“I think we are” still friends? “Something personal or whatever it is that happened, I don't know, eight, nine years ago”? “Whatever”? With a guy you went from being practically vaudeville partner with, to not seeing or speaking with “in a long time”?
Had it not been for Susan Wloszczyna’s questions, and Crystal’s flustered responses, you could wonder: Did Kirby somehow screw up? Was it just one of those things? Or was this a case of a star who let his stardom go to his head, and iced a guy’s career, just because he could?
I guess the moral of the story is, never disagree with your “best friend” in Hollywood, if you’re the second banana, and he’s the star and the producer. Apparently, what Harry Truman said about friendship in Washington, applies to Hollywood, as well: “If you want a friend… get a dog.”
Susan Wloszczyna deserves kudos for what may seem like a minor attack of journalism. Celebrity interviews, whether of movie or sports stars, are typically the most sycophantic media form. As for Julia Roberts and John Cusack’s statements, they were just running interference for a colleague. Cusack’s claim to have spoken with Kirby that day can safely be ignored, and the charmingly vague Roberts might well have spoken with Kirby, but in what year?
I asked Crystal’s publicist, Craig Bankey, for a chance to interview Crystal. Bankey politely declined on behalf of his client.
The writer of a lovely Washington Post/Los Angeles Times obit that ran, oddly enough, without a byline on August 20, got three words more out of Crystal than I did. Crystal called Kirby’s death “a terrible loss.” In case you think it would have been foolish for Crystal to talk to me, given my animus towards him, you’d be amazed how someone can soften a journalist’s attitude by the magical act of merely talking to him. But anything Billy Crystal could have said to make him look more like a mensch, and less like a career-killing ogre, remains his secret.
For what it’s worth, while Billy Crystal may have had great success on Broadway last year in his one-man show 700 Sundays (for which his wife won a Tony as producer), and has had high-paying roles in Hollywood A productions, nothing he has done in pictures since cutting Bruno Kirby loose has come remotely close to the quality of When Harry Met Sally or City Slickers. Karma, baby. Or call it the Kirby Curse.
A more prosaic explanation is that Billy Crystal needs a sidekick to be effective as a movie actor. The two best sidekicks he ever had were David Paymer, who played his long-suffering brother in Mr. Saturday Night (1992), and Kirby. Paymer is an excellent actor, but due to his face and voice, he specializes in whiny sorts of characters. Crystal apparently requires an earthier type as his sidekick in order to click with audiences, and Kirby was by far the best such sidekick he ever worked with.
Article comments
1 - Eric Olsen
beatiful, informative, touching job Nicholas, thanks!
2 - John Henry
Excellent article Nicholas, and the best that I've read to date. He was a tremendous actor, and so obviously touched the hearts of all who knew and met him.
You gave him a great tribute, and I for one greatly appreciated reading it. Very heartfelt. He would approve I'm sure.
3 - Nicholas Stix
Thank you for your kind words, Eric and John.
4 - Roberta Rosenberg
I'm a huge movie buff (more than a fan, something less than a scholar), and your "In Appreciation" piece about Bruno Kirby was beautifully written. In many ways, this is a tribute not just to Kirby, but to all the characters actors the public knows by face, even voice, but not the name. A fine, fine job. Thank you.
5 - Dawn
Wow, that was in-depth and well written! I am no fan of Billy Crystal, he's too east coast for my taste. If I want to see a short, self-effacing comedian, I'll watch Richard Dryfus. He's much more talented and versatile.
6 - Gina Weiss
VERY informative, well-written, well-deserved tribute to a real star...Kudos, Nicholas!
7 - Nicholas Stix
Roberta Rosenberg: I'm a huge movie buff (more than a fan, something less than a scholar), and your "In Appreciation" piece about Bruno Kirby was beautifully written. In many ways, this is a tribute not just to Kirby, but to all the characters actors the public knows by face, even voice, but not the name. A fine, fine job. Thank you.
Thank you so much for your kind words, Roberta.
When I was a little boy, maybe eight years old, the first time I ever heard the term “character actor” applied to anyone, it was my Nana speaking. She said it, as if it were the greatest thing in the world. And it was.
We used to watch 1930s classics on regular, afternoon TV in those days (40 years ago), and I believe Nana's favorite character actor was Thomas Mitchell (her favorite star was Jimmy Stewart, who's high up the ladder for me, too).
For many years, Mitchell was my favorite, too. (In 1939, he had the greatest year any actor has ever had, with central roles in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Stagecoach and Gone with the Wind.)
These days, I lean towards Walter Brennan, whom I've seen dominate scenes with the likes of Bogey (in To Have and Have Not), Coop (in The Westerner), and Spence (in Bad Day at Black Rock), the latter of whom was one of the first character actors to make it to the marquee (just after, I believe, Marie Dressler).
And yet, I love 'em all. I could name 100 (alright, maybe not 100) great character actors off the top of my head, and most of them would be the kind of guys you were talking about -- the ones whom few people know by name, but whom everyone knows by face or voice " the Elisha Cook Jrs., Eugene Pallettes, Ward Bonds, Marjorie Mains (I'm not counting Thelma Ritter, because she actually became famous in her day, and was nominated for a passel of best supporting actress Oscars), John Cazales, George Dzundzas, James Edwardses, Jane Darwells, Victor McLaglens, Charley Grapewins, Emil Meyers, Willis Boucheys (confession: I couldn’t remember Bouchey’s last name, and had to look it up), Strother Martins, Bonnie Hunts, Robert Loggias, et al.
8 - Nicholas Stix
Thank you, Dawn and Gina.
9 - brunobuddy
Bruno is an actor Billy is a stand up comic.
I heard that Billy tried to give Bruno some acting crtiticism and Bruno pointed out that he started in The Godfather II and Billy started as a stand up comic then in Soap and rabbit test
10 - Dennis Purcell
I was an usher working with Bruce Kirby in 1968 for the stage musical "Hair." Bruce took another job at the Vine St. Theater which was running "Romeo and Juliet," which he was stuck with for 51 weeks! He left the Aquarius Theater so he could work at a movie theater to "see more free movies" but no one thought R&J would run a year. I moved to NYC for ten years and ran into Bruce when I returned, about 1981. I told him I'd seen him in lots of movies and I was proud of him. He was always a nice guy. At least I can always see him in movies, here and there.
That's it.
11 - Ellen C
Nice article, Nicholas...very enjoyable reading...and your additional message regarding Hollywood second bananas -- top notch!
I hope that these actors know how much they are appreciated by the folks outside the golden inner circle.
Thanks again for your great writing! I'm going to click away on your links and see if I can find more!
12 - C-magne
Watching "When Harry Met Sally" again. He's fantastic.
Had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Kirby when I recorded him at a voiceover studio for a commercial. Definitely down to earth.
Thank you - Nicholas - this was great.
13 - Gilda DeMartino
I've been an enthusiastic Bruno Kirby fan ever since I saw him for the first time in The Godfather, and have enjoyed all of his succeeding performances. After reading what Billy Crystal did to him, well, I have never been a Billy Crystal fan, but never had a reason. Now I have a reason. May you rest in peace, Bruno, and have a peaceful afterlife. Thank you for everything that you gave us.
14 - Rich S
Years ago I was attending La Salle University in Philadelphia, I saw an interview that Bruno did for the school. I don't think the interview was aired beyond La Salle's own local cable channel. During the interview, Bruno talked briefly about his falling out with Billy Crystal. He basically said that Billy, as director, was trying to tell him how to act, and Bruno decided he was having none of it. Bruno gave a great interview - he told a story about the Godfather - he worked with an Italian coach but the whole scene had to be redubbed because another Italian consultant didn't like Bruno's accent and wanted him to redo it.