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- Опубліковано 9 бер 2023
- Rick Scheckman, December 1, 1955 - March 10, 2023
"I went to NYU for several years but was in the School of Business. I knew Steve [Winer] from film screenings around town and such places as The Museum of Modern Art. Though Steve most definitely got me my job at Letterman." -- e-mail from Rick, August 24, 1994
"I began as a film consultant to the show the first week of March, 1982, but at the time I was working on my Masters in Finance. Finally they said I was making too much money as a consultant, so they hired me on staff the first week of June. When I first started out, I shared an office with Chris Elliott and Edd Hall. Although the office was actually just the coffee/supply room." -- AOL Late Show site: Taste Test, February 5, 1997
Rick was one of the longest-employed staffers on Dave's late night talk shows, starting as a said-consultant a month after Late Night's February 1982 debut on NBC, and staying on until Dave's retirement on CBS's Late Show in May 2015. His official position throughout was "Film Coordinator," responsible for providing film footage the show would often need at a moment's notice. For over 33 years it was referred to on both the NBC and CBS shows as "Shecky Footage," little mind the last name missing the first "c."
But Rick was far more than that both inside and outside the show. Inside, he was one of Late Show's producers, though never titled as such, sitting in the back row of the control room during the tapings, being at the ready for any Shecky Footage that might be required ASAP. He was also responsible for distributing clips to legitimate parties requesting them. Viewers, though, knew him more for his on-camera comedy skits in which he was asked to participate, perhaps his most enduring as Late Night's Elvis Presley. But he also once took a vicious punch on Late Show from Bruce WIllis, who in another piece gunned him down, accompanied with his most famous movie phrase, "Yippee ki yay, Shecky!!"
His interests outside the show were far more vital to him: early- to mid-20th-Century films. He had acquired an enormous collection of rare movies and had his own business as the Chairman of the Board at F.I.L.M. Archives. He was highly regarded within the legacy film industry and was known there for his film expertise rather than his decades-long association with Dave.
He had also amassed a gigantic collection of comics, baseball cards, and film posters. Visiting his home was like entering a museum. His basement contained thousands of videotapes, nearly all of them old films. One of his upstairs rooms was filled with thousands of DVDs, all neatly stacked, both his tapes and discs retrievable only via his immaculate computer databases.
Others who knew him far better than me, his decades-long close friends on the show, his decades-long close friends off the show, will choose to share their own Rick memories. Here's mine:
I first "met" Rick on CompuServe's Letterman message board in 1991/92, when, while at NBC, he had been producing A&E's nearly-year-long run of syndicated Late Nights. He had been soliciting suggestions for shows to air from the board members. I remember sending him a list of around 40 Late Nights. Highly impractical, but I'd never had that sort of access with him or any other staffer before, so I went a little nuts.
We then reconnected in 1994, when he was at Dave's Late Show on CBS. We would trade tapes. He would invite me into his office on one of the top floors in the Ed Sullivan building to watch shows while he worked downstairs.
In early 1995, Rick called me and asked if I had any videos of Academy Award shows. I did, so I stayed up all night dubbing all that I had. Little did I know then that they were meant for Dave to screen as part of his prep work for hosting the Awards show in late March. I take some pride in contributing in my own small way to what many then considered a fiasco.
Other video and data requests from Rick and others at the show soon followed.
Rick became not only an essential contact to Dave's show but a friend as well. He was extremely generous with his time, sharing all sorts of Late Night/Late Show trivia with me for the next 25+ years, much of it confidential;. He was a walking encyclopedia of Dave knowledge and the keeper of the institutional history. That in itself is such an incalculable loss.
After Late Show ended in 2015, Rick would alert me to staff alumni who had begun their final journeys or were about to, so I could then begin preparing UA-cam compilations in their honor -- Kenny Sheehan, Tony Mendez, Alan Kalter. That he entrusted me with such then-private news was an honor for me that I'll always cherish.
When I learned of Rick's illness a few days ago, I distracted myself from the thought of his deteriorating health by putting together a short tribute.
God speed, Rick. You were one of the good guys.
I posted the Shecky piece on my blog:
donzblog.home.blog/2023/03/11/shecky/
In order to fit within the character limit, I had to edit out the last few paragraphs. Here they are:
Rick's first on-camera sighting on Late Night was on March 18, 1982 -- shortly after being hired as a consultant -- standing next to his friend and LN Writer Stephen Winer, both of them staring at Robin Williams as he dropped by the show for a surprise walk-on to join guest Norman Lear at homebase. That's the first image here.
The rest are selected screen-captures from various highlight appearances on Late Night, plus three of his more-familiar Shecky Footage clips, which would air on both Late Night and Late Show.
The last image is one I took in his home basement on September 21, 2018.
Rick loved old campy-style music. Thus the soundtrack for this small piece. It was extracted from the Monkey-Washing-a-Cat loop found on the UA-cams, a clip from the Shecky Footage archives, and also included here.
The monkey washing the cat and the owl eating the mouse...dang...
A friend for five decades, it’s a hard thought that he is not around.
RIP, Rick! That 'Shower Copier' bit (00:16) had me on the floor when I first saw it!
Thank you so much for this Donz. I read the entire description. Dang, what a guy. What a loss.
Thanks. I had to truncate it to meet the character limitation. Full description is on my Facebook page and Twitter feed.
@@dongiller thanks so much.
Much love to you, Don.
I read the full description also and it gives a great background on the work you and Shecky did together and the long run he had with Dave. I picture Rick and Elvis in heaven together with their faces buried in pie right now 🤣
This was a lovely tribute to your friend. Thank you for sharing it.
I'm so very sorry, Rick was a wonderful guy. Thank you for this.
Aww. Thank you for sharing Don.
I'm sorry to hear this news. For people who would like to hear Rick interviewed, I believe he did a long form interview on Mark Malkoff's Carson Podcast, which is still available where you get your podcasts.
My condolences on the passing of your dear friend, Rick. 😔 What a talented man! 📺 As a lover of vintage films, I wish I could have seen his collection. 🎬 I admit though I never got to see him on TV in the early days. I was a student first and later in the military overseas. My loss on missing out on all the laughs. Thanks for sharing this.
Don, thank you for all the wonderful work you’ve done throughout the years supporting both the misfits and the mischief makers.
Thanks, Donz. Very sorry for the loss of your friend.
Really touching tribute. RIP Shecky.
This is super sweet, Don. Thanks for sharing your memories. He sounds like a great person.
very touching Don and a fitting send off. sincere condolences from a Letterman enthusiast and an admirer of your channel
RIP Shecky :(
R.I.P. Rick 😢
This is very nice. Good stuff Don
Goddamn, that sucks. I loved that guy.
Meanwhile, completely unrelated, Shecky Greene is a fantastic 96 years old as I type this.
RIP Shecky...
❤🙏