How you doing out there? It's me Tigger, I'm dark Wing Duck.
It's me Bunkers keep bobcat. All right, y'all? Did it ring your
favorite firefly you desire? Hold the old knock out. My name is Jim
Cummings, and welcome to tune in. Alrighty, Yeah, what was just
in here? A little bit ago? So it's fine. I can smell,
yes, you can smell the brain. Well, we're here, we
are. I am so glad. I'm loving doing this because I've done one
or two of yours. You've done at you know, and I recall at
three for sure. Yes, and every every time you were on an episode,
the response from the audience was like, oh my god, how did
you get scaled the heights of mediocrity? Yeah, I'm so grateful that people
lower their expectations for it. That's right. Oh man, Chris and I
were just talking. I'm very aware of your background. You and I came
from the same oh yeah, the same area. Yeah. Here we are
the lap of luxury. Yeah yeah, Youngstown and Flint, Yeah, the
rust belt as Yes, that's right, but here we are. And don't
tell nobody but mag we hit the freaking lottery dude. Oh what you said?
God, Amen, unbelievable. Um, Jimmy and I are at a
convention in Tampa and we go home from these events exhausted from saying thank you.
You know, it's very true. Anyway. Yeah, it's a pleasure
to be here, Paler. Yeah. Yeah, we're still breathing and we're
still here. About that. More or less. It's not over. Yeah,
yeah, day's not over. Yeah, you know, thanks for being
here, Paler. This is so nice. This is so nice. I
uh, we were just coming down the hall talking, yeah, this will
blow your mind as usual, And it occurred to me because I started adding
up in my head. Okay, and that I think i've worked with you
and any I'm sure I couldn't remember all of the series. I'm sure I
couldn't do it, but I mean, forget the episodes, I mean just
the serious themselves. But I think I've worked with you more than anybody,
well anybody else, no wonder. I've been so lucky. I got I
got the Jimmy. Oh yeah that's it. Um, well we did.
Still to this day. One of my all time favorite experiences with you was
Bumping the Night. Yes, that was a show. That was so good,
and it got caught up in the Disney purchase of ABC's right, and
we did another season. It was all recorded and they just yeah, didn't
didn't animate. They pulled the plug. Man. We got to sing cool
songs and it was claymation yep, one of my favorite masitions. Yeah,
yeah, Annah Clay auto right, good for you. Yeah, the very
big favorite maition. Yeah, and uh yeah, it was amazing. And
I I can tell you this. I remember the first time that we met.
When was that And it was at the world famous Hannah Barbara. Yeah,
it's Hannah Barbara. And and I'm I'm styling in. I'm sure I
was late, you know, and I'm too lugging. And I had a
raggedy T shirt on or something, and your drumsticks and my man, and
I did have my drumsticks, yes, and I've got them right back there,
just in kiss. But I walked in and you were standing there,
and first of all, you had on your cowboy boots. You had on
your your jeans. He was tabulous and uh he and he had you had
on a cowboy shirt and a string time. Oh I got a bolo tie?
Was wrong? Remember that a bolo tie and wow that I said,
Okay, this dude's he's bringing it. Yeah, I remember that, I
remember it. We did, and we there. I know, we all
did a bunch of different stuff, but you and I got to do the
Adams family and we got to work with John Aston Gomez his own bad self,
and Carol Channing was Grandma Rip Taylor Uncle Fester, and Rip wasn't gay,
he was freaking ecstatic. Yeah. Yes, his feet never touched the
ground and oh yeah, and you were lurch because of my height, yeah
yeah. And Pat Fraley was cousin it. Yes, And then I got
to play a next door neighbor and who was always concerned about what was going
on. And my wife was Dye McClurg. Yes, she was the woman
who had Ferris Bueller. He's a righteous dude. Our son was Dick Beals,
who is long since passed away, but he was the same age as
my parents. And if you guys look up Dick Beals online, he was
a m a small person, but everything was proportional. He was a small
person who never grew out of like sort of eight year old size. And
his voice did his voice change right, he changed up. He was always
up here. So here's this guy I'm working with who was, you know,
sixty four years old and he was the voice of Speedy Alka Seltzer when
we were kids. He was the voice of Davey on Davy and Goliah.
Yeah, that's right, and check this out. He was also an excellent
salesman. He comes to work one day with his book called Think Big.
So he did. Yeah, and he was a remarkable guy, flew his
own plane, you know, a really cool guy. So he comes he
says, Rob, he just got my book back from the publisher, and
I really would love for you to have a copy. I think you're a
fine young man. Oh, thank you, mister Beals. That's fair,
not at all, not at all. And so I said, well,
thank you. So he signed it to me to Rob Think Big, Dick
Beals. I said thank you so much, Dick. And I started to
walk away to go to workers that'll be and I turned around. I'm gonna
be mean, I said, oh, oh, of course, And so
I said, I'm so sorry. All I've got to twenty oh I've got
changed. So yeah, yeah, I thought, now you're good. He's
already inscribed it to me, didn't mention money until yeah, yeah it's too
late. So so he gave you back at ten And then you said,
Nicol, yeah that's true. Yeah, bigger Yeah, so yeah he was
that big. We've gotten to do together, big at my expense. I
even got to see I remember going to her I think it was your Canyon
Club, right, and then the sixtieth Minion years ago, yeah, tell
me about and then the sixtieth out at Westlake. Yeah, so yeah,
I've had there, and being at your home in um Camario a million years
ago. Yeah, oh yeah, and playing in the Tasmaniacs. We wear
the tasm right with you and Debbie at n Berry Farm we were seeing walk
then yeah yeah yeah, and Keith Baxter oh my god, oh my gosh.
And Tas Media yeah every Friday, every Friday, and they were very
gracious because I begged him. I said, um now, if there's any
way, I mean, I couldn't be happier to be Tash. And I
remember we were at the Voicecaster and we went through all of this, all
of them, the audition process, and I was following Noel Blank yeah,
Mel's son kid, yeah, you know, and and uh and Art Vitello
was our director. And I walked in and I thought, oh, I
said, oh god, this would be so cool. Look at this one,
you know, iconic character. Yeah, and um and and I had
known art anyway because we worked on different other projects. And uh, he
said, well, you're following a tough act. And I said who's that.
He goes, Noel Blank, and I go, oh, god,
yeah, Mel's son and he and I said, oh, that's right.
I think I saw an entertainment tonight that he was doing that, and it
was it was it was kind of you know, it was a bit of
an eye roller because Mel Blank was sitting in there and he goes, well,
how you doing that, son? Maybe he goes, uh, no,
Dad, I don't think that bugs would say it that way, and
they oh, gee, you know, I can't do bugs. But but
it was and you're just go, you're just it was chriss Worthy. I
get that you're doing this with your kid, and god, yeah, fucking
Blank. Yeah, and he's and so. But the kicker was he said,
um, you know, he went in and he was auditioning for a
tast and he goes, well, there's not really any auditioning for tasts.
It's like this there are five voices, five nos. What oh weh and
and he goes and I goes. He said that to Art. Yeah,
that's that's the audition. Wow, you're welcome. Wow, whoa and don't
let the door hit Yeah, And it was something like that. So I
went in and I said, oh boy, and U and I can tell
you, I can tell you I get paid for doing this and uh and
and here's a fun little fact. It's the actual one they used in the
beginning of the show. They used the first are you the first words out
of my mouth as tasks they used in that at the end of the come
to dead mate, we mean you are you kidding me? And that was
the one they used. It was in the show the first from and every
Friday at um at Soundcastle Way the Hell in Glendale or whatever it was.
Yeah, you and Mo would come with your comic books. Yes, and
you guys will always go like the Golden Apple and stop it come over and
Keith Baxter Art, oh yeah. And Debbie was on that show, and
Miriam Flynn yea and Dan Castelenetta. Yeah, oh my god. It was
every Friday taste Oh I laughne ass off every Friday, Oh god, what
was amazing incredible. Oh yeah, and I lucked out. I just begged
him to do it on Friday because pipes. Oh yeah, then I had
the weekend. Yeah no, you and Frank and Mo Mo did yosemboity Sam
for years and he finally said that Fred tatters shirt. I'm done. I
can't do it anymore. It do you still get? I mean, well,
wait a minute. With the Looney Tunes reboot over, you were doing
a lot of that stuff over. Yeah, I did. I did.
I was yoseboity Sam about two or three times. But you did take too.
Yeah yeah, and it was but I think it was a couple of
them on Animaniacs. It was a guest. Oh yeah, well you probably
you did quite a few Animaniacs, didn't you. Oh yeah, yeah,
I did a mess up thinking the brain too. Yeah. Oh yeah,
and turn as you were Shredder, Well that, oh yes, absolutely,
And that's what I was saying earlier. I realized, I think that you
and I have been on more shows, more serious, yeah than or just
worked the other period, more than anybody else that I could think of.
Well it was me you, I mean, rude dog, Oh my god,
I mean and that's being rebooted. Yeah, it Rude rebooted. Yeah,
yeah, I was Rude Dog, Jimmy was Scratch Yeah, Frank Welker
Yeah, Peter Cullen, Megatron and Optimus Prime, thank you very much.
Dave Coolier, Yeah, Uncle Joey from Full House, Yeah, yours truly,
Hanks roy and the creator or not creator, the producer, and um
Ellen Gerstell and Mandy Mindy Siegel. Yeah. Another one. The show,
you know, it was on CBS for a year or two or something.
But another one. It just we left her got so out. Oh yeah,
time unbelievable and they paid us. Yeah. Rude Dog and the Duets.
Yeah, and I think and and Biker Mice is being rebooted by Ryan
Reynolds. Ryan In Reynolds has a company, his own production company called Maximum
Effort. Biker Mice was purchased by a Canadian company called Nacelle. They now
are releasing all the you know, updated toys and they're doing a new series,
an animated series produced by Ryan Reynolds. Wow. How about that better?
Yeah, it's everything old is new. I love that guy. He's
cool. Yeah, I'm a huge Ryan Reynolds. Oh yeah, I love
his off handed cool, especially as Deadpool. He's just Deadpool. That was
Oh my god, perfect. Yeah that I could throw my two cents in
here. I really like how he represents for Vancouver, so yeah, yeah,
yeah, you know, like so many people, you know, they
leave Vancouver and just like leave it behind, you know, and like he
really represents Yeah, I heard that he really fought for the Deadpools to be
filmed in Vancouver. Like now he's he's even on the train there. He
makes like the announcements every now and then, like you'll be riding the sky
chow his voice will come on, be like announcing the next stop. Oh
jeez, that is great. That's cool. I'm originally from Detroit, and
I love to talk about how much I love Detroit and the fact that he
does that same thing with mol Most from Toronto. Tara Strong is from Toronto,
and Toronto and Vancouver are world class cities. Man, Oh beautiful city.
The airport in Vancouver. I'd live there. Yeah. But yeah,
Ryan is he and he's a cool movie star. There seems to be no
pretense about him at all. I did that, you know, it's pretty
cool. I agree. I agree. He's like the gym Cummings of movies.
There you go. I was just gonna say that. Oh wait,
no, I wasn't here. At the Full Figure Discent Network, we produced
over twenty hours of podcasts each month covering the greatest shows of the nineties,
including The Simpsons, South Park, King of the Hill, Syfeld Friends,
Futurama, and so much more. So, if you're in the mood for
a good old dose in nostalgia and each week, check out all the shows
available right now on the four Finger Discount Network. Links are a description of
this podcast. But you know, I was thinking about it and I,
oh, my gosh, the shows that you and I have done, the
series, you know, Animaniacs and Dark Wing Duck, Dark Wing Duck Got
be Yeah a Steelbek Yeah, Dark Wing Duck Steel You were Adams Family,
Adams Family, Um, Bumping the Night, Rude Dog. I mean it
was either you were the lead guy on the show or almost I was.
I mean, yeah, you know, we did Bonkers, we did Dark
Wing, we did huh Rangers, Rescue Rangers. You were all over Rescue
Rangers. It's you were Lieutenant somebody. I can't remember. I don't know.
I remember that it wasn't originally wasn't and Peter Cullen was the first modern
Jack, right, yeah, he did half of them. Right then halfway
through Ted Stones or somebody decided to switch over. Yeah, and they play
and they go, well, we we want you to do Monterey Jack now,
and I go, We're like thirty shows in and he goes, well,
here, I'll play you your your original audition audition and I said,
wow, that kind of accidentally. I mean, Peter wasn't there and I
wasn't it his, but I said, we sort of sounded like on it.
So why why why? Because I'm already on the show doing all these
other characters, and so that's comfortable, you know, Oh yeah, let
me go. And so you're friend Monterey Jack in front of the guy.
Yeah, and then but just is right over their head. So I ended
up switching into Monterey Jack. And it's really weird how that happens. Uh,
you did a bunch of you did the tick too, didn't you do
the Yeah? Atello and I I auditioned and got the job as Arthur his
side tick, Yeah, Michaelangelo and Turtles as well. Oh yeah. And
the night before we did the first episode, Sue Blew, our director called,
She said, hi, honey, it's Sue. I said, hey,
we're looking forward to Marsh's honey. Yeah about that, I said,
is everything okay? She said, well, the folks at Fox really would
like to put a celebrity and and they wanted him. They wanted Arthur to
be a celebrity. I said, oh, okay, Well so I'm I'm
not no, they you're going to be in all of them doing something,
but they really would prefer So I said, well, you know what,
that show business, but you guys are gonna pick no. Thank you for
calling me. Who's the celebrity? Laurence Olivier was really good and stuff.
Yeah, he really was. You got it is great? So I said,
well, who's the celebrity? I got Mickey Dolans now as in no
offense. I loved the monkeys me too, and Mickey's a great guy.
But I thought it was going to be you know, Howie Mandel or Yeah,
somebody was the hot at the moment, and it was. He brought
one again to yeah and I said, well, and he was great.
Did fine? So I was still on the first third and then then at
the end of the first thirteen, I got a phone call again saying hi,
rapid suit. Um, they want you to do Mickey's going to go
on the road doing theater and would you be okay doing Arthur? And I
said, well, yeah, I don't know, But I said, now,
I know I don't have any sway here, but can you at least
sort of give me a handshake agreement that if Micky gets done with his theater
and comes back, you guys will try to stick with me because that would
be a little embarrassing. And they said, no problem. So the next
twenty six I did Arthur. But um, that was another show that was
way ahead of its time. Oh, I agree, smart Oh yeah,
boy, Art Patello, I've not seen Art forever, but Art as an
animator and a director. Yeah, and boy he was special. Really he
was really something else. All the people with whom Keith Baxter, Yeah he
did all the Tasmanians, Oh my god. An incredible guitar player, musician
and world class for Peter Hastings writers, yes, um, yeah, we're
And he was so good. He played bass. He had five strings on
his that's right, yeah, extra one. That's pretty Bass's pretty cool.
Yeah, No, I I love this. I getting a chance to reminisce
and talk with people whom you would choose to have in your life. And
our job is the happy business. Yeah, are you get paid to hang
out with him? Kidding me? The number of times, Chris that we
would have to stop rolling because we were, you know, busting each other
up too much. We were like the Harvey Corman and Tim Conway, yeah,
and everybody, Billy West, Maurice, Neil Frank just down the line.
Yeah. And the number of times I've gone to bed at night just
thinking, you know, like uh like um, yeah, thank you lord,
yeah, like um in the sound of music, I must have done
something good because I don't know how on earth? Yeah this we got here?
Yeah? Well I flew yeah like that. Yeah, yeah, that's
how'd you get here? How do we get I think it was united?
Yeah, yeah, it's it is never not wonderful pal, Yeah oh yeah.
And then we get to come to these conventions. We're at one now.
We're here in the world famous Paris, right right on the water in
Tampa, Tampa, Tampa Bay. Oh. Yes, and there's pirates just
went by. There's a man caution manatee area. Yes. So yeah,
this is a remarkable thing. And a lot of you folks out there have
been fortunate enough to see Jimmy at some of these events, and um,
the both of us. The yeah, the recurring theme that I hear from
fans over and over and it should be a given, but it's remarkable to
me when they say, oh my god, you guys are so nice.
Well, Jesus Christ Wow, why would we not be? Yeah? And
nobody ever tell me I'm nice, God, you aren't. I have to
tell you. Lawson is really nice. Yeah, But honestly, this is
the only time where I get a little tongue tied is because why would we
not be? Yeah? We were, Chris and I were talking, especially
with Winning. That is a character that literally lives in the hearts of millions
of people. And the number of times I've seen you do Winnie and see
grown men and women crumble, yeah, because of what that means to them
because somebody has now gone from their life or this was my brother passed away
but you'll never know. And a couple of years ago, when the Christopher
Robin movie came out check this out, I remember seeing you at work and
I said to you, dude, I'm telling you, if there's anybody that
is going to be nominated for an Oscar as a voice talent. I mean,
this is crazy. The next week there was an article in Vanity Fair
with Youwan McGregor on the front and the caption says, there is a Oscar
worthy performance in Winnie the Pooh and it's not you and McGregor. It was
Jimmy pardon me, fucking Cummings and that was my name. Not a surprise
at all, I'm telling you, dude, thank you you. Yeah,
that was lovely. You know, everybody knows how good you are, et
cetera. You lit that movie up. Oh thanks man and you and even
talking about you. Yeah, yeah, he was very gracious. It's nice
guy. It's a remw about that. Yeah, you know, Jesus movie
stars. No, it's it's just it's the coolest thing in the world.
And the number of times I've been working with you or Frank or Tresh and
Billy Moe and we're working with you know movie stars. Oh yeah, film
people who came and then they watch Jimmy start to riff and do they literally
say, I'm sorry, but I don't know what you're expecting, but I
don't do that. Yeah, and they you we hired you to be whatever,
but it really is. You see big time recognizable movie stars who are
dumb struck when Trust starts ripping or Frank goes off, and oh yeah,
and it's um, it's really something to watch. Yeah, yeah, I
agree. I agree. Yeah. Well, it's a it's a specialty.
It isn't tell nobody we don't know what we do. Yeah, I had
no idea. You guys have known each other for so long? Oh yeah,
oh yeah, I think. Yeah, it has to be since the
mid eighties. Oh yeah, wow's got to be. So when did you
come to LA almost from the beginning of your career? Oh yeah, very
much so. Yeah, because the first couple of jobs I got was at
hand to Barbara and that's that's right. We first met, and that was
about nine. I don't even remember six eighty seven. I don't remember the
show. I don't think it was Flintstone Kids, but it was. I
don't either, I could have been. There were so many shows that didn't
like why Fire and uh Snorks, which was Smurf's Underwater. That's right.
But you go in and you're working with Ruth Buzzy and Artie Johnson and all
these people that we Yeah, Jonathan Winters on laughing. And Jonathan used to
have his own TV show on CBS, and at the end of every show,
the stage hand would just throw him a hat and he'd put it out
and go and he the first time I worked with Jonathan. I worked with
him, I don't know, half a dozen times. Oh yeah. And
I got to work in the late great Gordon Hunt, the director at Hannah
Barbara Helen's father. Yea um, hey, rab yeah, Jonathan Winters here
today. You want to sit next to him? Maybe? So I sit
next to mister Winters and Gordon says, look, we just so you know,
it's probably not a surprise, but we always build in an extra half
an hour or so because Jonathan's going to riff and we don't want him to
stop. Yeah, it's a free show. Yeah, he's Robin Williams hero.
Oh yeah. And so I'm sitting next to mister Winters and he had
the first line and Gordon rolls and he says, uh, okay, Jonathan,
blaha, take one and off you go. So he nudges me like
this and he's pretending, Looklei's looking down the barrel of a gun. Now
forgive me. This is what he said? He said, uh, shoot
the priest. That will stop those Mexicans in their track tracks? And I
thought, holy shit. Where at the Alimo? And I said, okay,
So I said, you got it, Colonel Travis. Oh wow,
I thought, I'm a badass. I'm playing with Jonathan Winters and I got
it. And so here's how good he was. He goes, Colonel Travis,
Travis is uploading stuff with Davy Crockett. I'm Jim Bowie. Shoot the
goddamn priest. Oh no, that's wonder, isn't that something? And so
did you shoot the priest or not shoot? Get his stopped the Mexicans in
their track because we're at the Alimos. Okay, So I got done and
I said, mister Winters, what up? What do you say? What
do you say? Yeah, it's like talking about Rushmore. Yes, that's
what it is. One of us where you call your mom and dad and
say you're not gonna believe. Yeah, he said, come on, we'll
talk, and okay, So we walk out in the parking lot to his
car and he did twenty minutes for me in the parking a lot. Yes,
Maud Fricker Chester honey Hugger I bet I saw that because I was sitting
out there and I was doing pickup lines. I'm looking at and I think
it was you and and oh god, I'm probably some people together and we
didn't want to stop. And he's making that face that he always made.
And part of like Robin, yeah, part of his genius was his madness.
And you know, I used to hear from people who knew him once
and said, oh, yeah, Gary Owens, those stories about Jonathan being
you know, aren't stories, yeah, or missus Winners, Um, Hi,
this is the Burbank Police Department. Everything's fine, but mister Winners,
you know, was at the Ralphs and talking to the frozen turkeys and he's
okay, but we just want to let you know he's going to be a
little late coming home. He's on his way and that he said, oh
yeah, oh totally, And that was part of his genius. He couldn't
not do it. Yeah, same with Robin. Yeah, I can't not
do it, can't not do it. And for better for worse, nobody
wanted him to stop. No Jesus, no, hell no. I remember
one time and your boy Rip Taylor, because I always brought drumsticks around I
gotta sitting over there, and I just didn't bop like this, and and
but he goes hand him a stick, just one, just hand him one
one drumsticks. So he did. He went over there. So he said,
oh, oh, kim a sabeah right, you little bastard, you
know, and you know, and he was off and he goes, huh,
yeah, must make kill crook it. Yeah, you know something you
know and what are you doing? It was effortless. And I'll tell you
what you guys out there you're younger, just uh, when you have a
moment, google or go to YouTube and say, you know Jonathan Winters Tonight
Show, and a bunch of it will come up. And you guys probably
don't know Johnny Carson dot remember, but every time he'd have Johnny right here,
and Johnny could not get his breath. Yeah, the same thing with
with me. My mom and dad would say, all right, you can
stay up and watch the Tonight Show. Jonathan's on. And and there was
one. The Tonight Show was originally hosted by Steve Allen a million years ago.
Then there was a guy named Jack Parr who hosted it. So if
you look for Jack Parr, p a R two a's two as Jonathan Winners.
It's the same thing. Jonathan Jack gives him a stick. That's it,
and it's this and it's riding crop and it's magic. Yeah, stupendous.
Yeah. And the reason I get so excited is because that it is
so inspiring to watch that and the gift of that guy. And I got
Jimmy and I we got to see it right, well, yeah here,
unbelievable. Yeah. And to have that here yeah yeah, yeah, it
was crazy. I remember one time he had a I think you might have
been there, but he said, well, this is I'm much better today.
I'm much better today. The other day it was terrible. I I
was I was going up to a CV. I was going to it goddamn
drug store, yeah, for God's sake, and this woman comes up to
me and she says, oh my god, Jonathan Winners. I just can't
believe I'm running into you and Jonathan Winner. And I told that little shit,
I said, God damn it. I am sick and tired of being
mistaken for that asshole. He said, Jonathan Winners, Jonathan, you know
who you look like like. Just let me take a guess. Jonathan Winners
I hate him. I can't stand him. I'm a dental surgeon from Saugust,
isn't that something? And he goes and he be rates this woman and
he, oh, I'm ever so sorry. I mean, well, you
don't really, I guess, yeah, but you really kind of do look
like him. And I'm you know what, I'm just gonna go shoot him,
all right, go on nothing. You're not even gonna ask me for
an autograph, you know? And what the hell? And he did that
in a parking lot him an anp yeah something. Oh yeah, he just
couldn't not he couldn't turn it off. And uh and he and Frank were
very close friends. Yeah, and Frank Welker, who you know better everything.
Um. He has been doing Freddie on Scooby Doo nineteen sixty nine,
since Woodstock, wow, you know, since the moon landing the actual Oh
that's right, unbelievable. He's been doing Scooby since Don Messic passed away.
Yeah. Um, and that I got my first gig at Hannah Barbara was
a reboot of Johnny Quest and I got to Bedgie. You were I was
Hodgie. It seems seems cell bim and I loved that show. When I
was a kid's on Friday Night to ABC Great Jade Great, and um it
was at prime time ABC Cartoon and um, so I got this gig and
I'm thrilled to death. But it never occurred to me that when I walked
into work the first day that the real doctor quest Don Messica was there and
so shake his hand, and I missed my first line because he starts sounding
he goes careful, Johnny's blah blah blah hodge And I was so dumb that
it's kind of like what happens first? Yeah, yeah, my ear just
went back to remember in Michigan watching Johnny question that's him? Yeah, I
know, surreal. Yeah, Um, I had that with with John Aston
the first Yeah, you know he starts doing Gomez you know, caught on
me. Oh my god, oh sorry, yeah it was. And I
got to work with mel Blank twice at and Gordon same thing. Rob.
You want to say we're doing a Jetsons project and talk about you know that
dumb struck. Yeah, I'll never get the peasure mish mister Blank, you
man, he's probably close to eighty and um he was mister Spaceley. Oh
that's right, that's right, Okay, so I'm working mel Blank, I
said, mister blank, like anyone when yeah, what do you say?
H like I say talking about Rushmore right, I'm just such a thank you,
well, thank you man. And I said, if it's not too
much trouble, would you And he took off his glass and with something doc
And that's exactly what I wanted. Yeah, it gives me chills now because
I just sat there and I didn't really know what to say. What's up,
doc? Period end of story. Yeah, to this day and all
of this that Jimmy and I and Chris are talking about it. This is
utterly authentic. Really, m I can't believe I got to do that.
I know, I man, do I agree with you? You know?
And you and I remember running India something, we're doing something. We've all
done the many things. And he came up to me where where I think
we're at B and B sound and he said, you're never gonna guess who
I work with. Wait a minute, And I said, okay, you're
right, I won't the Beatles And you said close, yes, you're gonna.
I was just thinking about this storytelling, yes, And oh, by
the way, and there's a documentary about the person I'm about to mention that
will kill you to death. It gives me good. I can't believe this
is Yeah. I was gonna say go ahead, we're physic yeah, and
he goes, uh, he says, you said, well, all I
can tell you is this. I've never worked with anybody this incredible, anybody
this legendary, anybody this this, And and I said, okay, what
was it? You go bam boom named David some old drive an, a
little king Richard and Jimmy and I are you know rock and roll forget about
to the Bone. And it was an episode of Bill and Tad's Excellent Adventure.
Thank you for bringing that up. Yeah. I walked in and it
was about the birth of rock and roll. And I got there and Gordon
said, hey, Robbie, I know you like rock and roll. You
know he's going today. I said, no, you know George Carlin coming
in because he was on the show but he recorded by himself. Oh yeah,
And I said, he said no, little Richard. I sat next
to him again, yes, and everything. He had the makeup and the
do and he was all so fine. I mean, he was spipped up.
He had a posse of boys come in with him, who all over
the place. And I think that's the only time I've asked for an autograph.
I had my script and I said, yeah, mister, He said
too Rob, God loves you so much, little Richard, and I thought,
oh my god, Richard Penniman is right here. The check this out.
I said, uh, Jimmy Hendricks was your guitar player, because yeah,
I had to fire his ass. And I said, why he's too
pretty. He's too pretty. This is my show. They come to see
me. He did fine, he was a nice young man. God rests,
but he's too pretty. And and then check this out. I'm sitting
next to him and he says, Gordon, I don't mean to be you
know, bottle somebody. I mean, I'm glad to be here. How
late will we go today? And Gordon said, we'll be done in an
hour. Oh that's great. And he said, because, uh, because
Eric is picking me up. We're going to see Paul at the Forum.
Eric Clapton, Yeah, and he were going to see Paul McCartney. Yeah.
I get home and it wasn't uh, it wasn't pretentious because because he
knows them well, those guys they love Yeah, they love they he inspired
them, and I'm really just freaking out. And I got home and I
told my wife, here, look at this not going to be And that
night on the Channel four news as well, we're going over to a big
event at the Forum and there's a Little Richard and Eric Clapton and Paul McCartney.
To my mind, oh yeah, what do you do? What do
you do with that? Jesus, I'm so glad you brought that up.
Yeah. Oh, it's unforgettable. And I wasn't even there. Oh my
god, well we all, I mean, yeah, it's just it's an
embarrassment of Richard's brother. Oh blow you out too much? Oh yeah,
yeah, it's what a ride? Huh Oh my god. Yeah. And
it's good and it's and and hopefully some of you out there actually know who
Little Richard is, yeah, because you know, all of a sudden,
you know, a lot of my references are all of a sudden. Who
I'm so sorry. Jimmy and I were the entertainment at the last supper we've
been around while no, Little Richard literally was there at the birth of rock
and roll. Little Richard chuck yeah, and Little Richard got screwed by his
record cover over and over again, and the amount of money that folks who
took advantage of those artists and those days made back then. Yeah, heart
Chuck Berry too, Chuck Berry, And people used to say, Jesus,
you know, Chuck Berry is kind of surly and angry. What the whitney
wouldn't you be? Yeah, guy's got you know, he's he write,
he writes, good morning, little schoolgirl, and Johnny be good. Oh
and the guy's got to go on do concert dates when he's seventy eight years
old because he's got to pay the rent. Bullshit. Yeah, well Springs
saying the story that he, uh, they apparently Chuck had a thing.
You know, Chuck Barry had to think toward the end of his career that
he'd say, Okay, you want you want, we want Chuck Barry the
cup. Okay, I want a soupcase full of money, and I want
ten thousand dollars in it. You got a half hour out of me,
and I ain't bringing no band. You bringing a band? And they better
know my music. Yep and so, and Springsteen tells the story that he
was playing earlier in his career at like New York State Fair, somewhere and
they hired Little Richard and and he got wind of it, and the promoters
saying, well, you know, I got to dig up a band.
No, we'll do it, We'll do it. No, no, no,
no, we'll be No, you're not looking for you're not looking for
a band. Yeah, weird his band about that. And so Bruce Springstein
the Street Band, got to back up a little Richard at the New York
State Fairy. It cows in the background and Bruce fricking Springsteen, is it
Dusty Jimmy? Yeah, that is such a different level. And she would
literally be there watching this guy, you know, sweat on it, just
like he always did, tons of makeup, Yeah, stressed to the nines,
Little Richard. Yeah. And then then the kicker I'm leaving. There
was a little music room with a crappy spinet piano there at Hannah Barbera and
uh, we'd go there and rehearse songs to record, and yeah about walking
out, and Chris Zimmerman, who used to be there working. There's Gordon's
assistant Rob. Come on back, come on backers, What did I miss
something? I no, no, you got to check this out. So
Richard found out that there was a piano and I stick my head. He's
going, I'm on to tell Uncle John said I had a lot, a
lot all baby, Yeah, baby, that's the key too. And he
was just doing it because he could. Yeah, and everybody was just going,
oh my, oh my god, just banging the ship out of the
piano. Yeah, thank you, I love you, got to see you
goodbye. I know, it's just yeah, well I think I told you
my Bray Charles story. Wow. I don't want to repeat myself, but
oh you were telling me, yeah, go ahead, Yeah, it was
the one. Um, this is a great story. You know. I
have no idea. This gotta be like fifteen years ago, maybe twenty,
and I was back at Lax and I was getting ready to go home.
I don't remember where I was coming from, maybe Ohio and walking down one
of those big long hauls. Yeah, and there was nobody there. But
these four guys are come walking up and one of them is really kind of
really having a tough time staying on his feet. But he's cool looking,
and he's dressed to the knives and he's got his shades up here and I'm
walking and I'm walking. Ah good, Oh my god, it's Raychel's and
I didn't know what to say. So have Ray Charles and he goes,
how are you doing? Baby? So I was baby? Ray Charles called
me baby, oh my, And that that's the closest I could come to
your story. You win, But at least it was Ray coolest. And
what's so great is that you know all my all your heroes are Clapton,
Jeff backs Um, Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, all of them. They
they shake when they talk about Richard and Chuck Berry and Elvis you know,
Carl Perkins, well without them totally. And oh, don't forget it,
another little Richard thing. Yeah, I said, so you're going to see
Paul mccays. Yeah, well I know Paul for years. You go,
I said, well you played with them? Oh no, they opened for
me. Yeah, the Beatles opened for me. And I mean it's like,
just so you know, not many people can say that, Yes,
how cool is that? And and that little clip that they showed on KNBC
was Paul you know, doing this to little Richard. Oh yeah, and
Eric has just talked about yeah. So it Yeah. For a knucklehead from
Flint, Michigan who was in a couple of bar bands. Yeah, yeah,
pretty cool. Aim Man. Wow, it's been a beautiful ride.
Huh oh dude, And thanks to you guys, it's not over. Yea.
We both still are, you know, fortunate to work back in LA
in the traditional sense. But yeah, man, to have this second wind,
and we're old enough to have this stupid legacy of killer work that has
appealed to literally billions of people around the world and were but we're young enough
to do this because there will come a time where you're going, Man,
I want to, but I just can't do it. In fact, I
remember seeing um Carol Spinney the Big Bird, who was the guy who was
in Big Bird, and he went to the last four or five cons that
I saw him before he passed away, and he was I don't know,
eighty seven, yeah, and he's sitting there like this and he'd signed like
this, and I thought, oh my god, I don't want anybody to
see that. Yeah. So while I can do this, I can't not
do it. The effect of all this work that we were paid really well
to do is bigger than our paycheck, bigger than ratings, bigger than action
figures. It is this crazy expression of joy and love and kindness that has
no bearing on your sexual predisposition, or your color or your age. What
part of the world you're from, you goes say bunga you know um are
dude? Yeah we I was in Abu Dhabi a year ago with the four
the original Turtle guys. Oh yeah, I see several hundred lovely men and
women dressed in traditional you know, Arabic clothing, and they could speak English
perfectly. I couldn't speak their language. Oh boy said we learned to speak
English one we love. Oh that's and the same thing. Yeah, oh
yeah yeah timeless. So yeah, thank you. I mean we've got enohing
about you, guys. Yeah, I'm very fortunate in one sense because TAS
doesn't have to be translated into any Nobody is dubbing me. That's right.
You want to hear TAS and Icelandic. Yeah, you don't need that.
Yeah. If you're enjoying everything we do, hear it. Tuned in and
want access to even more Gymcome podcast, you can support the show today on
Patreon. Here you'll not only get early and add free access to the show,
but you'll also get access to our exclusive Q and A podcasts prize draws
our exclusive Facebook and Discord communities, as well as that Cummings Commentaries, where
Jim goes back and records audio commentaries for all those classic Disney Afternoons cartoons and
in character. We'll keep things off this month with a revisit of an episode
of Dark Wing Duck. So go ahead and support Jim by becoming a member
of the tuned in family today at patreon dot com. Slash Jim Cummings podcast
link is in the description of this show. Oh man, what a pleasure
than man. Thanks, Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. This is for
our thank Do you understand? Do you understand? Yeah? Five bucks,
you'll get your laughs all right now. If there was a ring here,
I would kiss it. Thank god you're not wearing a ring. Well,
I am listen coming. It is a mutual admiration society, and we all
go out of our way to compliment one another, and it is utterly authentic.
We know how lucky we have been, and as I said earlier,
to work with people who have become the best in the world and you they've
been your friends and you've gotten to watch their stars rise. Trust McNeil,
I've known Trust since she was a cocktail waitress at Charlie Brown's and Marina del
Rey nineteen seventy nine I met her. She is, without question now the
most successful, prodigious female voice tower in the history of Hollywood. Six hundred
Simpsons alone, Dot Warner, Uh Babs, Bunny, Crazy Cat, Lady
Mom on Futurama, over and over and over again. Right, Yeah,
you name Crazy and Cruella, all of it. Yeah. And she still
has ashes baby picture on her refrigerator. Oh that's his son. By the
way, that's my son. And I say to her sometimes said, look,
and I'm dead serious. You are now filthy, stinking rich. You
should be. She lives in imaging Coca's old home, Yeah, in the
flaps Beverly Hills, Yea, with her fabulous husband Mike. Yeah. And
I said, Honey, I mean I know you probably think it. Did
you really grasp what you've done? Yeah? And she said, well,
I've been really lucky. You get a crack at it. Yeah, if
you're round long enough, you get a shot. Yeah. Keep it going
here in your seventies. That ain't luck. And she proves it every goddamn
time she opens her mouth. It's outrageous how talented she is and again no
pretense, just really cool. Yeah. And one of my favorite things was
just a little tidbit here. Uh. It was one of the early well
it wasn't the weird al yankobit, but she did, Oh, Ricky,
you're so fine to Tony Basil. Yeah. Oh she lay Ricardo. Yes,
she did a great job. Yeah. It was really you know,
I couldn't believe it. I saw that and I went, oh, I
know, I know her. She was on Cheers a couple of times,
uma, and it was in the Groundlings. And it was through her that
I got to know Phil Hartman really well. Yeah, and man, yeah,
Phil, another guy. He called me October of nineteen eighty six and
he goes, Robbie, Robbie, I got it. I was talking about
Saturday Night Live. I said, you your kid. He goes, no,
Robbie, I got it. Maybe I'm on my way to New York
and well the rest is history, right, And the day that he was
killed, Trust called me and she was in hysterics. I was remember I
was on my way to B and B Sound in Burbank crushed. I was
on uh oh god, right there at Hollywood Way and where there's a shopping
center there, it doesn't matter. Bucks on this corner and as a seven
eleven Katie corner Shell Station, Verdugo. And she said, what are you
doing? I said, I'm driving. I'm wait you okay, honey,
And I said, no, have you read the have you seen the TV?
And I said, no, I'm I'm in the car. She's something
going on at Phil's house. I don't know what's on. And he used
to live on on Sino Avenue off of then Tura Bole of Arden. And
so I got to work and there was on a television and I had literally
worked with Phil the friday before he died. Yeah, um, on a
bank commercial. And this was when he'd already began obviously become Oh yeah.
I did a couple of spots with him, and then just I did this
one made for video Buster and tubs or something like that, and uh even
Busters, no restaurant or something my front No, oh no, no,
no, it was it was a little mini movie. Oh and uh they
were tired of casting this. It was just hard comings. Yeah they're great,
so okay, you know, but you have a guy like that.
It was a great guy. Once. I remember when I told him I
was so enamored. Yeah, going, I can't do that. Yeah,
and it's Clinton. Yeah, put away. And it was Phil this is
before S and L, who said, look, I get that, but
I'm, first of all, I'm eight years older than you. Secondly,
I've been in Hollywood for a long time and I've got a skill set.
You can to the extent that I'm inspire you. That's great. People inspire
me too, but you got to do your own thing. And he really
put me these because I called him to his face. I said, you
are terrifyingly inspirational. I watch you riff and it's just magical, and of
course the world got to see it. But he was one to say,
that's great, but you don't have to be me. You find your own
way, steal what you want I do. Yeah, and he just utterly
put me these works. Amazing guy. I'm sorry to be on turn the
punch Bowl, but yeah, it is. It really was so. Yeah,
all these people who've touched our lives in such incredible ways, and the
most important of whom are you guys the folks out there to drive or fly
stand in line forever. Just to tell you through tears how much Tigger means
to them. Are you in kidding me? Yeah? You know so.
I'm so glad I got to write it with you, guy. Friend.
Amen, what are what are one of you? Guys have known each other
for so long? What's what's like one of each of your favorite stories together?
Like a story about an experience or something. It was an experience that
I enjoyed more times than I can count because I had to find my way
to the restroom because I was laughing his hard Jimmy used to do Mike Tyson,
Oh yeah, I forgot about it. Lit me it was. It
was not republic consumption for sure, No, but man, it was jim
Cummings utterly un unchained. Yeah, that was. Those were good times,
I am honest to god, Chris, I could not get my breath.
Yeah. Yeah. And I would ask him, I'd said, Jimmy,
I'm so sorry, but would you please? And he would would you have
Mike Tyson hamme me this song or something? Bitch? Please look here.
You know what I'm saying, brother, have to constantly wipe. And when
we wipe, your ass too, your little skinny as white. Get your
ass over here. I got I got something for you to do. You
know what you could do, you know, And and I can smell the
studio. Oh god, God, Jimmy. And it was completely off the
top and so wrong. But yeah, stuff, look like we're talking about
earlier ash and I we're doing a panel. The zeitgeist has changed. There
are certainly things and it's a copriate and I get it, and it's it
should be. But but like we're gonna make jokes still still right, Yeah,
we've been around for a long time. Yeah yeah, and that oh
yes set me on. Yeah, And it was effortless. He just into
it. The Tyson Chronicles and we go throw another one in bitch please in
the middle of a take or something, and you know, I just couldn't
handle it. I had to walk outside and yeah with my pants, you
know, you know what I mean. I was at a party, you
know what I'm saying, and throw you know, I was trying to be
a channel and you know what I'm saying, and I'll be throwing the bitch
over my shoulder. We're heading for the cloth and she's like, oh no,
god, no, please get it, you know, teasing, you
know, oh man, And and that would get me in trouble. And
then I did Winnie the Pooh, and I even did out Oh god,
Jimmy and I got back to zero. Yeah, I forgot about that.
It was just, oh my god, what about you, jim what's one
of your favorite Oh gosh, well, man, there's just too many.
But that'll never come out of ultra Swade. I know that, a boy,
that's a good I don't think they'll ever come out of ultraswade. Yeah.
Yeah, well he would go off on and completely politically incorrect. Shall
we say we all did lavender mode? Oh, Pat Fraley, same thing.
We would just just poke each other with stick all that stuff. Yeah.
And uh. Also a lot of the people who were are de facto
mentors of the day were pretty blue Michael Bell, Bob Bridgeley, Jony Gerber.
Yeah, people who had absolutely no problem getting deep blue, not you
know, to be but at the sessions. And Bob Ridgeley, Oh my
god, Oh yeah, I missed the guy. But there were times when
even I was embarrassed. I'm going Jesus, Bob. Well. I remember
there was a story about you and ridge To doing a a commercial, and
I think it might have been for the Mormon Church. It's just the one
where you're saying I wish I could stay, but but my young friend essentially
say, well, perform sexual acts for you? Yes, yes, but
I mean he was there was a bunch of suits behind this. It was
at LA Studios. Yeah, and he said, thank you, thank you
so much, lady, and John was a real pleasure. Now I do
have to go, but my young friend Rob will stay here and he will
satisfy you sexually as long as it takes. He used a little more graphic
and he didn't say it like that. I yeah, I was wow.
I don't quite know what to say. Yeah, and Rob stand, there's
like thirty years old. Can I do that? Yeah? Are you sure?
Swinging from that side of the plate, But you know, and check
this out. We were ash and Parish and I were on our way down
to San Diego for spring gray one wife by the way, Yeah, And
we took the North Carolina and we took the train and we were there in
his time for dinner. So I said, okay, I'm gonna go grab
some walk through the next passenger car to the meal car and get some food.
My hand to God. I walk in and I hear there he is,
honey, there's the young man. I was talking about the man with
the perfect package. Hello. It was Ridgely Oh Jesus, I had no
and he's there with his wife, was going like this, and Bob the
plane was the train was full of commuters and he's going, Hi, come
here, look at his package, honey, out of the blue, and
everybody around him was he didn't give a shit. He was h And just
a point of reference that might give you a visual on this chap. He
was in Tom Hanks movie Yes, Philadelphia, Philadelphia, where Yeah, there
was a young man that, yeah, with that proclivity and he he had
this one line he was so good and about oh my god, and he
and he said the most off color joke possible and yogurt was involved. Yeah.
But he was a terrific actor. Yeah, And he was a terrific
actor. He was the Colonel James I think it was a name in Boogie
Knights. He played that producer. Was real kind of schevy and terrific actor.
He played um the U in Robin Hood Men in Tights. He played
the execution and um Mel loved him and he was in high anxiety as some
guy who you know, flashes mel Brooks in the in the Yeah bathroom,
that men room and algus, I've seen better whatever and oh yeah he was
always just utterly wrong but perfectly right. Yeah, he would be flogged in
public these days. Yeah, but um yeah, those guys Bob Ridgeley,
Ronnie Shell, Um, oh my god, those guys were you know,
there are people we walked up, we grew up watching on Hogan's Heroes and
oh yeah Gomer Pyle and f Troop and oh my god too Jonathan Edwards Jonathan
Oh yeah, Jonathan Harris. Jonathan Harris, Yes, from Doctor Smith on
Lost in Space. You Robbie, my boy, oh the pain? Yes,
that guy. God, yeah we we we are. You know.
My goal is to live long enough to have the next generation to say and
then Cummings would do harm parts. Yeah you know yeah yeah Rob came in
a song, that stupid song about all the countries. Yeah yeah yeah,
now I I God, I could do this for two days with you guys.
Yea, thank you so much, thank you. It's not a lot
of fun, a lot of fun and great. Well, I'll tell you
what you guys. Hey, you're listening to the King Jimmy Cummings j C.
H. There we go. Yeah, big coincidence. Yeah, thank
you my friend, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you, Rob accept no substitutes.
I don't think I've been this utterly happy in a long time. I
thank you, my brother,