Old folks. It should people fake good money to see this movie. When
they go out to a theater. They want cold sodas, corn and no
monsters. In the Projection Booth, Everyone for ten podcasting isn't boring it off.
Hey, folks, welcome to a special episode of The Projection Booth.
I'm your host, Mike White. On this episode, I am talking with
the one and only mister Eddie Dison. He is the star of many films
that I'm sure you've seen, Greece, Midnight Madness Served to the end of
the Trilogy, so many great titles. If you don't recognize the name,
you're definitely going to recognize the voice and that personality. He is one of
a kind. Thanks for listening, and I hope you enjoy the interview.
I am so curious about the Eddie Deason origin story. Can you tell me
a little bit about you growing up and how you got into show business?
I would one in nineteen fifty seven. I'm gonna be sixty sixth next week.
In Zach Mike. I was worn in a little town called Cumberland,
Maryland. I grew up in a little Jewish family. A father and mother,
had an older brother and I was in trouble for my earliest date.
I was always getting into trouble in school, in kindergarten my earliest days,
they put me on the step they stept breaking from the other kids because I
would always pay in trouble. Finger Paints had always put it on my faith,
pretending with Al Jolson or whatever, do crazy stuff, and it was
always in trouble, always going to the Prinzles office, always getting detention.
I remember that. But I wasn't really a back and I wasn't mean kid.
I didn't hurt the other kid. But I would always get into trouble
with my earliest in boots. I love the three studios, curling with my
hero, Supreme Arrowitch Jerry Lewis. Course from the early days I loved.
I saw the first move with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. I thought they
reachieved partners, I remember, and I saw him that. I was fascinated.
Five and a half. My uncle party that these guys are great.
Who are they to go thirteen Market Jerry Lewis and then he goes, he
goes. They in other words, committed. They split. He pulled his
handship and he made this out. He might be split. Let said fuck
it too, men split. I didn't get like they're sadd eat twin.
You've called me Dean Mark and German split up. You're trying to describe it
to me. But Jerry was an early hero. Daffy Duck Mike was an
early hero of mine, and I loved him. I patted my character after
Daffy Duck. If you look at it, go listen to you. I'll
date you, lousy carry you. I put my finger near like Daffy Duck,
the angry Daffy Ducks. Why I patted a lot after him. I
would away the class clown. I would day the Classtown Point, would wear
a water fasted on my head. I had the water fast I bought it,
had a struction rubber day, but I stick it in my head.
May turn on it would pour water out to look at water withs on that
the head, stuff like that. I know you're a huge Beatles fan.
When did you first run across them? Boy? Who was your experience hearing
the Beatles the first time? Typical American? I remember the friday they came
to America. It was Friday February seven, ninety sixty four. I clearly
remember might fit in the car, and I remembered I remember one of them,
Saint George Harrison. I remember saying that we were talking about this new
thing, the Beatles. I remember watching on the Ed Sullivan Show. We
went to see A Hard Days. My favorite movie that year was from July
seventh, of July sixth and premiered. We went seeing it and then we
flew half the next year. And I remember this was a little small town
in comber It was like twenty thousand or thirty thousand people, like it's a
little town like Nayberry. And there were screaming all through it. You couldn't
hear the dialect. You just it started from the beginning of the movie to
the very end, an hour and a half aloral screaming all the way through,
and you just sit there and you'd watch the Beatles move and as they
see the lipt move, but no words would come out. It was like
no movies I've ever seen it from today from that day on and I just
workshiped him. I loved their music. We bought the records. I remember
we had eight days a week we had. I feel fine, she loved
you. Of course, I want to hold your hand and a little did
I real you know I would be playing a Beatles but I played myself and
I want to hold your hand a box the neck of the first Silvia played
a Beatles fanatic. I was basically played myself. So tell me about your
first foray to show business. I mean it was stand up, well your
way in. There are a lot of different things, and that they got.
What was your first thing is a live different thing. The earliest I
remember why. I was in kindergarten. We danced around the may pole and
they are graduated ceremony. My brother Ricky is three years older than me.
He was in Kindergartie graduated and the graduation there was the streamer would come down
this thing that would spin around, and he was called dancing around the makeball.
You get around like this he's it was called beast of the mate boat.
I thought, that's really who I wouldn't do that. And then three
years later I'd like kindergarten graduate, I'd danced around the mate ball. I'd
about six years old and we danced from the may ball. That was my
first time in front of people. I remember my big my first thing in
professional show bit. There was a comedian out on a note called Frankie Fontaine.
He used to be on the Jackie Gleat and show. He played a
drunk. He goes, you can google the same Frankie Fontaine. But I
was in Atlantic City at the Steel Pier. Frankie Floontag was a period.
I was blub about fourteen and he called me up on stage. I was
like in the second Road. He called me up in another guy and we
were his bench. Filoquiff. Stop me. It's ironic because you know our
favorite Philoquiff in nineteenth forty one, Spielberg'sville. But I played at schlun Quick
to me. That was the first thing I did in show bit and he
said, I'm just gonna talk all you do it. He whispered with you
go, but I'm gonna patting on the back when I do move your lips.
And they said you'd be Charlie, you will be Irvan. I think
I was Charlie, the guy with Irby, and he would go here Charlie.
And then he pat me on the back and he did it said the
audience screamed with laughter. Go hey, Irving Any patted the tech and the
audience scream with laughter. Now, after the show, I went out,
I wonder about I lost my family. I was. I was liking at
Dave. What's it? The plods thing, A whole proud plotted me the
whole room. I went out and these bands crowded around me, so what
is the if it? And there were girls there, so really I loved
girls that I was sick and there were these girls Roman this is pretty cool
man. So that kind of put the German my head. Joe Pittence is
pretty cool. That was my first appearance on an actual stage. We have
a religion called poor Hum. I remember early on I played we had a
poor Him play and Hayman is the bad guy. Im poor He's like the
villain guy. He's in the villain that's the bad guy and poor Him And
I played Hayman's horse. Hayman was there and they said you played Hayman furay
Aft there and I started sucking up and running around the room crazy. So
I was crazy from the earliest day. And the kids were all breaking up
laughing. You know this one. I was about and years old. I
played Aymon's worked in temple. That was another thing I did early in show
bit stuff like that did you just say, Okay, I love this applause
thing. I'm going to do anything I can to get more of it.
Yeah. I think that's that your memory had missed a plot. And also,
to be honest, I couldn't really do anything else. But I didn't
have much talent. Dad had me worked. Dad ran a jewelry store.
I come on, called Rage Jeweler, and I'd tell a sleep that it
display window. I was power one day and I went in display when when
I took a nap, I fell asleep, and Dad went crazy tough,
priced off like you're dad in there, and my dad had a bad temper
and he fired me. And now it's the last time I worked there.
And then Dad offered to buy me a dairy queen when he was a round
plant to graduates that I'll buy you a dearey with a dairy queen for store.
I said, you can run it. And I didn't want to run
a dairy queen. So Dad said, tell you what, go to Hollywood,
try your luck and show bit. They'll send you four hundred dollars a
month. So Dad would send me four hundred dollars every month. He was
a very kind, gain rich man like that, and that's kept me going
in those days. It would breaking seventy five seventy six. My ramp up
like one hundred twenty five a month. Who was cheap out? Thought?
That kept me going every month. So what were some of those early gigs
like for you? How did you make your start out there? I worked
at that the Comedy Stort, the famous Night Cloud, Robin Williams, Ronnie
Dangerfield, Jimmy Walker, all these had gait captain. They all work there.
And I remember the first night we went in. We went in my
friend Mike and I. He came to Hollywood with me because the first couple
of weeks so he I think state for two weeks. Then he left me
alone, but he was there. We went to the Comedy Store. Always
saw like Jimmy Walker, and I was terrified. Jimmy walkerwood be comedian at
that time, nineteen seventy five years. He would jade from grid times.
We were in the front row at the Comedy Store and Jimmy Walker was there
and I would hear to what heck was. I was scared, but he'd
left us alone, luckily, and then little did I know, I made
my debut at the Comedies for January twenty six, nineteen seventy six, I
got really big laughs and the La Comedy Store, and then I did another
performs there the next week. I got getting big laughs. Then mid seat,
who's the owner, said why don't he tire a Westwood Comedy store?
So I did, and I went to the Westwood Comedy Store and Mike I
can I did with my first time, I'd roally bumped in show beause I
told the jokes and they got hardly any laugh and then I'd realized I didn't
really like to and stand up. It was hard for me to memorize through
a teen even in those dates. Mike I needed in next cards, I
read off two card. I would read my whole routine. Accua, it's
the end of the read them We'll bread your gigs like back then. They
would applaud. Okay, they go, na, here's our next comment the
master ceremonies, here's the next com with eddids and then there's the applause and
they go, sure, but we were respect me in the morning. Now
with that was my opening jokes. That was supposed to be funny, Mike,
but I do that. This is how dated the routine wise to go.
They come up with a new stand with Richard Nixon's picture on it,
but it didn't work. Everybody sit on the raw side. That was with
my big joke, so you could see why I tank Mike have to stand
up with the baby. But there were jokes like that when I added a
little routine and we put like my little three or five minute routine and I
did that. Then my next thing was that at the end of nineteen seventy
six, November thirteen, ninety seventy six, I did the gong show my
TV. I was gone that and it got gone by Paul Williams. I
did my routine and the crowd like me. But Paul Williams gonged me.
Yeah. Now cut to that, I did the gong sure that. Now
cut the forty five years later I go to an audition or a gig.
Paul Williams, is there always there? Miss the wicket? I I I'm
indideds And there was on the golubshi do you remember you gong me? Now,
Mike Keith, peepy of pologists appropriate Eddie. I'm so sorry, Please
forgive me. What do you mean to forgive me? I'm so try God,
you please give me your forget. He was literally pleading with mister Williams
played you brought me with the Coffey Show. It's no big deal, I
say, please don't take it since here. I didn't mind it. All
you've got on me with funny he got, we got to understand, I'm
an alcoholics anonymous. He said, we have to apologist to anybody we may
have burdened our lives. So he was very sincere. He was in alcoholic
He's and Alcoholics Love, and I made sure I really except they go,
mitter william you are of solved, You're forgiven. Don't worry. He didn't
hurt me at all. Please forgive yourself, and he was forgive me,
but he was really giving me a solemn apology. So that was seventy six,
and by seventy seven, ye're in grief. Most people start their careers
in low bucket, being movies turkeys. But I started with a classic.
I lecked out I did, which it's got to be the most popular musical
of all time. I think it's maybe one of the five or ten most
popular movies of all time. It has to be from the people I talked
to Chris my first I watched it one hundred times. Every three weapon i've
talked to broke their paints of grief. That takes pef. They played it
so many times they broke them people play. I've watched that every day when
I was growing up, and it's just the most popular movie ever made.
It's got to the out there. Maybe maybe Star Wars with the up there,
but I'm not sure the other big Greens is up there. But yeah,
I started out at the top. Now my part was very small,
and I'm a bit player, but just to be a part at night,
I always say, it's like the guys in Gone with the Wind, Gone
with the Wind, that's big classic. And there's the battlefield seam, all
these quirks. They're that big battle after the war. They daw these Cluikses
did on the field, every one of those quarks, and we're after Those
were guys who were actors, so they probably bragged the Western lights to go.
I'm in Gone with the Wind with Park Gable. I was in Gone
with the Wind. That was their big thing. So I'm kind of like
that in Greece. I played this little bit part, but it's this hugely
classic movie. Yeah, I can't believe the legs on this and just that
it's been with us at the Goods having it's forty fifth anniversary this year,
and it's just amazing. Yeah, and it's still so Stevie and I,
Yeah, Stevie and I watched it Mike, like about two weeks ago,
and it's still so break The songs are so wonderful. It's the ultimate feel
good still and I watched it and I felt really good. If it's a
feel good movie, if you're down in the bumps of her to press so
I watch it in grief. I don't think he can hurt. I think
it'll make you feel a little bit happier. It just brings It s such
a Joyetts movie. So how did you get cast as Richard Rigo? Klaus
and I want to hold your hand, um By with some kind of a
call. I forget that. Steve and I don't remember the audience, but
Bob's the Mechts was doing his first Shield. They were the first film Stevens
Gilbert ever produced. But I don't remember seeing Steven now. I felt on
the set a lot, but he had good casting with Sally Dennison was a
casting director. Zozzy Stokes was there. Bob's The mex was Ritans. They
assisted Bob Gail, they co wrote it. That was the film. Like
I auditioned for the most time. I had to audition nine times for that
movie. And they later told the Foil was laughing sober at me. He
said he was actually crying. He laughed sober. I guess that some people
get along with it hit their buttons, and I was that way with Bob
the Mack Bobs the Beckets is still to this day the best director I've ever
worked with. He's fantastic, He's wonderful. And we did it and yeah,
we just the Joyets Shooter was great and that We did a promotional tour
in New York and they put us up in the Plaza Hotel. Gets what
in the Beetles? Sweet? We got to live in the Beetles? Sweet?
Get to stay there. Stevin Stilbert came with us. He was there.
Stevin took us out the lunch were reading it Starred Easer the stage Deli
or something, but we were Stephen was there. I remember he was the
peat of the table and he see photolets was really cool. Now we were
making the movie. Steven and I were tibbots a lot. We talked a
lot and chat on the seating. He was just a great guy. And
I remember I made up to one line. Now this is a mild joke
now, but I think I was the first one to use because I think
the joke has been recycling recycling in different ways. But there's the one line.
The police the breaks in the room where I have the lab and he
goes, now, I got you little shit, and he goes, who
don't you call on little? Now? I said that, Steve, and
I go, I'm just like that. Stephen broke up lout. He goes,
look, Eddie's gonna use this joke, and I use that. Now.
There's been different variations on that joke where they get upset it's the wrong
party, Eddie, you little bastard, or you're calling little But I think
I'm the first one to use that joke, and it's been read that Stephen
like that joke. He laugh. And I was good friends with stevic On.
You know, we would just talk. He would just hang on this
sat with us if it. Bob were like best friends, and he was
kind of like Bob's mentor, and Bob was just a fabulous director. There's
a joy to work with. Wendy Goes for were with still the best comedy
partner I've ever had. He would like lu Cuttella, he would like Luke
Cuffello to Mike bud Abbott, he was so wonderful. He left way tooth.
That role seems as custom made for you because you were such a Beatles
fan from the get go. I know if it did the light funny,
it's almost you're right, like they've written that role for me. Nothing could
have been more perfect. And I got that. You know what, Mike,
I swear to God to did say, that's the best role I ever
played. That's the best thing I ever did. That's the clothes they ever
got to my comedy. What I wanted to do in a film, Great
direction, great dialogue and just getting across character I wanted. Yeah, Yeah,
And it's such a great movie and still holds up. You talked about
the longtivity of Greece, a longevity. If I want to hold your hand,
I swear it just gets better every single year. I'll tell you a
great story. Mike Paul McCartney with interview by my old friend Joe Pope.
Joe did a magazine called Strawberry Fields Forever with the Beatles magazine and now sadly
Joe died of ads later on, but he died years ago. But he
was interview with Paul McCartney and he told me he'd asked, Paul McCartney,
you ever see a movie called I Want to Hold Your Hand? And Paul
mcclart me, he did it. Im crash and almost earth he goes,
and the answer come back, and the answer come back. Paul McCartney,
Freagan did me. He imitated me. So that's where the greatest compliments in
the life. But Paul did see it. George saw it, Gewort said
it would be good. The story full bill. Now Ringo I heard two
storys Ringo I heard didn't like it. He said he I can't believe Steven
Scoreboard got self involved with it. This spill and we said something deramatory.
But I also heard the story that they screened it for Paul and Ringo boat
and they both liked. So I don't know about Ringo and John. I
never found it. John could have seen. He wasn't due, but he
was retired at those years, so I'm hoping he saught in New York.
But I never heard whether John saw it or not if that was like one
of the first Beatles films. Remember Beatles told the pretty frequent. Now they'd
be like almost the new one every year, but that was one of the
first Beatles still. But I love the way that he shot the Beatles,
that whole thing with the monitor and the camera and then having the body doubles
out of focus in the background. That was so clever. Yees Bot the
Beckis was the head of his son and Mike. When we were doing Polar
Rest, I was talking pond tangs and I said, did you ever see
one of over here? We were talking about it for something, and he
said, I love the way he did those seams with the Beatles. He
said, I really loved that. You know, that thing would did the
biggest whether they faked that they didn't see their faith. He liked that.
And just to get back to the myth of Greece, another thing Tom said,
He said, I loved being he would take a little trunk a little
kid. We'll talk about it later when we begaining the Polers rap. But
he goes, I love the end of Greece. But they fly off in
their all way would be like a little kid talking about he liked the last
team I put in You see Greed. He said, I loved that last
team where Danny and Sandy go flying up in the corridor of the sky.
And he told me what was it like working with Murray Hamilton in nineteen forty
one? Murray would a wonderful knights man. He was a very kind man
at that time. I had to seem Jaws. Now later I found it's
one of my favorite movies, but I didn't see it. We would have
great talks up there, might go, oh he had a suck woakes it
up. But we were like thirty or forty feet up New Yark. It
so the huge Ferris wheel and Murray and I would chat every day. We
have talks and talk about life and religion and politics and then everything. But
I didn't talk about Jaws. I was so ignorant. I would like twice
and I hadn't seen Jaw. Now like the movie everybody's seen, but I
didn't see it at that time. But he was a wonderful fact. He
was a chronic smoker, and he would come down. Stevens had an oxygen
tank for him and periodical Stephen would let us down and he would take an
off because he literally couldn't breathe up there. He would trop trouble grasping for
breath up there on that ferris wheel. Yeah, anyone, I'll say the
great story were on the Ferris will might and Stephen was whipping enough to ride
to see where the fairyfel rolls off the pier. And Stephen whipping enough throughout
really fast with throughout thriftel and it's fair to get nauset. I got motion
sickness, and I go down to Stephen. I'm sick. He goes,
look, tell you what I had my secretary take you to my dressing room.
Lay down. So with secretary took me to the dressing room. He
said, lay down at Steven's cought. So I crawled over on my hands
and knees into the clot and I lay down. Then I caught stick again.
I feel really noxious. I crawled to the toilet in my hands and
niece and I threw up, and I really, oh, my god,
is significance. I get threw up in Stevens your work's toilet, and did
say, it's one of the highlights of my career. I talked about how
the role of Ring seemed customy for you. But did I read The Midnight
Madness that role of Wesley was actually written just for you? That's energy.
If it was. I wasn't sure that, or I forgot. Maybe it
was because it was the perfect role for me. Maybe it was. That
was the only time I worked with two directors. Michael Naken and David Western
were code wrecks. I don't know if they ever did anything else after that
movie, but that was my unhappy at Shoe. But it was a funny
film. I think it's one of my better film. Yeah, there was
I won't get any day. But there are a couple actors and a couple
people in the crew that weren't so night they were. They were pretty mean
people, and I just didn't like it. Now, the other side of
the coin, it was Michael D. Fox's first film that he was the
delight. Michael and I would have lunch together them talk about the Twilight Zone
every day, and we go I had a super Bowl, I brand a
big super Bowl and we go to this wall and Disney to you at the
brick wall and we play handball together. We think he was the delight Maggie
Rosswell from The Simpsons with my girlfriend and he was wonderful. I loved her.
And that was Pee Wee Herman's film and I always let pee kind of
pattern of character off me. Pebe Herman suit. If you look at it's
my exact suit from Greed, and they did it first film with me,
so I always so you do. I think Pea peaths the Night Sky.
He gave me credit. I think he did say Eddie Dash was part of
the influence of the people hermy character said. He was a great guy.
Yeah, that was the fun film. There were a lot of fun times
that Did you have to shoot that whole thing at night? Pretty much?
It was, Yeah, more knightshooths than I ever remember that. I remember
we thought the Bondavn Rotel in La all over La, different location, but
yeah, that was like pretty much Nightshooths all the way. I think they're
going to have called The Great All Night or in fact it was like an
all night shoot, but they changed at the midnight Mattters. I don't know,
and I don't think it did that good at the box office. Maybe
they should have called it The Great All Night or maybe would have done better
I soon to remember that was originally supposed to be a Disney film and they
separated from it because I think Ron Miller actually produced it. That it was.
Yeah, it was the middle ground, Mike. It was too risk
kay to be a Disney film, and it was did raunchy enough to be
ping. So it didn't catch a crowd to be They didn't get the Disney
fans, it didn't get the Animal House crowd. It was like in the
middle there. But there a couple of risk kay line. I have Maggie
Rothwell on my mopad at the boy it's like to have one of these mean
mckeas between your legs and that for that's a barely rif k line. That's
a pretty raunchy line. We had little moments like that in the movie.
The thing that gets me about Midnight Madness is that with every single one of
those groups of contestants, like you get to know some of the people that
are in the groups, especially like Stephen first group, you get to really
know them. David Nun's group, you get to know them. But with
your group, it's basically you and three other guys that just look like you
and do everything that you do. Yeah, that's the interesting I didn't realize
that maybe right. Yeah, I love David not he was great to work
with, and yeah, I love Stephen. First he was like he would
enjoy to work. But I love Stephen. He left the tooth. Soon
Steven die. They'll be immortal from Animal House Always were there ever directors that
told you, hey, Eddie, you need to take it back because I
think the more outrageous you are and the more like spastic you are, better
the role is for you. That's how I feel. That's how I will
make. But if some will say, you know what I get the most
that they'll say slow down because I talk very fast. And I went to
the store and left, they slow down again. And then when I tried
to do that the salary because I naturally do talk fast. That's just the
way I talk. But they I don't remember, particularly all the films I've
done and all the TV were I don't remember. I'm saying bread down because
I think when they hired me they know much stick. I'm very physical.
I love doing physical comedy. No might stick. The direction I get the
most is slow down, They'll say, And I will price to down.
Listen you, I'll take care of you. Enough up, listen you,
I'll take care of you. And it doesn't sound like me If I talk
real slow, I just I don't know if it's people will question I get
as they go. Are you from New York? Because I get New Yorkers
talk fast. I just avoid talk fast. I love that back and forth
between you and Morey Chakin and more games where he's like trying to put his
foot on you a little bit and you're just no regard. I love it.
He was a great lie, great guy. I came on the set.
By the way, More he's another final way be reminded. This is
a sad part of this wonderful podcast. It's all these people that have blessed
that two too. But More he's another one who left F two scene.
He was a great comedy guy. But anyway, we were on the set,
I was a little bit arrogant. I was working a lot. This
clown I came on. Morie and I were talking before he did, saying,
go, yeah, it's just another job, and Mori goes, he
put me in my place. It's important to me. He said something like
that, But he really put me in my plate, got my ethics there
and I go, you know what, You're right, be professional. And
then Morris came up with a great line and he goes, look at this
scene. I'm gonna call you mister potato ahead, and I broke up,
goes, that's great, dude. He made that. It wasn't up in
the script the script without that, and that made the scene mister potatahead.
As to this day, Mike, people will say, hey, listen,
potato, how do they go? Are you mister potato head? I'll get
rest heads. People will call me that. That that made the scene.
He was great. And with Matthew Roberts. First still I drove if I
worked one day on War Game. Matthew and I were there and we drove
in. I was in, I got picked up first, I was in
the breath seat. Then we picked up Matthew when his time, when he
was in the back seat. And I remember Matthew when I were talking and
he talked about his father, James Broadret, who had just recently passed away.
I looked back and he had tears in his life. That was so
sweet. But Mike, he was like a little kid. Matthew he was
what was he like seventeen or eighteen when we did it. But he had
tears in his life like a little kid about his father believing his father.
And I never forget that. And the cool thing about Workings is Ronald Riggins
screened the film in the White House. I don't know if you know this
story, but he screened the film in the White House. This is the
one hundred percent true. And he literally changed the national security system of the
United States because of that movie. He saw the film and he fucked that.
Somebody I gets Russia at that time was our big enemy. He thought
maybe Rush could getapped into our security system and attack us or something. But
he changed our security system because of the War Game. So it had the
little place in history. My director with Marty Brass who later Marty Brest,
was fired after Marty Brest directed twelve different scenes in it. Mine might have
been left, but mine was one of the twelve, and then they fired
Marty Brett. The figure didn't like it, Bailey, and they hired John
Baddam. But John Baddam watched the scenes that mine was the only one he
kept. He liked might see and he said leave that in the movie.
So mine is the only one in the War Games that's not directed by John
Baddam, It's strict by Marty Brett. Marty Brass did Reverly Hills cost the
next year took He made a name for himself, so I'm glad he did
go because he was a really nice director. His story did so many great
things with the rule of Menlo Schwartz Are and served to the end of the
trilogy. Would you consider that you're guest role? Is that the movie that
you have the most screen time? I had two Mike two. I think
I had Top Building, maybe three, but I was Top Building that one
shirt too, and I Top Building one called mob Boss. We'll talk about
that later with Morgan Fairchild, and I think I was Beverlygill's vamp. I
might have been Top Bill, but maybe it wasn't me. Maybe the other
lady was bold first. But that was Yeah, for a three time,
that would be right up there. It would be either Bad or Mob Boss.
I'd say that it got the bag screen time because I'm usually an unsolvable
player or either a bit player. I'll do a cameo or an ensemble player.
But yeah, that one I got. I started that one and it
was fun. It was great shoot we filled all out of the beach.
Mike has randalled but God directed after that? Did he do stuff after that?
I don't think he did. I remember he didn't get Ron Polio.
Remember Ron Polio with Quorshack and Welcome Back catter Gem. They didn't get along
the all. They were like oil and water and they were get into it
on the stack. For some reason, they didn't hit it off. I
remember. But Linda with a Twitter workers. I loved Ron. We were
lifelong friends. And again either another my friends who died. He died way
too young. He was a big time smoke or I think I had a
cancer. But he's a really good friend. I loved him so much.
Yeah, great guy. Yeah, inspect her underwear, inspector underwear. Yeah,
oh yeah, Lawa Agner with wonderful Bye too. He just was a
great guy. I've done signing shows with Dams, one of the ninthest guy.
We sat together on a plane. I remember coming back from a signing
show and he told me Elieford he was up for Batman. He was against
Adam Weft. They with the last tup for Batman, and he would quickly
that he dimitted immortality. Adam Weft got it. I mostly remember him from
the Carol Burnett Show. Yeah, of course that's his leggat you and Lynda
Carriage. I mean I think she's in every single scene that you're in that
film. Yeah, he was my girlfriend and she would just great to work
with. I love work litor. He would the knockout him. He would
drop day gorgeous. I love again, totally off the rails, you with
that umbrella hat that you're wearing. Just so many great set pieces in that
movie. I'm so glad that it's now getting a little bit more recognition than
it was for so many years. Oh thank you. Yeah, that's one
of my better philadel like it to you. I would funding out, that's
one of them better be movies. Carol Wayne was there, I remember.
I think that might have been Carol's last film. She was a little out
of it at that time. He kept seat. I think she was on
some kind of medicine or some bad stuffing BLI had my own experience with psych
drugs. They're horrible, but we won't go on that tangent. But Carol
was on some kind of mad or something from mine with a little bit addled.
And he goes eat photons she kept saying that over and over when we
were on the beach. I remember, but what did devil know? I
realized she would probably on some kind of that Dragley felt, but she was
really like I love her and I loved Bruce Buddy. She was great to
work with. Eric told from math. Remember Eric was in there. Eric
and I played poker together. We get together Eric, Jeffrey, the other
guy, jeff we Stott me m I don't think Tom Voalard played, but
let's would play Ooper together all the time. We'd order pizza. Poor Tom
Valard. That's another one that went way too young as well, Mike.
I was thinking of, but I didn't want the depasture listeners boat. I've
never done of podcasts where I've been so reminded of people that have died that
I worked with. I'm so sad. I'm sorry to be a reminder.
I'm glad we didn't go back into eating. We've been in touch on Greed.
Steve Stevie and I were talking about Greed and how it had a purse
on it. I didn't know because that's just mine movie or that just light.
I think that's just life and an in orderate amount of people passed away,
I don't don't know. These were like every one of them that passed
away, they were all cool people. I don't it would be a better
worth the people you really didn't like, the mean people would pass away,
then you wouldn't care. But every one of these people we talked about that
died were cool. They were my friends. And you have to get a
small part in Greece too as well. Who with this Tom Villard? Oh,
I didn't know that. Yeah, like to the point where I think
his name was like Grease or boy. So like very small part. Yeah,
like in greed If the tribute, but all the dancers had named It's
not talked about in the movie, but they were named Moose and Saw and
Sailor away Ors. But every one of them were assigned a name, but
they was not needed, but they did. I get to god am more
in character or something. The scene with you a Million Dollar Mystery with the
Murphy bed, that is a classic. I love that I did that scene,
Mike. It was twice as long or three times as well. I
did really some great Charlie Chaplet. I did a lot of gags on that
where the bed goots up in Bucks like a broncho, and I said,
on it, Bucks like a broncho, and I flipped over. I did
a lot of time and Fleischer cut of way down, but apparently it's still
Look I've never seen that film. Last thing I was too I was Willie
not happy with that movie filming it. I was a little unhappy because the
Richard Fleischer the only director I didn't like. How was it working with Tim
Conway on the dwarf stuff, Well, God, I loved him. He's
a life on friend of the knightest guy in the world. I love them
just the pleasure. He broke up at everything. He's the sweetest guy in
the world. And I worked with his son, Tim Conway Junior. We
did Teenage Jaxa since I think he's in that with me, but that Tim
would just the joy. We would talk. He was a delight. I
told him he was my hero on the Karrol Bernetcho when I was a kiddie.
I loved Michael's Navy. He was always one of my hero He was
just so night, so sweet, and I talked to Tim Junior about He
said it played against me, he said, Tim with so night father.
He said, my dad is so nice that people will take advantage of of
him though something, Hey, can you load me a thousand lords? And
Tim had such a good heart, he'd give him a thousand bucks or whatever.
But he said, Tim with so nice, people would take advantaem.
And I could see that he just would inordinately kind, inordinately sweet. Do
you work with Fred Owen Ray but a few times? So? Can you
tell me a little bit about your working relationship with him? I love him,
the best comedy director I've ever worked, but I'd love him. He's
a wonderful, great guy. And we did mob Boss with Morgan Fairchild,
my great one and now my great fair of that is I get to make
out with Morgan Fairchild. We have a scene in the movie Okay, the
classic gag where the nerdy guy makes out with a beautiful girl and then the
camera had the back with that and then he turns around in his glasses are
seamed up the fog guy. So we're gonna do that scene with me and
Morgan, and we're get ready and Morgan goes, hey, any do you
want to rehearse? So I did a double take on look, I did
my Oliver paraty look at the camera, I'm thinking Morgan fairchilds asked me if
I want to make out with her? Bass you say, do you want
to rehearse kissing? So get to make out with Morgan Fear And if so,
we didn't take. He put my head to the last to the right,
straight on and I get to make out with Morgan Fairchild and let me
take. He's a great sister. He is the best kids or Mike,
I've teld you if the other story, she was the sweetest, nightsest girl
all the casts. We'd all have lunch together every day at lunch time and
we'd all have a catered lunch at the table. And Morgan she was like
a big star. She would have lunch alone in her drafting room and she
was so sweet. I think part of what she would just shy. He's
a very sweet he just I can't tell you what a beautiful person should was.
But anyway, one day said Eddie, do you want to have lunch
with me? Being a guy, It's go, oh my god, Morgan
fearschull, let's have an affair with me? Up to go to bed with
Morgan's fair Child. But I went in, I knocked out the door.
I'd remember clearly I was nervous, but like this, it's like summer of
forty two. I'm going out this older woman. So I'd locked on the
door. She call me it. She just wanted to have lunch with somebody.
We had our lunch there and we just flocked. We just had lunch
and we talked eether for an hour, Mike, and she told me all
about her life growing up. At least you grew up in Texas. But
she said Warren Baiting was coming on door when she was like fifteen. He
said you could see her at Bonnie and Psyche. He didn't. He's like
the extras in the back seat. One of the cards watched Bonnie and Clad
in the cargo said you could see her head. And he told me all
these little stories about her light. And it was this lench I ever had
she disted the light. He was the doll. I love her. I
can't even imagine somebody you're talking about, how you're chanting with Tom Hanks and
Michael J. Fox. Just the amount of people that you've met over the
years is just wild. The black life, Mike, I've had such a
blessed life, and you other people I might have been in clar I write
about him pretty much on my Facebook page. Every time one of their birthday,
I'll tell a story about him. Wrote about Morgan on February third,
and I wrote about John Tribalt with stuff that happen with him on his birthday
February eighteenth. I have a couple John Tribolt stories, but pretty much,
they're such cool people. They're almost always the story there. They're not bland
people. You meet somebody at a Walmart and they give your bag and you
up. It's not like that. These are like magical people. These are
great artists when they bring magic into the world, and that's why I have
these great stories about it. Tom he just created magic. Run John Tribolt,
he just creates magic wherever you go. And that's the way these guys
are. They're beautiful artists. They're very special people. It's gotta be tough
for you to even choose what are some of your favorite things that you've done
over the years, just because you've done so many things and have made all
these memories. Yeah, the best film might say not in my part in
it, but the best film would be Grief. I'd say that's to be
my last thing. Film that's in I remember about it today. In fact,
Mike send it registered in the Library of Congress. It's preserved in the
Library of Congress. That's why I was really proud of that. But that's
the best film. Polar Express. I'm proud of because working with Tom Hanky's
my favorite star in the world. He's my all time favorite actor, so
working with him with the with the Dream, and also I'm Jewish, but
Christmas Dydsman my favorite holiday, and I always want to do a Christmas film,
but always when on my bucket lift but that's do a Christmas film.
And Bob is my favorite director of all time, so I got to work
with Bob, so that was special to me. So that was those two
where my book increases my birth and Polar Express is like the last movie I
did, even though it was nineteen years ago. Hopefully Stevie and I are
trying to give me back. Hopefully when we go back to La maybe I'll
get some more film roles. I hope we'll see. I'm going to be
sixty six next week. I'm let's bring chicken anymore. When it came to
Polar Express, did you just do voice? Did they do any of that
motion capture stuff for you. He did most he captured with something. Here's
what it did, Mike. We come in every day, okay, we
put on skin diver suit. It was the four us with palm tnks me
knowna Gay and she's the beautiful, the pretty girl, the African American girl.
She's Marta Gay's daughter. And that was Peter Schiller who with Palm and
with the buddies. We'd all get his skin diving suit. They would blue
a Robert skin diving past to our heads. Then like they would get a
marker. Okay, they'd mark one hundred and fifty two dots on our face.
Then they had these little dots I don't know if they were electronic thoughts,
and they would put each thought on each spot on our faith, like
where to God. That's how they did it. The makeup thing was very
long with a long process, and that's how we were made up every day.
And we get in there and we would do our seat. We go,
hey, Sana, I want all those presents. And Tom would talk
the four of us for pretty much together. It's kind of like the Wizard
of Odd. Four of us were together a lot in the movie. And
we did our feet. Then they had four kids. They a young Tom,
a young Me, a young Peter, young known if they were little
kilt children. One would dress like Tom blue, and I would Mine was
dressed in blue, palma drifting yell or whatever. And they did the same
scene. They go, hey, Sanna, I went older. But and
they somehow would do the same modes and Bob the mecas. However they did
the technologus. They would morph us together, so you see the kids in
the movie or making the movie movie, but that would actually us do it,
like if he wouldn't see when I fall down in the train, I
fell down him like glasses fell off. But somehow that was the kid did
the same scene. It's morphed into a kid's body. It's some kind of
process like that motion capture. That was the first film to use motion capture.
Bob was always the head of his patent. It's interesting to go back
to I Want to Hold Your Hand and how he's using the beatles. But
then all those years later he's integrating Tom with all the characters in Forrest Gump,
and then it's like that was right there on the cutting edge too.
He was pre a lot of these directors. You're right, he was pre
then the other stuff he got would use the later pulling. Right, he
thought of this stuff first. Absolutely, he was an innovator. He was
in a ridual. He still is. He's a riginal. I love Bob
everything he does. I still have to see Pinocchio. I was in the
hospital. I didn't get to see Pinoka yet. But that's why I do
want to say. Blom is in it and Bob director, so it's got
to be great. You and Peter Scolaria had worked together before. I don't
know if he shared any scenes. It's been a while since I've seen the
Rosebud Beach Hotel. Oh my god. Yeah, that's when I forgot about
Mike. Yeah, Peter is a delight. He's like, okay, sorry,
last time he died to you. Pete sadly died a couple of years
ago. You know, God, what a sweet guy. Who was the
greatest guy. Yeah, it wrote to beat Health. He was great.
I love worked with Peter. He was a doll. Just the nicest guy
you could ever imagine. Who was in that one? Trying to remember Besid
Peter. That was Colin Camp Christopher Lee, who I think was in a
few movies that you were in. Christopher Lee that people have parted Flee.
I love him. He's the great dis guy. I worked with him in
nineteen forty one, that one in one other. He was the most wonderful
gentleman. All I said. He was great and he was just the warm,
friendly guy with the great sense of humor. He belied Vincent Price.
We met me may who has met Vincent Price. I'll pay about that a
minute. But we rickfully worked with him. He belied this. We played
the sinister orror character in these horror movies, a lot of these gothic films.
But he was a regular guy who had a great sense of humor.
Anyway, I'll digress one minute. This is I think it was like the
eighties. I was married for two years in the Eighth City. Yeah,
it had to be somewhere between nineten eighty four to nineteen eighty six. My
ex wife Linda and I were at a fancy restaurant Beverly Hill, very just
we went out. That was the best part of our mirrors. We go
to fancy meals. That was the best part. Linda and I love to
eat, so we ate a lot of good meals together. So it was
a happy marriage in that way, and we had some good time together.
Anyway, we're at this restaurant. We realized we're the boot. We really
life in the dates and foods. Vincent Price is there. Oh my god.
So you're trying to keep cool and eat, but I really miscit.
Prices is right behind me. So we finished our meal, we turn around.
I have us the Prate. Can I get your autograph now whatever?
And you go, oh, yeah, that he's been the pike. I
go, miss the Price. You are so great, and he goes,
you're in the movie. He goes, but he said that's Incent Prate was
goes, now, members exactly good. Oh you're good too, that's what
he said. He goes, oh, you're good too. Have any point
of me. He was the nicest and he did. So that made our
day. If Lynda and I went out of there out having met Vincent Price,
it's another great one. Lynda and I are walking down Hollywood bull Hard
one day. This is again between eighty four and eighty six. There's this
big limozine part by Frederick's to Hollywood. So he said, you're obviously this
guy's going in to get his wife or his girlfriend to dress in some kind
of sexy neglige or some sexy lingerie. So we're there. The guy comes
up me, good, do you know who's in that car? Steve Wonder?
The Steve Wonders. That's a back that pornos bars. It must I've
never to Steve Wonder. It's gotta be question. We look in Chris,
Stevie Wonders in there. Now, First of all, think about it.
Who would be the least celebrity you'd imagine to go to Frederick's Hollywood steeding wonder?
Because he can't see that. What would what help with Stevie Wonder?
One? Why would he want his girder dress up in nylons and girder bell?
But it was Stevie Wonders car. The door was open. Now obviously
the girl was there in picking her clothes out for whatever reason. That's a
true story. Now we look in ying it for wondering you Stevie Wondered.
Yeah, he invites us in Mike, he invited Linda and eyand so Linz
and I are sitting in a limous in BacT He with Stevie Wonder there.
I swear to God we're talking to him at all, So I finished.
And what I remember most about him previous the nineties guys, And what I
remember Mike the most as did shake shake. We still cands at yet and
it was the best handshake I ever got. It was that perfect handshake,
the only one I threw kids at President Clinton, and those were too bad.
I threw kids a lot of the great but President Clinton and Cedie Wonder
had the too perfect male. They worked too hard, not too thought,
not John Wayne, too topy, break fan, not effeminate, but get
the perfect handshake with perfect griff. And we've been in goodbye and we left,
but we met Thede Wonder. I love that you're still a fan even
though you've been in all of these things, that you still aren't like a
fanboy around certain people. I'm very start fact absolutely yeah. For me,
like I grew up watching your movies and you would just show up here and
there and it's just oh damn, it's just Eddie DC, and I'm so
excited, and you know, just so great to see you. And now
you have like all of these other generations that just know you mostly as your
voice and just like showing up on Dexter's Laboratory or SpongeBob and just all of
these different things. You did voice work for so many years. It's wild.
Yeah, after Polar Excraft and even before polars with those years were a
little thought. The eight that wor a lot in the late seventies and the
ages was my heyday where I would churn in the mouth a lot of be
moves. I was churning mount probably like twenty films veget Then I got into
which I was war Games. I had trouble with my line. This is
the genesis of it, Mike Walgreens. I was having a lot of trouble.
I had only the one seed, but I had to say the word
data encryption algorithm, and it kept screwing up. I go data eno cream
album, cut data endocrysm Alvamo, cut data on a Krenogle moved and I
screwed up a screwed up. So finally day stopped. So Maury takes me
bite and he goes, Eddie, let's take a little walk. He crooks
his finger at me and beckons me over. He quit his arm around my
shoulder, goes, let's take a walk. So we go outside. He
goes, look you're cost of the studio money. He goes, We're gonna
get you idiot card goes idiot cards, pronouncing idiot like I'm an idiot.
But he would let guy, but he said, we're gonna get you d
cards. So what did He had these que cards designed for me, and
I read the scene. I got in one take, I go. We
got to new dating crypttion algorithm, the bang, one take, I go.
This is creaty. He gets read off a card. Anybody can do
that, Alan, So I realized that I think that would like Jennis.
It's the falling in love with with weeks over, because weeks over you just
read your part. You don't have to memorize anything you read. You roll
off a piece of paper with the ball. But like going back as early
as the Gong Show, I did need index cards. So even then I
was having trouble with my memory. I remember I did my full routine off
index card. So even from the earliest plain in my career, I liked
using que cards. And then Pollard Spress, I'd used que cards all the
way through it Bomb known in them, didn't use them, but I read
my bull roll they had a que card role, having these big cards like
Johnny Carson. I had these cards like Bob que cards, and I read
off them. Let me tell me a little bit about the short film that
you're in. I love you, Addizisa. Yeah, that was done by
talented girl Harry. What's her name, Harry, I don't remember the last
name. That she is a very sweet, talented girl. She's wonderful and
I hope she sees all her gold. That film was good preferre it didn't
necessarily I didn't necessarily get to play my stuff so much. But it was
a vanny piece of me because there was my name in a film that was
cool and she was wonderful to work. But then she's a great director,
so I think she has a great future. She's so much younger than me.
She has a great future. Head. But I think I only worked
a day on that, if I remember, maybe I worked two or three.
But she was fun to work with, and yeah, she was just
really nice, the really nice person. I think he's gone my Facebook lift.
I love Sherry. You have been working so much for so many years.
How did the pandemic effect you? Did you have to stop doing what
you're doing because there's been a period of time since I think like twenty sixteen.
I know you did one called what beat You, Mike, but otherwise
you've stopped working for a little while. Yeah, here's what happened. Like
you can leave it in your show or not. I'll leave it up to
your discretion. You've seem like a nice guy for you your discretion. I
got very thick. I had of heart trouble in the late before twenty twenty.
There's a picture on my old Baker page. In fact, I would
look at I'm hugging the throat. I remember, even before I had my
operation, I didn't know what I would get anither vertigo itself. I didn't
know. No, I was born with the heart murmur and one of the
valves that come loose leaking blood into my brain. So I would get beat
and I find you know what's going on? And I literally think, am
I dying? It was horrible with a horrible period of my life. And
I finally got the outbreak in the beginning of twenty twenty. I had open
heart surgery. Then the worst thing happened, like they put me on this
regiment of pills, like about twenty pills, and I had in my whole
adult life drug free. I'm like a Christian side. It's no drugs at
all. No miss I didn't even take asp but it took me on the
twenty men that I started acting really crazy. That's when I started acting really
weird. And then I had a stroke after that and I got in trouble
in my hometown. I literally I would help Funny in retrospect with it's troupe.
I was in a Japanese restaurant and the police were because they were trying
to throw me out. I'd swearted and I the police were there. They
told me to leave, and I threw plates at if. I threw plates
at the cough and they would chasing me around the restaurant, and I go
felt it kind of kidnapped me. Literally sounds like a movie. And my
friend in the hospital. You if they still have that Surreyless film, it's
got to be one of the best restaurst Surrayless bils of all time. It's
got to be a classic. But I literally faith Aroount. Now. The
bad part, Mike is I would that would fault that second degree of fault.
When I was up for tending to prison, I had a good public
defender. Is he got me off. He got me off the hook.
So now I'm serving eighteen months by the supervise probation. I'm serving with Stevie
and his way, Steve Jointer. It's a nice guy in the world.
He's my manager, and he was so kind. He took me in seeing
he's a great glad. We have fun every day, we go out to
eat, every day, we talk, We sat. I let him do
this stuff. He's a manager of a lot of people with as an important
manager, and I let him do it stuff. But we do a lot
of things together every day. So he's responsible for me being here. He's
getting eat podcasts, he's booking me for some the signing shows, and we
ultimately do want to go back to Hollywood so I can get back in the
movies or at least try, you know, I don't want to send the
rest of my life us here. I'm happy to be the South Carolina people
are so nice, they're so wonderful, but I do want to go back
to la as my own. I just was you're closer to Detroit because I'd
love to have you on one of my pub trivia teams, because I know
you're a huge trivia guy. As well, I think Stevie might be a
trivia expert too. We do good at the team. I guess everybody had
their subject. Mine is like the Beatles. I'm an come an expert old
time baseball. I know certain things I'm not around, like I know enough
about geography, nothing like that. I don't know where the Ukraine is or
some of stuff like that, or I don't know I know, you know
where Florida is California. I don't know where all fifty states are. I'm
very ignorant and stuff. Thanks. You know what Mark Twain says, We
are all ignorant, only in different areas. It's like a profound quote,
and it's true. Nobody knows everything where just we all died a doll and
know our field. Everybody's good. There's an old line. I'm paraphraid every
dog is good in front of their own ouse, that every dog gets cot
in front of their own health. When you've got your own stock, you're
a real expert. But when you're taken out of your field, you can
look like an idiot. I am so excited for you to get back out
there. I want the world to have more at a do visa because I
just always enjoy everything that you're in. Thank you, sir, I appreciate
it. Thanks Mike, You're very kind. Is there a good place for
people to keep up with you in your work and for you to make any
sort of feature announcements? Okay, I'm on Facebook every day. You please
look at my Facebook post on would buy a five pound in front of it?
The limit? But you can always look at my Facebook. Pay Stevie's
got me on cameo videos. We're on a thing called cameo. You can
order cameo video to cost thirty dollars and I will say high or whatever you
want me to say. I'm unlike a whrror. I'll say whatever they Happy
Birthday, Happy bar Mitts. But at a great wedding. We've got this
one real long thing that's real wrong. Long dialogue people have me thinking all
kinds of things or whatever, or tech talks. I love some people.
Will you just give it the test talk and I'm good at that. Hey,
Gertrude, don't read that, and I give him teth talks. So
if you want to order a cameo video, there's an easy app. You
can just google it and find the apple by doing a lot of those.
See he's getting me booked on different podcasts. I think just Flate third or
four. And yeah, Steve's working on signing shows. I think Stevie's got
about two or three signing shows that up for me. We've got them lined
up, so hopefully we don't have the dates right now, but yeah,
hopefully soon. Mister Beason, thank you so much for your time. This
has been such an honor talking with you, my pleasure, it's mutual.
It's been great talking to YouTube Mike, thank you so much. Who I
gonna who I'm gonna guss you out, Who I'm gonna travel so far,
Who I'm gonna reful you, Who I'm gonna kiss her, I'm gonna love
you. And then she told about shewn out, then said, all day
all the reason that I need to all lie long gone, all life long
love is what I need. Oh my God, I love you ready reasons,
and then she told them she loved sol said, I'm gonna hut,
I'm gonna I'm gonna travel so far, impel you. I can't a kiss
your beard. And then she told them how she loved sold all day long,
the reason that I'm a long aline. Oh my God, you can
be told and sold sound then and I should have ready, baby baby boy,
dye my he