Albert Brooks & Rob Reiner On Their Famous Dads | Conan O'Brien Needs A Friend

this I have to bring up which is the. similarities you're you're good friends. you've been good friends uh since high. school and there are some similarities. uh both your fathers uh in the business. you lost your father at an early age uh. in a it's a it's a uh very sad story um. he died performing at a Friar's Club. yeah roast on stage Parker carcass and. uh um you that was a loss that clearly. had a huge effect on you yeah obviously.

yeah and and and um he says something in. in the documentary that that I didn't. know and when I heard it I I couldn't. believe it he said that when he was a. kid he used to go to sleep with the. radio on and his mother would come in. while he was sleeping and turn it off at. night and one morning he woke up and the. radio was still on it was like 3 in the. morning 3: in the morning he woke up and. he said he knew at that point that his. father had died CU your father had been. sickly and my whole life you know he he.

was healthier for my brothers but by the. time I was born it was not it was not. good and he had trouble walking so for. my life he was Ill always ill so I was. always worried about it so it wasn't. like a premonition I thought this was. happening every day you he um what's I. remembered you uh I had heard about it. and then you and I got to have a dinner. once and you told me the the story and. it's absolutely unbelievable he's on the.

friers club de and it's 1958 and he. destroys I mean absolutely destroys and. he's the hit of the night you can listen. to it it's on listen to it and then he. goes back and he sits down at at his. seat and passes away and it's weird. because it's the thing that comedians. talk about sometimes almost in a. whiskful way like I'd love to kill in. front of a crowd and then just quickly. go yeah and what I'm always amazed at is. that he finished you know could happen. on the way up to the mic it could happen.

during but he finished so that's the. coolest part and then they tried to save. the evening the insane part that you. they send it your your father they're. working on him backage backstage Milton. Burl says to a singer at the time Mar go. up there and sing one hit in America and. he says Sing Sing and milon didn't know. what the song was he says Go sing your. hit Go sing your hit Tony Martin stands. up and he sang and his hit was called. There's No Tomorrow Jes God.

there's no tomorrow while they're. working on your dad in back oh my god um. God and and and now your father of. course uh lived uh wonderful I think 170. years uh and. 98 um and was uh you know I got to know. him he was such a beautiful man such a. lovely man so encouraging and uh um. absolutely.

lovely the first time he came on my late. night show he came out and he said um uh. I'm going to this my first time on the. show so I'm going to mark my territory. so he walked around to the back of the. show miming peeing it but I don't think. my crowd knew what marked your territory. meant and he sat down and it had gotten. nothing and he went well that completely. didn't work and that was my favorite. part my favorite part was him just. saying that you know cuz any bit where. you have to get.

leave the there's the perfect example. was Carl walking around mocking peeing. great or the fact that your audience. didn't like it was it shitty or didn't. understand it yeah yeah I'd say it was. great last night I I was at CBS where we. shot all the family and all the stuff. and they had a special for Dick Van djk. who's 98 turning 98 and uh I opened the. thing and introduced it and talked about. how the first pilot of the van djk show.

was my dad did it he started and it was. called Head of the family and it didn't. sell and Sheldon Leonard who was. producing the the show said the script. is great we just need to find a better. you you know that's where he got enter. Dick van and I tell that story I told. that story at the beginning you know. what it's funny I've seen the footage of. the original Dick Van djk show yeah. didn't have Dick Van djk I've seen the.

footage of your dad in that role and it. looks insane because it's like if. someone showed you Casablanca but. instead of Humphrey Bogart yeah you know. Ed win yeah exactly going doesn't that. sound like a Sinatra song he never. recorded we just need to find a better. you yes a better. you so uh he was was he encourage he was. encouraging of you being in comedy was. he worried for you he didn't say. anything he never said yes or no and so.

I never knew I mean I didn't know it. wasn't until I was like 19 and I. directed a production of No Exit of all. things John Paul sart Richard dfus was. in it and couple and that was the first. time I ever got anything from my dad. where he came backstage and he says that. was good no and he looked me in. the eye and said that so the only time. he ever gave me any kind of. encouragement and I went to visit him at. the had his house then the next day and.

he said uh I'm not worried about you. you're going to be okay whatever you. want to do but that was that was already. 19 I saw something I mentioned this to. you once and I feel like I fail because. I can't find it but somewhere I saw. footage because briefly you were part of. a a doubles act you were you were. partnered with Joey Bishop's son yeah. Larry Bishop Larry bishop and someone. with like a super rate camera right. after you've done a show maybe it's 1968. 6 9 takes you out onto a fire escape and.

interviews both of you wow and they're. talking to both of you about you having. famous dads yeah and um I saw this thing. and I thought well surely you've seen. this and then you said you've never seen. it I've never seen it and Larry and I. Larry and I opened at the the hungry eye. for uh Carmen McCrae and we were booked. into all those nightclubs the ones you. know the rooster Tale in Detroit Mr. Kelly's in Chicago Paul's mul the bidder.

end we booked into everyone and after. that run he said I I can't do this by. the way before that in high school I had. an act with Larry yeah and uh this is. funny Al and Larry we were in high. school and there was no such thing as an. improv or any place a guy on Kena named. lar Brook Schmidt he looked like Ernie. Kovac he opened his house he called it. L's Lair so you could that was thing. that's not a pedophile no no here here.

was the rule creeps right now all over. America are hearing this going that's it. it's a comedy club here was the rule you. could perform there if you brought the. audience so Larry and I had to bring our. friends from high school who heard the. same bits at lunch this time they had to. pay $5 and sit in a guy's house it's in. the living room living room it's the. same thing and they're looking at us. like. okay but what is this this was lunch and.

you know well it's it's a club and it. was a guy's house first thing I've ever. seen in this city that even got. strangers together at a person's house. and what how long did that guy thing. last uh till he. [Applause]. came he had a very strange proclivity.

very strange. proclivity.