AP Photo/Wally Fong
Sid Caesar passed away yesterday and I've only just now found out about it. A very sad day. I loved this man. We watched his SHOW OF SHOWS and later the SID CAESAR SHOW religiously when I was a kid growing up in Manhattan. Sid and his brilliant troop of loonies never failed to make us laugh until we cried or fell off the sofa or both.
I was fortunate enough to have a brief chat with Sid (on the phone) when once he appeared on the Phil Donahue Show. I was totally awestruck and inane, but it is a treasured memory. I got a chance to tell Sid that his opera skits featuring the entire cast spouting/singing gibberish were not only hysterically funny but were, in some weird way, what got me interested in learning about real opera once upon a time. He was surprised but I think, I hope, delighted.
I loved this man.
Rest in peace, Sid. You were the best of the best.
Dear Yvette,
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful for you to have had an encounter with a hero of yours. I grew up without a television, but fortunately have watched many, many videos of Sid Caesar in recent years. One more reason to love the Internet!
I agree, Mark. One more reason to love the internet. :) Yes, it was truly wonderful to talk with Sid. My hero - you're right. He was.
ReplyDeleteA real shame though he had a damn good innings. Of course I can't help thinking of him now as 'King Kyzer' from MY FAVOURITE YEAR!
ReplyDeleteSergio, the thing about movies is that they removed the spontaneity of live television. Sid need that to be truly brilliant. But if all remember is the movies, then that's good enough. He was a genius.
DeleteI think we just lost a comic genius.
ReplyDeleteWe agree completely, Joan. I'm getting misty all over again.
DeleteI remember that you are a big Sid Caesar fan. We recently watched It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World and I enjoyed watching his role in it. How wonderful for a person to provide so much entertainment and humor to his audience.
ReplyDeleteThe sad thing is that his life long self-doubt seems to have hardly made him aware of how much he was loved and admired by so many. But maybe he knows now. I'd like to think so - what with so many tributes.
DeleteSuch a nice tribute. I haven't really seen much of his work. I'm glad to know it is available online.
ReplyDeleteNan, make believe you're sitting in your living room watching on an old Admiral black and white set. :) The thing with Sid was that not only was he a genius, but he was surrounded by a cast which was almost as brilliant as he was. Most especially Imogene Coca. Try to watch the skits where she's involved. What a dame. They were unafraid to try anything to get a laugh. :)
DeleteP.S. And none of it was vulgar or bathroom humor or much related with sexual body functions except, occasionally, in a very round-a-bout way. They didn't need that crap. Ha!
ReplyDeleteYvette, you've probably seen it before...but just in case you haven't, here (from YouTube) are Sid Caesar and Nanette Fabray having an argument - set to the opening movement of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. Talk about classic television: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tS2P8efEko
ReplyDeleteThanks, Les! :)
DeleteI loved Sid Caesar, too, and my family watched The Show of Shows and the Sid Caesar Show. My father loved good comedy, and so we watched these shows and also nearly fell off the sofa.
ReplyDeleteI loved Imogene Coca, but Howie Morris was great. Carl Reiner was a good straight man for the insanity.
Yes, he was a comedy genius. However, a good thing about the Internet is that we can watch skits with Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca on You Tube. I have watched many an laughed as I did years ago. Their facial expressions are like no others.
If you haven't seen the PBS Special with writers of comedy, including Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner, Larry Gelbart, others, you should. They talk about Sid Caesar. That show had me falling off my couch laughing. It's a gem.
I did see that PBS Special a while back, Kathy. These guys had genius. :) To think that if it wasn't for the internet all these skits would have been lost forever or you would have had to travel to the television museum in NY to see them. I too loved Imogene and Howie and Carl. God bless 'em.
DeleteYvette, I didn't know anything about Sid Caesar until I read your fine tribute to him. Tracy mentioned "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" which I saw decades ago though I didn't know Sid was in it. I'm wiser now.
ReplyDeleteHis films appearances were not his best work, Prashant. If you can find the skits on youtube, that's the best way to become familiar with Sid's comic genius.
DeleteOh, I'm going to do a library search to see what else they have of Sid Caesar's. Maybe a dvd or two. And I think I'll rewatch the PBS Speial. I think I have the video.
ReplyDeleteAlso, to say on other classic movie news. I finally watched and loved the original of To Be or Not to Be, with Jack Benny and Carol Lombard: genius. And I see that my library has fairly newly released dvds of Ministry of Fear and The Uninvited. I will watch them.
Oh, you're in for a treat, Kathy. I think I'm going to plunk down some cash one of these days to buy my very own copy of MINISTRY OF FEAR. It's a keeper. I own THE UNINVITED and watch it now and then when the mood strikes. :)
DeleteTO BE OR NOT TO BE is definite genius. I love the Jack Benny version. It was Carol Lombard's last film, by the way. I also enjoyed the Mel Brooks version of TO BE OR NOT TO BE, though the Benny one is my fave.
But who can forget Mel and Anne Bancroft singing Sweet Georgia Brown in Polish! SO hysterically funny.