Gilbert Gottfried's Amazing Colossal Podcast - GGACP Classic: Being There & Mortal Storm

Episode Date: July 17, 2025

GGACP celebrates the centenary of comedy icon Peter Sellers (born 1925) by revisiting this 2015 conversation about (arguably) Sellers' most admired film (and performance), 1979's "Being There." ALSO in this episode: Marcus Welby joins the Nazi party! The inspiration of Stan Laurel! The tortured genius of Hal Ashby! And "The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu"! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TV, comics, movie stars, hit singles and some toys. Trivia and dirty jokes, an evening with the boys. Once is never good enough for something so fantastic. So here's another Gilbert and Franks. Here's another Gilbert and Franks. Here's another Gilbert and Franks Here's another Gilbert and Franks Colossal Classic Hi, I'm Gilbert Gottfried and this is Gilbert and Frank's amazing colossal obsessions. I almost said colossal.

And where we, whatever. We pick movies that you might be interested or might not have seen or not know about or that flew under the radar I guess I'm gonna go first okay since you went first last week, and we've gone completely out of order But who's paying attention? Another film from 1979 a year that I'm currently obsessed with that. I want to talk about is a film made Involving three was made by an involving three tortured geniuses. The film is called Being There. Oh yes. It's not exactly an obscure movie but it was made like I said in the in the 70s. It's based on a novel by a guy named

Jersey Kozinski who was a fascinating character who was a Holocaust survivor. He wound up committing suicide. I know that will set you up for a bit. He died at 57. He was a fascinating guy. Look him up. Yeah, he also wrote and that was made into a movie with William Hickey or Bill Hickey. Which one? The painted, he wrote the painted bird, the pinball. Oh, what was it, where the lead character's like an astronaut or something? We have to get our correct research team on that one.

Uh, yeah. But an interesting man who came to a sad end, and this movie is based... is based on his book it's a satire political satire sorts about how would you describe this plot it's about a simpleton who is mistaken for a sage he's a gardener who's been living in a mansion who's been living a protected life and has been sheltered away as a recluse and just watching tv and one of those only

right in action yeah i mean that's where the satire comes in i mean it's poor parts it's a political satire works on many levels part of it is a satire television culture of people who uh... inform people who only get their knowledge from pop culture like us yes it's a wonderful a smart movie directed by the trouble genius number two the great how ashby all yes um... uh... and if you don't know about how ashby put that google in uh... another guy who died young at fifty nine burned out from from uh... from drug use uh... directed many many great american

films the landlord shampoo uh... bound for glory uh... uh... the last detail of a little obscure picture called Harold and Maude, a terrific, I'm sure I'm leaving one or two out, a terrific director, and the third torture genius of course is Peter Sellers. Oh yeah! Who died the youngest age of all three of them at 55. It's his last great role.

He made, sadly it was not the film that he went out on. He went out on the fiendish plot of Fu Manchu. Oh yeah. A year later. And I think that was also an embarrassment. Wasn't Sid Caesar in that? I think he was. Yeah, so a sad end to two geniuses. Yeah, I think he was. Yeah, so I said into two geniuses.

I think he was. Being there was a departure for Sellers. I mean, is it not a broad comic role? Not a... Well, Peter Sellers said, and you could see it in the performance, that he based a lot of it on Stan Laurel. That's right. That's right. I'd forgotten that. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it's... So what the hell do I need you for? Once again, once again, I say please dear God get me a new co-host

He doesn't know shit get me a new co-host He won a slew of awards for this national border Board of Review, London Critics Circle, New York Film Critics Circle, he won a Golden Globe. He was not an actor who was really considered a serious dramatic actor. No. He was considered a comedian who dressed up and put on prosthetics and did, and known for the Panther films, mostly to American audiences. Prosthetics are what you wear when you don't want to get the girl pregnant.

Exactly. Yeah. And Shirley MacLaine's in it, Melvin Douglas is in it, Richard Dysart who just passed away. Yes! Yeah. Oh, and this is the most important thing that you'll tell our audience. Melvin Douglas was a Jew. Really? And Peter Sellers was a Jew. That is correct. Yes! That is correct. See that much I knew. Peter Sellers was a Jew. That is correct. Yes. That is correct. See, that much I knew.

Peter Sellers and Melvin Douglas were Jews. Now Melvin Douglas played an anti-Semitic. Played an anti-Semite. An anti-Semitic. He was anti-Semitic in the movie. He played an anti-Semitic in I Never Sang for My Father. Oh sure, with Gene Hackman. Yes. Right, that's right.

Yes. That's right. But he was a Jew. We talked about that. And the last member of the cast I'll mention is your old co-star from Problem Child, Jack Warden. Oh, he was great. He plays the US President.

He was terrific. He was Jewish and Irish, Jack Warden. But not an anti-Semite. Not an anti-Semite. As far as we know. To the best part of those famous an anti-Semite. Not an anti-Semite to the best part of those famous Jewish anti-Semites. Ben Gurion really hated the Jews. No kidding.

You know that. That is a scoop. So I don't want to say too much about it. Netanyahu, if you talk to him off camera, he goes, man, those Jews! Boy, they get off my nerves! He hates the Jews! You sure you're not thinking of Kurt Voltheim? So I don't want to say too much about being there because it's really a surprise film. Simon Wiesenthal hated the Jews!

Are you going to use that as a segue? Yes. Anyway, being there, 1979, Peter Sellers, a wonderful film. He lost the best actor to Dustin Hoffman for Kramer vs. Kramer, which made me sad at the time. But it's a terrific film. It's a sweet film, one of Ashby's best, might be Ashby's last great film. Check it out. And I remember, Jersey Kaczynski, well he did that one with William Hickey, which was a television movie. I think William Hickey, I think, a Princey's honor.

Yeah, and I worked with him on Wings. Oh, that's right, that's right. And I, he also did a movie with, you know, where the lead, a famous book of his where the lead character's Billy Pilgrim. And it's, I remember, he's a guy who's travels back and forth in time. You talking about the Vonnegut story? Yeah, oh this is the Vonnegut story.

The Billy Pilgrim. I should go fuck myself. That's okay. Let me go fuck myself. That's the Vonnegut story. I'll go fuck myself. That's okay. Why don't you tell us?

I'm gonna, can you, can, what? Oh, okay. What's your movie? We will return to Gilbert Gottfried's amazing colossal podcast But first a word from our sponsor Since we're talking about Jews and I can never go Like one episode without talking about films with Nazis, right?

Those are the those are the the uber motifs of this podcast. Giant celebrity slongs and Nazis. Yes. So this is an odd film. Some people didn't like it, but I was fascinated, especially because it was made like I think in 1940 when when America wasn't going to go into World War Two. And this was called the mortal storm. when America wasn't going to go into World War II. And this was called the Mortal Storm. And it starred Jimmy Stewart. I know this one.

And it's about Hitler coming into power. And also in it is, well, Frank Morgan, best known as the Wizard of Oz, and Robert Stack and Robert Young. A young Robert Stack. Yes, a young Robert Stack and a young Robert Young, who would later be Marcus Welby. And Father Knows Best. Yes.

Right, right. And it deals with the whole what's happening and how Hitler's coming to power. Frank Morgan is described in the film as a non-Aryan. They don't want to say Jew back then. And Frank Morgan, an Irishman, just like, so Irish. He's the Wizard of Oz, folks, for those of you that don't. See, because Milo O'Shea wasn't available. He wasn't available. And Barnard Hughes was out of town.

Barry Fitzgerald wanted too much money. Hilarious. And so he plays a non-Aryan. Oh, yes. Yeah, that's how it's described in the film yeah and they have to Jimmy Stewart and oh what's the actress playing his wife give me a hint what was she oh god I forget her name okay I'm senile we'll get a crack team the mortal storm Was it Marino Haram or Marino Sullivan? Another joke.

Yeah. Marino Sullivan. Yes. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha is, and it's a pretty fascinating film. The Mortal Storm. Yes. OK. And yeah, and it shows that Robert Stack, no, well, both of them, but Robert Young is the one who decides to follow the teachings of Hitler and his back and forth.

I found it really interesting, especially because it was pre-World War II. And what is Stuart's character? Oh, Stuart, he's the lead and he and Margaret Sullivan are trying to escape to Austria, because I guess back then Austria, the Nazis weren't in or something and Yeah, so it's it's it's yeah that one I recommend I'd like to keep a running total of how many Nazi films you've more So this week being there directed by Hal Ashby with the great Peter Sellers and

The mortal storm yes anything else when I that title, I think of Morty Storm. You wanna hear a sad story? Now I heard... Do we have time for a story? Okay, quick. Now, I heard, do we have time for a story? Okay. Quick. I heard if someone told me that they brought in Morty Storm. Yeah. Oh, is this the Letterman story?

Yes. Yeah, tell it. Tell it. Yes. And they wanted to come up with a character much like Larry Bud Melman, a recurring character, that they call the worst comic in the world, the worst comedian in the world. And he would every now and then go, ladies and gentlemen, worst comedian in the world, you come out, say a bunch of dumb jokes and go off stage.

And they asked Morty Storm about this. And he jumped up and said, fuck you, you want the worst comedian in the world? Get Freddie Roman. I mean, we can't use that because Freddie Roman is listening. So we were talking about Morty Storm. Cut it off before you go to the story. Who, uh, that's, see, that was the version of the mortal storm that Jerry Lewis starred in. Hi, it's the Morty Storm. Hi, Lin. I'm the Morty Storm Island! I'm the Morty Storm with the potion with the thing!