Gilbert Gottfried's Amazing Colossal Podcast - Mini-Ep #35: Mr. Klein and The Heartbreak Kid

Episode Date: November 12, 2015

Each week, comedian Gilbert Gottfried and comedy writer Frank Santopadre share their appreciation of lesser-known films, underrated TV shows and hopelessly obscure character actors -- discussing, dissecting and (occasionally) defending their handpicked guilty pleasures and buried treasures. This week: Alain Delon and Jeanne Moreau! Charles Grodin falls for a shiksa! And Gilbert's all-new tribute to Larry Ragland! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Gilbert Gottfried's Amazing Colossal Podcast, on Twitter, at Real Gilbert ACP, and on Instagram, Gilbert Podfried. P-O-D-F-R-I-E-D. You see, it's kind of a pun on the last name. Ah, never mind. Hi, this is Gilbert Gottfried, and this is Gilbert and Frank's amazing, colossal obsessions. I'm here with my co-host, Frank Santopadre. That's me.

And, you know, I realize a few shows back, you recommended, you know, George Burns, Lee Strasberg, and Art Carney. Oh, going in style. George Burns, Lee Strasberg, and Art Carney. Oh, going in style. And I shamefully did not hum the music. I remember the music. How did you miss that opportunity? Yes.

By the way, that was about 12 shows ago. Yes, yes. But it's been killing me. I said, I got to do this on the next show. Mm. Ahem. Da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da That's it. Now, knowing your memory, you saw it once in 1979. Ah, yes. And you somehow managed to retain that. Glad you brought up music, because I have a treat for our listeners.

Okay. At the end of this episode, we're going to play them a special treat, which is you in song, one of your favorite songs, something you sing often on the show. A friend of mine from college, a musician named John Murray, did a little work on it.

Yes. Put it through the magical filter. And I don't want to give away the surprise, but it will end this episode. So basically he's doing a, like it's a cover version. You could say that. It's me, but it's a cover version.

It's like K-Tel presents Gilbert Gottfried. Exactly. Presents Singsy. Exactly. Or it's like when they'll do like a jazzed up version of Long and Winding Road. Yes. Or a...

Yeah, hooked on Gottfried, if you will. I hope you guys like it. It will close this episode and it'll be a special treat. Cut one from the forthcoming Gilbert Gottfried LP that we're intending to get to one day. You want to start us off?

Okay. This is a movie that came out in, I think it came out in the 70s. And I think the director is this Joseph Flosey. Okay. Joseph Flosey, yeah.

Made the go-between with Dirk Bogart. Oh, yes. Do I have the right guy? I think so. Okay. Yeah. And this is a French film. I haven't seen it for years, but it was a French film with that French actor, Alain Delon. Alain Delon?

Yes, Alain Delon. The guy who was in Airport 79, the Concorde? Oh, yes. Alain Delon. Yeah, this was a more respectable one than that. Okay. I'm butchering his name. Oh, and I think it has that French actress that was in everything.

Genevieve Bourgeot? No, no, no. The other one. Charlotte Rampling? No. That French actress that was in everything. Yes. Okay.

Oh, what was... Give me one movie. Oh, jeez. If I could think... Oh, she was in this movie called Elevator to the Gallows. Wow. I've heard of the movie. Can you physically describe her?

Attractive. So she was that attractive French actress who was in more than one movie. And me? What was her name? She was in a lot of things. Our crack team is looking up Elevator to the Gallows.

Jean Moreau? Jean Moreau. Well, of course. Jules and Jim. Yes, so Jean Moreau and Alain Delon. Yes. And this is a movie called Mr. Klein. Oh, gosh. And the character's name in it, oddly enough, is Robert Klein.

That's funny. Having nothing to do with the comic. But he plays a guy named Klein who's not Jewish, but it takes place in occupied France. And he's doing very well off the Jews who are in a lot of trouble, who have to get rid of their belongings, and they need the money desperately, and they're selling their art

to him at like ridiculously, he's buying it at ridiculously low prices, and he's cheating them all out, and he's leading a great life, he's got a mistress, he's doing great, he's going out on the town, and then the French police are looking for this Jewish guy named Robert Klein. And it starts leading to him each time. And it's, you know, interrupting his life and disrupting his life. I've heard of this film. I don't think I ever knew what it was about.

Yeah. I've heard of this film. I don't think I ever knew what it was about. Yeah, and he starts going out looking for this guy himself as he gets more and more entangled now. It's a suspense film? Yeah, it's a weird, just like a weird kind of film. Uh-huh. Yeah.

Not a dark comedy. No, no. Okay. Yeah. Not a dark comedy. No, no. Okay. Yeah. And what else happens? Then there's a big pie fight. Really? Really?

Larry Storch shows up and Peter Falk. Mr. Klein. Mr. Klein. With Jean Moreau. Yes. We said Jean Moreau, but I think it's Jean Moreau. Jean Moreau. Jean Moreau.

And Alain Delon. Yes. And people were surprised when they saw this, that this Alain Delon was a much better actor than they thought. Because he was like a pretty boy in movies before that. I wonder if he's still around. Oh, wow. That would be good. Yeah.

Maybe we could do a double show with him and Papillon Sousou. And Matilda May. Yes. Who I'm getting a lot of tweets about since you brought up Life Force. The Gilbert Gottfried Amazing Colossal Podcast Producer of the Month is DFA

Records. Thank you DFA Records. Be just like DFA Records and get rewarded for supporting our podcast. Head over to patreon.com slash For a set amount each month, you can get some colossal benefits, such as access to new podcast episodes before anyone else, early access to tickets to live podcast tapings,

exclusive video hangouts, and just added, I will record a personalized roast of you and only you so you can share with your friends me telling you what a schmuck you are. Well, I don't have to join Patreon for that. And you don't have to pay me either because you are a schmuck. That I do for free. I want no money. That's my, I just speak the truth. I'm so blessed. You's my... I just speak the truth. I'm so blessed.

You are a schmuck. So go to patreon.com slash Gilbert Gottfried. That's Patreon. P-A-T-R-E-O-N dot com slash Gilbert Gottfried. Thank you for your generosity. And thank you, DFA Records. So you would say the movie has Jewish themes? Yes.

Well, I only bring that up as a segue. Because my movie has Jewish themes. My movie is a comedy from 1972 that I suspect you've seen. Yes. And it was based on, this will give it away, it was based on a story, on a short story, written by the father of one of our previous podcast guests.

Can you put that together? Oh, okay, that's easy. Lon Chaney Jr junior wrote this no the podcast the podcast guest would be our buddy drew friedman oh okay and his dad was the celebrated novelist and playwright and humorous bruce j friedman yes and he wrote a story called a change of Plan that was adapted by Neil Simon and directed by Elaine May into a comedy, a 1972 comedy called The Heartbreak Kid. Oh, okay. The original Heartbreak Kid. Yes. Not the bad Farrelly Brothers remake.

Oh, yes. With Ben Stiller. This was the one with Charles Grodin. Charles Grodin and Sybil Shepard. Yes. As the Schicksal Goddess. Yeah. and Sybil Shepard as the Schicksal Goddess.

Yeah. Oh, and the guy from Green Acres. Yes, Eddie Albert. Eddie Albert is in there as her father. Almost steals the movie. And I think Jack Klugman. I didn't see Jack Klugman. Yeah? You're thinking of Goodbye Columbus?

Oh, that's Goodbye Columbus. Yeah. See, I'm thinking of Goodbye Columbus? Oh, that's Goodbye Columbus. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. See, I'm thinking of wedding comedies. Right. Not that the film couldn't have been improved with Jack Klugman showing up. Yes.

Yes. But, yeah. But it does have Eddie Albert. Yeah. Yeah. Well, Eddie Albert is the father of Sybil Shepard, who is this young college student that Charles Grodin stumbles onto on the beach while he's on his honeymoon. And it's a black comedy.

It's a controversial comedy in its way because it's about a New York nebbish who he's on his honeymoon. Yes. He's on his honeymoon. Lenny Cantro, Charles Grodin, plays a sporting goods salesman, and he marries Jeannie Berlin, who's actually the real-life daughter of Elaine May, who directed the film.

Oh, okay. And she's very awkward, and basically, he's falling out of love with her every second from the moment that they leave the altar. And I remember there's a scene in the movie where he has to very sincerely tell her father. Oh, yes. Very funny. And he has to explain to him, well, you know, like, I did love your daughter,

but I just saw someone else on the honeymoon. He has to make his pitch to Eddie Albert, to Cybill Shepard's father, but he throws in the fact that he's on his honeymoon. Yes. And he's only been married four days. And Charles Grodin was always like the master of that deadpan. Yeah, he's great.

Yeah. He's great. He lost out of the Benjamin Braddock part, famously. Oh, yes. In The Graduate. Yeah, I heard he was like, I think it may have been he was asking for more money. I don't know what the real story is. Yeah, they did want him.

And he winds up working for Mike Nichols' partner, Elaine May, in a film that is often compared in some ways to The Graduate. He's just so creepy in the film. I mean, he's one of my favorite comic actors. And it's a terrific movie. I don't know that it's been available. I think it's been out of print for years. I haven't seen it in years. And TCM recently pulled it out.

And Drew is an old friend of yours and an old friend of mine. And I remember seeing the film and loving it. Look up Bruce J. Friedman's other work. He did a lot of great stuff. It's a very funny, atypical Neil Simon script. Neil Simon adapted Bruce J. Friedman

in that it's not a jokey Neil Simon script. It's not like the Sunshine Boys. It's not sticky. He really honored Bruce J.'s original story. In fact, he said he wrote it as if he was Bruce Jay Friedman. But it's one of those comedies that's cringeworthy. Oh, yes. That makes you very uncomfortable to watch it, which is my kind of comedy.

Yeah. Groton is doing, like, the worst things possible. Yeah. And, yeah, you can't help but kind of pull for him. Oh, yeah. You know. So it's a very smart, very dark film. Again, based on Bruce J. Friedman's story, A Change of Plan.

And there is no Papillon Susu reference in the whole film. And no Jack Klugman. A double letdown. But very good. And if you can find it, worth watching. Okay. So these were the two films. Frank, you chose a comedy.

I did. Starring Charles Grodin. Yes. And that's The Heartbreak Kid. Correct. Usually you don't remember the film that I've done. Yes, yes. Since only 40 seconds elapsed, there was a good possibility.

Because I usually don't listen when you start talking. I can see that. And I chose a strange drama, a French movie of all things. I think this is the first foreign film you've chosen. Yes, yeah. A French film of all things, a mysterious drama called Mr. Klein.

Which has nothing to do with Robert Klein. Nothing to do with Robert Klein. The character does not sing I Can't Stop My Leg at any point. All right, guys, we'll see you next week. Thought I saw a dummy in the window But it was you Wearing a new dress as usual Trying to look your best Impossible

Cause with you it's not really what you wear Why don't you wash your face? It's such a disgrace To pay at for a sword There in the garden But it was you Eating a beach chair A yellow one

The red, white and blue one You already ate And oh no, you're sixty pounds overweight I don't care I'm glad you're there today I thought I smelled

something awful in the kitchen but it was you you didn't take a shower no you couldn't have You should bathe every hour, I keep telling you And although I can hardly breathe, it's all so true

I still love you I still love you I still love you I still love you I still love you I still love you We really act on our sword You'll be, we know it though I'll scare of you