Gilbert Gottfried's Amazing Colossal Podcast - GGACP Rewind: Mini-Ep #4: Pennies From Heaven and the Great Lon Chaney Jr.

Episode Date: June 22, 2026

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You're among fans. It's Gilbert Godfrey, and this is another episode of Gilbert and Frank's amazing colossal obsessions with my co-host, Frank Santo Padre, where we pick movies that we enjoyed, and you might enjoy, too. And maybe at some point down the road we'll pick some TV shows and some other things. But for now, movies are our friends. focus. And I find it interesting. We were talking about it before we turned the mics on, that you're one of the world's most recognized comedians as yet to recommend a comedy. Yeah. And three tries. Yeah. I guess I'm like the Academy Awards. Like I don't take comedy seriously. Discriminate against comedies? Or maybe you're comedied out. What's your

pick for this week, Gil? This week, it was funny because I already, I was on with Robert Osborne. who was nice enough to be a guest on the show. And on his, you know, Turner Classic movies. And one of the movies I picked was the original of Mice and Men. And then it came out in 1939, which was a ridiculous time. I think it was up for an award, but it was a ridiculous time period to be up for an Academy Award. because Wizard of Oz Oh, 39.

Yeah. Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind, stage coach. Mr. Smith goes to Washington. Right. How green was my valley that year too? It may have been. Maybe.

Maybe I got my years wrong. The most insane year. Gunga Dinn, I think. Yeah. Yeah. Like just ridiculous year for movies. Great films. And how did it do, by the way, at award time?

I don't know that it got anything because it wound up getting lost in the shuffle But it was you know based of course on a John Steinbeck book It was based on a John Steinbeck book That's a tongue twister And I read the book You actually read the book after seeing the movie This is two episodes in a row

When you've actually read the book Back when I could still read I'm impressed. And I think this kind of paved the way for what would later be all these buddy movies where two guys have big dreams. Right, right, right. And, you know, it does sort of have that formula. Yeah, like Midnight Cowboy and Scarecrow and a million other films like that.

And a ridiculous cast, I keep saying the word, ridiculous. Okay. Um, Burgess Meredith, who depending on, uh, what you remember him from, either the, uh, coach in Rocky. That's right. Or the penguin. You're the penguin, depending on when you were born. Yeah. Uh, man, man, man, yeah. Being married to the, uh, fetching Paulette Goddard. Oh, that's right. Yes. Who also married Chaplin. Yes. Yes. And, and, and so it was him as George and as Lenny, Lonchaney Jr. Your favorite actor. Yeah. I always, how long can I go without mentioning Lonchaney Jr.

You didn't make it to four weeks. Yes. And we're sitting in your apartment and there's a Launcaney Jr. life mask hanging on your wall. And an autograph of him from the Wolfman, an autographed Wolfman picture. And it's his greatest performance without question. Well, I think it's one of the few times he was taken seriously as an actor. Yeah, because then later on, I mean, he was born Creighton Cheney, and the studios and the business finally said to him, look, we can push you as Lon Cheney Jr. And then we got a gimmick.

And so he went along with that. And I think he regretted it from the beginning of his career. Yeah. His father. But this was his, just a surprising performance. It's a sad film. Oh. It's a sad, it's a heartbreaking film to watch.

The first of your choices that I've actually seen, by the way. Yes. And then he, Betty Field is in it as like, you know, the flusy wife of the character Curley. And Cheney and Betty Field would both be in the same. same episode, and this goes to another thing we always talk about. Root 66. Yes. Yeah, what was the name of that episode again?

Oh, I forget. He plays like the long lost father. Yes, I know the one you mean. Yeah. And they don't have any scenes of Cheney and Bettyfield together. Right. Which is insane. Kind of like the Marks brothers in that Irwin Allen movie.

Oh, yes. A story of mankind. And while you're mentioning Burgess Meredith, it would be a perfect time to point out that when we interviewed Adam West, he paid you the biggest compliment of your career. Yes, he said I would have made a great penguin. Yes. Oh, and also in a mice and men is cowboy actor Bob Steele as curly. And Bob Steele, what would he wind in years later?

Well, I knew him as Duffy on F Troop. Exactly. So we've already had on Larry Stee. And we've talked about Bob Steele. And Ken Berry. Right. And so if only Bob Steele were alive today. He'd be about 122.

Yeah, sure. We were here. And he'd be our youngest guest. And of mice and men, and because it's in the story, I heard that there were some schools that banned the book because they said it It promotes euthanasia. Really? Yeah.

And when I say youth in Asia, I meant like young people in China. It's youth in Asia. And I thought this movie

Has nothing to do with Chinese people. Was it bad in Asia? That's what I like to know. We will return to Gilbert Gottfried's amazing colossal podcast but first a word from our sponsor.

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I'm going to talk about some. I like that picture very much. Great, great. And tell the folks what I got you, what I gave you as a gift for your birthday. Oh, you got me a photo, an original photo. Yes.

Of Burgess, Meredith, and Lonchini Jr. Not a reprint. From Mice and Men. Not a reprint, pal. Oh, here we go. Our crack research team, led by Darren Foster, informs us that of Mice and Men had four nominations, but no wins.

Oh, see? It was a tough year. Yeah. 39 was a tough year. Sad film, Cheney's best work. Yeah, and then later on, you know, he would be known as the Wolfman. Sure. And then.

And typecast as the Wolfman. Yeah, and quickly relegated to the, he would wind up in the lowest of the low of horror and cowboy movies. But you're keeping the dream alive personally. Yes, yes, yes. I just want to switch gears and talk about a movie from the 80s. And fuck you, we will have Janet Ann Gallo on this show. I am not resisting Janet Ann Gallo. I don't care.

I just think she's terrified. I don't care if it's a three-second interview. I think Janet Ann Gallo is terrified of you. Now people are going to Google down Janet Ann Gallo. This is a movie that I absolutely love. I saw it in a movie. You know, sometimes you fall in love with a movie, because of the experience connected to when you first saw it,

what was happening in your life. I saw this at the Ziegfeld Theater in a snowstorm. It was just, it just had such an effect on me. It's called Pennies from Heaven. It's Steve Martin starred in it with Bernadette Peters, who was his girlfriend at the time, written by the British writer Dennis Potter. And of course, it was based on a TV series,

also called Pennies from Heaven starring Bob Hoskins. And it's a really very, very difficult film to define. It's a musical. It's not really a musical. It's a musical tragedy. And Steve Martin was really taking a leap because he had made the jerk

and he was Steve Martin. He had a brand. And he was Steve Martin the wild and crazy guy. And he agrees to star on this film, which I think is kind of, of what didn't do it any favors at the box office is that people just did not understand. They went to it thinking... For a wacky Steve Martin's film.

Steve Martin comedy. He might have made one... He might have made Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid at that point, but I'm not even sure. I think it was just the jerk was under his belt. I actually have to check the dates. And it's a remarkable film. There's nothing like it. The songs are all period songs.

They're all songs from the 1920s and songs of the Depression, the 20s and the 30s. And they're lip-sinked. so nobody does any actual singing in the movie. And the concede of the film of Potter's story was that that these films, the Depression era films would take you away from your problems. Yes. And that you would get lost in the musical comedies of the day. And this kind of manages to combine both things.

It's a musical, but as I said, it's also a musical tragedy. And it's just a, it's a fascinating picture. Bernadette Peters is wonderful in it. Christopher Walken, we have to talk about for a second. Christopher Walken, who was a dancer. I heard Christopher Walken, his dream in life was to be like Fred Astaire. He was a hofer. Yeah.

And that's what he really wanted to be. His scene is show stopping. He plays a pimp. I remember that scene. He's amazing. Amazing. If you've ever seen any of the music videos where Christopher Walken dances, I think it's a weapon of choice video, you have to see this picture. It's bleak.

I was interesting. I looked up Leonard Malton's review of it last night in the indispensable Leonard Malton movie guide. And it said, troubling as entertainment. Yes. Which I find, which I find is an apt description. It's a very strange film. And I mean, Christopher. walking is a surprise.

Yeah. How great a dancer. And nobody knew at that point. I think he'd done the deer hunter. People had seen him in things. But, you know, he just exploded off the screen. And I think anybody knew. Certainly I didn't.

That he's a dancer. And it is one of those movies that just, yeah, it's a musical tragedy. A musical tragedy. Martin is great in it. There are so many great set pieces. Check it out. Jessica Harper, who we talked about. Jessica Harper, who would then later be in Phantom of the Paradise.

I think it was before this. Oh. She did Phantom of the Paradise. Yeah, and which stars Paul Williams. Paul Williams, one of our favorites. Who sings in the theme song, the Phantom. Oh, stars in this. Yeah.

Oh, well, let me see. Do a little Paul for it. Okay. Oh. Days get cold and a night's grow longer. Some people get wise, but you just got older. And you never listened anyway. That's the hell of it.

Good for nothing bad in bed. Nobody loves you. You're better off dead. Goodbye. Goodbye. Goodbye. Goodbye. We all came to say goodbye.

I love Paul Williams. I met him backstage at the View. and it just, I was starstruck. See, and, you know, see, I, I, I like to be able to do a Paul Williams imitation because the kids go for. They love it. Yeah. They love it. The only thing they go for more is a DeMond Wilson.

Pop. So to sum up, pennies from heaven. Now, how does the singing detective fit in? There was another English production. There was a British production of the scene. And then it was made as a Hollywood feature with Robert Downey. Yeah. And I have not, it's sad to say that I have not seen.

Because a very similar to pennies from heaven in that they break into song. Yes. Yes. It was the same gimmick. Yeah. And Potter also wrote a film starring Vincent Price's wife, Coral Brown, called Dreamchild, which is another film I'll recommend and I'll talk about on another show. Ah.

So anything else you want to add? Yes. Take us out with some Paul Williams? Yes. Okay, Paul Williams. You have to get him on the show. You mentioned the goodbye girl. Yes.

Can't wait to see the connection you're making here. Okay. Well, Neil Simon also did Cinderella Liberty. I think was that Neil Simon? No, that was his wife. Marsha Mason. I knew there was a connection. James Conn.

Yes. James Conn and Eli Wallach. Right. And, and. The theme song to that was composed by John Williams, best known as Bump Bum, Bum. Spielberg is the favorite composer.

Yes. And with lyrics by and sung by Paul Williams. I did not know this. This is good stuff. Hello. with the fiction from a sentimental fool to a little. little girl who's broken every rule. One that leads me up when all the others seem to let me down.

One that's nice to be around. Should I say that it's a blue world without you? Whisper words, I remember from all love songs, but all wrong because I never called it love before this feelings knew it came with you I love it

you never ceased to amaze me it sounded a little like Will Geer but I'll give it to you Paul we mean it affectionately we want you on the show Paul Williams also when I start imitating it also at times

falls into oh God what was the The great philosopher. Oh, Eddie Lawrence. Eddie Lawrence. Like, that's what's bothering you, your monkey. You see, your dog walked out on you. Wow, all the way from of mice and men to the old philosopher, Eddie Lawrence.

We run the gamut on this show. I even forgot what movie I was there. It's okay. So as always, if you like the show, tweet, follow us on Facebook, post on Facebook. What else am I leaving out? Send us pictures on Instagram. Do the whole hashtag, do the whole shebang.

We'll see you next time.