Carl Reiner, the ingenious and versatile writer, actor and director who broke through as a “second banana” to Sid Caesar and rose to comedy’s front ranks as creator of “The Dick Van Dyke Show” and straight man to Mel Brooks’ “2000 Year Old Man,” died on Monday. He was 98. Carl Reiner was one of show business’ best-liked men. His was a welcome face on the small and silver screens: In Caesar’s 1950s troupe; as the self-absorbed Alan Brady of “The Dick Van Dyke Show”; and in such films as “The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming” and “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.”
Reiner directed such films as “Oh, God!” starring George Burns and John Denver; “Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid,” “The Jerk” & “All of Me,” with Steve Martin starring. His books include “Enter Laughing,” an autobiographical novel later adapted into a film and Broadway show; and “My Anecdotal Life,” a memoir published in 2003. He recounted his childhood and creative journey in the 2013 book, “I Remember Me.” He was on this program many times over the years.
In 2006, he joined us to talk about his novel “NNNNN.” We listen to that interview this morning to celebrate Reiner
