripts and budgets of 1960 did not allow for Stooges films as funny as the ones from 1940, either. Joe DeRita was not the reason Snow White and the Three Stooges was a snooze and a half.

I met Joe DeRita once. He was at a one-day comic convention around 1973, signing autographs. I think the idea was that he'd charge $5 or $10 for a signature, which seemed like a lot of money at the time. He signed a few at that price and then I think he felt bad about it because a lot of little kids were coming by and he didn't want to say no to them or demand money. So suddenly, the autographs were free…and I'm not sure about this next part but I think he sent someone out to look for the people he'd charged and refund what they'd paid.

I remember a couple things about him. One was how he brightened up when I told him I'd visited Larry out at the Motion Picture Country Hospital. He also brightened up when I asked him some questions about his non-Stooge career, particularly his days in burlesque. He obligingly answered all the fans' questions about whether they ever got hurt in their films, and he was polite to those who didn't seem to understand that he wasn't Curly. But when I asked him about his solo shorts at Columbia — he made quite a few before he hooked up with Moe and Larry — he invited me to sit and actually have a conversation. He loved being part of the Stooges but it was, after all, just one thing he'd done in a very long show biz career.

Another thing I remember is what terrible shape he was in. He had not-that-long a walk from the car to his table and he was exhausted and wheezing. He was also much more overweight than I'd ever seen him on screen. The Stooges had not made a film in quite some time and with Larry recovering from a stroke and Joe looking the way he did, it was pretty obvious they never would again. Mr. DeRita didn't seem to think so but that's understandable. When you spend your whole lifetime as a performer, it's hard to ever admit it's over.

The chat was pleasant and largely unmemorable except that I got bragging rights to say I'd met another Stooge. He told me a few great stories about working in burlesque revues in Las Vegas in the late fifties and he said that when he signed on for the Stooges, Moe told him, "Remember…most of our fans are kids so you can't do burlesque shows anymore." Joe said he wouldn't miss it and he thought Moe had missed a bit of irony there. An awful lot of what the Stooges did was burlesque, including some hallowed burley-q routines. They just didn't have the sexy stuff and the scantily-clad women.

I didn't talk with him long because he had a lot of people — young kids and also folks my age and older — who wanted autographs and the above-mentioned bragging rights. A few wanted to tell him their favorite Stooge film or routine…which was usually something with Curly, something that had nothing to do with him. So I left and since then, I've always had a little warm spot for the guy.

Yeah, he wasn't part of the great Stooges era but that was ancient history by the time he hopped aboard. The Stooges made funny shorts in the thirties and early forties…and then as two-reel comedies became increasingly less lucrative, they hung in there by making them cheaper and faster and faster and cheaper. The quality of their films was a pretty steady descent over the last 10-12 years, enlivened only by brief bursts of good comic acting from Shemp and then from Joe Besser. Like the last few years of Laurel and Hardy or the Marx Brothers, the best thing you can say about their last films is that there are moments that remind you of their best work.

None of that was Joe DeRita's fault. Matter of fact, I think he was the best thing in some of those films…which admittedly, was not hard to be. I just think Stooges fans have given him a lot of undeserved raps. One of the Curly Joe haters who wrote me said, "He ruined the wonderment of the Stooges." This person has obviously never seen the last few years of Shemp shorts and all the Joe Bessers. And I'll bet you he can't name a better performer who would have enlisted in that act when DeRita did and enabled the franchise to keep going.

Our pal Shelly Goldstein will be on the radio tonight (Sunday evening) for an hour, playing and talking about ten classics of rock music. It's 100.3 FM, Southern California's classic rock station at 7 PM Los Angeles time. You can listen on a radio if you're in L.A. and you actually own a radio…but everyone can listen online here. I'm hoping somewhere between The Stones and The Beatles, she can squeeze in The Four Lads.

This morning on ABC's This Week, Ted Cruz said that Republicans still have a chance of repealing "every single word" of Obamacare in 2015. No, they don't. But he does think saying that will get him votes and support and other benefits. There are people out there who, first of all, buy into the lie that — as he claimed — the Affordable Care Act has cost "millions of jobs." And secondly, there are folks out there who admire a person who fights and fights and fights and fights and won't admit defeat.

I don't know about your life but in mine, I know people who've taken a medium-sized loss and turned it into a devastating one by chanting this storybook mantra about how a man who won't be defeated can't be defeated. Hey, watch any sporting event where two teams compete. One always loses. I had an acquaintance — now deceased and in large part because of this — who lost a lawsuit, lost all appeals…and then proceeded to lose his life's savings and health, going from lawyer to lawyer, trying to find one who could reverse the loss. By the end, I don't think he even thought he had a winnable case. He just thought that Not Giving Up would somehow prevail.

Cruz isn't dumb enough to think Barack Obama, who'll still be in the White House in 2015, will sign legislation that wipes out Obamacare. Cruz is also not dumb enough to think Republicans can rack up a veto-proof majority in the Senate. There aren't enough seats in play for that to happen. And Obamacare is becoming more popular, not less.

And on top of all that, so many people are signing up for it that you can't just repeal it without dumping millions out of their health plans. To get rid of it now, you have to offer a workable alternative…which Republicans don't have.

I'm not worried about Obamacare being repealed. I do fear for a country that thinks Ted Cruz is a leader.

Who was he? You may not have known the name or face but you heard his voice on thousands of commercials, especially movie trailers. Hal died yesterday at his home in Virginia. Here he is parodying what he did (so well) for a living in a trailer for a Jerry Seinfeld documentary…

Well, it's official: For the first time since I got my first TiVo in 1999, I have no season passes for any late night shows. I gave up on Fallon last week and just canceled my pass for Seth Meyers. The Late Night Wars have finally claimed a casualty in my house: My interest in watching late night shows, at least on a regular basis. Henceforth, I intend to scan the guest lists and record episodes on an individual basis.

Technology has changed the game a lot. Once upon a time, I watched the late night shows — Johnny's, especially — because there was always the chance of missing something wonderful. Too many times, I'd miss Johnny and the next day, someone would say, "Did you see what happened on Carson last night?" If you hadn't, you were probably outta luck. The show might be rerun but not for a long time. (At one point, Johnny's reruns were a year old…and they never repeated shows with guest hosts.)

Today with DVRs, we usually don't miss our favorite shows in the first place, reruns are more current, and anything wonderful can be found on the 'net the next day. That's why I have no hesitation to not record some of these shows anymore. If it's great, it'll be more easily found and watched on YouTube. At times, the initial broadcast almost feels like an effort to generate YouTube videos.

The ratings haven't settled down to any sort of long-term "norm" yet. Fallon is kicking it but a bit less with each passing show. There are more or less two separate races here — the contest for the most total viewers and the contest for the 18-49 bracket. At the moment, Fallon's leading handily in both. Letterman's in second place with total viewers. Kimmel's in second place with 18-49. It wouldn't surprise anyone if that's the way it goes for a long time, though with narrower margins.

You have to wonder how Letterman feels about all this. So far, there's no indication that Leno viewers — older ones who may feel distanced from Fallon's guests and references — are taking sanctuary in Dave's show. They seem to be sticking with Fallon…or at least, he hasn't immediately lost much of Leno's audience share as Conan O'Brien did. The industry press seems to be covering the battle as one of guys named Jimmy with little notice of that guy over on CBS. Dave's show is not unprofitable and I can imagine that if he wants to stay and do it — even clearly in last place — CBS might be willing to tolerate that for a few years. I can also imagine Les Moonves sitting down with Letterman and saying, "We should start thinking about succession…"

Even though reports say he has a contractual guarantee of replacing Dave, I don't think Craig Ferguson will be an option. He didn't do all that well against Fallon at 12:35. I don't know why anyone would think he'd perform better at 11:35. If I were CBS, I'd send a Brinks Truck to Stephen Colbert's house but I'm sure others will be discussed. And maybe not for another few years.

But let's see. I'd guess four more weeks before we'll be able to say ratings have settled in and Fallon no longer enjoys the advantage of sheer newness plus that Olympian bump. It would not surprise me if he wound up right where Jay was. I think NBC would still be happy if that's the case…and Dave would still be wondering when the call's coming from Moonves.

This is the trailer for a new documentary I'm looking forward to seeing. It's all about Elaine Stritch, who has now retired after a helluva career…

John Cassidy goes over the latest jobs reports and unemployment figures. I really don't understand this bizarre claim we're hearing now from some people that folks who are poor or unemployed just aren't trying hard. I'm sure there are a few someplace but every time anyone holds a Job Fair these days, six hundred people show up for 150 openings. Are the 450 who get turned away lazy? Not trying? I can think of at least a dozen people I've encountered lately who are broke, unable to find work and willing to do just about anything legal to make a modest living.

Fred Kaplan thinks Obama is doing the wrong thing with regard to Russia's hostile takeover of Ukraine. And unlike a lot of people who think Obama's handling it poorly, Fred has actual reasons.

Hey, the new Rocky & Bullwinkle comic book comes out from IDW next month! Let's see what they have to say about it over on the Today Show website.

Our friend Stan Sakai is a brilliant cartoonist and one of the four nicest people involved in the production of the Groo the Wanderer comics. He and his wonderful wife Sharon have had a rough time of things lately and could use help with Sharon's medical expenses. She has been seriously ill and while on the road to recovery, she still needs around-the-clock medical care. They have insurance but insurance only goes so far, and Sharon's medical needs extend beyond what insurance will cover.

To help the Sakais, Stan's many friends have rallied in support with donations of cash and artwork. There are two major fund-raising efforts. One is a book that Dark Horse is publishing — a collection of cartoons by an incredible array of cartoonists. The drawings are so amazing, you'll probably never get around to reading the foreword by me in it. Watch for this book. Buy it. And yes, it's a contribution to the Sakais' well-being but it's also a terrific book which you should purchase just because it's a terrific book.

The other effort is something you can get in on right now…and again, it's to your benefit as much as it is to the Sakais'. A "Who's Who" of great artists has donated drawings — some pre-existing, some done for the occasion — for a big online art auction that's being run by the Comic Art Professional Society, aka CAPS. The first batch of many wonderful pieces can be bid upon right this minute over on this page. The proceeds go to two good people who need aid…and you can get a terrific, to-be-treasured art piece out of it. I'd call that a Win/Win…so go win/win and get one. Or two. Or more.

Paul Krugman rips the latest of many Paul Ryan plans, all of which pretty much come down to "slash spending on the poor and taxes on the rich." If this is such a good idea, you'd think Ryan and his colleagues would just admit that's their answer to everything, rather than try to dress it up as something we should do because it'll be good for the poor. I get the feeling that if you were involved in a serious accident and you asked Paul Ryan if he knew how to stop the bleeding, he'd say the only way is to slash spending on the poor and taxes on the rich.

Yesterday here, I linked to a recording of Jack Benny speaking at U.C.L.A. in 1973. Later in the day, I received this message from my buddy, Steve Stoliar…

I was in that U.C.L.A. auditorium in 1973 when Jack Benny spoke. I had no idea anyone had recorded it. What a blast from my past! After he'd been speaking for quite a long time, the moderator said, "Well, I know Mr. Benny has to leave…" to which Benny replied, "I don't have to leave. I can stay, if you like," which was met with thunderous applause. Afterward, he even stayed to sign autographs. I hadn't thought to bring anything, so I pulled a dollar bill out of my wallet and he signed it. Only later did I realize how a propos it was, given his penny-pinching persona. Given his exuberance, no one would've guessed he'd be dead a year later.

I would imagine Mr. Benny was quite happy that so many young people had turned out for him and wanted to stay as long as he did.

A question I would have loved to have asked him is this. George Burns told me, and I've heard it from others, that Benny was the first major radio comedian to give meaningful credits to his writers. He said that before Jack did it, the only way a writer got credit was if the show was a mixture of different kinds of material such that a writing credit didn't necessarily mean that that person had written what the comedian said. Most comedians, he said, wanted to perpetuate the notion that they — not their writers — were funny.

If you had a variety show, a writing credit might mean that the writer stitched the show together or wrote introductions, but that the monologues and sketches still emanated from the brain of the comedian. But when you had a mostly-comedy show like Benny did, a writer credit suggested that the star wasn't making all that funny stuff up.

When Benny started doing this, Burns said, other comedians went to him and told him to stop. They knew that if Benny gave his writers credit, they'd eventually have to do likewise — and they didn't want to do likewise. The argument they advanced was that the public doesn't want to know that writers write what the comedian says just as they don't want to know that movie heroes use stuntmen. In other words, it's better for the audience if the writers don't get credited.

Benny didn't buy this. He went ahead and credited his writers and, of course, no one had a more successful career as a radio comedian or was more beloved. I'd be fascinated to know what went through Mr. Benny's mind when he made his decision.  It was a good one and according to Burns, it pissed off a number of his friends.  (George says he was not among the pissed-off…)

I don't know who this lady is but she does a great job of double-talk in a variety of languages, including English. This is what each language sounds like to someone who doesn't understand it. Wish we could have arranged for her to have a conversation with Sid Caesar…