If you've been a regular visitor to this blog, you will know that occasionally I take these off-topic detours. This will be one of them. (Although it is periperally on-topic since it does somewhat involve hockey.)
It might be surprising, but I do fangirl things other than Carbo. In fact, I seem to have made being a fangirl an unpaid profession throughout my life. One of my heroes since childhood has been the fictional stuntman Super Dave Osborne (real name: Bob Einstein).
He has been a fixture on televisions in both Canada and the United States since the 1980's (first becoming popular on the John Byner sketch comedy show Bizarre). If you're familiar with the Super One, you will know that his stunts, well...never quite work. Here is one of his most famous ones:
The Super One with CBC (now CNN) host George Strombolopoulos in 2008. (photo source)
He has been a fixture on televisions in both Canada and the United States since the 1980's (first becoming popular on the John Byner sketch comedy show Bizarre). If you're familiar with the Super One, you will know that his stunts, well...never quite work. Here is one of his most famous ones:
Bob Einstein, however, comes from a phenomenal showbiz family. His parents were Harry "Parkayarkus" Einstein, a radio comedian, and Thelma Leeds, an actress, who met on the set of the film New Faces of 1937. They married that same year and had three children: Clifford Einstein, a retired ad executive and sometime actor; Bob; and someone who you may have heard of, Albert (who uses the last name Brooks professionally for obvious reasons). Bob and his younger brother Albert Brooks appeared together in the 1981 film Modern Romance:
Then, on November 24, 1958, at the Friars Club roast of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, their father Harry Einstein delivered a testimonial that by all accounts brought the house down, sat down, and collapsed on the shoulder of Milton Berle. The Friars membership included several doctors that came to his aid, but they were unable to save him. He died of a massive heart attack on the dais. And last month I was reading about that on Wikipedia and well, it resonated with me. Because my own father basically died the same way. Well, not on the dais at the Friars Club of course, but it was a massive heart attack as well and it was sudden. And there was also a huge, unsuccessful medical effort to save him.
My father figures into this story in another way as well: it was him who introduced me to Super Dave. We'd watch his show together, and my dad loved all the silly stunts that always backfired. So, for all the reasons above, I decided to write Bob Einstein a letter. I included a small gift which I hoped symbolized how he touched lives here in the Ottawa Valley with his comedy:
It kind of fits, too, because in a 2008 interview Bob ripped on the Leafs a little.
So this week, I received a package in the mail. The return name on the box was "S.D. Osborne" which made me laugh so hard. Inside was this:
With this written inside:
In case you can't read it, it says: "To Lisa-Marie, my next stunt is dedicated to you! Best wishes, your pal Super Dave." (Lisa-Marie is my full first name, and no, my parents weren't Elvis fans.)
Also this:
Bob as the great character Officer Judy from the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, which Bob wrote for (and received an Emmy with the writing team after the show's abrupt cancellation in 1969). It reads: "To Lisa-Marie, Your letter was a joy to read -- thank you! Best wishes, Officer Judy, Super Dave, Marty Funkhouser -- Bob Einstein."
Yes, you may have also seen Bob on the Larry David show Curb Your Enthusiasm as Marty Funkhouser:
This post may have nothing to do with Carbo, but basically, Bob Einstein rules. Additionally, a huge thanks to Bob's web people, Melissa and Christopher, for their help and friendship.
