Fun
Lazy Sunday: Mr. Rogers on the Tonight Show
Dear Ann,
The new movie about Mr. Rogers, “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” was our Christmas Day movie. (For those unfamiliar with the custom, Jewish Christmas is Chinese food and a movie; it’s really fun but it makes for crowded Chinese restaurants and movie theatres.) The internet must be reading my thoughts, because while YouTubing around looking for something else entirely, it showed me Mr. Rogers’s 1983 appearance on The Tonight Show, with Joan Rivers behind the desk.
It’s eight and a half minutes well spent, with two extraordinary people who are no longer here. Much as I love Tom Hanks playing almost anyone, I was glad to see Mr. Rogers himself, the real person. Spoiler: There’s more about his mother knitting his sweaters, and Joan Rivers cracking wise about it.
For my fellow New York Times fans, here’s their review of the movie, which includes a most excellent Anatomy of a Scene video, narrated by director Marielle Heller. I learned from the review that Heller directed “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”—a sad movie that I loved, with stellar performances by Melissa McCarthy [thanks, reader Mary Lou, for catching my mistake] and Richard E. Grant.
Mr. Rogers forever!
Love,
Kay
oh, his voice. i love this so much.
Thank You so much! I love Lazy Sunday and this made me love it even more! Thank You
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR MR. ROGERS. The movie was great but the real thing even better. Librarians loved his show because it was shot with only one camera. Which stretched a scene out longer than the mere 3 seconds other childrens’ programming gave to each shot. Which helped develop and LENGTHEN the concentration span of very young kids.
Thanks for posting this!
Mister Rogers taught me how to become a human, when I was a terrified and shattered new mother at just 23. And it was “It’s You I Like,” sung (just to me, it seemed, on a truly terrible day) that started *everything* for me. I started bawling when he sang it here to Joan Rivers. I wrote him a letter telling him what he and his work had done for me (and consequently for my three children) and his beautiful letter back to me is one of my most cherished possessions. How we need him now.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who cried!
Precious. Thank you.
I just saw the video on YouTube and I cried too. Oh that song and the way he sang it…
Thank you so much for posting this! Wonderful interview with two people who are truly missed.
I think you meant to say Melissa McCarthy, but I can understand. They are two wonderful actors.
Lol! Yes! Both unafraid to show the dark side.
I have always deeply loved Mr Rogers and what he brought/still brings to the world.
AND it would be great to have a collection of the patterns his mother knit. Seven sweaters every year! Wow!
What a treat to find this gem this morning. I will share it with my 37 yo son and his 2 yo son when visit shortly. How fun!
Thank you for that ❤️
Thank you for finding this gem. I am so verklempt.
Thanks, Kay. I haven’t seen the movie yet, but it is a plan. I liked Mr Rogers, but was terrified of the puppets. I am not a clown fan, so maybe there is a correlation there ?!?
I enjoy Lazy Sundays so much. Just an extra bonus for me! Today will be really lazy as it is raining so hard , I imagine it is like sitting under Niagara Falls! Welcome to the Oregon. Coast
Have a lovely New Years!
Kate
Thank you for posting this! Today’s late night shows could learn lessons.
Thank you! I love Mr. Rogers !
I’m sorry he had to put up with rudeness, but he was full of grace as usual!
12 sweaters A year! His mother was an amazing knitter!!!!
Yes and it looks as if she used yarn of a finer gauge, so that is a lot of knitting!
We need more Mr. Rogers in this world!
I have to laugh. Love Joan Rivers and miss her. Ditto Fred Rogers. But all I could think of was, “A sweater a month – gotta get cracking on next Christmas….”
When he sang “It’s you I Like” in the middle of the normally Tonight Show, bringing Joan Rivers to tears, I confess I was crying….
Really loved Mr. Rogers! Thank you for sharing this.
This made me feel warm and happy and then when he sang his song I also cried. The calm, quiet warmth of his character is a soothing balm every time I see or hear him.
Nothing better on Christmas day……steak and shake….little women….family tradition for two….as our family dies…..deb
Loved it! Joan was the best Tonight Show Host. (I didn’t see it before Carson). She had a hilarious interview w Bo Derek.
Fresh Air had an interview about the film. . It’s probably available on the podcast.
What a gift to spend unexpected time with Mr. Rogers; thank you. During a childhood that was at times unpredictable and anxiety-provoking Mr Rogers was a constant…what a beautiful soul he had.
We need so much more of Mr. Rogers! That comment about respecting children! Our society pushes them away, gives them “strings of cartoons” or video games, to keep them out of our hair. We need adults who are willing to sit down and have a real conversation, and take time to build real relationships with our children. Mine are grown and I don’t even know if Mr. Rogers is still showing, but I certainly hope so! This generation needs something slow-paced and caring like Mr. Rogers.
Loved the Mr. Rogers interview! Thanks so much for sharing it. Also watched the Rob Lowe movie you recommended last week and it was the perfect balm after seeing an incredibly vile and violent movie by mistake.