Before the Invention of Smiling - with David Zucker - Part III

"If I'm not directing, I can't even be on set, sets are boring" exclaims David Zucker, as he sits with America's Podcaster, Kurt Caceres, for the final part of the trilogy straight from his home in Brentwood, California. He talks about the luck it takes to make it in Hollywood. It's a fairy tale story about a young reader from a studio who passed on their now iconic projects, who just so happened to be at a dinner with Michael Eisner who asked the table, "has anyone read anything interesting lately?". The reader said "yes, as a matter of fact I have..........", and the rest is history. Landing at Paramount with Eisner and Jefferey Katzenberg changed the landscape of comedy in film forever. They originally wanted Hall of Fame baseball player, Pete Rose, for the role Kareem Abdul-Jabbar eventually played, but he couldn't do it because it was shooting in the middle of a baseball pennant race. He shares the formula for successful films in Hollywood and says, "when the audience exits the film, that's when you know if you won or lost". "Top Secret was the funniest movie I ever made", says David , "but it wasn't a good movie". Top Secret just so happened to open the same exact weekend in 1984 as the original Karate Kid film with Ralph Macchio. Suffice to say, it got destroyed at the box office. And finally, David talks about his new book, "Before the Invention of Smiling", and it's historical importance not only for him, but for everyone out there needing to keep story and history of their own family legacy.

XX

Please Follow and Subscribe to the Podcast.

Email: [e-mail]

Youtube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRF42UoBNLo9DXv5BYQQCqg

Host Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/kurt_caceres/

Podcast Twitter:
https://twitter.com/wyna_podcast

Podcast Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/What.Your.Name.Again/

Podcast Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/wyna.podcast/

Production Company Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/provenance_room/

Website:
https://www.provenanceroom.com/wyna