Gilbert Gottfried's Amazing Colossal Podcast - GGACP Classic: Paula Prentiss and Richard Benjamin Part 2

Episode Date: April 24, 2025

GGACP's celebration of National Couples Appreciation Month continues with a revisit of this conclusion of a 2-part interview with veteran screen performers Richard Benjamin and Paula Prentiss. In this episode, Richard and Paula talk about sharing the stage with their children, celebrating 60 years of marriage, casting the comedy classic “My Favorite Year” and filming “The Stepford Wives,” “Westworld,” Diary of a Mad Housewife” and “The Parallax View.” Also, Mel Brooks produces “The Elephant Man,” Orson Welles intimidates the cast of “Catch-22,” Paula’s mom chats up William S. Burroughs and Richard lists his favorite Paula Prentiss performances. PLUS: “Captain Nice”! Elsa Lanchester! The genius of Michael Crichton! The irrepressible Bill Macy! And Richard and Paula remember Yul Brynner, Buck Henry, Jack Klugman and George Segal! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Okay, Martin, let's try one. Remember, big. You got it. The Ford It's a Big Deal event is on. How's that? Uh, a little bigger. The Ford It's a Big Deal event. Nice. Now the offer? Lease a 2025 Escape Active all-wheel drive from 198 bi-weekly at 1.99% APR for 36 months with $27.55 down. Wow, that's like $99 a week.

Yeah, it's a big deal. The Ford It's a Big Deal event. Visit your Toronto area Ford store or Ford.55 down. Wow, that's like $99 a week. Yeah, it's a big deal. The Ford It's a Big Deal event. Visit your Toronto area Ford store or Ford.ca today. From early morning workouts that need a boost to late night drives that need vibes, a good playlist can help you make the most out of your everyday. And when it comes to everyday spending,

you can count on the PC Insider's World Elite Mastercard to help you earn the most PC optimum points everywhere you shop. With the best playlists, you never miss a good song. With this card, you never miss out on getting the most points on everyday purchases. The PC Insider's World Elite MasterCard, the card for living unlimited. Conditions apply to all benefits. Visit PCFinancial.ca for details. TV comics, movie stars, hit singles and some toys.

Trivia and dirty jokes, an evening with the boys, once is never good enough for something so fantastic. So here's another Gilbert and Franks, here's another Gilbert and Franks, here's another Gilbert and Franks! Here's another Gilbert and Franks! Here's another Gilbert and Franks! Colossal Classic Hey everyone, Frank here and this is part two of a pretty special interview with actors and longtime married couple Richard Benjamin and Paul Apprentice. As I said last week, it was too hard to chop anything out of this one. It was so packed. So we made it a special two-parter and as promised part two offers a little bit of everything. We

remember Yul Brynner and Jack Klugman two great actors that Richard worked with. Paul and Richard talk about their longtime pals Buck Henry and the late great George Siegel and Richard tells us about Orson Welles visiting the set of Catch-22, which is memorable, and as discussed last week, a pretty terrific Mel Brooks story. We talk a little bit of Stepford Wives with Paula, as I said, a smorgasbord, a little bit of everything.

So enjoy. Gil and I hope you guys get a kick out of this conclusion of our interview with the great Richard Benjamin and Paul Apprentice. Paula, Jack Cassidy, could he be a handful? Oh, he was fabulous. He was very, very funny. Charming guy. In real life and everything. Very charming, absolutely, yeah. Yeah, he was great. Not difficult because we'd heard things. We'd heard he could be. Oh, he was never difficult. Yeah. Yeah, he was great not if not difficult because we'd heard things we'd heard he could be

Oh, he was never different ever. He was wonderfully outrageous. Yeah But but not difficult, you know, we love he's we love character He strikes me as he strike me as last of those big Movie star. Yes. Yes. Yeah, you know like who just loved being a so yeah he did he loved it yeah he absolutely loved it yeah it's great to see them on YouTube and it's great to see these great character actors of the day like Charles Lane and Jack Rushton and yeah Harold Gould and Stother Martin and Alice Harold Gould was my teacher at a women's college I went to in Virginia.

Wow. He was a teacher. Rhoda's dad. Yes. Yeah, Valerie Harper. Yes, that's right. And he came out to Hollywood. It was fantastic.

Yeah, and had a nice career. Very nice. Alice Gosling, our friend John Aston. It's great. It's, but it is interesting, interesting Richard because had it been a hit and had you had a five or six or seven year run Yeah, you know that's the thing about this, you know You just the thing to know is that you don't know you don't know anything the road not taken I got a couple questions here from listeners that wanted to ask you guys questions

I got a couple of questions here from listeners that wanted to ask you guys questions Rob Martinez Richard. Why did you turn down the turn down a role in the towering inferno? Well, which I didn't know well me either I've never heard that But I'm interested if it's coming up again. I can put out that fire, come on. They don't do the same research we do. Also from Rob Pollack, can you tell us anything about being in the parallax view? Yeah, I can. Working with Walter was, I mean, yes, was was wonderful. I don't mean Walter.

Warren. Warren, yeah, because he was very particular about what takes he liked and didn't like. And we did several takes for that first film, first movie in the film. And it was great working with him because he was so detailed and he wanted so many specific things. Yeah, oh yeah, sure work with him again. Here's another one for Paula from Michelle Mantien then. Paula, do you consider The Stepford Wives to be a horror film, a black comedy, a thriller, or some combination? As a woman, I find the movie hilarious and terrifying at the same time. That's exactly right, yep. I think it's hilarious and terrifying at the same time. That's exactly right.

Yeah, I think it's hilarious and terrifying. Could you not could you not stay? What was it that that Catherine Ross couldn't bring herself to stab you in the in the in the in the climax and that I heard Brian Forbes had to do it? No, no. This is the bullshit you read on the Internet. Yeah. No. No, this is the bullshit you read on the internet. No.

And Richard, getting back to Goodbye Columbus for a second, you worked with the great Jack Jackson. Oh yeah, wonderful, yeah. Yeah, could you tell us a little about him? Well, you know, he, again, here's 12 Angry Men and all of these incredible movies of that period, Sidney Lumet and all of that. And then all of a sudden you're working with a legendary actor and a wonderful actor. And again, it's like you did the wonderful impression of Mason.

It was the same with Mason and Klugman. It wasn't like you were acting with them. It was like it was real and it was there. And then Klugman was like that too. You had no choice but to be in the moment with them because they were alive and not acting. It seemed like it was really was really happening that was a wonderful experience working with him and Mason was one of the greatest experiences I've ever had. I was going to save this question to the end of the show but I'm going to ask it early. Paula what's your favorite Richard

Benjamin performance? Did that happen the other night honey I mean I've been on screen or stage do you have a performance of Richards that that that you watch and you say just damn that's good oh I got him right there so I don't have to go watch any movie how about the how about the the the creep he plays in, uh, in Dire of a Mad Housewife? Yeah, that was cool, wasn't it? Yeah. A little too convincing, Richard. Well, she said to me, don't bring that character into this house.

She actually said that, said that to me. Because I, when I was doing it, I said, oh, I learned how to make a Caesar salad and, um, these things are very particular to me. Because what I was doing I said, oh I learned how to make a Caesar salad and these things are very particular to me. She said I don't want to hear it. That's great. Same question Richard. Do you have a performance of Paulas that is special to you or that you're particularly impressed by? Here's the thing. I think there's too many to actually single any out. However, when you mentioned Paralek's view, I mean, I thought she's completely brilliant in that. Yes.

And that's not a comedy, you know, because she can do both brilliantly. I love her in Man's Favorite Sport. She's so alive and loose and funny. And someone told me early on, I learned early on, do not, during he and she I would make a suggestion to her about a line reading or something or a way to do something. And I quickly learned that's a mistake because what goes on in there is something so special that you can't mess with it.

You just can't mess with it. It's alive in there and what comes out is the truth. So there are so many. and what comes out is the truth. So there are so many. I like Bobby, Paul, your crazy would-be singer character in Last of the Red Hot Lovers. That's great, yeah. With Arkin. You're just bouncing off the walls,

and every man who's ever been single has dated some woman like that. Do you like working with Alan? We had Alan here. Oh, he's great. Absolutely great. Yeah. And also the character in Stepford Wives was also named Bobby.

Were there protests? What was the reaction to Stepford Wives were were were were certain women protesting I know certain feminists it rubbed the wrong way well there was something about it but I guess it what hadn't been brought to my attention I didn't feel those things mm-hmm another actor we've had on the show that we wanted to ask about, because we thought he was terrific, and that's Bill Macy. Late great Bill Macy.

Yeah, great, absolutely great. Yeah, he was so great in Favorite Year. Yeah, I had a wonderful cast in Favorite Year, and I had Selma Diamond, who I said, if I can't get Selma Ritter, I'll have Selma Diamond. The best. The best. The best. And Joe and everybody in that.

That was like a dream. And it was Paula's idea to cast Peter because she had worked with him in What's New Pussycat. But it was a dream that that whole again you know it's it's luck that i would get that you know thrown my way you know so macy was here we had him on the show we lost we lost bill i guess a year ago and he was here twice and we got to know him and he was so happy to do the show and he was so

so excited that we were recalling things and bringing things up that he hadn't thought about in 50, 60 years. But he was also brutally honest. Yeah. Yeah. He really kind of let it, he didn't seem to have much love for Tony Curtis. Oh no.

Which he made clear to us. Oh, I see. And I remember my wife and I went out to LA and we gave Bill a call and he said he'd meet us at the hotel, but first he has to make a stop and pick up some whitefish. And we were sitting in the lobby of this hotel and he's eating. That seems right.

He was lovely. He was lovely. On the subject of my favorite year, which, you know, and shout out to our mutual friend, Norman Steinberg and that whole wonderful cast, but you must tell the story of trying to cast Bologna because it's so funny. Oh Yeah So Mel says the Mel Brooks says okay Get Joe Bologna. He's he'll be Sid Caesar go go get him

So I call Joe and I said there's a movie we're doing and we would like you to look at this part and he said well what is it and I said well I'll send you the script okay so wait a day or so I call him he said well I read it but I'm very flattered and thanks so much for thinking of me but I no thank you this isn't for me so I call I said oh oh, sorry to hear that, are you sure? Yeah, I'm sure, yeah. I tell Mel, Mel, he said, no, he's, Mel then standing up and jumping up in the air

said to me, unacceptable, unacceptable. I said, what, unacceptable, unacceptable. I said, what's unacceptable? It's unacceptable, call him and tell him. He's got to do it. I said, Mel, he doesn't wanna do it. He said, unacceptable. And now he's actually running around the room saying this.

I said, okay, so I called Joe. Listen, I talked to Mel and he really would like it. We all want you to, he said, okay, so I called Joe. Listen, I talked to Mel and he really would like it. We all want you to... He said, listen, I'm so flattered, but please, please take it. It's a no, okay. I go back. Listen, Mel, this was final. He said, absolutely not. Unacceptable, it's unacceptable. Now he's on a chair jumping up and down.

Call him. I said, he doesn't wanna do it. I said, this is getting embarrassing. Call him up. I called him. I said, Joe, I'm so sorry to bother you, but Mel is, you know, he's insistent. We all are, and I know you've said absolutely no.

And he said, please do not call me anymore. This is getting embarrassing and humiliating for all of us. It's definitely no. Are you sure? Because, you know, he said, don't call me anymore. I go back, Mel, this time he said, don't call him ever again. Unacceptable, it's unacceptable.

Call him, I said, he said, don't call him anymore. Unacceptable, call him. Joe, the fact that you even took my call and everything, we just want to say, he said, I'll do it. When do we start? We love that. That's a great showbiz story. Yeah, and I go to Mel, he's committed. He's going to do it.

He said, yeah, yeah, so, yeah, sure. I mean, it's... I learned a lot about producing working with Mel. Stan, what do you think? I don't know. He is a legend. One of the biggest stars ever. He's one of a kind. A guy like this is irreplaceable. Replace him, Leo.

You can't! Too risky. He's out. King! You're right. This is too risky. You can't take a chance with something like this. Look, King, you're a big star now. And I'm sure you always will be. But suppose, just suppose, and I know this is never gonna happen,

but suppose someday you wind up like this. I hope nobody does to you what you're doing to him. Thumper. Who are you to talk to me like that, you little Jiminy Cricket pest bastard? All right, he gets one more chance. Yes! Yes! So, is Mel as totally insane as he appears to be? Along with being a genius, yes.

I mean, it's not insane, it's on another level, and it's always funny. It's always funny. And he's, you know, he's very perceptive, and also, when you think of some of the serious pictures, you know, that he's done, I mean, it's, he's, you know, he's got a wide it's he's you know he's got a wide wide range. Oh you mean like elephant man and pictures that he produced. Yes, yes, yeah.

He's got a wide range of interests and stuff and but at the bottom of it it there's there's this level of always funny. Paula, you've worked with Richard a bunch of times in Catch 22 and he and she and Saturday the 14th, SNL. What's what's what did you learn from working with your spouse? Good and bad. Actually, it's it's always good. I it's such a relief for me in real life.

No, that's not true. It's such a relief from him in real life. No, that's not true. Can he be a little bit of a diva from time to time, or is he just... Is he all professional? You're under oath. I remind you, you're under oath. If you want to make 60 years, honey, let's give the right answer. Which leads me to this question from a listener, Dan Fisher. Please ask these wonderful people, how the hell does anybody stay married for six decades

and throughout the swinging 60s and the sexual revolution of the 70s yet? That is my way of congratulating these people on their 60th wedding anniversary of Mazel Tov. Holy cow. And do you have any advice, he says, for someone who's only been married 27 years? Yes, I would say get into everything that comes along. Can you elaborate? I can't believe it. No.

That's why I love her. There's no way of knowing what that means. You see. You know, and that's why I love her. Yeah. I love there's a there was a Village Voice article about you, Paula, a couple of years ago, and it was called, is it Paula Paula? What is it? Paula Prentice Pursues Her Own Orbit. And I love that title. Yeah, I love I love that headline.

Is that true? Is that fair to say? Oh, yeah. Yeah, I think so. Tell us something Richard about Westworld. And Gilbert loved this, that you had to take it because you said for a Jew from the Upper West Side, this is his one shot to be in a Western. I'm gonna be riding a horse out in the desert. I'm gonna be riding a horse out in the desert I'm gonna be drawing against Yul Brynner and with a six gun how's that gonna happen? Oh and that brings up Yul Brynner. Yeah. What was he like? Oh he was great. He was really who... People thought he invented himself, you know, but that invention was all real.

It was completely real. One day, he asked me to go with him to lunch. When we were breaking, right near the studio there, to a sushi restaurant that he loved. to a sushi restaurant that he loved. And he said, I know about this kind of food, I've spent time in Japan and all, I thought, well, this might just be another story. And when we walk into the place, there's the people behind the counter, oh, Mr. Brindis on Sunday, and now in fluent Japanese,

just to all the people in the place, and ordering and everything. Yeah, he was an inspiration really. He taught me a lot of things and he loved being there. He absolutely loved being there. There was a day he wasn't called and he showed up at the studio and came on to the soundstage and the ADs, the first AD went over to the second and he said, did you call him? And he said no. He said, well, somebody must have called him. He said, I didn't call him because he's here. He said, you know, there's going to be hell to pay if somebody has called him in and he doesn't work today.

And they went, the first AD went to him and he said gee mr. Brenner. We're so sorry, you know Did you get a call to come? He said no and they said well, why are you here? And he said I can't think of a better place to be How about that? He loved being there. He loved making movies and he loved being there and we had a great time. I He taught me how to shoot a six gun without blinking. He taught me all these kind of things. He was a wonderful man and we saw him in his last performance of The King and I.

He was The King and I. He was dying of cancer, but he said when we went back there to see him afterwards and when you saw him in his dressing room he was almost half the size that he was on stage, you know, and he said the King gives me life. Wow. Yeah, he was he was doing it because it gave him something. What an electric performer. You know, Crichton was a visionary. You know, looking at how he was limited

by the special effects of the day, Richard, and I'm watching it the other day, and I'm thinking, my God, had he lived to see HBO's Westworld, had he lived to see CGI and computer technology at the time, trying to get a shot through a robot's point of view was a nightmare for him. Really a guy who was, again, ahead of his time. Way ahead. And yet, it's true, you know, all the technical things, but the original ideas are Michael's. I mean, this thing to this day of, you know,

relying on machines and all of that, that was him, you know, right from the beginning. He was a real visionary and also a pretty wonderful guy. Did you shoot those Roman scenes at the old Harold Lloyd estate? Yes, yeah we did. Wow. Yeah we did. And Paul you came out in the desert when we were out there. Yeah we had a

wonderful time. A movie that holds up very very well. You know Richard, my favorite year is turning 40 next year. Good heavens. As you probably know. We, my favorite year's turning 40 next year. Good heavens. As you probably know. We should do, and we will. We love this. If you're up for it, we love this movie so much.

We'll get you and Norman and find Jessica Harper and Mark, and we'll do a panel. We'll do a reunion panel. I would like that. Would that be fun? That'd be a lot of fun, yeah. That'd be great, Jessica and everybody, and Mark'd be a lot of fun. Yeah, that'd be great Jessica and everybody. Just to see everybody again. Yeah, that'd be great. Tell me

Paula about, tell me about getting to act with your son, with Ross on stage. Yeah, yes that's right. We did that. Well Well I've managed to act with my son and with my daughter in two separate plays. Oh I forgot, in Prentice, yes. Yeah uh-huh. I don't know it was just wonderful. When we went to Northwestern it was the theater that we were interested in so I always had that in the back of my mind maybe we could do those kinds of things together. And you know when they were doing a majority of one, right, with Ross? Is that right? No.

Did you do all my sons? We did all my sons. Yeah. No, but you did, I think the majority, he was in that. We did all my sons together, but just you and he and somebody and the nice other fellow you played against. Of course, my information's been suspect today, but I have... Do you have it? I have Glass Menagerie, Mrs. Warren's Profession, which I think you did with Prentice.

That's right. Yeah. And All My Sons, but maybe I'm missing it. Well, All My Sons we did at Shadowlands, which we all did together, but I'm pretty sure, the reason why I'm pretty sure, I was in the audience. I did a little theater here on Pico and Ross is in it with Paula and Ross looks a great deal like me. Yes, I noticed that.

And I'm sitting in the audience and there are two some ladies behind me and they say well that Paul Apprentice looks very good and they said yes but that that Richard Benjamin looks incredible. I can hear them say this. He is the spitting image of you. He is. Ross, what do you know? I assume you both were. Richard, you were interviewed for the Mike Nichols book, for Mark Harris's terrific book.

It's a good book. That's what I hear. Now, here's the thing. I haven't read it yet. A lot of my friends have read it. Am I quoted in there? You are. In five or six different pages.

Paula is as well. Well, I guess we were, but I don't remember that. Or maybe he used them from other sources? Maybe, because our friend, George, you know, Passiegel, who just passed away. Yeah, we're going to ask you about George. Yeah. Called me when he said, I said, have you read the book?

And he said, I'll read any book that's got Richard Benjamin running through it. So I thought, I'm in there, but I don't remember being interviewed by him, Mark Harris. I don't remember that. Maybe it's from something else. I hear it's really good. He's talking about catch-22. Uh-huh and and that that

You know that you had us you had a pre-existing relationship with Nichols. Yeah And that you I that you would pull I'm trying to remember it now because I read I read the book months ago What but we did want to ask about catch-22 because you were that's a set you were both on together. Yeah Memories of Orson. You know, we've had you are the, let's see, Gilbert, we've had Bob Balaban was here. Peter Bonners was here. Buck was here.

Austin Pendleton was here. Oh, good. And the two of you. So we're slowly recreating this cast. Yes, right. Oh the two of you. So we're slowly recreating this cast. Yes, right. Yeah. Oh yes, yes. Quite, it was quite something. So Orson, Mike, Mike came to us before Orson arrived. He said, now you know me as who I am, but when Orson is here, I may appear to be a completely different person. You may not recognize me at all. Just wanted to let you know that. So Orson comes and he is dressed

in his General Dreidel, General's uniform, and we get the cast is all called together by the first ad and he said now we've got this message that mr. Wells does not want to be approached by anybody in the cast talk to at any time except when we're actually shooting so please keep your distance and we thought oh that's too bad. Citizen Kane and all these fabulous movies and all of these things. We can't talk to him about any of that. No, no. Just keep your distance.

He'll be here for two weeks and then be gone. So now we're sitting there, all of us out in the middle of Wymus in the desert. We have, it's you know 110 degrees and we have umbrellas over us but we're at a distance. He's sitting alone under his umbrella, you know about 30 feet away or something and after a couple of hours a second AD comes to us and said, Mr. Wells is quite upset. I said, why? Nobody's talked to him.

We haven't bothered him. We haven't gone near him. He said, well, that's the thing. He wonders why everybody is keeping away from him. He doesn't understand. Is it something you think he did? We were told to stay away from him. And we said, well, who told you that?

It doesn't matter who told us, we're telling you, why do you think we're all over here? So all of us, we've got these little camp chairs and we all scuttle over right up to him with our chairs and everything and begin this, you know, nonstop stories and conversations. And what he doesn't know he starts in a story about Leland Hayward who was a didn't he produce

what's new pussy cat anyway a big producer his daughter Brooke Hayward who I think was going with Buck at the time, is sitting right there with us. And he launches into an incredibly complicated story of all kinds of things that happened with he and Leland Hayward and very particular things, scandalous things and all of this, and he finishes. And then Brooke leans over and she said Mr. Wells I'm Brooke Hayward I'm Leland Hayward's daughter and I don't think any of that happened and he said you know you may be right.

Paul did you meet Orson too? Did you find him strangely intimidating or larger than life or? Larger than life. Yeah. Yeah. He wasn't intimidating, but he was there. Yeah, sure. And once we all opened up it was, you know, just all these fabulous stories and all of these things and he he also left. When he was gone Mike decided he needed some kind of shot or something of Orson in the background but he was gone and they said we'll get somebody a body double I just need him in the background they said well there might be a problem so why

well because of Orson and you know his good size we only made one general dreidel uniform and he left wearing it we don't have the uniform anymore. He's got it. Hilarious. We will return to Gilbert Gottfried's amazing colossal podcast, but first a word from our sponsor. Spring is here and you can now get almost anything you need delivered with Uber Eats. What do we mean by almost? You can't get a well groomed lawn delivered, but you can get chicken parmesan delivered.

Sunshine? No. Some wine? Yes. Get almost, almost anything delivered with Uber Eats. You guys have been very, very generous with your time. We want to just ask you quickly, since you brought up George, before George passed, we lost Buck a couple of years ago, and since you were here. Just a couple, you both knew him well. Just a couple of words about the great Buck Henry from two people who were close to him. The great, I think that's the perfect adjective for him. He was always, always funny and very sweet and very sexy. Very sexy. Very sexy.

Very sexy little guy. Yeah. Now, I hope I'm not coloring outside the lines here, but Lorraine Newman told us that she went to his house and she saw, do you remember this, Gilbert? That he had some kind of sex swing in the house. Yeah. Sounds about right.

That sounds right. Doesn't it? Yeah. That sounds about right. Yeah. Sounds about right. That sounds right, doesn't it? Yeah. That sounds about right. Yeah. That sounds absolutely right. Possibility for sure. The thing about him being so witty and sharp and everything,

but underneath was a tremendous sweetness. And what I learned, because we were about to work on something together actually His main thing was being original When you look at all of his work sure what he wouldn't couldn't do wouldn't do was imitate anything It had to be original for him to be interested in it involved in it. And we had wonderful times together. A trip down to Chichen Itza. And all that, remember? And yeah, we had a wonderful trip together.

And all of it, yeah. What a legacy and a body of work. And you know, he was compromised, obviously, when he came here to do the show, but he gave us an hour and a half of his time and his stories. And Gilbert, wasn't that special? Yeah. He was, yeah, he was definitely getting weaker, but boy, he had the memory. And he still was well really

still pissed off that CBS put another superhero spoof opposite Captain Nice oh yeah yeah and Paula sister was in that and Prentice yes yeah yeah yeah and Gilbert will now sing the theme song won't you Gilbert? Look it's a man who flies around like an eagle look it's a man who hates all that's illegal who is this man with arms built just like hammers it's just another round in pajamas that's no not son that's Captain Nice That's no not son. That's captain nice There's no other place that we could hear this except right here

I'm pretty sure that's for walking for Ann. Yeah and lastly you both your friend and and Paul your co-star and Did you work with him as well Rich with George? Yeah I do the last married couple in America. Oh I'm sorry the last married couple in America, my bad. We only knew each other 50 years right? You know we tried you know we were very proud of the people that we've been able to book on this show and in the seven years that we've been doing this you

you obviously get what this show is about it's a labor of love we love sitting with people like you and recreating the past. It's just wonderful for us you know thank you very much but boy George was the one that got away right well wait yeah he would have loved it he would have I wish I had known because he would have loved it yeah we asked Ron and Jessica I think asked him for us to uh-huh Liebman and yes we just couldn And we just couldn't close the deal. I remember though hearing or reading an interview

that George Segal, as much as he said, he looks like he's having fun on these interviews shows, taking the banjo out and playing it. And he says, he's doing a performance of a guy having a good time. I think I could have gotten him here because I would have driven him. If I could have picked him up and put him in a car, I probably could. I'm sorry. I didn't think to ask you sooner Because that would be more his thing. Oh, what do you mean?

I have to go downstairs and get in my car and I don't think so. Yeah, they don't make them like that anymore No, yeah Yeah, I think our favorite Gilbert and the Gilbert's favorite in mine and of course he did wonderful work Whereas Papa you directed the TV version of that. Yes, yeah, great in that. We loved No Way to Treat a Lady. Yeah. Yes.

And he could do anything. Before we jump off, because Gilbert worships the Bride of Frankenstein, and Elsa Lanchester was directed by you in the Where's Papa pilot. So great. So great. Anything you can share? Well, she was, you know, first of all she was totally, you know, there and with it and sharp and everything and she was just fabulous and Marvin Wirth produced that and in the beginning, you know like with the movie the son Tries to kill her yes dresses a per you know and tries to kill her and then he

shows the shows the pilot to ABC and they say Is this woman crazy so they said, we can't have any crazy mothers on this network. And he said, well. So he said, well, let's say she's eccentric. They said, nope, she's crazy and we're not picking this show up. So, you know, it's like,

didn't they know what we were making there? But she was, you know, the idea of working with the bride of Frankenstein I mean you think in your life you're growing up in the west side of New York and you're a kid and you think let's see let's see one day I'll be working with the bride of Frankenstein and they say yeah put him away you know just take him away. It's a film buff like you I mean that's that's catnip that's a thrill throw boy. Oh boy. Yeah. Yeah Yeah, look at these people you look at this journey from Northwestern University where it's taken you both. Oh, yeah

We're very blessed. We know we know that we're very blessed. Yeah, and it's and that's that thing of Paula She's at Randolph-Macon woman's college and she goes for a summer session at Northwestern and transfers. And you talk about the road taken, the road not taken. And there she is and all of that. I mean, life is quite something. How much of your personal success did both your parents get to enjoy and experience? Well, my mother was around for a long time. In fact, she passed away when I was making the Stegel when Paula was with her. But my dad passed away for me before any of it, but he knew Paula

Oh, and he saw Paula's success and both of her folks saw your success And her mother came out here to be with her when she was making where the boys are Paula how did your mother react to her daughter from a small? Small she is that same. She's just wonderful. She's like that. She grew up in Archer City, Texas. That's what I mean, yeah.

And she's always been like that. She was just funny naturally because that's who she was. How did she wrap her mind around her daughter becoming a movie star and being on a 60-foot screen She probably just thought well, that's the way it should be you know she She was a very and it's where Paula gets it. I think she was a very Down to earth you know it didn't when we over it we Paula took her over to MGM and stuff It wasn't She wasn't impressed by just because somebody when Paula took her over to MGM and stuff,

she wasn't impressed by just because somebody happened to be there, look at that movie star, look at that, it was who the person was. I see. And that's like Paula. So she thought it was of course wonderful, but if it made her daughter happy, that was the most important thing and one night

Dick was doing a play and we had an opening night party and William Burroughs was there because Terry Southern was there and there were all those kind of connections My mother sat next to William Burroughs, and I thought I wonder what this is going to be She was having a delightful time. This is the fellow who I said I don't think mothers read Naked Lunch. Wow. They had a lovely time together. We looked across and she's deep in conversation. This fabulous lady who came, her folks came over here on the Mayflower is in deep conversation with William Burroughs.

I'd love to hear this conversation. I'd love to hear it. Did your mother, and your mother, Richard, did she brag on you? My son's a movie star? She too was, you know know wonderfully real and she was wonderful yeah she and and we were able to you know help her and you know get to do things for her after she had done so much for me and everything so that was

good. That's a nice part of success isn't it that you get to take care of loved ones that saw you through. When your children came to you, Prentice is teaching dance, she's teaching ballet. Yeah. When your children said they wanted to be in the arts, how did you react? Well it was fine with me because Prentice always, she took dancing when she was five and she always continued and teaches it and stuff like that. And Ross has that one thing that he wants to do. And that's that. That's it.

Yeah. Yeah. His wife is a surgeon and they met at Harvard and Liz doesn't care, you know, if he wants to pursue that movie career that's fine with her. I think we're just lucky. I think we're really lucky. He had a part in the Goodbye Girl remake, Richard? Russ? Russ had a part in the Goodbye Girl remake? Yeah, yeah, he did. He was in that group when they were doing Richard the third with Jeff who Jeff of course

is great because we think Gilbert's son is gonna go into comedy I don't know if you know Gilbert's Gilbert sort of bracing himself what do we think you're right well it's only makes sense doesn't it now kill oh perfect, yeah. Yeah, but he's 12 going on 49. Yeah, yeah. And he's a cut-up. Yeah, he sees his dad being so brilliant, so why wouldn't he want to do that?

Well, Richard, as we wind things down, do you regret not giving Gilbert that part in My Stepmother's an Alien all these years later? Well, I think back on it. I think Kim did a really good job and she looked great in that dress. I'm sure Gilbert would have been sensational. Gilbert also lost a part in the movie Dick Tracy, which I bring up because I think you were involved briefly. Oh, for a while I was, yeah. Yeah. Yes, and Warren Beatty was telling me,

oh, you're just, you're perfect. You're just what I'm seeing. Those are the words. Kiss of death. And then after I'm leaving, I'm going to be in this, my agent goes, oh, they're going with someone else. And I said, who are they going with? And he goes, Dustin Hoffman.

Oh, uh-huh, uh-huh. And because I want to know, like, at 3 o'clock in the morning in Hollywood, when they were going, hmm, Gilbert Gottfried or Dustin Hoffman? Let's think about this. Yeah, yeah. See, now, if Richard had stayed on as a director Gottfried of course. Let's think about this. Yeah. Yeah. See, now if Richard had stayed on as a director on Dick Tracy,

you'd have gotten your shot. Yes, definitely. Definitely. No, no, he would have had Kim Basing. Yeah, that could be. Yeah. Test true heart. Yeah.

We will tell our listeners to see these terrific movies, to see The Stepford Wives and The Last of the Red Hot Lovers and Goodbye Columbus and Westworld and Diary of a Mad Housewife, even though Richard's a terrible heel in that. And also Richard's, the films Richard has directed, the wonderful Racing with the Moon and City Heat and Mermaidsids which we love

and and and so many and and we will do that my favorite year reunion if you're up for that be great that'd be great it'll be fun too for us and and your and your son's what still out there auditioning and well he just did something on stars he did a show yeah he has a part on a show on stars and you know they've moved to Atlanta because Liz are Trauma surgeon brilliant daughter-in-law has got a wonderful job there, so but there's a lot of activity in Atlanta now And so he's doing quite well there, and we just had our new granddaughter there and we just had our new granddaughter. Oh congratulations. Thank you. April 22nd Sadie Ruth Schulman. Yeah. How about that Gil? It sounds like show business. Yeah. Sadie Ruth Schulman. Yeah. Yeah.

And Paula decided after watching Gypsy that Sadie should be in show business. That Paula was gonna be the Ethel Merman part and she was gonna get baby Sadie out there. Smile baby Sadie, smile. Yeah. Let's create a dynasty. Let's create a showbiz dynasty like the Barrymores. Yeah. When will you guys write a memoir? Well I have written something. Paula wrote a wonderful it's not quite a what's kind of a memoir, but it's beautifully written and stuff and and and I've written something that somebody's looking at and I don't know we'll see okay. Yeah, okay

We'll save some stories for the book. Okay. Thank you guys for this. Thank you for decades of entertainment on behalf of all the listeners. We enjoyed it so much. Thank you. I told Paula how much, I told Paula how enjoyable this will be and I was right. Thank you both. Thank you. Thank you. Thanks a lot.

Gil, you wanna, you wanna, you wanna take us out? Yes, one more time. Hello, light, goodbye, Colossus. Got a feeling that you're gonna hear from us. Got a feeling that we're gonna get a surprise. Got that look in your eyes. Anyway. Know where the boys are for Paula?

No. Yeah. Do Connie Francie. Where the boys are. We had Neil Sandacca here on this show a while ago. Thank you guys. Thank you for everything. Thanks. And thanks for schlepping to Burbank.

And we want to thank Landromo again and Aristotle Acevedo for making this possible. Thank you Richard Benjamin, Paula Ragusa. Thank you, Richard Benjamin, Paula Ragusa. Thank you. Yes. And this has been Gilbert Gottfried's Amazing Colossal Podcast with my co-host Frank Santopadre. And Frank broke my heart by telling me that you, Paul Apprentice, are a guinea. beginning. And the great Richard Benjamin who to this day I say what I wasn't good enough for my stepmothers and allies. I'm sorry we just went another way. So full of friend, disenriched and happy anniversary 60 years. Thank you. Your heart. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you both. Thank you. Where the bars are, someone waits for me

A smiling face, a warm embrace Two arms to hold me tenderly Hold me tenderly Where the boys are My true love will be He is walking down some street in town, but I know he's looking there for me In the crowd of a million people, I'll climb to the highest steeple And tell the world he's mine He holds me, I wait impatiently. Where the boys are, where the boys are, where the boys are, someone waits for me Till he holds me

away impatiently Where the boys are Where the boys are Where the boys are, where the boys are Someone waits for me Gilbert Gottfried's amazing colossal podcast is produced by Frank Santopadre, Derek Gottfried, and Starburns Audio. Audio production by Aristotle Acevedo and John Murray, editing by Aristotle Lassavedo. Social media production by Greg Pair, Josh Chambers, Michelle Maninan, and Dino Purserpio.

Website supervision by John Bradley Seals. Special thanks to Land Romo, Jack Vaughan, Daniel Spaventa, and Stephen Varley.