#146 Comedian Robert Klein Still Can’t Stop His Leg

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Jeff Dwoskin 0:31

All right, Lucy, thank you so much for that amazing introduction. You get the show going each and every week, and this week was no exception. Welcome, everybody to Episode 146 of classic conversations. As always, I'm your host, Jeff Dwoskin. So great to have you back for what is going on in the books as a legendary classic conversation for the ages. I couldn't be more excited to let you know that comedian Robert Klein is joining me today. That's right. Legendary stand up comedian, singer actor. One of the most prolific voices in comedy is here hanging with me on the classic conversations podcast. I know pinch me we talk about comedy Broadway acting, you're gonna love it and it's coming up in just a few seconds. And in those seconds while you wait with bated breath for my conversation with Robert Klein, let me remind you of last week's amazing episodes, Episode 145 with Jim Masca man master improv impressionist happens to be Marian Cunningham. That's right, Mrs. C from Happy days. That happens to be Jim's mom, a Jim's amazing. It's such a fun interview. And then of course, Episode 144 from last week Peter Megan who plays Lieutenant Commander board is on the Orville one of my favorite shows. That's a fabulous conversation as well. So much fabulousness a way to enjoy Robert Klein. And then check out the whole backlog. Tons of great interviews away too. All right now, here's an amazing interview with Robert Klein. One thing to know Robert took the interview from outside his beautiful home so if you close your eyes you can hear all the birds are singing during the interview. So feel free to head to Twitter and hashtag classic conversation birds and if you recognize any of the bird sounds let us know what birds you think they were. I enjoy all right, my next guest you may have seen him on The Tonight Show or David Letterman he's been nominated for two Emmys two Grammys a Tony. He's had nine HBO specials singer actor Broadway star ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the show legendary stand up comedian Robert Klein. Welcome to the show. Yes, I

Robert Klein 3:00

thought I'd get myself an entrance. So you all the people you name that I you can see me on a dead. I mean, no Letterman's alive but you know.

Jeff Dwoskin 3:09

But those are the those are the shows like those are the big credits I was trying to bring?

Robert Klein 3:14

Well I did reminded cigar three years ago or like before pandemic I guess just before the maybe two and a half years ago, and they gave me a plaque with all the dates of my tonight shows. And they were 94 that includes about 15 guest hosts with Johnny most of them with Johnny Carson, a few with Leto and a few weeks ago.

Jeff Dwoskin 3:37

Yeah, I saw the I saw the clip where Jimmy Fallon gave you that plaque that was pretty cool. Yeah, I

Robert Klein 3:43

saw him the other night at Billy Crystal's Broadway opening which is very funny. And he gave me a big hug and then I think he tested positive. Oh, yeah, I have you know, I'm definitely I'm at and I have chronic bronchitis because I smoked cigarettes for 30 years not in 25 Liberty. I haven't gotten it and I'm I had a wonderful plague. Most people I feel sorry for the world especially young people. But for me it was perfect. I didn't have to do anything. I was working a lot just before and then was able to do you've heard that cliche read all the things I've never chance to before that's been my reading has it Yeah, I

Jeff Dwoskin 4:23

think the pandemic and my family and myself we were fortunate enough to not to get it I think my daughter maybe got it late but one after many boosters where it wasn't as as harsh but thankfully everybody we all came through I started this podcast because of the pandemic. There you go. I appreciate you hanging out with me on my podcast it's it's an honor there's a lot I want to talk about I want to talk about they're playing our song Oh obviously want to talk about comedy I want to talk about when comedy went to school documentary. I've watched that and then your doc the documentary on you, Robert Klein still can't stop his leg.

Robert Klein 4:58

That's a beauty. I wish I Unfortunately, it was produced by the Harvey Weinstein Company. And it's in litigation at the moment. It may be available on Starz app but something isn't a good, good film of that documentary. I loved it.

Jeff Dwoskin 5:11

It was a great documentary and there's absolutely no shortage of people saying a million nice things about you. Oh, well deserved. But yeah, it was. It was awesome. I found it online somewhere. I watched it online. No kidding.

Robert Klein 5:23

Yeah, black. People couldn't see it. But I always knew he was a louse. You know, he was a tough guy Weinstein. I also did a movie for him with Pacino called people. I know very dark movie. We had a small opening. I bought it very small because he was putting all his money into the aviator, which was a wonderful movie. And I said, How was Eve Eve was his first wife, who I worked with on my a&e show years ago, and suddenly everyone's different. I didn't. I was the only one that Nope, didn't know he was in a terrible divorce with her that he burst out laughing. Oh, she's fine, Robert. She's funny. I found pictures smiling with him. I found the one with a symposium I did with Cosby. I have Andrew Cuomo, all the evil ones. Staying in the bin and I Trump came to the LA Film Festival. I filmed my dad, Ira and Abby. And he took a picture with Judith light and myself and I had been hanging with a tremendous mustache on it. Tonight, man, I can't even read the times much anymore. Nightmare. Go ahead.

Jeff Dwoskin 6:28

Yeah, let's look back on happier times. How does it feel to be such an inspiration to all the you know, the comics of today that they all look back? And Letterman Jon Stewart like binder. You know everyone Billy Crystal, you know, everyone they just

Robert Klein 6:42

I feel like what did you call me? You want? Inspiration? Inspiration? Yeah, I feel like an inspiration. You know, Leto summed it up best in that documentary when he said, You know, when you live in Western Massachusetts, and you want to go into comedy, people commiserate with your mother, you know, like, is he still into that comedy thing? Point to Robert Klein. He went to college, he's got a normal he's not one of those comedians with a tuxedo cufflinks, you know, and blah, blah, blah, and all that. So, I think, I don't know if I invented anything different. But I decided to apply intelligence and some sort of social eyes and political eyes, you know, to what I did political thing was raging during Watergate. That was quite a while and I think my second album, mind over matter is is there's a lot of Watergate stuff on there. And I always had opinions. And also when I was hired, for example, a daytime show outdoors Six Flags Over Georgia outside of Atlanta of 4000 people in front row a bunch of off duty cops with their four year old daughters on their laps, I couldn't do you know, Lenny, Lenny Bruce, the FG at the ball game routine. So if I was hired if I took a job, I liked pleasing them. And so I wouldn't suddenly break into some sort of political material in a thing like that. But I always liked in my day, pushing the envelope because everything goes today. And partly that's something I had something to do it because I did the first HBO special ever and that was the first original programming HBO ever did. They only had movies, and no one else had comedy specials where you can say what you want it and they'll know. And I might add, as someone who isn't Spielberg, I had complete final cut on the nine specials I did and I did a couple of extra ones. A couple of others, but they never censored a word but all that tonight shows it Merv Griffin shows and Letterman's everyday well not Letterman so much tonight show in the old days they wanted to know everywhere, you're gonna say pretty much you knew what the rules

Jeff Dwoskin 8:48

were in the documentary, sign vote that you were the Beatles of comedy to him and credited you are starting a whole new way of comedy. Who were your inspirations when you were starting to say, Okay, I'm starting to create my voice. Like who inspired you? I saw

Robert Klein 9:05

live comedy for the first time in the Catskill Mountains so called Borscht Belt, which that documentary you mentioned when comedy went to school is about one of my father had a good year, we spent two weeks in a crummy little broken down hotel and live comedian came, and he made everyone laugh. And that was fun. And then of course, every comedian I saw on television and Ed Sullivan when I was a kid for you know, red buttons. Lucy I loved I love to laugh. I love comedy. I would say the ones who influenced me the most that seemed to take stand up. Hey, yeah, it's some sort of not hatch air. Yeah. We're Lenny Bruce and Jonathan Winters who were one was a social satirist and push the envelope hard. And the other one was a political Jonathan wasn't particularly political. They were both the farthest thing from conveying Additional you could think of I never met Lenny Bruce. He died a year before I my first trip to LA and 67. But I did have a correspondence and a bit of a relationship at the end of Jonathan's life, and I spoke at his memorial. He was an improvisational genius, Person person, he was salty, and it could be totally profane, but that's not what he did in public. So I say the combination of those two, and as far as you know, like, the best I have ever seen in person, and I would put prior in there, uh, George was fantastic. I never actually saw George in person. I mean, I had a relationship with Him, participated in an HBO documentary that's coming out soon, and I have an interview to do tomorrow with Vanity Fair about the documentary about him. Both of these guys were funny before they became the hipper version of themselves. Colin was hilarious as the hippie Dippy weatherman in his early stuff, wearing a suit and tie he quit though was thrown out of Cardinal Hayes High School, which New Yorkers know is hard to do that he will join the Air Force he was what Rodney Dangerfield used to call a rounder, you know, like, you know, I didn't go to college or anything like that. He just went down. And prior I first met at the Improv in the fall of 66 or 67. And he was doing The Merv Griffin Show in collegiate sweaters. He was adorable. He was you wanted to hug him and he was hilarious. Now, that doesn't mean that I in any way. Don't like what they became because they found themselves tumultuous, terrible year 68 With all the assassinations of Martin Luther King Bobby Kennedy riots. It's not that he came back a civil rights spokesman strongly like the great sorry, names and nouns is the only thing I can memorize lines and everything you're doing from Chicago, who stopped being a comedian. It was hilarious and became a social salary's. I'll think of it in a minute. But that's two things I have to think of an admin. But he came back because I once asked him like, What college did you go to? He laughed for five minutes. He was brought up in a Bravo and Carlin you know, came back, got a ponytail and whatever and some hilarious stuff, including his greatest greatest triumph is routine went to the Supreme Court, seven words you could say you can say on television.

Jeff Dwoskin 12:23

Just want to take a quick break. Thank everyone for their support of the sponsors. When you support the sponsors, you're supporting us here at Classic conversations. And that's how we keep the lights on now back to the amazing Robert Klein as he continues to reflect on George Carlin.

Robert Klein 12:38

At the end, there was a kind of darkness there when I saw him. We did this thing for Seinfeld. And he was I don't know he got kind of dark like maybe you have to Brenda his wife died. I don't know I keep in touch with Kelly, his daughter and a little bit with rain prior I'm very close with Rodney Dangerfield, his daughter Melanie, he was my Yale Drama School to stand up comedy rod. Not only was it one of the greatest comedians of all time, especially in his early career when this stuff was less vulgar and whatever. But he knew what he was talking about. And I remember his other a deserted and pretty much and they had a kind of rapprochement between man was paying a throat to run the big star yet, but I remember the old man who had been in vaudeville had been an entertainer of some sort not a comedian with no respect and it's good keep it up that no respect and he did like to be every man.

Jeff Dwoskin 13:34

Your relationship with Ronnie though extended. He was one of the very first comedians you met right outside of when you were doing Second City and, and maintain a

Robert Klein 13:43

second city was the most important thing that happened to me. That didn't the Yale Drama School and my father didn't have to pay to audition. I got 150 A week came home from Second City. We did it for five week show. And I heard and then I got the first Broadway show I ever auditioned for appletree Mike Nichols directing. I heard about the improv down 44th Street from the Shubert Theater, I went down because I was bursting to do stand up. And Alan Alda and Barbara Harris and the whole cast came down to give me support. And I killed you know, I was really good that 1520 minutes and this guy came up to me, you know, I'll tell you what, brilliant, okay. Fucking bro. You said he was incredibly profane. He said now you have to come back every night for three years to get it right. Anyway, I began coming there a lot. And I saw a woman comedian there with her husband with a tape recorder. I said what a great idea. That was Joan Rivers and her husband Edgar. Record it, you know, and originally, my whole early career was defined by the Dominion station the size of recording devices, and a Wallen sack weighed 25 pounds, then a small reel to reel then audio cassette, then

Jeff Dwoskin 14:54

a phone. Would you tape everyone here performances, Bob Stein,

Robert Klein 14:58

who's been working with Been for 38 years produced my last four HBO specials. He's a brilliant musician, conductor composer, he would record every show until a few years ago, I have literally hundreds of tapes. And there's a company that's trying to take that stuff some of some of that has been appearing on Sirius Radio like never before heard stuff. There's a lot of it was well recorded. Some of that is not worth because of the sound quality. But you know, when I was improvising and some stuff I may never have done again. And so yes, it's tons and tons of stuff is also two NBC specials that I own from 1981 that were on four inch tape, four inch wide tape, old videotape before digitalization, they've all been digitally digitalized, to see if they can make some money. They're sitting collecting dust as I am. Now actually, I'm very good shape, my greatest investment. I've been working out with a trainer three times a week for 31 years,

Jeff Dwoskin 16:02

you guys stay healthy, you look great. You do.

Robert Klein 16:05

I've not been the greatest in the old days, I did cocaine in the 80s. I've been consuming cannabis for 55 years or so. But you know, my didn't care much for drinking a lot of my life. And then later on, I did care for some drinking, by and large, the keeping in shape. Working in one as a comedian also movies and television. I mean, just before the the epidemic I did the Will and Grace number of episodes, I have no problem memorizing lines, you know, but it's, you know, I'd rather than I would rather be alive than dead, but getting old and you know, definitely that you can get into the movies cheaper. And you're first in line for a vaccine. And you can have much more patient patients during a pandemic. But other than that, then it's not that I looked my hand looks like the an aerial map of the Mississippi and its tributaries.

Jeff Dwoskin 17:05

It's tough, you look great. I gotta say your hair looks great, too. So there you got that

Robert Klein 17:10

just didn't think this was this kind of show. Let's get in first, I refuse to dye it. I have to laugh that contemporaries of mine who should have nice gray hair, and it's jet black, you know, or have lifts on their, on their faces, hey, you know, women want to do that. But when men do it, I don't know. I don't know. Everyone can do whatever they want. I've been divorced for 33 years, I was married 16. I have a terrific son who's 38 and all the talent to be a comedian or an actor, but he's a chef. So there you go. Then he worked in environmental studies, and then worked for Bobby Kennedy's Waterkeeper. Alliance for eight years. And Bobby Kennedy is a disastrous disappointment to those of us that used to love him and care about him, because he's an anti Vaxxer not know, which I don't understand at all. The whole thing of, of the health issues becoming politicized, so stupid. It's like Chinese Cultural Revolution, where the students took over the medical school and throughout the teachers went to be slave farmers and the collectives because they know better. I mean, you know, what are these idiots talking about? Going against the best medical advice, you know, they tout, even though a lot of Americans can't afford health care, we always tout especially the right wing of the greatest health care in the world. So why don't you depend on them? Dr. Fauci became an enemy. And you know, they were also bugging to find out what's the next iteration of this disease? I mean, I would say the response for the most part, since they didn't know where they were going, it was some experience with Ebola. But the whole thing of he's taking books out of the library, if you don't want to, if you don't want your kids to read, don't read them. Don't take them out of the library. People are afraid they don't look around them that America has always been about immigrants. Ross, dude out in the New York Times is Catholic convert. Conservative, he's very good writer and a bright guy, but he laments that the American birth rate is so low. So why don't you encourage these people legally let them in to the country from Mexico and Honduras? The American history is replete with bigotry. I guess maybe it's a continuum. I'm surprised so I thought we were really going places, especially after the 89 end of communism, which I thought would never come in Europe. What was your question? What my favorite color? I believe it was what my if I were if I were the last person in the world, what I would want to eat? No, I'm afraid. My answer was so long.

Jeff Dwoskin 19:52

It's it's an interesting time we live in with everyone not knowing what to trust because the people at the top have put that in everyone's head and made it so divided you know to make something like vaccine a political thing you know you have if you watch Fox that's what you believe and they feed you and if you watch MSNBC they feed you and you know this the whole thing with Facebook with it when the old 2016 election with the manipulation of of what you see social media has made things very scary and put people down as their own thought path. And just

Robert Klein 20:29

one one thing I must I must comment on and you made an equal comparison between Fox and MSNBC. There is nothing compared to Fox Yes, MSNBC is you can't say liberal anymore progressive more, it's still its guests, and also paid guests are some of the most eminent historians in America and they they're much more honest.

Jeff Dwoskin 20:56

No I didn't mean I didn't mean to put them on the same thing what I meant was Fox helps people who think the fox way think more about the fox way and MSNBC is where we go to be reinforced with our beliefs. I go there ready see isn't trying to destroy the world. But anyway, it doesn't.

Robert Klein 21:14

It's hard for me to any of them now. But yeah, I don't know Americans lost control, a Larry King, he died, of course. But he actually had a program on RT television. A few Americans went on RT, which was Russian propaganda television, What's matter with them? Do they think the Democrats and I'm not even giving money so far? I'm disgusting. To me. I'm more of them. There's nothing proud about being a Democrat or Republican two party system is supposed to be something that grinds along and keeps things moving. They used to be a certain amount of comity and civility in the Congress in the mid 20th. Century and on there was also duels on the fly. There was a lot of hatred in the Congress. But this idea of not a democracy is so tenuous. There's this idea that if a wins the election, and B says no, you didn't even though the usual methods have been used for counting, we're done. And you know, you have a president former President Trump standing next to Putin, saying his own intelligence told them they interfered in our election. He said, Putin said no, we didn't see, I have no reason to doubt him. Why isn't that on every television show every ad now? Why does it you know, the word trader comes to mind. And also I've been saying for years is Confederate nostalgia. I myself, a history student didn't even realize Fort Bragg where almost every troop goes to train is named after Confederate General they would trade tours DRA idor s, and they weren't traders after the Civil War. People call them traitors, and of Lincoln hadn't been assassinated. Things might have been different, those statues of Confederate and all that stuff was put up in the 1890s 1920s they were traitors, you know, and the Confederacy is repeating itself. Again, as soon as the Voting Rights Law was got it, they went back to the same old thing of making it a demo difficult to vote. I think 53% of people said in in the survey by someone reputable that democracy is not necessarily the best form of government you know, things have changing. And I hate to patronizing a Jeff but go Tigers go Detroit die. No, I'm kidding. Greenberg,

Jeff Dwoskin 23:35

so let's, let's pivot away from

Robert Klein 23:39

what do you do? When you're not doing it?

Jeff Dwoskin 23:42

What do I do? I have my own company called stampede social, and we build engagement tools for Instagram, to help people monitor and measure their engagement through tools that we create it. I really,

Robert Klein 23:55

you explained to do and it sounds to me like it's covering for something illicit. So go let's go to the next subject. I don't understand the word you said. Go ahead. No blah politics guy.

Jeff Dwoskin 24:05

i Let's go back to a simpler time. Let's go back to the Catskills. And like in that documentary, but also, you were there, right. I mean, you were a busboy. You

Robert Klein 24:15

was a busboy, lifeguard at a day camp counselor in the Catskills, but I never played it as a performer until I was quote, unquote, a star, the top places, the Concord cultures. Those are big paychecks, a limo tune from the biggest stars played at those purchases. It was It started probably the turn of the 20th century in the middle of that wonderful immigration period when my grandparents came from Hungary in 1903, when people in the hot city went to Sullivan County, because it was cool in the summer and some Jewish farmers would open up their houses to take them people to stay for a week and it ballooned into hotels of all sizes. sizes and bungalow colonies. The thing that is several things killed it. The Boeing 707 was one because people could go to Paris with their family for two weeks for about the same money as three or four weeks in a Catskill hotel, and also air conditioning. Sad to say now it's of course, a non existent they were potel Mostly kosher, meaning that the breakfast and lunch meals did not contain meat. And the evening now, Neil did, and there was generally entertainment rollerskating act spinning each other, you know, Lithuanian refugees, and the woman having three G's on her face as a husband sponsored by a teeth and comedians fledgling very often bad, some of them starting out singers, always a singer. And the food was the key thing because it was all you could eat. It wasn't a buffet, but I mean, if you couldn't decide between chicken and brisket,

Jeff Dwoskin 26:03

you'd take both. That sounds like having it was

Robert Klein 26:05

a lot of people met their spouses there. My sister met her, her husband there and you know, most of the people went they weren't religious, but there was a tradition for the kosher so then there was also the Italian Alps, they call Jewish Alps the Italian was some hotels, a couple still exists were more of an Italian flavor and Italian but comedy and the Catskill Mountains resorts went together and a lot of people began their careers there, notably Jerry Lewis and David, you know, Danny Kaye, and they would have shows they put together shows a few of them in the Poconos as well, and a lot of sex at least imagined sex.

Jeff Dwoskin 26:47

Sorry to interrupt this amazing conversation. I know. I know. We were right in the middle of the sex part, but quick break and we're back. That was painless. Right is the last break, I promise. Now back to Robert Klein and all the sex of the Catskill part that I interrupted enjoy.

Robert Klein 27:04

In that documentary, Larry King talks about how he stopped some housewife whose husband was away for the week at home plate on the softball field. Sunday I just guessing and telling I don't care even though he was a time

Jeff Dwoskin 27:19

sorry. Definitely a highlight of the documentary was Larry King sex life.

Robert Klein 27:24

No, I went with my book. How to the amorous busboy in Decatur Avenue. It came out about like 12 years ago, Simon and Schuster, I was on a book tour. And his assistant was the most thorough pre researcher I think I have ever had. I get on with him he goes want to read Robert Klein, amorous pasquese Tell me what made the juices color with the raise lettering? I could tell you I'd read it. What about the copyright? You mentioned the first two pages and the dedication I knew he had read it. That's really funny. I had was can take control here. What else?

Jeff Dwoskin 28:00

Thank you. Thank you Catskills. So anyone listening who may not be familiar, Dirty Dancing. couple episodes. Really? Some of the best episodes from Mrs. Mays all took place in the Catskills of those fictional recreations. how accurate were that

Robert Klein 28:15

I didn't see I saw Dirty Dancing. It was sweet. I only saw the first two episodes of basil. I just did a movie with the guy who plays a husband Michael and I had a reshoot. They needed to reshoot I mean to add two scenes and four months after they wrapped, I didn't I didn't see the basil Bush belt episodes. But Dirty Dancing was sweet. You know, there was a also a famous athletic component. With respect to cultures Country Club, which was one of the bigger hotels, there's a famous picture with the will to seal Chamberlain, who would go work as a busboy a lot of the best collegiate players would go up to cultures and work for the summer as bellhops and play ball and there were some incredible games in the old days. So there was that to that kind of shorts and sweat socks and and ball and but mostly was eating that was the red part. But mostly it was eating people. And they were a tough audience. 10 o'clock at night at the Concord they had just had a tremendous meal, which ended at nine and then they come in belching and tents of the show. It's tough. It does

Jeff Dwoskin 29:19

sound tough. It was it was definitely a really good documentary. It's not it wasn't even that long. It was I found it on a PBS

Robert Klein 29:28

PBS app.

Jeff Dwoskin 29:29

It was really interesting is like so basically the gross injures Yeah, gross singers, basically inadvertently started the first Airbnb. Right, right at having people at their place. They make $81 And then suddenly, they're like, hey, and the whole thing kind of blew up around that whole concept. And I mean, the names are crazy. Jerry Lewis and Cesar Jackie Mason more it's all day, Gregory Jerry's. Yeah, I mean, it's just,

Robert Klein 29:56

you know, it was even when Elizabeth Taylor was quoting when Eddie Fisher left Debbie Reynolds Lizabeth Taylor and Eddie Fisher would go to grow singers all the time they were it was an airport than their own airport private little planes. They weren't jets and but it was bigger than just the Jewish population. I mean, people would go to grow singers or Concord not Jewish for great Latin music and my Cheeto and Tina quente played the Concord regularly but it seems that some photographer did a beautiful collection of the racket is now like lumber hanging down I understand there's a big resort up there now that hat allows gambling is a golf course. And you know, I it's that it's something that just lived and died in outlived its usefulness. The grossinger I'm sorry to cut your grandson tried to open a restaurant in Tribeca which lasted maybe a year with some of the recipes with fancy names, actually was the very I had a very good meal there. I reviewed it for Gotham magazine, they kind of food is it's tough to find anymore. All the Jewish women that cooked in a dead and the people they taught to where, you know, it's just, it's not around anymore.

Jeff Dwoskin 31:11

It was part of what helped inspire you right working there seeing these comments. And well, when I

Robert Klein 31:17

saw these comedian pull up in his Cadillac and get it out and make people scream with laughter for 35 minutes. And for that 35 or 40 minutes, they forgot that troubles with their marriage or their health or their children are except Boy, that's a wonderful way to make a living and making people laugh. I still consider it a higher calling. I think it's one of the My father always wanted to be me to be a doctor and I thought I wanted that too. A few things got in my way. Organic Chemistry, calculus, physics, biology, reading, spelling, comprehension, behavior, aptitude, attitude and talent. So I became an actor in the once I was called down do an interview when I was on Broadway and they're playing a song to the tonight. Today's show Jean shallot, interviewing me. My father was visiting from Florida. They had retired to Florida, which is unusual for him. And he came with me and Charlotte said after my interview, he said, Look, we're doing a thing of parents and Lucie Arnaz and CO starred with me, I just done with one with a mother, Lucille Ball. And so into my father, he said, Mr. Klein, that he always wanted to be an actor. He said, No, he wanted to be a doctor. I figured by the time he becomes one, I'll be old enough to need one. Now when I get he became an actor. Now when I get sick, he gives me two tickets to a show. And that's in the documentary. In fact, it was incredibly thrilling to hear my father's voice and seen, you know, like that as live like that a number of years. And he had shallot really screaming, I just think it's, it's a wonderful thing to make people laugh and to do it on terms of one's own. I mean, look, profanity is a very important part of the language. The great authors used it but when it's apt when, when it's the right word at the right time, not every other word. I do have a problem with some of the profanity today and vulgarity and anything goes kind of thing. I have no interest in censoring anybody. It's just my own personal opinion you censor with not buying a ticket or changing the channel. But you know, I think a lot of the older comedians always felt it was a badge of honor they they did it, you know, like it winters could be incredibly dirty in company. But he was so hilarious in public without being that way. There's a certain I'm sort of a cross between the old and the new. And I will pending on the audience, I will use the brain word here and there, but just, I don't know, it still makes me uncomfortable. It's still a kind of, I don't know, I just don't hold it. It's become the vernacular in it. In other words, people use it all the time and every way and much more than they did. That's all and

Jeff Dwoskin 33:58

now I just I understand what you're saying. If it's the punch line, that's not good. Yeah. But I mean, just to use the word, you know, to know

Robert Klein 34:06

if it's sad, it's just nobody cares. It's every other word. You know, a guy's gonna come here. You know, I mean, it's not racial. It's all you know, white or black comedians, male or female. It's the style. And sometimes it can be very funny. I remember Curb Your Enthusiasm where Paul sands later, a chef with Tourette syndrome, and he kept on spouting these obscenities. It's hilarious. It was totally hilarious. I just read a book Oliver Sacks. Remember the film awakenings he wrote that book was a brilliant neuro physicists scientists Doctor MD. He died a few years ago was called The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and it was a lot about Tourette's and the different kinds of dry think errs a left handed hitter on the Yankees who may have a form of it. Gallo. He keeps striking out he keeps on he has these little odd twitches. I'm not making thought of it like we'd like them to trade, maybe to the Tigers,

Jeff Dwoskin 35:03

right? Again, he should get help, and they should replace him with someone who can hit. Yeah, that kind of I just was interesting

Robert Klein 35:09

anyway. So it can be funny and I can laugh at it, but it's just an elegance has been lost in a way. It's just they told me to watch some young comedian people. This guy is great. And he's talking three or four minutes I forgot who it was. The first laugh is a curse word. I don't agree necessarily that, that the punch line is wrong if it's dirty word, but it still has impact. You see people still, you know, I don't mind modernity and I don't mind the more you look at caught TV or one of these murders shows real life. And people go to court wearing ripped T shirts. You know, they don't think maybe putting on a nice sweater or a tie or I mean that's it people walk around in their pajamas. I'm naked now from the waist down. You can't see that because I'm not wearing pants either. Oh my God. Don't tell me tonight is your daughter's bringing home a boyfriend for the first time

Jeff Dwoskin 36:09

to meet her sister. Yeah.

Robert Klein 36:11

How old is your daughter?

Jeff Dwoskin 36:12

My daughter is 19

Robert Klein 36:14

Oh, well, that pilot I told you about called Father's Day. i My daughter was 13 and her first date was coming. It was a cute thing. It didn't fly them ABC.

Jeff Dwoskin 36:25

That happens a lot though. Right? They shoot pilots. They don't happen, right? It's just well for

Robert Klein 36:29

years I never wanted to do a sitcom. My favorite sitcoms were a honeymooners Phil Silvers, a sergeant Bilko I have to admit all the family was hilarious. I didn't watch them. I've never seen two minutes of friends are some of the biggest of all time. I just didn't like the concept joke. Laugh joke laugh. So initially, early in my career I turned down the part of I forget which it was but opposite Alan Alda in the TV series mash to play the Wayne Rogers role. Wayne stayed with it one year came a financial advisor. I'd seen the movie was brilliant. I didn't want to do the sitcom. I also was hot as a pistol making a lot of money as a comedian. I was doing movies. You know, Saturday Night Live. I did the fifth show first year. And then I did 77 Two years later, I was offered when days are rotten to play Robin Hood. short lived series I thought it was Mel Brooks he executive produced it the movie Men in Tights with Richard Lewis was hilarious. But the series didn't go to play you know. So I turned down some Danny Thomas's son to be a doctor, the one i i decided to do. I read the script funniest script. I read and my career could have used it then. And my wife was an opera singer. She had a good teacher on the west coast to Sydney want to stay a six, seven months because this series, it was nikecourt it was hilarious. And the judge was the Groucho Marx he was in charge. So I went to see the guy who wrote it created Rhino wiggy one a name Rhino. wiggy at Warner Brothers Long story short, one of my managers, Charlie jofy of the team, Rollins and jofy. Their names appear on all the Woody Allen movies because they manage what he for us. He was directing the negotiations, and I think he was heavily into cocaine. And I think he lost perspective because I should have done it. He said they won't give you more than so and so you know, what's the spent that salary It was big salary, but he thought I deserved more finally convinced me to hell with it. So we cast a guy Anderson who was totally opposite for me, and it was a big hit with the other characters were important. Harry Anderson right. You know, a slight regret because I think I could have really done something with that, but I never cared. And then older since 2001. I did two series one with Jason Alexander called Bob Patterson, which was hilarious, but which ABC shot 10 of the 911 didn't do it any good. Although, you know, I hate to sound petty that 911 did a lot of people a lot of good. He was amazing Jason, but he tried to do too much. He was running things and writing and doing he was wonderful. And what a talent. It was not a Seinfeld curse. It was just bad. You know that wrong writers and a bunch of things. And the other one was more recent was CBS maybe I don't know eight years ago and something with Judith light called the stones to CBS and also ran 10 episodes. The pay was tremendous. And they both were in California. I was happy to get home to be honest with you. So I have a movie currently on amazon prime, which is very good. And I recommend that it's called before I go, and it was done before the pandemic myself and Anabella ski era many people remember from sopranos, and also from her horrible confrontation with Harvey Weinstein. She claimed to have been raped by him and I have no doubt but her career went downward and she's really a lovely person and a wonderful Actor and it's a good movie. We shot it on the Manhattan on location. I'll check that out before I go. The one I just fit was called zoo but many may change the title.

Jeff Dwoskin 40:10

I'll tell you what one of my favorite movies that you're in that I share with my kids and we love watching the whole series. Don't laugh Sharknado la love it loves our day I

Robert Klein 40:21

got a call from my agent Sharknado two Donald Trump promised to play the mayor of New York and he freaked out on us six days before Can you do it? All right, I had had shoulder surgery added to one rotator cuff and the real bitches the Yankees cancel my contract got. I thought it was such a cool injury rotator cuff but it wasn't it was painful. So I was recuperating from that. But I said I'll do it because they had to be a 35 pound saw buzzsaw. So because Trump turned it down, I did it. And then I did Sharknado three, which I was killed to the bloody fashion demoted. I just remembered the name of the movie I did outside of Detroit demoted about it. Alright, I'll check that out. Well, if you check it out, you'll be ahead of me because I haven't seen it get killed. I get I die early in the movie. Although I think that part is hilarious. You know who's in it. Patty Duke son, the one that was in The Hobbit? Oh, she asked her Shawnette on Yeah, he's in it and forgot who else and we shot it outside of Detroit. And I got sick. I got the flu or something. I went to a local doctor who refused to charge me and maybe the movie can't be paid. But I told him I had a cardiac score of such so that doesn't mean anything, Robert. He says, whoa, piece of fat get stuck in an artery. You're dead. Anyway, I do remember that in the Michiganders hospitality. Of course,

Jeff Dwoskin 41:52

he would take care of you. But it was it was kind of a badge of honor and three Sharknado three to get eaten by a shark. That's why my three everyone wanted to be eaten by a shark. On

Robert Klein 42:01

today's show. People were there. It was fun. I didn't mind doing it. It was it was absolutely stupid and

Jeff Dwoskin 42:07

but super fun. And you were ahead of the curve being in two because I know I talked to the writer and they were like they were they had a hard time pulling in the things by 3456. They couldn't keep people away.

Robert Klein 42:18

Maureen Dowd in the New York Times has mentioned me as mayor of New York, he said, we're New Yorkers, and we can stand up anything that she used to lead into her political Article of the week is The New York Times. That was fine. I mean, the highest the best box office one I mean, I've done over 40 features on the pussycat with Bob Dyson. George Segal was an early one was big box office. And I guess Hooper with Burt Reynolds. You know, it was in that lead him directed, directed the Smokey and the Bandit ones. It was a similar kind of thing. And I played the kind of evil director and that was a lot of fun doing that should kick in in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. We shot for a few weeks, and then at Universal and then Warner Brothers in LA. And you know, that was the most interesting. I've spent four or five weeks on that movie. And it was lots of fun.

Jeff Dwoskin 43:11

Talk to me about they're playing our song that you're nominated for Tony, like I shared with you earlier. I have the soundtrack on on record.

Robert Klein 43:19

Well, we call that original Broadway cast album was scoring as movies movies is different. That's my I sang for Marvin Hamlisch, who I knew and Neil Simon who I didn't know I got the job. I was already had a reputation I had been in a few Broadway shows. It had hit written all over it. Hamlisch and Carole Bayer Sager wrote the lyrics, Neil Simon wrote the book, it was about a kind of neurotic songwriting team, which was based more than loosely on Marvin Hamlisch his relationship with Carole Bayer Sager, they were living together, and they both neurotic mom and died way before his time a few years ago. It was a real shock to all of us. It was huge. It was huge. I was nominated for a Tony. There was no chance because that year, Sweeney Todd won everything and was more deserving my eye was terrific. And I'm sure but he was fluffy and not likely to win the Tony for me, but it brings to mind because Billy Crystal and I have been texting about his new show. Mr. Saturday nine musical on Broadway. I said you have to enjoy it and adore it. I was in seventh Broadway shows love to closed out of town. I was in two hits that I was in for a year. And that is tough saying the same thing every you know, eight times a week. The only person I've heard agree with that. I mean publicly is Alan Arkin. We did a zoom play of two of his pieces about five months ago. I mean, you know, after the first few months, everybody has seen it. You've gotten your reviews, you know, but you got us Today, it's exhausting mentally and physically. The other one I did for you was sisters Rosensweig by Wendy was sustained it was one of the, among the greatest parts of I've ever had it just a wonderful play, and I knew it was a hit from the start. She also died way before a time. Gentle genius. I loved her. She was very important in writing about women in her plays the Heidi Chronicles, among others anyway, you know, some wonderful playwrights.

Jeff Dwoskin 45:30

Well, they're playing our song that you say that to endure it. Yeah. 1082 performances plus 11 previews I read. That's a lot to do the same thing over and it was really just you and Lucie arnaz. Right. I mean, just it's pretty much a tube.

Robert Klein 45:43

No, I couldn't have done that many. It ran that long. But I left after a year. I think Tony Roberts took over so I

Jeff Dwoskin 45:49

did okay, okay. Oh, maybe just not while.

Robert Klein 45:53

California and a year in New York. So you're talking, you know, close to 400 performances. It's enough.

Jeff Dwoskin 46:00

That is like, Man, I watched a clip from you at the 1979 Tony Awards of you and Lucie arnaz. That was a lot of fun to watch. And then you reunited with her years later for a benefit to do it again.

Robert Klein 46:11

Yeah, my boy help was tough. Because Lucy was wanting me to dance a lot than I was, what four years ago. 76 as we did it for the benefit of the Actors Fund. I never worked so hard for nothing for no money in my life. It was a lots of fun, though, people were crazy about seeing it again. And it was oh, by the way, in the Tony Awards. I was nominated for Best Actor in a Musical. And if you saw that clip, you know that. Henry Fonda introduced nominees. So I was backstage and the awards and there was Henry Fonda and I went up to I said, Mr. Fund, I'm a great fan. My name is Robert Klein. I'm up for Tony and as you walk right past me, did not have that happen only twice in my life, Jackie Gleason and Henry Fonda. And then he goes into news meet Robert Klein. I heard my name. That's the truth. And he it's impossible. He didn't see me. It was just I didn't want to deal with you and just walked by and I wasn't in the street asking for an autograph. I was same thing with Gleason. I was backstage at a special in Vegas. And he went right by me.

Jeff Dwoskin 47:21

I have a question are the musical background you're naturally musical you can sing? Did that help you and you went to Second City?

Robert Klein 47:27

Oh, yeah. I love to do what some people will make a song I call them song and proud. They'll Matthew was the pianist there and he had classical training to we take a suggestion to the audience of a news event or something and I do a hand Deleon contado you know, and I loved it. I loved music that I loved every part of it. I was learning improvisation, and learning how to do a multiple performance of set lines. Because in Second City, you did your regular show every night, same lines. And then you had an improvisation session based on suggestions from the audience. And that's how we developed our new show. So we had three shows a year changing. So you got training in both, and I still write my material or have have written you know, about 11 hours of material initially based for the most part on improvisation. See, George Carlin would write like a playwright, he'd write it out, try it out. Right. So the stage manager of an HBO special would know George's first line and his last month with me, no, I would do everything. You know, once I have established a certain kind of thing that it took me a long time to get the laugh, not going to change that. But I could change everything. That's what you cannot do when you're an actor in a play or a movie unless you get permission. You can't change a playwrights words. So you know, when I do my own words, I can change it whenever I want. Yeah, and there is a certain comfort and knowing give me a mic and a light and I can make a living. It's like Archimedes and a place to stand and they can move the world.

Jeff Dwoskin 48:56

It's a nice freedom. And then you join Second City with Fred Willard

Robert Klein 49:00

grad night. That's where I officially say my showbiz career started, although I had done two summers of summer stock in March of 65, Fred Willard and I reported for work we had never met two months before we auditioned at the William Morris conference room, the agency, we got the job together, and he died last year. When I had dinner with him in California. I knew that was I knew I wouldn't see him again. He was very frail to live to be 86. He was a genius in his own quiet way. He was amazing. And we kept in touch all these years. I know of people I know since I'm 11 that I still keep in touch with but professionally you know, it was I joined the company of David Steinberg was there he was the real star of the place when I got there in Chicago. And then he went off to London to do second city and I got a chance to flower with shrimp Fred,

Jeff Dwoskin 49:50

the thing I think it was in your documentary, where Fred Willard was telling a story about you. He said that you at one time he saw you do Just turn it to nothing and kind of improv to someone who wasn't actually there is turned off stage and talk to a character you've created a character and that that he had never seen that before. And then he later went on to always use that he went he adopted that I thought that was great.

Robert Klein 50:16

Well, the essence of the improvisation technique taught by Paul cells and his mother, Viola Spolin, who wrote the improvisation for the theater was that you don't play right you don't. When you're improvising. If I'm improvising with you, I don't go you know, I have an uncle in Dallas. And I remember when we used to, that's nothing. It's what's now your glasses, your hat, which I can barely read the thing on. And if you get stuck, you open an imaginary cupboard and you take out a ball. In this case, I looked on stage. Well, what we Oh, stop it, you know, whenever it was just the most wonderful place to express yourself freely. The head drama coach at Yale, his name Constance can't remember her last name. She was a little lady, Mr. Klein, you should do a one man show. Without the restrictions of someone else's words. I could really go to town.

Jeff Dwoskin 51:09

I think college we would go to Chicago Second City all the time, and we were from Detroit, but we had a good friend in Chicago. And I saw Chris Farley and Tim Meadows at Second City The year before they went to Saturday Night Live. It was only they just stuck in your head when you see someone like that

Robert Klein 51:25

it was a real feeder for Saturday Night Live Belushi and that group came about four years after me and I met them when I was playing the huge Theatre in Toronto, and they all came to see me and we had an all nighter after the show with Belushi Ackroyd. Who's the little sprite that's working with, with Steve Martin. Now he was Marty Martin Smarty short, and that's I guess I met Gilda who was adorable. She had Maddie I was Madeline Kahn and Peter blow. Well, my best oldest friends and showbusiness along with Fred and Madeline and Gilda both died of ovarian cancer. Two of the funniest women I ever knew. They still don't have a cure for it. She was a sweetheart. She was from Detroit, wasn't she?

Jeff Dwoskin 52:10

Yeah, we have. There's a place called Gildas place or whomever you got this house. The it's a whole thing. Gene Wilder might have helped set it up. It's for cancer patients,

Robert Klein 52:20

but cancer patients for cancer Bay. Yeah, I wrote a check earlier that one I have a picture here that they gave me a very beautiful picture. What college did you go to?

Jeff Dwoskin 52:31

I went to Eastern Michigan University,

Robert Klein 52:33

Michigan, Eastern Michigan, rah rah rah. I mean, just the Western Michigan is they were Northern Michigan and Southern Michigan

Jeff Dwoskin 52:40

is a Western and that you have them in MSU are like the big ones. And then you know when you don't study as hard while I went to illustrate you never heard of that. I never heard of that one. I never Oh, hey, when we pre talked, he promised me a mike binder story.

Robert Klein 52:55

Oh, yeah. So I kept a little apartment in LA because I went out there frequently. I mean, it wasn't you know, just it was a little furnished apartment. And I'm driving my car back to the property and it's a cold this I noticed someone's following me. So you know, I What the hell is this? I don't like this. Like an idiot. I get out, slam the door and looked off and I go, Are you fucking following anyway, I didn't say you following me. What's the story? He said? I'm sorry. I'm sorry. My name is Mike binder. I'm just a fan. I wanted to talk to you. I don't know how many years later I'm walking in front of my apartment in New York. There's my binders. Oh, man, I gotta Park to my new movie. He did the rain over me. It was a wonderful movie, which nobody saw a fabulous of a performance by. What's his name? Adams. Adam Sandler wasn't an idiot for a JJ sweet Cami. We did mixed nuts together to a Steve Martin film. He was wonderful in it. And it was such an interesting film. But I don't think it did very well. Mike was terrific, very impressive writing that script and the Upside of Anger. And he's also in the documentary saying if it wasn't for Robert Klein, I think I would have gone into plumbing or something like that. He just was following me when he talked to

Jeff Dwoskin 54:11

me. It's so funny. Yeah, he's great. I love him. My favorite movie of my ex is Indian summer, which is basically about Jewish summer camp, which is a camp. It's based around a camp from Section Canada, but where a lot of Michigan people go to

Robert Klein 54:25

I never saw that one. I did a movie called poison ivy. There's another movie called but this one was a movie of the week with Michael J. Fox. And I played the head Counselor of the camp. We were shooting in rural Georgia, and the temperature was 100 degrees. And this is the children actors they actually refuse to work. It reminds me of Gary Goldberg, who was really interesting man. Among other things, we produce family ties and I was doing a guest role and he's incredibly successful Brooklyn boy who became the largest landowner in Vermont or something like that. He's Have you ever noticed that child acting is slavery? It was a little boy on the show named Brian Bansal it was four or five years old. And I remember Brian Bansal on stage and he was with his tutor and he threw his crayon down and he had to go and work and when you think about it, it's not you know, making rugs in India but if a child a small child doesn't feel like doing it you making him do something I didn't want to do. Mother was some sort of shady divorce lady it looked like she was living off the the work of a five year old, but it was an interesting observation. Anyway, these kids rebelled, and they finally had to get them under control now, are you well, we're

Jeff Dwoskin 55:39

Oh, I forgot I found this while I was digging around. This is a Time Magazine review of you from there playing our songs.

Robert Klein 55:47

Was it any good? Of course,

Jeff Dwoskin 55:49

I wouldn't have brought it up if it wasn't good. Oh. Klein has a flair for like comedy that is mightily infectious, and he commands a stage like a pirate sweeping a deck.

Robert Klein 55:58

Nice. Nice. Oh, that was great. I mean, years before, my best friend Gail was Jimmy burrows, whose father was a Broadway director and writer and he directed and written How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying hear me became the biggest director in California, the biggest TV director, and he co created cheers and I just worked with him and Will and Grace. He used to take me to the show all the time I saw at 1012 times. And the way Bobby Morris who just died at 90 or so he was on Mad man, he played the old voice right right. You could turn his head and get a huge laugh said someday I'd love to do that. And the Neil Simon lines was so strong and my own instincts you know that it was just wonderful, you know, a Saturday night well, it was packed every night. I mean, my my comps, they weren't comps, I had access to four House seats. Every night, I had to surrender them. If I wasn't gonna use them, the theater would there wasn't an empty seat for my entire year, you know, which is not usual. It was very thrilling is nothing like live theater. But from the actor's point of view, it just can become so difficult and tedious. When you do a movie or Film Television. You do several takes, but that's different. It's segmented. So you have to keep in mind as a film actor, what the totality looks like that you're doing this scene, which takes place chronologically after instead of before and so forth. Right? Right. Right well, so a lot of you must let the camera do do the work. In other words, you got to be control your face less mugging and you know, in stage you want to be big. And also they still put on makeup. They hated it. Most of the films I do now is very little if any of the television they still do it but especially well playing old man now needs makeup.

Jeff Dwoskin 57:56

Right now in your career. Do you like acting? Or do you still love getting on stage and doing

Robert Klein 58:01

Oh, I haven't been on stage in two years. I have a couple of dates, unless people are not going to come out. I have two dates one at Suffolk Theatre in Riverhead, New York is the other one is at Monmouth College where I once did the commencement and got an honorary degree. It should be easy enough did for so many years stand up as always comfortable. I'm not as excited about doing other camera stuff as I used to be. I mean, it was such a thrill to do early movies and some of the movies. But I like it is variety in terms of my career overall, being versatile. Number one kept me working when I wanted to because I didn't have to. And as an actor, you have to wait around for the next part. And also it kept me interested. It wasn't stale, do stand up, you know, even when they're playing a song. Once in a while on a Sunday night I could date even if had a charter a plane, it was worth it to go and do a date on a Sunday night. This is the longest I've gone without the guy that directed the documentary about Robert Klein. So getting stuff is like Marshall fine. out of Minneapolis. He's been a critic for years and years and he was head of the New York Film Critics, they gave a lifetime achievement. And I got a laugh out of Lady Gaga. Although she was very preoccupied with what she was going to say. And she said it a long time. She got an award, Cumberbatch and a bunch of others sent in videos. They're all on location. So when I got up there in front of the audience, I said I'm so sorry, I couldn't be with you tonight. But the hotel room in Paris shooting a film about Charles de Gaulle, Sister Harold, and you know, whatever. And I felt so at ease, so I guess that doesn't leave you you know,

Jeff Dwoskin 59:44

it sounds like when did you record live at the better end? I just saw that the date of it on Spotify or whatever is like January 2022.

Robert Klein 59:51

I recorded it on my own in 1973 or 72. I remember it costs almost 10,000 Allow us to record it beautifully. And then we took it to Neil Bogart, who was head of Buddha records at the time, which brought Monty Python over in now for something completely different. And he loved it. He said, I want to do it over again, because I hear the tinkling of glasses. I mean, I put that was authentic, the sound was great. And I called it fifth child, and he decided to call a child of the 50s. But we found the tapes recently, and this company that's trying to monetize all the tapes have also prior Carlin and others, I have the advantage of not being dead. He found that it was a lot of stuff that wasn't on jail in the 50s. And so that was done a different way. And so they loved it. And they apparently published it on Sirius and I guess it dealing a lot with Sirius there's been a lot of new Robert Klein material that has not been heard on Sirius before.

Jeff Dwoskin 1:00:55

That's pretty awesome. That's pretty cool. Have taken up so much of your time. I thank you so much for for hanging out with me. This was a blast

Robert Klein 1:01:03

to check out too. Oh, I'm sorry. No, but anyway, it was my pleasure. And the people cleaning my house though. Hero word. Beautiful here today. Good luck.

Jeff Dwoskin 1:01:15

Thank you. So I hope the boyfriend

Robert Klein 1:01:17

you've met the boyfriend. I've met a close boyfriend. I have one son, but then he's married 18-19 years. Well, they say they're married. They live and go through any motions. Wait a minute, I guess. Anyway, was my pleasure. And good luck to you.

Jeff Dwoskin 1:01:36

Thank you so much.

Robert Klein 1:01:37

I guess it's good for me exercise, you know, to exercise my chops a little I really didn't do any of my sticks or business pitch. But do I remember this one? I am interested in football against my leg I guess on my leg now. How does the juice sound like that? Well, anyway, signing off.

Jeff Dwoskin 1:02:06

Thank you so much. Thank

Robert Klein 1:02:07

you. Bye. Bye.

Jeff Dwoskin 1:02:09

All right. How amazing was Robert Klein? I know right? Amazing. With his special guest stars, the many birds of New York I found a kind of peaceful, very nice chirping. Bring a little outdoors action. So wherever you are, I can just close your eyes and enjoy the ambiance. And Robert Klein. It was so cool here and I'm talking about legends like Lenny Bruce and Jonathan Winters and Rodney Dangerfield. His time at Second City being one of those early Saturday Night Live episodes that many TV shows has been a part of, or almost been a part of. Anyway, it was an honor having one of the most prolific comedians of our time on the show. I got shpilkies, I gotta say, I had reached out to Robert Klein, and I hadn't heard for a while. So I thought okay, maybe it just won't happen. And then one day, I'm in my kitchen and the phone rings, and the caller ID says Robert Klein, and I'm like, oh, beep and I like, Oh my God. And so it's Robert Klein calling me to set up a time so we can have the interview together. It was quite exhilarating. I have to say, because it's like one thing when you're talking to someone during an interview, it's another thing we were just talking to somebody. It's I can't explain the difference. But there is a difference. And so as you know, as like, oh my god, I'm talking to Robert Klein. So anyway, it was fine. It was cool.

Jeff Dwoskin 1:03:29

Anyway, all right. Well, with the interview over I can only mean one thing. That's right. It's time for another trending hashtag on the family of hashtags hashtag round up, follow hashtag round up on Twitter at hashtag Roundup, download the free always free hashtag roundup app at the iTunes App Store or Google Play Store. tweet along with us and one day one of your tweets may show up on a future episode of Classic conversations, fame and fortune awaits you. Today is hashtag inspired by Robert Klein's co stars during the interview the many birds of New York comms #BirdBands. Yes, I could have gone with a comedy hashtag but hey, you know let's mix it up a bit. #BirdBands brought to you by Friday fine do one of the longest running weekly games on hashtag round up with Casey Annie Fox band, #BirdBands, the ultimate mash up of birds and bands bringing us the best in musical file or something like that. Alright, time to rattle off some #BirdBands. And as always, these will be retweeted at Jeff Dwoskin show on Twitter. Also, hashtag classic conversation birds. That challenge still is out there for you. Tweet one of those birds from the interview. Tweet your own #BirdBands tag at Jeff Dwoskin show and I will show you some Twitter love our Alright, let's get to it. #BirdBands tweets. The blue jay Geils Band beak 182 Don Henley. You get it. You see how #BirdBands just comes together for amazing hilarious bird band mashups steely Rodin, men without beaks, Jefferson Starling. Nine Finch. quails, that's a twofer. Bench and quails nice job there are Mancow begging about love Flamingo goes the dodos, cat bird Stevens cage Against The Machine. #BirdBands at at spyness The Smashing pelicans cheap cheap trick, and our final #BirdBands tweet. The Spice Girls. Don't you wish your bird was hot? Like me? Why? Okay, hashtag. Sorry, I couldn't resist. All right. Check those all out at Jeff Dwoskin show on Twitter, while with the hashtag game over. And the interview over can only mean one thing. And

Jeff Dwoskin 1:06:05

that's right. Episode 146 has come to a close. I want to thank my special guest, Robert Klein. And of course, I want to thank all of you for coming back week after week. It means the world to me, and I'll see you next time.

CTS Announcer 1:06:21

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Transcribed by https://otter.ai