Mr. Television, does at 93
March 27, 2002 7:07 PM   Subscribe

Mr. Television, does at 93
posted by Dean_Paxton (21 comments total)
 
Dammit, Dudley Moore and Milton Berle in the same day is just too goddam much to take. Milton Berle was one of the funniest human beings to ever walk the planet and along with Sid Ceasar and Jackie Gleason was one of the trailblazers of television comedy. Plus, no other man ever wore an evening gown so well. Goodbye, Uncle Miltie. If there's a heaven, God is laughing himself sick tonite.
posted by jonmc at 7:16 PM on March 27, 2002


he does, eh? yep.
it's a shame, man. well, they both led good lives and cracked me up. i think that's all they were after.
posted by sixfoot6 at 7:20 PM on March 27, 2002


In my house growing up, he wasn't well liked. The reason being was the whole "drag" thing I think. The person who was responsible for my upbringing was born years before Uncle Miltie... So that sort of thing to a whole lot of the WWI generation, just plain wasn't funny. The WWII generation got it, however. Anyway, through some reading and some AMC and TCM screenings of his screen stuff, he realized was brilliantly funny.

There are far, far too few people from this generation left alive, celebrities or not. The rare few we have should be cherished... while they still can be.

(oh, sorry... for my hasty spelling)
posted by Dean_Paxton at 7:57 PM on March 27, 2002


My god, I'm an idiot today:

"I realized... he was"
posted by Dean_Paxton at 7:58 PM on March 27, 2002


There are far, far too few people from this generation left alive

How man 93 year olds should there be?
posted by jpoulos at 8:26 PM on March 27, 2002


I knew about Milton Berle, but I didn't know about Dudley Moore. Ouch. They both lived great lives and made a lot of people happy. I hope when I'm 93 people will be able to say the same thing about me, but I hope I won't have to wear a dress in the process.
posted by ZachsMind at 9:05 PM on March 27, 2002


I never believed the whole huge schlong rumors, either. Larger than average, perhaps, but 12 inches? Bull- 12 inches my ass! John Holmes wasn't even 12 inches...
posted by hincandenza at 9:07 PM on March 27, 2002


...I hope I won't have to wear a dress in the process.

*shudders at vision of Zach in drag*
posted by jonmc at 9:07 PM on March 27, 2002


One of my favorite lines from Friends is where Rachel is trying to strike a deal with Chandler, whom she has accidentally discovered practically naked and handcuffed in her boss Joanna's office (Alison LaPlaca -- who left to go to a meeting ... in New Jersey). Rachel suggests she could leverage her having seen him pretty much naked:

R: I could be very gennnnnnnerrrrrrous ... or very stingy.
C: Go on.
R: I can make you a legend. I can make you this generation's Milton Berle.
C: And Milton Berle had a ... ?
R (with gusto): Oh, not compared to you!

A fine tribute after its own fashion.
posted by dhartung at 9:39 PM on March 27, 2002


> Bull- 12 inches my ass!

Careful.
posted by pracowity at 10:27 PM on March 27, 2002


Mr TV vs mr bad jr. movie.

lemme see????
posted by HTuttle at 10:57 PM on March 27, 2002


I've always wondered why drag has always been a staple of British comedy, yet Uncle Milty was the only American comic that seemed to be able to get away with it. Must have been his beautiful legs.

It really was TV's golden age - so many great talents, and much of it done live.
posted by groundhog at 6:56 AM on March 28, 2002


Dudley Moore and Milton Berle in the same day means, of course, they were really the same person. Like Sammy Davis, Jr., and Jim Henson, on May 16, 1990.
posted by MrMoonPie at 7:24 AM on March 28, 2002


And Victor Borge and Billy Barty, Dec. 23, 2000.
posted by MrMoonPie at 7:57 AM on March 28, 2002


When a big guy dies, so does a little guy... it's got to be something to do with leftover souls or Russian dolls or something. A plan no one knows about until they get to heaven and it's too late to be bad. Like maybe you have to room with someone in some sort of big DMCA or DWCA, and all the rooms are attic rooms, and so God tries to bunk a short one with a tall one and gives the short one the bed on the low side but near the windows where you can look down and see the label on everyone's halo. Maybe. If you find a glass eye in the grass, probably Jim Henson slapped Sammy Davis, Jr., on the back when Sammy was looking down to see what the hell happened to Frank.
posted by pracowity at 8:16 AM on March 28, 2002


Berle-ism: "Somebody asked me how do I feel today on my 88th birthday," he said in an interview. "I said, `I feel like a 20-year-old, but unfortunately there's never one around."

He was a genius. He'll be missed.
posted by krewson at 8:17 AM on March 28, 2002


Oy. That joke is older than he was. But maybe that's the point. But I'll bet you $5 that Drew Carey will say the same joke if he lives to be 88.
posted by crunchland at 8:33 AM on March 28, 2002


Thanks, pracowity. Makes sense now.
posted by MrMoonPie at 8:46 AM on March 28, 2002


good night sweet prince...(maybe i can get my dress back)
posted by clavdivs at 8:59 AM on March 28, 2002


<OLDJOKE>Milton Berle was single-handedly responsible for the massive sale of televisions during the golden age of TV. I know. When I first saw him — I sold mine.</OLDJOKE>

For the record, I loved Uncle Milty. The above joke was either his or stolen by him at some point. I wonder what's gonna happen to his vast and imfamous joke collection? (He kept & catalogued most anything he ever heard).
posted by RavinDave at 9:35 AM on March 28, 2002


Now Billy Wilder. Not a good week.
posted by bjgeiger at 2:53 PM on March 28, 2002


« Older Has the web become boring?   |   Nuts About Nuts! Where Would Drinks Be Without... Newer »


This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments