Movie Musings: Disney and More

Billy Crystal: The World’s Greatest City Slicker

“Have fun stormin’ da castle,” “Oh, but baby fish-mouth is sweeping the nation,” “I can’t believe it. I WAS ON TV! What can I say, the camera loves me!” These three lines were delivered by none other than the great Billy Crystal, who has been “fooling the world,” (in his words) for nearly a half century. Having conquered the mediums of Television, Movies and Broadway with his beautiful sense of humor, he’s also written some hilarious and heartfelt books, as well. I thought we could explore his remarkable career in today’s blog.

William Edward Crystal was born on March 14th, 1948 at Doctors Hospital on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. He grew up the youngest of three brothers, born to Jack and Helen Crystal. The family, including brothers Richard “Rip” and Joel all relocated to Long Beach when Billy was a toddler. Jack managed a record store in New York City called “The Commodore Music Shop,” originally founded by Helen’s father, Julius Gabler, and her brothers, Milt and Danny. Although his mother became a full-time housewife when she started having kids, she was a very talented singer and tap dancer, and she even provided the voice of Minnie Mouse in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. It was through his father, though, that young Billy was exposed to jazz, of which he became an instant fan, along with his brothers. Jack also regularly took his sons to New York Yankees Baseball games and even let them watch the great stand-up comedians at the time, i.e.: Bob Newhart, Sid Caesar, Rich Little, and others. (Sadly, Billy Crystal lost his father when he was just 15 years old and his father’s death would be the inspiration for one of his most special projects.) 

Billy was determined to be a New York Yankee when he grew up, and after graduating Long Beach High School in 1965, he attended Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia, on a Baseball Scholarship. When he came back to New York in the summer the following year, he met his future wife, Janice Goldfinger-Crystal and decided not to return to West Virginia so they could be together. He also decided to study film and television in New York, starting at Nassau Community College with Janice and later NYU (New York University), where he graduated with a BFA from the School of Fine Arts. While studying there, he was instructed by Martin Scorsese and was classmates with Oliver Stone and future lifelong friend, Christopher Guest. After his graduation, like all who are determined to become stars, he headed for Hollywood to try his luck in acting.

Crystal made his first appearance on television in the series Keep on Truckin’ in 1975. His first credited appearance, however, was on an episode of hit series, All in the Family (1971-1979), playing Al Bender, a friend of Rob Reiner’s Michael “Meathead” Stivic. It led to a real life friendship between Crystal and Reiner that continues, and they later collaborated together on several movies. After portraying Jodie Dallas on the ABC series Soap (1977-1981) and making his film debut in Joan Rivers’ Rabbit Test (1978), Crystal reunited with Reiner to act in the groundbreaking documentary film This Is Spinal Tap (1984), a “mockumentary/rockumentary,” Reiner directed, which also featured appearances by Christopher Guest and the late great Bruno Kirby, both of whom became frequent collaborators and friends of Crystal’s and Reiner’s.

After appearing with Gregory Hines in Running Scared (1986), Crystal was directed by Reiner for the second time as “Miracle Max” in The Princess Bride (1987). What is arguably his most quotable line from that role is “Have fun stormin’ da castle,” though one could also remember “The King’s stinking son fired me. And thank you so much for bringing up such a painful subject. While you’re at it, why don’t you give me a nice paper cut and pour lemon juice on it. WE’RE CLOSED!” The same year he made Throw Momma from the Train (1987), co-starring and directed by Danny Devito, and in 1989, he worked with Rob Reiner for their third collaboration, When Harry Met Sally (1989), starring opposite Meg Ryan. He also began hosting the Academy Awards in 1990, a gig that he did a total of nine times throughout his career. 

Although one could argue that Billy Crystal’s role as Harry Burns is his most iconic role, the next film he made was special too, because he included memories of his real life in it. In the mid-1980’s, Billy Crystal started his own production company, FACE Productions. It was called “FACE” because that was Billy Crystal’s childhood nickname. Billy Crystal executive-produced several of his own television appearances at FACE, and he also produced a movie that was directed by Henry Winkler called Memories of Me in 1988, which didn’t do particularly well. The next film that Billy Crystal starred in, and executive produced, was City Slickers (1991). A sleeper hit, it became a huge success later on. While working on it, Crystal was reunited with Bruno Kirby and he incorporated the yearly tradition of his mother phoning him at the exact moment of his birthday to tell him the story of how he was born (a tradition that she continued till her death in 2001). His character, Mitch Robbins also tells about his first Yankee game as a child, and was the story of his real-life experience at his fist Yankee game.

What was particularly special about working on City Slickers was that he hired Jack Palance to play Curly Washburn the cowboy. As a child, his very first movie to see in the theaters was Shane (1953), which also starred Jack Palance. (Ironically, Palace had received a Best Supporting Actor Oscar Nomination for his performance in “Shane,” and was told he would win. He lost to Frank Sinatra in From Here to Eternity (1953), but he was also nominated for his performance in “City Slickers,” and won that year.) “City Slickers,” spawned a sequel in 1994, though prior to that, Billy Crystal made his directorial debut in Mr. Saturday Night (1992), which earned a Best Supporting Actor Oscar Nomination for David Paymer, whom Crystal had worked with in both “City Slickers,” films. He starred in (and directed) Forget Paris, opposite Debra Winger in 1995. He made Father’s Day in 1997 starring opposite close pal, the late great Robin Williams and in 1999 he starred in Analyze This opposite Robert DeNiro and directed by Harold Ramis. 

He opened the 2000s by providing the voice of Mike Wazowski in Disney/Pixar’s Monsters, Inc. (2001) and directing the HBO film 61 (2001), a film which told the story of how New York Yankees Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle both competed to break Babe Ruth’s 61-home-run record in the summer of 1961. It was a story that was very near and dear to Billy Crystal’s heart, considering he had witnessed that as a child. (Ironically, he had been Pixar’s first choice for the role of Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story (1995), though he declined the offer. After seeing “Toy Story,” he deeply regretted his decision, but he was thrilled when he received the call to be Mike Wazowski.) He also made America’s Sweetheart’s that year, starring opposite Julia Roberts, and in 2004, lent his voice to the Disney/Studio Ghibli film Howl’s Moving Castle. 

In 2005, Billy Crystal wrote a one-man play which he called 700 Sundays, a play that was to acknowledge he still continues to grieve for his father today, but in a hilarious way. The play won the Tony Award for Best Special Theatrical Event. He took the show on tour throughout the US in 2006 and revived it for Broadway in 2013. HBO also filmed the show live for their network in 2014. In 2012, Billy Crystal starred as Grandpa Artie Decker in the film, Parental Guidance, opposite Bette Midler and Marisa Tomei and he reprised the role of Mike Wazowski in Pixar’s “Monsters,” prequel, Monsters University (2013). That same year, he also published his memoir Still Foolin’  ‘Em: Where I’ve Been, Where I’m Going, and Where the Hell Are My Keys?

Billy Crystal is one of the greatest comedians of all time. Most of the world will remember him best as either Harry in “When Harry Met Sally,” Miracle Max in “The Princess Bride,” or as the host of the Oscars. Disney lovers might initially remember him as the voice of Mike Wazowski also, but whether he’s acting or just portraying himself he brings humor and heart to everything that he does. And there is no doubt he will continue to fool us for the rest of his life.