[Newhart:] Some people wonder if it isn't unusual for an accountant to become a comedian. It's unusual for a good accountant to become a comedian.
[Unidentified Male:] He was booked everywhere. He played radio stations...
[Harris:] All we've got to say is thank goodness we didn't lose him to H & R Block, because whether he's doing stand-up or sitcom, watching Bob Newhart is observing genius at work. And although fans of Newhart and the Bob Newhart show know he's wonderful as part of a comic cast, he can also do funny with one hand tied behind his back, as long as he's got a phone in the other hand. You can't possibly know excited the LIVE FROM staff is to welcome Bob Newhart himself to our humble little show. You make us a big deal. And you're here, Bob, for a special occasion. That PBS is set to feature you, Bob Newhart, in a one-hour special, "American Masters," on Wednesday. It is good to see you. Good to talk to you, sir.
[Newhart:] Thank you, Tony.
[Harris:] You American master, you. We had a chance to take a look at some of the clips, and this is such good fun. Are you excited about it? Are you happy with the treatment you're getting?
[Newhart:] Well, I don't you know, I don't think of myself as an American master. And I'm certainly not considered an American master at home, but I'm glad that PBS thinks I'm an American master.
[Harris:] Well, what do you think when you take a look at some of these old clips and years gone by? Does it all take you back to those days, those times?
[Newhart:] Well, yes, you know, I always in the back of my mind, I thought it would probably last about five years, and then, you know, then the American public would get on to me and stop showing up. But that was 45 years ago, so I guess I guess I have a future in the business.
[Harris:] Oh, boy. Come on, Bob. When you were working as an accountant and, yes, you're right, by your own account, I guess you weren't a particularly good accountant. But when you were doing that kind of work, was it what you needed to do to pay the bills at that time until you found your way into what you truly loved?
[Newhart:] Well, you know, Tony, I grew up in Chicago from a very pragmatic family and you went to college and you got a degree in something and you were an attorney or a doctor or an accountant. And that's what you did with your life. You know, the show business was certainly the furthest thing from my mind. And one of my jobs was, I was in charge of petty cash...
[Harris:] Oh, boy.
[Newhart:] ... and the you know, the saleswoman would come in off the road and they'd give me receipts for motels or gas or whatever and I'd give them cash. And then, at the end of the day, I had to balance the what was left in petty cash against the receipts and it never balanced, you know. And everybody left at 5:00 and I was still there trying to so I did that for a couple months. I'd leave like, 8:30, 9:00 at night before I could finally...
[Harris:] Oh, come on, Bob.
[Newhart:] No, I'm serious.
[Harris:] It was that tough of a job to do?
[Newhart:] Yes, it never balanced.
[Harris:] It never balanced.
[Newhart:] And, so, like it was it was under $1.50, so I said the hell with it. I took $1.50 out of my pocket and I put it in the petty cash then, a couple days later it was over $2.00, so I took the $2.00 bucks out. And the head of the accounting department said, Bob, these are not sound accountable principles, you know.
[Harris:] Yes, right, right.
[Newhart:] But now I'm thinking with Enron, they seem like pretty sound economic principles.
[Harris:] Cha-ching, cha-ching. I've got to ask you you've had, boy, what, three, four, five lives in this business and now we see you on "E.R.," we see you on "Desperate Housewives."
[Newhart:] Yes.
[Harris:] Are you wondering these days about the meetings in Hollywood that end with, "Get me Bob Newhart for 'Desperate Housewives' "?
[Newhart:] Well, I was I was highly complimented that when the call came to be on "Desperate Housewives," because they could get anybody they wanted, you know. As I've said before, I think Schwarzenegger would have given up the governorship, you know, for a recurring role on "Desperate Housewives." And it's been a hoot. I did two last year, and it's a recurring role, and it's a hoot. It's a wonderfully written show and the people are wonderful to work with. And, I mean, at this stage of my life to be this busy, it's a hoot.
[Harris:] Hey, do you remember the first time someone said to you, you should be a comedian?
[Newhart:] Yes, I don't remember specifically who. I mean, it was in Chicago and somebody said, gee, you think funny and you ought to think about going to Broadway. And I always thought, yes, well, that's easy for you to say, you know, but what I'm the guy that has to go to Broadway and fall on his face. And then at one point, when I left accounting, I said I'm going to give it a shot and see what happens. And because I didn't want to spend the rest of my life saying, you know, I wonder what would have happened if. So one thing led to another and another and there were about three or four years where really nothing was going on. And then I made I did a man on the street show in Chicago, a local man on the street show. And which was, you know in 1947 that would have been original programming, but in 1958, it wasn't exactly original programming. And then I made a record album and all of a sudden...
[Harris:] That was huge, that was huge. Your first one and you get the Grammy for it, and it is absolutely huge and revered today by comics and folks all over the world.
[Newhart:] I really wasn't prepared I never thought it was going to sell the way it sold. And it went to number one and then the second album went to number two and then the second album went to number one and the first album went to number two. And I had a record which I wasn't even aware of that the most number of weeks to have the most have the number one and number two album. And that was recently broken by Guns n'Roses.
[Harris:] Right. Guns n'Roses? Yikes.
[Newhart:] But, at least, you know at least it went to a friend.
[Harris:] One last question. We saw you a moment ago with a picture in a picture with Jack Benny. And I got to ask you something. Of your contemporaries who are no longer with us, who do you miss the most? Who do you miss palling around with the most?
[Newhart:] Oh, God. There's so many friends. Dick Crenna. We lost Dick about a year ago. He was a dear, wonderful friend. So many friends. I miss Jack, of course.
[Harris:] Yes.
[Newhart:] Jack I've always said Jack was the bravest comedian I've ever seen work, because he would take the time. He wasn't afraid of silence.
[Harris:] Yes. Well, I tell you what, Ed, it is great to talk to you. It is great to have you around and great to see you so busy and so appreciated all of these years after you got started in this crazy game. Be well.
[Newhart:] Thank you.
[Harris:] You American master. And the show airs on PBS, I believe on July 20th? Is that correct?
[Newhart:] On Wednesday.
[Harris:] Wednesday night. Bob Newhart, good to see you.
[Newhart:] Thank you, Tony.
[Harris:] We'll take a break. More LIVE FROM, right after this.
[Newhart:] You may not think you're saying anything by not saying anything, but actually are. You see I'm a trained observer of people and I've learned a great deal about you. That there is one piece of information that I need to complete the picture. Would you mind if I ask: What the hell do you want?