"The Fuhrer Was a Terrific Dancer!"

Tommy & Eddie @ March 1994

Why Eddie mattered. When I love something intensely and a close friend loves it with equal intensity we need nothing further to achieve bliss.

Eddie and I loved the J Geils Band, the New York Giants, The Beatles, Yorkville, The Pineapple Bowl, SJU Rugby, the Beach, among other things but they all fall behind the insane number of times we watched the original Mel Brooks' "The Producers." We saw it over 75 times together and add around fifty solo screenings each.

For us, the film was a ritual of joy.

We traded lines like a Martin & Lewis routine.  Eddie was my best riff partner. I love friends who jump in, even if they sometimes jump without looking.  But Eddie waited until he had something to say - it wasn't his style to interrupt. He'd wait for the idiots (me included) to run out of hot air then Edward dropped in the line that stopped the talking and started the rolling laughter - the kind of laughing that if you walked into the room unaware you'd think we were doing Amyl-nitrate.

I miss Eddie's humor, warmth and generosity. We all miss Eddie.

**************

In honor of Edward Edgar Ekis, a few of the best:


Franz Liebkind: Not many people know it, but the Fuhrer was a terrific dancer. He could dance the pants off Churchill!  Hitler... there was a painter! He could paint an entire apartment in ONE afternoon! TWO coats!

Concierge: Who d'ya want?

Leo Bloom: I beg your pardon?

Concierge: Who d'ya want? Nobody gets in the building unless I know who they want. I'm the "concierge". My husband used to be the "concierge", but he's dead. Now I'M the "concierge".

Max Bialystock: We are seeking Franz Liebkind.

Concierge: Oh... the Kraut! He's on the top floor, apartment 23.

Max Bialystock: Thank you...

Concierge: ...But you won't find him there... he's up on the roof with his boids. He keeps boids. Dirty... disgusting... filthy... lice-ridden boids. You used to be able to sit out on the stoop like a person. Not anymore! No, sir! Boids!... You get my drift?

Leo Bloom: We... uh... get your "drift". Thank you, madam.

Concierge: I'm not a "madam"! I'm a "concierge"!

By The Light of The Silvery Moon

Yesterday, I was biking on the 102nd Street transverse from the West Side to the East Side. A friend called, I stopped, we spoke for 30 minutes and twilight set in. The full moon lit up the Fifth Avenue sky over the park.

This reminded me of my favorite film, The Producers with Zero Mostel & Gene Wilder.

Boating in Central Park, they plotted their plan for the worst play ever. Opening night, they retired to the tavern across the street from the theatre where there was only one other customer, Willam Hickey, deeply drunk.

Figuring the flop is in the bag, Zero Mostel said to Frank Campanella, the bartender, "Barkeep, Barkeep, another drink for myself, my associate, Mr. Bloom, and don't forget our good natured inebriate over here."

Their initial toast, " "Here's to failure!"

Hickey, the good natured inebriate down the bar answers the toast, "Oh, thank you. It's very kind of you."

After the toast, Max Bailystock dropped a dime in the juke box and the three of them launched into a dancing rendition of By The Light of the Silvery Moon.

By the light, of the silvery moon,

I want to spoon,

To my honey I'll croon love's tune.

Honey moon, keep a-shinin' in June.

Your silv'ry beams will bring love's dreams,

We'll be cuddlin' soon,

By the silvery moon.

By the light (not the dark but the light)

Of the silvery moon (not the sun but the moon)

I wanna spoon (not croon, but spoon)

To my honey I'll croon love's tune

Honey moon, honey moon, honey moon

Keep a-shinin' in June

Your silv'ry beams will bring love's dreams

We'll be cuddlin' soon

By the silvery moon

The silv'ry moon...

The music was written by Gus Edwards, the lyrics by Edward Madden. The song was published in 1909. It was one of a series of moonrelated Tin Pan Alley songs of the era.