
Regis Philbin’s final appearance on “Live with Regis and Kelly” was today, and everyone is taking the opportunity to remember him fondly, as if he just died. In the New York Times retrospective, Philbin is praised for his spontaneity and storytelling, and recounts a recent tale:
It seems Steve Martin recently tried to induce the famously unsociable Mr. Letterman to his home for dinner. Mr. Letterman countered with a group invitation to a restaurant. Mr. Philbin was invited, as was Mr. Philbin’s good friend Don Rickles.
Wow, Steve Martin, David Letterman, Don Rickles, and Regis Philbin at dinner together. Okay, this could be an interesting story.
“We all went to a private dining room at Le Bernardin,” Mr. Philbin said, weaving the tale. “We sat around the table. It was very quiet. Finally Dave brought up music. And that’s when Steve Martin gave a tutorial on the banjo! For an hour and a half! I’m there thinking, ‘Oh my God,’ and Rickles is rolling his eyes in his head and going, ‘Ooh, hoo.’ ”
That’s it? Four giants of the entertainment industry went to dinner at the most exclusive restaurant in New York, Steve Martin talked about banjos, and a legendary comedian rolled his eyes. Golly, what a shame that Regis is retiring. He’s such a spellbinding raconteur.
(image via)



“Later that night Dave is ripping lines off the stripper that Don and I are tag teaming and Steves over there still talking about that damn banjo! Ooh Hoo!”
It’s always weird to me that Dave and Regis are buddies. You’d think that Dave would hate somebody so damn chipper.
After he dies we’ll get the THS version: They were all on acid, wearing depends and Rickles had just lost a bet to Letterman so he had to kill a hobo.
Regis seems like a perfectly nice person, and as far as I can tell, a true professional. However, his impact on this world or even this country is nearly nonexistent. While I appreciate anyone for being a decent human being, I wouldn’t classify his body of work as significant. Arguably the most significant thing he ever did was host a game show that was a proven hit around the world with a variety of different hosts.
I mean… END OF AN ERA
Can he die a month after his last show like Andy Rooney did?
Gelman… GELMAN… What WAS the name OF THAT RESTAURANT! It’s on THE TIP OF MY TONGUE! Banjo? NOT BANJO! it’s called a… right IT WAS A BANJO!
What, did the NYT give you the redacted version?
It’s such a sad thing to find out someone who is so relevant to my interests in the media is retiring. He’s played such an important roll in that show I like uhm…..wait. No, it’s because he was so influential in so many movies that I love…..hmmmm.
Tell me again why I’m reading about this?
“I GUESS REGIS RETIRING IS NEWS”
Well, TV news, not real news
I’m not sure he’s retiring as much as he’s being forced out.
This is mostly besides the point, but the fact that the NYT insists on sticking to their retarded “Mr. ______” format through every single article is so obnoxious and jarring. I can’t read any of their stuff without immediately saying “goddammit new york times, this isn’t 1830, just use the last name like everyfuckingbody else.”