Seinfeld – CliqueClack Flashback

Cosmo Kramer: Michael Richards reveals something interesting in one of the many interviews that he did for the various DVD sets. He said that, in the beginning, he decided to play Kramer as being slightly ahead of everyone else. Richards would be so fully prepared with the script, and all the unique stories and plot-points, that he was running a few steps ahead of the rest of the cast. As the show progressed, and the character evolved, he decided to play Kramer as being behind everyone else. Richards wouldn’t read any more of the script than he needed to in order to deliver his lines. The result? Well, I don’t know about the first idea, but the second made Kramer into one of the most iconic characters in television history.

Kramer’s comedy stems only slightly from the lines that others wrote for him. The majority of the laughs that he got for nine seasons came from Richards’ innate knowledge of physical comedy, the area that the actor actually specialized in. The entrances, the hand motions, the hair, the clothing, the catchphrases (or, rather, words and sounds), all were Richards’ originals. The real Kenny Kramer gave little more to the character Kramer than a last name, and a residence across the hall from the main character on the show (the real Kramer was actually a neighbor of Larry David’s).

What we all found so intriguing about Kramer was his ability to live a life. Out of work until his bagel shop met his demands (halfway through season nine, a brilliant bombshell that was a totally believable out-of-nowhere plot point), Kramer somehow managed to rent an apartment (a sublet from Paul Reiser’s character on Mad About You), feed and clothe himself, and date countless women (the one main character on the show who you could really believe would lead that kind of vapid lifestyle.)

There are so many classic Kramer moments from the show, that it’s impossible to name but a few: the lack of a first name through season five (and Cosmo was not a letdown), fantasy baseball camp, the Kavorka, his long-distance relationship with a girl downtown, Darren the intern and Kramerica Industries, the holistic healer, his karate class, shaving with butter, his hot tub, the non-job office job, the coffee table book about coffee tables, the “bro”, The Real Peterman Reality Bus Tour, the shower garbage disposal, The Merv Griffin Show set, the screen door, rickshaws, the bottle recycling scheme, the giant rubber ball full of oil, sponsoring a stretch of highway, and saving a bus full of people from a highjacker. The list of Kramer classics is endless.

Seinfeld provided plenty of guest and supporting characters, as well. Some highlights:

Frank Costanza: While the role was originated by John Randolph, Jerry Stiller really built the character from the ground up. Frank is so crazy, and yet, all the work that Stiller put in to create a three-dimensional person, makes Frank authentic. There’s little doubt that Frank is in large part responsible for the man that George became, and I love him for that. His collection of TV Guides, creation of Festivus, silent feud with the Seinfelds, Serenity Now, fear of cooking, and hundreds of other things, make Frank Costanza the worst father, and yet the perfect one.

Estelle Costanza: Estelle Harris did a great job of making an undesirable character watchable. I’m not a big fan, and never will be, but I love that I will always have the sound of her saying “Georgie” in my head.

Newman: Wayne Knight portrayed the somewhat unhinged mailman. Also not one of my favorites, but the show, and specifically Jerry and Kramer, would never have been as great without him. And I love when George asks him what he actually does for a living.

Morty and Helen Seinfeld: I’m not sure why, but I also never got on board with these two. I definitely preferred Barney Martin to Phil Bruns, who originally played Morty, but I was always hoping they’d be less irritating, and more funny. Helen (Liz Sheridan) was too much of a nagger. Something tells me that Jerry’s real parents are a lot like these two.

Uncle Leo: Len Lesser knows how to do comedy right, and he continued his chops on Everybody Loves Raymond. “Hello, Uncle Leo!”

J. Peterman (John O’Hurley) was a nut, George Steinbrenner (Larry David) was absolutely brilliant, Mr. Pitt (Ian Abercrombie) was just about as funny as a Brit (the actor is; was the character?) in his generation could possibly be, Tim Whatley was Bryan Cranston at his early ripeness, Mr. and Mrs. Ross (Warren Frost and Grace Zabriskie) were one of those couples who’ve clearly eaten away at one another over the life of their marriage, The Soup Nazi (Larry Thomas) was offensive and hilarious, all at the same time, Lloyd Braun became an instant classic post-nuthouse, Izzy Mandelbaum (Lloyd Bridges) was someone’s brilliant cross between a Jewish grandfather and Jack LaLanne, Joe Temple (Robert Hooks) played a role in a quintessentially “George” story, Mr. Kruger (Daniel von Bargen) was a perfect snapshot of where George was heading in life, Lt. Bookman (Philip Baker Hall) gave the greatest speech about anything, in this case library books, that I’ve ever heard, and the little seen Maitre d’ (James Hong) in the Chinese restaurant, had me rolling on the floor.

Finally, I would be doing a disservice to this great show were I not to mention Larry David. While I’m no fan of him as an actor or as a comedian, it’s impossible to appreciate Seinfeld without acknowledging the enormous role that David played in its success. While knowing absolutely nothing about running a show when they started, Larry David, along with Jerry Seinfeld, created a masterpiece of television that is unlikely to ever be matched. There are a lot of comparisons to be made between Seinfeld and Everybody Loves Raymond, but, as much as I love it, the latter never reached the heights that Larry and Jerry drove Seinfeld to.

You can hear their passion in the joint episode commentaries that they sporadically did on the DVDs; while Ray Romano and Phil Rosenthal are so busy telling jokes that they barely notice when an episode ends (which is totally in character, and I truly enjoy it), David and Seinfeld remember every minute detail from each and every day on set. They discuss guest actresses who made five second appearances with so much information, you can tell just how much of themselves they gave to the show for nine seasons (David for seven). Kudos to them both on a job exceedingly well done.

In the end, upon watching the series finale for a second time after viewing every episode, I was finally able to appreciate just what the show was trying to do. There was no finite closure to be had, so, instead, they went with the only thing available to them: absurdity. The trial was merely a vehicle, to allow us viewers to revisit the countless characters who paraded across the landscape of the show for 180 episodes. While it left me feeling like there could easily be a reunion or a movie (come on!), the conclusion was really a brilliant move.

I believe that it’s also worth noting Jerry Seinfeld’s ego in praising the show. I don’t want to get into anything negative about him, but from the little that is known publicly, were it not for his insistence on keeping the enormous proceeds from the show close to the vest, we would have never been graced with the DVD collection, a move pushed for by Alexander, Louis-Dreyfus, and Richards, who were merely looking to get their due.

I don’t care who made what; I’m just glad I have my Seinfeld to turn to, whenever the mood strikes. The show is absolutely awesome!

Clacked by Aryeh S.
on Jun 24, 2009 @ 15:00 EST5EDT