Today on the Rarified Heir Podcast we are talking to Christopher Lewis, son of entertainer & human juggernaut, the one, the only, Jerry Lewis. Chris was kind enough to reach out to us via a mutual connection at the Library of Congress and was pretty terrific about answering all our questions, big and small about the man known as “The King of Comedy.” The impetus for our chat was Chris’ book Jerry Lewis on Being a Person, a 300+ page book is packed with photos, ruminations, life lessons, antidotes and more. It’s a wonderful look at a complex comedian, director, writer, producer, golfer and philanthropist.

Chris talked to us about his father and was frank about why he looks at his father with “rose colored glasses,” his father’s lust for life and everything in between. Somehow we get to a vast amount of information on “Le Roi du Crazy” as the French called him. Our discussion hits everything from his love of audio and video technology to just how much of the Jerry Lewis archive was delivered to the Library of Congress. We also spoke about culturally significant high points like his guest appearance on Pink Lady and Jeff ans Slapstick (of Another Kind). Along the way we get to talking about The Day the Clown Cried, an true art imitates life Rupert Pupkin stalking situation that had everyone in the family on edge, why handshake deals were so important to Jerry and what comedians made Jerry Lewis laugh. All you have to do is sit back and listen to this episode of the Rarified Heir Podcast. Take a listen.

Today on another encore edition of the Rarified Heir Podcast, we are talking to Victoria Riskin, daughter of actress Fay Wray & screenwriter Robert Riskin. We first learned about Victoria in a Los Angeles Times interview with her about her book, Fay Wray and Robert Riskin: A Hollywood Memoir & boy are we glad we reached out. Better yet, Victoria was an engaging guest full of great stories about her mother and father, her years growing up in Los Angeles, long lost LA haunts, her mother’s fortitude over the years and her own career in Hollywood.

While the kids love the buzz word, ‘iconic’ these days, it’s also the only real word to capture Fay Wray. She had a wonderfully full career in Hollywood which we discuss but it’s her signature role as Ann Darrow in the 1933 film King Kong which fans remember as part of the golden age of Hollywood – and beyond. We also discuss her father, who wrote films for Frank Capra and we get a glimpse into their private life and courtship via our conversation about her memoir.

There’s also talk about Mary Tyler Moore, John Lithgow, Michael Caine, Bernadette Peters and Bob Hoskins. And if you’ve never heard of C.C. Brown’s Ice Cream Parlor, well you are missing out on more Hollywood lore you never knew existed. This is the Rarified Heir Podcast and everyone has a story.

Today on an encore edition of the Rarified Heir Podcast, we are evolving into a new lifeform as we sit down with Julie Nimoy and husband David Knight to talk about Julie’s dad, Leonard Nimoy. Of course most of us know him as Mr. Spock, the Vulcan pop culture figure from the legendary TV show (and movies) Star Trek. But as you will hear from Julie, her father was a mercurial character who was fascinated with everything from cars to planes, from playwriting to photography, from painting to singing, there wasn’t much Leonard Nimoy didn’t do in his lifetime.

Julie & David let us in on everything you’d want to know about Leonard Nimoy including the documentary they made for PBS Remembering Leonard Nimoy to their second documentary Wilder! which came about due to an unlikely friendship between Leonard and actor Gene Wilder. Bonus points if you can tell us what film they met on. Somehow we work in Mission Impossible, Night Gallery, Baffled!, In Search of….and so much more. This is the Rarified Heir Podcast and everyone has a story.