#190 Mark Lonow Thinks You’re A Horrible Wedding Singer

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Jeff Dwoskin 0:29

All right. Joanne, thank you so much for that amazing introduction. You got this show go on each and every week, and this week was no exception. Welcome, everybody, to Episode 190 of classic conversations. As always, I'm your host, Jeff Dwoskin. Great to have you back for another classic edition of the podcast. We got an amazing guest for you today. Actor producer funny man. He was the co owner of the legendary improv comedy club Mark Llano is here loved him in the wedding singer Thank God it's Friday, first intent and so much more. And that conversation is coming up in just a few seconds. And in these few seconds I want to shine a light on the red carpet of last week's episode with Melissa Rivers amazing interview with Melissa Do not miss that do not miss the bonus episode that covered segments from our live show crossing the streams TV binge watching goodness awaits you. But before you get to all that Mark Leno is here one item of note before listening to the podcast Mark was the co owner of the legendary improv comedy club. His partner Budd Friedman in the improv passed away about a month ago. That is not mentioned in the interview because the interview took place prior to Budd's passing so just wanted everyone to know that that's why that's not mentioned. But in the meantime, there is a lot mentioned for point of reference, I dive right into some Thank God it's Friday references. Enjoy. All right, everyone. I'm excited to introduce you to my next guest, actor producer, Funnyman, co owner of the legendary improv comedy club loved him and Wedding Singer Thank God it's Friday, Archie Bunker's place and a million others Welcome to the show. Baba kazoo Mark law no law no law No.

Mark Lonow 2:25

You go see you got it. Have to sing it you have to sing My name is if it's meaningful. It is.

Jeff Dwoskin 2:31

So you're the man that may wearing a tie are

Mark Lonow 2:34

all around us around my head. That was a long time ago.

Jeff Dwoskin 2:37

I know. But that was the height of the disco era.

Mark Lonow 2:41

Yes. Commodores on a summer Lionel Richie. It was fun.

Jeff Dwoskin 2:46

A young Jeff Goldblum,

Mark Lonow 2:48

young Jeff Goldblum, a young Mark Lonzo or young a lot

Jeff Dwoskin 2:52

of people tapper wingers first ever

Mark Lonow 2:54

winger Yes. Who actually was a waitress at the Improv, and she was shooting that too. I was the owner of the umbra. She was a waitress who are both in the same movie. That's a little piece of totally useless information.

Jeff Dwoskin 3:07

My favorite information is totally useless information.

Mark Lonow 3:12

It's good. It shows you how in you are Yeah,

Jeff Dwoskin 3:15

so it's but the movie did win an Academy Award for Best song last dance. Donna Summer. Yes, it did. This is where it comes from. Thank God, it's Friday. Jeff Goldblum hasn't changed an ounce at all.

Mark Lonow 3:26

He hasn't changed. He hasn't changed. His speech pattern hasn't changed. His height just hasn't changed.

Jeff Dwoskin 3:32

People talk about Paul Rudd. But I mean, I'm like I was watching. I was watching the movie and I was just like, Jeff Goldblum hasn't changed a bit.

Mark Lonow 3:41

Now you can watch him on commercials now. I know. It's the same. Yep, get an

Jeff Dwoskin 3:45

apartment. So you mentioned you on the improv. You're an actor you've done you've done a lot. So we let's start let's start with what got you into acting. What kind of led you down that path?

Mark Lonow 4:01

A lot. Well, as a kid, I was born in South Brooklyn and beach, Coney Island and beach except if you ever saw the movie, little Odessa. That's that's the neighborhood exact neighborhood. I just wanted to get out and my only way out was through the theater as early as I could. I started taking acting classes. I went to summer stock and started doing legit theater all over the place. Wound up in an improv group with my wife. I was after I left Brooklyn improv group was became pretty pretty well known in the east we opened for Frankie Valli and the four seasons we opened for Maine on Ferguson work the bottom line grandma minis all over the east. Then we moved to California where I then got into Thank God it's Friday, husbands wives and lovers, which was a sitcom written by Joan Rivers and Howard Dresner in a ton of television, as you said Archie's play So what kinds of stuff and and I bought the improvisation, and then I pay back and just ate cake. And

Jeff Dwoskin 5:10

I will let's fill in some more details in that. Oh sure. Let's take that outline and fill inside. So you mentioned improv group off the wall. If right and you did that with then perhaps unknown Henry Winkler, that is correct. And so you knew him pre funds. Yeah. Oh, well,

Mark Lonow 5:28

wait pre funds. Yes.

Jeff Dwoskin 5:30

Okay. All right. So you did all that. And then did you do comedy? Did the improv did you do stand up at any point, like, you know, because of

Mark Lonow 5:38

your standards, per se. I didn't do stand up per se. I just I bought the club. However, group oil down, we would started out as six members, we boiled down to three members. And then when we went out on the road, we did comedy clubs. So we were following in the footsteps of the comics who then work the improv, but they actually they weren't the improv while I was still in the group. So yes, I did stand up in a roundabout way, but it was in an improv group.

Jeff Dwoskin 6:08

Got it. So acting wise, when you went out to LA you, you kind of had one of those stories where you kept getting stuff right away. You weren't all in the family later, you want your recurring role in Archie Bunker's place, but all in the family is one of your early credits. And then you had husbands and wives, which you mentioned, which was the Joan Rivers sitcom, and you landed a movie at the same time, thank God, it's Friday, which

Mark Lonow 6:32

right within within weeks, although we didn't the shoots didn't actually fall that way. Within the first day, I arrived in Los Angeles in Hollywood, I met the agent for the first time, and he sent me out on a show called Spencer's pilot, and I was really nervous. Although I had been performing for years, I had never done television or movies. This was a whole new ballgame. And I was really nervous. And in the audition scene, which I hadn't seen before, I had to pick up a phone, I had to make notes on a pad and I had to talk I was a doctor and I had to talk about the emergency that I then had to go deal with. So I had the pencil in my hand and hand my notepad and the other phone rings. I pick up the phone with the hand with the pencil, they bring the phone to my face, and the pencil and up my nose isn't really up my nose, humiliated. I am app. Could I do that again? They're all breaking up. Yes, of course. You know, do it again. Thank you very much. And I leave. And I go and I meet my wife and I go I this is I am so embarrassed. I am quitting show business. This is where I say that. She said, What are you talking about? I was so anxious look up, I can't do an audition. By get that I'm in the wrong business. This is ridiculous. And as I'm saying this to her phone rings, pick it up. And it's the agent telling me I got the job, though literally within the first 24 hours of my being in Hollywood. I started working. And then I didn't stop for the next eight years. 589 years.

Jeff Dwoskin 8:09

Yeah, you are. You're a powerhouse during the 70s and the 80s. In that week. You had a good week, a really good solid, solid week. I you know, it's funny, I've I've talked to other people that have where they tell a story where they something accidentally happen. Like Sharon glass tells a story where she had to run out and she hadn't changed yet. And everyone's laughing but it wasn't intentional. And in that the right person was in the audience. And then boom, that was it. It seems like sometimes these things it kind of just happened.

Mark Lonow 8:38

Well, yeah, because a lot of a lot of what is going on in the room is the personalities are meeting because often unless you've worked before with the people, they don't know you you don't really know them, you might have heard of them or what and so it's really is there a simpatico between you Director The cinematographer whoever's there the writer and sometimes in the inadvertent screw up, they see something they like and then you could get the job and obviously they thought my nose was It was cute.

Jeff Dwoskin 9:08

No and shoves a pencil on their nose like

Mark Lonow 9:12

no one does. That was the first it was the first

Jeff Dwoskin 9:17

but yeah, you did a lot of I mean, you did like a hood. Oh, you know, you were in Mr. Saturday night.

Mark Lonow 9:22

Yes, that's correct. And that was in first in 10. Person 10 Yes. Did I did that series?

Jeff Dwoskin 9:28

Yeah, you were in a lot of all 16 episodes. The first intense Yeah, when I was got Hill Street Blues, Falken crest moonlighting fantasy island you got to go to fantasy island.

Mark Lonow 9:40

Fantasy Island was interesting because I was playing Gary your premiere and I don't know if you know Aereo premiere and he was a kicker. And he kicked barefoot. And I tried to be a method actor decided to kick the ball. I didn't go for barefoot but I decided to kick and you You know, the director looked at me and goes, okay, because there wasn't an in cut. There wasn't an insert. There was no. And so I practicing and I kept practicing. And I kicked the ball and I got it over the goalpost. I did it. And the next day, I couldn't walk the difficulty. Kicker, really, that is really, it is painful and it is difficult. Anyway,

Jeff Dwoskin 10:27

so much for a relaxing trip to fantasy. How was Carol O'Connor to work with you worked with him on once?

Mark Lonow 10:38

They were all that was a delightful company. Everybody was relaxed. You know, I still bumped into Rob Reiner every once in a while. And I'm amazed he remembered me kind of think, Oh, it was what was there I was there a week. You know, The show ran forever, whatever, eight years. No more than that maybe. And really open sweet, welcoming. It was a very, it was a really good set. Sometimes they're not so good. You know, the anxiety, competition, the animosity between people.

Jeff Dwoskin 11:08

So let's see what was your worst was spelled the T Wars was the worst one you've ever you had to guess?

Mark Lonow 11:14

Well, no, there was a guy who passed away actually Charlie Siebert, who I think he might have been a little bit. I don't even know if I should mention names. He was I think he was jealous because I was getting a lot of work and stuff. So God forbid, I would go up on a line or I would, and this wasn't in front of a live audience. This was you know, this was a pre taped show. No house, dead dead audience. So every time I would go every time I mean, we're not talking about every line. Every once in a while, people would go pitch you learn your lines, and you're gonna go ooh. So yeah, so that was very upsetting. But most of the time, everybody's nice, especially if you're a guest star. And especially if you're working with really, for people who have been around the business a long time, I was with Harvey Korman in the Harvey Corman show, I was a guest star payment for a week he asked me if I wanted to become a regular on the show. I said yes. And he quit. Two weeks later, we were in negotiation. Forgive me for inserting my character in the show on a regular basis. And Harvey decided to quit

Jeff Dwoskin 12:22

timings, everything. That's a real show business story. That's a harsh one.

Mark Lonow 12:27

Good. And then they turn the stage down.

Jeff Dwoskin 12:30

Man, why did he quit? Oh,

Mark Lonow 12:32

you know, Harvey was a was an odd man. I want once I did and my wife whom I once had dinner with him. And you know, we laughing and all of a sudden Harvey gets really serious. And we look and go, Is there something wrong? Harvey said no, a mark. There's nothing wrong, but I was thinking with his food is life. Okay. Hi, Harvey. And it is the conversation go from there. So yes, the oddness prevails sometimes.

Jeff Dwoskin 13:02

Sorry to interrupt have to take a quick break. I want to thank everyone for their support of the sponsors. When you support the sponsors. You're supporting us here at Classic conversations. And that's why we keep the lights on. And now back to my amazing conversation with Mark and Llano. We're about to dive into his guest role on quantum leap. And we're back. Oh, so another show you were on quantum leap. And but this was it was a stand up episode. It was called stand up. And it's correct. Bob Saget was one of the comedy acts. Yeah. Did the show right after the show and you were the club manager? Correct.

Mark Lonow 13:39

I wonder where they got that idea of making me a club manager.

Jeff Dwoskin 13:44

Is that that was fun that it was kind of themed that way. Oh, let's talk wedding singer for a second because you're hilarious in the wedding scene. So funny. I read that the that came about you had worked with Adam Sandler at the Improv you had given him. Well, Adam

Mark Lonow 13:59

Sandler works for me. That's what I yeah, I own the club. And we weren't close friends. But we were we were friends. And he just one day called out of the blue. I did not audition for the show. No, I was deep into being a club owner. I go Hey, Hey, Mark. Hey, Adam. What's going on? He want to be in a movie. Yeah, why not? Go up Monday, is me the address is me the stage and I'm in the movie. I mean, that's literally how it happened. I didn't read it. I didn't pick up a page. It did nothing. But it was a fun shoot. That was really great. That was really fun.

Jeff Dwoskin 14:34

And you got to kind of continue your fashion icon status from the tie around the head. This was like a fall white talks with the red bow tie and Kanban

Mark Lonow 14:45

was like a mafioso kind of guy. I ate peanuts and shit out of Adam. Yeah,

Jeff Dwoskin 14:50

that's a client horse wedding singer in the world, buddy. It's funny because I think like everyone remembers that character because that's like an important scene like that's like When you pop them That's

Mark Lonow 15:01

right. And they also used it as the promotion for the movie.

Jeff Dwoskin 15:05

Right? Right. Right. So you're like one of those small scene but everyone

Mark Lonow 15:10

knows. Everybody knows you're in the wedding singer. And you know how many times they walk into a restaurant and people to this day? Have I ever seen you before? No, no, I don't think so. Yeah, you were in a wedding singer. Man. He were really good. Funny,

Jeff Dwoskin 15:27

man. I saw Adam Sandler do stand up once in college and Ann Arbor. I mean, I've seen all his movies too, but actually actually saw him do stand up as well. So alright, you mentioned your wife a couple of times. Joanne Astro, who's very established comic. She was a comic Tonight Show with Johnny Carson

Mark Lonow 15:44

with Johnny Carson. And she got a really good stuff. Really good stuff. Joanne, on The Tonight Show 1987 I think with UNC UNC Scott, it's on YouTube. It's like one of the most watched episodes of Carson on YouTube.

Jeff Dwoskin 16:01

And then oh, and so as I was kind of digging into your family, because everyone seems to be famous in your family. Your daughter, who's gotten a lot has done a lot, but very specifically, just to hone in on one particular thing. I wrote a sitcom that was based on you and Joanne, I guess her as well. Right. How to live. Oh, you

Mark Lonow 16:20

had to live with your parents for the rest of your life. Yeah, there was a more interesting story about my stepdaughter. Okay, sure. So I did this sitcom created by Joan Rivers was the first hour and I think the only ever hour sitcom on television, got great reviews we had we had a good audience, and it got cancelled, because it was too expensive. It was too long, you know, a lot of business decisions. And the man who created the Knott's landing was Jacob's, I don't remember what his first name was. Anyway, he pitched the idea of Knott's landing. Here's before, and no one picked up on it. And he did Dallas, and he did dynasty and he was this big, huge nighttime soap opera guy. And he said, I have an idea. I saw a sitcom of husbands wives and lovers. And I want to make that into that slamming. He did. He hired my daughter. She ran nine years on the show. We ran a season so that's that's a kid eating the shit out of her.

Jeff Dwoskin 17:25

Sometimes as a parent you you give so that your children

Mark Lonow 17:29

I always wish

Jeff Dwoskin 17:33

every time every time you're on set and you she's out. You're always like why you can't remember your lines.

Mark Lonow 17:39

Oh, good. Very good. That's right.

Jeff Dwoskin 17:43

Yes, stop sign is Michael Rapaport.

Mark Lonow 17:45

Well, not my stepson. Michael Rapaport is the half sibling of Claudia, my stepdaughter, okay. And Michael had a problem in school as a kid. And he came to visit his sister in Hollywood. And he came and he showed up in white leather tassels playing and wanted to be a basketball player. And he seemed to like it. And Fairfax high, has a great basketball team and went back to New York as well to his father, we got a call that Michael come out and live with you during high school, because he's having trouble in school, he gets thrown out of a lot of schools, and he came out he lived with us and to high school didn't graduate from Fairfax, because he moved back to New York, came back and started to get up on stage as a terrible comic. Terrible. And, you know, I keep putting them up. And comics would go over Mark, what are you doing? I said, Please, you know, he's he is my surrogate son. He's always part of the I can't guys I can't, he's wasting. And after a while, he learned how to do it. And he's now a pretty good comic, to say the least. And he got he got China beach from going on stage. He was in his terrible time, the casting director came in with his son. And the son said, Dad, that guy is really good. And casting director called Michael when he got China beach. So that was just because he got on stage and was terrible.

Jeff Dwoskin 19:22

And because you were kind and took him in and gave him a chance. That's awesome. Yes, right.

Mark Lonow 19:26

I gave him a chance. Because if I wanted to.

Jeff Dwoskin 19:30

Yeah, well, you're a match. You're a real match. And he's friends with a friend of mine, Mike young, and he's been in a few of Mike's like Young's movies. So anyway, so that's cool. So I thought that was neat. But back to where I started with with your daughter. So it's still cool, though. You try and do with the nads landings, right? But how to live with your parents. So for her to create an entire sitcom based on you guys. That must have been? That must have been pretty cool, too. I mean, that's

Mark Lonow 19:54

that was that was pretty cool. Yes, that Garrett asked me if I had any hopes. for him as to how to play me. And I said, Yeah, play me on your knees and much shorter than you will get. And he's like six, three to six. Well, I am not. I'm like five, nine, you know, but yeah, that was great. But my daughter's first sitcom was about her too rude awakening, which really started her on her writing career. It was banned for a long time. eight years, nine years.

Jeff Dwoskin 20:25

Oh, wow. That is so cool. So then and then your wife and I, you, your wife and your wife, and I know you and your wife.

Mark Lonow 20:34

Well, I don't know. She has many people.

Jeff Dwoskin 20:39

Still quick stories about your wife and I know they. So you and your wife you manage comics as well. There was black.

Mark Lonow 20:47

The Yes, it was my wives management business, which i i joined and everybody from Niecy Nash to Lewis was his name who is white? No, who was black. Who was wack? Yes. It was a rather successful management company. Excellent. He has good taste my wife because she picked his husband.

Jeff Dwoskin 21:09

Yeah, of course, of course. So let's let's talk about the improv. How did it happen that you bought into the improv and became partners with Bob Friedman.

Mark Lonow 21:19

Well, okay, so, uh, Budd Friedman, the man who founded the improv in New York, he had his his real talent is letting anyone get on the stage who walked in the door and haphazardly wound up it started out on 44th Street as a nightclub where Broadway stars come in and work out acts open to 10 o'clock at night. They would come in after the show. And so it was a late night room. They would do mostly songs it was Broadway singers. So they would they would sing they would do entertainment Judy Garland, I mean, really big stars. And one night a comic walked in and asked if he can go on and but said yes. And comic did really well. And the next day, but showed up to open the room, like at six o'clock, five o'clock, and there was a line of like, 40 Comics outside till he goes, What are you guys doing here? Well, our friend called us last night and said it's a room we can get on stage. Oh, okay. Well, I can't put you all on stage. So he started putting on a comic every once in a while. So it would be a comic for singers a comic, but the comics kept coming back. So went from a comic for singers and a comic to comic three singers to a comic to singers to comma, comma, comma venna was a for comics and a singer. And that's how clubs started, but he always had hired to be in Hollywood. So he hired he partnered with Chris Albrecht. Do you know Chris Albrecht is no, he was the president of HBO, HBO. Okay. Okay. He came, and Chris to burn Washington to LA and what the Ashgrove in Hollywood, and open the second impro, leaving Chris in New York at Chris at the New York club, this little after hours, kind of singers comic club, into this powerhouse, stand up comedy room in New York. And it really supported Hollywood club, but then got divorced, and gave the New York club to his wife. And Chris couldn't work with her. And Chris, because then we had worked as the as off the wall in the New York club. Chris calls me one day and says, Look, I can't make it without the money from New York. He's not going to be able to keep the club open in Hollywood. You want to buy him out? Oh, well, yeah. Okay, so we entered into a negotiation, which literally went on forever. And one day bud comes over to me and says, I don't really want to sell really, but I wouldn't have known that. It's been nine months. And I do want you as my partner. And so I spoke to Chris Chris said, Fine with me. Then I bought into the club, but half the club and then became a nightclub.

Jeff Dwoskin 24:20

So quick question. Why did he call you like, I mean, like you're an actor, or you're acting or doing this what was it that he thought Oh, I bet mark would be interested in this business.

Mark Lonow 24:32

A very good businessman. Now let me just explain to you Bob on Hollywood was just barely it wasn't making it. But within six months, I changed everything. I put sliding doors in the front wall so it was open to the street. I put skylights and I brought music into the front room that it's set up in two rooms. I brought music into the front room. I made a party was I converted this inky dingy door arc nightclub in a barber, Robert Klein once said about the improv in Hollywood, he said, but has successfully bought New York club to Hollywood. It's the only club in Hollywood. But you have to put a paper towel around the doorknob and you enter the bathroom. That's, that's the kind of level. And then it became I mean, we did unbelievable business. And then of course, we got the evening at the Improv, which then took us to a, you know, a nationwide chain. So I had a pension for building business for knowing how to run businesses. Actually, the reason we wound up at the Improv in New York at an off the wall is we had started a nightclub, in essence in the Riviera Cafe on Christopher Street and Seventh Avenue, downtown in the village that we took the back room and converted it into a theater. I just walked in one day and I said that so then Chris heard about that. I did us up the work the improv. And so I had a reputation for being a good businessman.

Jeff Dwoskin 26:11

Clearly, I just was curious. You know, I was just I was, you know, just you mentioned comedian, the first comedian was David Astor. That's correct. And I looked him up. I mean, it most people are like, Oh, you're on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. But he was on The Tonight Show with Jack Carr. He was also a little early. Yeah, he goes back even he was on with Johnny Carson as well. He was on the Jack Paar iteration, the one before Johnny. And then he was also on Ed Sullivan. Where was he in that journey with how much of that was behind him or in front of him when he did that comedy was

Mark Lonow 26:46

behind him. When he got on the improv in New York. He was still not in the middle. But you know, 80% through his career, okay. He was a mountains comic. You know, he was a club comic. He only he only could have gotten on earlier than Jack parr is if he did it with Steve Allen. Who started tonight show anyway.

Jeff Dwoskin 27:07

Sorry to interrupt, but we have to take a quick break. And we're back with my amazing conversation with Mark Llano. We're going to dive even further into the improv and we're back is the improv then considered like the birth of stand up comedy, this is

Mark Lonow 27:22

not the birth of stand up comedy, but it is the first stand up comedy nightclub in the world. There was never such a thing. nightclubs were always a little on the elegant side. I mean, there were a couple of experimental clubs in the village where they would do poetry. They would do readings they would do you know some stand up. But first comedy, the first nightclub dedicated to stand up comedy as the improv and then the evening at the Improv was really what exploded comedy on television that we ran 11 years.

Jeff Dwoskin 27:56

Oh, I remember evening at the improv. I'm pretty sure I have evening on the improv on like, either DVD or something like that. Oh, I'm sure absolutely. Yeah, I'm pretty sure I've got like a whole thing of those. I was like, I was trying to find them before the show. And I just You can never find something when you're actually looking for.

Mark Lonow 28:13

Of course. Now what would be the purpose of actually finding things that have nothing to complain about? And that would not be a way to live life?

Jeff Dwoskin 28:22

That's true. You got to enjoy. Being able to complain is what keeps us going.

Mark Lonow 28:27

It is what generates anxiety. It generates all those emotions that keep the heart beating.

Jeff Dwoskin 28:33

Absolutely as let's talk about some of the big names Rodney Dangerfield, improvs part time emcee for many years. Does that sound right?

Mark Lonow 28:43

No. Rodney Dangerfield? No. Okay. So here's the thing. Okay.

Jeff Dwoskin 28:47

Why did some of this I got off the improv website? i Let's talk about Rodney Dangerfield.

Mark Lonow 28:52

Yeah, well I knew Radley. Not from the improv, but from a club in Brooklyn called pips. There was a comic named George Shultz, who really didn't like when the Act didn't work. He was a really a good comic. And his two best friends were Rodney Dangerfield. Poor Rodney was Rodney. And actually George gave Rodney I don't get no respect. I'll finish that story in a second. So he had two best friends Lenny Bruce and Rodney Dangerfield. So I when I when I went to work at pips friend of mine, Phil Messina, Director of movie director was waiting tables there. He said, Mark if you need some money, come on over. So we worked. We work the room as waiters and managers and whatever. And Joan Joan Rivers would come in breaking in her act. Edgar, they come in every Thursday, Friday and Saturday for weeks just before she went to Vegas hadn't he would come in before but before he had I don't get no respect. George gave him that line. And 20 years later, George and Rodney went to Rodney had an interview on radio and he asked Rodney had you come up with I don't get no respect. He said, uh, you know, I just kind of I just thought of it. You're just sitting outside George's, the guy who gave him the catchphrase Adney he couldn't give me the credit, what's going to bother you? And they had an argument and they stopped talking to each other. And that was but anyway, so that was right. And but then when we came to when I came to Hollywood, Rodney was one of the people I would talk to. He would come into the improv all the time in his bathrobe. There's a bottle of water. In the bathroom. She was actually water.

Jeff Dwoskin 30:41

Mark, you're like the only person I know who talks about Rodney Dangerfield and doesn't do his voice like

Mark Lonow 30:47

No, no, I can't do everyone always. I'd have to be stoned

Jeff Dwoskin 30:52

ideally. Everyone even bad. Oh, you mentioned Lenny Bruce and did you see Lenny Bruce, did you live?

Mark Lonow 31:01

I saw him once in the village. I don't even remember where it was. But that was you know, I'm not that old. So I was I was really young. But I went to I went to a club and I saw Lenny but

Jeff Dwoskin 31:12

all right. Yes. I've only seen him on marvelous Ms. Maisel.

Mark Lonow 31:20

Almost, Oh, mama. Kitty. Bruce. Is daughter was the hat check girl at the end problem. 44 Three. Now kitty. I knew when the I yeah, I just lend me money. They I know that plastic surgeon who worked on Lenny's mother.

Jeff Dwoskin 31:38

What other comedy greats Do you have stories on, walked in? I can just rattle off some names. You mentioned Robert cloud.

Mark Lonow 31:45

You know we used to be when we did evening, the improv we had. Every week we had another one coming in. In one end, Milton Berle and we there was a roundtable at the improv. It was in the restaurant area, which was separate from the showroom. And, you know, bring the afternoon after rehearsal after we did a run through to gather around there, maybe half a dozen comics and maybe the star myself, but sometimes we would just you know, book. And so we're at the table with Milton Berle and Milton cracks a joke, and I tap him. And I remember the joke. I'll explain to you why I don't remember the joke. And so he says something and I say something and I get a much bigger laugh. And Milton Berle turned around and slapped me in the face hard enough to knock my glasses off. Ouch. And everybody at the table because I was known for my temper, but it was not unbearable. And we had a show that night we needed Milton Berle. I almost punched him. I didn't I just got up and I said, I'm gonna go get some coffee now. I walked out, but I tapped moultonborough which I'm very proud of, but he slapped me in the face. So so that's one thing.

Jeff Dwoskin 33:00

Not a bad story.

Mark Lonow 33:03

It's a good story.

Jeff Dwoskin 33:04

It's a good story if he just turned around and said he

Mark Lonow 33:07

was also very strange because he was neurotic. That's not even telling stories out of school. Here's what happened so he that night same day as the slap in the face. Milner's slate I'm looking is Milton Hey guys, bro, coming out what's going on? Ya know? Go get him. Somebody find them we you know he's he's got like three minutes to go. Someone runs out and as they leave his son Milton son is now leading Milton on the sidewalk that come into the club and Milton extra turn to enter the club, the doors open and there is a figure wrapped in towels, just f towels around his head, his whole body completely up to his like waist or his thighs and out of the face. Cigar toe is completely in towels and a cigar and you know you go okay, what is going on the sun, he's afraid grafts. So he won't unwrap himself until he gets into the theater. So they had to lead him down the hallway into the showroom or to the door of the showroom, unwrap him and then he can walk onstage he was afraid he would be in a draft at cold long before COVID went Okay great. I'm glad I didn't punch him

Jeff Dwoskin 34:36

that's an interesting story Wow,

Mark Lonow 34:43

he was old and he was Jewish.

Jeff Dwoskin 34:46

What though? What I was gonna say So when did you guys kind of make the business decision to expand go from you had the one and you had the Hollywood location but then you had

Mark Lonow 34:57

well that was Yeah, well, that really came In from que Mark Anderson was a comic who had a lot of money. It was a decent comic, and he didn't really want to go on the road and he wanted to open in Pacific Beach. And we had just begun. We had spoken about expanding because we went to become populating the for the TV show, but then the TV show really got out across the country. And Budd was always nervous about risking money and opening new clubs. And Mark Anderson came to budd and to me, I guess, and asked if he could open another improv. So it was a big conversation and he opened Pacific Beach Pacific Beach was okay. wasn't a big knockout room. And then he wanted to move it to. Yeah, it was, I think, was India. And that's how that that was the first expansion of the improv. But then when the show on the air stayed on the air, we had other people would approach us and I don't remember Arizona, you know, Marc Andreessen? Oh, I think Marc Andreessen opened in Texas, Arizona, then other people came and opened in other cities, until when we sold the whole chain. It was 26 clubs, you know, but we had our ups and downs, we got to 17 and then the recession of the 90s. So we went down to 10. Though we lost seven clubs, then we reopened more, but when we when we sold the whole kit and caboodle it was 26 clubs. So it really happened off of our initial populate of popularity in California. But the real booster came with the TV show

Jeff Dwoskin 36:33

to the TV show, I assume then because you were blowing up and also the 80s were just huge for comedy, but like, did it keep people at home? Also, like Did it have any negative effect on people? I mean, I know live comedy is 1000 times better than on TV.

Mark Lonow 36:49

Yeah, but no, what happened was, in the beginning, we were afraid that it would it would not end us it would give us a city that we knew. But it exploded. It took a took a couple of years. But by year two, or in the beginning of year two, we went from one show a night seven nights a week to three shows a night seven nights a week. You know, it really did expand the but we weren't that big a room with 275 You know, this is not a 1600 room. House. You know, it was 275 So it really did help our live performances

Jeff Dwoskin 37:25

guy oh, there's there's one thing I wanted to mention I wanted to ask about is when I was watching the Comedy Store documentary, there's a whole segment on the strike that happens at the Comedy Store. You were kind of a big part of leading that this is before you bought the improv or bought into the long

Mark Lonow 37:42

before I didn't even the Comedy Store strike. I was an actor. I'm still an actor, but and I wife was comic. And what happened was the Comedy Store had she had expanded from the original room into the main room. He had one in Westwood, and she had an in Vegas, and we were I think I was still off a wall. No, no, no. It was after off the wall. And one night, it was New Year's Eve 1977. Maybe Maybe I'm wrong in that. We're all it's after the Late Late Show, you know, New Year's Eve and a comic and we're all sitting around Tom Driessen George Miller at that time, the comic walks over and whispers to Tom and Tom looks across the table and he says you don't have any money. Are you talking about? And then everybody? What are you didn't you work tonight that you weren't here but we didn't get paid? You didn't get paid? It's New Year's Eve. So that said everybody, what do you mean she's not paying even on New Year's Eve, this woman at that point, the improv was a small entity. And so they started to talk about we got this is crazy. She's making 100,000 a week and comics aren't getting paid. So they wanted to do a strike. But no one knew how I grew up with in a union house with union organizers. And I said I kind of know how to do that. And so we started the strike and we it's really complicated how it got there. But we ran this we ran a picket line for seven weeks 24 hours a day, seven days a week for seven weeks. No one ever thought comics could do that. But we did it and we try to get you know you the big unions back us and eventually the one that here's how we won. We were limping along that one Union was the teamsters really back then so they wouldn't deliver liquor or food or anything but they would leave it on the sidewalk. So the dozen or so comics have to come out, pick up the food and move it inside but I heard that sag. That time. It was sad. It was no it was after American Federation is having the national meet The organizers so I said, you know if we can get a backing of after he could win this thing. Okay, so Tom Driessen calls them and invites them down but he invited but they say we also have to have their side odd. Okay, no, no problem. So we show up and three comics of hours and three comics of theirs. And now we are in a room of 250 union organizers, our pizza 250. union organizers. We flip the coin Comedy Store gets to talk first, if main art gets on stage, and in front of 250. union organizers. He says before I go into my story of this, I want everyone here to know that we don't consider comics as workers. You could hear yes, the inhale of 250 organizers. I turned to Tom dreesen, I said we just won. Okay, so now we make our speeches. My wife spoke as one of the comics George Miller to Andreessen heating is over, I'm running down I go first, I go, let me tell everybody and Joanne and Tom come afterwards. And this J standing in the driveway going into the parking lot behind the Comedy Store bought Mark, what's you know, aloo, his was Ma, come in, went on, like a J, you're not going to believe this. And I explained the story. Now, as I'm talking to Jay, my back is to Sunset Boulevard, de is looking over my shoulder, and there's a car pulls up and the motor guns. What's going on painters behind you? Don't worry, don't worry. Yeah. And he guns the car, and he kind of drives it forward and lets it roll back drives. And he steps on the gas and drives at us. He did not want to hit us. I don't want anybody but I step out of the way. And but when the car passes J hero, loud, smack and J falls to the sidewalk. Whoa, everybody the picket line comes around you okay? J is lying on the floor gone. I just smacked the side of the car and find the baby didn't know he was fine. And Biff may not in an absolute panic ran upstairs to Mitzi and within 10 minutes, probably less than that. an emissary comes down from the office. He wants to talk to everybody. So David Letterman, J, someone else ran upstairs and within a half hour, seven weeks, right. So that's how we went and then the comics got paid. It was at one point in the middle, we went to talk to budd, because he really couldn't we would have struck him he would have gone out of business. I mean, his business teetered, that's really close. And he said, Look, guys, you strike me I'm so so they came to a decision. We want strike you to agree with it to do whatever Mitzi agrees to? He said, Yes. We said yes. And so the improv still, however, though, in that interim, once that had happened, if main art and this isn't again, not telling stories at a school, lit a fire in the trash can behind the improv, and burned the improv down. So there was a portion there about three weeks, I guess it was about three weeks, the improv had no showroom, they had a set up showroom in the bar, and flames from the trash can put the roof of the showroom on fire and burned down half the building. So

Jeff Dwoskin 43:31

that the Knott's landing part was gonna be the dramatic part of that.

Mark Lonow 43:34

No, that is fact. And then then, so everybody was panicked that the club wouldn't be open. But the guy named Tom Archibald, who was a construction guy, went down, took a look. And he said, I can set up a showroom in the in the bar area and that we, you know, so a lot of the guys went and physically rearrange the bar. He had about, I don't know, 100 people could sit in the bar. So he was able to stay open. I think

Jeff Dwoskin 43:58

I read on the improv website, Robin Williams and Andy Kaufman organized fundraisers for BOD to help get everything going again to

Mark Lonow 44:07

Oh, yeah, that probably was true. Absolutely. Cool. But that was a good year before I even thought about becoming a partner.

Jeff Dwoskin 44:14

Well, you had to go by the improv. I'm sure Mitzi didn't let you back into the Comedy Store.

Mark Lonow 44:20

Well, that's another you want to hear another dramatic thing. So in the agreement was there's no retaliation. All the people who struck have to be accepted back into the Comedy Store, okay. But Mitzi did not accept any of the leaders in the Comedy Store back into the economy. So Warren stars, one of the leaders is a guy named Steve Lubetkin. And Steve Lubetkin, had had an affair with Mitzi ears before and they called every week and none of them got on. In one day he squared at our house. Steve keeps falling off the couch as a joke. It's a practical, right. Are you doing what is that They will back in left that meeting and to the Comedy Store and jumped off the high end house into the parking lot of the Comedy Store with a note in his pocket. Be fair Mitzi. And as he left our house, he said, Don't worry, everybody in the whole workout and he committed suicide. So that was, that's horrible. Oh, that's C and you thought I was gonna be all fun and games, huh?

Jeff Dwoskin 45:25

I know marks bring in the drama.

Mark Lonow 45:28

Drama. Yes.

Jeff Dwoskin 45:32

Wow. All right. Well, that's, that's a lot. I mean, it's, I mean, we talked about evening there, but I looked it up at 385 episodes.

Mark Lonow 45:44

Yeah, that's probably right. Yeah. We ran for 11 years. We were actually on from one year on ABC. ABC. Didn't think it was popular enough. kick this off. We moved over to a&e. It's an entertainment network. Right. Stay up for 10 years more.

Jeff Dwoskin 46:01

That's it's amazing. You have quite a story. Mark. I appreciate you sharing a lot of it with me. Well, that

Mark Lonow 46:08

was it was fun. You know, everything but the Steve Lubetkin story is fun.

Jeff Dwoskin 46:12

Yes. Yeah. But rip to Steve it but you know it is what it is? Well, right now we got we got I feel like we have a more up story.

Mark Lonow 46:24

I once tried to hum and tap dance. Is that up and up?

Jeff Dwoskin 46:28

Yes. That's amazing. That's amazing. So but it's great. I loved all the stories. I do still talk to Henry Winkler

Mark Lonow 46:36

rarely our paths diverged in the woods.

Jeff Dwoskin 46:41

Well, Mark, thank you so much, Aaron, some deep insight into the birth of the improv and

Mark Lonow 46:48

it's a long story long history. But thank you for inviting me on. It was fun talking to you. And I hope you get a big audience.

Jeff Dwoskin 46:54

Thank you. It was fun talking to you, too. I'm sure as soon as I let everyone know. Thank God that the star Thank God it's Friday is on the bike as well.

Mark Lonow 47:05

Yeah. Oh, are you kidding? Yeah. Oh, I see it. We got to see it.

Jeff Dwoskin 47:09

I'm gonna get I'm gonna get I'm gonna get into a disco fan, Facebook group and it's going to explode. But um,

Mark Lonow 47:18

that's right. We're gonna we're gonna go back and you can put like, a mirror ball over your desk here. It'll be perfect. Yeah, who was nice. Bye. I'm leaving now.

Jeff Dwoskin 47:29

Good. Bye. Bye. Bye bye. All right, how amazing was Mark and all those amazing stories, the history, the improv, lots of great, lots of great stories there. Of course, the one sad one about Steve leaping to his death. If anyone out there ever needs help. There's now a national suicide hotline 988 Coincidentally, we actually talked about it in last week's episode with Melissa Rivers who was instrumental in helping get that nationwide 988 hotline for suicide prevention up and going. It's out there. There's always somebody out there who can help you you're not alone. 988 also on the improv front, like I mentioned upfront Rest in peace, but Friedman passed away after the interview was done. And then also recently, silver Friedman, I also a co founder of the improv passed away a lot of great legacy left behind. All right, well, with the interview over I can only mean one thing. That's right. It's time for another trending hashtag from the family of hashtags that hashtag Roundup, download the free hashtag roundup app at the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. It's free, always free. Follow us on Twitter at hashtag roundup tweet along with us and one day one of your tweets may show up on a future episode of blase conversations fame and fortune awaits you. All right, this episode's hashtag is hashtag wedding song or band brought to us originally by musical hashtags a weekly Game On hashtag round up obviously inspired by marks a memorable role in though Wedding Singer hashtag wedding song or band the ultimate wedding mash up hashtag mash up anything wedding related with a song or a band only hilarity is on the other side of that I'm all right. All right, tweet your own hashtag wedding song or band tag me at Jeff Dwoskin show I'll show you some Twitter love in the meantime, here's some hashtag wedding song or ban tweets for in Spa right shown per bull train. Purple train for the guys to train is that long dress thing anyway, Red Red Wedding. All right, these are awesome hashtag wedding song or band. Two roots berry on your wayward son. These boots are bridesmaid for walking and that's just what they'll do. And one of these days these bridesmaids are gonna walk all over you. Oh it is wedding. You made some amazing songs. Ticket to bride have got a ticket to bride hashtag wedding song or band tweets. Does it get any better back on a ball and chain gang bride Better Have My Money bear a white wedding best man. I feel like a woman. The Shanaya Twain classic iron bridesmaid in borns Runaway Bride, my toast will go on from Titanic. I bought the mother in law. My mother in law one Oh, a tragic story and a hashtag wedding song or band tweet. Boom, there you have it all retweeted at Jeff Dwoskin show show him some Twitter love. In the meantime, the hashtags over the interview is over. I can only mean one thing. Episode 190 has come to a close. I want to thank my special guest, Mark. Well, no. 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.

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