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Bob Newhart has died


Gil Bang

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My first exposure to him was when I was a little kid and hearing him voice Bernard in the Rescuers. Then I'd watch Newhart with my parents. Such a great straight man. I'm glad he's got a place in people's annual movie viewings each Christmas with Elf. RIP Papa Elf. 

Edited by mdmost
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King of the deadpan. Decent Major Major Major, too.

His best friend Don Rickles died in 2017, and his wife passed about a year ago. I imagine Bob was ready.

Thank you for all the laughs, you stammering idiot**.

 

** Said with great affection.

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He's telling Emily about anger he has towards his father.  His father never played catch with him or threw around a football or anything like that.  Then one summer, this foster child stayed with them, and his dad did stuff like that  every afternoon with the foster child. 

Later he's talking to his sister.  He says "do you remember that summer that the foster child stayed with us?"

"Yeah...Billy Foster"

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I didn't know him when I was little, but I watched "Newhart" when in junior high, and then got into reruns of "The Bob newhart show" and his albums.  And in high school, started getting really into standup.  And the lightbulb clicked watching certain comics/actors from Cleese, Handey, Conway, Steven Wright, Bill Murray, most of the folks in "Airplane", and then after that comes Norm McDonald.  And I could see the fingerprints on the delicate string from Newhart in the 1960's all the way to what was then the present for me (1990's).  And of course, his legacy endures even larger today. 

I could wax nostalgic about Bob all night.  But skip your next podcast and listen to this instead.  It's Ron Bennington (of eponymous DJ show on XM radio).  He hosts an in-person w/ audience show called "Unmasked."  Famous comics come in and instead of the "who were your influences, how do you write jokes, etc."  Ron really has a way of getting into the craft like nobody else.  And Bob is so warm and endearing in it.  Personal life to working with Jack Benny, to how he structured his albums, to how his big shows reflected him and vice-versa.  Other than Carson, this is the best interview you'll hear with Newhart.  It was about 6 years ago.  Bob just opens up the floodgates and takes you behind 60 years of comedic brilliance.  If you don't have time for the whole thing, skip to the last 5 minutes when he talks about Rickles and then piss yourself.  Bye, Bob.

 

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There has been lot of celebrity deaths recently. It seems like the 80's celebrity deaths are over and it's going backwards into the 70s. Someone check on Jimmie Walker.

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9 hours ago, Underdog said:

Such an odd pair just by personalities alone. 

You couldn't have two Don Rickles together long in the same room, I'd imagine. Their comedic styles were opposite, but fit together well, and they seems to have a deep respect for each others' talents. 

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