Carl Reiner at the Aero
Writer, director, actor, and producer Carl Reiner, among whose feature-film credits are the George Burns hit Oh God! (1977) and several Steve Martin vehicles, is the subject of a mini-retrospective at the American Cinematheque’s Aero Theatre in Santa Monica that runs March 6-11. Reiner will make a personal appearance on March 6 for the double feature The Man with Two Brains (1983) and Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid (1982), both starring Martin.
I’m actually unfamiliar with Reiner’s work. Of the movies listed below, I’ve only seen two: Where’s Poppa? and All of Me (1984). Where’s Poppa? is chiefly memorable because of Ruth Gordon’s quirky performance as a Jewish Mother who mixes Coke (or Pepsi?) with her morning cereal, while in All of Me, a light comedy with several good moments, Steve Martin becomes "possessed" by Lily Tomlin following a soul-transmigration procedure gone awry. Both performers are in good form; Martin even won the New York Film Critics’ and the National Society of Film Critics’ best actor award, though that failed to translate into an Oscar nomination.
Friday, March 6 – 7:30 PM
Director Carl Reiner In-Person!
THE MAN WITH TWO BRAINS, 1983, Warner Bros., 93 min. Dir. Carl Reiner. Brain surgeon Steve Martin is saddled with a horrible wife (Kathleen Turner), until he comes up with the perfect solution: transplanting the brain of a sweet, romantic woman into his nasty spouse’s gorgeous body. Outrageous gags and typically witty Reiner-Martin wordplay ensue in one of the funniest films of the 1980s.
DEAD MEN DON’T WEAR PLAID, 1982, Universal, 88 min. Dir. Carl Reiner. Steve Martin is a private eye who manages to interact with Humphrey Bogart, Barbara Stanwyck, and Alan Ladd thanks to gorgeous black-and-white cinematography (courtesy of RAGING BULL director of photography Michael Chapman) and some extremely creative editing. This merging of classic 1940s film noir clips and new footage directed by Reiner is a movie buff’s dream, and a hilarious comedy regardless of how familiar one is with the classics being referenced. Discussion following with director Carl Reiner.
Saturday, March 7- 7:30 PM
THE JERK, 1979, Universal, 94 min. Dir. Carl Reiner. "The new phone book’s here! The new phone book’s here!" Before AIRPLANE, Jim Carrey, the Farrelly Brothers and Judd Apatow, there was THE JERK. Steve Martin and Carl Reiner team up for one of the most original and influential comedies ever made. Martin, in his screen debut, plays the lovable idiot Navin R. Johnson, a young sharecropper who leaves his poor black family behind to see the world and be somebody. The talented Bernadette Peters sings, dances, throws knives and plays the trumpet while M. Emmet Walsh shoots and curses his way into film history. "Stay away from the cans!"
ALL OF ME, 1984, Universal, 94 min. Dir. Carl Reiner. Ailing heiress Lily Tomlin arranges to have her soul transferred into the body of Victoria Tennant, but the procedure goes wrong and she ends up inhabiting the right side of Steve Martin instead. As the man and woman battle each other within the same body, Reiner mines huge laughs from the spectacle of Martin displaying his substantial gifts for physical comedy. The impeccably timed script is by future FIELD OF DREAMS auteur Phil Alden Robinson.
Sunday, March 8 – 7:30 PM
WHERE’S POPPA?, 1970, MGM Repertory, 82 min. Dir. Carl Reiner. Gordon (George Segal) is a devoted son who has promised never to abandon his smothering mother (Ruth Gordon at her craziest). When he meets the perfect girl, he becomes determined to get rid of his impossible mom in one way or another, and the result is an outrageously dark and subversive comedy. Reiner satirizes everything from Jewish mother stereotypes to urban racial tensions in this cult classic.
THE ONE AND ONLY, 1978, Paramount, 97 min. Dir. Carl Reiner. Struggling egomaniacal actor Henry Winkler turns to wrestling in an effort to generate publicity, and finds that the insanity of the sport is the perfect outlet for his hammy style. Unfortunately, he soon finds his new career wreaking havoc on his personal life (especially his marriage to Kim Darby). As usual, Reiner assembles a stellar supporting cast to back Winkler and Darby, with terrific comic turns from Gene Saks, Polly Holliday, and Herve Villechaize as an amorous wrestler.
Wednesday, March 11 – 7:30 PM
ENTER LAUGHING, 1967, Sony Repertory, 112 min. Carl Reiner’s first feature is an astonishingly assured debut, with a visual polish (thanks largely to veteran cinematographer Joseph Biroc) and a deep sense of personal expression (it was based on Reiner’s autobiographical novel of the same name). Reni Santoni plays a young Jewish man who dreams of becoming a comedian during the Depression. Needless to say, his parents think that working in the family drugstore is a safer bet. Even in this early film, Reiner shows his skill at casting secondary roles, with a supporting cast that includes Shelley Winters, Elaine May, Jose Ferrer, Jack Gilford, Janet Margolin and Michael J. Pollard.
THE COMIC, 1969, Sony Repertory, 94 min. Dir. Carl Reiner. Dick Van Dyke plays an aging silent film clown who has seen better days, but whose ego prohibits him from accepting the truth about his life and career. An impeccable fidelity to the art of silent movies (seen in films-within-the film), combined with a rich, dark performance by Van Dyke, make this one of Reiner’s most affecting and original efforts. With Mickey Rooney.
Aero Theatre 1328 Montana Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90403
www.americancinematheque.com – 323.466.FILM – tickets: www.fandango.com
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DEAD MEN DON’T WEAR PLAID is a very creative film. I recommend it. Steve Martin is quite good, and the use of old Hollywood actors like Alan Ladd is very clever.
DEAD MEN is a unique film. Go see it.