FUNNY OLD GUYS (TV)
Summary
A documentary about a group of friends -- most octogenarians, all comedy writers or producers during television's early years -- that meet every Tuesday for lunch at Los Angeles's Mulholland Club. Produced by David Zeiger, the documentary features David Shaw, Bernie West, Mike Morris, Bernie Kahn, Fred Freiberger, Irv Zeiger (the filmmaker's father), Leon Roth, and Frank Tarloff. A typical lunch, where the men joke and laugh while discussing everything from television to culture to politics, is shown. The group discusses how they got involved with television, their backgrounds growing up, and the Hollywood blacklist. The focus of the program quickly becomes Frank Tarloff who has cancer and appears to be near death. Everyone recounts how they became friends with him. They discuss how one Tuesday Frank didn't come to lunch because he was too weak to attend. After some radiation treatments, Frank is wheeled in for a final lunch where the group discusses their fears of death, beliefs in God, life accomplishments, and how their spouses will handle their deaths. The men plan an intentionally macabre memorial service for Frank to attend while he is still alive, but Frank is bedridden, and they do not have the service. Scenes of Frank in the hospital are shown; he later dies with his wife Lee Tarloff by his side.
Details
- NETWORK: HBO 2
- DATE: August 19, 2003 Tuesday 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:39:48
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:71783
- GENRE: Public affairs/Documentaries
- SUBJECT HEADING: Comedy and comedians; Television writing
- SERIES RUN: HBO - TV, 2003
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- David Zeiger … Producer, Director
- Buddy Judge … Music by
- Patrick Warren … Music by
- Fred Freiberger
- Bernie Kahn
- Mike Morris
- Leon Roth
- David Shaw
- Frank Tarloff
- Lee Tarloff
- Bernie West
- Irv Zeiger