See David Letterman and Steve Martin Cry Over Dave's Departure
Steve Martin paid his final visit to The Late Show With David Letterman on Friday night. Martin is one of Letterman’s key guests, one of those performers who always prepares some special bit of material when he does the Letterman show. He didn’t fail Letterman this night.
After some typically barbed comments about Letterman leaving the scene — “When I heard you were retiring, I thought you had to be joking, but then I realized: Wait, you’re not funny” — Martin presented his parting gifts: a set of luggage, as well as two videos. The second one is especially good — a vision of Letterman’s life in retirement, eating early-bird specials at chain restaurants, using large-sized pill-counters, playing the penny slots at casinos, and finally, “an all expenses paid visit to heaven.” Martin is one of the few guests who’d think of, and get away with, an allusion to Letterman’s death.
When they came back from the videos, both Letterman and Martin were wiping away tears. Fake tears, to be sure. Martin then said he felt that some of the funniest moments of his entire career were things he created for Letterman’s show, and both men professed a great fondness for one of Martin’s most elaborate productions, “Dave and Steve’s Gay Vacation,” from 1998.
After that, Martin joined guests Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell — the duo was booked to promote their new album. With Martin on banjo, playing it straight, they all performed “Will the Circle Be Unbroken.”
In short, it was an all-Steve Martin night, and another fine send-off.
The Late Show With David Letterman airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. on CBS.
