In this episode, we pay tribute to the late, great Lucille Kallen, a true pioneer in television comedy writing.  Born in Los Angeles and raised in Toronto, Lucille’s first love was piano, but she soon showed her comedy chops writing live sketches at a “borscht belt” resort in New York’s Pocono Mountains. Based on the strength of her live sketches, she was recruited in 1949 to serve as co-head writer for Sid Caesar’s “Admiral Broadway Review” (later “Your Show Of Shows”), the very first nationally televised comedy sketch program.  Her fellow head writer was Mel Tolkin, and the writing staff soon included Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner, Neil Simon, Larry Gelbart, and Woody Allen.  After leaving television, Lucille wrote the novel “Outside There, Somewhere!”, which is widely considered the first comic feminist novel.  In this episode, Lucille’s son Paul discusses how she viewed the changing nature of television comedy throughout her life.  Paul recalls meeting original Tonight Show host Steve Allen, who bemoaned having been “number 2” behind the Sid Caesar show.  Lucille would tell Paul about needing to have a strong voice in Sid Caesar’s writers room, where she was the only woman.  Paul recalls the time her mother appeared on The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson, her close friendship with Caesar co-star Imogene Coca, her portrayal in Neil Simon’s play “Laughter on the 23rd Floor,” as well as her role as the inspiration for the Sally character on “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” created by Carl Reiner. 

Ever wondered who helped Stephen Colbert, Chris Farley, Amy Sedaris, and Paul Dinello to hone their comedy chops when they were starting their careers? Our guests, Jeff Michalski and Jane Morris, have directed, taught, and worked with these and countless other improvisers and writers, encouraging their originality and unique comedy voices.  Through their theater, Fanatic Salon in Culver City, Jeff and Jane bring the skills they developed at Second City in Chicago to new generations of improvisers and writers in Los Angeles and beyond.  Jeff and Jane discuss working with improv legends Del Close and Paul Sills, taking acting classes from fellow Chicagoan David Mamet, watching Chris Farley audition for Second City by performing a belly flop on stage, and a unique encounter with Tennessee Williams. They also discuss their monthly improv performances with the Immediate Theater, led by Dan Castellaneta (aka the voice of Homer Simpson and Krusty the Klown).

Jonathan Taplin has found a unique and historic niche in the arts, in academia and in the public sphere.  As a folk and blues fan in the early ‘60s, he watched performances by singers like Doc Watson, Muddy Waters, Mississippi John Hurt, Skip James, and Son House.Shortly after graduating from Princeton, Taplin became the road manager for Bob Dylan and the Band, touring the world with a perspective few others have had. Taplin had the rare opportunity to witness Dylan and The Band jam after hours with The Beatles, Neil Young, and many others.He later began his film production career with Martin Scorsese’s “Mean Streets,” and has since produced such documentaries as Scorsese and The Band’s “The Last Waltz.”Taplin later became a professor at USC’s Annenberg School of Communication, and is the Annenberg Innovation Lab Director Emeritus.  He has also been a vice president of media mergers and acquisitions at Merrill Lynch, and founded the pioneering video-on-demand company Intertainer.In this interview, Taplin talks about his friendship with The Band’s Levon Helm as a jumping-off point for discussing the challenges that musicians face in making money in the age of YouTube.  He also discusses his recent book “Move Fast and Break Things: How Facebook, Google, and Amazon Cornered Culture and Undermined Democracy,” in which he argues that mega-companies are crushing the music business and narrowing the number of news sources available to people.  He also talks about how average citizens are having more effect on how online corporations self-regulate through demanding advertisement boycotts - the “power of consumer communications”. His memoir, “The Magic Years: Scenes From a Rock-and-Roll Life,” was released in March of 2021.

Jerry Schatzberg is a paragon of perseverance, who paid his dues to become one of the most influential photographers and filmmakers of the late 20th century.  After getting his start with  baby and catalogue pictures, he worked his way up to photographer at Vogue and Glamour magazines, where he initially met music industry executives like Atlantic Records President Ahmet Ertegun.  After befriending Bob Dylan, Jerry’s pictures were used on the covers of Dylan’s first book, “Tarantula,” and the “Blonde On Blonde” album.  Jerry went on to photograph some of the most famous people in the world, including The Beatles, Aretha Franklin, The Rolling Stones, Sammy Davis Jr., Andy Warhol, Frank Zappa, and countless other cultural titans.After conquering the photography world, Jerry became a film director, helming a string of classics like “Puzzle of a Downfall Child” (with Faye Dunaway), “Panic In Needle Park” (Al Pacino’s film debut as a lead character), “Scarecrow” (with Pacino and Gene Hackman), “The Seduction of Joe Tynan” (with Alan Alda and Meryl Streep), “Street Smart” (with Christopher Reeve and Morgan Freeman), and many others.In this interview, Jerry discusses his friendship with Bob and Sara Dylan, Nico, Faye Dunaway, and Jimi Hendrix, whom Jerry hired to play in his discotheque when Hendrix still went under the professional name “Jimmy James.” Jerry’s friend Josh Safdie (co-director and writer of “Uncut Gems”), was kind enough to provide this insight into Jerry’s unique role in our cultural history: “Jerry is an ‘iconic’ artist and by that, I don’t mean he himself is iconic (though of course he is), but that he works in the language of iconography without ever flirting with cliche. His characters are icons of parables, of personalities, of types. His work has taught us how to immerse yourself in the iconography of the story and having FAITH in the POWER of character. His work as a photographer, photographing some of the most iconic men and women of the 20th century, led him to develop an incredible taste for talent and knack for showing a person’s power.”  To see some examples of what Safdie means, go to www.JerrySchatzberg.com.  

Mark Schiff has been slaying audiences with his stand-up comedy since the late ‘70s, getting his start at such legendary New York City clubs as Catch a Rising Star, The Improv, and The Comic Strip.  He paid his dues just to get a few minutes of recurring stage time, and in the process met such up-and-coming comics as Jerry Seinfeld, Paul Reiser, Gilbert Gottfried, George Wallace, Larry Miller and Joe Piscopo.  Mark now tours the U.S.A. with Seinfeld, in addition to being a columnist for the Los Angeles Jewish Journal.  In this interview, Mark recalls being inspired as a teenager by seeing Rodney Dangerfield perform stand-up in person, selling candy in Broadway theaters with Gilbert Gottfried, getting acquainted with Katherine Hepburn, overcoming stage fright, and thriving in an often unforgiving profession.

Barnet Kellman is a master in both the practice and teaching of comedy.  After getting his start directing and acting in live theater, he became a director in both film and television.  His films include “Straight Talk” with Dolly Parton and “Key Exchange” with Brooke Adams.  He has directed countless television programs, including the pilots for “Murphy Brown” and “Mad About You,” as well as episodes of “Designing Women,” “Ally McBeal,” “Alias,” “The George Lopez Show,” and “ER.”  He currently serves as the Robin Williams Endowed Chair in Comedy at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts.  In this interview, Barnet discusses his collaboration with Gene Wilder on the sit com “Something Wilder.”  Barnet also discusses creating a curriculum for the teaching of comedy directing, and (befitting a teacher of comedy) the history of “shpritzing.”  

Michael Alago and Laura Davis-Chanin have both lived rock ’n' roll from a unique insider’s perspective.  As an A&R executive for Elektra Records starting in the early ‘80s, Michael signed such bands as Metallica and White Zombie to their first major label contracts, as well as signing veteran artists like John Lydon/Public Image Ltd., Cyndi Lauper, Nina Simone and many others.  Laura was the drummer in the seminal New York City punk band The Student Teachers, opening for artists like Iggy Pop and MC5, and she co-wrote multiple songs for Blondie.  Michael and Laura met during the prime NYC punk days at clubs like CBGB and Max’s Kansas City.  Both of their musical journeys were interrupted by serious health conditions, but both have survived and thrived in the interim.  Although out of touch for many years, they reacquainted a few years back to co-write Michael’s autobiography, “I Am Michael Alago: Breathing Music. Signing Metallica. Beating Death.”  Laura also wrote her own memoir, “The Girl In The Back: A Female Drummer's Life with Bowie, Blondie, and the '70s Rock Scene,” winner of the ASCAP Award For Excellence In Writing.  Both books are available on Amazon and other online booksellers.  Michael is also the subject of the documentary “Who The F**k Is That Guy? The Fabulous Journey of Michael Alago,” currently on Netflix.  In this interview, Michael and Laura discuss the need for hope in times of great adversity, and the need to live your life fearlessly no matter what. (Note: This interview took place in January 2020 in New York City).