Name: Charles Grodin Collection on Letterman, Part 7 of 7: 2004-08
Uploaded: 2021-06-08T02:04:32.000Z
Description: Watch the stand-up comedy video 'Charles Grodin Collection on Letterman, Part 7 of 7: 2004-08' from Don Giller on Comedy Buff. Published 2021-06-08. Transcript available.

Watch the stand-up comedy video 'Charles Grodin Collection on Letterman, Part 7 of 7: 2004-08' from Don Giller on Comedy Buff. Published 2021-06-08. Transcript available.

Charles Grodin Collection on Letterman, Part 7 of 7: 2004-08

Thank you very much, Paul.
I'm just looking over.
I have here a copy.
This is Charles Grodin's Selected Filmography.
These are not all of the films that comprise his career,
but many of the films.
And there's some fantastic efforts here.
And I thought what we would do when Happy comes out here,
we would just run down the list of these great films
and ask him for a comment or two on each production.
I think that'll be very interesting.
Yeah, because he's made some great ones.
Ladies and gentlemen, here he is, Happy Charles Grodin.
Welcome back to the show.
Always a pleasure.
I've been looking forward to it for some time.
How are you doing?
Everything good?
Haven't seen you in a while.
What's the matter?
Did you mention Johnny Carson's name in your monologue?
Yeah, yeah.
We stole Stump the Band from him.
You said you'd spoken to Johnny Carson?
Yeah, he called and he said, fine, take it.
Johnny Carson called you.
Right.
Seriously?
No, no, no.
I called and then he called me back.
You spoke to Johnny Carson?
I spoke to Johnny Carson.
He said, fine, take Stump the Band.
I'm not doing it currently.
You can have it.
It's all right.
It's fine.
There's nothing illegal going on.
You spoke to Johnny Carson recently.
I've had dinner with Johnny Carson.
Well, I've had dinner with Johnny Carson.
I stay at his house when I'm in Los Angeles.
Now, that's just a lie.
That is not a lie.
I stay with Johnny and Alexis on the beach at Malibu.
And he told me he hasn't talked to you in years
because of certain things I don't want to go into.
You come out here and you say, I talked to Johnny.
You know, come on, be straightforward with the audience.
Seriously.
Listen, Happy, let's run through some of these films
because I'm very impressed by your body of work.
Are you?
Yeah.
So just, we'll...
You don't seem that impressed.
What did I just say?
I don't know.
Just your whole body language doesn't seem that impressed.
If you're impressed, you're more like Merv.
Gee, you've done a lot of...
You know, more like that.
There's something else going on with Merv.
This is one of the reasons Johnny doesn't want to talk to you
because you don't slime other hosts.
I'm not sliming Merv,
but Merv just had a different approach to things.
Yes.
Now, let's go through some of these.
Take us down memory lane.
Let's start out with the blockbuster Rosemary's Baby.
That's right.
What's the question?
Well...
You're supposed to give us your thumbnail impression
of the film and the experience.
Do you remember the film?
You know the film?
Do you...
Do people know the film?
Yes, they know the film.
In Rosemary's Baby,
you know, we talk for days
to play on everything we're going to say.
You don't say anything.
We've prearranged through attorneys
that you're going to say,
but I'll answer this question.
Let me answer the question.
Mia Farrow, I'm her...
What do you call it?
Gynecologist?
Husband?
Boyfriend?
No, gynecologist.
Yeah, gynecologist.
And then she leaves
and she gets involved with some witches
and her husband,
he sold his soul to the devil.
It was birth to the devil.
Please.
What?
You asked me about Rosemary's Baby.
I know, but this is the...
So she comes back to me and says,
the devils are chasing me,
you've got to help me,
and I say, you know...
Great film.
And I have her lied on it.
It's a great film,
but, you know,
you just might as well...
I'm trying to make a point.
Fine, read the entire script, will you?
We've got to move on.
Wait a minute, wait a minute.
I'm making a point about the film.
I turned her over thinking
that she was, you know,
hallucinating that the devils,
and I turned them over,
and to this day,
people...
And I'm not...
It sounds like a joke,
but I'm not kidding.
People resent me for that.
They do.
They take you for what you are in the movies,
the way you appear.
Go ahead.
And you think...
And you think this really is the reason
people resent you?
The reason...
The real reason people resent me
is because for 30 years,
I've been with Johnny Carson and you
with this bit.
This is a bit.
I'm actually a very...
But I do this bit here,
and then recently,
I'm going out a little more,
because I'm not used to it.
You know, I live like you,
not as much as you,
but never really go anywhere.
And now I saw George Stephanopoulos,
I saw Bill Hammer from CNI,
so I was sitting next to Peggy Noon,
and everybody looks at me like...
Here he is.
Like this.
Oh, because of the role...
Because of this.
Yeah.
Because of you,
because of Carson,
because of this role I'm playing.
Well, we don't have time
for the other films.
I'll tell you one of my favorite
Charles Grodin films,
and it's listed here as your last film,
and you correct me if I'm wrong about this.
Was that the last film you made?
What's the name of it?
Chucky with Martin Short.
What was the name of it?
Freddie.
Clifford.
Clifford, yes.
This was a very funny motion picture.
Very, very funny.
Tell the people about Clifford.
Now, that was a very entertaining film.
I really don't want to tell the people about Clifford.
I know you love that film.
I love the film.
I think it's great.
I just don't want to tell the people about Clifford.
You weren't patient to listen to Rosemary's Baby.
Nobody even heard of Clifford,
but it's a great,
it's a very funny film.
And you can still rent it,
I would guess, right?
From my house.
No, it's got to be...
I bet it's out on the DVD.
Call me personally.
Is it on the DVD, Charles?
Yes, it's everywhere.
Yeah, it's very, very funny.
It is good, and I appreciate your saying.
Yeah.
So, what are you up to these days?
What are you up to these days?
Well, now, what's the matter?
There's nothing wrong with that question.
What is wrong with you?
I'll tell you what.
You're a psychopath.
I'm doing a number of things,
but I'll tell you,
to be serious just for a second,
I have, you know,
I've been in...
I don't know if you know this,
but, you know,
of course I've been an actor,
you know, for a long time.
A great actor.
I think one of the great comedic actors
of our time.
I couldn't agree with you more.
I couldn't agree with you more.
I agree.
So, I'm involved,
and, you know,
I still have a kid in high school.
When he's out of high school,
maybe he'll do that.
Excuse me, we have to do a commercial.
Do you really?
Oh, that's...
We'll be right back here
with Charles Grodin, everybody.
You know, here's one
I do want to mention.
The Heartbreak Kid.
Oh, my God.
I can see that every day of the week.
That's a great film.
You and Sybil Shepard.
Sit down.
Sit down.
Midnight Run.
There's another good one.
Stand up.
Stand up.
I made...
You made Cabin Boy, right?
Now, wait a minute.
I was in Cabin Boy.
I can't take credit for making it.
I was just a...
I heard behind the scenes
you were pretty much
in charge of the creative.
I liked Cabin Boy.
I thought it was good.
I really thought it was good.
We go through this every time.
Why don't you return
to the silver screen?
Well, you know,
I thought I answered that
in the first segment.
Were we in commercial
when you asked me that question?
Oh, I don't know.
I mean, I have a son
in high school
and when he graduates,
if he leaves the house...
Excuse me.
Yeah.
And I hope he doesn't.
Then maybe I would leave the house.
You go back to...
So you're staying at home
for your son.
Well, that's admirable.
That's the first decent thing
I've heard you say
since I've known him.
Somebody told me
that you have a son as well.
That's right.
Is that true?
Yes, it is true.
Isn't that hard to believe?
Yeah.
Let me tell you what happens.
I mean, son...
You've got a baby son.
Four months old.
Oh, this kid.
My son,
I think when he was about eight,
said to me
that he felt
that I wasn't selective enough
in my humor.
He did.
My wife saw me
with Carson years ago
tell a story
and she looked
and he said,
wow, you know,
I'd really like to marry that guy.
And we met and we...
Is that right?
And we did get married
because she just loved me
telling that story.
And I told that to my son
and he said,
she just didn't realize
you were going to keep telling them.
So your son will do that.
Your son,
if you're still doing this,
when your son is up and around
and able to watch and everything,
he's going to be
your biggest critic.
No, I don't need that.
No.
No.
He's going to look at you.
My son,
I was working for 60 Minutes too
from the beginning.
He says,
get out of there.
Really?
Really.
I said,
you crazy?
It's 60 Minutes.
Get out.
Out.
So you took a hike?
Yeah.
Well, I thought he was crazy.
Now, let me ask you one question.
Since the baby has been born,
everyone has told me,
oh, it gets better.
It gets better.
Now,
the experience I've had so far,
I can't imagine anything better.
So as a person
who's been through this,
does it in fact get better?
Well, I said the same thing.
In fact,
I resented it
when people said it
because I'm quick to resent.
And I didn't like,
it was a put down
of the age of four months.
Right.
You know,
but what gets better
is when they can start,
you know,
talking,
standing up,
walking around.
But eventually
when that all happens
and that gets better,
then it spins around again
and it gets critical.
At what age does it spin?
Well,
my kid started at eight
when he could,
you know,
take a good look at me.
Your kid,
if you're still on television
and he can look at you,
he's going to,
he's going to probably saying,
rethink the suit.
Really.
He's going to,
he's going to,
you know,
you can't call it a gap,
but take care of that.
Take care of the teeth.
Only,
only a,
he'll probably tell Paul,
consider a piece.
Oh,
now,
hey,
hey.
No,
no,
this is what a kid does.
My kid tells me,
he'll see this thing,
say,
boy,
you know,
really,
were you sitting up straight?
It's tough.
It's pretty hard to take
from a kid who right now
is spending all his time
in a paper diaper.
You know?
Your kid,
you mean?
Yeah.
I thought we were talking
about my kid.
No,
no.
Always have to talk
about your kid.
We can't talk about my kid.
Can I tell you,
you know,
I don't come out
to promote stuff,
but can I tell you
that my main,
I've got a franchise,
a national franchise,
I've always been interested
in sports.
You have as well.
And basketball particularly.
And I've got a,
it's a national franchise.
I've been out there
for about three months,
but it's in about
38 cities in the country.
It's the Grodin Academy
of Sports Acting.
And what this is,
this is for basketball players
primarily.
This is a great idea.
Yeah.
For basketball players,
if they want to like,
if the referee calls the foul,
you know,
and they want to back him up,
what?
Yeah.
Come on.
Right.
He fouled me.
Yeah.
This is all across the country.
We have players in the NBA
when you watch television
and you see these guys,
what?
Yeah.
You see that a lot?
Yeah.
That's from the Grodin Academy
of Sports Acting.
Vineyard graduates
from the Grodin Academy.
From high school.
But a lot of the NBA pros
have come by.
We just,
if you could sell
your sincerity
and say,
I didn't,
you know,
if you could sell that,
they're less likely
to call another file on you.
When are you charged?
How long?
Well, I don't want to get
into financial.
Well, how long is the course?
How long does it run?
Is it like eight weeks?
It's eight months.
Eight, eight months?
And I visit the players
at, you know,
at half between games
if I've watched their work
at the garden.
I'm at the garden all the time
at halftime saying,
you know,
come on.
Uh-huh.
Yeah.
Now, your work in Cabin Boy
suggests to me
that you could be,
could you give me a like,
what?
Could you do it?
Because I want to,
because, you know,
I'm a professional actor
and you're basically
an amateur actor, right?
So if you were to come
to the Sports Acting Academy,
you'd see,
this is why you're
a lousy student.
Look at your attitude.
You're not interested in this.
You know, Charles,
you should be
more selective
in your comedy.
You know,
we're running out of time.
I just wanted you
to say a couple of words
about Jack Parr
who passed away
a few months ago
at this point
and was the first one
re