RIP Bob Newhart

[hondo]

No matter what any of you think of him in his TV shows and movies, Newhart was at his best with standup comedy.
Among his innovations:
The one-sided phone call (where you only hear him talking and you know the flow of the conversation by his reaction to what the other person says).
The shy, hesitant, stammering delivery that works wonders.
The originality of his routines: A watchman's first night on the job at the Empire State Building is the night King Kong climbs it; Superman, on the phone as Clark Kent, trying to get an answer from the dry cleaner as to why his suit has been lost; ("I fly in it ... what do you mean you bet I do?"); A sub commander addressing his crew just before they're going to surface after six months underwater ("Would someone please return the Executive Officer before we surface"); and Sir Walter Raleigh trying to explain the absurdity of tobacco to his boss in England ("Let me get this straight Walt ... you dry leaves, crumble them up, roll them in paper and set fire to it?")

I'd urge anyone to go to YouTube and listen to some of his stuff. It's stood the test of time.

 

[DanOregon]

 

[JC]

A good doc about their friendship ...

That's excellent.

 

[DanOregon]

I find it fascinating that Newhart's net worth is twice that of Rickles. $60m to $30m. Obviously the success on TV and the lack of success on Rickles part has everything to do with it. Yet, I can't shake the idea that Rickles was the "bigger" star. It might have been just the persona - but it still surprises me.

 

[OscarMadison]

He and Don Rickles were great friends with opposite comedy styles.

RIP to a legend

StandupEx has met both gentlemen. He has nothing but good things to say about them which makes me feel good, if a little jealous.
(This feeling evaporates quickly when he says, "Well, if you married me..." No.)

This board will be inconsolable when Van Dyke goes.

deck Van Dyke solidified his place in the hearts of modern netizens when he got into a debutante slap fight with Brent Spiner on Twitter.

 

[qtlaw]

Man he was someone who gave me my first laughs and has continued to do so ever since. When I got Hulu Newhart was the first thing I binged. May you RIP.

 

[garrow]

Zooey Deschanel Remembers 'Elf' Co-Star Bob Newhart as 'So Funny, But Not Wrapped Up in Himself'