S3 Ep. 6 - "The Special Section" with Richard Kind

You can watch the original episode we'll be discussing in every other episode of HBO's Curby Enthusiasm, including the new and final season, on Max.

You can also watch the.

Video version of the history of Curby Enthusiasm podcast on Max and YouTube as well.

Links available in the episode description.

Yes, Hi, everybody, Welcome to the Curb Podcast.

I am enthusiasman. Who are you the guy up on the right hand corner? Are you Jeff Garland?

Yeah, I'm Jeff Garland, one of America's top teens.

And we have a special guest with us today.

Jeff one of our favorite both of us Jack, it's.

Richard kind Rich America's top Latin crooner.

Now, we have both known Richard for a very long time. I've known Richard I think since nineteen eighty.

Oh that's longer than me, that is correct, which is crazy.

We took an acting class together in nineteen eighty down in the East sixteenth.

I think for Richard and I it was either eighty four or eighty five when I met Richard.

Susie. What was the name of the theater? I don't remember. It was in a church. Was it Portobello? Yes, it was Portobello. Thank you. You're very good. All right, Oh, I will be able to remember nothing else.

Well, Richard, Now we all know you kurb fans know that Richard plays cousin Andy, Larry's cousin Andy.

How did you get this part? Richard?

I'm going to tell you a story that Jeff will say it's not true.

I am rep I am right yet not. Your memory of things is shit, it is. I know exactly how you got it.

Remember porta Bellow Theater. I can I remember?

Okay, Yeah, here's my story, Susie, I'm gonna go first. All right, Okay, they were casting cousin Andy. Jeff, being one of my dearest friends, said, let's use Richard kai. Larry, in his incorrect ways, said no, he's too famous. Ah, people will know that it's Richard Kind, too famous. Whenever a famous person was on the show at that time, they played themselves with the exception. Who was the exception? Sheeene Easton ed Asner, And he didn't want character because

This is two thousand and three around.

I think I can't remember that, but that's what he said. And they auditioned some people, and then they finally decided, probably through jeff insistence, let's use Richard Kind.

And I worked out just Bob, let's hear your side. Jeff.

Richard began correctly. I said, you know who's perfect for this part, Richard Kind. Larry didn't say he's too famous, because you weren't that famous. Then what he said was too on the money, and I said, you're crazy. He said, no, it's still on the money. We looked at at least a half dozen to a dozen other actors, and Larry went, okay, Richard Kind, because Richard was perfect, clearly, and what I was saying. I want to say one other thing that's

I didn't say, ed Asner, oh you're saying Larry wasn't okay when.

You cast correctly, It's as though you couldn't even think of anybody else playing cousin Andy.

You know, it's Richard kind his cousin Andy.

This is no quivoctly from the get go this episode.

Yeah wow, And this is the first cousin Andy episode correct, Yes, yes, I think so.

Yes, No, it is. I actually asked him earlier. And it is the first cousin Andy and the first scene I'll talk about when we get there.

So, Richard, what we do is we go through the episode scene by scene. So this is this is season three, episode six, the special section. And we started off in New York and Jeff, you know this, Nothing is funnier than Larry in a wig.

L visual Larry, Larry just created as another playing a character, which he's done two or three times in the show. Hilarious, hilarioways just visually let alone between him making character choices that are really broad. Awesome, awesome.

So we start off with Larry in a wig playing a mobster up on a roof in a Marty Scorsese movie. And he's got the mustache and he's.

Being a tough guy. You're sorry. I'm sorry. He's hilarious.

It's amazing.

You could see how much he's enjoying.

But the thing he did that was really hilarious was when he took the money and started slapping on them in the face with the money. You want the money? Is that what you want? You want money? You're fucking idiots. Take the money.

Heah, good guy, it's like the fucking money, you're fucking idiots. Take it, take it.

Take the fucking money in that when you want to take the fucking come here, fucking cups.

Cut and you could see how much fun he's having knowing him as you.

Don't no, no, he loved that. He loved that, no doubt.

Scorsese comes in, which is like a nice surprise that you see that it's a Marty Scorsese movie, and you know he wants more of a threat of violence. Of course, Larry needs more money.

Well, by the way, the idea said, and you know it was improvised. Now, I don't have enough money. I need more money.

Need more money, need more money. And he wants to take out Gino's balls. I mean, the whole thing is so bizarre.

The discussion of the balls in the bag and Scorsese saying it won't read, it won't read, and the idea he has the balls in his pocket, which Larry made up. You know, it's like wow, and Scorsese wonderful improviser, wonderful.

Yeah yeah, yeah, well and he does we know that he does do improv when he's directing, yes, yes, yes.

And also the only reason we got him was he digs the show. Yeah, if someone doesn't dig the show, like I remember Diane Keaton, we talked about this early on when we asked her to be on the show. She wasn't familiar with the show, so she allowed us to use her voice and an actor's legs.

But that was season one, so she would yeah yeah, yeah, yeah yeah. This is already season three, so people are more familiar. So Cheryl then can't tell if Marty likes it or not. And Larry says to Cheryl, did my father call my mother's sick?

He should have got They get one more thing and yeah, when Larry's talking to Cheryl, he's dissatisfied with Martin Scorsese and the way he's directing the scene that alone is wow awesome.

So we get the information that his mother is sick.

Yes, And they fly back to la and Larry wants to stop at his father's house because it's weird that his father hasn't called, and they go to his father, Nat, who was played by Shelley Berman. For the first time we see Nat, Larry's father's it.

Yes. Wow, Yeah. Tell me, Jeff, how did Shelley get this part? Let's talk about Shelley for me.

Shelley came in.

Tell people Shelley is because a lot of our listeners don't know.

Shelley Berman in his heyday, was the most popular comedian in the United States of America.

Best selling album right well, I.

Think he's the first comedian to my knowledge to win a Grammy for Best Comedy.

Really yeah, and his famous stories about Shelley how he sabotaged his career and he was a very big What are we talking about the sixties?

Yeah, sixties for sure, although later on the last time I saw him, like really do something before kerb was on the Mary Tyler War Show. He guessed it on the Marry Tiling War Show. And he was great and he always wore a toupey Well, I don't know about it. In the early sixties, but I got to know him very well, became very close with him, and he revealed a lot of things about all the stories of his past. But he was so into wearing his two pay and this is a key thing to talk about with the show.

Can you name any names?

No, because he didn't get the part. Why would I?

Did he get the part because Shelley was the perfect guy, not because it was anything wrong with them.

Shelley was so perfect. Is Larry's father?

No, my lips are sealed on all of that shit. No, Now, if I may so, Shelley was right away. He just was it. He got it.

And there's also a physical resemblance. There's something physically.

Sense. It makes sense. So Larry took him aside. I watched him take him like in the hallway or right by the door, and he said, I want you to do this, but you need to take off the two pay. You have to be bald. Oh. And in the moment, Shelley said I'll think about it. So he thought about it for like a day or so because Larry said, don't take too long, and he said, okay. And I never heard him complain on the set about being bald, you know. But yet when I go to lunch with him to pay back.

Yeah, yeah, but it was very important for the character not to have it to pay unless it became a storyline issue.

Right. The only storyline is in the next episode with the corpse sniffing dog where Toupey comes into play.

Right, right, Okay, So we come in and we meet Shelley for the first time, Nat his father Nat, and Larry's like, how come you didn't call me back? And Shelley's I've been busy, and Larry, you seem jumpy, and Larry's like, where's mom? And Shelley goes into whole machinations. We had to bring it back to the hospital. She didn't want to bother you. That's my favorite. I want to want to bother you. We don't know yet that she's dead.

Right, and then Richard comes in right after that announcement, and Larry's obviously upset. Here's my opinion on this. This is one of the greatest, if not the greatest scenes that has ever been filmed on curby your enthusiasm, because Larry is actually doing something unusual. He's supporting other people being funny. Not that he's not a supportive actor, but he's giving the softballs, if you will, although they were hardballs, because these guys are genius to Shelley Berman and Richard Kind,

And the reason why he didn't want to tell Larry that his mother's dead is because his mother said, don't bother Larry, which as a storyline is hilarious, very funny, hilarious.

But Richard wanted to say something.

I want to say something that will shock you.

When I heard the storyline, I just said, this is a false truth. That his father wouldn't have called him to tell him that his mother died and he doesn't tell him.

It didn't sit right with me. I know that that's just it's stupid. That's just a dumb thing.

Over the years, I have been proven as wrong, as wrong, as wrong by the way.

You were reading it. Okay, well you know yes, and you didn't know the nuance of Shelley Berman's performance because he made that believablebelievable.

There's brilliance in his performance as not just in that scene.

Well, he says, so after a day or two, no one goes on forever, he said. And then finally Larry says, is she dead?

Yeah?

I know she dead.

And then she says, she didn't want me to bother you, right, but the funeral was on Monday.

She said, No matter what happens to me, don't bother Larry.

Let him enjoy New York and then enter cousin Andy. And this thing that you go through with him is another brilliant piece of improv.

No, Larry supported Richard and Shelley, like I think that he's never He's not against other people being funny. He lets me be funny, lets you be funny, and he supports it. But I'm talking about his reaction in that was pipe meaning he had to say what was going on, He had to support the Only time there's real comedy in that is the argument with Richard, and Richard says

Perhaps had I been informed, I may have been able to attend my mother's funeral.

It was beautiful, very well attended.

You missed a good one, and you missed a good one. How about the line you would have thorn? The rabbi knew her?

Yeah, yeah, rabbi knew her. And the rabbi spoke beautifully.

But I know, so he's supporting how wonderful the funeral was. Larry wasn't there.

We'll be right back, stay tuned, Okay, we're back.

A lot of times i'll watch from video village, but sometimes I want to be close to the action. So I was hiding maybe four feet six feet away when they were filming this scene. So I watched this whole thing and I was just in awe. I was a fan. I couldn't believe how wonderful it is. And may I also say Shelley Berman one of the first and Richard Kind not one of the first but one of the

And let me ask you this, Richard, the whole run that you have with Larry to come to town and.

Give me a call, just see you. There's no point. I don't want to see you, don't What is the matter with you?

People related to each other, to people to cuss and you're arguing this way.

Okay, forget I'm sorry I didn't call you. I'm sorry, Donato. Would have been nice to hear your voice.

Was that you or was that in the outline?

In the script script.

However, Richard sang the line your call, well, I wasn't gonna see you, and then Richard says, I didn't want to see you, but you call. That was awesome.

If I can remember this, the smallest, smallest thing in the world.

It's funny.

God, it takes twenty one years ago. It's amazing. During my appearances on Curb, I'll use my daughter's day or there. I think I said. Aunt Lolly was there. She's still beautiful. She looks like Audrey Heppard. Aunt Chan, you said, Okay, aunt Lolly is the name I said during one of the takes, ok And Larry says, no.

Aunt Lolly, and I go, why not?

Aunt Lody goes, I have an aunt Lolly, so I'm not rid of aunt Lolly, and I used aunt Zan. I also have an ant ja Zan. That's lod. That's my own system.

But the idea that you're disappointed in him because if he went to he wasn't gonna call his aunt chan and you were terribly the insult.

And now it's also this is twenty three years ago.

Remember at the time we didn't have cell phones, right, but they were just starting. You could call it anywhere in the country, right, and not the charge that was around the time where you didn't get long distance charges. But we all used to live by. You don't make long distance calls. That was a big deal. Long distance. A long distance call cost money, so you call when you come to town.

I love Larry's argument. I could call you from Los Angeles. That's a call.

It's different, but it's different.

I agree with Andy on this call. Then Nat shows Larry the guest book and Andy says, people were saying, where's Larry, where's Larry heading to injury?

No, no, no, no no, they didn't say where's Larry? And that was the out, so a lot of nice ones, nice ones. And then the out of the scene, which was perfect. Put a button on it was where's Larry? And when he read the where's Larry he read it out loud. He turned to the two of them and we cut because that was a perfect out.

Was that it for you in this episode? Richard?

No?

Later, Okay, I watched too many in a row.

So then we go to Larry's home with Cheryl and she's telling him this one called Michael Adler called your suit is ready for Julie blumspot Mitzvah And Larry's like, is there anything more brutal than about Mitzvah? And I thank Jeff for not inviting me to his son's spot Mitzvah's.

Well, by the way, Larry was so happy with me that both my boys bar Mitzvahs he was not invited to. And I made a point of telling him, bar Mitzvah coming, You're not invited and he was so happy and relieved because he would have felt he had to come and when I gave him that, Because if you love somebody and you know what they're about, you don't just stand on ceremony. And I knew he hated.

So Cheryl is telling him cancel the dinner with the Mandels. Cheryl calls to cancel, and she uses the excuse that Larry's mother died, and Larry suddenly this is a great idea.

Yes, right, this is a great idea. Hold on, hold on one second. Here there was one with so and so well before he finds it out and they're discussing. He's talking about a lunch that someone calls him for.

Michael Adler.

Michael Leadler. I don't know if that's a Larry friend or not an amy us.

I've never heard of Botore.

I know what this is based on. There was a comedian that never spent time with Larry in New York, never spent time with him in LA and started calling him for lunch a lot, a lot. So that's where he put it. I won't say the comedian is and he never had lunch with him, but he Yeah, but I'll get less Susie.

No, yes, it's on my after list.

Okay, you're after list, So Larry, this is a great idea. Now I will admit having dead parents. I used it. I milked it. I did everything I could to use that excuse, and I feel no guilt about it.

By the way, my parents dying loved it.

Loved it because you could get out of anything, anything.

It was the only good thing about my parents dying. Literally, the only one was getting out of stuff.

Okay, I've never used it, but when I was in fourth and fifth grade, I didn't do the homework my grandmother died.

But I also don't like to say it unless it's true, because then it's a kid classic.

That's a classic.

No use.

But hold on, he's a kid, and that's really the dog ate my homework as the cliche. But my grandma died. All little kids used it. I used it a few times.

He gets out of the bot mitzvah, he gets out of lunch, he gets out of dinner with the Mandels, and then he's with Richard Lewis at the valet, and you could see Richard is nonplus when he says, how did you get the part? Because he feels like he's the actor.

He's that way thoughts.

What I wrote down was that they didn't take it further. And I don't remember if in the takes when we were shooting it, if Larry had questions about him not being happy for him, But it was clear. It was clear for yes, And I know somebody who does that who might be on this zoom.

Not me.

You bet you do it, you piece of shit. By the way, me, no, no, no, you In the moment.

Richard kind you're talking about.

We're always happy for one another. But early on, if I got something that you felt you could have done a better job or you were right for, you could not hold your envy. And by the way, once it came out later, you were very supportive because you love me. But right away, look he still loves Richard Lewis. And by the way, I guarantee that would have happened in real life if Larry did a scourse money. So I'm saying about you, Richard, is not mean thing. It's just

So Richard then informs Larry that he's starting to meditate, and Larry says, you got to get a mantra. Larry used to do it, you know, give yourself your own mantra. Larry suggests that Richard does lonely, lonely, lonely, and then Larry says he'll give Richard his mantra.

What is your mantra?

Okay, I Sally, are you taking a backage telling you?

Oh shih yah, yeah, what does it mean?

I have no idea, but you keep repeating it over.

And by the way. That is based on what they were talking about as TM and I thought that did this come from me? Because I do trans and double meditation, And I thought did this come for me? And no, it was before I started doing it as my dad was dying. I learned it to relax. And also it changes everything in the world around you, your viewpoint. And one of the rules of translimitations you never tell anybody

Might the same one. It's a secret. Nobody knows that might give one mantra.

No, I know the mantras and it's not everyone doesn't have the same one.

So zah yah.

He gives it to Richard and then he sees this guy Mandel coming over, he doesn't want to do a stop and chat, and Richard in a passive aggressive move or maybe an aggressive aggressive leave so that Larry gets stuck.

For Larry and he knows exactly.

And he's happy and that's what good friends.

Do, and thank you, boring, boring.

He just starts carrying on in some boring conversation, which Larry don stops him and just says.

My mother just died.

I really have to just focus on myself and he gets out of the conversation.

And by the way, that was Harry Murphy, an actor I got in the show Second City. Whoa I want credit for how many Second City had I hire? Because I had a pretty miserable time at Second City, not when Richard was there. That was my golden time. You know why I worked in the box office, and you know why everyone on the main stage who I loved.

Is so so, Jeff, I'm giving you. I'm officially giving you credit. I am giving you credit.

For the Second City stuff.

Yes, I'm giving you credit. I will also Stid. There was soup a plenty.

Are you talking about when Dan Castle and I would watch you it's soup?

Well we would go out of that soup.

No, we go to a place called this is this is really cool? So a lot of nights. Richard my Elf, Dan Caslenetta, the voice of Homer Simpson, a brilliant improviser by the way, who influenced me and I learned he and Mike Caggarty are the two guys that I learned the most from.

And Mike Cagarty can I just say played in the Double amco at.

Which I already did.

We already did, so I just want to give the reference right.

And what I learned from him was being succinct, like he would come in, say the thing, get his laugh, and either get off or stay out and be quiet. That's what I felt he would do, because everything out of his mouth was perfect for the moment and funny. Anyhow, sidebar may be interesting.

Okay.

So Richard, myself and Dan Castlenetta would go to this place called Jeff's Laughing, which I love for the name, in the Lincoln Hotel down the street from Second City. We go eat, we go to the Belden Deli sometimes with more people sidebar. And by the way, the Beldon Deli was the first place where John Belushi realized how famous he was, because he went in there and people

Okay, so now wait, wait, all righty.

Well, what a lame story if it ends all right? Although the blueshy thing's interesting. So Dan and I would sit on the same side, Richard the other. Richard always ordered soup, Dan and I a sandwich, what have you. And there were periods where Dan and I sat quiet and just watch Richard eat soup. And I thought, you know, you always say, like Sean Penn, you could watch him read the phone book and he'd be great. Well, when Richard eats soup, he was kind of obvious. Who's more interesting?

Look at him drinking out of a can of water. Right now, I.

Know, but Richard was so involved with a soup he could go thirty seconds without noticing. And Dan and I truly found it fascinating watch Rick Sherdy soup slowly eating his soup having no idea. We were staring at him. Okay, that's it, long way to go.

We'll be right back. Stay tuned, and we're back.

So now we cut to Larry is at the cemetery looking for the headstone of his mother and he asks the grave digger, and the grave digger says, oh, she's not here. She was moved to a special section. So he's confused, what does that mean? A special section? Next we know he is talking to the head of the Mountain View Cemetory, George Coole.

George Cole, by the way, is somebody I was so proud and happy to work with because he did comedy. He actually, if I'm not mistaken, was either part of the cast or hosted you right.

Yes, yes, yeah, the first season.

He was in movies Wonderful Terror director Great Cary, and he was in Yeah. I mean, he could do anything, and he was somebody I greatly admired, which was the joy of curb your enthusiasm. I'd work with people or be around people that I admired. So so watching him in action, and he's great in this scene with Larry. Tattoo on the right buttock.

Yeah, well, first he says, you know, the special section is reserved for villains, suicides, gentiles, and mixed marriages.

And then he tells her.

When the shamish examined her, he found that she had a tattoo on the Yes, on my mother had a tattoo, Yes, sir, it's on the on the on the right cheek of her right buttock, if you will. My mother had a tattoo on her on her right buttock, yes, sir.

And according to Leviticus, that's an offense and it disqualifies her from burial.

In consecrated ground.

So Larry wants to rectify this, and the George Cole character the law is the law. And then later on Larry is with Nat and you Richard Andy, and.

She'd be sick to her stomach if she knew this.

He's very upset, and Nat explains they were just married.

They're walking down the boardwalk. They got a tattoo. Cheryl then brings in wait.

Wait, wait, wait, wait wait. Before that, Richard says something about you don't want to hear your parents making love or I don't know how that came up. And then Larry's response was I can't imagine you making love to Richard. I thought it was a hilarious exchange, okay.

And then Cheryl brings in crude quae and crude, and Andy says.

Thank you very much, thank you so much for dinner.

Turkey.

Now I had turkey for lunch.

Oh well, tright, okayka, check on that.

I'll take whatever you have.

Thank you. I had turkey for lunch.

You know I would have smacked you get away.

What's amazing this being the first episode that is so the character now Richard Randy, Yes, but Richard, I knew what this guy was right away, right away. That's what was amazing. You missed a good one. The way he walked in the way he stood there. That's why Larry said, he's right on these two right. He was perfect and under from the get go. And him with the turkey and I had turkey for lunch.

And then they fight over Chinese food in La You know, that's a whole other thing.

If you want to know the stuff I'd get to stopped for because of kurb Turkey for lunch Andris.

Chrispy Onions, which is in the Black Swan episode, which is a great episode.

But by the way, this is what I love about the earli yeers. We would have scenes that were loaded with minutia and the idea that they're arguing about New York La Chinese because everyone knows in l it can't compare with New York and in LA. I'm not even exaggerating, they're really only great Chinese restaurants are in fact in Chinatown. So the argument's always about pizza and Chinese in terms of New York LA and Larry's like in all the whole country, they wouldn't send one good Chinese food chef

Yeah, and then Larry calls him over and he says he wants to move the body and he's going to pay off.

The Can I do things? Ye ahead, I'm known for being a giggler.

I break, and I was surprised, and a lot of the stuff that I didn't break at with the first scene, and that your mother died with the turkey line I had turkey today. I astounded that I got through it. And if it hadn't been the first episode, I probably would not have been able to get through it. And then when I became comfortable doing the show, when we did the Black Swan, Larry of course breaks all the.

Time, right, he breaks all the time.

Now I'm saying he breaks all the time, which sort of gives me a permission to break when I break. When we did the lineup on that, I know I'm boring to another episode, but when we did the lineup, we were dying, Okay, all four of us were dying pretty soon.

Jeff and Bob would not laugh, but Larry and I would crack and for a while, Larry did not crack, and I kept cracking, and it would Hilarry look over and like all right, enough is enough, like stop but already, and it's like for me to get Larry, I agree about somebody breaking.

To my memory, yes, that's the only time I ever remember him getting upset with another actor breaking. I don't recall that, but I want to say.

I do it with him all the time where I'm just like stop, well no, no, no, we do it to hit, but he never gets agreed at somebody else.

He killed me.

That guy killed me.

All I saw was the Stuye Hawak from bridge on the River Kwai and it just killed me.

I mister, you're talking about you know what? How about Richard.

We'll have you back when we do that episode and we'll discuss that again.

I think I'm busy.

Yeah no, but Larry might want to do that episode. He loved doing the show. So Richard, you might be out only bumped by Larry all I know. But let me compliment Richard. Now, there's a thing in improv called explore and heighten. So someone says something you talked about it, you feel it, and then you lift it by agreeing, which is what I always do on the show. I agree whether I explore and heighten it or agree right away, because that gives the other permission to go up a level,

You and Shelley and Larry. Yeah, nobody else.

Huh.

Now what I remember is Shelley talking and we're going by stop stop, stop.

And y'all lucky to please let me off. But this was not that. This was Shelley Burd Yes, it was Shelley Shelly, Yes, why did the blind?

Shelley could be very difficult to work with.

I didn't say it was difficult. I'm saying but difficult, but it made me laugh.

But always brilliant, by the way, difficult and you put up with it because the guy was brilliant.

Now, then we cut to Richard Lewis meditating doing jah yah jah yeah, and the phone rings and it's Larry and Larry's calling about the mantra. He wants the mantra back, and Richard calls him an East Indian giver and he wants the mantra back and rich is like it's been working, and Larry says, well.

Split it with me.

I don't know what that's and Richard says, well, that seems like a gay thing. And they go into this whole riff about, you know, until Larry finally cuts it off with it's just you.

Know, my mother just died.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, all right, yeah yeah yeah.

Yea, oh fabulous.

Don't even think to us about it, all right, split it?

Yeah, okay, no problem, all right. This is one of my favorite episodes of all time. There are two things that I'm bothered by, and I'll mention one rate now, the meditation thing, which was part of the story. I would have cut the whole thing, or I would have cut it down to this because we lost things. That was the first episode in the first three years where we lost things, not because they didn't serve the episode,

I thought it worked, but that's you a different opinion.

But when I tell you why it bothered me, which I will shortly.

So, Larry says, my mother just died, and then Richard gives in, okay, we'll split it.

And then he's in bed, which I don't know.

How are they splitting it, one says jai One says, yeah, I don't know what that means. But then he's in bed with Cheryl and she goes to sleep and he makes moves on her and she's not in the mood. And then Larry says, my mother just died, and I didn't have a chance to say goodbye.

And what she does beautifully in that scene is she makes it believable, yes, that she really feels empathy for him, and now she's going to have sex with him. I thought that was great. That's funny. That's very funny, very funny.

No, no, no, but my mother died.

But I have with Jeff on that. I was surprised, you know that, that I didn't get the meditation by.

The way, the meditation might have worked in a different episode, but there was gold in this episode except for that, so it stood out and I, well, we'll get to that in a second and I'll explain.

So he uses the excuse about his mother and it works for Cheryl. And then we see Larry with the grave diver. It gives him a water cash.

I know that was a full scene, but it was cut down to where he's with the guy. He's already fumbling with the cash. He gives it to the guys big Wad, big Wad, and he says, all right, it's a deal. Sure, that was a full scene. But what we cut it down to, or they cut it down to the editor and Larry too, what was necessary? It served the show and I love when that when when everything's succinct, and the next episode, the ending is succinct. I'll talk about that then, which is a thing of beauty.

The grave digger says to him bring some friends, and Larry's like wise like, you need to help dig So next we see Larry, Jeff Nat and.

Anne hold on, hold on. This is where the Jaya thing beat the shit out of me. So there was a scene, and there's two parts to the scene, one of Larry's and I sitting outside of the graveyard, and to this day, I think that's one of the best scenes Larry and I have ever filmed ever on the curb. Yes, we're sitting on the curb outside and it was on so many levels. It's one of, if not my favorite

So all this was cutting.

Yes, they pull up and Larry says, why were you late? And they were doing a test run to the airport to see the best way to go, and Richard his character and he's not leaving for a day or two. But that night they decided to do a test run to the airport, which gold perfection. All of that cut, that's so true. But yes, but all of that cut because of that stupid meditation shit, because that was gold and the meditation was not gold. Meditation was sober.

I am with you.

I agree, yeah, and then I'll discuss what we're about to do.

We'll be right back. Stay tuned, Okay, we're back. Okay. So then they're all given shovels.

The grave digger gives them all shovels and walks away because he only has four shovels, and then we see them dig dig dig dig dig timecasts.

Okay, now I want to speak up about this, please.

Larry has dirtle over his face.

Yes, but here's what bothered me also, And it was before we could do forty minute episodes, so I will say that, yes, we were locked into less than a half hour now forty minutes sometimes forty five, but we had so many funny moments in that grave digging scene. I don't remember there was a run that I started to have and then Larry and Richard would back me

Other in the montage with the music, but what.

We were saying in those moments was really really funny. So again frustrant. By the way, I don't know if they still are good, and I do have a VHS player, but I have those scenes, the cuts from those scenes on VHS. Really yes, and I know that Larry would not like me to put them up online, so it's really for my own enjoyment. I have the tapes. I've never watched them because I would just get frustrated. And now I think, what if they weren't? What if my metal?

You never know? Richard, let me ask you a question. Do you watch yourself on things? No, you don't.

I watch myself on Curb.

That's the only thing I watch.

Yeah, because I'm part of the creative team. I'm part of the whole thing.

I watch myself on Curb. Not for that reason.

I watch myself on Curb because I'm playing such an extreme character that she's so not me, and the whole show tickles me so much, and my character tickles me so much that I.

Could watch it.

But other things I can't watch, and I especially can't watch when I'm myself, like on a talk show or something that I really can't watch.

That's painful, you know.

When I do watch it by I sometimes asked for this will replay, but I won't listen.

Yeah, and I just want to see it my face if I'm telling.

You the truth. But by the way, I think the enemy of which we never do on Curb. We've done it twice, I think in all the years is playback. A lot of movies I've done. They'll play back the scene and everyone with their headphones is watching, and that slows comedy down. It's no good.

I don't remember ever doing that on Curb.

No, no, no, no, I'm talking about Curb. I've about movies I've done Curb we've done it twice, but for technical reasons, for comedic reasons.

You do have to do it sometimes for technical reasons.

I wouldn't even want to watch it without sound. By the way, little sidebar, the movie AMAI, which I love, and I've seen it so many times that I've started when I watch it now, I only watch it in French because I know what's going to happen, and it's the whole story, and you see how much of the story is in the characters visually. All right.

So later on, Larry's in the shower and we see him chant sing ja ya Jaya shi.

Yah Shiji Jai Jaya.

I made it out of lee And when it's dying, ready, oh Jaya will yo.

Dying.

Somehow he segues from Jaya chanting into the Drado song, always one of my favorite songs.

And by the way, I sang that when I drop you off of the earth.

Oh you sang ohannaka are throwing drado?

No?

Okay, all right, that's season nine or ten, I think.

And then there's a knock on the door and it's Richard Lewis, and Richard's angry.

You always deceive Richard's false anger.

Okay, two thoughts here. Shower completely unnecessary. It is funny, thathanakah, but it's establishing the thing for the next scene, which is Richard coming in and you know what it means, fucked me, And it's like and that that could have been cut.

That's just what she tells him, that Jaya means fuck me. That's what it means, and he's all pissed off, and then cut to Larry and Cheryl having breakfast on the patio. There's birds in the background, and Larry, you know, says that sometimes.

He'd imagine, hold on and please hold that thought to me. The perfect cut is what happens in the graveyard covered in dirt, cutting to what we know is the next morning. You didn't need the stuff in the middle. You could have gone right from the graveyard. I know I'm nitpicking, but it also is my thought. You know, you could have gone great to that breakfast. I'm just saying there was time to be had for that earlier scene.

And Larry says, sometimes I like to pretend that I'm that I'm deaf, and I try to imagine what.

It would be like, right not to be able to hear them.

It's not so bad.

He's not mister nature Larry.

And then there's a knock on the door and it's police officers with the grave digger, and apparently Larry's been passing bad money, counterfeit money, so you realize that that money was the fake money he had from the first scene in the scores.

Even when I was watching.

It, I forgot that what's what it is? And I thought we didn't really do a scene establishing where Larry might get counterfeit money. And then when he says, no, it's from a movie I did, I was like, oh yeah, oh. And then the beauty also coming up is when he says to the cops, my mother died and they could give a shit.

Well, that's the out, that's that's that's his excuse for my mother.

Doubt, a perfect doubt, and we see it as he's leaving and he's off camera he says, ja yah fuck me jayya. But the point being is if he had cutting down the Richard Lewis thing, we we either would include him saying that or he didn't have to say it. That's all I end.

This episode was directed by Brian Gordon.

My opinion, Brian Gordon's best episode doing the show. I think it's beautifully directed.

We were introduced to Richard Kind and to Shelley Berman, and for that reason, it's an important episode in the Curb history. It is very interesting to two recurring characters that were essential to the storyline.

It's future episodes.

What's great for me in rewatching it is I really realized that it's a great episode. I knew the scene was Shelley and Richard saying that the mother died, but I was so upset, and you can see it. I still take it. I'm no longer upset, though, but I acknowledge that it was frustrating all that stuff being cut. But I was so upset about it. And I remember when we were cutting the show and I would get cuts. I was very upset, and I explained to Larry. Because

My favorite thing in the episode is she did want to bother you.

My favorite thing is you missed a good one?

You missed a good one.

Yeah, that's my favorite thing.

And I will say about Jeff and Larry's sitting on the carb. I was there that night and I heard it and it was terrific. And the two things I thought of when I heard it was cut.

Was it's the same? I mean he thought he was saying, there's three things, it's the same.

The Seinfeld was notorious for not having any sentimentality whatsoever.

Was he holding on to that?

And the third thing was I hope my friend Jeff doesn't get mistreated on this show.

That's very and I was never mistreated.

But that two or three years and until you are aracter was able to not just help, but to propel a story or to have opinions or your improvisation.

I was afraid that your destiny was what happened on that curve.

As time went on, I mean how many seasons to ten, twelve twelve?

Time went on, it got you know, but you know, I think what people don't always understand, and we know because we're actors in the business, is that it takes a long time for a show to find the generate itself and for characters to figure out who they are on the show.

That episode was really and you, by the way, in the next episode, like we did in the earlier episode the Doll, you started to find your character. However, after the one that's actually coming up next, where it's a similar angry so the angry scene. Then your character had some nuance. Get yell, but you had some nuance, and then Larry was welcome until he pissed you off. That was never the case before. So there was the things to develop.

Over the years.

And you know, if you go back, I mean I used to do this years ago. I used to go to the Museum of Broadcasting on what was it on fifty something Street, Yes, and I used to watch old pilots and if you go and watch old lits of things, they're completely different than what the show ended up being. And what was nice is that we were given the luxury of finding ourselves on a network we might have been canceled already.

Well, no network, we would never even be on. We would never be on on a network.

I'm a victim of that this year because I was on a show very different from what you guys did, but it was a cop so and within the first season, not just the pilot, the first season, we sort of knew what we were.

That kind of thing is gold. By the way, Richard, on that show, Yeah, did you ever have any gunplay? Always had gun playing? Did you really know you did not? By the way, I also want to say in terms of being misused. Early on, my job from season one to season twelve was to lay pipe. That was my number one job, to be grounding and explain what's going on. I was allowed sometimes, and I use the word sometimes through the show to be funny, but most of.

The time, you with a straight man, you a Larry straightman.

I was Larry Stratman. But also when it was really groovy for me, it had a Laura and hardy feel to it.

Yeah.

Absolutely absolutely, We'll get to scenes like that and we'll point them out to everybody when we get there.

But also I think that's what happened to me, is you know in my career, is that so many people don't know I'm funny. I mean that sincerely, but it's affected my stand up more than anything. Whereas I don't draw like a lot of my peers do. And I'm not complaining about that, because whoever wants to come see me, I'm thrilled and I have a great time doing it. But I know it's because people are looking and they think he's an actor.

Well listen, it happens to all of us characters.

And by the way, I know since post Curb, I know that's happened to you, Richard. You're not a stand up Susie. You're retired. Yeah, but it still happens for me.

In a way.

It's a testament to how good we are that people actually think we're those characters.

I love you. I'll let you say that and we'll lend on that.

That's right, and Richard, thank you so much, and we're going to see you again in future episodes.

You can see your numerous times.

I know the exact one I want him to come back. Can I say one word, chum?

Yes, I know. The dinner table I know is one lesson. And by the way, you're so heavily involved with Richard in that scene. It's like it's all your motivation is based on him in that scene, and I love it. What a great scene.

Thank you Richard for coming. See you next time. I love your dogs seeing you. I'm not long Branch, New Jersey. I got nobody here. Well you know, hey, come over, you want to come for dinner. I'm not that far.

Where are you at my house?

You've been to my house?

Yeah?

No, no, no far, awe, you're an hour awe.

Richard. Don't ask people where they live.

He knows where I live. He spent in my house. I'm in Long Branch, New Jersey. People know it, Biometra Jersey Shore.

See. Now you've fucked up, Richard. You know why fans of yours are going to start going to stores and restaurants trying to see.

You in the beach community. This is the beach community.

Yes, that is love you boys. I love you guys. I loved it. The History of Curby Enthusiasm is a production of iHeart Radio. For more podcasts from ihart Radio

Visit the iHeart Radio Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.