[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 141 (Friday, August 7, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E738]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  HONORING THE LIFE OF MR. CARL REINER

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. TED LIEU

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, August 7, 2020

  Mr. TED LIEU of California. Madam Speaker, I rise to celebrate the 
life of Mr. Carl Reiner, a beloved American and resident of 
California's 33rd Congressional District, who passed away at the age of 
98 on June 29, 2020. With decades of work as an Emmy-winning writer, 
actor, director and producer, Carl's comedic genius and generous spirit 
impacted not only the world of comedy but also deepened our 
understanding of the human condition.
  Born on March 20, 1922 in The Bronx, Carl graduated high school at 16 
and started working as a shipping clerk and then as a machinist's 
helper before discovering a newspaper announcement for free drama 
classes sponsored by the Works Progress Administration.
  From there, Carl began acting at a midtown Manhattan theater and 
joined a Shakespearean repertory company. He even took a job performing 
at Allaben Acres, a summer camp for adults in the Catskills where he 
met jazz singer Estelle Lebost, his wife for 65 years who passed in 
2008.
  Drafted into the Army during World War II, Carl trained as a French 
interpreter at Georgetown University before touring the South Pacific 
in G.I. revues in the Special Services entertainment unit. After his 
honorable discharge in 1946, Carl branched into performing Broadway 
musicals, until landing a spot in an NBC comedy sketch show entitled 
``Your Show of Shows'' as an actor and a writer. In this writing room 
with Mel Brooks, Mel Tolkin, Lucille Kallen, and Neil and Danny Simon, 
the idea of the 2,000-Year-Old-Man routine came to life with fellow 
comedian and director Mel Brooks.
  Later, while writing for singer Dinah Shore's variety, Carl developed 
the idea for ``The Dick Van Dyke Show,'' a comedy sitcom based on his 
own life experiences. This highly successful and well-crafted show 
would run for five seasons and earn Carl multiple Emmys for writing and 
producing.
  After ``The Dick Van Dyke Show,'' Carl transitioned into a full-time 
director, creating films like ``The Jerk'' (1979), ``Dead Men Don't 
Wear Plaid'' (1982), ``The Man with Two Brains'' (1983) and ``All of 
Me'' (1984) with actor Steve Martin during the 1970s and 1980s. In his 
later years, Carl would return to acting, with his reoccurring roles in 
the television sitcom Frasier and the Ocean's Eleven movie franchise, 
and even becoming a prolific writer of books. As Carl once said, ``The 
absolute truth is the thing that makes people laugh.''
  Carl is survived by his son Rob Reiner, a noted actor, director, 
producer, and political activist; son Lucas Reiner, an artist; daughter 
Annie Reiner, a psychoanalyst; and his five grandchildren. May his 
compassion, kindness, and dedication to the craft of comedy continue to 
live on through the millions of people he brought joy to and inspired.

                          ____________________