Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You Page #2

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little lady."

[ Laughs ]

That was the spiel.

I was obviously a striver.

I needed to be a good provider,

because that's

what my grandparents' generation

admired the most,

is a good provider.

Oh, I wanted to be that.

[ Chorus vocalizing ]

-When did you get your first

break in the business?

-Not long after I was here.

I was living with my wife

and my little girl

in one little room behind

another home in Hollywood.

And I had met a fellow

by the name of Ed Simmons,

who was married

to a cousin of mine.

And he wanted to be a writer,

and our wives went

to a movie one evening,

we were babysitting,

and we wrote some material

together.

They came home,

and we went out

and sold it to --

We sold this parody that we

had written for 25 bucks,

but it was $25 like that,

you know, and for having fun,

for having a good, good time

laughing and working.

And then we decided

we would continue writing.

[ Typewriter keys clacking ]

-Touch,

and you can adjust fine-tuning

to suit your taste at any time.

-"The Colgate Comedy Hour,"

starring Dean Martin

and Jerry Lewis.

-Are you ready?

-Ready.

-Ready.

-It was the beginning

of television,

and Ed Simmons and I

became the writers

on "The Dean Martin/Jerry

Lewis Colgate Comedy Hour."

-Dean and I -- well,

I especially -- love the crew.

They've been so kind,

I pour my heart out to them

because they're wonderful

to me --

-I'm sorry. Is everything

all right in there?

I'm sorry, Mr. Lewis,

but we seem to --

-This is Mr. Lear,

one of our crew members, and --

-Are we all right?

I'm sorry, Mr. Lewis.

But something's gone wrong

in there. We're off the air.

-We're off the air?!

What do you mean,

"We're off the air"?

Why are we always doing things

that aren't right?!

-We're on!

We're on!

-Here's one of our technicians

that has been with us

for four years.

Isn't that right, Norman?

Get the mike boom

out of the way!

- Some people say a man

is made out of mud

A poor man's made

out of muscle and blood

Muscle and blood

and skin and bones

A mind that's weak

and a back that's strong

You load 16 tons,

and what do you get?

Another day older

and deeper in debt

St. Peter, don't you call me,

'cause I can't go

I owe my soul

to the company store

-"The Ford Show."

-You might call it

a comedy show.

-The following is brought

to you in living color.

- I picked up my shovel,

and I walked to the mine

I loaded 16 tons

of number-9 coal

And the straw boss said,

"Well, bless my soul"

You load 16 tons,

what do you get?

Another day older

and deeper in debt

St. Peter, don't you call me,

'cause I can't go

I owe my soul

to the company store

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