The
2,000-Year-Old Man
[played by Mel Brooks]: “Yeah!”
Reiner: “Did you practice polygamy in
those days?”
The
2,000-Year-Old Man:
“I never practiced it. I was perfect at it!”—Reiner and Brooks with their “2,000-Year-Old Man” routine, The Hollywood Palace, Season 4, Episode 2, original
air date Sept. 24, 1966
I had heard
bits of the classic Carl Reiner-Mel Brooks routine (captured on five albums released
between 1960 and 1997) but was reminded of this short section when I was recently
visiting the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, NY.
Though I
have gone through this wonderful museum a couple of times before, this was the first
occasion I had to see their section on Reiner. It was a great reminder of just how
influential he was, on TV and film, over several decades.
Influenced
by the example of his longtime friend Reiner, Brooks is also turning over many of
his artifacts to the comedy museum. Once its curators have had a choice to
sample these wares, the resulting display should be something to see.
