I have mentioned my friend Paul Brownstein before. He is the one who showed up for my wedding at the last minute wearing a fur coat!
He knows how to make an entrance.
Paul’s in the business end of show business. He produces DVDs which repackage old TV shows. He is especially involved in finding and producing the special features that come on those DVDs. It’s a fun part of his life, which brings him into contact with loads of (mostly older) celebrities.
Among his latest projects is Phil Silvers “You’ll Never Get Rich,” from the mid-50s. It’s a show more commonly known by the name of its title character, “Bilko.”
I remember watching that show when I was a kid. I had a very peripheral connection to Harvey Lembeck, who play Cpl Rocco Barbella. That probably piqued my interest a little. The fact that it was a very funny show didn’t hurt.
Today, Paul was interviewed about “Bilko” on NPR’s “All Things Considered.” What ATC lacks in audience, it makes up in prestige. This was Paul’s classiest interview ever.
He was great. The clips they chose to play were classics. Robert Siegal, the interviewer, was a “Bilko” fan, which made the interview that much more friendly.
I listened to the interview with the pride normally reserved for someone’s father. Paul was great – pithy, witty, and other words ending in ‘y’.
In Hollywood, someone else’s success is often rewarded with jealousy and back stabbing. I live in Connecticut. My friend’s success only shows I have good taste in friends.
Blogger’s note: I can’t link directly to the interview, but if you follow the link above, it’s there. There are also some brief, but very funny, video clips.