nathan lane shines again Neil Simon wrote comedy for TV in the 50′s when comics such as Sid Ceasar, Ernie Kovacs, Phil Silvers, Jackie Gleason and Milton Berle reigned as the kings of comedy. This is the story of one such king: his dedication to his work and his behind the scenes disintegration. It is a fascinating look at the world of early television. Nathan Lane is wonderful, as always, handling comedy and tragedy equally well.
Excellent Ensemble Cast “Laughter on the 23rd Floor” is a cable TV release of an adaptation of Neil Simon’s play. The story follows legendary comic Max Prince who is a star of 1950′s TV. Nathan Lane who got his Supporting Actor nomination for “Birdcage” and was great in last year’s hit “The Producers” plays Prince. As Prince, Lane does a great job at the over-the-top comedy, but we struggle with his darker moments as he self-medicates with pills and alcohol to assuage the pressures of stardom. Prince’s show is cut by NBC from 90 minutes to an hour because of slipping ratings and urbane material that plays on the East Coast but drops out in the Midwest. Frank Proctor as Walter Winchell heckles Prince in the press. Prince’s wife Sherry Miller who appeared frequently on the “Due South” TV show tries to be supportive, even as her husband shuts her out of his emotional struggles. Richard Portnow who was in “Tony ‘n’ Tina’s Wedding” plays the quiet brother Harry, who is Prince’s emotional rock. Amazingly enough, even with such dark material as Prince’s psychological deterioration and the McCarthy hearings and blacklisting hanging over the TV industry’s heads, Neil Simon gives us amazing shotgun bursts of laughter and wisecracks. The comedy is carried by Prince’s band of writers. Mark-Linn Baker who we know from the “Perfect Strangers” TV series plays a German who pays to learn how to say “Fok you” without accent. Victor Garber who played the daddy on the “Alias” TV series and received two Emmy nominations for that show and an appearance on “Will & Grace” plays Kenny who seems to anchor the crew. Dan Castellanta, whose voice we’ll recognize from “Rugrats” or “Simpsons,” plays Milt who makes the mistake of dressing in a white suit that makes Prince crazy because of childhood associations with a white suit. Saul Rubinek who got a Genie Award (Canadian Oscar) for “Ticket to Heaven” plays Ira who can never show up on time. Peri Gilpin who we know as Roz on the “Frasier” TV series plays Carol who comes up with quips faster than a horserace @ Belmont. Zach Grenier plays the newbie Brian who loves his job! Grenier is one of those actors who appears frequently in films like “Swordfish,” “Fight Club,” “Donnie Brasco,” & “Twister.” Director Richard Benjamin who directed “Mermaids,” “Made in America,” & “Milk Money” does a nice job in keeping the pacing up. The script suffers from the shock therapy of trying to combine some very serious elements with the lighthearted. Ultimately, with the cancellation of the show, the film ends on a sad note. Therefore, while the film is certainly funny, it’s not very hopeful. It’s well worth viewing the DVD because of the fine ensemble cast performances. Enjoy!
nathan lane shines again Neil Simon wrote comedy for TV in the 50′s when comics such as Sid Ceasar, Ernie Kovacs, Phil Silvers, Jackie Gleason and Milton Berle reigned as the kings of comedy. This is the story of one such king: his dedication to his work and his behind the scenes disintegration. It is a fascinating look at the world of early television. Nathan Lane is wonderful, as always, handling comedy and tragedy equally well.
Excellent Ensemble Cast “Laughter on the 23rd Floor” is a cable TV release of an adaptation of Neil Simon’s play. The story follows legendary comic Max Prince who is a star of 1950′s TV. Nathan Lane who got his Supporting Actor nomination for “Birdcage” and was great in last year’s hit “The Producers” plays Prince. As Prince, Lane does a great job at the over-the-top comedy, but we struggle with his darker moments as he self-medicates with pills and alcohol to assuage the pressures of stardom. Prince’s show is cut by NBC from 90 minutes to an hour because of slipping ratings and urbane material that plays on the East Coast but drops out in the Midwest. Frank Proctor as Walter Winchell heckles Prince in the press. Prince’s wife Sherry Miller who appeared frequently on the “Due South” TV show tries to be supportive, even as her husband shuts her out of his emotional struggles. Richard Portnow who was in “Tony ‘n’ Tina’s Wedding” plays the quiet brother Harry, who is Prince’s emotional rock. Amazingly enough, even with such dark material as Prince’s psychological deterioration and the McCarthy hearings and blacklisting hanging over the TV industry’s heads, Neil Simon gives us amazing shotgun bursts of laughter and wisecracks. The comedy is carried by Prince’s band of writers. Mark-Linn Baker who we know from the “Perfect Strangers” TV series plays a German who pays to learn how to say “Fok you” without accent. Victor Garber who played the daddy on the “Alias” TV series and received two Emmy nominations for that show and an appearance on “Will & Grace” plays Kenny who seems to anchor the crew. Dan Castellanta, whose voice we’ll recognize from “Rugrats” or “Simpsons,” plays Milt who makes the mistake of dressing in a white suit that makes Prince crazy because of childhood associations with a white suit. Saul Rubinek who got a Genie Award (Canadian Oscar) for “Ticket to Heaven” plays Ira who can never show up on time. Peri Gilpin who we know as Roz on the “Frasier” TV series plays Carol who comes up with quips faster than a horserace @ Belmont. Zach Grenier plays the newbie Brian who loves his job! Grenier is one of those actors who appears frequently in films like “Swordfish,” “Fight Club,” “Donnie Brasco,” & “Twister.” Director Richard Benjamin who directed “Mermaids,” “Made in America,” & “Milk Money” does a nice job in keeping the pacing up. The script suffers from the shock therapy of trying to combine some very serious elements with the lighthearted. Ultimately, with the cancellation of the show, the film ends on a sad note. Therefore, while the film is certainly funny, it’s not very hopeful. It’s well worth viewing the DVD because of the fine ensemble cast performances. Enjoy!