Tag Archives: Steve Martin

Jan 16

A nose for classic movies

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I saw a promo just now for the Jose Ferrer version of “Cyrano de Bergerac” at 9 p.m. Central (10 Eastern) Sunday night on TCM, and I happily set my DVR.

There have been a number of fine versions of Cyrano, both in something like its original form and in modern-day adaptations. Kevin Kline gave a great performance of the play on PBS’s “Great Performances”, opposite Jennifer Garner, while Steve Martin’s “Roxanne” was a likable adaptation set among firefighters in the Pacific Northwest, with the lovely Daryl Hannah.

But nobody, and I mean nobody, beats Jose Ferrer in the 1950 movie version. Arrogant and witty, heartbroken and lonely, it’s one of the best performances in movie history.

I think most people are familiar with the story, which — on top of all the official adaptations — has been made a pop culture reference in numerous sitcoms and what have you. Cyrano is a genius, and a hero, but he has a huge, protruding, Pinocchio-like nose. He pines for the lovely Roxane, but while she is fond of him she is oblivious to his true, deeper feelings, and she even asks him to look after her suitor, a young soldier named Christian. Christian, also oblivious to Cyrano’s true feelings, is self-conscious and asks Cyrano to use his considerable talents as a poet to help Christian woo Roxane.

There’s wit, action, romance and pathos. A great, great movie, not to be missed.

My favorite scene, which is also recreated in Steve Martin’s version, is when someone makes a rude and not-very-clever joke about Cyrano’s nose and Cyrano (who is named C.D. Bales in the Steve Martin version) puts him in his place by coming up with dozens of much funnier nose jokes.

Dec 25

A comic’s life

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Born Standing Up

I guess it’s a little unusual to receive a book on Christmas morning and finish it before going to bed Christmas night — and I promise you it was not at the cost of being antisocial — but I just closed “Born Standing Up: A Comic’s Life,” by Steve Martin.

For someone like me who adored Steve’s standup comedy as a high school student in the late 1970s, this was a terrific gift choice. It’s well known, of course, that Martin is a fine writer — not only some of his own screenplays but plays and novels as well. But this is different, a surprisingly frank and relevatory memoir of his days as a stage performer, from being a teenager at Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm to quitting the standup game at a time when he was performing in arenas. There are plenty of fun celebrity stories, but this is not a seamy tell-all book. Instead, it’s a memoir of how Steve crafted a new kind of comedy — with influences as wide-ranging as vaudeville and his studies in philosophy.

When I was in Christian college, one of the leading names in Christian (and secular) music was Michael Omartian. As a secular record producer, he was the driving force behind Christopher Cross’s success. But he and his wife Stormie also released Christian albums as performers, and Stormie went on to success as an author of religious books. I had no idea that Stormie had once dated Steve Martin, with whom she worked at Knott’s Berry Farm. He speaks fondly of her, refers to her autobiography, and includes her in the acknowledgments of people who helped him gather photos and what have you for the book. I’m guessing that he doesn’t share her faith, but neither does he disparage it or disrespect it.

I also appreciated Martin’s remembrance of a crucial week performing at the Exit/In in Nashville, the legendary nightclub where I attended BarCamp last summer.

I have a CD, purchased a year or two ago, of “A Wild And Crazy Guy,” which I owned on vinyl as a teenager. I’ll have to listen to it again after work tomorrow. (The same hazy photo of Steve wearing bunny ears appears on the new book and the old album.)

This is definitely a recommended read.