"Wilder and Wilder" with Charles Bloom!

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 7 (02:32):
Well. Hello, Hello, Hello once again Bonneteads. Welcome. I'm Pamela Bob,
Your hosts creator of living on a prairie, that's right.
And of course I am here with our favorite prairie bitch,
the one the only Alison argrim there. She is evil,
the face of evil, but really a nice person. And

(02:52):
then also we are here with my hashtag imaginary boy friend,
the one the only Dean Butler. Hello, Dean Butler.

Speaker 6 (02:59):
Hi, Pamela, how are you.

Speaker 7 (03:01):
I'm so excited for it today.

Speaker 6 (03:04):
It's gonna be fun. Yeah, this is going to be
really a fun one.

Speaker 7 (03:06):
I think I know it's going to be fun. Okay,
what anything happening that we need to talk about first
before we get into it?

Speaker 6 (03:14):
Well, I just think we want our audience to know
that we are preparing to make some some nice announcements
about events that are going to be coming in the
Little House World during the remainder of the year. And
I can't say anything formally right now, but there are
going to be announcements. So just just keep your yeah,

(03:35):
just keep your on your screens and you will see announcements.

Speaker 7 (03:40):
Yeah, just so people know. I also don't know what
these are, so I'm going to be equally a surprise.
So ya, twenty twenty five events? All right, Okay, all right.

Speaker 8 (03:49):
Uh.

Speaker 7 (03:49):
Today, we're gonna get right to it because this is
a good one. Today, we're talking about a defining season
six episode. Season six, I think it's my favorite season
and this is definitely one of my favorite episodes. And
we have a very special guest. We're just gonna say
there's a family reunion. Whooa. But first, okay, from the

(04:12):
studios of ubn go in Bourbank, California, this is a
Little House fiftieth Anniversary podcast Season two recap with family ties.

Speaker 9 (04:21):
Yeah, I'm so excited.

Speaker 7 (04:43):
Okay, Dean hit it. What episode are we talking about today?

Speaker 6 (04:48):
All right, so everybody, we are talking about the season
six episode. It's episode twenty, entitled Wilder and Wilder Out,
premiered on February eleventh, nineteen eighty written by John Dugan,
directed by Maury Dexter Allison. What's the synopsis of the episode.

Speaker 7 (05:10):
Favor of the show though, Allison A little drama here.

Speaker 1 (05:13):
Almanzo's indol and younger brother, Pearly Day comes to town,
knowing that Almanzo's interest in a much younger Laura has deepened.
Charles is convinced that Pearly is the better man for
his half bite makes I'm like, okay. However, those sentiments
quickly change when Pearlely injures one of al Mansa's horses.

(05:38):
Clear to Charles, Purly is a trouble maker and Alms
is a responsible, responsible young man, especially when he nurses
the horses back to hell. Thank you this episode. That's
all I don't know. Yeah, I would parly Day a
lot of things actually that I cannot on this show.

(06:02):
The thing I yelled at the screen while watching the show.

Speaker 6 (06:08):
Yeah he was. It's really like he was. Nothing was
held back. I mean, you saw who this character was
right up front, and it was. It was shown very
clearly multiple times as Charles is making his decisions based
on something else. But we we are the audience knows
exactly who pearly Day is the very visa.

Speaker 1 (06:29):
He's a thief and denial and grossly irresponsible and like
a total like narcissist, gaslighter weirdo trashes other people's possessions.

Speaker 6 (06:43):
I played one wilder, Pamela. Let's meet the other wilder.

Speaker 7 (06:47):
Okay, we're gonna meet brother pearly Day, and that is
Charles Bloom. So let me give you a little bio
about Charles Bloom. Charles Bloom's career is marked by notable
achievements in both acting and musical composition. As an actor,
he made memorable appearances on television series such as Mork
and Mindy, Nu Nanu portraying Daniel Pearson, and Little House

(07:08):
on the Prairie, That's Right Our Show, where he played
pearly Day Wilder. Transitioning to musical theater, Bloom has made
significant contributions as a composer and lyricist. He has written
the book, music and lyrics for the productions including Pablo,
which explores the early life of Picasso, Insomnia, and Heaven Knows.
His compositions have been performed by you know, a couple

(07:31):
of no names like Patti LuPone, Mandy Batanken, Michael Feinstein,
and his works are utilized in over thirty university musical
theater programs worldwide. Additionally, his album Music and Lyrics by
Charles Bloom in Here features a live twenty piece orchestra
and showcases Broadway talents. Let's Welcome to the Little House

(07:53):
fiftieth anniversary podcast Charles Bloom.

Speaker 10 (07:56):
Hello, Hello, I I it's been just a long time.

Speaker 8 (08:02):
I thought it was going to be called Little nursing
home on the prairie.

Speaker 7 (08:07):
Well maybe maybe that's the spinoff, but I wanted to
give you guys the full Pearly day experience. Yeah yeah,
the cap, the cap and all of that.

Speaker 8 (08:23):
I borrowed it from a road company, a fiddler on
the roof for purchase.

Speaker 7 (08:28):
Perfect, perfect, perfect, That goes what Michael Landon would be proud.

Speaker 10 (08:37):
Yes, and well we're not going to have it now,
but Deen, you and I have to have a sidebar
because I did finally see that TikTok video, but I
don't have TikTok lud eye lyricists that I am. And
so he said something on the podcast about something i'd remember,
and I don't.

Speaker 8 (08:56):
Remember it, and you'll have to tell me later. But
it is a real treat to be in the prairie
presence of you guys after all this time.

Speaker 7 (09:08):
Well, and Charles also, we have we are only several
one degrees of separation because over half of the people
and all of your recordings are friends and colleagues of mine.
So we'll get into that later. Which is really, really.

Speaker 8 (09:23):
Really in the theater and the rest is done with
mirrors in my la.

Speaker 7 (09:27):
I know that's exactly it, Yes, that's exactly it, all.

Speaker 8 (09:33):
Right, me, I only did one episode.

Speaker 7 (09:38):
No, no, no, let me tell you something because I'm
the fan. Like on this podcast, there's Dan and Allison
who give us the inside scoop, and then there's me
who's like a legitimate ultra fan, and so from my perspective,
I'm just seriously letting you know, Wilder and Wilder is
like one of the best episodes. It has it all.

(10:00):
It's a standout episode. And the episode after this is
when al Manzo finally notices Laura, so like, you know,
it's sort of coming, and this is like the precursor
to that. And you know, let's face it, who hasn't
dated someone with a brother that they may or may
or not have been attracted to or is that just me?

Speaker 8 (10:19):
Is that just me?

Speaker 7 (10:23):
Totally happened.

Speaker 6 (10:24):
It's just I was with the guy and we went.

Speaker 1 (10:27):
Home for Christmas and I met the younger brother and
I should have I should have actually going to take
an brother. I did not, But in retrospect, oh my god,
the younger brother was a better catch in his case.

Speaker 7 (10:38):
So you know, happens I dated a brother in order
to become in closer to the other brother. Is that terrible,
terrible scandal. Not my husband. So that's the good news.
I won't say who you.

Speaker 6 (10:55):
Know, you were, just like, yeah, you were just testing
the water.

Speaker 7 (10:58):
Exploring, drenching the boundaries.

Speaker 1 (11:01):
Thinks Pearly Days a catch because he doesn't know anything
about him, and I'm watching it going, he's a thief
and a liar and and.

Speaker 7 (11:09):
What does he not?

Speaker 1 (11:10):
He's he's You were almost in my you know, neck
of the woods role wise, you were almost in villain
territory with me. You were kind of terrible in this
How did you feel about that? You're kind of like
a giant jerk in this episode?

Speaker 10 (11:24):
Well, I, of course, my first impression when I saw
the name was Pearly Day was coupling along the.

Speaker 8 (11:31):
Line a fashion designer or something for the practice.

Speaker 10 (11:36):
Yes, and then and then I read the script and
saw things are getting darker in a hurry.

Speaker 8 (11:42):
He's a thief and.

Speaker 10 (11:46):
And he's a horse injurer, and uh, I guess I
was to be the devil to Dean's to al Monzo's angel.

Speaker 8 (11:56):
I get that's how the contrast began, so.

Speaker 6 (12:02):
Right up front, It was right up front.

Speaker 7 (12:04):
Very and I asked, before we get into more of
your experience on set. But do you remember your audition?

Speaker 8 (12:10):
Oh, as a matter of fact, I do.

Speaker 10 (12:13):
It was and for for someone who hasn't remembered anything
at all, I plunged into this.

Speaker 8 (12:19):
It was the only audition for which I did not
have to uh that I was. I was given an.

Speaker 10 (12:28):
Offer because Dean I was originally coming in to read
for Almonzo.

Speaker 8 (12:36):
In the original. But the original time I came in
but whoa well, and of course I asked for the
big trailer and I became impossible. So that's no, no,
it was. It was that they told me that I
was a little young.

Speaker 10 (12:53):
Something I don't hear quite as much anymore, and uh,
none of us it would, but wanted me to come
back to read for uh, the younger brother. And I
kind of rolled my eyes and as polite and said, oh, yeah,
that really happens.

Speaker 8 (13:08):
We're gonna call you back and all that.

Speaker 10 (13:10):
And the truth is they did, and and it was
the only time that a producer kept her promise on
that score, so that I do remember.

Speaker 8 (13:21):
That's one of my several memories of it. That was
the audition.

Speaker 6 (13:27):
Wow, Well, you know Susan Suckman, who was our casting
director who you undoubtedly met with was a great giver
of meeting you know when you when you were in
the office with Susan, she was gracious, welcoming, she made
I think she made actors feel terrific about being in
the room with her. She she really had a nice,

(13:50):
nice quality in bringing out the best in people who
were reading for her. And obviously you, with all of
your wit that became very has become incredibly clear in
the years since all of that, But you had all
of that going and you were able to bring this

(14:12):
sort of snake in the grass kind of quality to this. Really,
I mean you did. Watching the episode again, I watched
it last, I watched it twice yesterday. I just thought
you were terrific in the episode. And what was so
important about this is this episode there needed to be

(14:35):
a turning point for Pa to see al Manzo as
someone who could be right for his daughter. He'd objected
on the terms of age and all of that, and
he thought, well, maybe you could be the fix. But
when you revealed yourself and al Manzo really continued being
who he was, suddenly Pa was able to see al

(14:58):
Manzo in a different light. The episode very important from
that perspective.

Speaker 8 (15:02):
You look better by comparison.

Speaker 1 (15:05):
Yes, sure, behind the scenes maybe plot point we just
don't know about. Did al Manso secretly pays brother Pearly
Day to show up and look terrible to make him
look better because it totally worked?

Speaker 6 (15:20):
Wow? Yeah yeah, yeah on the prairie.

Speaker 7 (15:25):
Yes, lots of drama and trauma on the prairie too.

Speaker 6 (15:29):
Yeah.

Speaker 7 (15:29):
Also the family resemblance between you two, I mean you
you guys look like brothers. You looked like you could
have been brothers. It was such great casting.

Speaker 6 (15:38):
In the church scene as they shot very similar as
we were singing bringing in the sheaves.

Speaker 7 (15:46):
That good old classes.

Speaker 6 (15:47):
Yes, yeah, but very very similar kind of look. And
you know, your hair down over your eyes and all
that and my I mean helmet hair.

Speaker 7 (15:58):
Yeah, they all had it. It was the course.

Speaker 8 (16:01):
Yes, you hear the capital.

Speaker 2 (16:06):
What what.

Speaker 6 (16:09):
How did your acting career begin? Now? I listened to
a podcast that you were on, a British podcast and
you talked about your You have quite a background in
the industry. Tell our audience just very quickly, what brought
you to acting?

Speaker 8 (16:25):
Oh, family environment. My my father was a screenwriter. He
wrote a lot of things that one of the James
Bond films in the sixties.

Speaker 7 (16:36):
Amazing.

Speaker 10 (16:37):
My mother was an actress. My aunts ended up being
a very big agent, uh for ic M.

Speaker 6 (16:44):
And uh, who is your who's your aunt?

Speaker 8 (16:47):
My aunt is Sylvia Gold.

Speaker 6 (16:50):
Oh, for God's sake, Sylvia Gold was on my contract
at ic M.

Speaker 1 (16:55):
Yes you didn't James Bond movie. I need to know
which James what.

Speaker 8 (17:00):
Were you only live twice?

Speaker 6 (17:02):
Oh?

Speaker 7 (17:02):
Yeah, okay, I'm a great theme song to that one. Yeah,
great theme song.

Speaker 10 (17:07):
But he but he was a So I went into
a different kind of writing because of the because he
wrote for the screen, and I wanted to write for
the theater because I always had kind of an affinity
for language. That's I'm leaving a lot of things out.
But it started with commercials and lots of television. Uh.
And I'm telling you, Dean, for fifteen years after doing

(17:30):
Little House, people came up to me and remember when
they were all when there were only three networks?

Speaker 8 (17:36):
Of course, but yes, it was uh, look up on
the peak.

Speaker 10 (17:41):
I did a lot of those shows back then, and
then left acting to go to college to study music
more formally in psychology.

Speaker 7 (17:49):
Excellent. So how old were you when you did Little
if you don't mind saying.

Speaker 8 (17:52):
Oh, two and a half.

Speaker 7 (17:53):
It weird you're two and a half. Yes, that makes
perfect sense.

Speaker 8 (17:56):
Yeah, no, No, we had a great cinematographer.

Speaker 7 (17:59):
Uh yeah, great lighting. It's all about the lighting.

Speaker 8 (18:01):
Yes, I was my late teens. Okay, okay, that's I
think I think that's safe to say.

Speaker 6 (18:13):
Who I think you said you were. They guessed you
were sore, or maybe you said you were seventeen something.
Seventeen was sort of the possey.

Speaker 1 (18:23):
I think he is sixteen, seventeen.

Speaker 6 (18:25):
Sixteen seventy right, technically told for Laura, it's still too wolf,
you know what?

Speaker 7 (18:32):
My but you know what my favorite line is when
when you know Pearly Day clearly has interest in Laura
and Almonzo is like she's just a kid, and he's like,
she's gonna be sixteen, And I just sort of shatted
at the TV. When when one day all of us
are gonna be sixteen at some point? That is that
tomorrow or is that in five years from now?

Speaker 8 (18:52):
When you have take diminishes on the prairie a little bit,
Apparently we thought.

Speaker 1 (19:00):
Well I couldn't snag Almonzo with the cinnamon chickens.

Speaker 6 (19:03):
This one will do all right. So you so you butchered,
you overcooked a steak trying to get to uh to
to Pearly day.

Speaker 1 (19:11):
Well because at that point not arrived.

Speaker 3 (19:15):
At all.

Speaker 1 (19:15):
So very well done, saying eating at the restaurant back then.

Speaker 6 (19:20):
Yeah, had you had any background? Uh Charleston? Uh had
you ever? Had you done period work before? And you
worked around around horses? Any of that?

Speaker 8 (19:31):
Oh?

Speaker 7 (19:31):
Well?

Speaker 8 (19:32):
Uh that the answer is yes. My father owned horses.

Speaker 6 (19:37):
Very good and you looked very comfortable around. I could
just you could. You can tell when people are comfortable
around around a large animal, and you you definitely projected
someone who when you walked up to the horse, put
your ran, your hands down the horse's leg, all of that.
You did that with great ease and confidence.

Speaker 8 (19:59):
As John Lovets would say, acting genius.

Speaker 6 (20:04):
Thank you.

Speaker 8 (20:06):
Yes, I spent this summer with my father in del
mar You know I'm being to be a jockey, but yes,
I grew up around that.

Speaker 7 (20:16):
Excellent.

Speaker 6 (20:18):
Your father your father owned race horses? Yes? Wow. You
know our creator, the creator of the series, Edwin s
Friendly the Second was also very big in the horse
racing game.

Speaker 10 (20:31):
Yes, everybody showed up at the Turf Club in Delmar.
That's John Foresyde Jack Club and all of them.

Speaker 6 (20:42):
Wow, wow, George everybody.

Speaker 8 (20:45):
So anyway, that was my my big horse racing horse experience.

Speaker 7 (20:51):
Dean, you also had a lot of horse. I mean
you were on that single horse. Was that you on
that horse?

Speaker 6 (20:58):
Yes, partner man.

Speaker 1 (21:00):
In a wig business. I saw some beef beefy man
in a wig that was not you.

Speaker 7 (21:06):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, a beef man.

Speaker 6 (21:08):
Dean any Ducet was was my double. And yes he
had the wig on. And when it was anything like
well running the uh the little carriage off the road,
that was Danny. I did one gallop by I obviously
jumped on the horse and rode out of the shot
in that and then Danny did a wide shot of

(21:31):
the gallop chasing the uh you know, chasing the carriages
down the road. They were just always concerned, you mean, Charles,
you know, I mean, anything can happen with a horse.
These are you know, yeah, they're surefooted, but something can happen.
You just don't want to take that chance, uh with
you know, you you can always get another it's you.

(21:52):
It's tough. You can always get another double, but it's
tough to replace the person whose face is central to
a character if something happens.

Speaker 8 (22:00):
And so they especially when it's been kicked in the
face by a horse's hoof. Yes, may I share one
anecdote please, It's is just this.

Speaker 6 (22:13):
I'll keep everything quick.

Speaker 10 (22:15):
I was we were doing the interior of the of
the house that vast mgm uh place. Uh, and then
all in the middle of it was this little house, uh,
the interior of the kitchen. So anyway, I after they
were doing a scene, I took I took a break
and wanted to walk around the periphery of this massive

(22:37):
sound stage. And as I was going to the corner,
I kicked up a little dust in the in the
back and what did I find?

Speaker 8 (22:47):
Did begin brick road?

Speaker 7 (22:50):
Yes?

Speaker 10 (22:51):
Uh uh And I have never forgotten that, just in
the dust, all all that. And I'm so glad that
you you've uh concur with that because uh nobody, nobody
gives me no.

Speaker 6 (23:06):
Oh no, it absolutely is. And there's I think Allison,
isn't there a plaque in the corner of their stage now?
But back then maybe.

Speaker 1 (23:14):
They like they like it torn up the noleumers I said,
I thought, you know, Doc Baker got a new office
or something.

Speaker 8 (23:20):
So they ripped up.

Speaker 1 (23:21):
Whatever linoleum because they would just slap another floor down
and another floor down on top, and they had pulled
it up, hence the dust in the corners off of them.
If you watch the movie and you see where Gdy
Garland stand like she's gonna run into the wall, she
keeps going, yes, yeah, it's there, it's that, and that
was uncovered and Melissa and I found it and when
it's the freaking yellow brick run and we we ran

(23:43):
in circles on it and clicked our heels to try
to get the oz. We did everything we could, but
we were so excited. So yes, you and I walked
we have walked on the.

Speaker 8 (23:50):
Old scrutifying to confirm.

Speaker 6 (23:54):
Yeah, no, it's it's a that's a really cool thing.
Made stage fifteen and it may still be. At the
time it was the largest sound stage in the world
functioning sound stage. We had twenty seven standing sets on
that stage, so it was you know, really compressed in there.
But yes, in the in the sort of the middle aisle,

(24:15):
as you walked in you found the yellow brick road
in the corner. But it was really you could see
it if you were looking for it all over the stage,
and that was a very very cool We have.

Speaker 1 (24:29):
All the interiors, plus the exterior of the house in
the barn for night plus unlike back of paramount, all
the dressing rooms, all the dressing rooms a little wooden
cubicle dressing rooms which an outside paramount, plus the whole
hair and makeup area which had been in like a
different town stage, plus the gym that Michael eventually put in,
and there was still room you could have gone bowling.
It was insane how big this thing was.

Speaker 6 (24:51):
Yeah, it was big. It was very big. I remember
when we started, and Charles, you may not have been
there for this, but when we when it was season
six that the show started on that stage right across.
I remember that War Games was shooting right across on
the stage next door, and it was the huge, you know,

(25:11):
control Center set. And so when at the end of
the day that big elephant door would open and you'd
see the huge monitors on the wall and the whole
thing it was, it was a really wonderful welcome to
Hollywood production to see all that kind of stuff that
was right there. And Dallas was right down the road

(25:33):
and right down the street, and Chips was right down
the street and Scott's Landing was there, and I mean
it was just like it was a really it was
a fun lot to be working on.

Speaker 3 (25:44):
It really was.

Speaker 6 (25:45):
Yeah. Yeah, you know, you know, you and I could
have crossed paths. I saw that you had done and
I didn't know did it if it actually got to series?
Did Waverley Wonders actually get to a series or was
it the pilot? You know, too Much to Live? Yeah?

Speaker 8 (26:04):
Yes, it did come to his series, Uh, and it was.

Speaker 10 (26:08):
It was because Joe Namath was the greatest, most famous
football player in the world, so naturally they make him a.

Speaker 6 (26:15):
Basketball basketball coach.

Speaker 7 (26:17):
Yes, right, and uh uh he was.

Speaker 8 (26:21):
He was challenging as an actor. The uh, but very
nice to me. We double dated. He took me out
to dinner with a girl and I went with somebody
went to It was a It was a good show.

Speaker 6 (26:35):
Could have been a better one.

Speaker 10 (26:37):
But the like I remember once saying the producer, because
they were doing the States, were very low in the plot,
and so I did say to the producer, why don't
you do a show about Joe Nambath defending the rights
of a gay teacher. This was in nineteen seventy eight.

Speaker 6 (26:56):
Wow, right, So.

Speaker 10 (26:57):
Yeah, you can imagine how that went over with his
image and yeah right, but I felt that was the
way to make it more vital and suspenseful and all that.

Speaker 8 (27:08):
But they stayed with Who's.

Speaker 10 (27:09):
Going to the prom and all of that was taken
off the air replaced by Different Strokes.

Speaker 6 (27:15):
By the way, interesting by Fred.

Speaker 10 (27:18):
Silverman, who, like any new executive coming in as soon
as the stuff that is, he wants to clean house.

Speaker 8 (27:26):
And so we were. We were thrown for a loss
as we were part.

Speaker 6 (27:30):
Of the Queen. I only bring it up because I
was offered Waverley Wonders as a as a test option
when that was being done and we could whatever reason
it didn't it didn't work out to even do the
test option. But I thought that was really cool. When
I saw that you had actually done the show.

Speaker 10 (27:47):
It made me wonder, were we up the same part
that was my Shakespearean monologue. Of course that probably put
me over the top, but uh, we presently work as
we both looked like we could have been Conrad Bain's son.

Speaker 6 (28:03):
He played wait which show on Waverley Wonders. Yes, Conrad
Bain went from Waverley Wonders to Different Strokes different strokes.

Speaker 10 (28:13):
Yes, the idea it was to keep to rad Bain
on television, that whole ga couple of business. It was
the whole point after Maud was to keep him on television.
And so that's why he's in both.

Speaker 1 (28:28):
How now am I hallucinating when I look at IMDb?
Or were you both boys in the kid with the
two hundred IQ with Gary Coleman? Did that happen?

Speaker 8 (28:39):
I think so?

Speaker 3 (28:40):
Yes?

Speaker 6 (28:41):
Wait a minute, what did you do with that? I
have played?

Speaker 7 (28:44):
Uh, you guys are really on brothers from another mother.
This is crazy destined to be back together.

Speaker 6 (28:52):
I didn't realize that I played a kid.

Speaker 8 (28:56):
Now why do I remember this?

Speaker 10 (28:57):
I played a big man on campus named Avis alt
Now really control Alte?

Speaker 7 (29:07):
No?

Speaker 10 (29:09):
I played this and I remember being instructed on how
to handle Gary Coleman, who was worth one hundred and
fifty million dollars through the to the network, who had
a serious kidney problem. Yes, eventually, and so I had
to handle him very carefully.

Speaker 7 (29:27):
But what does that mean? Give an example of how
you would handle Gary Coleman. I had to be very
careful about how I lifted him up, you mean physically
handled right, because he had a very.

Speaker 8 (29:42):
Bad dialysis, you know all, yeah, I think he really struggled.

Speaker 7 (29:50):
There you are, and with Crisp and Glover, I will well,
there's a dog.

Speaker 8 (29:54):
That you shows one thing in common.

Speaker 10 (29:56):
I'll be correct that both got uh I go got
smacked in the face and in the kid of the
chartered IQ, I was hit in the face and uh
by Jean Butler, I was hit in the face too.

Speaker 7 (30:11):
That's right, do you are you? You must have only
been cast as punishable characters. That's I mean, well, I
think I think.

Speaker 6 (30:22):
That's an interesting observation, Pamela, because you did have you
do have this sort of sneering. You do have one
of those that attitude where you could really incite people
to get a little ticked.

Speaker 7 (30:36):
Off to you in the face.

Speaker 6 (30:37):
I mean that was that was part of your the mixture,
or that's part of your gift as an actor, is
you have that you have that quality that people want
to like get even or people want you to you know,
want to want to silence you or control you, or
because you're so out of control in this very aeradyite

(30:57):
kind of way.

Speaker 1 (30:58):
That you have. I wanted tounch last night I was
watching it.

Speaker 8 (31:03):
Is a terrible if you rewind the play, if you rewrite,
look look at the punch you threw me. It was
real close and I lea.

Speaker 6 (31:14):
You see that.

Speaker 10 (31:15):
I leaned into it and it was you miss me
just by maybe an inch or two, because I didn't
want it to be one of those ones where you're
punching and your.

Speaker 8 (31:23):
Five air and yeah, but if you look at it
for that, it was a really close call.

Speaker 1 (31:29):
Nice.

Speaker 6 (31:29):
Yeah, No, it was a good I thought it was
a I thought it was a good stage punch. Actually
he was. Yeah. Well, and Maury who our director, who
was that was his first my first experience working with
Mary Dexter as a director. The camera was just in
the right spot. I mean you you know you don't
you want that. You don't want that Godfather Sonny corleone

(31:51):
profile shot where you can see that he's missing the
guy by six inches. You want to be able to
believe that there's contact made. And they did shoot well,
and you did that. You did that very nicely, Charles.

Speaker 8 (32:04):
You really do metaphorically and on camera. I've been taking
punches all my life and.

Speaker 6 (32:12):
I land it. Pammel. I think we should take a
break and come back and talk about.

Speaker 7 (32:17):
Talk right, let's take let's take a break, and we're
going to come back and talk more Pearly Day and
more music of Charles Boom. So we'll be right back.

Speaker 8 (32:24):
Oh Okay.

Speaker 2 (32:27):
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Speaker 1 (32:47):
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(33:07):
so grateful to visit Seemi Valley dot com for their
commitment to presenting the Little House fiftieth Anniversary podcast.

Speaker 7 (33:15):
All right, and we're back with Charles Bloom. Charles, please,
you were just about to tell us something riveting. Please continue.

Speaker 10 (33:23):
Well, it had to do with the fact that at
that time I was in nineteen and stuff and I
was starting to write theater and cabaret music, and I
did it all the time. In fact, as an actor,
I was mostly paying for music lessons. Right, But on
the middle of a set, during a break, Michael Landon

(33:44):
was five feet from me in the visit directing, so
I hutzpah that I had. I went, I was writing
a song titled ak.

Speaker 8 (33:51):
Love Food and.

Speaker 7 (33:55):
Universal theme. Yes.

Speaker 10 (33:57):
And I looked and I looked up at Michael, and
I really did say I'm sure. I called him mister
Landon at the time, and I said, mister Landen, can
you think of a funny food of food that sounds funny?

Speaker 8 (34:12):
He looked, he looked down.

Speaker 10 (34:14):
At me like you know how I get this kid
out of Sonora? And he looked down at me like
we were just a credet pan. And he looked and said, cruller,
Cruller is funny. And I said, and that's why no, no, yes,
dead pan, And that's the first line of I left

(34:37):
foote is the color of a cruller gets me giddy.

Speaker 8 (34:41):
Because of because of Michaeland but he's right.

Speaker 1 (34:45):
You know the old comedy standard of like words with
a K and them and how many it is?

Speaker 8 (34:52):
Yes, cruller yep. These are. These are things I really
can't tell anybody else, but you guys, we get it again.

Speaker 6 (35:01):
Michael had a Michael had a wonderful sense of humor.

Speaker 7 (35:04):
I mean, if you will have that, this episode is
hilarious too.

Speaker 6 (35:08):
There are there are some really fun moments in it, uh,
and which you, Charles are a part of. But listen,
I think this was obviously, this was the precursor or
the the the preview of what became really the larger
part of your career. Your work in music, UH is

(35:32):
really quite special. I think you know, we've been listening.
I was listening yesterday to some of the tracks on
your website and just you have melody. Yeah, oh my god, Yeah, no,
I just I was just I was just I was
just blown away by by uh. And then the quotes
from the individuals quote, sure, the quotes, and you have

(35:55):
your Sondheim stories and so do I.

Speaker 7 (35:56):
So okay, well we'll do the first one to buy
a no name named Stephen Sondheime said about Charles Bloom,
his cleverness never fails to amaze me. Now, I think
if I got a quote like that from Stephen Sonhime,
I could die in peace. It would be a good one,
good one to go out on.

Speaker 8 (36:16):
For a while.

Speaker 7 (36:19):
Amazing. Jerry Hermann says Charles Bloom is the first composer
lyricist I've heard in twenty five years whose work speaks
to me. That's huge. Jerry Stephen Schwartz says he has
creative ideas for songs, good tunes, but to me, his
lyrics are the most impressive of all. They're so consistently
clever and well crafted. This is fine work. You can
thank Michael Landon for his suggestion for that, and there

(36:43):
are more and more, but just you know, thought, these
are incredible quotes, incredible.

Speaker 1 (36:47):
Your first thing you can pose. I just saw in
your bio that you're composing it. What fourteen?

Speaker 8 (36:52):
Oh well I started, yes, but those are the called
the toolbox songs when you make mistakes that are born
of youth and everything.

Speaker 6 (37:01):
But but you get you, you get.

Speaker 8 (37:03):
Better and you get yeapler too.

Speaker 10 (37:05):
This night, uh, since we're here, and of course it's
happening tonight, a piece of special material of mine is
being done by a man named William Michaels at the
swankiest club in New York fifty four below.

Speaker 8 (37:20):
He's no to night. That's why today is such a
banner day.

Speaker 10 (37:25):
He's doing a parody of mine called the Baritones Complaint,
which is which is a new lyric over over a
cold Porter tune from.

Speaker 8 (37:38):
Kiss Me Kate? Where is the Life that laid? I lad?
Which is now? Where are the voices like Gordon McCrae
and in a.

Speaker 7 (37:47):
Way Robert Gulay baritones?

Speaker 8 (37:51):
Yes, those classic baritones.

Speaker 7 (37:53):
But they don't exist in musical theater anymore. It's crazy.

Speaker 6 (37:57):
No one, yeah, no one wants to sing those. You
don't want to do those. Everyone wants to be sort
of in this lyric baritone or tenor area because that's
where the most exciting melody is.

Speaker 8 (38:07):
Don't get me started.

Speaker 7 (38:08):
I know me too. It's all set up.

Speaker 8 (38:16):
Writing is hard.

Speaker 10 (38:16):
It's easier to throw up a carnival and have people
come and see Ellen stream and dance and stomp and everything.

Speaker 8 (38:23):
But I like it.

Speaker 10 (38:24):
I liked it because it is more difficult, you know.
But yeah, that's welling tonight at fifty four below fly.

Speaker 7 (38:30):
Out, okay, And so we're recording this. Unfortunately this is
airing after the concert, but I'll just say it's Tuesday,
February eighteenth. That's this is the date that we are
recording this, so it will have happened by the time
we do this. But maybe we can do a little
social media blast and.

Speaker 1 (38:46):
That you go, there, you go.

Speaker 7 (38:49):
When I'm there, I will try. I'm going to see
for what I can do.

Speaker 6 (38:53):
Don't have it to.

Speaker 7 (38:55):
Charles are you? Are you based in New York?

Speaker 9 (38:59):
Me too.

Speaker 7 (39:00):
I'm telling you we have a million friends in common.
It's ridiculous.

Speaker 10 (39:03):
We do.

Speaker 7 (39:04):
The people that say Chuck Ragsdale's a good friend of mine.
College with him. Richard Todd Adams, I've worked with him before.
He's another colleague. Michael Levine I've known for twenty five years.
Tonight amazing. I just saw him a couple of months ago.
He came to one of the works. I was doing
a workshop. He was there. I've known him for forever forever.
I just love when our like the world's collide like that.

(39:26):
It's so awesome. They're all amazing people, amazing talents.

Speaker 10 (39:31):
Then anyway, it was it's gonna I've written lots of
stuff and another I go, I'll break his shoe again.

Speaker 8 (39:37):
Pablo is about to be optioned.

Speaker 6 (39:41):
Great congrets, Great, it's the overture is spectacular. I listened
to the overture yesterday. I just thought, oh my god,
what beautiful melody this is. It's just gorgeous.

Speaker 7 (39:53):
I got. And I'll make sure to include your that
you wrote a show about Picasso.

Speaker 1 (39:56):
I'm like somebody wrote a show about Pocato like Little Life.

Speaker 8 (40:00):
He was very just.

Speaker 7 (40:02):
Yes in the beginning, and and and if people want
to go to your website, it's Charles bloom Music dot com.
And I'll make sure to include definite as well.

Speaker 6 (40:11):
I think people with.

Speaker 7 (40:14):
One M with one M yeah, yeah, yeah, you got.

Speaker 6 (40:18):
I just can't believe this.

Speaker 8 (40:20):
Why I've touched.

Speaker 10 (40:22):
I you know, I never thought that that my small
contribution to this great show would ever be remembered in
such a way at all.

Speaker 8 (40:34):
I've very touched and moved.

Speaker 7 (40:36):
This episode has it all. It has a lot of comedy,
It has the tension, the romantic tension. It has Laura
in top cringe era of shouting I am a woman
at every chance she can get, even though she's still
rocking the brains. Why why why why why? You know

(40:58):
they put a little eyeliner on her in this. I
think they're just like prepping us for that next episode,
which is when Almanza finally noticed her. She has like
a little bit of eyeliner in that pretty red dress,
but the braids, it's still happening, and yet she's rocking.
I am a woman, I'm not a little girl, every
minute she possibly can. It has a race, and it

(41:18):
it has good brother bad brother, like the brother tension,
the the attraction tension. He wants her, she wants him,
he doesn't want her. It's got it and it's funny
and it's funny. And then it's the Pa Almonzo tension
of that relationship.

Speaker 6 (41:34):
And I love the amazing that he's doing with Caroline,
laughing as he's so worried about losing this. Thanks funny.

Speaker 7 (41:48):
There's so much going on the the Another moment, Alison,
is that in the restaurant when you are, you know,
sweet talking her, stealing from hers from you, He's still
it's not sugarcoated.

Speaker 1 (42:03):
Like later with Missus Fulton beating the crap out of him, because.

Speaker 8 (42:06):
Like you still.

Speaker 7 (42:08):
But the humor, the genius of having that kitchen, that
swing door that opens up into the kitchen, and we
first see Missus Olsen holding up a glass bowl and
then you come back and she's holding up a different
glass bowl and when you say, mother, he liked my
cooking and you just heard the crash. I mean, it's
just comedic gold in this episode. It's so funny.

Speaker 1 (42:31):
And I make a total idiot out of my tail
for him. Oh, I.

Speaker 3 (42:38):
For him.

Speaker 1 (42:40):
Him, We can get him, and we just made complete
idiots out of our shelves for him. Everyone did like
these yo are fall for this guy.

Speaker 6 (42:48):
So we're into the episode.

Speaker 9 (42:52):
I know.

Speaker 7 (42:52):
I have one more question, though. When did you guys
all meet each other?

Speaker 1 (42:55):
Was it on set?

Speaker 7 (42:57):
Did you know that this was the the first time
meeting is on set doing your scene for.

Speaker 6 (43:01):
The first time? Yes, I mean that's the way. That's
the way Little House worked. There was no rehearsal, there
was no there was no read through. I mean, it
just happened. And I think we stepped into a I
think we stepped into a really nice dynamic. I think,
you know, Charles, I think some of the moments that

(43:21):
just simple little moments that we had in the beginning
of the episode when we first meet you, really I'm
I'm pleased as I look back at those moments that
they played in a way that was there was knowledge,
you know that there was. There was a brotherly knowledge
of each other that we were able to bring very

(43:43):
quickly so that people understood exactly who you were.

Speaker 1 (43:49):
I think we were.

Speaker 8 (43:50):
We were just buoyed and surrounded by very good people.
Uh No. And on and off the screen.

Speaker 10 (43:57):
I noticed how the crew worshiped Landon. Yes, they've gone
from others shows, they would stay. He was an actor
who was like a below the line kind of guy. Yes, yes,
I remember that specifically, that how much they they loved him,

(44:17):
and the how too.

Speaker 8 (44:18):
Soon we lost him.

Speaker 6 (44:20):
Yeah, at fifty four years old. It just was just
an extraordinary thing. And we've all we've talked about this
so many times. The amount the body of work that
Michael created in the years that he had was just
pretty extraordinary. And it lives on and on and on.
And as we celebrated fifty years this last year, Charles

(44:41):
of the series, I mean, this was who and it
just it feels as vital and real as it's ever felt.
I can't say this enough. We streamed Little House streamed
thirteen point two five billion minutes in twenty twenty four,
twenty five thousand years years of streaming in twenty twenty.

Speaker 8 (45:02):
Four, those residuals must be on their way.

Speaker 6 (45:04):
I can't very very modest.

Speaker 1 (45:08):
They are very wah wah wah, regiance lost by God.
Reciduals come all such.

Speaker 6 (45:17):
I want to ask you, because we're we're our clock
is running here, you're working in that, you know, you're
you're really focused in the theater, in the world of music,
what do you what's your assessment of how musical theater
has and panel you have a strong opinion about this too,
how the medium has evolved in recent years? Now, I did.

(45:41):
I was in the original company of Into the Woods
in nineteen eighty eight eighty nine. That felt like a
pretty traditional still a relatively traditional time in those years.
In the years since, it feels like the Broadway theater
has changed quite dramatically. But what's your assessment about that?

Speaker 7 (46:00):
Uh?

Speaker 10 (46:01):
I think it has to do with the the the
tonality itself. Tonality is being misdefined as being old fashioned
when it is when it's really the just the act
of setting thoughts on top of sound, and it's a
very hard thing to do. It's much easier to get

(46:24):
songs that the people already know and put it to
a story that already exists. So the show has kind
of training wheels, so uh, this is my problem. In fact,
there is a line forgive me in the in the
in the show Tonight that says, hated jukebox.

Speaker 8 (46:45):
They all are phonies. The shows that are juked should
all be nuked right on the Tonys.

Speaker 10 (46:53):
It's just I I like the fact that it's difficult.
Can I tell you one thing about just before that?
One of the brilliant thing about Landon is that while
everybody was trying to clever themselves out different you know,
complexities and all that, Landon knew that he could do
a show about who stole the milk can? And and

(47:16):
there'll be a lot of strife and who stole the
milk can and all this, and then we find out
who it was, and then Michael sits them down and
says why you shouldn't steal the milk can?

Speaker 8 (47:26):
And you learn a lesson about life.

Speaker 10 (47:30):
And I think that was his magic touch, just stealing
in the simplicity of human behavior and not trying to
overcomplexify everything. And I say this as a man of
sophisticated words, but I know that's what was this secret
behind his success.

Speaker 6 (47:49):
You yeah, yeah, I mean, yeah, it's simple. Accessible stories.
I always feel like Little House is this, and we're here,
we're stepping away from for music again, Charles.

Speaker 7 (48:01):
But all roads lead to Prairie.

Speaker 6 (48:04):
House is is just sort of foundational storytelling for living. Yes,
And I think you get to pick who you want
to be in the world is depending on who you
choose to relate to in these stories. And because the
characters have this basic fundamental clarity about who they are,

(48:25):
and we get to measure that and we see the
results of that behavior and we get to choose.

Speaker 10 (48:31):
I guess what musical music is the same way. The
simpler something, the simpler something is, the more clear it is,
the more attached someone will get to it. That's why
as you grow older, you in your compositions usually like
Cale Porter, did you, you grow simpler. And if you
look back at previous works, it's all very complex and

(48:52):
all that, but it's it's the hardest thing to trust.

Speaker 8 (48:56):
Simplicity is the hardest thing to trust well, and that.

Speaker 7 (49:00):
Goes for the music in Little House too. What data
did you know? Those those tunes were so complex in
their simplicity, and it packs a punch. Every theme packs
a different punch.

Speaker 1 (49:16):
Things that are simple also last these right things that
last things are complicated and fancy, whether it be fashion,
whether it be arch or film. Oh that was really
a big hit, a cool at the time, But twenty
years later, what do we want? And this is why
I mean, Charles, we've dragged you into our wacky little
house union world here with this this show. We've been
going all over the country. This show is so freaking

(49:38):
popular now in twenty twenty five that it's it's like
mind bending, and it's because of the simplicity of it
and because people can relate to it. It's it's a foundation,
it's it's real. It's stories that everyone gets, characters everyone
relates to, and this thing's a freaking hit. N Fifty
years later you never anticipate, doesn't yuh, Charles.

Speaker 6 (50:03):
I just want to thank you for being with us today.
It's just such a treat, and it is such a treat.

Speaker 7 (50:11):
You have no concept of how amazing this is. The
fans are gonna go nuts.

Speaker 1 (50:18):
I hated you so much watching that episode.

Speaker 8 (50:21):
And luckily it's not a cash box around.

Speaker 10 (50:30):
No. I I have really stopped my world of acting
and a long time ago, and this is the idea
to be welcomed back like this is is really moving.

Speaker 6 (50:39):
It is I'm gonna have a good off camera.

Speaker 7 (50:45):
Cathartic. You know you are, You are so beloved in
this canon. I mean, I know it was just one episode,
but truly it's a standout episode and you are a
standout in it, and it's a very very memorable episode
for sure.

Speaker 8 (51:01):
Can it not be another forty years before we talk
to each other again?

Speaker 6 (51:05):
Sure? Well, let's not let that happen every and I.

Speaker 7 (51:09):
Have a feeling, yeah, and I have a feeling our
past are now going to cross a lot, a lot
because we know so many people in common. It's great.

Speaker 8 (51:19):
Yeah, if you if you let me sing a song
of mine. If you know a shark, I'll send you
a shark. If you want to hear.

Speaker 7 (51:26):
Something, send it, please send it over, Please send it
over times, let's do it. I just need to mention
one more thing about this episode that has nothing to
do with Charles Bloom. It's just a it's just something
that I need to say, which is, you know, there's
a c story, which is the albert in Y love
in love with Penelope and Andy wants nothing to do

(51:47):
with her, which, by the way, is hot that's that's
a turn on. That's a turn on? Or is it
just me? When the guy wants nothing to do with you,
it only makes you want them more. Okay, so Andy
is super hot in this episode, but also Penelope looks
like Andy and drag. I'm just saying it could be
slap a blonde wig on Patrick Laberteau and there is Penelope.

(52:12):
That might have been. Was it the same actor? I
don't know, it could have been. I'm just just like
how you guys look like me, just like how you
guys look related. Sometimes she's just a.

Speaker 1 (52:23):
Weird, weird Nelly replacement because I've left school and they
need a related girl to Greek. Some have it for sure,
yea in school.

Speaker 7 (52:30):
Yeah, she was awful. I just had to say it
because why not, because we we love it your hair.

Speaker 8 (52:36):
Sea story yeah, yeah, that was the sea story in
the episode.

Speaker 6 (52:41):
Yeah, and we rarely did see stories. I mean generally
it was a name to beat story. This was unusual
that it had that sea story brief and it wrapped
up very nicely. Yeah, and it played really really well.
This was a really nicely constructed episode.

Speaker 7 (52:57):
I mean, I'm not necessarily an advocate for shoving a
water mill and slice in a girl's face. However, she
did have it coming, Yes she did, and it did
make me think Andy was hotter, which is my own issue.
We don't have to talk about that now, therapist. Anyway,
back to Charles Blue.

Speaker 6 (53:17):
I think I think we need to I think we
need to say goodbye. But Charles, I hope you'll stick
around and.

Speaker 7 (53:22):
Do a quick Patreon with you do a quick Patreon
segment with another I didn't get.

Speaker 8 (53:27):
This is her first date. I fixed her up our
first date with Okay.

Speaker 10 (53:33):
At the at the end of Sonora, I don't watch
today's name, but if I didn't to be Tim Mayor
was his name, and he I fixed him up with.
He was on a different episode because they shot different ones,
but I remember that specifically.

Speaker 6 (53:48):
Well, he was in Sweet sixteen, Tim Mayor, him Mayor
was in Sweet sixteen?

Speaker 7 (53:53):
Who was he?

Speaker 10 (53:53):
Was?

Speaker 7 (53:53):
He the student that you passed? My God, so you
really did have a reason to be jealous, Jeane, you
really did.

Speaker 3 (54:02):
Wow.

Speaker 7 (54:03):
That's a greareat Insider Info. Thank you, Thank you, My pleasure,
our pleasure, our pleasure, everybody, Thank you so much. Thank
you to Charles Bloom, You're incredible. We love you. If
you're in the New York area, I mean, well, I'm
going to put on social media right now, yeah two
weeks ago if you were in New York on Tuesday,

(54:27):
February eighteenth. But I am going to post some socials
in a minute about it that his work will be
done tonight at fifty four below and check out his
website Charles Bloom music dot com and I'll put it
in the show notes and thank you so much for
being here. Stay tuned for Patreon. He's going to be
joining us and we'll see you next time. Guys, Bob

(54:49):
go get the wig, Let's fly down the hill, Freeze,
Bring Yeah, Charles Bloom

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