David Letterman's Prank Calls to Tom Snyder Collection, 1990-95

all right anything but okay Lee have a good one bye bye bye Jerry in Tipton Indiana hello hi Jerry longtime listener first-time caller Tom love the show thanks Jo are you in a car phone room listen Tom thank God I just wanted to say thank God for dr. Heimlich only saved your life huh four times what once was beef once was bacon once with veal and once it was gum want to try soup excellent thought Tom yeah I live in Tifton I'm hoping to move to Vancouver I hope you live long enough geez time Thomas your friend Dave I have a short NBC you were on the other night oh yeah I just wanted to call to thank you and to turn your radio show I gotta go I'm here on a stray bullet zone on the deccan I gotta hit the road Letterman now was he the first voice - he was he was it was the whole thing huh oh you're kidding you know what's funny not now it can be told okay and I hope Dave's got the radio on in his car by the way Dave what are you doing driving around at one o'clock in the morning you know Letterman was gonna call in the last hour and wish us a happy anniversary which I don't care about but they you know but the producers they set this up because they think it's cute and it's great okay so now the hour goes by the last hour and Letterman never calls we're trying to break up Pierre for an a the French chef with a call from Dave Letterman right which is which is kind of like putting your silverware and your garbage disposers it fits that well so now Letterman doesn't call there's no call and now they put up this guy Jerry in Pipkin Indiana to congratulate us on three years on the air and I'm saying for the whole hour didn't you I'm saying the dab in the controller didn't you hear me say I don't want to talk to anybody about the third anniversary bump Jerry down so we've been bumping this guy down for the whole hour it's Letterman we've bumped Letterman hey turnabout is fair play huh he had his turn nine years ago the night I got mine you know these things happen alright let's wind it up here with the thanks Dave and by the way Dave you are very kind to me last night and I appreciate that thank you sir I talked to Bob more than the producer of the Letterman Show today where is the sweatshirt a joke now Dorothy in North Bergen New Jersey hello hello Jerome now tonight's soup by by Jerry in Tipton Indiana hello hi Jerry how are you thank you very much [Applause] what do you mean a loser what were they trying to say well he said that he and his son went to the dragon show I'll try to get all yourself up we're not keeping you up well you know we we do dates over all the time no let's see I'm gonna be in st. Louis Friday and Cedar Rapids on Saturday no not not upcoming vacation was wonderful now I heard something that the police came to your house and you had like 25 cab is that true not true okay now wait a second Jerry before you go bad are you doing a new show tonight or is it a rerun is it a new show tonight or is it a rerun I think I know who that was don't I huh we will continue with Helen Reddy and her newest album feels so young right after these messages ha ha this is a story and we are back with Helen Brady now the guy Jerry in Tipton Indiana we think is Dave Letterman I'd put money on it yeah I think so you know Dave called us for our anniversary member do we have that on tape we I guess it's still in New York but he called from the freeway and and he made believe he was somebody else and then he said he was Dave which is why I asked movie had a new show or everyone you know see this is karma this is karma in action remember that me Dave but you know that that woman who said that she was his wife and kept going out there and staying in his house you see this this is what happened I can you see that was that was karmic reward now Dave what you used to close for Dave didn't you that's right yeah he was your opening act yeah how was he isn't opening it it was very good we'll look you know he's done well well yeah we know he's done well but that has nothing at all to do with how good he is I mean you know he happened to be in the right place when I decided to leave you know I see but no he was a good opening out he's a funny guy yes he is yeah Dave Letterman calling well you know he's out here in LA you know doing the big Larry King special so you know we get the radio he's here in town now yeah doing the Larry King do you think he's trying to take over this show he can have it but not not till I'm through and in the Bronx hello um actually Helens helped a lot of up-and-coming artists we are back and joined from Fort Lee New Jersey by Bill Carter who is the chief television writer for The New York Times back in Manhattan and the author of a splendid new book called the late shift Letterman Leno and the battle for the night bill thanks for coming on and welcome to this program appreciate your being here great to be here why did you call the tomorrow show an eccentric talk show I can't I can't imagine why I guess that was your reputation in those days okay anyway let me ask you here about your own feelings after talking with all the players involved I I I'm only 3/4 of the way through your book and we just booked you here this afternoon so I haven't finished it but it seems to me that that despite the battles behind the scenes Letterman and Leno in public conducted themselves as gentlemen there's no question about that they are gentlemen and I appreciated that tremendously I found that as I've had a lot of experience covering people in show business these are two classy individuals they did not in any way do anything cutthroat personally they didn't take any steps that I would consider to be unethical at all let me ask you here about the first mistake in a long line of mistakes made by the management at NBC that ultimately led to the departure of David Letterman would you say it was the the promise of The Tonight Show to Jay Leno before consultation with Letterman that really sent this barrel over the falls yes but I think the dominoes were actually set in motion oddly enough by CBS because CBS first approached Leno they attempted to hire him away from NBC back in about 1990 and at that point NBC didn't want to lose Leno and sort of began to make more promises to Jay that he would eventually get the Tonight Show although there was no overt promise at that point I'd also argue that the mistake with Letterman might go back a little further because they didn't really have a relationship with the guy he was a gigantic star for them he was producing enormous revenues and yet they didn't really have a relationship that he was you know at odds with the management of NBC and I think that's a mistake when you have a star of that caliber you have to do your best Cayden Abby mommy let me just fill in from a personal experience with the NBC television network lasting better than 12 years there used to be a man who worked for the company named David Tebbit right whose job was vice president for talent and his job was to keep us happy if there were a problem with Johnny Carson or with any of the NBC stars Carson would find out what the problem was an attempt to solve it and most times did so successfully when he left to go to Carson productions back in the 1980s all of a sudden there there was nobody available to handle the kinds of problems that Letterman had with the network in the mid 1980s there was nobody assigned to keep David Letterman happy yes you've cited a crucial problem because you know NBC when the management changed when GE came in the talent relations department was one of the things I think that was drastically cut and I think that came back to haunt them eventually I think there was nobody who really knew how to you know keep those people happy and it's not because they had big egos or whatever but people who are on the air who are stars they do have certain needs and I think you have to pay attention to them and they fell down on that badly I think okay we have Don in Kokomo Indiana hello Don you're on hey Tom are you doing buddy I'm doing fine Don how are you tonight I'm driving man oh be careful not Donnie I'm on 465 it circles Indianapolis it's an access road yeah I got you and I got cruise control hooked up I'm doing 95 miles an hour she's done I got the lights off how you doing buddy I'm okay buddy how are you hey are you a big man the six feet four are done yeah I'm big myself I'm 510 290 hey yeah yeah Don you know though they're not used talking about them model train yeah and here's something you might enjoy I bought me an actual train myself I got a 46 680 Vincent diesel Oh hell of a locomotive hell of a Logan 80,000 pounds yeah it's in parts now I'm put there together and I'm gonna run around the yard John before we go ahead here did you want to ask this guy from the New York Times anything or should we just have them sit here who's your guest huh this guy's named Bill Carter Donnie's with the New York Times you know I I didn't vote for him but I thought yeah Don you know we ought to get on that show who's that you know Lee Armstrong first man on the moon no no no no Neil Armstrong first man on the moon listen a buddy of mine that works at the county says when he landed he had a deal with a Japanese service company and he stepped out on the moon and starts drinking soup and they learned that commercial in Japan and Armstrong makes two million dollars a year office is that right well you know what they say about the thermos Don uh-huh you know what they say about the thermos No yeah what keeps hot things hot and cold things cold right yeah yeah but how do it know yeah you know just a second hold on well let me let me just have Bill Carter say hi just say hi to Don in Kokomo bill on how you doing this is billed on he's my buddy he's the guest on the show tonight hey are you doing I'm doing good how about you what do you what do you do for a living I write for a newspaper I'm in sand and gravel yeah you're on Don go ahead and when the sand and gravel comes in they got to have a man tell you what's and what's gravel that's me got you you in other words you picked the sand from the gravel well not actually pick it I have a trained eye well I I know I know but in other words you you you identify the sand and you identify the gravel right yeah but Don like the thermos how do you know yeah you know doc McMahon you remember him on that Johnny Carson show no no ed Ed McMahon is he dead no no oh no no hehe look he moved to Jersey yeah yeah yeah done if I get this train up in my yard can you come out and do a show or something absolutely school kids I've already put out flyers school kids is interested and just a damn neighbors dissolved alright hey listen Don I know you don't understand this but I got I got a commercial to do here and I got to go so I have to say good night today time I'm calling to wish you happy anniversary okay Don thanks a million watch that speed now Don huh don't drive so fast yeah well hey look I don't tell you how to run your little show but you will good night Don good night tom and thanks for taking my call let me just say to Bill Carter I apologize for putting you on the Shelf do you know what just happened no but I I think you still have an eccentric talk show I do tonight's program Bill Carter is himself and I am myself and the part of Don was played by David Letterman I guess then we will be right back with Bill Carter and the Late Show Wars after these messages [Music] [Music] you [Music] we are back and joined by the enormous talents of mr. Calvert DeForest who burst upon the scene in 1982 on the late-night program with David Letterman as as Larry bud Melman and has created a worshipful gaggle of new fans of all ages across the country I am so happy you're here tonight you have made me laugh so very very many times and it's really a pleasure to meet you personally sure to meet you my age OS thank you thank you and mr. de forests book is called cheap advice a guide to low-cost luxury and may I may I give the folks an example and then we will go forward with this okay if you peruse this book for example he gives you the three golden rules of business rule number one think of something people want rule number two make it cheap rule number three sell it for a lot about this concept before you came up with this book Oh quite a while really yeah and what are some other rules to live by that you give people without giving away the whole book here but you know in terms of developing low-cost luxury in your life well I mean in order to do that you'd have to buy the book I'm not giving out any oh I see in other words there's no free samples oh no no no no no no and and can I ask you then since you're not gonna give away the Saturday you know the the surprise ending in the book right you would it be fair to say that you're a veteran actor character actor and motion pictures I would say and that you had worked as a long before we saw you on Late Night with David Letterman yeah I used to do where I lived off-broadway community theater yeah and a lot of NYU movies that's how I got on to the David Letterman well that's what I was about to ask you how did you get on to the David Letterman well I did so many of these movies and this particular one they were the writers that wrote and did the whole bit and they were looking for a writers spot on our TV show and they picked David show which I had no idea and I got a call that night to go up and introduce David and that was it mm-hmm and it was so good I mean it caught on I mean the audience went crazy for it I couldn't believe it yeah and and and who came up with the line so long sucker or whatever what is that line so long suckers yeah that's David David and now you don't do Larry bud Melman anymore you all know NBC took it away its intellectual property of NBC can you imagine I mean well why David gave me the name so I don't see the sense behind I know but I still see you on with David all the time sober yeah it's not like that link is gone anyway let me go to the phones here is Jerry calling us now our friend Jerry from Tipton Indiana hi Jerry its Tom how are you hey how you doing fine Jerry how's it going out there in Tipton tonight good look at the time looks to me like the audition is continuing for you on buddy interstate 465 yeah got the big bore big-block 427 Hemi Cuda you know with a NASCAR rear end yeah dialed it up on the cruise control 106 pal I had the lights off man all this it's this guy he's on with David Letterman his name is Calvert de Forest he was with David Letterman remember this Larry bud Melman character no no no he used to be on with Dave a long time did you have a rap oh no I didn't know no I didn't jerk like you could rap well I'm telling you I could handle him kid let me tell you all the time me and my wife Linda we enjoyed a wrestling go I want to tell you something hang on a second wait hold on hey [Music] [Laughter] [Laughter] no no I don't see Merv on down Jerry let me ask you one question is he gone it's gone hey Jerry Jerry oh he's gone to hang he's checking the circuit breaker no one has him about his wife Linda you know so now besides the appearances that you make now on on the the David Letterman program at CBS where you appear in a variety of new characters what else do you do these days uh well the MCI commercial oh sure yeah and the what's the other one what was it what was it was it a car no it's another commercial oh and it was with the fellow the works with Macaulay called jerem not Jeremiah you know it's name I haven't got the foggiest Calvert not a clue don't look to me for help sucker no but that's not being nice well excuse why did Ward is this Lance Elijah war Elijah ward my auntie was a joy to work with a real pleasure terrific anyway I got to take a little break here can you stick around for a few more of course Oh terrific Calvert de Forest is here tonight folks the book is called cheap advice a guide to low-cost luxury will continue with mr. DeForest and some of your toll-free phone calls right after these messages so stay right there [Music] you [Music] we are back with Larry King and let's go to Mary in Swampscott Massachusetts hello Mary hi why are you up how are you I'm fine you up Mary why are you up Mary because I went out to dinner with my girlfriend and we went to a club after that and the men were so busy talking to each other really that we didn't get pinched on the bum once so that's why you stayed up Mary that's right and you're the best that's happened all night oh that's wonderful you're an ill lady all right but Mary Mary you've only got 35 minutes and called Tom over the weekend when is available Mary do you have any questions for Larry besides why why you're up who was the best person you've ever interviewed that's who it was it's hard question because there are so many in each case I would probably say Sinatra in that he was hard to get he was very responsive he's a great guest he embodies all the things you want in a good yes so if I had to pick one jumping out of a hat but I've you know I started real young Tom left Center Frank yeah those singing dad's gonna be 80 taught to believe you know Frank Frank jr. was here the other night he said the tough the toughest part of being Frank jr. is watching your dad grow old which by the way it was true for me I watched my di grow old and die you it's it's awful I didn't my father died when I was young or I wish that have had that did your father live he looked a 67 I mean he lived till 1974 so he saw his kid go on NBC he got that you know but he did he didn't get to see a lot of stuff you know if he died died way too young stop stop Mary I'm glad you call thank you Tom yeah prime time I beg your pardon prime time what about it you belong in it well maybe one night he could sit in on Larry King at the moment Larry King thank you see it Mary thanks for calling back Stephen Jackson is a Jackson Michigan or Jackson Mississippi Jackson Michigan Tom hi Steve how are you why are you up I'm up late because I'm 25 and I'm waiting for my wife to come home from work you know the Greek restaurant here in town really should have you pulling at him oh gee what do you do what do I do I'm getting ready to be a law student you wait a minute she owns a restaurant and you're gonna be a law student hey Steve in the next lifetime we want to be you yeah that's right thing when you gonna dump uh don't do it and you get all the Greek food you want right oh I'm waiting open to bring in some spinach pie home do you watch Tom every night every night why why well I think never calling me again I think he has the second best I love Tom Tom is one of my always liked Tommy you know you know you're watching tonight Larry shared talent Larry he's great he's over here he'll comfortable he's over there yeah no threat in the lip tonight bad path isn't this unbelievable it gray usually it's right here you know what you mean that's the camera yeah that's the camera wait because I'm not in it I don't see myself over here I don't know speaker right right when I we have I bring my clothes in in an earpiece oh no I don't do that well I get okay no so since I bring in an earpiece I don't have any box somewhere underneath my leg you know why I don't have your piece in why because if you have an earpiece they can talk to you from the control room as well and I don't want to listen to them while I'm on the air so you have no earpiece at all none whatsoever that's why I talked to this there is a reason they have stage managers if I if I'm in trouble I say mark what do they want and he tells me exactly what they want you mean I could do this sure if we just sit speaker yeah okay yeah I'm gonna do this yeah and and Steve I'm glad you called him thank you for the compliment thank rod time great day oh all right bye-bye now but you don't have any hesitancy to look you don't desire to look down there why would I look down there right here the right box is there the voice is coming out of a box I respond with what I see more than what I hear I can't believe how long you been on CNN ten years and you're kidding with this attitude you don't look at a box on CNN you know I got it in my ear I hear them and I looked at ping or when I see myself in that you know you have a monitor here what a guest doesn't see itself a monitor behind me where the guest doesn't know what's happening you got a box on the floor you got this great set which is telling me something I don't know what it's telling me but it's telling me something dramatic and we're being watched by three CBS executives no no only two and their nephews Collin yeah every caller is Steve let me ask you here about not being on the radio at night I miss it desperately and I want ya the biggest mistake I if I made one mistake in broadcasting was leaving nighttime radio I would have left radio anyway because you know I'm 61 now and I'm I've done it Larry shoulders I'm not gonna nothing left to prove and I love my CNN show and I like going out making speeches and I like writing so I don't miss radio during the day at all no is the daytime today on radio is I mean they're out there yeah and you know these people are not sure that King George the third wasn't too good a guy little crazy yeah yeah but nighttime radio as you know when you sit and do it the people were alert sharp good callers college student yes like our crowd here it's great get it running great they're hip you know we did wire you up one night and a guy closed up my says why you up because I'm a thief and I stay up nights because I robbed at night it's just in fact I'm in a house right now Robert Elliott in gas City Indiana hello why are you up hey Elliott how are you okay or you couldn't be better Elliott why are you are you up because you're depressed Oh tonight tonight I give myself a physical [Laughter] do you fall by yourself how does that go good it's a guy named Larry King Elliott what do you do easily you give yourself a physical and gas City Indiana what Elliott I'm gonna make a wild guess no no don't make a guess no don't don't don't make any guesses now right now Elliott what about the Super Bowl pal you know what I think I think the real Super Bowl was like three weeks ago when the Niners played the Cowboys oh really what an original thought Elliott Elliott you know Merv Griffin his heat bread [Applause] well what happened I'll tell you what happened no no Elliot reason he's fine it's just people a lot of people think he's this but I think he did yeah actually he may have passed away but they put him on a park bench in st. Petersburg no one knows but can we ask you one question Elliot what why are you up oh you give yourself the physical what is your job Elliot this is a radio caller this is a radio guy yeah I was gonna guess about Elliot let me make a guess Elliot Elliot yeah you're alone aren't you Elliot I'm glad you called and have a wonderful evening and enjoy your physical I've not done oh yes you are bye-bye Elliot well so far why you up is proving it should be ya know see what your way do you first of all you should have had a whole staff of people here asking them questions off the air so you can show to CBS people here's who's up nurse we got 46 people 25 years old we have 123 people that are in their third excuse me they serve it they have four floors back there that do that in New York for four completely know who to ask if they don't it doesn't make any difference they do it every every week the report comes out on demographics as to who's watching and why they're up and we don't question it but it's fine you mean they don't talk to the people who have to because they're in demographic research don't you understand this is a this is New York these people know what they're doing so in other words they know of course they just by talking to people even though they may not be talking to the people who are up they just call the AC Nielsen company and they do all this research and they get the printout every morning careers are made or lost on this ours not theirs Oh we'll be right back with with Larry King and we'll be joined by some people at the 11th Street Diner we're gonna go - yeah we're gonna we're not going to go there we're gonna bring them in as a matter of fact there it is right on the screen now yeah and it's empty we'll be they'll be right back after these messages [Music]

Channel: Don Giller

Views: 120,852

Keywords: Tom Snyder, David Letterman, Helen Reddy, Bill Carter, Calvert DeForest, Larry King

Id: OkH4JV0wpZE

Length: 29min 28sec (1768 seconds)

Published: Sun Jul 08 2018