Some years ago, one of the networks ran an experimental crossover between all their evening sitcoms. The premise was that all the shows set in the same neighborhood, and that characters from each show met others at the supermarket, at intersections, drop by as neighbors, and so on. A full moon was out in TV-land, providing an excuse for mad things to happen. My dad and I watched one sequence together, wherein Betty White and Richard Mulligan crossed paths in a sort of Burns-and-Allen routine – she the same airhead she played on Golden Girls, he the straight man from Empty Nest. As the routine wound down, Dad observed aloud what a pleasure it was to watch two veterans show their stuff. His comment stuck with me; ever since, I have been hyperconscious of the virtuoso performances the elder statesmen of comedy produce.
Comedy may be a young man’s game to the extent that coming up with new material every week takes extraordinary intellectual stamina. Comedy is hard, good comedy even harder. Small wonder stand-up comedians all look forward to movie careers, where they can cull their best material from a year’s inspiration, instead of a mere week. On the other hand, an old pro can slip on a role like a pair of old sneakers and be off and running before the applause acknowledging past performances has died. Theirs is not the comedy of shock, but of human observation.
Carl Reiner is a great example. My favorite scene of the Ocean’s Eleven remake is the one where he stands before a mirror and warms up to his part in the con, working out just how to say “My name is Lyman Zerge.” The DVD commentary for the same movie says the actors often had to be pulled away from him to get to work, and I believe it. He’s still funny as hell on the radio, even without Mel Brooks.
I don’t watch much TV, but when I catch a stray episode of “Everybody Loves Raymond,” my attention is riveted on Doris Roberts and Peter Boyle. Bob Newhart’s perpetually uncomfortable nebbish was the only funny thing in Elf.
That’s not to say that aging alone makes comedic actors great (Redd Foxx should by a genius by now) but for those who have talent to ripen, ripening works wonders.