Indeed. I used to work with a guy who was, if you can picture this, a cross between George Bush Senior and CNR. He was a dead ringer for George Sr but acted JUST like CNR, without acting. Like, that was his natural behavior and he always had us in stitches without even trying. There was a one man show with CNR on Netflix years ago. I don't think it's there anymore. Let me see if I can find it on RUclips... Yep! Here's a playlist of it: ruclips.net/video/U1gTQ5Gxhpw/видео.html It's not only funny but surprisingly touching in places too.
I agree. CNR was my 'yardstick' for the Match Game. I always relaxed a little the weeks when he on, as I knew there would be witty answers and plenty of humor. So many times, the weeks without Charles fell flat.
As a youngster in Hollywood, perhaps 35 years ago, I was interested in learning to be an actor. I heard that Mr. Reilllly was teaching a class and I wondered if I could afford it. I called the phone number listed in the ad in the local theatre rag (Dramalogue) and left a message. I was VERY surprised when Mr. Reilly himself returned my call. As it happened, I couldn't afford even the very reasonable fee for his class, but we spoke for perhaps 15 minutes and the personal interest he showed in me and his genuine charm are fond memories.
I thought about taking his class, about 30 years ago, which was held on Wednesday evenings in a small theater in the Valley. I was so tempted. I’m sorry I didn’t make that call, that would have been a huge treat, if I had gotten to speak with CNR. Thanks for telling your story.
I think he loved teaching. Plenty of actors do, especially those who had great teachers themselves. You'd be surprised at how many well-known actors teach on the side. It's not unusual.
That dude was freaking hilarious. They dont make characters like him anymore. I have read a lot about him, and he was also a kind and compassionate fellow.
He really was a brilliant actor and director, but watching him and Brett on Match Game was and is pure heaven. One of the funniest human beings and best story tellers.
I loved watch Johnny when he had Charles or Rickles on. If I could just crawl thru this phone and be back to those days I would in a heartbeat. RIP Charles, you were one of the funniest people ever on television.
Charles Nelson Reilly was always oh wonderful, Intelligent, funny man who I followed in his work throughout my life and until his death and still we see him here in this video, sad😭 that all the people on the panel are gone now but their legacies live on❤️ Love to them all.
Deborah Keefe I meant to write, ' Wind in the willows.'. was made in 1987. Judy Collins, sings throughout. Its Superb. I hope its still at Amazon. Roddy McDowell, and Jose Ferrer, voices, also
What ? Roy Clark is one of the most revered respected and well known guitarists EVER ! Maybe a 15 - 20 year old doesn't know him, but anyone else with a brain does. He was on HeeHaw every week for a hundred years and every show on tv. Roy Clark is a legend !!!
Roy Clark is not underrated, he was and is still considered of the best guitar/banjo players. Not to mention he could sing and play anything with strings including fiddle and was pretty funny.
I love the banter between these two. Carson was a master of conversation. Most hosts think THEY need to take the lead, but Johnny understood that he just needed to sit back, LISTEN and watch the magic happen. And how wonderful that a guest is willing to come on and talk about failure? Stars today are gagged by their PR people, everything is so sanitized.
I didn't realize this until I read your comment. But just like how Ed would perform 2nd banana to Johnny, Johnny would perform 2nd banana to the guest.
These Carson bits are the vest. Not dated at all... This is timeless and so very entertaining, especially when contrasted with what passes for late night these days. Johnny was the master of this form--besides being enormously funny, he was an excellent interviewer as well. He could do gags but also play straight man to whatever comic was in the chair.
Sincere thanks for this upload! This is my favorite Charles Nelson Reilly guest shot. I've got permanent nerve damage that, among other things, causes severe migraines, nausea, and vertigo. I put these classic Carson clips on when I can't sleep. The laughter is magic medicine.
CNR was one of the nicest (and talented) people in the business! Would've given anything to be at a dinner party with him back in the day. Fun! Fun! Fun! Miss them all greatly. 💗
I'd like to have dinner with him and Paul Lynde. It would probably be a scream! Although I've read that Lynde was actually a bitter nasty drunk in real life.
Charles Nelson Riley, one of the great laid back comedians during the era when there were Stars. Today we don't have entertainers unless they use profanity and today we have actors but no true stars.
Interesting description when he mentioned Match Game and Johnny asked if he meant the game show. Reilly said "It's quiet, it's daytime, nobody knows about it. But it's good money" How things change. He could never have imagined then he'd be adored by generations to come for Match Game alone. The play is long forgotten, but thank God for TV and reruns!
FYI: The show was called "Break a Leg" by Ira Levin... the same guy who'd, at the time, just written a huge hit called "Deathtrap" that was later made into a great movie with Christopher Reeves, Dian Cannon, and Michael Caine.
@@zippitydodaday6037 I remember him from HR Pufnstuf but unless you really enjoy programming aimed at little kids, I'd recommend staying with Match Game.
In 1979, he directed Ira Levin's play Break a Leg on Broadway. Despite the previous year's success of Levin's Deathtrap, Break a Leg closed after one performance. He was 48 when he did this appearance, so kudos for not lying about his age.
Not only do I love Johnny hosting this show but the guest hosts had some great guests too, including Roy Clark! Sadly, nearly nobody from this era of the Tonight Show is still with us. If the guest host shows are part of the Carson estate, we would love to see those too!
I knew of him growing up as a kid from watching Match Game. Much later I saw him in a little theater doing Save It For The Stage. Side note-while standing outside waiting for the doors to open Lonnie Anderson showed with a guest. Anyway, Save It For The Stage was an autobiographical one man show. Very entertaining, in part of his show he explained the differences of what actors had to go through to become actors in his day as opposed to modern days. I realized what a talented actor he truly was. Glad I went to see his show, Reilly died a few years later.
Oh my goodness. He was always funny on The Tonight Show but this might be my favorite appearance. He was so “on” with the self-deprecation about the failed show; comic genius at work.
Charles Nelson Reilly was a lovely man. I was studying at HB Studio in New York where he taught on occasion. He invited a group of students to enjoy a live taping of the Dinah Shore Show. I remember standing between him and Len Cariou ("Sweeney Todd") ... totally entranced by their talent!!!
We didn't know it at the time...that these were the real celebrities...NOT entitled singers and reality stars with attitude. Carson was right to leave the tonight show when he did. I miss ALL his guests ...Strange, with all these talent and singing contest shows- nobody can match the truly talented people of the 70s and 80s.
He didn't exactly play the most endearing characters. But some of the most enduring. He was just a guy trying to make it in show-biz, who happened to be gay, back in the days when everybody pretended not to be. We've come a long way, since then. For the better. And added some crazy on top, too.
He has an incredibly dry style of humor. I dont even know if dry is the right word but there is some intangible style to CNR that seems impossible to duplicate in the 70s. But listen to modern comedy podcasts today and the big figures in that show business all have that same style. But Carson just always played the straightman to all the characters that come on his show, and plays into their bit. Its why Carson is the paragon of talk show hosts, it doesnt matter who came on the show or what bit they were doing, Carson found a way to play off them. And then there were folks like your Game Show celebrities who played ball in an ensemble and were beloved for it, perhaps as not on their own. Thats kind of how CNR worked. Regardless, its a dynamic that rings even more clearly in 2021. And why we still find ourselves so sorely missing the both of them.
I loved him in the Ghost and Mrs. Muir, and I saw him on game shows like Hollywood Squares (great name, huh?). It had a great collection of wits and characters. His sense of humor appealed to me, and things like that sort of become a part of you when you are a child and absorbing everything of value.
Billy DeWolf, Liberace, Paul Lynde and Reilly all played a rather complicated role with respect to how Amercans saw gay men. On one hand, they were 'allowed' into our collective conscienceness as 'gay' entertainers as non-threatening examples of homosexuality because they stayed in the closet, albeit with the door cracked open. You are right they did not overtly say they were gay and refused to confirm their sexual orientation through their careers ( Reilly did come out officially in his late years with his autobiographical one man show in 2000) They were playing it coy, hinting at something they never embraced professionally, because it worked for their careers. But it also perpetuated some stereotypes of the fey gay man , flamboyant, witty, entertaining but rather frivolous people. Often they were the first 'gay characters' we allowed into our homes and lives and that alone broke major boundaries, shoulders on which others could later stand.
I heard a story about him auditioning actors for a play in Providence RI. A kid is auditioning for a part. O'Reilly yelled at him " speak up kid, for God's sake, my old mother FARTS louder than that"
CNR was not only talented at everything he did, he seemed to be a genuine, caring, gentle human being. And that is more important than all the talent he possessed. The world was a better place with CNR in it.
I'm trying to figure out the timing. The play opened (and closed) April 29. But a NYT article dated April 28 states that CNR resigned as director and asked to have his name removed the previous day (April 27). So if he resigned on the 27th how was he still the director 2 days later?
The play was "Break a Leg." It had 12 previews, opened April 29, 1979, and closed that day. Written by Ira Levin, starring Julie Harris and Jack Weston.
Does anyone else remember a Tonight Show sketch with Johnny and CNR, CNR was an airline clerk going down a checklist of questions (frustrating Johnny) and one question was "Is your belly-button an INNIE, or an OUTIE?" it was hilarious, I wish I could find it.
When I was a kid in the 70’s I would be waiting on my sister to finish her piano lesson at our teacher’s. Every week the same thing....Match Game. Those jokes just went right over my head. My favorite was Charles.
you could see how disappointed - maybe very depressed - he was, but he put on a “brave” face. There was a minute in the middle where you could just tell he truly was sad about it, then he switched back into comedy. It was funny, but kinda tough to watch. I’m sure he was in pain but didn’t want people to know.
CNR is so funny 😆 His character on Lidsville and H.R. Puffnstuff used to scare me when I was a kid but now when I need a laugh my go-to is a rerun of Match Game or an interview with Charles Nelson Reilly.
@@kenhurley4441 Me, too! He was so self deprecating. He was doing his best to make some lemonade here. When I first saw him addressed as CNR in this thread, it caused me to think of a chain of local restaurant named Chicken 'n Rice. Kinda' cute. He wasn't a slouch. This was just one of those things. I'm sure it was humiliating. He took it like a trooper.
@7:30 when he says "I have a good friend Barbara, who was in four plays that lasted 7 performances." I think he's talking about Barbara Cook. She was a legend for her talent, but in her career, she went from flop to flop. She was in a few hits, most notably, she originated Marian the librarian in The Music Man.
I was going with my mom to see my first broadway show . I wanted to see Sweeney Todd with Angela Lansbury and my mother said let’s go see Break a leg with Julie Harris. from the moment we sat down got a bad feeling.I still felt cheated..lol Break a leg.lol.
The world is a less interesting place without Charles Nelson Reilly.
Love. Love. Love. CNR in all he every did. :-)
It sure is.
Indeed. I used to work with a guy who was, if you can picture this, a cross between George Bush Senior and CNR. He was a dead ringer for George Sr but acted JUST like CNR, without acting. Like, that was his natural behavior and he always had us in stitches without even trying. There was a one man show with CNR on Netflix years ago. I don't think it's there anymore. Let me see if I can find it on RUclips... Yep! Here's a playlist of it: ruclips.net/video/U1gTQ5Gxhpw/видео.html It's not only funny but surprisingly touching in places too.
@@JustWasted3HoursHere ty for putting up that link ... enjoyed it very much ...
@@MrGavinspoppop No problem. I saw it when it first came on Netflix and loved it. Always thought he was hysterical as a kid.
Loved this guy. Such a naturally funny and endearing man. He was a major part of what made The Match Game the funniest game show ever.
I agree 100% Chuck Reilly was the best
Yes he was. He Brett, Richard and Gene.
I agree with you 100 percent !!
charles is my favorite
I agree. CNR was my 'yardstick' for the Match Game. I always relaxed a little the weeks when he on, as I knew there would be witty answers and plenty of humor. So many times, the weeks without Charles fell flat.
Charles Nelson Reilly was revolutionary & was so ahead of his time. RIP. ❤
As a youngster in Hollywood, perhaps 35 years ago, I was interested in learning to be an actor. I heard that Mr. Reilllly was teaching a class and I wondered if I could afford it. I called the phone number listed in the ad in the local theatre rag (Dramalogue) and left a message. I was VERY surprised when Mr. Reilly himself returned my call. As it happened, I couldn't afford even the very reasonable fee for his class, but we spoke for perhaps 15 minutes and the personal interest he showed in me and his genuine charm are fond memories.
I thought about taking his class, about 30 years ago, which was held on Wednesday evenings in a small theater in the Valley. I was so tempted. I’m sorry I didn’t make that call, that would have been a huge treat, if I had gotten to speak with CNR. Thanks for telling your story.
He must have needed the money. Times were probably tough for him in later life! LOL
@william blackstock I can't remember. Probably a coupla hundred books for 4 or 5 weeks, back in those days. More than I had, anyway.
I think he loved teaching. Plenty of actors do, especially those who had great teachers themselves. You'd be surprised at how many well-known actors teach on the side. It's not unusual.
He claimed he loved to spend , it will catch up to people that over spend .@@retroguy9494
Charles was such a funny man. He broke down barriers and was a wonderful entertainer. Roy Clark was just dying laughing.
Yea the ol' queen sure was a piece of work! LOL
@@retroguy9494 Roy was a queen? 😂
That dude was freaking hilarious. They dont make characters like him anymore. I have read a lot about him, and he was also a kind and compassionate fellow.
This was an excellent interview. Johnny was excellent here. Loved Charles Nelson Reilly!
He really was a brilliant actor and director, but watching him and Brett on Match Game was and is pure heaven. One of the funniest human beings and best story tellers.
At 2:00; "You are a master at what you do. We all, at the hospital, feel that." Priceless!
"Can you play in the hospital on Thursday?"
😂
I loved watch Johnny when he had Charles or Rickles on.
If I could just crawl thru this phone and be back to those days I would in a heartbeat. RIP Charles, you were one of the funniest people ever on television.
Charles Nelson Reilly was always oh wonderful, Intelligent, funny man who I followed in his work throughout my life and until his death and still we see him here in this video, sad😭 that all the people on the panel are gone now but their legacies live on❤️ Love to them all.
Deborah Keefe He was fantastic as 'Toad,' in the best animated, ' Winds and the Willows.'
Chesty Puller I will have to look that up . Thanks👍🏻
Deborah Keefe I meant to write, ' Wind in the willows.'. was made in 1987. Judy Collins, sings throughout. Its Superb. I hope its still at Amazon. Roddy McDowell, and Jose Ferrer, voices, also
Chesty Puller What does that have to do with Charles Nelson Reilly then?
Deborah Keefe He is the voice for Toad! Toad, always getting into trouble. He is the main character. A classic novel, and classic movie.
Omg Roy Clark & Charles Nelson Reilly!!
This is so awesome and hilarious!!!
Roy is a very underrated guitar player!!!
Not among guitar players. Roy is devastating to witness.
What ? Roy Clark is one of the most revered respected and well known guitarists EVER !
Maybe a 15 - 20 year old doesn't know him, but anyone else with a brain does.
He was on HeeHaw every week for a hundred years and every show on tv.
Roy Clark is a legend !!!
@@hungfao Agreed! Among those in the field, his peers, I bet he's ranked in the top 5.
Roy Clark is not underrated, he was and is still considered of the best guitar/banjo players. Not to mention he could sing and play anything with strings including fiddle and was pretty funny.
Q Godsey yet in the business he was highly acclaimed and admired.
I love the banter between these two. Carson was a master of conversation. Most hosts think THEY need to take the lead, but Johnny understood that he just needed to sit back, LISTEN and watch the magic happen.
And how wonderful that a guest is willing to come on and talk about failure? Stars today are gagged by their PR people, everything is so sanitized.
I didn't realize this until I read your comment. But just like how Ed would perform 2nd banana to Johnny, Johnny would perform 2nd banana to the guest.
@@kennethsouthard6042 Excellent observation about Ed.
Exactly right. Today's hosts typically try way too hard.
These Carson bits are the vest. Not dated at all... This is timeless and so very entertaining, especially when contrasted with what passes for late night these days. Johnny was the master of this form--besides being enormously funny, he was an excellent interviewer as well. He could do gags but also play straight man to whatever comic was in the chair.
Sincere thanks for this upload! This is my favorite Charles Nelson Reilly guest shot. I've got permanent nerve damage that, among other things, causes severe migraines, nausea, and vertigo. I put these classic Carson clips on when I can't sleep. The laughter is magic medicine.
So you use Carson as a nightlight, huh? Rickles would be proud!
@@ryanellis4474 Wishing you, Better than better. Magically. :)
@@oooops537 - I sure could use some of that magic, oopsie. God Bless you to the moon and back!
CNR was one of the nicest (and talented) people in the business! Would've given anything to be at a dinner party with him back in the day. Fun! Fun! Fun! Miss them all greatly. 💗
I'd like to have dinner with him and Paul Lynde. It would probably be a scream! Although I've read that Lynde was actually a bitter nasty drunk in real life.
Charles Nelson Riley, one of the great laid back comedians during the era when there were Stars. Today we don't have entertainers unless they use profanity and today we have actors but no true stars.
I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU 💯 PERCENT
I'm pretty confident Charles swore plenty, it was just the rules of the format he existed on that kept him restrained
Interesting description when he mentioned Match Game and Johnny asked if he meant the game show. Reilly said "It's quiet, it's daytime, nobody knows about it. But it's good money" How things change. He could never have imagined then he'd be adored by generations to come for Match Game alone. The play is long forgotten, but thank God for TV and reruns!
By the date in the description, MG79 was off the air by this time. 😩
@@KiddBloo86 Yeah, he was describing how he found out about it being cancelled.
Johnny seemed confused about what he was talking about.
He was adorable. I used to not like him, but I must say, he is an acquired taste. Now I miss him.
As a kid, I used to love him in "Lidsville" on Saturday mornings. He was perfect for a kids' show.
I say the same thing about Walter Matthau.
@@mikebradshaw6484 What? He was perfect for a kids' show? :)
Yup!@@guyfroml
My favorite quality in Charles Nelson Reilly is his laugh. It's instantly recognizable!
FYI: The show was called "Break a Leg" by Ira Levin... the same guy who'd, at the time, just written a huge hit called "Deathtrap" that was later made into a great movie with Christopher Reeves, Dian Cannon, and Michael Caine.
😯
I loved that movie. I watched it not too long ago and it didn't age well.
Great movie.
Death Trap is a movie you can really only experience once. You can watch it again but it won't be the same.
He also wrote Rosemary's Baby, the Stepford Wives, A Kiss Before Dying among others.
My God, he was just pure genius! Loved this guy.
I was introduced to Charles Nelson Reilly comedy from match game
Yeah, it's only various game shows I know him from and I am unable to recall of any acting I've seen him in.
@@zippitydodaday6037 I remember him from HR Pufnstuf but unless you really enjoy programming aimed at little kids, I'd recommend staying with Match Game.
I loved the relationship between him and Brett on match game.
TapCat it wasn’t hr puffenstuff it was lidsville he was on
@@Grogie4dagurlz You're right, they're both produced by Sid and Marty Croft and I guess that's why I got them crossed up in my head.
Two legends on the same stage. CLASSIC!
three
@@johnrobbins917 You are correct. Can't leave out Roy Clark!
Four. Don't forget about Ed!
In 1979, he directed Ira Levin's play Break a Leg on Broadway. Despite the previous year's success of Levin's Deathtrap, Break a Leg closed after one performance. He was 48 when he did this appearance, so kudos for not lying about his age.
MrK623 what happened that night?
@@usernotfound6475 The play sucked ;
bailey9r ah, I see..
MrK623 I would have thought him much older
😯👍
Not only do I love Johnny hosting this show but the guest hosts had some great guests too, including Roy Clark! Sadly, nearly nobody from this era of the Tonight Show is still with us. If the guest host shows are part of the Carson estate, we would love to see those too!
Roy loved Charles and vice versa
I knew of him growing up as a kid from watching Match Game. Much later I saw him in a little theater doing Save It For The Stage. Side note-while standing outside waiting for the doors to open Lonnie Anderson showed with a guest.
Anyway, Save It For The Stage was an autobiographical one man show. Very entertaining, in part of his show he explained the differences of what actors had to go through to become actors in his day as opposed to modern days. I realized what a talented actor he truly was.
Glad I went to see his show, Reilly died a few years later.
Charles Nelson Reilly is so funny. Great timing!
'This is Mary my nurse, isn't she sweet, she has been with me since the final curtain'. Cracked me up
Oh my goodness. He was always funny on The Tonight Show but this might be my favorite appearance. He was so “on” with the self-deprecation about the failed show; comic genius at work.
Spot on
Charles could be very serious. But to our delight, he laughed at himself first of all!! A delight!!! "2 hours and 5 minutes"!!!
Charles Nelson Reilly was a lovely man. I was studying at HB Studio in New York where he taught on occasion. He invited a group of students to enjoy a live taping of the Dinah Shore Show. I remember standing between him and Len Cariou ("Sweeney Todd") ... totally entranced by their talent!!!
poor guy, hes so sweet, funny, and such a good sport. so brave of hime to talk about this so soon. he really deserved the world
It's like Carson said. It's part of the business. Sometimes it happens.
Johnny: "Was there a curtain call?"
Charles: "They sort of stood there for a while."
Roy Clark and Chuck Reilly, two of the great toupees of all time
@pete smyth He had a toupee before he had a transplant.....but who really cares anyway?
Love. Love. Love. Charles Nelson Reilly ---- in all he ever did in the acting world. He was hilarious, and will ever be remembered as so! :-)
It was funny watching him as he changes the direction of the conversation and to Johnny's reaction. Especially as he kept talking to Bob/Ed
CNR - Brilliant. Turn EVERY occasion into an ability to Entertain!
I never appreciated Charles when I was a kid.... but omg I just love him... he’s so funny and I bet a he was a great guy..
Same here - we sure didn't get it then but hey we were kids😊
LOVED IT !!! Thank you !
💗💗💗💗 Charles Nelson Reilly is the most loveable & sweetest man in the cosmos!!
😂😂🤣🤣 Ed McMahon can't stop laughing!! until suddenly he starts crying
CNR seemed to me to be so insightful. He was wise, brave, and funny. And humane.
Charles is awesome
I just loved Charles Nelson Reilly.. a favorite from my childhood.
We didn't know it at the time...that these were the real celebrities...NOT entitled singers and reality stars with attitude. Carson was right to leave the tonight show when he did. I miss ALL his guests ...Strange, with all these talent and singing contest shows- nobody can match the truly talented people of the 70s and 80s.
More natural pure and innocent. Everyone and thing seems jaded now.
So right
So many gone , Karen Carpenter , Olivia , Rickles , Joan Rivers , Roy , CNR ,Tom Snyder , Robert Goulet ,Charles Grodin and too many more to mention .
Well said.
@@winecrimesfoodandtime7119LOL. Old people never change. So happy that's not me.
True SHOWMANSHIP!!😎👍🏻
truly hilarious and thoroughly entertaining! Love all these videos and i understand he was on johnnys a lot of times.
I love this clip. I loved Charles Nelson Reilly.
I adored Charles Nelson Reilly as a child. He was fabulous.
I never cared for him, today I realize I was wrong!! He is Funny!!
He didn't exactly play the most endearing characters. But some of the most enduring. He was just a guy trying to make it in show-biz, who happened to be gay, back in the days when everybody pretended not to be. We've come a long way, since then. For the better. And added some crazy on top, too.
He has an incredibly dry style of humor. I dont even know if dry is the right word but there is some intangible style to CNR that seems impossible to duplicate in the 70s. But listen to modern comedy podcasts today and the big figures in that show business all have that same style. But Carson just always played the straightman to all the characters that come on his show, and plays into their bit. Its why Carson is the paragon of talk show hosts, it doesnt matter who came on the show or what bit they were doing, Carson found a way to play off them. And then there were folks like your Game Show celebrities who played ball in an ensemble and were beloved for it, perhaps as not on their own. Thats kind of how CNR worked.
Regardless, its a dynamic that rings even more clearly in 2021. And why we still find ourselves so sorely missing the both of them.
I get it. He's beyond irritating. And he thinks he's hilarious which to me is the death of a comic. Awful.
I loved him in the Ghost and Mrs. Muir, and I saw him on game shows like Hollywood Squares (great name, huh?). It had a great collection of wits and characters. His sense of humor appealed to me, and things like that sort of become a part of you when you are a child and absorbing everything of value.
What a perfectly charming man.
I think he's wonderful in The Ghost and Mrs Muir. All on RUclips - watch them!!
My childhood.
He was great on Hollywood Squares too. He was flamboyant when it was dangerous to be so still...
Charles, like Paul Lynde, advanced gay rights without needing to say a word about it
ground breakers for sure. but remember silence = death
@@jasonstuart2684 back then speaking did.
Billy DeWolf, Liberace, Paul Lynde and Reilly all played a rather complicated role with respect to how Amercans saw gay men. On one hand, they were 'allowed' into our collective conscienceness as 'gay' entertainers as non-threatening examples of homosexuality because they stayed in the closet, albeit with the door cracked open. You are right they did not overtly say they were gay and refused to confirm their sexual orientation through their careers ( Reilly did come out officially in his late years with his autobiographical one man show in 2000) They were playing it coy, hinting at something they never embraced professionally, because it worked for their careers. But it also perpetuated some stereotypes of the fey gay man , flamboyant, witty, entertaining but rather frivolous people. Often they were the first 'gay characters' we allowed into our homes and lives and that alone broke major boundaries, shoulders on which others could later stand.
Charles Nelson Riley was a mighty man, the kind you wouldn’t want to disrespect.
I heard a story about him auditioning actors for a play in Providence RI. A kid is auditioning for a part. O'Reilly yelled at him " speak up kid, for God's sake, my old mother FARTS louder than that"
😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣
Charles Nelson Reilly, he is sooooo missed😢
It’s great that Charles is still kickin ass ,,, as roger on American dad....love him!!!
Ralph Hoskins um...he died years ago
Roger is a bit more Paul Lynde
It's Seth McFarlane who voices Roger.
CNR was not only talented at everything he did, he seemed to be a genuine, caring, gentle human being. And that is more important than all the talent he possessed. The world was a better place with CNR in it.
He's so funny...and endearing 🙂
I'm trying to figure out the timing. The play opened (and closed) April 29. But a NYT article dated April 28 states that CNR resigned as director and asked to have his name removed the previous day (April 27). So if he resigned on the 27th how was he still the director 2 days later?
What a brave soul, I would have loved to seen him even in the flop.
The play was "Break a Leg." It had 12 previews, opened April 29, 1979, and closed that day. Written by Ira Levin, starring Julie Harris and Jack Weston.
He has always been very talented.
I love that Roy Clark and CNR were friends.
What makes you like that? Why go there?
@@smoothandchunky1 No evidence. CNR loved everybody.
Any chance of getting some "full" episodes while we're all locked away?
Are you in prison ? Why are you locked away ?
@@tomquimby6432
He probably means quarantined because of the rona.
@@robertscott2210 yes
@@robertscott2210 rona ? really !? Well I`m not quarantined or locked down I go to work everyday and I just got back from the grocery store.
@@tomquimby6432 thank you
They're all gone.
Ed, Roy, Charles, Johnny.
All just riffing off each other.
No cue cards.
Sigh.
They’re not gone. We keep talking about them! We keep their memory. They’re here beside us.
As you get older, you're going to find it happening more and more often.
Does anyone else remember a Tonight Show sketch with Johnny and CNR, CNR was an airline clerk going down a checklist of questions (frustrating Johnny) and one question was "Is your belly-button an INNIE, or an OUTIE?" it was hilarious, I wish I could find it.
I'm a year or more late, but if you still haven't found it, merry Christmas: ruclips.net/video/cQwtfdw6ZEg/видео.html
When I was a kid in the 70’s I would be waiting on my sister to finish her piano lesson at our teacher’s. Every week the same thing....Match Game. Those jokes just went right over my head. My favorite was Charles.
Is anyone else in the room? Are we on? Lol the delivery of those
Loved him... always very funny...
you could see how disappointed - maybe very depressed - he was, but he put on a “brave” face. There was a minute in the middle where you could just tell he truly was sad about it, then he switched back into comedy. It was funny, but kinda tough to watch. I’m sure he was in pain but didn’t want people to know.
The first comment is perfect ❤
he was awesome.
I never laugh so hard from somebody misery.
Mr. Match Game!!!
You probably mean Hollywood Squares?
EDIT i was thinking of paul lynde
@@mwilliamshs He was on both regularly...but moreso on Match Game I believe.
@@mwilliamshs Charles Nelson Reilly was most known for Match Game.... it's not even close
Donnie Brooke so much more than thay
Always loved Charles Nelson Reilly.
First time seeing this guy... Hilarious af!! So underrated this comic
I have always loved him. So funny
I loved him in "Lidsville" such a sweet and funny person.
A steady on popular game show and I watched most all of those shows
Xx xx 🙂
CNR is so funny 😆 His character on Lidsville and H.R. Puffnstuff used to scare me when I was a kid but now when I need a laugh my go-to is a rerun of Match Game or an interview with Charles Nelson Reilly.
a brilliant and beautiful person
Charming wit. Love and miss the guy. :(
❤ I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THIS CRAZY SHOW... BUT IN ALL THE WORLD 🌎 NO ONE CAN FIND THE EPISODES 😮
Charles Nelson Reilly at his best; he was such a comedic delight (and one of my gay heroes too; they were too few back in days)
Always made me laugh.
If you get a chance watch all of CNR’s one man show on RUclips
I'll check that out! Thanks
@@kenhurley4441
Me, too! He was so self deprecating. He was doing his best to make some lemonade here. When I first saw him addressed as CNR in this thread, it caused me to think of a chain of local restaurant named Chicken 'n Rice. Kinda' cute.
He wasn't a slouch. This was just one of those things. I'm sure it was humiliating. He took it like a trooper.
I lmao. Glad I wasn’t in the audience. 🙄😁. Love CNR.
These guys were giants
Was a funny man!
"Say goodbye to Match Game '79"
CBS didn't even let MG79 tape an official finale; just pulled the plug and left 3 weeks unaired. 😩
That's a bummer. 😕
@7:30 when he says "I have a good friend Barbara, who was in four plays that lasted 7 performances." I think he's talking about Barbara Cook. She was a legend for her talent, but in her career, she went from flop to flop. She was in a few hits, most notably, she originated Marian the librarian in The Music Man.
CLASSIC
When I was a kid I always looked forward to being sick from school so I can watch Match Game NC Charles Nelson Reilly and Brett Somers go at it
I was going with my mom to see my first broadway show . I wanted to see Sweeney Todd with Angela Lansbury and my mother said let’s go see Break a leg with Julie Harris. from the moment we sat down got a bad feeling.I still felt cheated..lol Break a leg.lol.
How bad was it?
😯
@@CaliWeHo Poor Charles...the playwright wouldn't let him make much needed changes...
@@AmericasChoice ; It was so bad, five empty seats got up and walked out.
@@bessied.5694 LOL. That is bad!
I read about this play. CNR quit as director just before it played because Ira Levin would not listen to his suggestions for making the play better.
I am certain there was a lot that led up to his resigning. He stayed as long as he did because of his love for Julie Harris.
"Oh, I'm from show biz, baby." He sure was.
This dude is hilarious.
Just occurred to me how often Johnny is channeling Bob Elliot :) Two words for B&R fans - Barry Campbell.