A Life of Laughter with Carol Burnett

Red Steagall always told the greatest stories and a good cowboy joking. And I wanted to do that. And I flubbed up about two, three times. Mama finally said, "Reba, just shut up." I'm saying. That's all you got to do is sing. Well, welcome back to "Living and Learning." I'm Reba McIntyre. Now, you all know my beloved guest today. She's an incredible woman. I love her so much. The first time I got to meet her, I'm kind of in a limbo about which time it was. I think it was at her house or at the Kennedy Center Honors. We'll ask Carol. Make sure. But she's best known for her groundbreaking comedy variety show, "The Carol Burnett Show," everybody's watched that. This incredible show was the first of its kind to be hosted by a woman. Well, you're going to hear Carol and me dive into some business. Lucky you here in the insider chat. And so y'all are in the loop. Let me tell you about the book. I optioned to make into a movie. It's called "The All-Girl Fillin' Stations Last Reunion" by Fanny Flag. Fanny wrote the book, "Fried Green Tomatoes," and she's a friend of my guest, Carol Burnett. Hey, Carol. Hi, sweetheart. How you doing? I'm doing great. Thanks for joining me today on my podcast. I sure appreciate it. Thanks for asking me. Thank you. You're welcome. Have you spoken to Fanny lately? I did. I have an idea for her book, but I understand that you've optioned it. Oh, the All-Girl Fillin' Station. Yeah. We started working on it and already had had three writers look at it. Yeah. So we're really excited. It just takes so long to do anything. I know. I just like pulling teeth. Do you have a director? No, huh? Well, I can recommend somebody. Okay. Her name is Michelle McLaren, and she actually turned down the first Wonder Woman because she had other commitments. She has directed and won Emmys for Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Game of Thrones. Wow. And The Morning Show. Well, too bad she's not talented, huh? She is sensational, and I didn't know that you had already optioned it because I, you know, I'm such a fan of the book. Me too. So I know Michelle. So I sent her the book and she's reading it now. Good. Okay. I'll pass that on to all the folks involved already. I'd love to visit with her. She is a fantastic, fantastic director. She's done hiatus now, and I think she's doing a project in Germany starting in next January or February. Good for her. I can certainly give you, I can email you her information and her email. Please do. Yeah. Okay. Thanks. She is simply terrific. And I think it would be great for you to have a woman director for that. Oh, yeah. I definitely think so too. And she, as I said, very much into action, you know, with this, which, you know, with the with the airplanes and the wasps and everything, she would be great for that. Perfect. Yeah. Perfect. I'm wonderful. I'm glad. All right. How about that? How about that? We got a business taken care of. Oh, is that great? Yeah. Yeah. You remember the gal who created Nashville, the TV show, Kelly Corey? Yeah. She's gotten involved in it. So she's really showed some interest. So we'll see how far that goes. And hopefully it will. As a producer or wow. Yeah. Well, you got a lot of good people. Oh, you will be wonderful in it. Oh, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Oh, my God. You're perfect for it. Fanny is such a big writer. Oh, she is. She's a wonderful writer. Oh, you know, and I love the way she bounces back from each period. Right. Back into the past and and then the present. Yeah. But I tell you one thing I'm excited about other than talking to you. Guess what we got yesterday? What? Bob Mackey's book, The Art of Bob Mackey. Oh, isn't it great? Harold, I love the pictures. It's just absolutely gorgeous. I love what you said in the forward about him. But yeah, are you kidding? 17,000 costumes in 11 years for your TV show? Well, because he did, he designed everything we wore. Yeah. Not just what I wore, but everything and all the sketches and, you know, he came up with all the silly costumes and stuff like that. So it was actually he designed every week, 65 to 70 costumes a week. Wow. So you add up 200 and some odd 70 shows. Wow. Over 11 years, do the math. It comes to about 17,000 costumes. There's nobody. Nobody can do what he did. You know, they're wonderful designers. You know, they're costume designers. And then there are, you know, like the sell rod and then and designers like that. But they can't they can't do what he did. He could do it all. Wow. That is totally amazing. Well, I remember like when we would do when Tim Conway first wrote Mrs. Wiggins and Mr. Todd Ball, you know, this dumb secretary. Well, Tim wrote those characters and he originally wrote Mrs. Wiggins to be this kind of dottering old lady, right? Yeah. And so I went into costume fitting that week and Bob Mackie said, you know, you've been doing a bunch of old ladies lately. Let's make her into this blonde bimbo, you know, from the IQ fairy never visited. He put me into that that push up brawn and the top and and this baggy black skirt and high heels still at us. And the black skirt was tight around the knees. And it bagged in the behind. You know, it was old. And I said, Bob, I'm flat back there. You're going to have to take this in. And he said, no, stick your butt into it. Oh my gosh. And so I pushed my behind into where it was saggy. And that's how I came up with that walk hysterical. That was that was all Bob. And of course, he came up with the home design for the went with the wind thing with the curtain rod dress. Loved it. That was his idea, you know, and wow. Yeah. And he's so funny. He says that designing that particular curtain rod dress, he said, that's going to be on my tombstone. Oh my god. He did. He's still working. He's still doing a lot of stuff. Oh, good for him. He can't stop. No, no. Yeah. The book is just amazing. And I love how he breaks it up. You know, because I was looking for you on all of it. And you're throughout the whole book. Yeah. You and Julie Andrews and Cher and yeah. Yeah. Julie. You and Julie Andrew doing the skits together. Just so much fun to get to watch that and see it in this book and the pictures of everybody. Just just gorgeous. Well, I remember when when you did the Kennedy Center honor. Yeah. But when I was honored and you were Nora. Yeah. Yeah. I got to play Nora Desmond with with Harvey Harvey Korman. He played Max. And as I was getting ready downstairs, Tim Conway walked by me. He looked me up down. He said, what are they? 46 long. I'm gonna about my boobs. That word. Why that? What was it? Birdseed or something in the bag. He put rice uncorrect, of course. I said, that's what all the drag queens wear. A lot of designers, they put padding, you know, but Bob knows that, you know, to make a move like real boobs, you put rice in them. I'll be dark. I didn't know that. Yeah. Yeah. So he said that was a drag queen trick. That is historical. Well, Carol, is that the first time we met? Was that the Kennedy Center honors? Or was it at Charles condo? I think that was it. Yeah. The condo. Yeah. Yeah. That was so much fun. Jim neighbors there. First time I ever got to meet him. Bless his heart. Yeah. Yeah. What a super guy. And I got to set at the same table with Julie Andrews. I was in heaven. Wow. Well, so with Julie sitting with you. Oh, Bloney. You're sweet to say that. But man, so many wonderful things you've gotten to do. But that night at that party there in your condo, I saw how many friends you had. And I've always said of all the things I've gotten to do. My favorite thing that if I had to walk away today would be my friends that I'd be saying I'm the most proud of. Absolutely. Yeah. I've got friends that I go to college with. Wonderful. That's like a hundred years ago. But yeah, yeah, I still have, you know, those that are still alive. I know I'm in touch with. Wow. Yeah. That's great. What are you still in contact with Vicki Lawrence? >> Oh, yeah, how's she doing? >> She's doing okay. She's been going on the road. She calls it a two woman show because she does the first act as herself and the second act as Mama. >> Oh, funny. >> Yeah, so that is too funny. >> Yeah, they canceled a lot though. She said, you know, because of the pandemic. So, you know, we're just waiting to see, you know. I am doing one Q&A in January in Palm Springs. And that's it and, you know, I just want to see what it will be like to have to have an audience. Let's see, if it works out, then I might do more, you know. I'll just see. I'm just going to play it by ear. >> Good. [ Music ] >> We started this podcast before pandemic happened in 2020. >> Yeah. >> And we were all in a room together getting to visit and talk and then when COVID hit, when we pick back up later on, we started doing it like we're doing it today over telephone and zooming. >> Gotcha. >> But how did you manage the pandemic? >> Well, we're still managing, you know. Brian, my husband and I, we just were very careful. And as soon as the vaccine was available, man, I was there. >> Yeah, me too. >> So I've had full vaccination plus the booster plus a flu shot. I mean, you know, whenever I go anywhere, we're very careful about math. >> Yeah. >> And so at the moment, I'm doing something. I'm tested three times a week. >> Yeah. >> And I like being tested. >> Yeah. >> It's just that sense of security. >> Yeah, exactly like, for instance, if I got a little sore throat or the sniffle, I know that I don't have COVID because I'm being tested, otherwise I might be a little nervous, you know. >> Yeah, do you have any guilty or not so guilty pleasures that help you get through all the having to stay at home and be isolated? >> Well, we do go out to dinner and usually we know we're outside and everything. And we always eat early so that we're not in a crowded restaurant. >> Right. >> And you know, you go to a place where, of course, the servers and everybody, they're math and vaccinated. >> And so that's a guilty pleasure to be able to go out to dinner. And there will come a time where we won't have to be masked up. I mean, it's like when I do go out and, you know, we're in the restaurant, I really would love to see the server's faces. >> Uh-huh. >> Yeah. >> You know, let me see your smile. I want to see the whole, and I miss that, you know, in all my friends when we're together, you know, and we're all vaccinated and everything. Well, I could see their faces, but just, you know, just ordinary things that you do and when you, you know, meet somebody for the first time, you don't know what they look like. >> Well, you got any traditions around Christmas time? I can't believe Christmas time already. >> I know, well, no, no, no, no, no particular traditions, I've been, you know, having a tree and playing a lot of Christmas carols on the stereo. >> Nothing wrong with that. >> Uh-oh, no, a lot of the music. >> Yeah. >> Well, we play music all the time anyway. >> Good. >> Oh, yeah. >> Our cat gets on top of the stereo. >> Uh-huh. >> And she just sleeps on the stereo when we're playing music, it's so funny. >> So is it because the stereo's warm or is -- >> I think it's because it's warm, but also, if it's a different song, then certain times for her ears will perk up. >> Uh-huh. >> Now, you talking about Nikki, the cat that was born on Christmas day? >> Yeah, Nikki. >> How'd we die? >> That's the -- well, what a memory you've got. >> [laughs] >> Yeah. >> She's going to be a year's old, this Christmas, yeah. >> Eight years old. >> And we named her after St. Nicholas, so that's why her name is Nikki. >> That's sweet. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> I love that. >> I love our furry little friends. >> You know, Rex and I have a French bulldog named Ridler, and Rex named him after the Batman series he had met, and then Joker, and then now Ridler, so we love our little four-legged animals. >> Oh, we do. >> Our little life companions. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> So much fun. What is your secret to incredible comic panning? >> Oh, Lord, I don't know. >> Is it just natural? >> Yeah, but it gets better with experience. >> Oh, yeah. >> But you've got to have something to begin with, you know, and then just by doing it a lot, you know, like anything, you know, with experience, you become better. But I don't think you can explain what timing is, you know, Jack Benny, you know, I don't know how many of your listeners still remember him, but his timing was absolutely incredible. And I do remember way back when I was a regular on the Gary Moore Show, just in my 20s, and one of the guests that week on Gary's show was the old blogville comedian named Ed Wynn, and at that time, he was, he was, he was run his late 70s, I guess. And I was sitting around, leading the script, and he got under the subject of comedy and comedic actors and comics, and what is the difference? And Gary said, "Well, what is the difference between a comedic actor and a comic?" And Ed Wynn said, "Well, the comic says plenty things like Bob Hope, and a comedic actor says things funny, like Jack Benny." >> I'll be right. That is good. >> I'll write that down. >> You know, comics tell jokes, and comedic actors don't tell jokes, but they say they'll get a sentence or something, and they know how to say it in a funny way. >> Uh-huh. >> Yeah. >> I remember thinking, "That's what I want to be able to say things funny," because I can't tell a joke to save my soul. That's terrible. >> I always mess up the punchline every time, and I'm a good audience. >> I did that one time when we were up in Wyoming, I was opening the show for Red Stigol, and Red Stigol always told the greatest stories, and you know, a good cowboy joke. And I wanted to do that, and I flubbed up about two, three times, Mama Finley said, "Ribb, just shut up." I'm saying, "That's all you got to do is sing." >> Okay, shut up the three. >> So are there any up and coming performers or comics out there that you admire that you're really watching right now? >> Up and coming, I don't really know. >> Yeah. >> I think Kate McKinnon, you know, on Saturday Night Live, I think, but she's already here. It's not like she's up and coming. >> Yeah. >> Love her. >> I got to meet her when we were doing the Kennedy Center honors. I hadn't met her before. >> Oh, great. >> A hoot. >> Yeah, she is. And what I'm happy about is that way back when I started, and there was really, there weren't too many women comics, you know, of course, there was Lucy. She set the bar. And just imaging coke and stuff, but now there's so many wonderful women comics, you know, and also in positions of power, like Tina Fey, you know, she's so funny and she writes and she produces, and all of it, you know, it's just fabulous. And Amy Polkmer, you know, the usual ones. >> Well, Carol, it is so much different nowadays than it was when you started. How much control did you have when you started doing the TV show? >> Well, my husband, I kind of let him be in charge, because that was just the way it was then. >> Right. >> But I would say certain things like I go the head writer, and I'd say, you know, I want to do a take off. I'm gone with the wind. Or let's do some more of those family sketches that we did where I played Eunice and Vicki was Mama, you know, though, and then I would suggest certain things, but I let Joe, who was my husband then, because he produced the Gary Moore Show. >> Yeah. >> And when I got started and then he, of course, he produced our show. That way I could just come in and do my thing. And I remember Lucy telling me that that's what she was like when they did, I loved Lucy. Her husband did everything from overseeing the scripts to the cameras, to lighting, to the costumes, everything. And Lucy said, all I had to do was come in on Monday and be crazy, Lucy, because Decy did everything. And he was really very smart. That he invented the three camera systems by saying put them on wheels. >> Are you kidding? >> Yeah. >> I didn't know that. >> Yeah. >> So that they could move around and shoot it, you know, without having to do different setups. >> Wow. >> With a single camera. >> Uh-huh. >> He said, put them on wheels, you know, was that smart or what? >> And you know, it's like so simple. Why do not think of that? >> Yeah, right. >> Yeah. >> Wow. So when did you start taking more control or getting more of a say on what you want? Or did you ever? >> Not really. Not really. I think now I would. >> Yeah. >> Back then it was like, okay, let him do it because he did a good job. >> Yeah, and he was a team. >> Yeah. >> And we had a life. We had a great schedule where I didn't go to work until after I took the kids to school. And then most of the days, except for the taping day, I'd be finishing her things I could pick the kids up from school. That's wonderful. And we'd be home and we would eat it every night on the dot at 6.30. And so I was only away on taping day all day, you know, from the kids. And then my girls, they were little. They came to the dress rehearsal every Friday at 5 o'clock when we would be taping. So and then we'd have summers off and Easter, we'd have a week off, two weeks off at Christmas. So we were on kind of like a school schedule and we were very organized. I learned it from doing Gary's show. He was highly organized. And so I remember still many of our guest stars saying, my God, we've been on other shows where we don't know where we're going to go home or they were shooting way into the night. And we never did that. We did it kind of like a live show. Right. Boy, that's great. Yeah. I tell everybody that doing the four cameras on the Reba TV show was the most consistent work I had ever done in my life. Going in, I had my same dressing room, we're on the same stage and all the same actors and workers, people on the crew, everybody's like a huge family. Exactly. I enjoyed that so much. Yeah. Well, that's the way we were 11 years, you know, of the same director. Yeah. And pretty much the same cameraman and certainly a lot of the same crew and all. And so yeah, it's 11 years that marriages and divorces, births and deaths and babies. Yeah. All of it. Yep. Yeah. Baby's born. Yeah. Yeah. Well, do you have any plans of retiring? Well, as I've got my marbles, you know, I just do what is somebody called and says, would you do such and such. If I think it would be fun, I'll do it. And if I don't know, you know, I'd rather stay home. I stay home. So I'm at that point in my life because I certainly know spring chick and where I can just kick back and relax and, you know, and just wait for stuff to happen. And if it doesn't, hey, I've had a great run. Yeah. Well, that's a wonderful attitude to take. Yeah. And you're certainly busy. That's for sure. I asked Dolly that same question you plan on retiring and she said, well, could I find that I can have more fun than doing what I'm doing right now? Exactly. I totally agree. That's what the pandemic or the shutdown did for me. I was like, okay, man, I can get used to this. And after about a week, I was like, okay, I need something to do. And you can only clean out so many closets. That's true. Yeah. Stay tuned. After the break, we'll be right back with more. Carol, I'm going to play a little game with you. Oh, we always play a little game here on the podcast. Okay. It's made by Mackie, of course, Bob Mackie, the famous man who makes all these wonderful outfits. Who these people have had an outfit made by Bob or who has not? Okay. Here we go. Okay. How about Cher? Oh, my yes. Oh, yes, he's made several outfits for Cher. And what is also terrific that I'm just so pleased was when they had the share show on Broadway and Bob did the clothes. He won a Tony. Oh, wow. And he should have. I saw that. It was wonderful. Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. How about Barbara Strassian? Oh, yes. Yes. He did. I don't have a story about that. But yes, I believe he did dress Barbara. What about Mitsy Gainard? Oh, yes, in fact, Mitsy was doing a show in Vegas and she also did a one woman show and television. And this is before I was going to do my show. And my husband and I were watching her and I see those costumes are incredible because not only did he do the beautiful stuff, he also did, I think she was a clown or a dress during funny outfits and stuff. And I thought, that is really, that's really good. So we looked on the credits and said costumes by Bob Mackey. And then not too long after that, they did Alice in Wonderland on television with Carol Channing. And I can't remember who else and costumes were absolutely incredible. Again, credit Bob Mackey. So I kind of say it's because of Mitsy that we discovered Bob. Excellent. Well, good for that. I love it. And Margaret. And Margaret? Yes. He designed for her. Yeah. I've got the book open right now. One of hers. Oh, gorgeous. Elton John. Yeah. Yeah. She designed for Elton. Perfect. Mary. Drought there. Absolutely. He did a lot of stuff for guys. My favorite, though, of course, is when he dressed Harvey as Mother Marcus on my show. He was just in heaven. Oh, don't you know? And then bringing it up to current time entertainers, Pink. Oh, yes. Yes. That's wonderful. I don't know Pink, but yeah, but yeah, he designed for Pink. I got to meet Pink at one of the award shows. I think it's the CMA award show. She came in my dressing room with her young son and just had a great visit. She's a wonderful lady. Just lover. Oh, that's lovely to hear. Beth Middler. Oh, yeah. Yeah. He also designed for that when she did Gypsy on television. Yeah. Wonderful clothes. Oh, I love that. How about Julie Andrews, your buddy? Oh, well, yeah, because he did the last two specials that Julie and I did together and other stuff too that she has worn and certainly stuff that I've worn separately. Yeah. I think he did design for her. She's always looking great and Diana Ross. Yeah. Yes. I think he designed the clothes that she wore for, was it ladies and the blues, the movie? Yeah. And I think he got a nomination for an Academy Award for that. I would feel bad for anybody going up against Bob Mackie and costuming. He is just a genius. Just one know that I cannot remember the movie. It was a British movie about people racing and they wore numbers on their uniforms. So Bob was up against the costume designer for that and he had designed costumes for pennies from heaven. Oh, wow. With Bernadette. Uh-huh. It was incredible, fantastic costume and he lost to this British film about people running races. Oh, my gosh. And on were shorts and a number on their back. I was so mad. How bad. Because one is for best pictures. So sometimes that happens. Yeah. In our costume. Or gets it. I mean, there was no imagination and I'm not knocking the costume designer because that's what it should have been. Yeah. Bob. My God pennies from heaven was incredible. Oh, I got to stop him. Watch that movie. Yeah. Yeah. I'll do that. So who in your mind has he not made an outfit for? Can you think of anybody that should have had one? Oh. Yeah. Should have had. No, he did Harvey, too. Oh, yes. He does. He does. Oh, my. Well, he dressed you, didn't he? No, well, then I would say you there's only two people I can think of, Dolly Parton and me. He has a dirty thing for dolly. I don't think so. I'm going to really check into that and see, wouldn't he have undress in her? Yeah. Please. I would definitely say you, I thought maybe he had dressed it except for the time he dressed you doing or that was exactly, you know, yeah, no, I'm going to put that on my bucket list. And hopefully I can make that happen if you put in a good word for me, I appreciate it. I will. I will email him today and say, you know, I was talking to Rebell. Oh, thank you. Well, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Yeah. Sure. Well, I love you to pieces. And I thank you so much for being on the podcast with me and love you too, honey. Hopefully when I get back in California, we can get back together and meet for some dinner or launch. I would love that, honey. Love you to pieces. Okay. Sweetheart. I love you, darling. Thanks for being a part of the podcast. You take care now. You too. Thanks, Carol. Okay, darling. Bye. Bye. Bye. Thanks for listening, everybody. I had a wonderful time today, visiting with my good friend, Carol Burnett. Oh, hello, hanging out with her. God bless us when he gave us Carol Burnett. Hope y'all tune in next week. Arrival my entire living and learning. See you next time. In learning with Riva McIntyre, a Spotify original production. Our lead producer is Dylan Rupert with producer Baron Farmer. Our executive producers are Gina Delvack, Yossi Solick, Danny Trebatch, and Justin McIntosh. Editing by Cheryl Crosby, original music by Doug Seismore. Special thanks to Leah Edwards, Robert Adler, Casey Simonson, and Kyla Canaro. I'm your host, Riva McIntosh. Follow us only on Spotify.