STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
Rob Reiner's work has been almost ubiquitous in American life for decades. It's amazing how many lines from his movies and TV shows are in people's heads. NPR's Mandalit del Barco has been covering that career. Mandalit, how did Reiner's career begin?
MANDALIT DEL BARCO, BYLINE: Yeah, so Rob Reiner grew up in show business. And he said his No. 1 inspiration was his father, Carl Reiner, a comedy genius from the early days of television. He created "The Dick Van Dyke Show." Well, Rob Reiner often spoke about how much he loved what his father did. And comedy really was all in the family.
INSKEEP: Aha, which was the name of a sitcom that put Rob Reiner in a lot of American living rooms.
DEL BARCO: That's right. "All In The Family" was a comedy featuring the generation gap in the 1970s. Rob Reiner played Michael Stivic, the progressive son-in-law nicknamed Meathead by the bigoted but lovable Archie Bunker. They often butted heads about everything from politics to how to put on your shoes.
(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "ALL IN THE FAMILY")
CARROLL O'CONNOR: (As Archie Bunker) Don't you know that the whole world puts on a sock and a sock and a shoe and a shoe?
(LAUGHTER)
ROB REINER: (As Michael "Meathead" Stivic) I like to take care of one foot at a time.
(LAUGHTER)
DEL BARCO: So on Fresh Air in September, Reiner talked about how influential and controversial "All In The Family" was.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED NPR CONTENT)
REINER: I was 23. And it was groundbreaking at the time. Nobody had done a show like this. CBS, when they put it on, they had a big disclaimer at the beginning saying, you know, the views that are represented in the show don't represent the views of CBS. Basically, it was a disclaimer saying, I don't know how this show got on here, but...
TERRY GROSS: (Laughter).
REINER: ...If you want to watch it, you watch it at your own risk, you know? We don't...
GROSS: Don't sue us.
DEL BARCO: And, you know, Steve, Reiner pointed out that "All In The Family" was the No. 1 TV show in America for five years straight.
INSKEEP: He would be remembered right now just for that, but he went on to decades as a director. What made his movies stand out?
DEL BARCO: Well, Steve, we could dedicate a whole podcast to that. But I'd say his films were so memorable and quotable. Take this scene from "A Few Good Men" with Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "A FEW GOOD MEN")
JACK NICHOLSON: (As Col. Nathan R. Jessep) You want answers?
TOM CRUISE: (As Lt. Daniel Kaffee) I want the truth.
NICHOLSON: (As Col. Nathan R. Jessep) You can't handle the truth.
DEL BARCO: And his movies were clever. Take this from "The Princess Bride," my favorite.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "THE PRINCESS BRIDE")
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #1: (As character) He didn't fall? Inconceivable.
DEL BARCO: And his films were hilarious. Reiner even cast his own mother, Estelle Reiner, to deliver the punchline of a scene in "When Harry Met Sally..." after Meg Ryan's character, Sally, fakes an orgasm at Katz's Deli in New York.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "WHEN HARRY MET SALLY...")
MEG RYAN: (As Sally Albright) Oh, God, oh.
ESTELLE REINER: (As Older Woman Customer) I'll have what she's having.
DEL BARCO: Rob Reiner gave credit to Billy Crystal for that line. And his movies were pioneering. The first film that he directed, "This Is Spinal Tap," introduced audiences to the mockumentary. In that parody of a rock documentary, Reiner also plays the filmmaker who asks a member of the fictitious band, Spinal Tap, about the volume switch on an amplifier.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "THIS IS SPINAL TAP")
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #2: (As character) The numbers all go to 11. Look, right across the board.
REINER: (As Marty DiBergi) Oh. Oh, I see.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #2: (As character) Eleven, 11, 11.
REINER: (As Marty DiBergi) And most of these amps go up to 10.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #2: (As character) Exactly.
REINER: (As Marty DiBergi) Does that mean it's louder? Is it any louder?
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #2: (As character) Well, it's one louder, isn't it?
INSKEEP: (Laughter).
DEL BARCO: One louder. Like I said, very quotable.
INSKEEP: I think he would want us to be laughing, even on this horrible occasion.
DEL BARCO: Right.
INSKEEP: What have you been hearing from people who knew Reiner best?
DEL BARCO: Well, earlier this year, Reiner brought Spinal Tap back together for a sequel. And one of the aging rockers was played by Harry Shearer. And last night, he told NPR that Reiner had been a great collaborator, always funny. Here's what he said about the news about Reiner and his wife.
HARRY SHEARER: It's devastating. Knowing the two of them and knowing how this story ended, it's just horrible, unspeakable. It's Greek tragedy come to our lives in the most traumatic and awful way. And it's, you know, Bob still had more work to be done. And it's a loss.
INSKEEP: Harry Shearer. We also heard from Mandalit del Barco. Mandel, thanks.
DEL BARCO: Thank you.
(SOUNDBITE OF TAKENOBU'S "CANALES (DREAMS ADAPTATION)") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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