Q&A: Billy Crystal on Oscars and 'little powerhouse' film
This combination photo shows Billy Crystal hosting the 83rd Academy Awards in Los Angeles on Feb. 27, 2011, from left, Crystal hosting the 64th Annual Academy Awards in Los Angeles on March 30, 1992 and Crystal hosting during the 84th Academy Awards in Los Angeles on Feb. 26, 2012. (AP Photo)NEW YORK – After hosting the Oscars nine times, Billy Crystal wouldn’t necessarily rule out a tenth. I’m really thrilled just to be in the discussion and not for, ‘Hey, would you host again?’” Crystal said. I just really want people to see the movie because the movie’s a little powerhouse that had no budget for publicity. CRYSTAL: Oh, I know you were going to — as soon as we got there, it got a little chilly in here.
Final goodbye: Recalling influential people who died in 2020
The world also said goodbye to U.S. Rep. John Lewis, a lion of the civil rights movement who died in July. Other former political figures who died this year include Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak, New York Mayor David Dinkins, Arizona Gov. Here is a roll call of some influential figures who died in 2020 (cause of death cited for younger people, if available):___JANUARY___David Stern, 77. The guitarist who supplied the scratching, seething sound that fueled the highly influential British punk band Gang of Four. He fused African rhythms with funk to become one of the most influential musicians in world dance music.
Lucille Ball Comedy Festival goes virtual in its 29th year
LOS ANGELES The annual Lucille Ball Comedy Festival is going virtual with help from Tiffany Haddish, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Margaret Cho, Weird Al Yankovic and more than two-dozen others working in the realm of humor. The festival, presented by the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, New York, will stream conversations with the artists over three weekends, starting Friday and running through Aug. 30. Other pairings include Cho with host and fellow comedian Judy Gold (10 p.m. EDT Friday); Haddish with comedian Flame Monroe (8 p.m. EDT Aug. 22); political satirist Mark Russell with Lewis Black (8 p.m. EDT Aug. 28). The 29th annual festival will pay tribute to Carl Reiner, the filmmaker and creator of The Dick Van Dyke Show who died in June. A rare Reiner interview from the center's archives will be shown at 8 p.m. EDT Aug. 30, with humorist Paula Poundstone hosting.
Carl Reiner, beloved creator of 'Dick Van Dyke Show,' dies
FILE - In this May 26, 1963 file photo, Carl Reiner shows holds two Emmy statuettes presented to him as best comedy writer for the "Dick Van Dyke Show," during the annual Emmy Awards presentation in Los Angeles. Reiner, the ingenious and versatile writer, actor and director who broke through as a second banana to Sid Caesar and rose to comedys front ranks as creator of The Dick Van Dyke Show and straight man to Mel Brooks 2000 Year Old Man, has died, according to reports. It starred Van Dyke as a television comedy writer working for a demanding, eccentric boss (Reiner) and living with his wife (Mary Tyler Moore in her first major TV role) and young son in suburban New Rochelle, New York. The Van Dyke show is probably the most thrilling of my accomplishments because that was very, very personal, Reiner once said. Reiner is the father of actor-director Rob Reiner.
Carl Reiner, comedys rare untortured genius, dies at 98
(AP Photo/Harold Filan, File)NEW YORK Carl Reiner, who died Monday at 98, was the rare untortured genius of comedy, his career a story of laughter and camaraderie, of innovation and triumph and affection. Reiner died of natural causes at his Beverly Hills, California home, assistant Judy Nagy said. But CBS executives worried that Reiner would make Petrie seem too Jewish, so Van Dyke was cast instead. First lady Michelle Obama once joked that she preferred watching Dick Van Dyke to viewing her husbands debates. Reiner was the father of actor-director Rob Reiner, who starred as Archie Bunkers son-in-law on All in the Family and directed When Harry Met Sally... Rob Reiner said in a tweet Tuesday that his heart is hurting.