That was a lot of fun, actually, to go there—San Francisco is great, I enjoyed that. dOc: Do you ever find that more people recognize your voice than your face nowadays? His interview with Kosygin, shortly after he became Soviet Prime Minister, was broadcast on both BBC and ITV. 4. google_color_bg = "FFFFFF"; Mars: I don't think so. And I think the writing is extremely clever. , Visit: I went up there, and started thinking about it, this is the musical theatre version of [King] Lear... in terms of its emotional content, even in terms of the heroine being the mother, and the two daughters. Mel, I think I should have three or four spots of pigeon s--t on the helmet.' google_ad_client = "pub-1365671222938151"; In fact, I saw her recently at a book signing... it's amazing, I went to this book store that I go to, and I arrived, and I wanted to get a book. 9. Which project do you feel didn’t live up to what you envisioned? He just had... he WAS a rhinoceros, what can I tell you? That's the kind of taste you have! Mars: I suppose so, yes! What is your favorite piece of music? Let's talk about your work in animation, first of all... Mars: I do Grandpa Dinosaur, and I also do King Triton in The Little Mermaid. It was just madness, that kind of madness. google_ad_format = "468x60_as"; And Mel called at half-hour [before curtain], he said, "what are you doing in Buffalo?" document.getElementById(menuTab).style.display = "block"; I knew it was Shirley MacLaine, because she is, above all people, the most beloved actress there is, probably, in the world. There are certain parts of that I wish I could do over again. Kenneth Mars was born on April 4, 1935 in Chicago, Illinois, United States. This year, I did a couple of episodes of Becker... the last one was the one that was more fun, because we were in court... and just did a Will and Grace and did a Drew Carey and a Nash Bridges earlier in the year. google_color_border = "660000"; Officer shot during Breonna Taylor incident says her shooting 'not a race thing' Jonathan Mattingly was injured in the exchange of gunfire. He was married to Barbara Newborn. And everywhere we went, they would shout after Shirley, "Irma! The Sound of Music (Feb 27, 1961 - Nov 23, 1963) Performer: Kenneth Mars [Baron Elberfeld] Understudy: Kenneth Mars [Max Detweiler] MusicalDramaOriginal. What is your favorite book? google_color_border = "990000"; As part of a recurring feature I was doing then, about 10 years ago I did a “10 Questions” piece with the now late, great comic actor Kenneth Mars ( The Producers, Young Frankenstein, Fletch, The Little Mermaid and more). That's the pleasure of film, that you can see a performance you like again and again and again. British actor Kenneth More CBE chats to Mavis Nicholson about his new autobiography, and the reason behind him putting pen to paper. Which project do you feel didn¿t live up to what you envisioned? Finally, his assistant—Alpha Betty Olson is her name, oddly enough—his assistant said, "Hire him, he's terrific!" Anyway, I went in there, and he said, "don't you love the part?". Mars: I wouldn't say so. From time to time I'd see him in New York, and he'd say, "I'm writing a picture, and you're in it, you're going to be wonderful, I'm writing a part for you..." Well, the part he wrote for me, actually wrote for me was the part of the Director, who, as you recall, wears a dress, and was ultimately played by Christopher Hewett. Except that the characters are less complicated in terms of character [in animation]. And you get a wonderful sense of how far down you're going. She just closed two weekends ago—she did four weeks of Gypsy up in Portland in the big theatre there. Current: Will and Grace. "All right." google_ad_width = 300; Mars: Well, I don't think it's a whole heckuva lot different. In the sense that... either you know how to make something funny, or you don't. He was married to Barbara Newborn. I thought I’d pull that piece from the vaults to mark his passing…. Grandpa Dinosaur is kindly and wise, and usually has an opinion that is aimed at protecting the little ones, Littlefoot and the others. Reviews There are no reviews yet. So I said to him, when I first went in, I said, 'y'know, Woody, how 'bout if I do this with a Scandinavian accent?' Whenever they do a big musical up in Portland, she's the star of it. Understudy: Kenneth Mars [Sir Lewis Eliot, K.B.E., M.A.] And she is undoubtedly the youngest person ever to play Mama Rose. That's one of those I'd love to do again. google_ad_width = 468; And Mel said, "All right, you can do it!" Harris's 1970 interview with the Duke of Windsor and Duchess of Windsor was the last before the Duke's death in 1972. dOc: Triton was a fairly complex character... he had a temper... Mars: That's true. I think it's a very good show. if (document.getElementById(menuTab).style.display == "none") { I said, 'Nome was too warm.' I'm looking right now, and they need to be trimmed some. It's always been quite well written. Unbelievable! If you enjoyed this interview, please take a moment to DONATE. So that's the kind of moral lesson, if you will. In a 2010 interview with Los Angeles Times, Mel Brooks discussed how the film came about: I was in the middle of shooting the last few weeks of Blazing Saddles somewhere in the Antelope Valley , and Gene Wilder and I were having a cup of coffee and he said, I have this idea that there could be … dOc: As an actor, how is developing an animated character different from a live-action performance? Kenneth Mars (April 4, 1935 – February 12, 2011) was an American actor and comedian, who specialized in comedic roles. google_color_bg = "660000"; Then when I did Young Frankenstein, I was up in Buffalo, doing a play in Buffalo in the winter, and the snow was up to my thigh, truly. One of the great performances of all time, in my opinion. And that's how I got the part in Young Frankenstein. Be the first one to write a review. It's a great line. Completely different from working, of course, with Woody... Woody is a pretty serious guy, and he has to be, because, you know him, he's doing forty-three different things! I saw this picture, and I thought, oooh, this is very interesting, this is like a Bergman picture. At one point, I said, 'listen, y'know, I'm up there with the pigeons, and I've got on the helmet and everything. She's outshining me, I'll tell you that! google_alternate_color = "FFFFFF"; What is your favorite TV program, past or current? Kenneth Mars is a voice actor known for voicing King Triton, Overseer, and Grandpa. dOc: Was it hard to find the tone for that scene? Kenneth Mars, Actor: Young Frankenstein. Susti Heaven. You got the part!" INTERVIEW: You Can Count on Kenneth Lonergan (indieWIRE/ 11.10.00) — Kenneth Lonergan has been a recognizable name in the New York theater community for some time. dOc: In Shadows and Fog, you played the Magician... Mars: That's right. It's a fabulous picture, and one of Shirley's very best. Get all the details on Kenneth Mars, watch interviews and videos, and see what else Bing knows Addeddate 2013-06-12 03:47:05 Identifier YoungFrankensteinCommentary Scanner Internet Archive HTML5 Uploader 1.4. plus-circle Add Review. His voice has also given life to King Triton of Disney's The Little Mermaid and Grandpa Dinosaur of Universal's long-running Land Before Time series. He's writing the film, he's directing the film, he's usually in the film, and he's got his saxophone gig. It starts with singing and dancing, and goes on from there, there isn't anything she can't do. Listen. So I auditioned for that thing three or four times. Mars: Yes. google_ad_client = "pub-6194671822884991"; Join Facebook to connect with Kenneth Mars and others you may know. Madness, and wonderful fun. If you could change one thing about Hollywood, what would it be? I can only say that they have the best of taste, because there's nobody in the world, in my opinion, that is more incredibly talented than Shirley MacLaine. I was quite impressed with that, I thought it was one of the cleverest things... you were made aware of how much ocean there is, and how far under the water the kingdom is. 5. We went to Berlin with Desperate Characters, and we won some Golden Bears there. 3. Sometimes you wish you could do certain things over again. dOc: Did the character change at all during the Little Mermaid TV series of the mid-nineties? Some of it is pretty good. google_color_url = "FF0000"; Anything by Ingmar Bergman, Woody Allen’s Crimes & Misdemeanors, The Producers, and What’s Up Doc?. She's got a CD out, she's got another one she's working on, and she was at the Gardenia earlier this year, and she'll be back sometime in November. View the profiles of people named Kenneth Mars. Death wouldn’t have been glad to take him away as he is forever with us in our memories and hearts. As opposed to Grandpa Dinosaur, who was always very patient. But it's also a little difficult, because you see something you're not that crazy about... Young Frankenstein, it's a fabulous film, and parts of what I do in it I'm not that fond of. Late American actor, Kenneth Mars has given the world thousands of reasons to appreciate him. Works. And I'm in the parking lot, and there's a line going from the bookstore all around the building and into the parking lot. dOc: Thank you for spending a little time with us... how much time can you spare? Not a second more. Mel saw me in a show on Broadway that lasted one night. There are so many stories, you know, of Mel Brooks madness. comment. google_color_link = "FFFFCC"; It’s a gusty performance in a bold satire that is usually acknowledged for its remarkable musical finale, with dancers forming a giant swastika on stage. He was married to Barbara Newborn. Kenneth Mars (April 4, 1935 - February 12, 2011) was an American movie, television, stage, and voice actor, who specialized in comedic roles. 6. google_color_text = "FFFFFF"; I'm surprised at how many people do recognize me and want to talk about these movies. PlayOriginal. 2. document.getElementById(menuTab).style.display = "none"; My favorite picture of all time, by the way, is something you never saw called Desperate Characters with Shirley MacLaine. Irma! dOc: I always think comedy on film must be more difficult than comedy in front of a live audience... Mars: Well, I don't know that I feel that way about it. He was an actor, known for Young Frankenstein (1974), The Producers (1967) and The Little Mermaid (1989). Except that they're not paying scale to movie stars. But it's a lot of fun when you do it. Mars was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of the stand-up comic and radio star Sonny Mars. King Triton has this great body, these great abs! I was so impressed by Zero [Mostel]. dOc: You've worked with a couple of heavy hitters over the years... Mel Brooks and Woody Allen. google_color_link = "CC3333"; }, As part of a recurring feature I was doing then, about 10 years ago I did a “10 Questions” piece with the now late, great comic actor Kenneth Mars (The Producers, Young Frankenstein, Fletch, The Little Mermaid and more). google_ad_format = "300x250_as"; I thought I’d pull that piece from the vaults to mark his passing…. All of these animated things touch on misbehavior of the leading character, and finding out that the adults are not necessarily always wrong in their judgments of what you should and shouldn't do. 8. //-->, © 2007-Present Ken Plume and FRED Entertainment, A Bit Of A Chat with Ken Plume & Molly Lewis. Past: He & She.