John Candy and Carl Reiner - Part 1

In my collection I have a great press kit of 'Summer Rental'. Reading through the production information of this movie it's clear that John and director Carl Reiner got along very well together and had deep respect for one another. On the picture above you see John and Carl enjoy a video playback of a scene they've just shot. There was a nice atmosphere on the set.

















Here are some excerpts from the Handbook of Production Information:

The executive producer (Bernie Brillstein) sent the completed screenplay to both Carl Reiner and John Candy. Each said, "If he'll do it, I'll do it." George Shapiro was brought in as line producer, and within three days a deal was struck with Paramount. Production began on March 18, 1985, in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Having made his mark in nearly every facet of film and television during his nearly four decades as an actor, writer, director and producer, Carl Reiner was last credited with directing the critically praised "All of Me", starring Steve Martin and Lily Tomlin. In addition to his own creative skills, Reiner has proven himself to be a superb judge of comedic talent. His enthusiasm over Candy's approach to comedy was evident. "Working with John Candy has been one of the great delights in my career," states the director. "I've been very lucky in my career. I've worked with some of the best: Sid Caesar, Mel Brooks, Dick Van Dyke, George Burns, Steve Martin and now John Candy. "I find that there's a common denominator that runs with all creative comedians. They're a pleasure to work with because they not only come in prepared, but they come with creative ideas which makes everything better, easier. We were given a very good script by Jeremy Stevens and Mark Reisman. But put somebody like John Candy in it and little goodies happen every day."

The litany of Reiner's accomplishments had long been familiar to Candy. "Carl is such a legend to us 'Baby Boomers' " Candy relates. "I was really flattered to learn that he wanted to work with me. Keeping up with Carl has been one of my big challenges in this picture. He's so sharp, and the ideas come so quickly. He also has a wonderful childlike quality. He likes to have a lot of fun and so do I. We both goof around a lot--which works real well for me. It's always a pleasure to work with a pro like him."

To be continued...

Photo, image of Handbook and excerpts from 'Summer Rental':

Copyright MCMLXXXV Paramount Pictures Corporation.

Second City documentary available on iTunes

The wonderful documentary 'The Second City - First Family of Comedy', which has been released to DVD (see image above), is now available to download on iTunes.

Join hosts (and Second City alums) Dave Thomas, Scott Thompson, and Joe Flaherty for an uproarious, behind-the-scenes history of the troupe that incubated more than four decades’ worth of funny people. Meet the producers who introduced the world to John Belushi, John Candy, Bill Murray, Gilda Radner, Fred Willard, Eugene Levy, and more. See rare archival clips of early performances. Hear Dan Aykroyd, Rachel Dratch, Tina Fey, Patrick McKenna, Mike Myers, Colin Mochrie, Catherine O’Hara, Harold Ramis, Paul Shaffer, Martin Short, Ryan Stiles, and others reminisce about their salad days. You’ll learn why so many performers call Second City the "university" that gave them a higher education in hilarity.

To download the documentary from iTunes, click on the button below: