Same Old Story

Screenwriter Irv Brecher (Meet Me In St. Louis, Bye Bye Birdie, Shadow of the Thin Man, Marx Bros' At The Circus & Go West, creator of Life of Riley, & more!) offers his perspective on current events. This video was written by Irv Brecher & Nell Scovell, produced by Nell Scovell, edited & directed by Rodman Flender.

• Category

  Entertainment

[mnoe817]

Man, I wish I could give ten stars to this video!

[mikedubya]

Wow. There's something about these old codgers (no offense!) that just demands respect. These guys have been through it, you know?

[SWISSCOLORVISION]

'The Wicked Wit of The West'. What a great book.

Comedy is the hardest, and least appreciated art form.

[Ethergirl]

Smart, funny man. RIP Mr. Brecher

[SteveArpo]

I have just tuned into this video whilst searching for a Stevie Wonder song of the same name. As a movie and music fan I will be watching a lot more of this stuff. When I see this ninety-four year old man I don't see an old man but the you man still inside him.

[marinagipps]

This is an insightful piece on a subject that has been long overlooked by the masses. I agree with blibbletyblop. When the strike went on in California so many writers had been affected for so long...including my own friends who were Ivy League educated & exploited nonetheless.

It is a shame that nothing has changed which is precisely why this documentary is of journalistic value. From a technical/artistic perspective, it is well-edited, shot, written and directed. A Palm D'Or here...kudos.

[Barry I. Grauman]

"They figured it was better for selling their beer (on TV)", Mr. Brecher wrote me. His {Pabst} radio show, starring William Bendix, continued until 1951. After Bendix got out of his movie contract in 1952, Brecher leased the series' rights to NBC in a 15 year agreement; they produced the 1953-'58 series starring Bendix, which Brecher acquired after 1967. He also had the 26 Gleason episodes, but Jackie filed suit against Brecher in '68 to keep them off TV, which he did until January 1977.

[Barry I. Grauman]

..to make up the deficit in filming the show every week instead of producing it "live" [Brecher eventually syndicated the show]; and how Pabst and its ad agency, Warwick & Legler, double-crossed him at option time in January 1950 when they asked for just six more episodes instead of the 13 they originally agreed on. He stopped production at 26, they later found out "six more weeks" would have taken the show into May 1950, when Pabst began sponsoring "BLUE RIBBON BOUTS" on CBS....

[Barry I. Grauman]

Mr. Brecher was kind enough to correspond with me over the years, and he told me, first hand, the difficulties of trying to produce "THE LIFE OF RILEY" as a TV show starring Jackie Gleason in 1949-'50. How Brecher's own agents at William Morris rejected the idea of using Jackie; how Pabst Brewing Company, the sponsor of the radio and TV show in 1949, didn't want Gleason, either [William Bendix's RKO contract wouldn't let him appear on TV]; how he paid $2000 out of his own pocket....

[thecomedian]

RIP

[mortysand]

R.I.P. Irv.

[bchfront]

My deepest apologies. I am myself the son of a pretty well-known writer and the grandson of a Hollywood composer. I always believe in giving credit to the writer. And when it comes to a guy like Irv Brecher, he doesn't need any help from anybody -- his credits speak for themselves! If I am wrong, then I heard the story wrong. Sorry. Several years ago I was rushing to meet an agent one early-morning at Nat n'Al's in Bev. Hills, and Mr. Brecher held the door for me on my way in. Thank you, Sir. RJ