This beautiful Carl Reiner story is a wonderful read all the way to the amazing finish
Among the many tributes being paid to comedy legend Carl Reiner, who has died aged 98, was this wonderful, heart-warming tale shared on Twitter by @AshcanPress.
It’s a lovely story about a lovely man.
1.
I have a Carl Reiner story that I hold very dear to me. I figured I'd share it today, on the day of his passing, because I hope it will bring some other people some joy the way it does me.
— Matthew Rosenberg (@AshcanPress) June 30, 2020
2.
Growing up my dad and his twin brother fell in love with Sid Caeser’s Your Show Of Shows. It is the show that made my dad fall in love with storytelling and comedy. They worshipped Caeser along with castmember/writer Carl Reiner.
— Matthew Rosenberg (@AshcanPress) June 30, 2020
3.
Caeser, Reiner, and the other writers on their show, including Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Larry Gelbart, and Woody Allen, all made my dad and uncle want to be writers, which they both ended up being.
— Matthew Rosenberg (@AshcanPress) June 30, 2020
4.
Growing up my dad’s choice of dinner on every birthday was Beef Stroganoff. Why did he eat Beef Stroganoff on every birthday for his whole life? Because of a joke on Your Show of Shows.
— Matthew Rosenberg (@AshcanPress) June 30, 2020
5.
When Charlton Heston was a guest on the show they did a cold war spy sketch where Reiner was told to go to a restaurant and “ask for Beef Stroganoff.” He sits down and the waitress comes over. Reiner says “I’m here for Beef Stroganoff.”
— Matthew Rosenberg (@AshcanPress) June 30, 2020
6.
She leaves and a short while later Heston walks over to the table and asks Reiner “can I help you?” Reiner responds “I asked for Beef Stroganoff,” and Heston pauses and then in his deep voice deadpans “I am Beef Stroganoff.”
The joke made my dad laugh his whole life.
— Matthew Rosenberg (@AshcanPress) June 30, 2020
7.
Around 20 years ago my dad had his yearly birthday call with his brother (they’re twins). My dad mentioned having Beef Stroganoff and my uncle asked why he always had that on his birthday. Confused my dad just said “because of the sketch.”
— Matthew Rosenberg (@AshcanPress) June 30, 2020
8.
My uncle had no idea what he was talking about. It turns out he remembered the sketch clearly but was convinced Heston’s name in it was “Sauerbraten” not “Beef Stroganoff.” They ended up arguing about this for years.
— Matthew Rosenberg (@AshcanPress) June 30, 2020
9.
My dad bought every DVD and VHS of Your Show of Shows he could find. He watched every clip online and every documentary, but there didn’t seem to be any surviving tape of the sketch.
— Matthew Rosenberg (@AshcanPress) June 30, 2020
10.
Jump ahead 10 years and Carl Reiner writes a new book. He announces he will be signing and giving a talk in NY at the 92nd Street Y. My dad sees his chance. He buys tickets as fast as he can.
— Matthew Rosenberg (@AshcanPress) June 30, 2020
11.
My dad was desperate to ask him about the sketch in person. But knowing that he may not get the chance, he also wrote up a letter to hand to Reiner in case there was no time to ask.
— Matthew Rosenberg (@AshcanPress) June 30, 2020
12.
When it came time for the signing my dad waited in line and when he got in front of Reiner he told the story of how his whole life he’d loved the show, and the sketch, and Beef Stroganoff, but then he got in the fight with his brother. Carl listened.
— Matthew Rosenberg (@AshcanPress) June 30, 2020
13.
When he got to the part about how they couldn’t remember whether it was Beef Stroganoff or Sauerbraten he asked Carl point blank- which was it? Carl Reiner stared at my dad, laughed, and simply said “That was a long time ago.”
— Matthew Rosenberg (@AshcanPress) June 30, 2020
14.
My dad thanked him anyway, got his book signed, and then decided to hand him the letter he’d written too, just because he had said some nice things in it about how much he appreciated Reiner’s work over the years.
— Matthew Rosenberg (@AshcanPress) June 30, 2020
15.
Two months later. My dad is out for a bike ride. The phone rings. My mom answers. A man asks to speak to my father. She tells him that he’s out. The man says he’ll try back another time. She asks who it is and he says “Carl Reiner” and hangs up. No number. No caller id.
— Matthew Rosenberg (@AshcanPress) June 30, 2020
16.
Obviously we are all in awe that he called and we wait for him to call back. And we wait. And we wait. Finally a week goes by and the phone rings. My dad answers it excitedly, like he’d answered every call the past week. But this time it’s Carl Reiner again.
— Matthew Rosenberg (@AshcanPress) June 30, 2020
17.
He says he read the letter my dad gave him at the signing and he found it so touching that he wanted to share it “with the others.” Then he puts the phone on speaker and Carl Reiner is having dinner with Mel Brooks and Sid Caeser.
— Matthew Rosenberg (@AshcanPress) June 30, 2020
18.
They are calling my dad to answer his question about a sketch from 50 years ago. They all make some jokes and then admit they have no idea whether Charlton Heston was named Beef Stroganoff or Sauerbraten in the sketch.
— Matthew Rosenberg (@AshcanPress) June 30, 2020
19.
But they all agree Beef Stroganoff is funnier, so they give the victory to my dad over my uncle.
— Matthew Rosenberg (@AshcanPress) June 30, 2020
20.
This was literally one of the best days of my father’s entire life. His heroes called him up to chat and make jokes and thank him for caring. It meant the world to him then, and it means as much to me now that they would do that.
— Matthew Rosenberg (@AshcanPress) June 30, 2020
21.
As a sidenote a few years later my dad went to the Museum of Television in New York and decided to watch some stuff from the archives. There they had some episodes of Your Show of Shows that aren’t available anywhere else. My dad sat down and watched them all.
— Matthew Rosenberg (@AshcanPress) June 30, 2020
22.
On the very last episode they announced a special guest- Charlton Heston. My dad held his breath. The sketch begins just as my dad remembers it. And then Sid Caeser tells Carl Reiner “Go to this restaurant and ask for Saurbrauten.”
— Matthew Rosenberg (@AshcanPress) June 30, 2020
23.
So even your heroes get it wrong sometimes. But I love that my dad made the joke funnier. Thanks Carl for inspiring my dad to be a writer. And thanks for being so kind, generous and warm. He tried to follow in your footsteps in all of those things and I’m trying to follow in his.
— Matthew Rosenberg (@AshcanPress) June 30, 2020
24.
Carl Reiner, his daughter Annie, and Mel Brooks 2 days ago for Mel’s birthday. pic.twitter.com/odEFPCGlja
— Matthew Rosenberg (@AshcanPress) June 30, 2020
25.
My brother just sent me this photo of my dad getting his book signed by Carl. pic.twitter.com/qYsNjXdQZn
— Matthew Rosenberg (@AshcanPress) June 30, 2020
And here are just a few of the many, many things people were saying about it.
Oh this is so great. https://t.co/Pt9vacwkug
— Seth Meyers (@sethmeyers) June 30, 2020
A beautiful story, a wonderful man.
— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) June 30, 2020
A lovely story. https://t.co/7k57DZiupS
— Simon Blackwell (@simonblackwell) June 30, 2020
Thanks for such a beautiful story on such a sad day.
— Larry Wilmore (@larrywilmore) July 1, 2020
https://twitter.com/JuddApatow/status/1278083410561392640?s=20
Thank you for sharing this beautiful story. It’s making me cry – in a very good way. Just wonderful.🙏🏻
— Bebe Neuwirth (@BebeNeuwirth) June 30, 2020
What a great story. #RIPCarlReiner https://t.co/kwtqOX1Rzk
— Ben Stiller (@BenStiller) June 30, 2020
READ MORE
People love this letter Carl Reiner sent to a comedian replacing him at an awards do
Source @AshcanPres