Neil Simon

indioblack · 26-08-2018 8:35pm #1

Just came on the news that Neil Simon has died.
Brilliant playwright. Wrote for stage, screen, radio and TV.
For me the best of Jewish-American humour.
Barefoot in the Park, The Out of Towners with Jack Lemmon, Biloxi Blues, The Odd Couple, a prolific writer.
I discovered he wrote for The Phil Silvers Show - why can't the Americans make comedy sitcoms like this anymore?
My favourite film of his was The Prisoner of Second Avenue with Jack Lemmon and Anne Bancroft. He created the story of a man having a nervous breakdown and made it funny, but added pathos, spirit and kindness.

Gimme A Pound · 26-08-2018 8:43pm

Big loss. One of the architects of that kind of sharp New York humour which we take for granted now - Larry David, Jerry Seinfeld et al owe a debt to him. I love The Goodbye Girl movie - Richard Dreyfuss's performance in particular.

Duckworth_Luas · 26-08-2018 9:15pm

Also wrote the screenplay for the original Heartbreak Kid, the central figure of which inspired many facets of Fr Ted's character, basically keep lying and digging a deeper and deeper hole for yourself.

NewbridgeIR · 26-08-2018 9:44pm

Plaza Suite is brilliant; remember seeing it late on RTE 1 on a Friday, after the LLS.
Also kudos for mentioning The Prisoner Of Second Avenue; Anne Bancroft is great in that . James Last does a brilliant version of the main theme on his Well Kept Secret LP.

indioblack · 26-08-2018 9:48pm

NewbridgeIR wrote: »

Plaza Suite is brilliant; remember seeing it late on RTE 1 on a Friday, after the LLS.
Also kudos for mentioning The Prisoner Of Second Avenue; Anne Bancroft is great in that . James Last does a brilliant version of the main theme on his Well Kept Secret LP.

I recall the part where Jack Lemmon corrects her, "It was sedated, not tranquilized".
"I don't care if you were petrified".