If one wrote a complete history of American comedy, a chapter and more would have to be devoted to the contribution of Carl Reiner, who passed away last night at the age of 98. Those of a certain age can remember the beloved Reiner as a character on the 1950s ground breaking "Your Show of Shows" with Sid Caesar at the dawn of TV, to his role in the creation of the "Dick Van Dyke Show" of the 1960s and as the straight man to Mel Brooks' "2000 Year Old Man." But his contribution to American humor isn't confined to those golden decades of TV. Variety remembers Reiner's other contributions to theatre and film:
"Reiner’s 1958 novel 'Enter Laughing,' loosely based on his own experiences, was optioned for the stage by producer David Merrick. Reiner did a legit adaptation in 1963 and then directed the film version in 1967, marking his motion picture directing debut.The tireless Reiner's work continued into his 80 and 90s in both acting and directing:
For Broadway he wrote and directed the farce 'Something Different,' which ran for a few months in 1967-68; helmed 'Tough to Get Help' in 1972; penned the book for the musical 'So Long, 174th Street,' which had a very brief run in 1976; and directed 'The Roast' in 1980."
"While the last film he directed was the 1997 romantic comedy 'That Old Feeling,' starring Bette Midler and Dennis Farina, Reiner was an active presence in guest roles on television and in supporting roles in films during the 1990s and 2000s, even as he neared and then surpassed his 90th birthday.An outspoken progressive for his entire life, and active on social media, two of his last postings on Twitter reflected his chagrin over the regime in the White (Supremacist) House:
He guested on 'Frasier' in 1993; reprised the role of Alan Brady on an episode of 'Mad About You' in 1995 and won an Emmy for it; and guested on 'Ally McBeal,' 'Boston Legal', and 'House.'"
As I arose at 7:30 this morning, I was saddened to relive the day that led up to the election of a bankrupted and corrupt businessman who had no qualifications to be the leader of any country in the civilized world...— carl reiner (@carlreiner) June 29, 2020
... At the same time, Hillary Clinton, who had all the needed— carl reiner (@carlreiner) June 29, 2020
qualifications to lead our beloved nation, had received 3 million more popular votes than our Russian-installed puppet president.
So, RIP Carl Reiner, you gave us a lifetime's worth of laughs, while being passionate about the country you loved and wanted to be better.
BONUS:
Carl Reiner was a
baller in every sense of the word. I’m only sorry he didn’t live long
enough to see Trump gone. In his honor, register or check your
registration at https://t.co/1XZ7S2z9h6, and
tell a friend to do the same.
RIP, legend. https://t.co/fRgltsMfUi
—
shauna (@goldengateblond) June
30, 2020
(photo: Getty Images)
