The Great Gilbert Tribute Show: Problem Child
Mahoning Drive-In Theater - Lehighton, PA
Sunday night at the drive-in was dedicated to the life and work of one of the most talented stand-up comedians of his generation, the late Gilbert Gottfried.
Mahoning Drive-In Theater - Lehighton, PA
Sunday night at the drive-in was dedicated to the life and work of one of the most talented stand-up comedians of his generation, the late Gilbert Gottfried.
The feature film of last night was the 1990 comedy Problem Child, but it was far from being the only part of The Great Gilbert Tribute Show. The lineup also included a short film called The Hidden Talent of Gilbert Gottfried, as well as the drive-in world premier of Drew Friedman: Vermeer Of The Borscht Belt, and a highlight reel of Mr. Gottfried's funniest moments, including his standup comedy and his role on Hollywood Squares.
Sunday evening also featured one of the strangest pre-show games that I've ever taken part in. One of the stories that Mr. Gottfried told on Gilbert Gottfried's Amazing Colossal Podcast involved actor Cesar Romero. According to the comedian, the original Joker liked to strip naked and have male stagehands throw orange or tangerine wedges at his rear end. This story was commemorated by our friend Gene Barretta in a piece of art that he gave to Mr. Gottfried several years ago, as well as this target that was set up on the photo op stage.
There were no prizes other than bragging rights, which is probably for the best. I'm not sure if it's possible to order a trophy of a bare ass with an orange wedge sticking out of it.
The mildly disturbing image of Cesar Romero wasn't the only artwork from Gene Barretta that was on the lot last night. Often times when we're hanging out with Gene and Ben on the lot, he will take out his sketch pad and draw someone or something. Last night, that someone or something was me.
This picture was a bit of an eye opener. I didn't realize that I looked this angry. I was very happy when he was drawing this, surrounded by my friends in my happy place waiting for the start of a fun movie, but evidentially my facial expression and my posture gave off a grouchy courtroom defendant vibe that I was unaware of.
The Barrettas made another contribution to the evening that we got to see on the big screen prior to the start of the first film. Gene shared this PSA with me when it was still a work-in-progress a few weeks ago, but it has since been completed and made its debut on the big screen at the Mahoning.
When the sun went down, the 1990 comedy Problem Child hit the screen. This is a movie that I've watched a few times when I was in middle school, but it occurred to me that this is probably the first time that I ever watched the theatrical cut. It aired on television quite a bit during the 90's (on the USA Network, I believe), and I'm pretty sure that those broadcasts were the only way that I had ever seen this movie before. I've never been a huge John Ritter fan, but his casting as the good-hearted but clueless father in this film is about as perfect as it gets. Amy Yasbeck is not only funny, but reminds me of an over-the-top version of my grandmother in her role. Michael Oliver is equally great as the adopted child who reeks havoc on everyone he comes into contact with, and Gilbert Gottfried and Michael Richards are hysterically funny and steal every scene that they're in.
Next up was a short documentary called The Hidden Talent Of Gilbert Gottfried. This was created last year by his 16 year old daughter Lily Gottfried as a tribute to her father's artistic talents. It's very interesting and a touching way to honor a very talented man. You can watch it for free on YouTube, and I highly recommend it. It's under ten minutes long and absolutely worth watching.
Next up was the world drive-in premier of the 2024 documentary Drew Friedman: Vermeer Of The Borscht Belt. Mr. Friedman is an illustrator whose art has appeared in Mad Magazine, National Lampoon, High Times, and countless other publications since the early 1980's. Gilbert Gottfried appeared in this documentary, and our friend Gene has a credit on it (though his name is misspelled as Eugene Barre). It was an interesting and funny insight into the life of an artist whose work I have seen many times, but never really knew where it came from.
There was a highlight reel of Gilbert Gottfried's performances that was shown on the big screen after the documentary ended, but it was getting pretty late and I had to wake up early for work this morning, so I only stayed for about the first ten minutes, through the end of his highlights from Hollywood Squares. The ticket sales for this event seemed pretty light, which is unfortunate, but it was a fun night with a lot of folks from our front row crew in attendance.
