Rewind: Rob Reiner remembers being screamed at by Desi Arnaz

[@lucyboheme540]

Desi pretty much invented modern television. If he got upset with improvising, I would have listened. Lucy was the same way. No improvising allowed and she would tell you exactly how she felt. When you are a guest on a show, you do as they ask. It’s their show, their project. Their art. Desi always gets a bad rep, but he was an amazing man who gave us modern TV.

[@gargantuaism]

And he could sing The Straw Hat song better than anybody else on TV.

[@Crystalblue58]

I agree, Desi was paying for what he wanted-I would have gotten upset too.

[@barbarafischbach8480]

Desi was THE MAN! Major respect 🏆

[@747heavyboeing3]

Did more for tv than meathead.

[@gabrielalopetegui]

@@barbarafischbach8480 indeed! Even Lucy gives him lots of credit when in interviews the host tell her that SHE was the secret to their success.

[@llg3pe]

Dezi knew a meathead when he saw one.

[@mitch1847]

🤣

[@flexiblestrategist9922]

He's still a typical liberal Jew meathead off camera.

[@garygerard4290]

that's what I was thinking 'hey meathead

[@gabrielalopetegui]

Desi was the boss. If an actor is told to stick to the script, you stick to the script. Especially if a super talented person like Desi tells you to.

[@johnnybmean74]

Even though I can't stand Rob Reiner as a person, Desi was out of line for getting physical. Trust me, he wouldn't have tried that if he was super fortunate enough to have Marlon Brando improvising on one of his shows (of course Brando wouldn't have done t.v.). He got away with doing this becsuse Rob Reiner was a young wimpy hippie.

[@lewstone5430]

Nay! Improve or nothing!

[@kleeamd8274]

​@@johnnybmean74that's 🐃💩. Sorry but an actor doesn't just get to do whatever they want because they're talented or have star power 🙄 First of all, let's get something straight from the start.......Rob Reiner is certainly NO Marlon Brando. He was beyond mediocre & frankly the only reason he made it anywhere in Hollywood was because of his daddy's influence & connections. Rob Reiner should have been considerate of the others on the set instead of only caring about indulging his own whims. A good deal of movies/shows let actors improvise - and many others prefer the actors stick to the script. Rod Serling was one who was known to demand that actors stick to exactly what was written in the script. As was Lucille Ball. And legendary actresses like Joan Crawford & Elizabeth Taylor who guest starred on Lucy's shows went onto say how strict Lucy was about it Yes, as an actor it's nice to have the freedom to play around & experiment with your part & adlib etc But you have to respect others too- like the producers/directors who want it a certain way or fellow actors who don't appreciate changes. Not to mention that Rob Reiner was literally just starting out at the time. So it makes it even worse that he was that arrogant.

[@johnnybmean74]

@@kleeamd8274 Who compared him to Brando? Not me. My point was that if he was Brando, Desi would not have gotten physical with him. Marlon would've beaten Desi's ass to the ground. As far as actors like Brando having great power to wield, it is well-documented how much power he had on movie sets. 100 Years from now Brando's talents will still be recognized & respected, while people like Crawford, Ball & Taylor will be long forgotten.

[@canalesworks1247]

@@johnnybmean74 I hate to say this but you DID compare Reiner to Brando. Crawford wasn't that good an actress, nor was Elizabeth Taylor. Lucy however has proven the test of time. As for Reiner himself I wouldn't call him "less than mediocre" but if you are going to say that Crawford and Taylor won't be rememebred then surely Reiner won't be either. Desi and Lucy are though as the comedic duo they have been since I Love Lucy wrapped.

[@HenPapirman]

Yup, saw an interview with Keith Thibodeaux who played Little Ricky, they sure didn't like to improvise, you had to know the script by heart. Desi literally read a script once and remembered it. Lucy too, they both worked really hard and built an empire. Great people, loved each other till the day they died.

[@ruthrose2555]

Yup, it makes sense he wouldn't accept an apology and left. That's the far left for you. His dad was beyond left, and I'm so glad Dick Van Dyke got the job as Rob Petrie. His dad got a smaller part as one of his bosses.

[@treeman2660]

​@@ruthrose2555I can tell you where to stick you far right as well 😮. Far ANYBODY has no place in America and its our countries downfall.

[@EastSide-qc5oy]

@@ruthrose2555 Nonsense. There are stubborn, arrogant a-holes from all walks of life and all political stripes.

[@canalesworks1247]

@@treeman2660 In general I agree but Rob Reiner is pretty obnoxious, having nothing to do with his political views.

[@tray4666]

@@canalesworks1247His political views are just a side effect of being a gigantic POS.

[@ricardocantoral7672]

I would say Desi is correct. Rob should have asked if it was okay to Improv.

[@alt777-in9lw]

Moral of the story.....................don't hire a "meat head."🤔🤥

[@somarriba333]

@mycatvelvet If Desi paid 10 thousand for the script, he probably paid a lot less for Reiner. You stick to the script.

[@michaelbrown8619]

Actors improvise all the time. That is nothing new. Arnez was probably having a bad day and looking for the first thing he could vent and unload on. That day it was the meat head.

[@alandale2182]

It was just a run thru. Desi could've said don't improv when we film the real scene. Also, the scripts were recycled from I love lucy so they didn't cost anything.

[@mx248]

@@michaelbrown8619 The way Reiner tells it he only got an apology because he threatened to quit, which makes Desi sound like a spineless wimp for backing down to a nepo baby.

[@wilberduran9410]

Desi was right. Follow the script. He was the one paying the money to the writers.

[@jimjam51075]

He probably backed off because he promised Reiner's dad he'd give his son a job.

[@ellenw391]

@@CoopyKat As I JUST posted, he wasn't right for pushing him. BUT it was totally his right, as his boss (both Producer and Head of the Studio) to say he wanted the script followed. I may be a fan, but I don't blindly like any bad behavior. And he was man enough to apologize & extend an olive branch, but Reiner didn't take it. Some of us grew up in an era pre HR, and when if you were grabbed, (either sexually or like this), yelled at, or treated in any of the ways where you would be sent to some seminar today.....we simply had to learn to cope with it. Find ways to put people in their place, while still working them. It wasn't easy. It wasn't right. But it was life back then. And this was farther back than my experiences!!!

[@jrasicmark1]

Sure, but did he have to blow up at him and shove him against a wall? I don't think so. Why not just quietly take him aside and calmly explain they just didn't like to work like that on that show. Kindness goes a long way.

[@mx248]

​@@jrasicmark1 HA! Not in Hollywood, it doesn't! You're kind (or at least lenient) when it benefits you, or you can afford the luxury. If Rob didn't have a famous dad, he would've had to have been a fool to make Desi call his bluff by threatening to walk.

[@kingslaphappy1533]

Sounds like he did indeed walk judging by his last sentence.

[@phillipsmom6252]

Desi and Lucy had top notch writers. That’s why he mentioned paying ten grand a script. Desi wanted what he paid for. Read the script. 👍

[@michaelplunkett8059]

He was fighting a tight budget at the time. At renewal, the network said yes for same money, no increase. Desi asked the talent to agree to save show, 3/4 did. Roger Corman refused, insisted on a jump, got recast and we lost a funny show. Screwing the other 3 leads.

[@arribaficationwineho32]

@@michaelplunkett8059 I didn’t remember corman from their show

[@JamboVidz]

@michaelplunkett8059 -- It was Roger C. Carmel, not Roger Corman.

[@arribaficationwineho32]

@@JamboVidz thanks

[@finddeniro]

Award Winning Writers.. Seriously..

[@fonso1030]

Reiner has always been overbearing and annoying, I’m glad someone put him in his place, at least for a few minutes.

[@dianejohnson5216]

Yes me to, he thinks he knows it all😂

[@daveconleyportfolio5192]

Reiner's hit movies rely on improvisation, proving he knew what he was doing. But there was a "generation gap," with both men used to working a certain way. And Desi always had money worries. He guest-starred on "The Mothers-in-Law" so he could pay himself!

[@Karly-lf2mu]

He's still an asshole know-it-all.

[@chickey333]

"overbearing and annoying" And don't forget whinny or is that classified as annoying. Either way...

[@fonso1030]

@@chickey333all of that, plus a sense of entitlement. A part of me admires his self confidence, bc it’s not a lot to work with. But no humility at all. It must be strange living in that self praising bubble. A guaranteed lifelong meathead for sure.

[@dennisfrazer8035]

Desi should have turned meathead into a meatball!

[@ls-kk4pq]

Rob Reiner was the son of a famous Director actor writer. So he probably felt he could say that! He certainly wasn’t going to be out on the street like most actors if he lost the job.

[@CJ-pt4ku]

I would be honored to be yelled at by Desi, he was such an innovative, brilliant man.

[@TheLifeandSadEnding]

Desi was right.

[@GORILLA_PIMP]

Should a just told him "sorry boss won't happen again" Not "this is the way i work" smh

[@Gforu81]

Right?! I mean not excusing Desi behavior but if I was working for one of the creators of television I would shut my mouth and read the script but clearly no respect.

[@jakevendrotti1496]

Rob Reiner is clearly a spoiled brat...even aged 65 or whatever he was here. He practically started salivating when he realized he got to tell a story where he gets to play the victim. What a snot. Desi Arnaz was 100% correct in expecting his expensively paid for script to be followed. Who does Rob think he is anyway? What arrogance.

[@RB2331]

I agree I would’ve said I apologize. I won’t happen again. I just thought Doing a little improv would be OK I just left the car to go a little bit. It won’t happen again but if I didn’t need the money, I would’ve said get somebody else.

[@defiverr4697]

Ill bet Nicholson didn't improvise on his movie even by one word!

[@lisag18]

No. Reiner was hired because he knows what he's doing. I would've walked out

[@ellenw391]

I remember Lucy saying that EVERYTHING on I Love Lucy was scripted. And while he shouldn't have pushed, he was the BOSS, both the producer & studio head. He had every right to wanted it done the way he believed was best. Desi extended an olive branch. Kinda sad Reiner didn't take it. PS if Desi was crazy, he was crazy like a fox!!!

[@teastrainer3604]

Director Jay Sandrich told it the same way. He said Desi was volatile and would blow up but then he would put his arm around you and apologize. He said Lucy would go to extreme lengths to plan everything in a scene meticulously and would tolerate no deviation from it. Sandrich didn't say that in a derogatory way.

[@JJJBRICE]

Surprising since the DVD show , of which his father was one of the owners , was in a close professional association with Desilu .

[@hhhggg4687]

Sound like Rob was spoiled being Carl Reiners son. But Desi put him in his place. May be he should not have been too hard, but he did apologize. And yes, Lucy was the exact same way

[@747heavyboeing3]

Exactly and he's easily ofeeeeeended. He wasn't acting when he played meathead on All In The Family. He played himself

[@gregwatson8219]

Rob didnt have work hard as young actor. Good for Desi

[@donbailey6600]

@@747heavyboeing3 I've always thought that too

[@painin2teeth]

If I'm paying 10k for someone to do a script I will be angry for some crazy hippi to just ignore the 10k script. It comes off as unprofessional

[@bartmix8994]

Wow, a lot of sour grapes coming from angry jealous keyboarders.

[@retroguy9494]

I LOVED The Mothers In Law. Eve Arden and Kay Ballard! And that ol' queen Roger C Carmel. I would have shoved Reiner too. Saying to the producer and owner of the studio "this is the way I work!" Its a well known fact that Desi was a perfectionist and always demanded that people stick to the script! So was Lucy.

[@sharonnorthern1525]

Especially because Rob was a cocky kid. On one hand, it took balls to stand up to Desi but he was working for him. Desi was paying the bills.

[@gregwatson8219]

Rob once pinched Mary Tyler Moore ass. Both Reiner men abit aloof i think.

[@retroguy9494]

@@gregwatson8219 I never heard THAT one!

[@gregwatson8219]

@@retroguy9494 True story by MTM herself

[@retroguy9494]

@@gregwatson8219 Oh, I BELIEVE you dude. It's just that I never heard it before!

[@JSB1882]

Desi Arnaz was a genius in television - I'd be proud if he pushed me around!

[@rileyowen7731]

Lol Same

[@valeweathers]

Ditto

[@veramae4098]

Man, I'm 71 and feeling old. I'm glad to find anyone who remembers what I do -- Desi Arnez.

[@moaningpheromones]

It was on in the 80s when I was child. And we saw old Star Trek, it was on every day. And MASH, Get Smart, Munsters, Hogan's Heroes, Beverly Hillbillies.

[@akrenwinkle]

** Arnaz. Some memory.

[@dj3114]

Always respected Desi, but now even more so.

[@tincat43]

Rob Reiner is like a pushy relative who is invited to dinner in your home but he likes a lot of salt and garlic in his food, so without asking, he dumps those condiments into the casserole, not content to limit them to his own serving. And, he is proud that he did that.

[@gregoryjohnson8087]

Meathead and Socialist

[@trapdoorfloyd]

After hearing that I like Desi way more. 😎

[@georgeforall]

When all else fails, stick to the script.

[@jubalcalif9100]

Indeed. That's what an actor is getting paid to do. Read the line written in the script.

[@kennethwayne6857]

@@jubalcalif9100 Tell that to Brando.

[@danielmoore2320]

Now I like Desi even more

[@amerigovespucci4076]

When you are PAID to do something, you are required to do as they ask. If you are unwilling or unable, YOU leave. How convenient of rob reiner to slam someone, long after they are gone............. SHAME ON YOU.

[@annsanse2935]

he didn't slam him.

[@deadpan80]

2:20 something tells me it went more like Rob saying “I’m gonna call me daddy”!

[@whatareyoulookingat24]

You're probably right. I can easily picture him as Francis from Pee-Wee's Big Adventure.

[@barbarafischbach8480]

Desi was right! Archie was also right!

[@lewstone5430]

Archie sucked.

[@llg3pe]

Amen

[@hushmahmouth8857]

I saw Kirk Douglas and Sonny Bono jogging together on a beach in Acapulco when I was 15. They were so kind and friendly to me. My dad refused to believe me saying a man like Kirk Douglas would never be seen with someone like Sonny Bono.

[@betsyj59]

It is a pretty interesting combination!

[@danielellis4749]

Desi's show; Desi's rules. Also: Honor the writers who worked long and hard to perfect a scriipt and who also know their audience very well.

[@ScottALanter]

As an avid Andy Griffith Show watcher, Rob Reiner's contribution to the 2 seconds of screen time he got on the show meant absolutely nothing then, and means even less now.

[@jamesanthony5681]

Thanks for the heads up.

[@vboch1]

Who wouldn't scream at Rob Reiner.

[@WillBravoNotEvil]

Someone who knows that a question is punctuated with a question mark, not a period.

[@vboch1]

@@WillBravoNotEvil It was a statement not a question. Sorry you were offended.

[@midos67channel24]

Rob Reiner is best known for his role on "All In The Family" as Michael Stivic

[@pets7164]

The character of Mike Stivic is amazing. What other comedy series can you think of that you loved and felt sorry for somebody hoped he would succeed for himself and Gloria at beginning and at the end of the shows run you hated him.

[@ChiGuy1837]

More successful than you 😂

[@michaeltaylor1603]

He got the "Cuban" arm after the "blow UP" Amigo! Desi was charming as well. While considered brilliant, Jackie Gleason didn't rehearse because he didn't want to go "stale" but, often forgot his lines & had a temper as well.

[@jubalcalif9100]

Dean Martin also did not like to rehearse.

[@leilanirocks]

@@jubalcalif9100Deano always had his hands full. One cigarette and one drink. 🚬 🍹

[@Filmstarindamaking]

When you are producing a show you are not just paying for the expensive script but the talent, the production crew, etc…There is just so much invested that you need it done the way you envision it, and that’s the way it should be done. You can improvise all you want when you are paying or at the very least after the required take is in the can.

[@hankster0878]

you make a point however you should also make note of who is improvising. This isnt some fly by night guy.. this man is a legend and has earned the right to operate somewhat outside of the box. taking nothing away from Desi.. Rob Reiner is Hollywood royalty.

[@ralphabreu5022]

I have always had respect for Desi Arnaz

[@bartmix8994]

Why?

[@ralphabreu5022]

@@bartmix8994 Because he invented modern television With the re run and filming in actual film Not kineticscope

[@bartmix8994]

@@ralphabreu5022 Wow, you act like Desi Arnez invented 16mm film and movie projectors.

[@Dusk1962]

@@bartmix8994you seem an incompetent person.

[@bartmix8994]

@@Dusk1962 You seem like an incel.

[@dfangirl72]

Rob Rob Rob he was the boss you are supposed to do as the boss asks you to do it not as you want unless they say do it however you want and talk about doing a stereotype voice 😡

[@stevegold2717]

Seems dezi had good instincts

[@fsdf3755]

Being The Ricardos brought me here. Great story and his Desi accent was hilarious.

[@videovoidtv]

im cuban and that impression is pretty spot on lol

[@peaceandlove544]

Bad movie but good accent

[@kleeamd8274]

@@videovoidtv that's spot on?? it sounded more like an impression of a middle easterner. Get a hearing aid

[@gabrielalopetegui]

@@kleeamd8274 LOL!

[@giovanna722]

​@@kleeamd8274 Sounds like eastern Europe, maybe? Certainly not Cuban.😅

[@johnl636]

Once a Meathead, always a Meathead.

[@littlerose6673]

Bottom line, Rob shows no respect. He may have talent, but it does not out weigh his big mouth..ugh.

[@Learn-gs4ed]

I remember when they broke up, it was very sad. They still loved each other.

[@RepriseFan]

Desi was a frickin genius so if he wanted to push me I would have said more. He was so underrated as a producer and comedic actor.

[@nadinedaoud2538]

Totally agree 💯 percent !!! Desi = Artistic Genius ❤️

[@babbarr77]

He should remember how many people think he’s an idiot.

[@moorlock2003]

Desi was old school. His era was the 1950s. Time had moved on but he hadn’t.

[@LowenKM]

Good point, and even mighta been some 'cultural' differences.... aka, Cubano vs Bronx Jewish.

[@porflepopnecker4376]

Time moved on too much sometimes.

[@user-no5hs2wc2t]

Rob Reiner has a bad reputation!

[@2530negri]

Reiner sounds like a spoiled child

[@gonavy5607]

Cuban tempers are like Italian tempers-it’s cultural and it means something different from a Waspy type truly toxic temper. It’s just passion. Desi Arnaz had one of the best reputations, professionally, in Hollywood. Everyone who worked for him was loyal, he let people do their jobs, and was the best boss ever. He knew what he wanted. After he divorced Lucy, she had to turn into the hard producer, running everything, and sadly, it kind of ruined her great child like talent. Before the divorce, she came to the set to play and rehearse and create. After the divorce it was work work work, and she really missed having her producer/protector. Well actually, he continued to produce the great Lucy Show for the first few seasons, then stopped due to his alcoholism disease. Lucille Ball 1951-1966 was the greatest comedian on TV, who ever lived. After 1966, she just turned hard. Some good moments, but the classic Lucy was gone. Anyway… Oh how I loved Desi Arnaz and everything he represented about the classic immigrant/America/Hard work/ joi de vivre… He was just beloved. So don’t let this make you feel differently about him. Carl Reiner (Rob’s father) worshipped Desi. All Hollywood knew how great he was. He built the sitcom industrial complex in Hollywood. Just an Amazing American story.

[@LJ-ht4zs]

Actually, I keep hearing that Desi's womanizing was part of the Latin culture - he was an addict: sex, booze, and gambling. All his life and the more he drank the worse he got, in terms of making bad decisions and letting his temper really rip. Got arrested a few times for such behavior after his divorce. This is not being Cuban or Latin, his "stuff" was addictions.

[@Dusk1962]

@@LJ-ht4zslots of lies in your comments

[@LJ-ht4zs]

@@Dusk1962 Actually nothing I said was a lie. Desi was an addict: booze, women, and gambling - before he met Lucy, during their marriage and afterwards (his 2nd wife almost divorced him too). Also when he was drinking he was very difficult to get along with -- yes, volatile temper both on set and in the home - Keith T. who often stayed with the family, said everyone knew to avoid him at those times. On the I Love Lucy show he cursed out the man (Jerry)who played his manager for something he was not responsible for in front of cast and crew. Jerry left and never returned. Nothing I am saying are lies - I have read books and seen documentaries and interviews etc. Unless everybody is making this up. Alcohol ruined him - he had to sell his shares in Desilu Studios - due to his alcoholism he was making bad decisions and the studio was losing money. One can totally appreciate his good qualities but one cannot ignore this very well known information that is out there too.

[@JoannaCubana]

​@@LJ-ht4zs💯💯💯💯💯💯💯

[@jooliagoolia9959]

That's how confrontational alcoholics often communicate. They don't have a conversation, they start at Mach level 10 to disarm the other person.

[@MrCJ-qz9dl]

Funny, l remember Rob Reiner mentioning Desi Arnaz's name on ALL in THE FAMILY as he was arguing with "Archie".

[@NCLUSA]

When he played Meat Head, he wasn't acting, he really is dead from the neck up.

[@VoodooCosmonaut]

Let me guess. Make America great again?

[@jrpacer6355]

😂😂

[@jamesanthony5681]

OK champ. And what have YOU accomplished in life?

[@JoeMama-hu9ek]

Ok Archie

[@historybuff66]

Thank you Desi for doing what we all feel like doing.

[@johnsmith-di2qm]

Never understood how rob reiner was even in television, other than his father's help.

[@jamesanthony5681]

Pal, take a look what he's done. He's actually good.

[@jondoes7836]

Well done Dezi: The Meathead had it coming..

[@Serpico1152]

Back in the 70's I looked so much like him on All in the family that everyone was calling me "Meathead", and today I look nothing like him at all. 🤣😂🤣

[@OldWorkingMan]

I'm reading Desi's autobiography "A Book" right now... good read.

[@misterb6416]

This guy, YT gets mad when I post mean things about people on the left even though they're true so I just won't post anything about this guy.

[@funshine817]

Yeah, I have to really work hard to make my comments stick. YT censors a ton!

[@jaymike3302]

Yup. They...

[@jaymike3302]

...censor...

[@jaymike3302]

...conservative comments.

[@ongogablogian8568]

​@@jaymike3302well, YT just threw out one of my liberal comments yesterday, on, of all things, a John Oliver video. So don't start feeling victimized, they do it to everyone.

[@perrywinkle8183]

Desi, you find another actor and my father will find me another part.

[@johngregory3564]

I didnt know Desi Arnaz had a Yiddish accent. Never thought too highly of Rob Reiner. His dad had all the talent in the family.

[@boxsterman77]

Are you kidding me? This is spinal tap. The princess bride. When Harry Met Sally. These are his pictures. Can we just get away from this he’s-all-bad, he’s-all-good bullshit? People are complex and multidimensional. They have talents in areas that others have no talent in. You can despise them one day and love them the next.

[@tomcarl8021]

He wasn't called meathead for nothing.

[@DavidHBurkart]

Definitely Meathead retelling the story. Too bad we can't hear Desi's version. I find it hard to believe early in his career he would have told Desi Arnaz to find another actor. I also wonder how many times Desi told him "Stay with the script". Rob Reiner's career begets a belief in his own hype.

[@jkorshak]

Yeah. His career went nowhere after the way he treated poor Desi./s

[@perrywinkle8183]

Born March 6, 1947. If he was a working class male an NCO would have been screaming at him.

[@frenchmarky]

Something tells me Norman Lear wouldn't let him improv with his even more expensive scripts. Reiner was a greenie then and should just admit Desi was right.

[@dannyleo4791]

Vivian Vance was one of the very few people in Hollywood to stand up to Lucy and Desi.

[@alaricabercrombie2692]

William Asher was also one of those very few people that stood up to Lucy & Desi when he was directing I LOVE LUCY. William Asher was known for producing BEWITCHED, and being married to the TV show's leading lady.

[@rickloera9468]

Vivian Vance brought guite a bit to that show, and Lucy and Desi knew it. Vivian Vance and Bill Frawley were two of the best supporting actors of this show. I Love Lucy wouldn't have been as good without them.

[@veseyvonveitinghof]

...so traumatizing that it turned him into a meathead...

[@juanmonge7418]

Rob was a member of “ The committee “, which was an improv group. It was the predecessor of the more famous “Groundlings “. Many actors who started in live theatre might have liked to ad lib or try a different take. Desi was a musician first.

[@donbailey6600]

There would be no "Star Trek" If not for Lucy/Desi....

[@joangravitz3280]

Or mission: impossible

[@LJ-ht4zs]

Lucy was running Desilu at the time and she green lit Mission Impossible and Star Trek.

[@jubalcalif9100]

@@LJ-ht4zs I was going to mention that but you beat me to it. Yes, Lucy had bought Desi out after their divorce for a couple of million dollars. She became the sole head of Desilu.

[@Missunderstood103]

That was ALL Lucy. I truly love that woman.

[@Angy708]

I agree with Desi. It is his show and the writers worked very hard for the perfect script.

[@aliceschmid9697]

I can't stand Rob Reiner. If Desi yelled at him, I'm SURE he had it coming

[@LJ-ht4zs]

I don't think he was upset about the yelling - Yes, Desi was the boss and was calling the shots. It was the pushing and shoving which definitely was not called for. He once beat his son's tutor up, because the tutor said his son was lazy. B/t/w Desi jr was probably lazy, but the tutor was trying, it seems, to engage the father to encourage the son to get to business. Desi escaped a lot of serious law suits.

[@Patrick-hm4eg]

I've heard that during All in the Family Reiner and Carrol O'Connor were taping a scene. Àrchie says something stupid and Mike droops his head in exasperation. O'Connor improvised "what's wrong? Is my fly down?" Reiner somehow kept it together.

[@BrittneyCooper-yb3td]

Today the show would’ve been cancelled, Desi Arnaz would be charged with assault and Rob Reiner would’ve received a 3 million dollar settlement.

[@deanevangelista6359]

“Get outta my chair, meat head!”

[@ricric9521]

Sounds unrealistic that he, a small-part actor, would tell Desi, "Hey that's how I work. Find someone else." But his dad was big time.

[@markstierstorfer9179]

did not know Desi had a Yiddish accent

[@Mimi-tu2ih]

Poor rob. Whaaaa.

[@vent51177]

Once a Meathead always a Meathead.

[@TRHARTAmericanArtist]

Desi was the man!

[@DavidEssex-fe6mx]

I remember when he was a meathead............and he still Is!

[@LetsGoChaseThatTrain]

Rockford Files was also a classic.

[@jubalcalif9100]

And don't forget "My Mother the Car", starring Jerry Van Dyke & the voice of Ann Sothern !

[@jamesanthony5681]

He was great as King Sturdevan.

[@KarlLaFong-v2q]

The Partridge Family episode that Rob appeared in is my favorite episode. Funny and sweet. :)

[@peaceandlove544]

A young hippie improvising without authorization

[@joshuacalkins]

In what world do actors get to set the director straight on how they do their job? Sounds like he insisted that Dezi allow him to make up his own lines. I guess if you hired a coked-up Robin Williams you might have to expect some improv, but most actors have zero dialogue options.

[@ELl_e..3]

I’d love to see the Johnny Carson interview with Audrey Hepburn. Haven’t found it anywhere. It’s the only celebrity that Carson said made him sweat, jumble over his words and not know how to act.

[@frackstonwilson685]

Sadly most likely if that interview occurred during the first 10 years of the Tonight Show the video tape was erased by NBC. Less than 35 episodes are all that exist from Carson's first 10 years.

[@ELl_e..3]

@@frackstonwilson685 I didn’t know that! I bet someone has it recorded off tv on a vhs somewhere

[@frackstonwilson685]

@@ELl_e..3 Sadly no on that since the first 10 years of the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson started in October of 1962 and home video recording did not take of until after 1975.

[@funkster007]

@@ELl_e..3 A couple years after your post, but it's on youtube now if you're still curious

[@everyone_knows_itsbutterst7808]

Archie Bunker was right Rob Reiner will always be a Meathead.

[@thebubbacontinuum2645]

He looked so tall next to Carroll O'Connor. I bumped into him while he was rushing out of the Carnegie Deli while jamming a sandwich into his mouth and not looking where he was going. I would guess he was 5'11", tops. And he was wearing a green and white leisure suit.

[@Tusc9969]

I can vouch for this. This reminded me of the time I worked for an old school Cuban who must've been in his 60s in Jersey back in the day when I was a teenager and boy did he have a temper...his bark was worse than his bite though. Deep inside he was a decent, humble, sociable nice man when he was in a good mood...just don't piss him off lol

[@lewstone5430]

I’ve met maybe 3 Cubans (all men) and they were all really loud and aggressive. One was just about 5 days ago.

[@gailreese4102]

Rob also memorably guest-appeared in "Where's Poppa" (w/Ruth Gordon, George Segal & Bernard Hughes).

[@mikekeenan9044]

Archie had it right, “Meathead.”

[@mrjohnnylongsleeves4128]

Sounds like Desi’s accent was more Yiddish than Cuban.

[@Learn-gs4ed]

Desi Arnaz made Lucy great. He was the funny one, watching him reacting to Lucy. Without Desi, Lucy was coasting. the Lucy show was nothing compared to I Love Lucy.

[@CaesarDarias]

Do you think that in 2024 Mr. Reiner would permit improvisation from an unknown 20-something who doesn’t bother to ask/consult? Nevertheless, if the “shoving” story is accurate and not exaggerated, Arnaz was wrong to do it.

[@annademo]

Desi Arnaz was a genius and Rob Reiner is a hack.

[@mikephalen3162]

Spinal Tap, Princess Bride. Great for a hack.

[@gregorykayne6054]

Arnaz was to television what Cecil B. de Mille was to movies .What we watch today, 70+ years later, would look and sound cheap without Desi's genius. Every episode must have been like gambling the farm. It doesn't seem Reiner has ever been smitten with humility.

[@Ivehadenuff]

My white sister was treated rudely by Rob Reiner when she was a waitress in the 1980’s. He is not a classy guy, it would seem.

[@chrissimpson1183]

Dezi had a quick temper...

[@peaceandlove544]

A tv mogul does not get there while being Mr polite

[@barbarafischbach8480]

It’s Desi, a TV genius.

[@LJ-ht4zs]

Bottom line Desi was an addict: women, booze and gambling, before he met Lucy, during the marriage and after wards. His 2nd wife almost divorced him for the same reasons. I do not agree that his extreme womanizing and raging temper was being Latin - he was an addict and even people who cared for him said that he was like Jekyll and Hyde when drinking hard. From warm, loving, personable he could turn into a raging nut job. When he was in his 40's he looked like 60, bloated and very lined due to his alcoholism.

[@akrenwinkle]

@@barbarafischbach8480 The pessimist would say Desi's name was misspelled half the time. But the optimist would say Desi's name was correctly spelled half the time.

[@Jgeneraledger23]

That was an AWESOME Desi-Arnaz impression. Kudos Rob!

[@arnoldarnoldr5114]

He pushed you because he knew what you were even then.

[@libertine5606]

I met him at the La Mirada mall. It was a book signing and there were only about 8 people there. I was about 10 and he signed my Frisbee. You could tell he was drunk and he had a drink next to him. This was about 2 in the afternoon. Even at that young age I knew it was sad.

[@ciancialarm]

Good !

[@charliewatts6895]

I'm with Desi on this. His show, his rules.

[@Sean-wt7sz]

Wasn’t Dick Van Dyke made by Desi as well?

[@juanmonge8]

No. His Father Carl Reiner. Rob Petrie was named after Rob Reiner.

[@Sean-wt7sz]

@@juanmonge8 yeah but didn’t Desilu make it

[@juanmonge8]

@@Sean-wt7sz I think that Sheldon Leonard and Danny Thomas were involved. Don’t quote me on that.

[@rtususian]

It was produced at the Desilu studios, that's the connection you are making. Mary Tyler Moore has said that sometimes Lucy would be up on the catwalk and watch the cast rehearsing and they would hear her distinctive rough voice laughing.

[@Regreviews]

It was filmed at desilu studios

[@JohnKanzler]

the Mothers In Law was such a great show! If you can find it on the internet, enjoy it. The theme song is also sort of a manic upside down version of the I Love Lucy theme song, I think both done by Wilbur Hatch.

[@garciadavid582]

BABALU ! 😂 👍👍