>>> DURING HIS WINNING
PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN OF 1932,
FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT SAID
IT IS COMMON SENSE TO TAKE A
METHOD AND TRY IT.
IF IT FAILS, ADMIT IT FRANKLY
AND TRY ANOTHER.
BUT ABOVE ALL, TRY SOMETHING.
CARL REINER WAS 10 YEARS OLD
WHEN PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT
DELIVERED THAT MEMORABLE QUOTE.
AND WHEN HE GREW UP, CARL REINER
JUST DIDN’T TRY SOMETHING.
HE TRIED EVERYTHING AND
SUCCEEDED AT ALL OF IT -- ACTOR,
WRITER, PRODUCER, DIRECTOR,
AUTHOR.
AND IT ALL STARTED THANKS TO A
GOVERNMENT PROGRAM CREATED BY
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT, THE WORKS
PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION, WHICH
PROVIDED JOBS AND TRAINING FOR
WORKERS.
AND ONE OF THE TRAINING PROGRAMS
INCLUDED FREE ACTING CLASSES.
I FIRST EXPERIENCED THE THRILL
OF CARL REINER’S GENIUS WHEN I
WAS A LITTLE KID SITTING ON THE
LIVING ROOM FLOOR WITH MY FAMILY
AND MILLIONS OF OTHER AMERICAN
FAMILIES WATCHING "THE DICK VAN
DYKE SHOW" WHICH CARL REINER
CREATED AND WROTE.
THE SHOW WON 15 EMMYS IN FIVE
SEASONS.
HERE’S ROB REINER TALKING ABOUT
BEING THE LUCKIEST LITTLE KID IN
AMERICA IN THOSE DAYS, THE
LITTLE KID WHO LIKE THE REST OF
US WATCHED THE SHOW ON TV, BUT
UNLIKE THE REST OF US, GOT TO
VISIT THE SET.
>> YOUR DAD CREATED THE DICK VAN
DYKE SHOW.
>> HE DID?
>> YES, AND --
>> YES.
>> WAS ANY OF THAT LIKE YOUR
REAL HOME LIFE?
>> MY FATHER, HE WROTE MOST OF
THE EPISODES, AND I ALWAYS KNEW
WHEN HE WAS STUCK CREATIVELY.
HE WOULD -- HE WOULD COME INTO
MY ROOM IN THE HOUSE, AND HE
WOULD SAY, HAS ANYTHING
INTERESTING HAPPENED TO YOU
LATELY?
SO I KNEW HE WAS STUCK.
HE WAS LOOKING FOR SOMETHING.
BUT I GREW UP AS A KID, YOU
KNOW, I WAS A KID WATCHING THE
VAN DYKE SHOW.
ON THE SUMMERS, I WOULD GO DOWN
TO SEE MY DAD WORK.
>> WHAT A LUCKY KID.
CARL REINER WROTE THAT SHOW AS A
STARRING VEHICLE FOR HIMSELF,
PLAYING A FICTIONAL VERSION OF
HIMSELF, A TV COMEDY WRITER.
THE NETWORK WAS WILLING TO ORDER
THE SHOW INTO PRODUCTION AS LONG
AS CARL REINER WAS NOT IN THE
STARRING ROLE.
ENTER DICK VAN DYKE, AND THE
REST IS TELEVISION HISTORY.
"THE NEW YORK TIMES" CALLS THE
SHOW THE FIRST GREAT TV SITCOM
ABOUT TV.
CARL REINER TOOK A SMALLER ROLE
IN THE SHOW PLAYING EVERY TV
WRITER’S NIGHTMARE, THE
MERCURIAL, EGO MANIACAL STAR OF
THE SHOW WITHIN A SHOW.
HERE HE IS WITH MARY TYLER MOORE
AFTER MARY HAS JUST MADE THE
MISTAKE OF PUBLICLY REALING
THAT HE WEARS A WIG.
>> THIS IS A CUTE ONE.
I HAD THIS ONE MADE SO PEOPLE
WILL SAY, ALAN IS LOSING HIS
HAIR.
WOULD YOU LIKE THAT ONE, OR
WOULD YOU LIKE A CREW CUT I HAD
MADE FOR THE SUMMER.
OR THIS ONE, MY ALAN, YOU NEED A
HAIRCUT.
HUH?
WOULD YOU LIKE THESE?
WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST I DO WITH
ALL OF THESE NEW, HUH?
>> WELL, THERE MUST BE SOME
NEEDY BALD PEOPLE.
>> NEED BALD PEOPLE?
NEEDY BALD PEOPLE?
LAURA, YOU’RE A NUT.
>> AS MORNING WAS BREAKING OVER
LOS ANGELES THIS MORNING, ROB
REINER ANNOUNCED LAST NIGHT MY
DAD PASSED AWAY.
AS I WRITE THIS, MY HEART IS
HURTING.
HE WAS MY GUIDING LIGHT.
THE TRIBUTES POURED IN FOR CARL
REINER.
TODAY STEVE MARTIN SPOKE FOR
COUNTLESS OTHERS WHEN HE SAID,
GOOD-BYE TO MY GREATEST MENTOR
IN MOVIES AND IN LIFE.
THANK YOU, DEAR CARL.
CARL REINER WAS THERE AT THE
CREATION OF TELEVISION WHEN NO
ONE WAS QUITE SURE WHAT
TELEVISION WOULD BECOME.
THIS BOX THAT YOU’RE WATCHING
NOW STARTED AS A LITTLE
BLACK-AND-WHITE SCREEN THAT HAS
DELIVERED US ALL COUNTLESS
INDELIBLE MEMORYIES, MANY OF THE
PAINFUL, MANY OF THEM DIFFICULT
TO WATCH, FROM POLICE BRUTALITY
AGAINST CIVIL RIGHTS PROTESTERS
TO THE FIRST TELEVISED WAR IN
VIETNAM, THE FUNERALS OF A
ASSASSINATED LEADERS.
THAT IS THE JURISDICTION OF
TELEVISION NEWS, AND THAT IS
MUCH OF WHAT WE HAVE DELIVERED.
BUT WE COULD NOT END THIS HOUR
OF TELEVISION TONIGHT WITHOUT
ACKNOWLEDGING ON TELEVISION CARL
REINER’S CONTRIBUTION TO THIS
SCREEN YOU’RE LOOKING AT NOW,.
CARL REINER’S CONTRIBUTION WAS
PURE JOY. CARL REINER WAS 98 YEARS OLD.
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