Inner-View; Interview with David Brenner

Oh. Interview with your host trial soup of the man next to me is perhaps an anomaly. Most comedians particularly when they come out of rough neighborhoods and such there they're really angry they don't like anybody and they just go out there and you can tell it in their performance. Well David Brenner uses some kind of anger in his show because he says what he doesn't like his pet peeves and such which is on one level anger. But one of the strange things about and one of the nice things about him is the fact that he loves people and he loves his parents and he loves his home life and he loves where he came from even though he wanted to get out of it so I think that's an anomaly and maybe we'll get to know more about him so if you're welcome David Brock. Thank you. When you told everybody about this in a book called soft pretzels with mustard Yancey and I don't know if either titling tell us well but it Lester would understand this soft pretzels with mustard is a street food in Philadelphia.

But it's different in New York and other cities that have the round pretzels that are a little hard as the knees are soft and elongated. So even on the cover of The Book of you'll notice you never saw a pretzel like that cause I had to go. They want to use other pretzels I want to be in the field often use and quite often a pretzel with mustard and then we put mustard on which is very strange and Alan a few towns they have the thought of your pretzel with mustard and that's a real one that's authentic to save my money than when I was a kid was a nickel and the reason I sold these when I was a kid and away I would keep mine off because I was a good salesman. I put them in water overnight. What about this anomaly of all of the anger you know usually the comedians is this somebody angry underneath while I'm not as I'm not as as loving and nice as you portrayed or like the claim that we're going to know your family only found something else but in terms of general I think I'm I'm more controlled than maybe other people are and I just always felt that the job of an entertainer was to entertain and I think people have enough things to be angry about without me and some new ones that

I thought so I stay out of that line but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate some good anger on the stage I was I am I am a typical I guess of what is generally thought of as comedians I'm very close knit family that is true my brother sister mom and dad were very very tight and I had a lot of friends growing up and I was present in my class. Fourth grade through 12th and I was the most popular kid in neighborhood and anything I have in common most means I'm a minority group or and I have to. And you do poke fun at yourself don't you. Yeah I think I have to I've got to poke fun at everything you know it's to me humor and I'm not I don't want intellectual I humor and I think your view I think is very borne of that but but I think one thing about it sort of makes things a little lighter that are heavy and things that are damaging and little less damaging it's it's really a it's a it's something you take before the paramedics get to you and then silently and so it's a real good thing to have anyone like this guy's human who want to look good at the

beach right in the middle of the boat was because he's always look at Atlanta as party left and by the way Dang it this up and this is one of the clever as good as you've ever known in my entire life. I just what he does he says what he thinks. If you will convict let me just I'm jelly. If a person claims that he is a comedian then he should have to look for things to do and the writers to write for him. Because from here it comes. And that's to prove that you're funny. In other words you don't have to have a guy write jokes for you. He can do more jokes about Left Field in Philadelphia at the Bryant Park the most guys can buy from writers in other words you're a you're a comic you're supposed to be funny. If that if that's your vocation be my guest. Let's say things everything's coming out of your head should be funny. OK. You shouldn't have to have somebody write it for you unless you naturally assume the series or something you have a script or something like that. But when one gets up on stage is one of the very very few and I'm not throwing bouquets unnecessarily

is one of the very few comics that will pick things out. He's only has a couple of contemporaries like him. Guys like Bill Cosby pick things out of the air and talk about him truisms. Now the truism is a truism then as much as it's a true fact. Now the comedic sense of them will make it funny. In other words what he says is funny he thinks funny. You must think funny if you're a comic. Do you know what percent of your material is. You're wrong. Nine nine point nine if you want to be really accurate. What I do know is that my father sometimes gives me promises he was a vulgar comedian song and dance man. So what I really am in essence is that I am really this student and I like to think that way because the professor was my father is so much better than I am. I mean his timing I learned by living with him but he had he has better timing his better delivery as a better comedic mind. He's funnier. So I have proved in a sense that he could have been a great star if

he had stayed in the business which really was that one of the reasons I went into the big one if I decide to stick it out after the first Tonight Show it was in part from my father because it sort of gives him his credentials that he always wanted. You know aside from the fact that you have talent and drives a lot of people have talent and drive. What is it that what is it that made you break through. Is there an incident and one opportunity. Yeah I I You see you must understand that I didn't think of show business I never been on a stage in my life before June 9th of 69 and I I had been a writer producer film director in documentaries and had taken a year off as an interim period to decide what to do with my life I don't know what I want to do I've been working since I'm nine years old I was tired of work and the only time off from work I was two years in the Army that's not the pleasant way of taking a vacation. So I thought I want to just lay back and figure out what to do and and then I thought will have to do something because I'm a real workaholics and so I started to get up and I had always been fun it was a class comedian. I never been on a

stage as a close communion street corner in the schoolyard. So I went up and on the stage is like pips and Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn or the places in Greenwich Village just to give me something to do it night and they give me something that I could put my creativity into because I quit filmmaking. After year I was going to quit for sure and I ran out of money and everything and then I just started playing to be clubs at a time like Mister Kelly's in Chicago in the Troubadour in that cellar door in Washington. So I thought let me get on television once just so you know mom and dad the family all the guys on the street corner you know this is true and I auditioned and got on The Tonight Show it took me to five months to get that audition I ed.. And then right before Christmas and seven in January 8th the 71 they put me on. Now with the power of the show and it's still a powerful show but and knows they the power of that show by the next afternoon I had $10000 worth of job offers. And I said I'm on to something and there is no way I'm going to think what else to do. I want to

ride this out see how long it'll last. It's been a long time. Unlucky it was an accident one of those freaky things now you can you know you can plan something or your life and inside of a bus opens up and a guy gets over it changes your whole life. And what would happen on that show if the same challenge the same everything going for you but all of a sudden you had a stomach ache or something and it just didn't work. That could have killed you right yeah that would have probably done it because I really thought I was going to quit not a fact I had it marked on a plate make a decision after that night and it didn't go well. I got a call that I would apologize to my father and say hey you know I just I'm making when it was really the tough time I didn't have enough. You would have done it but I didn't and I would have just gone on to do something else I mean I had $3 worth. My god bro. You say you wrote something down do you have goals that you put Yeah yeah I've done something very interesting in my life I think it's an interesting thing to do it's fun to do anyway. I've always kept a list of things I want to do in my life from the from the simple thing like I remember once I said to own my brother and I would just

survive all the books. We'll talk about reassure for I was quite sure for Obama whatever I my mother called her on the what they are but it's like a closet and a little door and had four drawers and a bottom compartment in the top and Thomas for had the bottom of her shoes and then underwear and socks and your hunger suits and sport jacket. My brother and I shared that everything we owned was in that ship for oh. And at that time I put on my list a new suit for every day that week. Can you imagine if some day you have sevens and I made this list and wow things to like you know learn how to sail become a millionaire you know all the big things and small things you know beat up 20 you know all of that. And then as I then I would revive the list like every two or three years I saw that when I was a kid I still do it. I had it in 1980 I just revived it and 1083 I just put it into a book again and checked off the ones I've done and it's a great thing to do because you start to think you go back every couple months few months you go back and say I'm going to take this trip

I'm going to I'm going to see the Far East I'm going to go. That's it that's the next one I want to do or I you know I'm going to buy those alligator shoes and you go and you do it and it gives your goals and it's like running track I used to run track and if you instead of thinking instead of thinking only of the ribbon when I was there when I used to run as I would think that's what I'd yell a poet that's the next one. And I get it and then I'll quit and then when I get that I said I know now would I girls walking up the aisle go there and then always on film your bust and a ribbon and then strip strangeness on this crazy journey we had a long time ago. Way back. But I'm to the point now where you were in 1970 whatever it was in the beginning for you I was a leech and you Christy Minstrels of had a hit show here in this town on the strip and I'm not on the fence now. I'm in a position where I really don't know what to do at this point. I have my goal my goal is to do exactly what you're doing to be the headliner on that major stage on the thing and do it. But it's

it's got to the point now where I can work I can make decent money but how do you get through to the Johnny Carson's and the people like that nowadays it's really difficult very very difficult that they I think are good that is just my opinion. What I've always done is you have your major goal but you enjoy your trip. Oh I do you know you write because otherwise you're really going to be down on a lot of people it happens up it was like I'm going to go to Paris by boat the whole way over you're miserable when we're going to go to Paris and I'm like I don't want to bumping into you. Will you get to enjoy the trip. Yeah you're ready so you're enjoying the trip there and then it's a freak thing. But it is a RICO thing. I think a career that I've seen turn around and people I've known that I happen to be somewhere with someone who caught someone and Johnny Carson walked in To Catch a Rising Star New York one day and saw this young comedian David say on the stage. Joe Joe what's Johnny doing that he was there. Yeah the kid was there to kill was hot it was good the next week on The Tonight Show. That's how those things.

Rico time how they happen all over again. Yeah yeah you get your start in on a story a story not a story on I'm going to do this they know that I'm going to do one of those I'm going to do this because I said I'm on the lookout for making this will you be a little bit. So how does this relate to this whole concept of peaking. Do you really have a peak is that so why don't we oh yeah I think you must have it you do have a piece now you got a fine. Everyone has their idea of what their peak is and whether they can stand it if they start to slide down I've always felt that. What I wanted to do is I would call it quits when one when it wasn't fun walking out there. I mean the minute I saw backstage sometimes I don't feel like working you know any juggler. But you get out there and it's good. But if I ever walk out then it's not good it's not fun it's just like it's almost road I'm almost like phoning or whatever it is that's the day you call it quits like the greyhound dog knows when he waits for the rabbit to come around rather than chase it it's over. And the other is the audience lets you know all of a sudden you're playing and not on the talk about time during a recession or depression. You're playing a club where you

always sold out there were lines around the block and now you go in there and are 200 seats missing you think well maybe it's all something and then a year later or six months later you go back to town and the other 400 seats empty. They want to tell you something if you can't think how to revitalize your career for me anyway I'm going to cash it in. And it's for the whole climate I had somebody say to me was close with me and my my corporation kind of thing. And he said to me we're walking and he said boy I said it's he said it's it's lonely at the top. Condiments only at the top and sometimes it is but it was so damn crowded the bottom of. Anything. Yeah. Like the theater or the radio. It is the future. Well I think I might do movies. My attitude has always

been if I do it great and if I thought it's no great loss I mean you know like I said I had three dollars and I did The Tonight Show so I'm way ahead of the game now. You know you don't portray yourself well I would I would portray myself let's say someone bought my book and said Now you want us after that we have this kid play you're the kid with the big nose and of course going to play you till 12 and then you'll take over. I would do it if it's well done. I would do a dramatic role if I felt I could do it. I certainly cannot do a timepiece in England because I could do it on the street because I grew up that way. I don't long for the movies and I've always been an outsider in show business. And in a way self-imposed and that is that when I was told I had to go to Hollywood and I had to go to parties with the people I know how to talk to these people how to get in go with them and how to act a certain way. I stayed in New York City and I said you know want I'm going let the public I'm trying get a public swell to put me up there because of the public does it that only the public can take it away from me and I won't have it. So I I've been an outsider. I never like my father said you're going to watch the guy with the attache

case and I always have. And as an outsider no one's beaten down an era of comedy movies. And here I consider myself in the top whatever 20 of comedians today. I've never made a movie and everyone anyone who could tell a joke is in a movie it almost seems. But I don't begrudge because I'm having a good time on on the road. However if I am contacted about it and there are there's one script done now that has been passed around and I just in the throes of getting money everything is sort of been locked in with me playing the lead in the movie. If that comes through great. We'll be right back to continue this but also to say about a television series that he did which was in one place and Rave success in another place didn't go anywhere. Wilson is one. We'll be right back. It's over I think. Thank. You.

Oh. Some years ago there was a movie in was called sham pool and all of a sudden I grabbed David Brown and they said hey let's do a television series based maybe on his character or some of the situation let's call it snip. And all of a sudden I'm doing television series

came out and you did seven episodes right. Yes we did with the James coma. We did seven episodes five of which were completed in the can and then I write about this in a book as I'm asked a lot about this which is interesting to people remember the series was back in 76. Well what happened is the network came down with the edict that it was too offbeat quote unquote. And the other theories that we came before were supposed to air the next week Reece was a premier It's never happened in the history I mean that a show is canceled the week before it aired. And I want to say like don't take it personally it's like I don't want to see a woman says no as adult like a person you know I don't think much of an object. So what happened that was really I think and justified in a sense is that the show was bought by Australian television and they aired it Monday through Friday the five shows biggest hit in the history of Australian television and less than one who was not really was not quite unknown. I think they

may have known it. I was completely unknown and Australia and they called up and they said give us all those snips you can and I said we did the only thing that bothers me about the cancellation of the show because I'm not only am I one of the only performers who was ever in a series that was canceled a week before it aired I'm also the only performer who because of a canceled series became a star when I went back on the road the crowds it was like they saw the show. I packed the rooms I could on the stair like were they in the studio audience with me. What bothered me is they didn't let the public. Decide what to do with it. That's what bothers me. If the public would have said you know brown away like a ha ha you're funny want to Tonight Show your funny. But you're not making it here. I would've said hey you know you're Tommy and you're right folks and OK let's go on to the next chapter. But it was it was just that it was meeting some men and and then and then of course then came out or the other shows I don't watch much television or what is the reason for something on all these shows are really risque. So I think they don't like it because I was a divorced man living in the same house as my

ex-wife but I was sleeping on the sofa and she was upstairs and it was another hairdresser who was gay and 1076 there were no gay people in America just like there were no blacks until 1968 you know. And so far we have no Indians you know. So I was unfortunate I think for that reason but the economics of it just precludes taking those kinds of chances and learning something. Letting the audience know you mean can afford to let the series go on where you can in their mind. No I don't think that was a because they had already paid for those shows. They could have let the five of them run then cancel it. Here they'd pay for it and then get anything back you know and get a thing back for it something like the money we gave the European to World War 2. There's nothing like the idea that we or we feel that they really know what they're doing. These people in that great big network in the sky or whatever it is they really do know what they're doing. Like you say you know why didn't they.

It makes no sense no here is here is I believe this to be true. And any president I say just like the president is stuck in Washington and getting advice. And he's in a vacuum. TV executives are not traveling around America saying what makes America laugh to have a laugh machine that tells them what's funny that's not what's funny. If you go out and you hear America laughing and you play all the states and you're in the small towns in the big cities and you're on the road I'm like a guerrilla fighter I'll tell you what the war is about don't tell me from your map I'm there and and and they don't really know if they knew what was funny they'd be funny and they're not. It's like police squad which was our last scene which was I think he was trying to cough and good is just too good. The American public doesn't want anything that good. He actually made a mistake. Yeah I know but I don't I think it is really wrong to base and underestimate the intelligence or the taste of the American people I think that's a vest vest.

Because I'm out there and I do very hip stuff at times in the smallest little town you with the R. come on I mean these people walk around like hayseed time. Yeah and maybe hey see time for them in our town. They have television they have magazines they have newspapers what are we talking about here. America isn't like it was years ago where you had to pare some a little hipper but America's not as dumb as that. What do you think television viewing you know it used to be that the cable networks and these other reselect division all that kind of thing were eating into the networks maybe five eight percent of their business. The you know it's 20 percent. People are saying we don't want to watch you on your bad day. And executives they say I can say all this because I got the money now. Fred McKelvey you've been in the media all media for a long time. You know the business. If you were sitting there as a producer right now and you had this talented man given what you know and you had a whole group of writers over here is there one idea that would come to your mind that you know you would like to do a show

around this particular personality or is it too much as a sitcom or anything where you have the choice. Of vehicle that would drive the vehicle. David Bradley very low. Become a car you know you will get it. I am by the way when he's thinking of the idea is going to make both of us poor. I am at the time at this time now and all these years in a row and everything else I'm trying to lay back in 1983 is not a real good year of work leisure and I'm just like a little tired. Let me just stay back a little bit and not go around the country as much I'm a little tired and now I'm starting to put out the word that amateurs that

go back into operation because I've been asked to go back in television and it was an idea and there are people who are interested that we just started talking that affect our talk about the meeting I'm having and that's part of it and I may do it a sitcom but again you see it as a control factor and it has to be and I don't want to work in L.A. You would rather work with I'd rather work in New York I would make the move because I could I you know I could go without reading for a while you know it isn't like I need an ID for example. The point of it is that I once told of an executive who is trying to make me say something and I didn't think was funny he said we'll sweeten it and I've never done why I've never been on variety shows because they don't have any answers because I won't do a show without an audience because I want to know the people are laughing and I want them to play with a machine. So I was not a thing about that anyway. So I said no no you see. This may sound really corny to you but when I go out on stage I'm very honest with the audience. And now that I'm on television I got to be honest with them and I don't think this is honest this isn't funny. I don't believe it's funny and I don't try and sell something that I believe is funny and we had a big impasse

there and then I had the ultimate weapon which is called You Don't open your mouth. So when the cover goes on you just go in. And after I did that they said What's the matter. I said nothing I told you what WAS amount before the meeting. I just refused to do the line. So you know I if I had real quality I think I have Barney Miller I think is quality more what I thought was a funny show. Barney Miller and and there been a few good quality mash mash of course and the MTM show isn't there yet a lot of empty anymore. Yeah Bob Newhart definitely a quality production. So there are chances of do funny shows. I might do it I might though I just the writers. Let me go for a little a little bit just a little. Will you have one OK. Thank you very super rich. But I'm curious from Kate on whether or

not you have thought of doing something with some of the rising comedians you mention that you that you're being a star on The Tonight Show and what's your inclination toward starting someone else for the record. Because I want to stay were high. I see I've always I've always always Tighe me the young new bright comedian Dave Brown and I've been doing here so much and I like to think I'm young and bright but I'm not new anymore. And the reason I think they keep tagging me with that is because it's a matter of no one coming along and along and since then who is the new comedian there been large I mean is it sort of like sparkled. And if it is and I think the problem with comedians of there's any problem at all. I would put my finger on. It's that you see they have interchangeable X and you can have that and be a star. You can have an unchangeable are caused be cannot do prior prior cannot to Carl and Carl and I can't do Richie. And so we're there. But these

new fellows if you gave them each others actions that I'd like you go on with Harrison how are you going with Bob's. They both kill with the same jokes. That lacks that individuality that something that makes them set up a stand alone. And that's what's been a problem. But I would be glad that there's not a lot of work but the certainly room for more laughter So talk about the luck factor. I find given a few guy I'll tell you I could I put on his first time on Tonight Show and I thought a year to get Gallagher on a you know a year it took me to get him on and when he went on he was so great. I can't get him when I host. That's how I come up with an idea. Before we get back with the idea but I had a question and it goes back to the word confidence I think back to the time when you were costar of Joan Rivers audition for The Tonight Show at like 7. We have one minute.

All right get out of here. Would you would you have come back separate anyway. No way. If not the first time that I would have gotten out of there. No way. I'm not I don't want to be in showbiz I'm not crazy about what he didn't want to be but he isn't and he's one of the top ones David Brown a nice one.