How Rude, Tanneritos!Jodie & Andrea are back with pt. 2 of Larry Blumenthal's interview! Tune in for more memories and behind-the-scenes stories that went on to create the show we all know and love. Listen now on How Rude, Tanneritos!
Hey, everyone, Welcome to part two of our interview with Larry Blumenthal. We can't wait to hear more about Larry's extensive career as a camera operator and director of photography and a wonderful composer, plus all the memories he's carried from full and Fuller House.
Here's Larry. One of the things that you are most passionate about that you kind of touched on is music and composing. And I know you did you minor in like music composition in college where you did you kind of do film and music and that was your I did.
I got my film degree of course Sandigo State. But I and I was always playing music. And I'm self taught really as as far as composition and music theory and all that. I did go to college for a year and a half under the music program and and found myself quote failing basic theory because the the I had to take the class three or four times before I finally passed. And it was only because the the gall that was teaching you know, music theory one A whatever was actually it was fifty nine A. I remember, was a real tight ass. I mean I saw I saw her as being like a Catholic nun that was in the wrong.
Calling right right here, like this is not right.
Ye, do you know what I mean? She was taking notes on like whether you showed up and if you were late, and all that crazy stuff and.
All of the worst things to do for any sort of art class. Yeah, no one's going to feel creative or beyond time or.
I suppose supposed to be the rules. These are the so called rules music theory. Let's remember it's it is called theory. Yeah, And I was bored with that because I'd already blurted. I mean, I already knew the intervals. I already with a circle of fifths was I already knew all that stuff. So you know, it was frustrating for me. But I did get through it, and I got through the first couple of years. And I always was always performing. I played wins, I played especially woodwinds, and I still play on my sacks once in a while, but you know, I was I played English horn, you know, the obo, clarinet, flute, you know, all the woodwinds, and then you know, I even fumfered my way through a couple of you know, trombone and baritone and even tried playing the French ront a little bit, and I never could do the trump very well. My mouth is the wrong shape or something for the ambishure. But you know what, I didn't really focus on performance. I I did very well. I was actually won a state scholarship in California back in high school as the so called best male musician. That's kind of weird, oh wow, you know. And so that started my college career. And then I went out for a recital. This is a true story. It was horrible. I went out for a saxophone recital at the end of the I think it was my second or third year, and I got a transcription of a flute sonata and transferred so I could play it on the saxophone and had a companist in the whole thing. And it was always really fast, very fasted. I could learn the pedagogy for almost any instrument. I could learn to play something almost immediately, and I did not do any real practicing. And I went out there in front of about seven hundred and fifty people in the recital hall, and everybody was showing up because that this very guy is really good. He plays legitimate music on a sack. If you can imagine. And I went out there and I completely went white flash, just like you were talking about just before we go out to start the show, and I just I couldn't do it. I couldn't. I couldn't pull it. I couldn't, I couldn't hear it. And I began to start, you know, you start cycling.
Right then you're like, oh my god, what are you doing? What are you And You're like, I can't be in my head and you're like, but I can't not be in my head and it's just you're like a a horrible feeling.
Yeah, And I looked over at the pianist and I looked out at them and I said, folks, I am not prepared and I'm very sorry. And I walked it to the stage and that was the last time that I had played my instrument for almost twenty five thirty years. Wow, I was so and I went I went full bore into just working in the film business. I'm no good as a musician. I'm a loser. I'm completely you know, I mean, really, this is what I did to myself. The most beautiful thing happened about thirty years later. My son was in the thousand Ks high school band and the the instructor for his musical groups. His name was William Haney Junior, an extraordinary musician, studio musician, virtually deaf but able to play with the best of them. Played behind Sammy Davis, and you know, you know, I mean, just unbelievable talent and just a really intelligent and kind musician. He drives to my house and he knocks on the door. He says, Larry, go get your horn. So what are you talking about. You're coming with me, Go get your horn? So I go out find it. You know, my sacks, I haven't touched it in years. Didn't know I any he reads for it or what got in the car with him. He drove us to one of the very first rehearsals of what was then called the Gold Coast Wind Ensemble, which was a bunch of amateur and professional adults that played in a wind orchestra. No string except for the string days, but all these instruments, about fifty people. And he says, I'm going to play the first part, you're playing second. I couldn't believe it. I was like, why are you doing this to me? I played in that band for about two maybe three years and then Bill couldn't do it anymore, and they bumped me up to his spot. I'm playing all the solos, I'm doing all this. I don't seen for like four or five years, and I played in the group for probably seven or eight years after that, and I saw him again. And the great Frederick Fannell. I don't know if you know the history of him, but he basically was the inventor, if you will, or discover of the wind or the wind orchestra, wind ensemble. He was at Eastman School of Music and so forth, and a great arranger of all of Suz's marches, clarifier of all of his music and so forth. Anyway, Frederick Vanilla is a very very important name. He was still a love at the time, and he was coming as a guest conductor. And we were at the Thousand Oaks whatever they call.
That, performing arts whatever. Yeah, yeah, and.
We're playing Lincolnshire Posey, which is by Percy Grainger. It's a very important work and there's all these great solos in it, you know, for Alto Sacks. And here I'm playing and there were Frederick Vanelle and I'm playing this and whatever. And it turns out Bill Hayney was there, you know, and he comes out and to see me, goes, Larry, I knew, I've always known you have the soul of a musician, and look at what you did tonight. And it was all because he did. He drove up to my house and dragged me out and said do this. Back at that time, George Bush was running for president, not junior, but people, yeah, og the original and the Iraq War is about to break out, the very first one. So all of the musicians for the Marine band, air Force band, or any of those that are official were gone. They were deployed. They were on their way into war basically. So when he came into a thousand Ogs, the Secret Service contacted the high school band there, which of course Bill's banned one thousand excellancers. They were one of the top high school bands in the in state by far. And he says, Larry, I can't do it. I have engagements that I hate, can't break. So I give them your name and they're going to come talk to you. Secret Service comes to my house. They talked to me. So I took my sons one hundred and fifty piece high school band two the assembly with Pete Wilson and all this over at Calkel Africa, the named cal Lutheran College in Thousand Oaks, and they played for the everybody there just as performance. I was their conductor and then we played Held to the Chief when of course the right. Wow, this is a story, it's a true story. I'm sorry that.
What else do we know that's played, that's conducted of the orchestra for the president. I don't know anybody.
They didn't know that was going to happen to me, but it did happen. It was amazing. And so I'm standing there after he comes in and I had an earwork from the from a secret service gave me an earwick and so I'm standing there in my suit. All the kids are standing behind me in their uniforms, and literally two armed stretches in front of me sits the President in his chair. He's right in front of me. Wow. And I'm supposed to be there. Pete Wilson and all these other you know political you know cats are there and I'm not part of their party, but you know, it didn't matter that he was the president. It was just exactly exciting. And it was at that particular rally for Pete Wilson. I guess it was that the president himself gave the the line in the Sand speech. That's where it was, that's what's from there.
Wow.
And he gives a speech and then he comes and sits back down because everyboy's clapping, and he's basically saying, you know, he's telling him that Iam is saying at the it's all going to be pretty bad. Well, he sits down and you could tell he was kind of like pumped from the speech himself, and he's getting bored because Pete Wilson's not talking and he's kind of looking around the room. And then he turns around and goes like this, and he looks right at me. He's looking at the band and my son's in the group, so I was proud of that. And he looks at me and he points his finger like come over here. And I've been told, under no circumstances, do right stand there, don't do a damn thing, and douce, we tell you to. But he's a president of the United States. He's just told me to come over there. So I go, I'm thinking, well, what can they do? Put me in jail, I guess, but he is the president, and out of respect for who he is. He's the leader of my country, I mean in the whole the you know, known western free world. I'm not gonna right, I'm busy, So I walked over up behind him. I hear, in my your record he's going in. He's going in. It's in my ear right, and I kind of lean over his left shoulder and George he goes, what is this the college band? I said, no, no, sir, this is a local high school band. He goes, what are you serious? I said, yeah, they're very good, and their normal instructor I'm just filling in he couldn't make it today. But their instructor is really really great, and they're an excellent band. He goes, well, you make me proud. They sound better than the Marine Corps band. He says, you know what, I want to shake your hand, and it turned it over and he grabs my hand and I don't know if you can see this visually, but the presidential hand. She goes like this. He puts his hand around your wrist and then they shake like that. I'm sure Secret Service teaches them that, so that should should something happen, right, He's got control of a circumstance. But you know, I went to shake his he did that, and I shook his hand because you're doing a fine job. Keep up the great work. This is what America really is about. And my estimation of him went up like three thousand percent just from his by being real, like you know, and and even under all the pressure that was going on in the world at the time, he was able to look into some high school kids and hear the music and or the death of Pete and all other silliness, and and he had that connection to his soul right that he was to recognize that. And so this is the weirdest thing. Then what happened is on CNN when the war broke out, because at storm started, they were on CNN commonly cut to shots of Tarique Disease kissing Santa Museain's ring right right in the one hand, and then go to a file video of the president from the speech that he took with me standing right beside him. So I had my zelleg moment for about six months. Wow, it was the freakiest damp thing. I mean, the first time happened, I was almost half asleep taking a hass I thought, that's me it's me and the president two shot over there. You know, I'm over his shoulder, and I'm like the weirdest. So it's a weird life.
It's a weird life in a redemption story.
From your stage fright in front of seven hundred and fifty people in the early days, to standing next to the President getting photographed before the chief because.
Bill Hayney decided to drive a buy one day and say, you know what, get in the car well started. I'm sorry. I to this day am thankful to him for that. And he is the one that has given me probably the best critique of all the classical compositions that I've done. I did my third symphony, which is Slava Ukrainy, which is you know about Ukraine, and he did a literally adossiate. He broke down. He actually listened to it moment by moment, explaining what the transitions were, and this is a csarah, and this is a and you did an imperfect blah blah blah. You know, you just all these things about He just broke it down like some kind of a musicologist. And then at the end he says, I'm just so thankful you send your music to me because Larry, the world doesn't know what you're doing, but I know and the world will know eventually you're leaving something important behind. And that to me, that's those are my Academy Awards when I get that from people that I you know, Jody's among them, She's known for years, and she's always and I remember resident of really got space. Really you got me going again. You do that.
I try and you I'm I like I always tell you, I love when you send me your music, your symphonies, your compositions. It's just you know, I I love art. I love it. I love creating. And it's something that you and I have connected over and andret but like just the love of expressing yourself and creating and like connecting with other humans through what we get to do. And and you were one of those people who you know and and I think people will hear it in this interview who's so beautifully expressed what it means to be a creative spirit in the world, in this in this particular world and time. Beautiful And you do you really like you are someone who I've always been able to have really great, open, honest conversations about creating in the world and that's that type of vulnerability. And and and I and I never knew the story about you walking off the stage and not playing for thirty years, which is is incredible to me to hear because you're so talented that it, you know. But I but I also relate to that where you're like, oh, I suck, that's it. I'm never doing that again. And you just walk away from something and other people like, what are you talking about? Yeah, yeah, we're our own worst critic. But but you have always been a yeah, exactly, well for then, yeah, but you have always been so complimentary and kind and supportive of us, and it just yeah, it was so great to always see you, you know, out there on BCAM, knowing that we had like family out there and and and deb and like these I mean again people that have been around forever and ever and ever and who were pivotal parts of our life and of our you know, at least at least for me, of of my sort of creative development, you know. So that's those are things that are impossible to measure.
Well, we have so many things that go on in our life, and there's so much pashi and trash and background noise, and you know, all that stuff that goes on that we wish we could forget. Generally we do. But the nice thing is when you can look back on your life and there's the color moments and and Andrea and you you know, of course Bob bless his heart, and Candice was the color moments was a part of my color palette of the Larry life, which I can't express or explain to anybody, you know what I mean. And then there's the associated colors. Does the Patty pass Rellies, Yes, you know, and you know, you just go through and you can kind of tell who they are. And and I always felt that way about Lynn Griffin. I know, she's a incredible she's retired also and incredible art director. She was amazing and just you know, just in of course Greg. You know again, there's there's a sympatico and that sympatico is really that is the correct word, sim meaning with and pathos, the ability to feel right with the same feeling. It's we're all aware that we can all visually see slightly different shades with the same wavelength coming into our eyes. So one person's blue and may be more purple to than somebody else, depending on your how your eyes are formed. But there's certain people that all see that color that way.
Yeah, M.
So special. That's why you want to be on a show like that. That's not going to work. That's getting excited and going, Okay, I get five in the morning, but I'll do it for this, right.
Yeah, You're like, oh, it's you know, a long day, early morning this, and then but then you get there, You're like, ah, this is great. This is what am I doing?
Pot of coffee and.
Oh yes, I remember seeing you many a morning by the buy the coffee machine. Absolutely yea.
But yeah, wow.
What were some of your favorite memories from Full House? You know, Jodi and I were so young, and a lot of our memories are coming back through this rewatch podcast.
The worst memory is that I wasn't on that show consistently. I was always a replacement cameraman and I hated that. And then I also did the DP work on the the titles, right, you know, I did your titles usually that kind of thing. So my association with Full House wasn't as deep as I would have liked it to be. I probably shot at maybe a third of the episodes for one reason or another. Somebody would leave, you know. And I got along really well with Bruce. Bruce, by the way, yes I remember, Yeah, he just passed away a couple months ago.
Oh, I you know, it was funny.
It's just ninetieth birthday by about twenty days.
Really. I just was looking at that I have, uh, you know, this photo collage thing from from the Full House days. It was our I think ninety two or ninety three season, and I look at it all the time because there are so many faces in people. But I saw I and I went, oh, what happened to Bruce? Oh but wow, almost ninety that's incredible.
Oh yeah, life, My biggest memory are the things that really mattered to me a lot was of course Patty Passarelli, who was you know, a dear close friend supers Yep, yeah, she, you know, the best always was. And and then you know, I got along really well with Like I said, Bruce is a great guy. Joe's Wick is probably my my brother. He's my brother. Yeah.
Joel has been on the podcast. We had him on a few weeks ago.
Ask you, I didn't know if you have definitely you.
We know, we definitely we had him on, and oh he is I love Joel out of his mind still in the best way. I love it.
It's exactly the same.
Yeah, Joel.
Joel is a very special He's He's the uber Regal, Royal Blue, ultra violet, whatever you want to call it. In my life, He's that part where your your your top chakras trying to reach to the heavens and you don't get there, but you got to go through Joel.
Yes, ye, yes, him.
I mean had moments believe me. Well I'm sure, yeah, they were all good, believe me. Yeah.
Well, it's the best friends that can you know, kind of that can butt heads like that and then be like all right, I still love you. You know, I just love him to death again. Another like doing his when we did his interview. Another just incredible creative spirit and career and talent, and you know, we just part of the fun of this podcast has not only been going back and watching the show because I never watched it, Andrey and I didn't really watch it growing up, but it really has been getting to interview these amazing people that we've known our whole lives as like you know, just Joel or Larry or you know, like Lenny Rips or you know, but then being like, so tell us how you got into this and hearing oh the incredible stories, but all of you like this, we were, and I just I can't get over it. We were like steeped in some of the most amazing, incredible history and people of the television business from the start of Full House and we didn't even know it. We just were lucky that we got to do it again.
First story, I remember I was working on the Hogan Family or was originally Valerie or Valerie's Family or I don't remember where they had so many different names.
Yeah, yeah, I think it was, yeah, Valerie, but started as Valerie's Family, then Valerie, then Hogan.
Yeah yeah. And and then you and Jason Jason doing that tea party and Jody's four and a half. Oh my gosh, look at this cute little blonde. Oh my god, she's so adorable. I'm like, I'm like, you know, it's such a kid person anyway, I love kids completely, And just watching how how Jason was working with you and Jason.
Jason our listener, Jason Bateman, who was the oldest son on Valerie, and he was the first, one of the first people that I really ever worked with on television and.
What a great guy. I mean, I've worked with him for years. Me means he's one of those people that grew up in front of my eyes between a director at eighteen or seventeen and what he's done since then, it's extraordinary. Oh my gosh.
It's my goal is to work with him again. Like I keep putting it out there, So I'm putting it out here on the podcast right now. Jason Bateman want to work Welcome to me? So incredible.
Yeah, and i'd seen and he goes, okay, are you're on this show? Yeah? He goes, okay, if this show goes, you're directing soon. Just told you know, because every I've kind of just said to me so many times. You know, Larry, you'd be so good. You know visually what to do, You understand actors, your your your quickness of thought, just everything. You have a sense about it. And I've directed small stuff, but I never never, it never happen. And it's just not one of those things that I ever pushed for. And I have a big ego, but not it's not egotistical. I'm egoistic. There's a difference. And and so I mean, if I was egotistic. God would never left that stage with the sacks.
Yes, you're all going to sit here while I get here. You would have been terrible and been like I was so good, right, Yeah, yeah, you.
Saw on it.
You're a confident realist. That's what you are.
You know that.
I think I find that to be the best type is when you're like, yeah, I can do some things, but I also know I can suck sometimes too. I'm not so good that I can't be shitty, you know. So that's a very important skill to know as an artist, because otherwise you just Yeah.
It's like when Rich Carell you're doing a big, big, complex shot and something happens and Rich goes, Larry, what's going on?
I said, yeah, okay, never mind, okay, just checking.
Yeah, I love that guy so much.
Yeah, this has been such an incredible journey with you, Larry. You know, I can talk to you for hours, but yeah, oh my god. Yeah. Well, with the way our brain's work going off on random tangents, and you.
Know they're not random, actually it makes sense.
I can't tell you how many times Larry and I would be having some in depth, heated political conversation right before we're talking about the election or this or that very much single and we would be like he did this and that, and then jump into a scene and be like hey, and then go back and then did you hear that? The wildest sort of compartmentalization, And you know, but that's what we do. And I just I love you. You are family and a dear incredible You're just so talented. I hope I hope that you know that. And I'm glad that I'm glad that you found that horn thirty years later and.
You know, Yeah, and now I'm glad that I'm really sitting down and putting these thoughts on the paper. That's yeah, been a thing that's important to me. Before you know, the grim reaver goes up. I'm trying to make up for those forty years I spent doing other things.
Yeah, you are so special to us, and we love you and think of you all the time and talk about you all the time.
Yeah, Andrea, Yeah, well, I mean talk about slices of cake that you just can't eat enough of both of you.
Really, it's true. Well, we love you, Larry. Thank you so much for coming on the show today. This was just a wonderful wonderful interview. We really really honored, truly, Yes, thank you. Well, I will be talking too soon and I love you and thank you so much for joining us today. We love you, Larry, Love you, Larry. Thank you bye. Do you know how to sign out?
Larry, I'm still on the stage. What do I do now?
Well, get your horn? Here we go.
Okay, thank you.
I just love it. He's just the best man. He's just such an interesting creator, like truly one of those like creative artist spirits that just in his soul, in his blood.
What a wonderful special man that he's also just a big teddy bear, wears his heart on his sleeve and yep, never hesitates to tell you how much he loves you.
He's one, he's you know, he's yeah, one of one of my very very special ones. Anyway, that was what a great interview. Isn't it weird when you.
Go on other sets and like you don't ever really meet the camera people, and this isn't normal for us to be so close yes to god, no a camera operator, you know, it's like not to on other sets. There's a there's a separation between cast and crew, and that was never the case.
On full House. Yeah, like we were always what I'm saying, Yeah, they're always one of the same. I always try to just be that person anyway, even if it's like not my set, I'm like, well, hell, I'm going to be friendly, like you know what I mean. I don't know about the rest of you people, but I'm going to go introduce myself and talk and and it's just makes for such a great experience. But yeah, it really you don't get to know. You don't go to brunch with your camera operators in oh Hi, and you know, you don't stay connected with them and tell you them that you love them and text them and you know, right, just doesn't happen. It really doesn't. It's a very special relationship. Yes, yes, yes, yes. So thank you Larry, and thank you everyone for listening to the show today. We love that you're tuning in and enjoying the show. We're having so much fun doing it. So make sure that you're also following us on Instagram at how podcast. You can also send us an email at Howard podcast at gmail dot com and make sure that you're liking and subscribing to the podcast wherever you're listening to it. So that you can make sure and get all of the newest episodes as soon as they come out. Uh and also, you know, make sure you're liking rating. We you know, we always could use a little ego boost, right, so it's gonna say that we're doing good.
Uh.
Anyway, we love you fan of Rito's. You are the best. So thank you for listening. And uh remember in the meantime, the world is small, but the house is full. Still doesn't sound right? It sounds a little better.
That sounds a little better.
That sounded a little better. That sound ends. What did sound weird?
The Yeah the last time you said it?
Did I say it weird?
Yeah?
I mean, I mean I screwed it up the first time. But I know that's just so strange, Like when you say a word too many times and you're like, that's not a word, it starts to sound very strange.
