Here’s another look back at some of my 40-year career favorites.
A Favorite Moment
I was interviewing a panel of young men who, as the result of motorcycle accidents, had endured a traumatic head injury. One of the panelists, Jay, had short-term memory loss. To compensate for this, he jotted down notes during the interview on a mini yellow legal pad so he could keep track of the questions and answers. Sitting next to Jay was another patient named John. Throughout the show, I confused their names, addressing Jay as John and vice versa. After making this mistake for the fourth time, Jay broke out in a big grin and said:
“Dick, would you like to borrow my pad?”
My Biggest Thrill
In l982 I interviewed my idol, Steve Allen. He was talking about the great comics of the silent era: “Chaplin was my favorite, but where do you find people of that ilk anymore?” asked Allen.
“You could join the Ilks Club,” I suggested, realizing this was a totally rotten pun…but one that Allen might have made himself.
Steve Allen cackled, as only Steve Allen could. I made my hero laugh, and I hadn’t even started a bucket list yet.
Anybody Home
What goes on at my house at 5 in the morning while I am at work? That’s the question I posed to my TV audience back in 1995 when my wife was on a business trip and I had to work at home while watching my seven-year-old son. During each of my four TV segments that morning, a different assortment of characters rang my doorbell: Marx Brothers imitators, dueling swordsmen, a four-piece band, and finally the local police and fire department responding to complaints from neighbors about all the noise. It was all arranged beforehand, of course. As my mother used to say after cooking a big meal: “What a production!”
A Most Embarrassing Moment (There Were Lots of Others)
In 1988, I had the rare opportunity to interview Cyd Charisse, a beautiful and leggy dance partner of Fred Astaire. My producer told me that Ms. Charisse was traveling the country and her tour was sponsored by Underalls—or at least that’s what I thought she said. I knew Underalls was a brand of pantyhose, so this made perfect sense to me. Ms. Charisse failed to mention her sponsor, so I decided to help her out.
“Underalls must be very proud to have you as their spokesperson—a woman known for her beautiful legs.”
“I’m sure they would be, but my sponsor is Inderal, the drug I take for my heart condition.”
Absolute Dumbest
Question I Ever Asked
I was at a pet shop in Anderson, Indiana, where the owner kept a six-foot-long alligator in a huge tank. When I arrived at the store, I was amused to see that the alligator had on a Channel 8 t-shirt, with his front legs stuck through the arm holes and the logo displayed on his back. After a few basic questions about the reptile, I asked: “So, Luke, can people get in the tank with the alligator?”
“No, Dick, the alligator put the T-shirt on himself.”
Next week, I wrap up this series up with my favorite Barney stories.
