Doc.

Neil "Doc" Simon died this passed week.  The day after John McCain died.
He was a major influence on my life.
I started reading plays because he started writing them.
He was the most prolific playwright of all time.
And he wrote more good ones than anybody else.
A lot of people think it begins and ends with "The Odd Couple".
When the "Odd Couple" first opened, I thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread.
And it's served at least me and my career well.
But it's not close to the best thing he ever wrote.
Some may think its sacrilege to point out that it has no third act.
In a play that is written in a three-act structure, the play peters out miserably.
At parties and gatherings of people who know their theater, I would challenge anyone to tell me how
the play ended.
And I'd hear things like ''two friends move in together, one is neat, the other is sloppy".
And there's a hilarious poker game right at the beginning..
And I'd say, "No that's the theme.
How does it end.  Do they stay together?  Does one of them move out?
Nobody was ever to answer that question accurately.
(He moves in upstairs with the Pigeon Sisters.)
He sold off the rights for the TV series for a flat $100,000.  Convinced that it had no series potential.
He did endless rewrites, particularly of the third act.  He knew it was trouble.  But he got away with it,
A really great play requires that it has a great ending.  It has great scenes, and great moments.
But a great ending?
This the "Odd Couple" does not have.
"The Sunshine Boys" has a similar problem.
The first act is as funny as anything.
The second act is only sad and depressing.
If you're looking for tight structure, all the way through, check out
Last of The Red Hot Lovers,
Prisoner of Second Avenue, and
Lost In Yonkers.
So he was capable of delivering the goods.
Just not all that consistently.
When I told my wife that Neil Simon had died, she thought I meant Neil Diamond.
And she broke into a chorus of "Cracklin' Rosie"
I had to correct her.
But attention still must be paid to Doc.
At least as much as was paid to John McCain.

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My books, "Show Runner" and "Show Runner 2" can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store,

along with newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".

They are all compilations of blog entries have since been removed from the blog.

So this is the only way you can find them.,

You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne and Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.

Check them out.

You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.

Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.

The paperbacks, "Mark Rothman's Essays" and my new novel, "I'm Not Garbo" are not e-books.

But they are available for people without Kindle.

I have many readings and signings lined up for those, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one.

If you'd like one of the paperbacks, personally autographed, contact me at macchus999@comcast.net

And now, there's my reading of my screenplay of my unmade "Laverne and Shirley" movie on "YouTube".