Carol Burnett on Good Hang with Amy Poehler

Welcome everyone to another episode of

Good Hang. This is a very special one

for me. Um, we have comedy legend Carol

Brunette. You know, Carol, the star

creator,

benevolent captain of the Carol Brunette

Show, an incredible sketch show that

changed comedy as we know it and

influenced so many of us. um an

incredible actor

in films such as the Four Seasons or the

star turn as Miss Hanigan and Annie. You

may have seen Carol in Better Call Saul

or Palm Royale which is out right now.

There's so many things that Carol has

done and um you know I discovered Carol

from my living room watching her show

with my mom and we're going to talk

about so many things today. Um, and uh,

you know what? Don't worry about what

we're going to talk about. It's going to

be so good. It's Carol. It's Carol

Bernett. She's here and we can't believe

it. So, before we get started, we always

like to talk to someone who is uh, a

friend or a fan of our guest. And, um,

you know, when you are uh, when you

start in sketch comedy um, and you're a

woman of a certain age, you have learned

everything from Carol. And today we have

someone who is a super fan of Carol

Brunette and I think a legend in her own

right. sketch comedy and that is friend

of our pod. Um, one of my many wives,

the great Rachel Dr. Rachel,

how are your headphones doing?

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What do you say

I wanted

Rachel?

Rachel,

>> I want to show you. I want to show you

how far I've come. Amy,

>> what the lessons learned,

the improvements made.

>> Listeners, Rachel Drach is holding up

her untangled headphones. Well, I see a

little tangle. There's a tiny kink.

There we go.

>> But you've always But you've always been

into a tiny kink.

>> Anyway, here you go.

>> Changes have been made.

>> You look

>> And I'm ready to go.

>> You look great, D.

>> Thank you. I put on a little lipstick

for you.

>> You know, I love you in a blue. You I

love my baby those baby blues in a baby

blue.

>> There you go, Dra. You know, genuinely

when I was like, who can I talk to about

the genius that is Carol Bernett? I

thought about us because we grew up on

Carol. Like she feels like so

influential.

We whether she knows it or not and I

hope to tell her today. It feels like

she just influenced us so much.

>> Yeah. I mean, when you said, "Will you

ask a question of coette?" I got a

little paralyzed because I was like,

she's such an icon that I got like kind

of my brain got kind of tongue tied. I'm

like, what do you ask someone that's had

such an influence, a pillar of comedy?

Yeah.

>> I psyched to talk to you before we

before I talked to Carol because I

actually have been kind of stressed

about that. How do I talk to an icon?

You know, do you remember when you first

saw a Carol?

>> I mean, my first exposure was the Carol

Bernett show. So I just remembered like

that sort of merry band of players

cracking each other up which of course

we did later on in our own way. But um

just that like the joy that they all

seem to be having together and her also

like the way she would talk to the

audience afterwards like there was no

sort of putting on airs about her. She

just seemed it seemed like it is like

she is who she seems like just a fun

regular person. No. Um sort of oh a

woman shouldn't be doing this like but I

mean we always get asked about women in

comedy and like we always hate we get

asked that way cuz I think when we were

little like we just saw a funny person

and we weren't thinking like and it's a

girl. It was sort of just subliminal

whatever unconscious unconscious like

you're seeing guild around her and

you're seeing John Baluchi and you're

not thinking like but she's a woman

doing this. You're just like getting

this sort of role model. you're getting

the the mother bird imprint on the baby

bird,

>> you know.

>> Yes.

>> So, Carol Bernett was definitely like

that. Just the um the silliness, the joy

in being silly, the joy in like making

faces that make you look like you're not

a lady, like acting like you're not a a

lady. Like that all was just so

>> joyous and so good for girls to see. But

again, I don't want to get all free to

be you and me, but it was just like who

she was.

a a reference that probably nobody reme.

>> But they should.

>> But they should. Okay. Children, you

should know.

>> You didn't KNOW YOU WERE GETTING THE

MESSAGE you were getting. It's free to

be.

>> But it was a boys could have dolls.

Okay. Boys could have dolls.

>> Yeah.

>> Carol's show at times as like the 70s

came onto the scene like Carol's show

was like, oh, like that didn't have that

wasn't edgy enough or something. You

know, maybe someone could say like, oh,

it didn't have an edge. But now like

with distance and time, I'm like I think

that's what what was drawn why I was so

drawn to that show. Exactly what you

just said. It looked like everyone was

having fun.

>> Like I don't think at when we were

growing up at times I thought that

comedy was actually going to be fun.

>> I know that sounds stupid, but it was

like it felt like it had to have Yeah.

It just had to have drama attached to

it. And she was such an example of like

comedy could be fun and you could be a

nice person doing it. I don't know. Does

that make sense?

>> Yeah. And just like full tilt clowns,

you know, like clowning around, you

know, like when she did Once Upon a

Mattress.

>> Okay, let's talk about that.

>> It seems like that might have been What

the hell do I know talking about this

time period? It seems like it might have

been kind of really like freeing and

groundbreaking to have this woman

getting to add all this physical comedy

into this part that I'm sure you know

it's like you're adding in so much

physical comedy into that part.

>> Physical comedy feels until Carol that

it was kind of owned by the boys.

>> Yeah.

>> Did Carol feel like at the time she

there were other people other women

doing physical comedy like her? Get the

answer, Nola. Get the answer on that

scoop.

Also, you two have to compare notes. You

You I'm sure you Have you told her that

you also played Wifred in Burlington

High School? Is she aware?

>> Thank you for bringing that up for

people that didn't listen to the very

highly popular Rachel Drach episode. And

Drach, I got to tell you something. That

episode was gang busters.

>> Are you getting a lot of good feedback?

>> I'm getting a lot of good feedback about

that. Yes. Every time I hook in with

you, I go viral.

>> And that doesn't mean that you get sick

with a fever.

>> That doesn't mean I get a virus. I'm not

going to avoid the obvious joke here,

but yeah. Um,

we don't NEED MORE OF THAT. WE DON'T

NEED MORE. NO. UM, NO. UM, BUT LET'S I

HOOK MY wagon to you. Things happen for

the best. Well, um, thank you for

hooking again. But, but for people who

didn't, for the I don't know, one or two

people that didn't listen to that

episode,

>> where have you been under a rock?

>> Check it out. And then you what you'll

find is that Rachel Drach and I talk

about how we were both in um productions

of Once Upon a Mattress when we were

young people in our in our schools. And

Carol Bernett originated the part of

Winfrid on Broadway. I got to play that

part in my high school. Rachel played

the more

>> I played the boring part of Lady Larkin.

So,

>> right, who um who uh in the in the

musical is pregnant, but when Rachel did

it, because they were so young, they had

to take that part out

>> and then I had nothing to play. So, then

it got even more boring. But I know this

is about Carol Bernette, but I've got to

work through this. When we did our

episode of Good Hang,

>> a lot of people commented on our obvious

love for each other and friendship that

was so obvious because we like laughed

our way through the whole thing. But um

I was so I was kind of wondering since

I'm talking to you like for her about

her female friendships about you know

does she have friends that are like her

true blues from like before show biz

that she relies on or even now like her

first of all like her like non-show biz

friends or her showbiz friends like who

has you know been there along the way

that is part of her journey that she has

um kind of like, you know, the little

support group with or something.

>> I love that because

when I was lucky enough to do uh to

do something for her 90th birthday

celebration,

she watched the entire celebration

holding hands with Julie Andrews.

They sat next to each other and held

hands. They call each other and I think

I believe they call each other chum. and

I'll find out. But I want to ask her

about Julie cuz they have been friends

since the 60s.

>> Wow. And I mean, talk about our age,

like powerhouse like

>> Yeah.

>> Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, Carol

Bernette, and their friends. Come on,

chums.

>> You and I've always said that you are my

Julie Andrews.

And you know I uh the other friendship

that I want to talk to her about is her

and Lucille Ball.

>> Yes.

>> They were buddies and Lucille was you

know kind of a mentor to her. She was

probably in her 40s when she met Carol

in her 20s but came backstage after

um a performance of Once Upon a Mattress

and said like you got it kid.

>> Wow.

>> I know. I feel like there's a direct

line between a lot of the women I know

who worked with who love Carol like

Kristen Wig who works with Carol on Palm

Royale and talked about on this podcast

that she like burst into tears when she

met her. You, me, Maya, Tina, like we

all Anna, we all Molly, we all feel like

we just watched Carol. Well, Amy, you're

so good at talking to people. Like,

you've met her, too. But I always admire

how good you are at talking to the the

idols and icons.

>> Well, I'm talking to one right now. I'm

talking to one right now.

>> You're doing a great job.

>> All right, Rachel Drach, I know you're

busy. Um, what are you having for dinner

tonight before I let you go?

>> Oh, I don't even know.

>> Well, I know you've got some Broadway

plans tonight. Enjoy your night in the

town. New York City. Rachel is out and

about.

>> Yes, she is. Yes, she is.

>> And with new haircut, looking great. All

right bud.

>> Thank you.

>> Thank you for doing this, Drachie.

>> All right, see you.

>> Love you. Bye.

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>> Hi, Carol.

>> Love you.

>> Love you. First of all, you look

wonderful.

>> Back at you, honey.

>> I'm so happy to see you. I mean, I I I

got the chance to see you in person

maybe

longer than I'd like to admit. Maybe

like a year or two ago. I don't think

I've seen you.

>> Well, I think you at the 90th.

>> At the 90th.

>> And then we did it when you presented me

with an award.

>> I got to got to say nice things about

you, which is the best.

>> I did. Thank you.

>> And um I I I just, you know, I just want

to get this out of the way. Carol, you

are everything to me. You're the reason

why I'm in comedy and you are

>> Oh, come on.

>> a living legend and it is really uh very

emotional for me to get to talk to you.

I'm

>> thrilled that you're here and it means a

lot to me. So, thank you.

>> You know what?

>> If I had never been born, you'd be doing

what you're doing. So,

>> Well, we'll never know.

>> We'll never know. But and you know um

the fact that I get to call you a friend

and know you is amazing. It's definitely

one of those things where sometimes you

feel like your life is a dream. And I

think we you and I talked about this one

time that you know life does feel like a

dream. And I know that there's moments

in your life where you look back at your

life and say

>> you remember the movie it's a wonderful

life

>> and Jimmy Stewart has this angel

>> named Claris. There are things that have

happened to me where I feel I've got

Clarence on my shoulder

>> from the very early on. Yeah. In life, I

remember I

we uh I lived with my grandmother.

>> Yeah.

>> In one room,

a block north of Hollywood Boulevard.

And uh we were poor. Our rent was a

dollar a day, $30 a month. And sometimes

we could hardly

ma manage that. And so I graduated from

Hollywood High and I desperately wanted

to go to UCLA

>> and my grandmother said, "Forget it. You

know, we can't afford the tuition.

There's no way." Guess what the tuition

was?

>> UCLA in 1951.

>> Yearly tuition.

>> Yeah.

>> Uh

>> well, for a semester. So

>> Okay. For a semester.

>> Yeah.

$1,000.

$43

>> and we couldn't afford it.

>> Yeah.

>> So, we lived in this apartment building

right at our a room face the lobby. So,

every morning I would check uh there was

a there was a pigeon hole mailboxes for

all the apartments and I would look out

and see if we had a little letter or

something in this in our slot. So I go

and there's a letter in this slot. This

one morning I came out and I opened it

up in our room. My name was typewritten

on the envelope

and there was a $50 bill.

I do not to this day know where that

came from. Nobody in the neighborhood

that kind of money had that. And that

was my tuition. Wow. So that was

Clarence,

you know, and I got to go to UCLA.

>> Then I got a catalog that said theater

arts

>> and I looked through that and there was

a one called theater arts English.

>> So I entered the theater arts department

>> but also at that time if you were a a

freshman no matter what if you wanted to

theater arts film, theater arts theater,

theater arts English, you had to take an

acting course.

>> Do you remember the first thing you did

in your acting class then? Yes.

Oh, I was terrified. I'd never done

anything. I'd never performed or

anything. I thought, "Oh my god." And I

came in late, actually, and all the

other kids were teamed up. And so I was

the oddball. And the um teacher gave me

a couple of monologues to choose from.

>> One from The Country Girl and one from a

play called The Mad Woman of Shyo. And I

picked The Mad Woman because it was

shorter, you know. And I got up and I I

it it didn't even occur to me to read

the play. I had no all I did was

memorize it and I said,

>> "I'm doing a a scene from the mad woman

of Chaot." I didn't know how to

pronounce it.

>> And I did and she gave me a D minus.

And she said, "The only reason I'm not

failing you is because you memorized

it."

>> Sounds like a great teacher.

>> Well, she was she was right. She was

right. And then I got into a one act

that uh one of the students had written

where I played a hillbilly woman. And of

course we're from Arkansas in Texas. And

all I remember is that there was one

scene where I came out and I'm this over

the hill hillbilly woman. And I just

said, "I'm back." And everybody cracked

up and laughed.

>> Was that your first laugh you remember

getting like performing?

>> Yeah. And from then on and then some of

the other students would come up and

some of the she said would you be in

another one act? Would you be all of a

sudden I thought I kind of like this.

>> Yeah. When I was talking to Kristen Wig

who was here doing this who I know you

love.

>> Yeah.

>> She said that she kind of burst into

tears when she met you and

>> I hate it when people look at me and

cry.

>> Why am I scaring them? What am I doing?

when they point at you and cry.

>> Yeah. But what I was going to say is

Kristen talked about how important it

was to meet you and um you talk about

how luck played a big part in many

moments in your life. But as you know,

luck only gets you so far. You kind of

have to show up. You have to kind of

nail it.

>> You know which door to go through.

>> Yes. And you have to kind of deliver.

Yeah. And

what I love about your work which

continues even to this very moment, this

very day because you are working

non-stop is you are this beautiful

combination of

luck meets opportunity meets gratitude

meets flexibility meets collaboration.

I've watched and watched you and your

career since I was a young person and

how you welcome all of those things at

once. You're never taking anything for

granted.

>> No, you don't. But you can't.

>> But people do.

>> Then they're wrong.

>> Yeah. You know, they don't,

>> right?

>> But you also are so confident and

skilled in what you know you can do. You

show up for those lucky moments. And

>> I want to talk about all of that stuff

today. But, you know, I think sometimes

with I I'm lucky to know a lot of

non-aggenarians like my, you know, the '

90s are the new 80s, babe.

>> I like that.

>> I just want to talk about the present

moment for a second because you are

working. What does work feel like to you

right now today? Like how do you how how

is work feeling?

>> It feels the same.

>> Yeah. I don't you know I I'm 105 years

old but I it's still like when we were

doing po are doing Paul Morel and all

that I'm just as excited

>> as I was when I came out and said I'm

back

you know it's the same thing and uh I

was just what another thing I was

thrilled about Palm Royale was when Abe

Sylvia called me he's was the creator

and director and showrunner all of that

just uh two three years ago I guess it

was and said we're going to do this show

and we'd love you to be a part of it. I

said what's it about who's and then he

told me who was going to be in it.

>> Yeah.

>> Kristen Wig, Allison Janney, Laura Dur.

I said I'm in. Don't I don't even bother

sending me a script. I want to work with

these ladies. I want to lock eyeballs

with them and get in the sandbox and

play.

>> Yeah. And it's it was really of course

the first few episodes I was in a coma.

>> So

>> yeah, I know you have it in your

contract that you need to be able to

sleep on set.

>> Exactly.

Yeah. Just get up at 5 in the morning,

go get made up, go right back to bed.

But you know you but those women that

you talk about you know have become your

friends and you are and and I and I feel

grateful for this too is that you're a

living example of it's just like

>> one if one's lucky enough they keep

meeting new people and new friends.

>> Absolutely. Absolutely. I felt that way.

I was very lucky to do uh Better Call

Saul.

>> That start that was just before Paul

Royale. Yeah. And I was a big fan of

Breaking Bad and Vince Gilligan and I

watched Bhen

Kirk and all. Yeah. And Vince Gilligan

said, "We'd love you to come." I I'm

there no matter what. So, it it was a

wonderful uh wonderful time for me, too.

>> You know, you're you're one of those

people that, you know, you've gone back

and forth in your life between New York

and LA, and I want to talk about both.

And I bet that each block or section of

the city holds a memory. What was

Hollywood like when you were there? How

would you describe it?

>> You'd have to lock your doors and every

morning when I would go out getting go

ready to go to school, I'd look up and

there was a Hollywood sign and we used

to climb the Hollywood sign.

>> Wow.

>> Yeah. The neighborhood kids and I now

you can't get near it.

>> Sure.

>> But we would fly kites or roller skate

and they would say, "Yeah, I'm bored.

Let's go climb the sign." So we don't

Yeah. And it it was just And it was kind

of rickety then. They fixed it up. now.

And there were splinters and I would

climb up and I'd get splinters and it's

a wonder we didn't break our neck. And

then the O's were my favorite and I

would just hang over the O's and say

hello Hollywood. Hello. And we then we

do the Tars and yell and all of that.

Yeah. And also growing up like that,

>> we played.

>> Yeah.

>> We went out and played until it was time

to go in for supper.

>> Yeah. today

>> and no one knew where you were.

>> Yeah. Yeah. If I I'd hear my grandma

say, "Carol, come on." You know, and

we'd come in and and but and I say, "I'm

going out and play now after school."

>> And then you you you spoke about your

grandmother who was instrumental in your

life and how you would go to the movies

together.

>> Yeah.

>> So, take us to that. What were you

watching? Who were you seeing on the

screen? Well, we would uh go to the

second runs because uh they were cheaper

than going if we if you went to a first

run, it was a lot more money, like a

quarter, you know, and so the second

runs and there would be double features.

>> So, uh we would see we would go one,

two, three, four, maybe six movies a

week.

>> Wow. We see and that was in the 40s and

Betty Greyel and Mickey Rooney and Judy

Garland and uh Tyrone Power and all of

those which maybe none of the people

listening know those people anyway. Uh

they were my favorites.

>> Yeah.

>> And uh Linda Darnell was a beautiful

woman. She's not as well known today as

>> you know what I don't know Linda

Darnell. Oh, I have to tell you,

my grandmother and I, you know, we would

go and hang over the ropes when there

would be a premiere on Hollywood

Boulevard and we did and to watch the

movie stars come in. Right. So, I'm I'm

9 years old and Nanny is standing there

and the ropes are holding all of us back

and coming walking up by us was Linda

Darnell.

>> I got to look her up while you talk.

>> Do Okay. And so

my grandmother

grabbed her by this

and said, "Linda, Linda, give this

little girl your autograph. She just

loves you. She did." And Linda Darnell

was so sweet. And I'm looking at her and

she said, "Okay, dear." And I gave her

my book and I was shaking. And she said,

"What's your name?" And I told her and

I'm looking at this gorgeous

and I realized

her nostrils didn't match.

What? What happened?

>> It was just like a millimeter up.

>> And suddenly we saw

>> suddenly you realize nothing is

>> nostrils.

Look up.

>> You know, our faces are different when

you put

they're different.

>> Symmetry is not my strong my strong

point.

>> I don't think it is for anybody, you

know, but I

But I remember that.

>> You remembered that so clearly. Oh my

gosh. Who else did you have in that

autograph book?

>> Oh gosh. I had uh Betty Greyel.

>> Oh wow. Oh wow. She Linda is so pretty.

I'm looking her up right now. She proves

my theory that the more far apart your

eyes are.

>> Oh,

>> her eyes are very far apart. Yeah. She

proves my theory that if your eyes are

far apart, you're very beautiful. and

especially if they don't cross.

And I remember uh going we would go to

the Grumman's Chinese where they have

the courtyard with everybody's

handprints and footprints and so forth.

And I remember putting my handprints

into Betty Greybel's handprints.

>> And just a few months ago, I got my

handprints

after all these years after. And I

remember putting my and I'm wondering

will somebody someday put their

handprints on mine, you know, wouldn't

that be kind of wild?

>> Yeah.

>> But I Yeah.

>> So cool.

>> And also

is I mean is I feel I did have a a fairy

godmother.

Betty Greyel was one of my first guests

on my show.

>> Whoa. Did you tell her the story of Oh,

yeah. What was she like?

>> Adorable. Very funny.

>> Yeah.

>> Betty was on the show as a guest.

and so was Martha Ray

>> who was one of the funniest women ever

and she was very body and loud and she

and Betty had worked together and they

were good friends. So it was for me, my

god, I'd grown up watching Betty Gravel,

watching Martha Ray. I was all through.

So now we're rehearsing. Now Betty

had a thing about Coca-Cola.

She had to drink Coca-Cola all the time.

So what would happen was she would be

going

>> constantly go I mean really really loud.

She just loved Coca-Cola. So, we're in

the wings ready and we're doing the show

and Betty and and uh Martha and I are

ready for our queue to go out and Betty

took one and did again and Martha Ray

said, "Oh, for God's sakes, Betty, why

don't you just fart and save your teeth?

I thought I was going to die." And then

we had to go out and do the finale. I

was just hyster

I I want to talk to you about because

you talk a lot about people coming

through your show, the Carol Bernett

show. I mean, when you host a show, I

know that from SNL and and in some ways

from parks, when you host a show and

people come through, you're the host.

you have to you're hosting the show, but

you're also hosting the guests and

you're watching all the different ways

that people work.

>> But it I mean it was a a joy.

>> Yeah.

>> In fact, in 11 years I we didn't have

one rotten person.

>> Yeah.

>> That we dealt with at all. Everybody was

happy to be on. And another thing that I

always loved doing was giving like if we

had Cheetah Rivera or Juliet Prrow or uh

dancers and singers on the show,

>> we also would try to put them in a

sketch.

>> Yeah.

>> So that they cuz if they went on another

show, other shows, they would just do

their bit

>> and that would be it. Or they may be in

a finale also. But we would put Gwen

Verden in a sketch. I even did a sketch

>> with Ray Charles.

Wow. What was the sketch?

>> It was a piano bar.

>> Mhm. And I was a lady who was a little

bit in her cups, very sad about herself

because it was her birthday and nobody

cared,

you know, and I was and so now I'm

talking to Ray who is at the piano and

we have this lovely little scene about

the fact that I'm so sad and nobody and

he then talks is very sweet, encourages

me and he says, "Come on over here and

sit down." And then we sang together,

you know, and he said, "I I just love

it." He said that nobody has ever asked

me to do lines

>> before.

>> Wow.

>> So he really he loved it.

>> Wow. Okay. When you when you were in

your 20s in New York

>> Yeah.

>> First of all, what was it like being in

New York in the in the Was it late It

was the 50s.

>> 50s.

>> Did mad men get it right? Like was was

>> I lived at the rehearsal club.

>> Yeah. talk about the rehearsal club.

>> Well, um I got I got a chance to go to

New York. I a benefactor lend me the

money to go. I had never been any

further east in Texas or California.

>> And I remember my grandmother saying,

"You can't go to you."

>> She said, "Your blood's too thin. You'll

be dead in a week.

>> So much for that." You know, I Good.

Thank you. So anyway, I I said, "I'm

going to New York. I have this money.

I'm going. And I was so stupid

and naive.

>> How old were you?

>> 21.

>> 21. Yeah.

>> I didn't know where I was going to stay.

>> Right. You just showed up and said,

"We'll figure it out."

>> It's like the movies, you know, I'm

going to get there. Now I'm in a

Broadway show. So I'm on the uh airplane

and I see an ad for the Alangquin Hotel.

I thought, "Well, I think I'll go

there."

>> And I had something like $30 some odd

dollars left. And so it was raining. I

had a cardboard suitcase and got up to

the angel along

and I checked in and he said that'll be

$9, you know. And I said for the week he

said no for the night. $9 for like but

okay. So I gave the $9 and I went up to

this room and I'm there and I called

nanny my grandmother and she said come

home. I said, "I just got here." You

know, and she Anyway, I I hung up and I

thought, "What am I going to do? I'm in

New York."

>> And the next morning, I had one phone

number that I could call and it was a

girl who had gone to UCLA and was ahead

of me. And uh she went to uh came to New

York and she left her phone number with

a bunch of us in case we ever got to New

York to give her a call.

>> So, I that was the one number I had and

I called her. Her name was Eleanor Eie.

And I the phone rang and they said,

"Hello." I said, "Uh, is Elanor Eie

there?" And they said, "Wait a minute,

Ellie. Ellie." And I'm hearing all this

noise going on, people singing and

stuff. And she gets on the phone. Hello.

I said, "Ellie, it's Carol." I I You're

here. Where are you? I said Alan Quinn.

She said, "Get out. Are you crazy?" She

said, "Come up here." Gave me the

address. I left. I got bing bong and

it's a brownstone four stories

>> and I had no idea but I rang the

doorbell. Some some gal opened the door.

She said what? I said I'm here to see

Elanor beh. And I go in and there's a

parlor and a bunch of stairs going up to

the various floors and people are

dancing and singing and playing the

piano

>> and all women. all women and it's was

called the rehearsal club

>> and maybe about 25 women live there and

Ellie said maybe we can get you uh a a

way to stay here. Yeah.

>> And she said I'll introduce you to the

house mother

Carlton and Miss Carlton came. She said

well you're in luck. We have one cot

available and it was $18 a week room and

board. It was sponsored by a lot of rich

New York ladies which made it possible

for that to be so inexpensive.

>> Oh, cool. And she said, "This is a

transit room, so it's the biggest and

it's where we put new people and uh

you'll have four roommates. There'll be

five of you." And she said, "Um, there

are rules. No men be on the parlor." Uh,

and they can't stay past 10:00 or or

midnight on weekends.

>> You cannot spend the night. You have to

be in Yeah,

>> it was very very strict. Uh, and you

have to be pursuing a career in the

theater. You are allowed to take a

part-time job to help pay for the rent.

>> Wow.

>> But you you must like go on auditions

and you so forth and so on. So it was

very

>> It's making me think of the Lucille Ball

stage door.

>> That's what it was written about.

>> Stage door was about the rehearsal club.

>> That was it. I was just going to Yeah,

absolutely.

>> How funny.

>> That was it. Also,

it's the first time

I had a bed.

I slept on the couch for 21 years. My

grandmother slept on the Murphy bed. So,

I have a bed. Carol, you know, it makes

me ask want to ask you, was there ever a

job that made you feel secure,

financially secure?

>> Only when I got uh on the Gary Moore

show and Once Upon a Mattress.

>> Okay. Because Once Upon a Mattress felt

like a secure, like, okay, I've got a

gig every week and I'm going to be okay

and I'm gonna be able to take care of my

family. And were you taking care of your

family then?

>> Oh, yeah.

>> Yeah.

>> Yeah.

>> Yeah. So,

>> Once Upon a Mattress is a Broadway show

that you open, you opened that show. You

were the original

>> Winterfred. Okay. So,

>> we've talked about it on this podcast,

that particular uh show, and I know I've

shared this with you cuz I got to be

Wifred in my high school production of

Once Upon a Mattress

>> and listened to your cast recording to

try to learn the part. And Rachel D, the

great Rachel D from SNL also was in Once

Upon a Mattress. She jokes that she was

the boring part, the lady larkin part,

>> right?

>> Um and um and I spoke to her earlier

today about you.

>> Give her my

>> I will and we we talked about how in

influential you were to us. Um but when

when you were doing Once Upon a

Mattress,

um you were getting like finally getting

paid to be an actor,

>> $80 a week. Well, what happened actually

again Clarence?

>> Yeah.

>> I had been a auditioning for um uh

before I got mattress uh when I left

UCLA to go to New York. My friend said,

"What are you going to do?" I said, "I'm

going to go to New York and I'm going to

be in a show directed by George Abbott."

Now, George Abbott was Mr. Broadway. He

he directed Pajama Game, Damo. He was

the musical director of all time. And I

said that I'm gonna be okay.

>> But that's what I'm talking about.

That's not Clarence. That's Carol.

>> Well, hold on though. Wait. This is

weird.

>> But that's manifesting.

>> You put it out there in the universe.

That's right.

>> So, what happened was uh you I was in

New York for a while and then I got a

chance to audition for a a re They were

going to reissue not reissue redo a show

called Babes in Arms

>> that Rogers and Hammersteiner Hart

wrote. and they were going to open it in

Florida and bring it to Broadway. I

auditioned and it looked like I was

gonna get the part of the girl who sings

Johnny One Note. I was so excited and

everything and then and the director

wanted me, but then they said, you know,

Carol, we're going to go for someone

who's got a name. I Oh. So, I hung up

the phone. Swear to God. Hung up the

phone. Two minutes later, the phone rang

and it was Jean Echart who was producing

a show called Once Upon a Mattress. And

she said, "Can you come down now to the

Phoenix Theater and audition for George

Abbott?"

>> Wow.

>> And I

>> Rejection is God's protection. Carol,

>> I took the subway down. I sang what I

had to do.

>> Do you remember what you sang? Do you

remember your audition song? saying

everybody loves to take a bow was a it's

from a show called Hazel Flag. I got

back the phone was ringing they said you

got the part and had I gotten Babes in

Arms which never left a Florida

>> I wouldn't have had mattress.

>> Isn't it weird how when you look at life

and you think if just the slightest

thing moved here and the slightest thing

moved here

>> some of the best things happen when

you're disappointed at first.

>> That's right. You look back and say, you

know, if that hadn't happened, this

would

>> That's right.

When you were doing Once Upon a

Mattress, you we we spoke we we

mentioned Lucy Lucille Ball and but can

you tell everyone that story? I know

you've told it before, but to me, you

know, you were very kind to talk and

always talk about Lucy whenever you get

a chance to, but you were very kind to

talk about her in a documentary that I

did,

>> and you told this story, which I think

is not only so indicative of how

wonderful and supportive a person she

was,

>> but how she saw in you something very,

very special that we all eventually

>> came to know. I I remember we opened in

uh

May of 1959

and got great reviews. That's it was

like wow, you know, I was thrilled and

the second night there was a buzz

backstage and everything and I said,

"What is it? Lucy's in the audience." I

I was more frightened.

>> Oh, yeah.

>> That she was than I was opening night.

>> Oh, I What year was this?

>> 1959. So, I remember I I was stupid. I

peaked through and I saw this orange

hair in the second row. I Oh my god.

Anyway, I got through the show and she

wanted to come backstage and it was off

Broadway theater and it was really

funky, you know, and I had I had a couch

where the coil was sticking up, you

know, and it was a kind of anyway,

you know, and it was Lucio Ball. Come

in, you know, and she headed for the

couch and I said, "Oh, look." She said,

"No, I see it

coin." you know. So, she sat on the

right end of the couch and oh god 20 25

minutes and she called me kid

>> she's was 22 years older and she as she

was leaving she said kid if you ever

need me for anything you give me a call.

Wow. you know. So, actually four about

four years later, I was working and

doing stuff and CBS wanted me to do an

hourlong special, variety special if

I could get a major guest star.

So, the producer said, "You got to call

Lucy." I said, "I don't want to bother

her. All she can do is say, "I'd love

to, kid, but I'm busy." You know?

>> So, I got up the nerve and I called her.

felt a little, hey kid, you're doing

great. What's happening? I went I'm

doing a I and I know you're I was and

she said, "Hold on. When do you want

me?"

>> She's such a badass.

>> So, she did the show. We And we did it

together. Yeah.

>> I mean, I think about Lucy a lot when

when um she she was very ahead of her

time and also we talked about this when

we were when we talked about her

together. She, you know, she was

producing and running shows even though

she wasn't getting the credit just like

you were producing. Yeah.

>> Your show, she was so ahead of her time.

>> Well, there's a story.

>> She uh when she did my show,

>> you know, we were we had a lot of fun

together and we were uh had a dinner

break. M

>> so we went across the way to the farmers

market, you know, and uh she's knocking

back a couple of whiskey sour and she

says, you know, kid, cuz my husband at

the time, Joe, was producing our show.

>> Yeah.

>> You know, and I he just did it. And uh

she said, "You're you're very for you

got Joe to do it for you." She said, cuz

when I was married to the Cuban,

she said, she said, Desessie did

everything.

>> Yeah.

>> He invented the three camera system.

>> A lot of people don't know that.

>> She said he she took care of the

scripts. He took care of the costumes.

He took care of the lighting. All I had

to do was come in and be Silly Lucy on

Monday and do the show.

>> Then we got a divorce.

She said, "Now I know I have to be like

Desi. I got to, you know, and she said,

I I I didn't know what show they had a

script reading

>> of the new Lucy show.

>> And she said, and it was terrible. She

It was terrible. And I thought Desessie

wasn't here to fix it, you know. She

says, "I called lunch." She said, "And I

went back and I figured I have to be

strong. I have to be confronted, but

still not afraid, you know."

So she went back and she said, "And I

told them in no uncertain terms to write

it what they had to do, how to fix it. I

was I was just really tough." And then

she took another little drink. She said,

"And kid, that's when they put the S on

the end of my last name."

>> Yeah.

>> And so we every birthday on my birthday,

she would send me flowers. Happy

birthday kid.

>> Yeah. And

uh this one morning I got up, it was my

birthday and she had died that day on my

birthday and I got the flowers that

afternoon.

Happy birthday, kid.

>> Do you believe in in ghosts or spirits?

>> I don't not believe in them.

>> Yeah.

>> Like, do you feel like you've ever been

visited by Lucy?

>> Yeah, by Lucy.

>> Don't you feel like she'd be a funny

ghost?

>> Oh, yeah.

Hello. Yeah. Did you know

>> Lucy if you're here?

>> Lucy if you're here. Lucy, we get our

Ouija board out. But yeah, I mean and

and she and and Carol, you're like that

for so many people. I mean, I feel like

you're a mentor to so many women and you

you like you said, you got things handed

to you and you hand it down. You pass it

on. the spirit of that felt like it was

embedded in the Carol Bernett show

because so you were skipping a lot but

obviously you go to a New York you're

you're in Broadway you Gary Moore and do

you feel like I mean you were physical

in a way back then and away back and way

and a way now. I mean first of all

>> you look terrific.

>> Well, thank you.

>> You're 92.

>> Yeah. I mean, you're you're just

>> Oh, thank you.

>> I mean, physically, your body has has

been so good to you. You have a command

of your body and always have. And it's

like and I guess one of the questions

that Rachel Drach and I Rachel had that

we were talking about is this idea of

physical comedy, which was

>> I love doing it.

>> Yeah. When you would do the show, would

you do warm-ups, like physical warm-ups?

Like, would you stretch? Like before the

show was about to start,

>> I was very athletic as a kid.

I would roller skate. I would do all

kinds of climb the sign.

>> Yeah.

>> Yeah. And uh so I I was qu and I could

run like the wind. I was very

>> You have those legs, Carol.

>> Well, they're the last things to go,

>> babe. You got I mean, what I would give

for long legs. You have the best legs.

>> Thank you.

>> You probably could have been a

long-distance runner. Well, it when I

was in junior high school,

>> my physical a teacher, because I could

run, she sent a letter home to my

grandmother saying, "Could Carol stay

after school and I could be coaching

her?" And my grandmother said, "No,

running is bad for the heart, whatever

that meant."

>> That was that was definitely back then

when every everyone was a little scared

of everything.

>> Of everything. Running is bad for the

heart.

>> Yeah. Like she said, when I went to New

York, you know.

>> Yeah.

>> You'll be dead in a week. Your blood's

too thin.

>> Yeah. So you Yeah. So physically and

also Carol, do you feel like you have a

thing that happens because you've done a

lot of live stuff where when there's

something that's a little wrong, you

know, when something's going a little

wrong, there's like a little fun

electricity where you get where you get

excited.

>> Okay, now what am I going to do?

>> Yeah.

>> Oh, yeah.

>> You've always had that.

>> Yeah. Yeah.

>> Yeah.

>> I love that.

>> Yeah.

>> Yeah. Yeah, we were accused a lot of

breaking up and out of

>> So on your show there would be people

you guys would laugh.

>> Well, yeah. And but out of 270 some odd

shows

I can't there was I in fact I kind of

looked at stuff because it was usually

Conway who was after Harvey

>> to break him up. I don't think we uh

more than

15 times out of 27. But people remember

that.

>> Oh yeah.

>> Because it was so delicious.

>> It was.

>> But then people say, "Well, they should

shouldn't have done that."

>> That kind of fun goof around thing. I

mean, that's that that just goes to show

I think what I felt watching even from,

you know,

>> it was a family.

>> It was a family.

>> Yeah.

>> Yeah.

>> Yeah.

>> It was 10 years that you made that show

together.

>> 11. And and what was

>> I I decided I wanted to quit after 11.

>> Do you remember the last mo the last

moment of the last show?

>> Well, yeah. It was when I sat on the

bucket as the charw woman and then I

just talked about how we were going to

not come back, you know, and uh I Yeah,

I cried. It was bittersweet.

>> Yeah.

>> But it was time.

>> Yeah. And when and the last thing I'll

say about the how important that show

was to me is you and I know you've

spoken about how it was a section that

at first you thought I'm not sure why

I'm doing this but do you watch your old

stuff? Do you watch clips of

>> like Norma Desmond?

>> YOU KNOW

>> you're not you're not in your bedroom

all day watching old clips of yourself

faces then.

Well, you must every once in a while

stumble across something that comes.

Your phone must know who you are.

>> Oh, yeah. Yeah. Well, actually, when I

wrote my last book was about doing the

show,

>> so I had to watch a lot to Yeah. You

know, uh I went fast through some of

them and some of the sketches I Oh god,

they were terrible.

>> Yeah.

>> And some were wonderful, you know, but I

hadn't remembered a lot, you know.

>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Do you um And and do

you watch comedy now? Like what? I I

asked my guesses.

>> Not really.

>> Yeah. Do you watch anything now that

you're liking or

>> I watch TCM

>> Turner? Did you visit all the people

that I loved when I was growing up?

>> You know,

>> who did you comedically? Who did you

love growing up? Who made you

>> growing up comedically?

>> Who who would you visit right now if you

could on TCM?

>> Uh Carol Lombard.

>> Now that you know she was that's who my

mother named me after actually. Uh she

was a beautiful comedic actress and

could really you know with a turn of a

twist to this she was and that that's

the movies you know uh

>> comedically uh I kind of fashioned my

show not only after Gary but after Sid

Caesar

>> and the and and Sunny and Sher were in

the same studio as you right

>> they were next door.

>> Do you and Sher hang out?

>> No.

I did you guys ever hang out?

>> Not really. No, but we know each other

friends.

>> Yeah. Did you watch their show when it

was

times our studios were joined by the

ladies room and men's room? So if we

there was a break or I had I go through

the ladies room and watch them rehearse

something. And sometimes uh like she and

Sunny and even separately sometimes just

walk on while I was doing questions and

answers and we'd get around.

>> Yeah. It's great fun.

>> Oh, that's so fun.

>> She's lovely.

>> She is lovely. I mean, I don't know her.

>> We just don't run around in the same

circle.

>> She just seems cool.

>> She's cool.

>> Sher, if you're listening, we love you.

>> She should come on this show.

>> You heard it here first, Sher.

>> Yeah.

>> Carol says she'd be a great guest. Love

to have her on. What's your sign, Carol?

H.

>> What's your sign?

>> A Taurus.

>> Of course. Earth sign.

>> What does that mean? Well, I know I'm

bull.

>> You're bull. But you're an earth sign.

I'm a Virgo. Tina is a Taurus. You know,

we Somebody's got to get this stuff

done. Somebody's got to get stuff done.

Tor T torren. And again, I know nothing

about astrology.

>> Yeah.

>> But

>> Oh, well, you know who else is Taurus is

um Shirley Mlan and Barbara Stryand.

>> They have the same birthday.

>> They And you heard it here. Carol thinks

you guys should come on this podcast,

too.

>> I think so.

>> One of the most special moments of of

doing your um wonderful special that um

you and Brian produced uh for your

birthday a couple years ago. Number one,

it was like the first time I had been

out since co was like, "Yay!" Um um but

also you and Julie Andrews were together

and

you held hands during a lot of that and

sat next to each other and

>> my chum.

>> Yeah.

>> Yeah. Um tell us when you first met

Julie and how important a friend she is

to you.

>> Um I was doing Mattress and she was in

Camelot. So she was a queen and I was a

princess. and uh some friends, mutual

friends said you two ought to meet cuz

there there there's there's a similarity

there and you'd be and later on Julie

and I even talked about oh come on it's

like saying a blind date you ought to be

to see anyway she had Sunday night off

from Camelot and we worked on Sunday

night so she came with her friend and I

had my friend there the two gentlemen

just friends and she watched mattress

and we went out to a Chinese restaurant

afterwards

and we never stopped talking to each

other. The poor guys who were with us,

they just sat there and listened. It was

as if

we were joined at the hip from the

beginning

>> and all always and she uh she taught me

some dirty words.

>> You would think I was

>> because you're not a big you don't you

don't love to swear. You know, you don't

like that. No, occasionally. Yeah. You

know, occasionally if I stub my toe, you

know what comes out.

>> And what kind of friend is Julie?

>> My chum. We love each other. We are

relate. We're sisters. She

unfortunately, not unfortunately, but

for me and she lives on the east coast.

>> Yeah. So you kind of

>> So yeah, we uh and it was so sweet of

her to come to the 90th to be with me.

Do would you re where were you when the

Sound of Music came out? Did you go to

the premiere?

>> Uh

>> do you remember that

>> the movie?

>> Yeah.

>> Uh no, I didn't go to the premiere, but

I remember she used to send me dirty

limmericks when she was filming.

>> She she did I wish I could remember it

or even tell it. I think about uh she

did a whole parody on these are a few of

my favorite things.

I mean, brilliant.

>> So funny.

>> So good. So good. Um, okay. And then,

um, you worked with some, you've worked

with amazing people. You have had an

amazing life where you've gotten to play

around with people who are kind of at

the beginning of their careers, at the

end of their careers.

>> Um, was there anyone that you met as a

young actor? I love to ask people this

like a a young you met them and it was

maybe their first job and you saw

something and you said, "Oh, they're

going to be very successful in favor."

>> Vicki

>> Vicky Lawrence,

>> she wrote me a fan letter

and we were going to do the show and we

knew we were going to do something with

Harvey and me where I'd be raising my

kid's sister and we'd be a married

couple. And so I'm reading my fan mail

this one night and uh this was in

December of ' 66 and we were going to go

on in the fall of 67

>> and I'm opening up this letter and it's

from this 17year-old girl Vicky Lawrence

who's very nice letter saying people say

that uh I remind them of you young you

and then she enclosed a newspaper

article that had her picture in it. She

looked so much like me when I was 17. I

thought that's interesting. And then in

the article, they said she was going to

be in a contest called Miss Fireball of

Englewood uh with eight other girls. And

so the local paper was doing a bit on

each one of those girls that this was

her article. And I look at and then I

look at the date.

The contest is tonight.

The letter had been sent three weeks ago

and they got to me from CBS or it's

tonight. So my husband's coming

downstairs and I said, "Don't get too

comfortable. We're going to the Miss

Fireball contest tonight."

>> Wow.

>> He said, "What?" And I showed him the

article. I said, "But should you?"

>> Yeah. Okay. But shouldn't you try to

tell her, you know, don't don't make her

nervous. I said, "You're right." So her

father's name was listed in the article,

Howard Lawrence. So I called the

operator and I said, "Got the phone

number." And so it rings and this lady

answers, "Hello." I said, "Hi." I said,

"Is uh Vicky Lawrence here?" And she

said, "This is her mother who's

calling." And I said, "Is Carol B?"

VICKI.

Vicki comes. I hear footsteps. Vicki

comes up. said, "Yeah, hi Marsha."

>> I said, "It's not Marsha. It's Carol. I

got to Would you be okay if we come to

the Okay. So, we went."

>> Wow.

>> She did the guitar. She played the

gazoo. She did a couple of jokes and she

sang and she won the contest.

>> And she was like you in peeking out and

seeing just like you saw Lucy, she's

peeking out seeing Carol.

>> Exactly. And so, uh, I was in touch with

I said, "We're going to be doing a

little I'll be in touch.

>> We're going to be doing a little very

famous show that's going to change

comedy but

>> and so we we called her that summer and

she came and read." And there was

another girl who' had a lot of

experience. Vicki was raw,

>> but saw something.

>> You saw something.

>> And today, no network would let us do

that.

Hire an 18-year-old girl with no

experience. That's right.

>> They wouldn't allow

>> I mean, Carol, we could talk forever

about the biz because the biz has

changed so much.

>> Yeah,

>> I know.

>> I you know, it's you can't be happy

being 92, but I'm glad I'm 92 because

none of this would have happened today

for me.

>> It it might have been something might

have happened, but it wouldn't be

there's no way we could do what we did

before. Mhm.

>> 28 piece orchestra,

you know, 65 to 70 costumes a week, two

guest stars, a major uh, you know, rep

company.

>> Yeah.

>> You know, and also

CBS left us alone,

>> right? I remember you telling me that

they really didn't give you any notes.

They just

>> There was one note in 11 years.

>> Sorry, I'm laughing. And so the guy was

we were doing I was doing a sketch where

I was a nudist and I'm behind I'm behind

a fence that says keep out and so I'm

hanging over the fence you know bare

shouldered and then my legs are bare

with high top tennis shoes and Harvey's

voice over and it's just he's

interviewing me and it's a bunch of

jokes about a nudist colony. I mean no

big deal,

>> right? So, one of the lines was, "So,

uh, what do you nudist do for, uh, uh,

entertainment?" You know, I said, "Well,

we have dances every Saturday night."

And he said, "Oh, how do you nudist

dance?" And I said, "Very carefully."

Well, choose this to the network. That

was too blue.

>> You have to change that line.

>> Sometimes the change is even dirtier.

>> Hello.

So, uh, what do you do? Well, we have

dances every Saturday night. Well, how

do you do how how do you how do you

dance? Cheek to cheek.

Incredible. So much better.

>> Oh, and they left

>> and they were like, "That's it. That's

better."

>> That's good.

>> Also, I I don't have really any

questions other than Annie

That's all Carol just Annie was so

important.

Annie is remains so important but was

very important to Gen X women.

>> Wow.

>> I mean we've I've talked about it with

Rachel Dr. a bunch of people in this

like how big Annie was as a musical. It

was all parts for we were that age and

then when the movie came out we thought

okay here comes the movie. And when you

were Miss Hanigan,

it was like I saw that character for the

first time. I really understood her.

>> Well, I went to uh John Houston

at the beginning and I said, I think she

should drink.

It wasn't in the original uh that she

should have a little bit cuz it would

only make sense that this woman, you

know. Yes.

>> And so he he that's a good idea, dear L.

Now, this is my favorite story about

Annie.

>> Uh Tim Curry, Bernardet and I, you know,

the villains.

>> Yeah.

>> Uh Easy Street was going to be this big

number. So, being a Hollywood movie,

they decided to change it from the

original where it's just the three in

the orphanage to this big huge thing

where they had this street open up. They

had 400 dancers,

>> singers, this people hanging out. I even

had a a monkey grinder with the monkey

and and Tim and Bernard and I said this

takes away from

>> the number they're just big Hollywood

production huge and you know took a week

to film

>> and at that time a million dollars or so

and you okay all right so we wrapped

>> I flew back I was at the time living in

Honolulu

>> Bernardet flew back to New York Tim

London and I had always wanted more of a

chin.

I had a weak weak chin. Now, there was

an orthopedic surgeon, orthopedic, no

oral surgeon in Honolulu

>> who said, "Oh, well, you know, I can

just give it a little little more." I

said, "I don't want to be Kirk Douglas,

>> right?

>> I don't I want it rains. I'd kind of

like to feel it, you know." And I said,

"Just like two or three millimeters.

That's all. Just I have a little more of

a chin."

>> Yeah.

>> Okay. So, no big deal. He'd fix it and

more. Okay. So, about a month later, I

get a call and it's Ray Stark who's a

producer. He said, "We're going to

reshoot the Easy Street number with just

the three of you." I said, "Thank

goodness. That's great." So, now Tim and

Bernardet and I are in the her office,

Hannah's office, and Mr. Houston says,

"Well, what I think we'll do is we'll do

well from when Carol ran into the closet

to find Annie's locket. We'll pick it up

when she comes out with the locket."

I went, I Mr. Houston, call me John

Deere. John,

two months ago when I ran into the

closet, I didn't have a chin.

And now I'm coming out of the closet

with with a chin.

And he thought for a minute, he's

>> Well, dear, just come out looking

determined.

>> Great direction.

That's my favorite Andy story.

>> I mean, I guess want to end, Carol, by

asking you, what is the best part about

being in your 90s?

>> That you're not 105.

Yeah, that that that's yet to come.

>> A kid.

>> Yeah. Do you feel like a kid?

>> A few years ago, a bunch of us were

sitting around a table said, "How do you

really feel inside?" I said, "1%."

And and I remember maybe that's because

that's when I would climb the sign

>> when I would roller skate, when I would

put my handprints with Betty Greyel. I

don't I don't know. But something about

being 11.

Go figure.

>> Well, I loved you when I was 11. So,

>> when I'm with you, I feel 11, too. So,

it's really nice.

>> And you know, you I knew I was going to

cry. I knew I was going to cry. And Jana

said when I cried that she would start

saying cry, cry, cry.

So, but I knew I would cry. But Carol,

that is

>> that sense of play.

>> Yeah,

>> that sense of play. Yeah. Like, you

know, you especially young girls like

when they're kind of really magical at

11.

>> They haven't quite become selfconcious.

>> Maybe that's it. Yeah. They're not too

smart all yet. That's why when I talked

about teenagers, good luck.

>> Yeah. 11 is still very sweet.

>> Yeah. When they're teenagers, you are so

stupid.

>> Yeah. you had you have no idea what life

is about cuz you're too old.

>> Totally. But there there's that like

tender moment before before you become

self-conscious when you can still kind

of like do your thing and not really

worry about

>> I remember uh when my daughter Carrie

whom I we lost a few years ago when she

was 5 years old uh we caught her in a

fib and I said that's not good. So you

have your dinner and you go up to bed

and you know you can't stay up. is just

going. And then I went in afterwards and

I she was upset and I sat on her bed and

I'm looking at her and I said,

"Sweetheart, you know, we love you very

much, but you know, if you tell a little

fib, then later on it might become

bigger and people don't want to be a

liar." And and I'm and she is looking at

me like,

you know, I said and I'm thinking I'm

going to get a medal as a mother of the

year. I am so I I could hear violins. I

was so perfect. And she's looking at me

and finally I stopped and I said, "Are

you okay, sweetheart? You want to say

anything?" She said,

"What, darling?" She said,

"How many teeth do you have?"

Okay.

Perfect. Carol,

perfect. Yes. May we all get when we all

get back to that innocent time.

>> Thank you so much for doing this. It

means so much that you're here. I love

you, Carol. Thank you for coming. And

thank you so much for coming.

>> Well, thank you so much, Carol Brunette.

Um, I cried and um, look, I don't want

to I don't want this to become a thing,

okay? I don't love crying and I'm I'm

you know but if anyone's going to get me

there it's Carol Brunette. I'm now

technically using the good hang tissues

that I have mocked other people for

using and now well it got me. So karma's

a [ __ ] Um but uh for this polar plunge

I guess just I you know um thank you

Carol you are a legend and um you mean

so much to me. Thank you for doing the

show. And it just also makes me think

about all the women that we talked about

in this interview. Lucille Ball, Betty

Greybel, um Linda Darnell, Phyllis

Diller, um Elaine May, uh um uh you

know, we all these all these different

actresses. Do yourself a favor and check

them out. um type them in your phone or

um ask your computer

ask your computer to bring up a picture

of them. Um or uh whisper into your

robot's ear that you want to see some of

their highlights because uh it just it's

just a reminder of all the good

performances. And also watch uh that

great film Stage Door, which is a great

film about what Carol was talking about

about a whi women living in a house

trying to be actresses. Anyway, I don't

know what I'm talking about. I'm crying.

I've cried. It's all It's over. I've

I've lost all credibility. Um, thank you

so much for listening and we'llh see you

soon. Bye.

You've been listening to Good Hang. The

executive producers for this show are

Bill Simmons, Jenna Weiss Berman, and

me, Amy Polar. The show is produced by

The Ringer and Paperkite. For The

Ringer, production by Jack Wilson, Cat

Spalain, Kaia McMullen, and Aia Xanerys.

for Paperkite production by Sam Green,

Joel Levelvel, and Jenna Weiss Berman.

Original music by Amy Miles.

>> Was a really good Hey