Keaton tribute

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One question about Stu Van Airsdale's video excerpt from last night's Lincolm Center Diane Keaton tribute, at which Woody Allen, Meryl Streep, Steve Martin, Martin Short and Candice Bergen spoke and praised and shared set stories. The question is, why show a video of Martin's somewhat funny, somewhat inane banjo performance when we could have just as easily watched and listened to Allen deliver his remarks, which seemed to have been the hit of the evening? What's with the damn banjo?

"I'm sure you've all, at one time or another, heard the term 'passive-aggressive,' " Allen began, drawing the longest laugh of the night with his first utterance. "I only mention this because every film I did with Keaton, I always wrote all the good jokes and all the good stuff and all the good scenes for me. When the picture came out, she was the funny one...she got all the reviews. So, you know, it's infuriating.

"She called and asked if I would say some nice things [for thsi event], and I asked, 'What the hell do you want to be honored for?' Because I could never see the point of being honored; you sit there and there's adulatory things...you get bathed in obsequious adulation and all that garbage. But she liked that idea, and then I heard the desperation in her voice. So I said okay, Keaton is...' Allen paused. 'Punctual? And she's... thrifty? What else can I say about her?'"

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on April 10, 2007 at 6:16 PM

comment #1

Noah says ...

Wow, Woody is still hilarious.

I just wish that would translate on screen a little more often. I still think he's got another masterpiece in him.

Posted by Noah at April 10, 2007 6:37 PM

comment #2

Arran says ...

Congratulations on mentioning Steve Martin without remarking that his face is too puffy for you these days, Jeff.

Posted by Arran at April 10, 2007 6:50 PM

comment #3

rocco says ...

It's not puffiness that's disturbing about Martin's face, it's the botched cosmetic work. That's fair game.

Not to be overly superficial, but I've always wondered why Keaton hides her neck so much. Anyone know? She's been doing it for decades...

Posted by rocco at April 10, 2007 8:48 PM

comment #4

Craig Kennedy says ...

Thanks for the chuckle, Woody. Brought me out of the "Tarantino sucks - No he doesn't - Yes he does - No he doesn't" stupor.

Posted by Craig Kennedy at April 10, 2007 9:26 PM

comment #5

fnt says ...

The video's gone now seemingly.

Posted by fnt at April 11, 2007 12:50 AM

comment #6

Terry McCarty says ...

In terms of the banjo, Steve's just trying to remind people of his stand-up days when playing the banjo and singing nonsense was part of the act.

Long before he settled into making almost-total commerce to feed his art collection. But then again, SHOPGIRL--his last try at cinematic Art--pretty much sucked.

Posted by Terry McCarty at April 11, 2007 2:05 AM

comment #7

stvanairsdale says ...

There are a few answers to these questions:

1) I did shoot Woody as long as my camera would allow me -- three minutes at the highest-quality picture and sound, which I needed because the acoustics weren't very good. I checked the footage and it didn't come out; the crowd noise and mic echo swallowed the jokes. So that took care of that.

2) Martin's performance was neither funny nor inane. It was just him playing a song for Keaton, returning the favor (in his words) for her singing at his Kennedy Center Honors tribute a few years back. I mention this in the post. I also ask why the crowd was laughing, because as far as I could tell, it was all pretty sincere.

Posted by stvanairsdale at April 11, 2007 5:39 AM

comment #8

George Prager says ...

Jesus, will all of you stop making fun of Steve Martin's banjo? You might hurt his feelings! I sick of all the anit-humanity on this site! If I want to read mean things about celebrities I would go to Gawker or DEfamer or Ladie's Home Journal. Please stop the insults!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by George Prager at April 11, 2007 5:51 AM

comment #9

p.Vice says ...

The real question is why Woody didn't pull out his clarinet for a duet?

Posted by p.Vice at April 11, 2007 7:06 AM

comment #10

nemo says ...

Keaton not only hides her neck, but she hides her hands as well. She's rarely photographed without wearing gloves, or else long sleeves that cover her hands (like the picture here).

Steve Martin should be careful with that banjo. Excessive public banjo playing is what sent George Segal's once successful career into the crapper back in the late 70s.

Posted by nemo at April 11, 2007 7:18 AM

comment #11

Terry McCarty says ...

Re nemo's post-
Although it's not the greatest book about showbiz, the late producer Saul David's THE INDUSTRY has a chapter about George Segal's egocentric tantrums when filming the now-forgotten THE BLACK BIRD in the mid-seventies.

This had more of an effect on Segal's career than banjo playing.

Posted by Terry McCarty at April 11, 2007 1:34 PM

comment #12

Amazing Larry says ...

Why does Diane Keaton hide her neck? I'm thinking "vampires".

Her IMDB page says that at one time, Diane was thinking of remaking von Sternburg's THE BLUE ANGEL with Madonna in the lead role, but it never happened. This is the best proof I can give for the existence of a Supreme Being.

Posted by Amazing Larry at April 11, 2007 7:21 PM

comment #13

nemo says ...

I was joking about the lethal effects of Segal's banjo playing. Segal made a long series of horrible choices after "California Split", although "Fun With Dick and Jane" wasn't too terrible. Didn't know about his bad behavior.

But honestly, unless you're BÃ©la Fleck, no one wants to hear you play the banjo.

Posted by nemo at April 11, 2007 9:12 PM

comment #14

christian says ...

i've always loved segal and people forget he was a movie star in the 70's a great comedic actor. if you've never seen WHERE'S POPPA , go rent the dvd and be in awe...or i'll punch your fucking heart out.

Posted by christian at April 11, 2007 9:37 PM

comment #15

Terry McCarty says ...

Re George Segal and his choices in films: I remember Segal lamenting just that around 1978 in AMERICAN FILM magazine; he mentioned that the films he was making in the late 70s (LOST AND FOUND, THE LAST MARRIED COUPLE IN AMERICA, WHO IS KILLING THE GREAT CHEFS OF EUROPE?) didn't match in quality his films of the early 70s (i.e. WHERE'S POPPA?, LOVING, BORN TO WIN).

So I'm guessing Segal was offered nothing but "escapist" fare at the time. But, then again, he backed out of Blake Edwards' 10--which might have provided a potential comeback.

Posted by Terry McCarty at April 11, 2007 10:40 PM

comment #16

nemo says ...

George Segal had a really good run as a movie star in the 60s and early 70s -- "Ship of Fools", "King Rat", "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?", "The Quiller Memorandum", "No Way to Treat a Lady", "The Hot Rock", just to name a few. There were a lot of others in that period that are still worth seeing. "King Rat" is special favorite of mine.

Then after a great performance in "California Split" (which admittedly made hardly any money), he just stopped doing anything worth your time, even if you're stuck in a hotel room watching late night cable with insomnia.

Posted by nemo at April 12, 2007 8:35 AM

comment #17