As incredible as it might sound now, there was a time when televised entertainment wasn’t available around the clock. That all changed with Burt Sugarman’s music-oriented variety show The Midnight Special, which debuted on Aug. 19, 1972.

Until the early ’70s, it was standard practice for most TV stations to shut off their programming after midnight and show nothing at all until the local news came on in the morning. None of the three national networks, ABC, CBS and NBC, had any programming that ran later than 1AM.

Sugarman, a TV producer with experience in the music industry, saw a missed opportunity. The last show that NBC aired on Friday nights was The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, which was immensely popular, and had a big audience of people in their teens and 20s.

So why assume all these people went to bed on Friday night immediately after Carson’s program ended? Why not create a show geared toward younger audiences – featuring live music and the occasional comedian or variety performer and see if it would make some money?

It was a great pitch, but NBC was having no part of it. So Sugarman did what any great promoter does, and took a huge gamble. He purchased the air time himself, convinced Chevrolet to be the sponsor, and made a 90-minute pilot episode.

Watch John Denver and Cass Elliot on the Pilot of ‘The Midnight Special’

“The network felt that the rock ‘n’ roll people were all drugged out and half of them wouldn’t show,” Sugarman told Jason Price in 2014. “I said, ‘I’ll tell you what, I’ll put up the money,’ and I said, ‘I’ll give you another reason: It’s a voting year and I’ll make it a get-out-to-vote show for young people.'”

And that’s what Sugarman did: Between performances, young people were encouraged to register and reminded that the voting age had recently been lowered to 18.

The real draw to the pilot, however, was the fact that it would feature live musical performances, instead of the lip-synched ones that were then the norm on many television shows. Sugarman leaned into this trope. He called his show The Midnight Special after an old American standard, and got Johnny Rivers to record the song as his theme music.

He enlisted famed DJ Wolfman Jack to be the announcer, and convinced John Denver to be his guest host. He got Andy Kaufman to do a comedy set, and signed up musical acts including Cass Elliot, Harry Chapin, the Everly Brothers, War, Linda Ronstadt, Argent, and the Isley Brothers – all of whom would perform live.

It worked. NBC saw the ratings, bought the show, and put it into regular production, where it would remain – always on late at night – into the early ’80s.

Watch Kiss on ‘The Midnight Special’

During that time, The Midnight Special became the premier TV venue for bands who wanted to perform live to get their music out to a national audience.

“Back then, a band would come to Los Angeles on Saturday and lip-sync their hit on American Bandstand,” distributor Paul Brownstein later told Ed Robertson. “If they really wanted major television exposure, though, they’d have to go to NBC in Burbank and do The Midnight Special, because that was the only opportunity for a network TV gig at the time. They would perform with live vocals.”

During the show’s run, this opportunity drew an immense number of bands. Wolfman Jack remained as the announcer, and would often interview the acts after they played, but The Midnight Special also featured a number of guest hosts – usually musicians – who would run the show in between their own performances.

The immense list of acts who appeared on the program reads like a who’s who of rock ‘n roll from the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s including Chuck Berry, Blondie, Aretha Franklin, Prince, Tom Petty, Aerosmith, AC/DC, Elton John, Fleetwood Mac, David Bowie and almost everyone between. Comedians George Carlin, Steve Martin and Richard Pryor also performed on the show, as did Monty Python. ELO appeared seven times, more than any other group.

Watch Prince Perform on ‘The Midnight Special’

The live music performance aspect of The Midnight Special could actually be intimidating, particularly for acts who were used to lip-syncing on TV.

“We had, over the long time we ran on the air, about seven, eight, or nine acts that just wouldn’t sing live,” Sugarman later told MTV’s Mark Goodman. “They said, ‘We can’t’ or ‘We won’t; we don’t do that,’ and I just didn’t put them on. Obviously, I can’t name them. Half of them are still around right now. They were frightened. That’s what it was.”

It was a magical show, and brought music to a nation-wide audience that craved it. All good things, however, must end: The last episode aired on May 1, 1981. after NBC pulled the plug. The era of variety shows was drawing to a close, and there was a new form of televised music on the way which perhaps never would have appeared if The Midnight Special hadn’t proved that there was an immense appetite for music being broadcast on TV at all hours of the day and night.

That new form of music was the video, of course. MTV made its debut on Aug. 1, 1981, just three months after The Midnight Special closed its doors.

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This content was originally published here.

Christina Ricci may be revisiting her role in “The Addams Family” for Netflix’s “Wednesday” series, but that’s the only kooky character from the 1990s she’s willing to look back on.

The “Yellowjackets” star revealed during the “WTF with Marc Maron” podcast that she can’t rewatch the 1995 ghost movie “Casper” because of how embarrassing she feels her performance is.

“If you actually watch ‘Casper,’ I’m terrible in it,” Ricci dished. “People get so upset when I say that. Because I’m like, ‘No, it’s a wonderful movie.’ Because it’s a childhood treasure to people. But I am terrible in it.”

Ricci was 13 years old when she played Kat in the film based on the Harvey Comics cartoon character Casper the Friendly Ghost. Ricci showed “Casper” to her eight-year-old son Freddie Heerdegen and was reminded of how cringe-inducing the role was for her at the time.

“I was 13,” the Emmy nominee shared. “There was a lot going on in my life. Everything was very difficult. I was just always annoyed, and I just don’t think I tried very hard, to tell you the truth. Embarrassingly, I have to say, I don’t think I tried as hard as maybe I should have.”

She added, “Not a lot of commitment. It took me a long time to parent myself into becoming a functional adult.”

Ricci’s “Casper” role came on the heels of her “Addams Family” arc in both the 1991 film and its 1993 sequel, “Addams Family Values.” And it turns out Ricci’s “annoyed” view of the world fit perfectly with her doom-and-gloom sarcastic character Wednesday Addams. Ricci is set to appear in the “Wednesday” series on Netflix, with Jenna Ortega in the titular role.

“Jenn is incredible,” Ricci told Variety about her co-star. “It’s such a great modern take on Wednesday. It’s so true tonally to the heart and soul of [the original], but it’s then it’s incredibly modern and it’s great. I loved working with Tim [Burton].”

Catherine Zeta-Jones and Luis Guzmán play Morticia and Gomez Addams, with Isaac Ordonez as Pugsley Addams, Victor Dorobantu as Thing, and George Burcea as Lurch, while both Ricci’s role and who is playing Uncle Fester are currently under wraps. “Wednesday” premieres this fall on Netflix.

This content was originally published here.

Rick Astley recreates his ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ video 35 years on

Truly incredible

Rick Astley has recreated the music video for his enduring anthem ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ 35 years on.

A Number 1 hit in the UK, the United States and dozens of countries around the globe upon its release in July 1987, Rick Astley’s ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ has become the basis for the “Rickrolling” Internet meme and the pop banger is still as popular as ever today.

Astley has famously performed the song with Foo Fighters on several occasions, and the original ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ video has been watched more than 1.2 billion times on YouTube since it was uploaded 13 years ago.

After the song celebrated its 35th anniversary last month, 56-year-old Rick Astley has now recreated the original video in an advert for the American car insurance company, CSAA Insurance Group.

The parody sees Astley perform in the same outfits he wore in the first video while people from the insurance company dance alongside him.

At the end of the clip, one of the versions of Rick Astley asks his other two incarnations, “Is this still a thing?!”

Watch Rick Astley recreate his ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ video:

And here’s the timeless original video:

Testament to the unstoppable popularity of ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’, the CSAA Insurance Group advert has been watched 2.4 million times in two days on Twitter. The YouTube clip has more than 700,000 views.

We’ve been Rickrolled!

The greatest albums of all time:

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Bob Dylan – ‘Highway 61 Revisited’ (1965)

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Van Morrison – ‘Astral Weeks’ (1968)

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The Clash – ‘London Calling’ (1979)

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Eagles – ‘Hotel California’ (1976)

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Pink Floyd – ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’ (1973)

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Fleetwood Mac – ‘Rumours’ (1977)

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Joy Division – ‘Unknown Pleasures’ (1979)

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Blondie – ‘Parallel Lines’ (1978)

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David Bowie – ‘The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars’ (1972)

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The Sex Pistols – ‘Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols’ (1977)

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The Human League – ‘Dare!’ (1981)

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Paul Simon – ‘Graceland’ (1986)

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Tracy Chapman – ‘Tracy Chapman’ (1988)

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Kate Bush – ‘Hounds of Love’ (1985)

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The Smiths – ‘The Queen is Dead’ (1986)

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U2 – ‘The Joshua Tree’ (1987)

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Prince – ‘1999’ (1982)

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The Stone Roses – ‘The Stone Roses’ (1989)

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Bruce Springsteen – ‘Born in the USA’ (1984)

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Duran Duran – ‘Rio’ (1982)

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Blur – ‘Parklife’ (1994)

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Lauryn Hill – ‘The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill’ (1998)

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Massive Attack – ‘Blue Lines’ (1991)

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Nirvana – ‘Nevermind’ (1991)

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Oasis – ‘Definitely Maybe’ (1994)

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Paul Weller – ‘Stanley Road’ (1995)

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Primal Scream – ‘Screamadelica’ (1991)

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Pulp – ‘A Different Class’ (1995)

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Radiohead – ‘OK Computer’ (1997)

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Arctic Monkeys – ‘Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not’ (2006)

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Franz Ferdinand – ‘Franz Ferdinand’ (2004)

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Amy Winehouse – ‘Back to Black’ (2006)

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The White Stripes – ‘Elephant’ (2003)

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Beyoncé – ‘Dangerously in Love’ (2003)

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Coldplay – ‘A Rush of Blood to the Head’ (2002)

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The Libertines – ‘Up the Bracket’ (2002)

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Adele – ‘21’ (2011)

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Drake – ‘Take Care’ (2011)

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Lana Del Rey – ‘Born to Die’ (2012)

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Royal Blood – ‘Royal Blood’ (2014)

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Wolf Alice – ‘Visions of a Life’ (2017)

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Arctic Monkeys – ‘AM’ (2013)

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Liam Gallagher – ‘As You Were’ (2017)

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Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – ‘Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds’ (2011)

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BIffy Clyro – ‘Opposites’ (2013)

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David Bowie – ‘Blackstar’ (2016)

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Guns N’ Roses – ‘Appetite For Destruction’ (1987)

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Muse – ‘Absolution’ (2003)

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Thin Lizzy – ‘Jailbreak’ (1976)

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Metallica – ‘Metallica’ (‘The Black Album’) (1991)

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Meat Loaf – ‘Bat Out Of Hell’ (1977)

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Queen – ‘A Night At The Opera’ (1975)

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Dire Straits – ‘Brothers In Arms’ (1985)

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AC/DC – ‘Back In Black’ (1980)

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Bon Jovi – ‘Slippery When Wet’ (1986)

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Led Zeppelin – ‘Led Zeppelin IV’ (1971)

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Prince and The Revolution – ‘Purple Rain’ (1984)

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The Blues Brothers: Original Soundtrack Recording (1980)

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Music from the Motion Picture Pulp Fiction (1994)

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Trainspotting: Music from the Motion Picture (1996)

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Saturday Night Fever (1977)

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The Who – ‘Quadrophenia’ (1979)

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Star Wars (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (1977)

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Goodfellas Music from the Motion Picture (1990)

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Drive – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2011)

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The Beatles – ‘Help!’ (1965)

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Black Sabbath – ‘Paranoid’ (1970)

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Foo Fighters – ‘The Colour and the Shape’ (1997)

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Arctic Monkeys – ‘Favourite Worst Nightmare’ (2007)

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Oasis – ‘(What’s the Story?) Morning glory’ (1995)

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Radiohead – ‘The Bends’ (1995)

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Dr. Dre – ‘2001’ (1999)

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Daft Punk – ‘Discovery’ (2001)

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Led Zeppelin – ‘Led Zeppelin II’ (1969)

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Muse – ‘Origin of Symmetry’ (2001)

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Pixies – ‘Doolittle’ (1989)

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The Beatles – ‘1967-1970’ (The Blue Album) (1973)

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Blur – ‘The Best Of’ (2000)

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Bob Marley & The Wailers – ‘Legend’ (1984)

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David Bowie – ‘The Best of David Bowie 1969/1974’ (1997)

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Green Day – ‘International Superhits!’ (2001)

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Madonna – ‘The Immaculate Collection’ (1990)

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Pulp – ‘Hits’ (2002)

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Queen – ‘Greatest Hits II’ (1991)

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The Rolling Stones – ‘Hot Rocks 1964-1971’ (1971)

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Nobody puts Baby in the corner, but can anybody replace Patrick Swayze?

“Dirty Dancing” icon Jennifer Grey revealed just how “tricky” it is to make a sequel film without her late co-star Swayze, who died at age 57 of pancreatic cancer in September 2009. Swayze portrayed summer retreat dance instructor Johnny Castle, who falls for camp guest Frances “Baby” Houseman while preparing for a dance competition.

“There will never be another Johnny,” Grey told Entertainment Weekly during a 35th-anniversary tribute for the film. “There will never be another Patrick. This sequel has got to be its own standalone piece. It’s very tricky.”

Set in 1963, “Dirty Dancing” was released to rave reviews in 1987; a sequel, slated to take place in the 1990s, was announced earlier this year with “Long Shot” helmer Jonathan Levine directing and co-writing the script that may be “exploring” a reunion with the original cast.

“I can’t tell you much, sadly, but I will tell you that it will involve Baby. It will involve Kellerman’s. There will be music,” Grey teased. “Unless there’s a lot of CGI, Baby’s going to be a little older. It’s going to be Kellerman’s, music, dancing, love story, romance. I’m just so super committed and invested in making it a fresh [take].”

But nothing can top the first film, according to Grey. “What happened happened, and that will never happen again,” she said.

Casting is reportedly underway with production slated for later this year. Grey serves as an executive producer on the sequel. It’s set to film in Spring 2023 with a February 9, 2024 release date. Writer-director Levine previously noted that production is in talks with Swayze’s estate to reference the character Johnny in the sequel.

“Johnny is a part of Baby’s journey in the story,” Levine told Deadline. “This film exists in a dialogue with the original. We want to introduce this story to a whole new generation. That said, Johnny’s absence looms large over the story, so it’s a coming-of-age story but also a coming-of-age for Baby’s character in a way.”

Swayze would have turned 70 on August 18 this year.

The “Dirty Dancing” follow-up is expected to include songs from the original film, as well as ’90s hip-hop and pop. Levine, who also serves as producer, teased that Alanis Morisette and Liz Phair songs will be featured.

“I can’t wait to collaborate with Jennifer to bring this beautiful story of summer and romance and dancing to a generation of new fans,” Levine said of the coming-of-age romance story. “And to the longtime ones, I promise we will not ruin your childhood. We will tackle the assignment with sophistication, ambition, and, above all, love.”

This content was originally published here.

After Aamir Khan’s ‘Laal Singh Chaddha’ and Akshay Kumar’s ‘Raksha Bandhan’, the online ‘boycott’ brigade has now started targeting Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan’s upcoming films ‘Pathaan’ and ‘Tiger 3’respectively. Now, old interview clips both the actors talking about ‘the growing intolerance’ and ‘repetitive bomb blasts’ in the country have resurfaced on social media with ‘#BoycottPathaanMovie’ & ‘#BoycottTiger3’.

This content was originally published here.

David Gordon Green‘s Halloween trilogy comes to a close with Halloween Ends on October 14, the film promising the FINAL battle between Michael Myers and Laurie Strode.

While you continue waiting, Halloween Ends has just been rated “R” for…

“Bloody horror violence and gore, language throughout and some sexual references.”

These are more or less the very same reasons both Halloween (2018) and Halloween Kills received their “R” ratings from the MPA, so you can expect a similar level of gory bloodshed.

“After 45 years, the most acclaimed, revered horror franchise in film history reaches its epic, terrifying conclusion as Laurie Strode faces off for the last time against the embodiment of evil, Michael Myers, in a final confrontation unlike any captured on-screen before.

“Only one of them will survive.”

Here’s the official plot synopsis for Halloween Ends: “Four years after the events of last year’s Halloween Kills, Laurie is living with her granddaughter Allyson (Andi Matichak) and is finishing writing her memoir. Michael Myers hasn’t been seen since. Laurie, after allowing the specter of Michael to determine and drive her reality for decades, has decided to liberate herself from fear and rage and embrace life. But when a young man, Corey Cunningham (Rohan Campbell), is accused of killing a boy he was babysitting, it ignites a cascade of violence and terror that will force Laurie to finally confront the evil she can’t control, once and for all.”

Nick Castle, the original Michael Myers, had recently noted that Halloween Ends will be a “surprising” conclusion to David Gordon Green‘s trilogy, while makeup effects artist Chris Nelson similarly teased that the third installment in the trilogy is “weird” and “different.” And John Carpenter had also called the new movie a “departure” in a recent interview.

Halloween Ends will also feature the return of Will Patton as Officer Frank Hawkins, Kyle Richards as Lindsey Wallace and James Jude Courtney as The Shape/Michael Myers.

The post ‘Halloween Ends’ Officially Rated “R” for “Bloody Horror Violence and Gore” appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

This content was originally published here.

LOS ANGELES, California — Breitbart is announcing its first foray into scripted entertainment with My Son Hunter, directed by Robert Davi (Licensed to Kill, Die Hard, Goonies) and starring Laurence Fox (Victoria, Inspector Lewis, The Professor and the Madman), and Gina Carano (The Mandalorian, Dead Pool, Heist). The film follows the “smartest guy” the President of the United States knows as he navigates a tangled web of prostitution, partying, international business dealings, drugs, sex, Chinese spies, a laptop from Hell, Ukrainian oligarchs, more sex, more drugs, and, of course, his responsibilities to the leader of the free world. With midterm elections around the corner, select committee investigations and FBI raids on the home of a former president, the new film, My Son Hunter could not be more aptly timed.

The trailer will be released on August 26, 2022 and the film will follow on September 7, 2022, on mysonhunter.com and is available for Pre-Purchase NOW.

“Breitbart has always believed freedom flourishes with more voices, not less,” said Breitbart CEO Larry Solov. “As we begin distributing films, that belief will be a guiding light. In 2020, Big Tech colluded with the mainstream media to bury one of the biggest political scandals to protect their chosen presidential candidate. It was unprecedented and outrageous. My Son Hunter is a film they never wanted you to see, which is precisely why Americans must.”

“This is not a true story, except for all the facts.” That is the opening line of the brand new narrative film My Son Hunter. The line is delivered by Gina Carano, who not only plays a Secret Service agent, but also serves as a narrator of sorts, guiding viewers through the insane world of President Biden’s now infamous son, Hunter.

This slick looking film is not a documentary, but it may as well be, with a storyline built upon the unbelievable details of Hunter Biden’s personal life and corrupt business dealings that only those hungry for the truth may be aware of.

THIS is the story that the mainstream media and Big Tech hid from the American people. It’s also the film that had Hunter Biden’s attorney so nervous that he infiltrated the set during filming, posing as a documentarian.

Actor Laurence Fox plays Hunter Biden…..and friends. (Courtesy of MySonHunter.com)

Working with producers Phelim McAleer and Ann McElhinney, and off a script from Brian Godawa, My Son Hunter director Robert Davi went to great lengths to create a visually stunning world in order to present Hunter Biden on full display and with a sense of irony, comedy, and maybe even a tiny bit of dark humanity. Breitbart Editor-in-Chief Alex Marlow said, “Robert Davi is a true industry pro and has had a storied career in Hollywood, but what people might not know about him is that he was a friend to Andrew Breitbart, as well as the rest of us at Breitbart News. He’s made a wildly entertaining film that looks unlike anything that’s come out of the conservative movement.”

Director Robert Davi discusses a scene with Gina Carano on the set of My Son Hunter. (Courtesy of MySonHunter.com)

“Working with Breitbart on this project made perfect sense to me. They’ve always been the first ones through the door, taking on the media, and waging the culture war,” Davi said. “Given my friendship with Andrew, it’s a poignant moment for me to have this film represent Breitbart’s entry into the world of cinema, especially since the establishment media covered up the story of Hunter Biden in the most cynical of ways.”

Hunter, who is played by Laurence Fox, finds himself doing all the wrong things in all the wrong places with all the wrong people, when he meets a young naive stripper. Grace Anderson (Emma Gojkovic) doesn’t know much about politics, but gets a crash course as she gets closer and closer to the son of President Biden (John James). My Son Hunter puts the lens squarely on Hunter, his corrupt business dealings, his relationship with his father, and a lifestyle that would make rock stars jealous. But through the haze of a crack pipe and above the din of the parties and the outbursts …somewhere lies the truth.

You can PRE-ORDER your copy of My Son Hunter RIGHT NOW at MySonHunter.com.

Gina Carano as a Secret Service Agent. John James as President Joe Biden. (Courtesy of MySonHunter.com)

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Steve Martin, 76, revealed in a new interview that he may retire from acting after a legendary showbiz career stretching back to the 1960s.

He currently stars on the Hulu sitcom Only Murders In The Building alongside Martin Short and Selena Gomez, but he will not pursue more roles after the series ends.

‘When this television show is done, I’m not going to seek others. I’m not going to seek other movies,’ he told The Hollywood Reporter in a new profile. ‘I don’t want to do cameos. This is, weirdly, it.’

What if: Steve Martin, 76, revealed in a new interview that he may retire from acting after a legendary showbiz career stretching back to the 1960s; he is pictured this June

Outside of acting, his upcoming projects include his 12th book, a documentary and more tour dates as a double-act with Martin Short.

Short and Martin have been friends for more than 35 years and have repeatedly worked together for decades dating back to the 1986 movie Three Amigos.

Martin has now shared that he and Short ‘were very happy just doing the live show’ before Only Murders In The Building ignited their career renaissance.

He said of their tour dates: ‘There may be a natural end to that – somebody gets sick, somebody just wears out – but I wouldn’t do it without Marty.’

Trio: He currently stars on the Hulu sitcom Only Murders In The Building alongside Martin Short and Selena Gomez, but he will not pursue more roles after the series ends

‘I’m not going to seek other movies’: ‘When this television show is done, I’m not going to seek others,’ he told The Hollywood Reporter in a new profile

When they take their show on the road together, they avoid political jokes, a decision Martin explained: ‘Marty doesn’t mind a “boo,” but I do, so we intentionally minimize any political context. We want to lay down arms for a night.’

Although he skyrocketed to superstardom as a comedian and then embarked on a long and successful career as a movie star, neither job appeals to him now. 

‘Go into theaters with a comedy movie starring me? It’s got failure written all over it!’ he said of the prospect of doing another film.

The legendary comedian and his wife Anne Stringfield, whom he married in 2007, divide their time between New York City and Santa Barbara.

Titan of the business: By the close of the 1970s, he was a superstar comic, hosting Saturday Night Live, cutting platinum albums and filling stadiums

Throwback: He did his first feature film as a leading man in 1979 – The Jerk, an off-the-wall comedy starring him opposite his then-girlfriend Bernadette Peters

Living outside of Los Angeles, he declines to assiduously follow Hollywood gossip and has declared: ‘I’m happy not to know too much about the business.’

Martin first appeared on television on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in 1968 in his early 20s and continued to land TV gigs afterwards.

His first love, however, was stand-up, and he eventually devoted himself to aggressively touring in order to become a success as a comedian.

Martin spent part of the 1970s ‘on the road with an itinerary designed by the Marquis De Sade,’ according to one of his memoirs.

Iconic: The Jerk was a runaway hit and Martin spent the next decade acting in such memorable films as Planes, Trains And Automobiles co-starring John Candy

Flashback: His A-list movie career, however, thundered through the decades ranging from the Father Of The Bride films in the 1990s; he is pictured in the first one with Kimberly Williams

By the close of the decade, he was a superstar comic, hosting Saturday Night Live, cutting platinum albums and filling stadiums.

However by that point he had also begun to tire of stand-up and focus more on developing a new career in the movies.

He did his first feature film as a leading man in 1979 – The Jerk, an off-the-wall comedy starring him opposite his then-girlfriend Bernadette Peters.

Sensation: His movie franchises in the aughts included the Cheaper By The Dozen movies with stars including Bonnie Hunt and Hilary Duff

The Jerk was a runaway hit and Martin spent the next decade acting in such memorable films as Planes, Trains And Automobiles; Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid; Parenthood and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

In 1981 he quit stand-up – explaining later that his ‘act was conceptual’ and ‘once the concept was stated’ his task was ‘done’ – and did not do it again for 35 years.

His A-list movie career, however, thundered through the decades ranging from the Father Of The Bride films in the 1990s to the Cheaper By The Dozen and Pink Panther franchises during the 2000s.

Vanishing into the part: Martin also starred in the Pink Panther film franchise in the 2000s and is pictured in the first instalment in 2006

However he has now not been in a non-documentary feature film since the 2016 Ang Lee movie Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk.

Martin and Short, carried along by their longtime close friendship, have been touring together since 2015 and released a Netflix special together.

‘I think Steve learned the joy of collaboration,’ Short said in the new profile of Martin. All through his stand-up life, he was by himself. Now, when he has success, he can celebrate with someone. And when something bombs, he can really laugh about it – as opposed to just being alone with it.’

Double-act: Martin and Short, carried along by their longtime close friendship, have been touring together since 2015 and released a Netflix special together

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Steve Martin, 76, may retire from acting after Only Murders In The Building

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