LightNews — News, ranked by scholars

David Hyman

@davidhyman.bsky.social

Forty-six years ago today in West End cinemas, he was a poor black farmworker's son who never dreamed he was adopted... #TheJerk #SteveMartin #1970s #film #films #CarlReiner #BernadettePeters #CaitlinAdams #comedy

May 1, 2026 at 9:02 AM

Lydia Hamessley

@lydiahamessley.bsky.social

#TCMParty #RobReiner #CarlReiner #DickVanDyke

Timothy Burke @bubbaprog.xyz · Dec 15

I just can't believe Mel Brooks & Dick Van Dyke buried Carl five years ago & now they're burying his son, the kid they essentially helped raise.

Rob Reiner is the reason the main char-
acter on The Dick Van Dyke Show was
named Rob. Like his dad, Rob Reiner

Additionally, two other pivotal events transpired during that summer
when Norman and the Reiners were neighbors. One of them, monumentally,
was Norman‚Äôs discovery that Rob Reiner had inherited his father‚Äôs comedic
chops. It was an unexpected revelation that occurred randomly one afternoon
while Rob was teaching Ellen how to play jacks and he noticed the funny
expressions on his face and the inflections in his voice as the young Reiner
demonstrated how to toss the ball and pick up the jacks. And then‚Äîeither
shortly before or after‚Äîit was also at a dinner party at Carl Reiner‚Äôs house,
where Reiner stood up at some point during the evening and pretended to be
the host of a TV talk show as he proceeded to interview several of the guests
on a portable reel-to-reel tape recorder. When he got around to interviewing
Mel Brooks‚Äîwho also began improvising and pretended to be a man who
seemed to know everything‚ÄîReiner then asked how he could have known
about something that had taken place centuries before. To which without any
prompting, Brooks responded that he was two thousand years old in what
became the impetus for their iconic comedy routine ‚ÄúThe 2,000-Year-Old
Man,‚Äù which they would soon perform that fall on national television on Your
Show of Shows.

I just thought, Jesus, there’s no way 'm
going to be able to be like him. I was in
awe of him; he was like a god to me. I
remember when I went over to the Van
Dyke show with him, he'd go down to the
set, and I’d crawl into his office and sit
behind his desk. And I used to look
around and think, God, look at all this!
He’s creating these TV shows, he’s win-
ning Emmys, he’s a genius—and I’m
inadequate. There I was, thinking I
should be able to write for the Van Dyke
show—and at 13, that was probably fairly
ambitious, but that’s what I thought.
PLAYBOY: We suppose you saw a lot of Mel
Brooks. Besides Your Show of Shows, he
and your father also did the 2000-Year-
Old Man routines together for years.
REINER: When I was a kid, Mel would be
with us a lot. We'd summer on Fire Island,
and he'd go onto the beach and round up
all the little kids, the real tiny ones, and
say, “Follow me”; then he’d lead them in
exercises, I mean, not like knee bends or
push-ups but these hysterical, bizarre
movements. He was funny when he did
that; he was like another kid—a big kid.

Mel is also serious at times, but he does
love to perform, loves to work as a stand-
up, to work a room. You know, in 1979, I
was in Venice, along with Mel, as part ofa
celebrity group to be on The Merv Griffin
Show. We're in Saint Mark’s Square, sum-
mertime, and there was a huge group of
tourists; they’re recognizing all the celebri-
ties. But Mel wasn’t getting recognized as
much as he would like. All of a sudden, he
jumps up in the middle of Saint Mark’s
Square and starts screaming, “I’m Mel
Brooks; don’t you know me? I’m a big
star! Blazing Saddles! Young Franken-
stein!” He just started screaming out all
his credits!

There was this other scene once, which
my father told me about, when he and Mel
went to France. And Mel had difficulty
communicating in French. So one day,
they’re in some little town, and Mel gets
up on some steps and begins to yell, “All
right, everyone! The joke is over! From
now on, everybody goes back to talking
English!”

PLAYBOY: Didn’t your father and Mel used
to do a lot of comedy at your house?
REINER: There was a lot of shtick going on,
but it was always in party situations. Peo-
ple begged them to do their 2000-Year-Old
Man, and you'd be privileged to be there
when they'd do the routine. There were
moments in my house that were pure gen-
ius; when Mel was on a roll, it just didn’t
get any funnier.

PLAYBOY: And you'd just watch?

REINER: I was young, but I always wanted
to hang around and listen. But I’ll tell you,
one of the biggest thrills in my life came
when I was about 16. I was sitting at home
while Mel and my father were working on
some new 2000- Year-Old Man material to
do on The Ed Sullivan Show. And I came
up with a routine! I couldn't believe how

exciting it was. The bit was about the deri-
vation of applause, who invented it. What
the first man who applauded did was this:
He saw something he liked, slapped his
hands on the sides of his face and said, “O
God, is that good!” But then this other guy
points out that if the guy is going to do
that all the time, he'll slap himself dead
So this first guy, when nobody was look-
ing, snapped his head back from between
his hands—and clapped. Pretty soon,
other guys modified it, and eventually,
everyone applauded the way we do now.
PLAYBOY: Where was your applause in all
this?

REINER: Just the fact that they used it was
enough for me. Here I was, 16, and 1
thought the stuff they were doing, the
2000- Year-Old Man, was the hippest thing
around. I’d come home from school and
listen to the record every single day. There
was a cult of people, including kids, who
loved it. And you knew you had a bond
with someone if you could throw out a line
from the 2000-Year-Old Man and he could
tell you the next joke; it meant you could
talk with each other.

PLAYBOY: What about the rest of the Your
Show of Shows crew? Neil Simon, for
instance, was one of the writers there.
REINER: He didn’t make a big impression
on me, because he was so quiet. My father
used to talk about how Neil, during the
writing sessions, would invariably come
up with some brilliant line, the best line.
Trouble was, there were such loud, vocal
people in there, my father would have to
sit next to Neil so he could listen to what
he was saying. Then my father would
jump up and yell, “He’s got something!
He’s got something!”

PLAYBOY: In any case, you got to hang out
with all those TV stars and comedians
when your father took you to work with
him—and you were still just a kid. Didn't
you get on everybody’s nerves?

REINER: Everybody included me and
allowed me to be there. I was like every-
one’s kid. I was in awe of those people.
PLAYBOY: Was the Van Dyke set as boister-
ous as the Show of Shows set?

REINER: I remember my father and
Sheldon Leonard, the producer, fighting a
lot. They’d throw cigars at each other. But
all it was, really, was two guys being
passionate about something. Sheldon
used to say, “Polite story conferences lead
to polite scripts.”

PLAYBOY: But at that age, was hanging out
on a TV set more fun than being out in the
sunshine, picking up girls?

REINER: Well, I grabbed Mary Tyler
Moore by the ass once.

Confluence of fates began interlinking at an accelerated clip,
for Carl Reiner’s son, Rob Reiner, then went to see this Foreign
Man in New York at his father’s insistence and heard the
eemetation of de Archie Bunker telling de Meathead to get out
of de chair and, since Rob Reiner actually played de Meathead on
the sitcom All in the Family, and since he was scheduled to host one
of the first Saturday Night broadcasts, he was dutifully impressed
and told Andy, who, in turn, declared that he wanted Rob Reiner
to be the first person to introduce him on the show, which caused
certain havoc and embarrassment in that Lorne Michaels wanted
Andy on the first show and Rob Reiner was slated to host the
third, on which he could then introduce him again, never mind
that Andy was very upset about the whole thing. Meanwhile,
there was the Uncle Sammy Denoff connection, which Carl
Reiner discovered when he next began to recreate the act for
Uncle Sammy, who had cowritten countless episodes of The Dick
Van Dyke Show and whose manager was Uncle Carl’s nephew
George Shapiro, and he stopped Carl Reiner in mid-sentence and
said, “I know that kid! He considers me his uncle!” Also: In New
York, Carl Reiner had given George Shapiro’s phone number as
well as his own to Andy and one day in early November George
picked up the phone and heard, “Ummmm ...” and it was Andy
calling to say that he was coming out to Los Angeles after his
third appearance on Saturday Night—not one installment of which
George had seen, since people in his crowd had dismissed the
program as “a poor imitation of Sid Caesar’s Your Show of Shows”
(on which Carl Reiner had become famous)—and this was all
getting awfully providential. Andy told him that Budd Friedman
was flying him out to work at the new West Hollywood Improv.
Friedman, at that time, was eager to display the wares of his New
York bumper crop in order to compete with Mitzi Shore’s lock on
local talent at her Comedy Store on Sunset Boulevard. Shapiro
agreed without hesitation to come see Andy when he hit town
and hung up and none of this was news to him since Budd
Friedman had called him earlier that day to say there was this
strange guy from the New York club that he was bringing out and
this guy needed a manager and George ought to come see him
work, “All of a sudden,” said Shapiro, “there was no escaping this
person named Andy Kaufman.”
Confluence of fates began interlinking at an accelerated clip,
for Carl Reiner’s son, Rob Reiner, then went to see this Foreign
Man in New York at his father’s insistence and heard the
eemetation of de Archie Bunker telling de Meathead to get out
of de chair and, since Rob Reiner actually played de Meathead on
the sitcom All in the Family, and since he was scheduled to host one
of the first Saturday Night broadcasts, he was dutifully impressed
and told Andy, who, in turn, declared that he wanted Rob Reiner
to be the first person to introduce him on the show, which caused
certain havoc and embarrassment in that Lorne Michaels wanted
Andy on the first show and Rob Reiner was slated to host the
third, on which he could then introduce him again, never mind
that Andy was very upset about the whole thing. Meanwhile,
there was the Uncle Sammy Denoff connection, which Carl
Reiner discovered when he next began to recreate the act for
Uncle Sammy, who had cowritten countless episodes of The Dick
Van Dyke Show and whose manager was Uncle Carl’s nephew
George Shapiro, and he stopped Carl Reiner in mid-sentence and
said, “I know that kid! He considers me his uncle!” Also: In New
York, Carl Reiner had given George Shapiro’s phone number as
well as his own to Andy and one day in early November George
picked up the phone and heard, “Ummmm ...” and it was Andy
calling to say that he was coming out to Los Angeles after his
third appearance on Saturday Night—not one installment of which
George had seen, since people in his crowd had dismissed the
program as “a poor imitation of Sid Caesar’s Your Show of Shows”
(on which Carl Reiner had become famous)—and this was all
getting awfully providential. Andy told him that Budd Friedman
was flying him out to work at the new West Hollywood Improv.
Friedman, at that time, was eager to display the wares of his New
York bumper crop in order to compete with Mitzi Shore’s lock on
local talent at her Comedy Store on Sunset Boulevard. Shapiro
agreed without hesitation to come see Andy when he hit town
and hung up and none of this was news to him since Budd
Friedman had called him earlier that day to say there was this
strange guy from the New York club that he was bringing out and
this guy needed a manager and George ought to come see him
work, “All of a sudden,” said Shapiro, “there was no escaping this
person named Andy Kaufman.”

December 16, 2025 at 2:03 AM

welcometoyourdoom.bsky.social

@welcometoyourdoom.bsky.social

Behind the scenes of Summer School (1987)

#filmsky #summerschool #carlreiner

July 3, 2025 at 2:40 PM

Michael Warburton

@michaelwarburton.bsky.social

STEVE MARTIN’s first big starring role was not only a comedy classic but a HUGE hit too, raking in over $100m off a $4m budget.

THE JERK (1979)

#CarlReiner

July 22, 2026 at 6:15 PM

america.is.not.free

@antifapatriot.bsky.social

Carl and Rob Reiner at the 2017 TCM Classic Film Festival 💔🕯

#CarlReiner #RobReiner

December 17, 2025 at 3:56 AM

america.is.not.free

@antifapatriot.bsky.social

Best Friends

Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner, 2001

📷: Robert Trachtenberg

#MelBrooks #CarlReiner

July 19, 2025 at 9:51 PM

Elise Crane Derby

@elisecd.bsky.social

The last time a saw this it was @chinesetheatres.bsky.social with #CarlReiner. Pretty sure #IlleanaDouglas called #TCMFF Coachella for shut ins at that screening. #TCMparty

May 17, 2025 at 1:01 AM

america.is.not.free

@antifapatriot.bsky.social

🥰🤗🫠🫠🫠🥲💔❤️‍🔥

#CarlReiner #RobReiner

December 19, 2025 at 4:25 AM

A. Torch

@torcho.bsky.social

Weird things we occasionally get in estates. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ #carlReiner #hollywood

A 1962 check from Carl Reiner. Hollywood

November 7, 2025 at 9:37 PM

Pedro

@canhenha.bsky.social

Currently watching: Carl Reiner’s “Fatal Instinct”. #fatalinstinct #movies #films #carlreiner #armandassante #sherilynfenn #seanyoung #katenelligan #christophermcdonald

June 21, 2025 at 3:58 AM

RandyLittlesMovies

@randylittlesmovies.bsky.social

Movie: #DeadMenDontWearPlaid (1982)

Starring: #SteveMartin #RachelWard #GeorgeGaynes #ReniSantoni #AdrianRicard #CarlReiner

Directed By: #CarlReiner

#BluRay
#MovieCollector
#BluRayCollection
#MovieCollection
#PhysicalMedia
#FilmSky

June 3, 2026 at 6:42 PM

Talking Pictures TV

@talkingpicturestv.bsky.social

Coming soon! 📽️ Premiere: Saturday 2nd August, 9:05pm THE COMIC (1969) Starring #DickVanDyke #MicheleLee #MickeyRooney #CarlReiner #NinaWayne comedy-drama #TPTVsubtitles

July 19, 2025 at 6:45 PM

Nathan Francis

@nathanfrancis79.bsky.social

"It's like a bird. If he knew what he was doing, he would fall."

🎭 Remembering #comedy legend #CarlReiner, #BOTD 20 March 1922. #Film

March 20, 2026 at 6:09 AM

Talking Pictures TV

@talkingpicturestv.bsky.social

Next Week! 📽️ Premiere: Saturday 2nd August, 9:05pm THE COMIC (1969) Starring #DickVanDyke #MicheleLee #MickeyRooney #CarlReiner #NinaWayne comedy-drama #TPTVsubtitles
www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqW2...

July 27, 2025 at 6:30 PM

David Hyman

@davidhyman.bsky.social

Forty-three years ago today, the crime thriller Raymond Chandler never wrote opened in London cinemas… #DeadMenDontWearPlaid #1980s #film #films #SteveMartin #RachelWard #CarlReiner #comedy #spoof

November 25, 2025 at 8:57 AM

Talking Pictures TV

@talkingpicturestv.bsky.social

Tonight! 📽️ Our Big Saturday Night Premiere at 9:05pm. THE COMIC (1969) Starring #DickVanDyke #MicheleLee #MickeyRooney #CarlReiner #NinaWayne comedy-drama #TPTVsubtitles
www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqW2...

August 2, 2025 at 12:45 PM

📼 Vintage Video Podcast 📼

@vintagevideopod.bsky.social

Our review of Carl Reiner’s Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid is available now!
vintagevideopodcast.com/0424-dead-me...

#deadmendontwearplaid #vintagevideopodcast #1980s #carlreiner #georgegipe #stevemartin #rachelward #alanladd #barbarastanwyck #raymilland #avagardner #burtlancaster #humphreybogart

June 26, 2025 at 8:47 PM

RandyLittlesMovies

@randylittlesmovies.bsky.social

Movie: #OceansEleven (2001)

Starring: #GeorgeClooney #BradPitt #BernieMac #ElliottGould #CaseyAffleck #ScottCaan #DonCheadle #CarlReiner #MattDamon #AndyGarcia #JuliaRoberts

Directed By: #StevenSoderbergh

#BluRay
#MovieCollector
#BluRayCollection
#MovieCollection
#PhysicalMedia
#FilmSky

February 21, 2026 at 1:35 AM

Talking Pictures TV

@talkingpicturestv.bsky.social

Next Week! 📽️ Premiere: Saturday 2nd August, 9:05pm THE COMIC (1969) Starring #DickVanDyke #MicheleLee #MickeyRooney #CarlReiner #NinaWayne comedy-drama #TPTVsubtitles
www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqW2...

July 24, 2025 at 12:45 PM

☕️ Joey Vee 🍿🎥🎬🎞️

@joeyveern.bsky.social

#MelBrooks and #CarlReiner photographed by #MarkSeliger.

December 15, 2024 at 2:20 AM

David Hyman

@davidhyman.bsky.social

Forty-seven years ago today, George Burns was God in London cinemas, and John Denver didn’t believe it either... #OhGod #1970s #CarlReiner #GeorgeBurns #JohnDenver #TeriGarr #DonaldPleasence #film #films #comedy

April 27, 2025 at 7:52 AM

Court Fisk

@courtfisk.bsky.social

🎭 Laugh... or I'll blow your lips off!

𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗠𝗲𝗻 𝗗𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗪𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗱 released on this day, May 21, 1982. 🌃

𝗙𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 Steve Martin, Rachel Ward, and Alan Ladd.

##DeadMenDontWearPlaid #Comedy #Parody #HardBoiled #Crime #FilmSky #CarlReiner #Film #MovieSky #OTD

Theatrical poster for "Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid" (1982), featuring Steve Martin in a sharp suit and fedora, cigarette between his lips, aiming a gun at us. Behind him his plaid shadow has his hands up.

May 22, 2026 at 1:05 AM

Steeeeevvvvvve

@mushoir.bsky.social

I'm not much for film special edition re-releases, but if they were going to do one.....how about Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid but with all the older grainier footage replaced with more recent 4K restorations?

#MovieSky #Movies #FilmSky #SteveMartin #CarlReiner #RachelWard #DeadMenDontWearPlaid #FOC

February 5, 2026 at 9:22 PM