Page 2 - Small Town Guy News Today

>> you know, its a great story. carl reiner and i are very dear friends. carl reiner directed "o god" for me in 1974. >> larry: one of the great lines in the history of movies. george burns says to the guy who is playing i guess the number one minister. >> yeah. >> larry: why dont you sell shoes? >> in fact he suggested that you sell shoes. >> larry: i love that. >> you know, there was no -- when carl did "o god" for me, he was 50. >> larry: and john denver. >> yeah, with john. it was a great mo...

I got to vegas and there was a message waiting for me that there was a guy in seattle, washington who i should call who loved elvis presley and owned radio stations. i said, fine. ill give him a call. called the guy up. guy named lester smith. got on the phone. i told him what i wanted to do and he said to me, okay. he said that sounds like a -- what are you going to do with the million dollars? i said im going to take elvis on tour. and he said to me, well a million dollars is a lot of money. w...

>> larry: true or false? elvis was a gem of a guy. >> true. and so was the colonel. a gem of a guy. and the colonel didnt steal from him. the colonel was a good guy. i know. i was there. he made some bad deals but he didnt steal from him. >> larry: yeah. >> and i walked into the box office. i had sold out the night show of 10,000 seats. and they convinced me to do a matinee. i went to elvis. i said -- elvis said sure ill do a matinee. ill do anything. do a morning show. i dont care. fill the sea...

Sold out. i said im sold out? youre sold out. i said, great. when i got to florida, i went directly to the convention center. i walked in the box office and i saw all of these tickets, racks and racks of tickets. and i said to this guy, what are those? what is -- what are those? he said to me, its tickets for the matinee. i said, how many tickets? he said 5,000. i said, you told me we were sold out. this show is tomorrow. what the hell are you talking about? no. i grabbed this guy by the collar....

Sold out. i said im sold out? youre sold out. i said, great. when i got to florida, i went directly to the convention center. i walked in the box office and i saw all of these tickets, racks and racks of tickets. and i said to this guy, what are those? what is -- what are those? he said to me, its tickets for the matinee. i said, how many tickets? he said 5,000. i said, you told me we were sold out. this show is tomorrow. what the hell are you talking about? no. i grabbed this guy by the collar....

>> may i ask who you are, sir? >> you better swear me in. youll never believe it. >> do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? >> so help me, me. >> soap you, you? >> if it pleases the court, and even if it doesnt please the court, im god, your honor. >> larry: who came up with the genius? >> you know, its a great story. carl rhyner and i are very dear friends. carl rhyner directed "o god" for me in 1974. >> larry: one of the great lines in the history of movies...

>> ill take it from here. >> may i ask who you are, sir? >> you better swear me in. youll never believe it. >> do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? >> so help me, me. >> soap you, you? >> if it pleases the court, and even if it doesnt please the court, im god, your honor. >> larry: who came up with the genius? >> you know, its a great story. carl rhyner and i are very dear friends. carl rhyner directed "o god" for me in 1974. >> larry: one of the great line...

>> he has a cowboy hat on and a cigar and takes me up to his room and we sit down and make a deal. i didnt know how to make a concert deal. i didnt know anything about concerts. >> larry: how were you making a living? >> i did some shows at the brooklyn paramount and i did some shows here, little shows here and there. i did some stuff at that time with the four seasons who were just starting and jane and joey bishop and johnny carson. >> larry: small town guy though. >> yeah. i was small -- yeah...

There was a guy in seattle, washington who i should call who loved elvis presley and owned radio stations. i said, fine. ill give him a call. called the guy up. guy named lester smith. got on the phone. i told him what i wanted to do and he said to me, okay. he said that sounds like a -- what are you going to do with the million dollars? i said im going to take elvis on tour. and he said to me, well a million dollars is a lot of money. what do i get for the million dollars? i said, you get 50% o...

>> he has a cowboy hat on and a cigar and takes me up to his room and we sit down and make a deal. i didnt know how to make a concert deal. i didnt know anything about concerts. >> larry: how were you making a living? >> i did some shows at the brooklyn paramount and i did some shows here, little shows here and there. i did some stuff at that time with the four seasons who were just starting and jane and joey bishop and johnny carson. >> larry: small town guy though. >> yeah. i was small -- yeah...