Carl Reiner, one of the towering greats of American comedy has died aged 98. He was best known as creator of the Dick Van Dyke Show which won 15 Prime Time Emmy awards, six of which went to him as writer and producer. He then collaborated with Mel Brooks on The 2000 Year Old Man, a largely improvised show in which a deadpan Reiner interviewed Brooks to reflect on what he’d seen in his two-millennia life. They remained friends to the end.
Reiner was born on March 20 1922 in the Bronx, New York, to Jewish immigrant parents, who took him every week to the movies. He entertained troops during WW11 and afterwards had his big break in 1950 in his TV debut as second banana in Sid Caesar’s Your Show of Shows.
He had a last degree Pisces Sun opposition Saturn square Pluto, a hint of his determined personality and upbringing in tough conditions through the depression. What softened the hard edges of that Saturn Pluto was Venus Chiron in Aries opposition Jupiter North Node in Libra square Pluto – so he could see light in darkness and vice versa. He also had an inspirational Fire Grand Trine of Mars in lively Sagittarius in a showbizzy trine to Neptune trine Venus Chiron. That was formed into an even more talented Kite by Venus opposition Saturn Jupiter. He’d be immensely hard-working as well as lucky.
Mel Brooks who latterly visited him regularly at home to swap jokes was born 28 June 1926. He’s also got a tough chart with a Sun Pluto in Cancer square Mars (Uranus), a testament to a childhood where his father died very young. he was bullied and learned to use comedy to protect himself.
Reiner had Mercury in Pisces conjunct Uranus trine Pluto and quincunx Saturn – quirky, punchy and serious. Brooks has Mercury in Cancer trine Uranus and trine Saturn – so not that dissimilar.
Two of a kind and now one gone. But a good life, fully lived.