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 Views,
Reviews, and Interviews
by Dianne R. Davis
diannerd@aol.com
Photos by Burt and Dianne Davis
Pauly &
Sammy Shore – Father & Son Sure To Be Fun
Pauly & Sammy Shore will be appearing together at The Orleans on March
7th and 8th. Recently, I had the pleasure of talking with them. It was
just a few days after Pauly’s 40th birthday. We began with 80 year old
Sammy asking his son Pauly how his birthday party was. According to
Sammy, there were 500 people there to celebrate. I steered the
conversation to their show.
Sammy Shore with his son Pauly Shore
SS: It’s father and son, but Pauly is the main man.
PS: Yes, he’s my real dad, not a fake dad.
DD: Who is your audience?
SS: We were in Regina Canada, no man’s land. Seven hundred and fifty
people there filled the room up. Those seven hundred and ffty people
didn’t come to see Sammy Shore; they came to see Pauly Shore. He has an
incredible following. Really. No matter where I go, lots of people ask
me if I know Pauly Shore. I tell them I’m his dad. They say yea right. I
whip out a picture of Pauly. So many people know him. These are the
facts.
DD: Is this the first time you’ve been in Las Vegas as a double bill?
PS: No. We played the House of Blues few months ago.
DD: Whose idea was it to appear together?
SS: It was his mother’s idea.
DD: How often do you worked together?
SS: Whenever we can. We just did the San Diego Comedy Store. We do it
whenever Pauly is available. When we first started together, we did a
bus tour all over the country. There were mob scenes. We packed the
colleges. The bus would be outside. All the girls want to meet Pauly.
I’m in kitchen. The girls would say, “Oh Mr. Shore, you are so funny.
Where’s Pauly?”
DD: Who calls the shots?
SS: It’s really Pauly’s show. I’m his opening act
DD: Will you each do your own act or will there be interaction? Tell us
about the show.
PS: The main thing is people like the show. It’s a father- son routine.
He does his thing. He brings me out. We f--- around. It’s a combination
of separate and together. They don’t expect Pauly’s dad to be so funny.
At the end, we are family.
SS: It’s midnight madness by Shore and Shore. [It is an 11:00 p.m.
show.)
DD: How scripted is the show?
SS: I have an outline, I go out and leave it loose. It’s not the same
every time. You find things. Wander around. I do senior humor.
PS: We’re wild. We are both off-beat. I’m a little blue.
SS: I’m a little grey. No one else is doing this. Hackett tried it. I
happen to be funnier. I worked with Elvis. I worked with everybody. At
this late stage of my life, to be able to a walk on the same stage as my
son. Where will you experience that kind of memory?
DD: Pauly, how do you describe yourself? Actor, film maker, comedian……
PS: what order? Well, these days, add producing and directing as well.
The Woody Allen of the West Coast. I produce and direct my stuff. And
get other people to finance it. I’ve done Pauly Shore is Dead.
Natural Born Komics just ran. I have some sketch comedy running. I just
shot a movie. I’m about to start filming Paulysodes. This will be six
creations of whatever is on my mind. We’ll use these as pilots for a
series. Whether on life or cable or wherever. Then I have this Lets Hang
idea. I’ll be doing “Lets hang” while performing in Connecticut.
DD: Sammy, did you encourage or discourage Pauly from going into the
family business?
SS: First when he first came to me, he didn’t know what he was doing. I
got him first showcase. I bought a camera, went to a shopping mall room.
I brought him his props. I got my camera, tape, so excited. The place
was packed. Then at 17, he played the Alley Cat Bistro. He went out
there and killed the people. Oh my god, he got a standing ovation. The
owner said to bring Pauly back. The next time he calls me. Dad, I just
played another place and I bombed. After that he was doing his thing.
DD: Sammy, you are a stand up comedian. When did you start in the
business and were there people who helped you along the way?
SS: Milton Berle was good friend of mine. Jerry Lester, Buddy Lester,
Jackie Leonard. They wanted to help other comics.
DD: Paulie, some kids are born with a silver spoon in their mouths. You
were born with a mike. You’ve been repeatedly nominated for Razzie
Awards. Are you proud or embarrassed?
PS: I don’t know how to react to stuff like that. At this point, don’t
care what people say anymore. Ten to fifteen years ago, I cared more. I
realize now that if you are in the business, you just do your thing. You
try to be the best you can be with what you are given. Everything I’ve
done, I haven’t gone into it saying this will suck.
DD: How do you get up for a show?
SS: I go watch Bobby Slayton.
DD: Pauly, what do you want to be doing 5 years from now?
PS: Hopefully, winning an Oscar for directing.
DD: Sammy, will you retire?
SS: I enjoy the things I am doing. I have a CD called "A Senior
Sensation" featuring "70 Sucks: You're OK, I'm Decaying". I am working
on a new CD I’m calling it, 70 sucks but 80 is worse. I’m working on a
book with Elvis’s people. I am writing and enjoying myself.
DD: What’s your favorite place in Las Vegas to eat?
PS: Tao at the Venetian
SS: My house
DD: What are your favorite shows in town?
PS: The news, CNN. I don’t go to the shows. When I’m home at night I
like to lay in bed with a heating pad and watch AC360. Anderson Cooper.
That’s funny and serious.
SS: Anybody performing. George Carlin, Other comedians. Smothers
Brothers. I watch the guys I’ve worked with. Glen Campbell, Tony
Bennett.
DD: If you are out and about, do you want people to say hello?
PS: I don’t mind when I’m drunk. It’s what I like in Vegas.
SS: I am still recognized in Vegas, I worked with Elvis, Petula Clark.
It’s kind of nice when they come over to me. They do some of jokes I
used to do. It’s nice to know you are still recognized and still around.
DD: What do you want people to know about you?
SS: I just can’t wait to get home and play with my dogs and talk with my
wife Suzanne.
DD: Thanks for doing this interview for Las Vegas Round The Clock. We
look forward to seeing you at the Orleans.
The Orleans Showroom is an 827 seat venue featuring theater style
seating. Show time is 11:00 PM. Tickets priced from $29.95 plus tax can
be purchased by calling the box office at 702-365-7075. A FAMILY AFFAIR
STARRING PAULY SHORE AND HIS DAD SAMMY SHORE plays MARCH 7TH & 8TH 2008.
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