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JUDY WOODRUFF: Steve
Martin and Martin Short
met more than 30 years ago.

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And the legendary
comedians have been nearly
inseparable ever since.

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They sat down with Brief
But Spectacular host,
Steve Goldbloom, to
talk about their latest

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touring special, "Now You
See Them, Soon You Won't."

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STEVE MARTIN, Writer/Comedian:
This is now a standard now
on all the interviews, the

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moving sideways camera.

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STEVE GOLDBLOOM: Yes.

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STEVE MARTIN: But I always
find it odd to cut to someone
who's not talking -- who will

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be talking into camera.

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MARTIN SHORT, Writer/Comedian:
But, you know, you
have always struggled.

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Remember when you
struggled with the talkies?

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When the talkies came
in, you were always, I
had to work on my voice.

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(LAUGHTER)

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MARTIN SHORT: Now, don't
keep looking at him.

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Remember, look at
the green tape.

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STEVE MARTIN: Ah, just relax.

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MARTIN SHORT: OK.

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One, two, three.

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(HANDS CLAPPING)

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STEVE GOLDBLOOM: It's hard to
make a career in show business,
possibly even harder to

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sustain a career
in show business.

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Did you ever think that you
would be relevant for this long?

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STEVE MARTIN: I guess
he's talking to me.

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(LAUGHTER)

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MARTIN SHORT: Let me just
say, Steve, what an honor it
is for me to be standing next

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to a man who is a
novelist, a playwright,
a musician, a composer,
and a legendary comedian.

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STEVE MARTIN: And let me say
what an honor it is for me to
be standing next to the man

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who is standing
next to that man.

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(LAUGHTER)

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STEVE GOLDBLOOM: Seeing your
work together, it feels like
it commands the attention, the

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same way like an Oscars
monologue commands attention.

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And then you slow things down,
and you become reflective,
and you're talking about each

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other's work.

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Tell me about the design of
your special and your tour.

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STEVE MARTIN: This was a real
moment for both of us, when
we -- we're totally rehearsed.

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We have done the show 100 times.

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Everything was just in its
beautiful little comedic place.

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MARTIN SHORT: You know,
it was a work in progress
as we developed it.

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STEVE MARTIN: And still is.

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MARTIN SHORT: I mean, there
would be time we'd think,
gee, should we cut the chat?

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Does the chat slow it down?

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And someone else would say,
no, no, no, that's like
having dinner with you guys.

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STEVE GOLDBLOOM: The banjo helps
slow things down a little bit.

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STEVE MARTIN: Yes,
let me get it.

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MARTIN SHORT: No, no, no.

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He just -- he just mentioned it.

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(LAUGHTER)

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MARTIN SHORT: Just
because you mention a
banjo doesn't mean you...

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(CROSSTALK)

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STEVE MARTIN: I got it
back at the apartment.

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MARTIN SHORT: No, no, no.

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STEVE GOLDBLOOM: Steve, what is
your relationship to the banjo?

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Martin, what is your
relationship to Steve's banjo?

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MARTIN SHORT: I dated
Steve's banjo for many years.

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(LAUGHTER)

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STEVE MARTIN: I started
playing in the '60s.

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I have been playing
for 55 years.

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I know.

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I should be better.

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We're in show business, but I
have another life as a musician.

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You have a whole other
set of friends that
kind of levels you out.

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It's really nice.

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That's why you're un-level.

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MARTIN SHORT: Mm-hmm.

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STEVE GOLDBLOOM: In the show
that I saw last year, it seems
like there's an honest mistake.

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Steve, you say "Grinville."

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Martin, you say "Greenville."

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And you say, you would tell
me, Steve, if you were having
a stroke, wouldn't you?

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And it looked like a --
is that a real mistake?

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Are there real mistakes?

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STEVE MARTIN: No, it
was a real mistake.

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Yes.

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Yes.

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MARTIN SHORT: Yes.

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Totally, yes.

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STEVE MARTIN: We will
never intentionally make a
mistake, but, sometimes...

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MARTIN SHORT: Yes.

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STEVE MARTIN: Because
that looks phony.

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I think the audience smells it.

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But if something
happens, we exploit it.

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STEVE GOLDBLOOM: In your
work together, left-handed
compliments play a
big role, and you talk

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about a lot of them.

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What are some of your favorites?

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STEVE MARTIN: One of the great
things about touring around
the country with Marty Short,

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no paparazzi.

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STEVE GOLDBLOOM: Ah.

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This is...

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MARTIN SHORT: Boy,
that landed good.

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(LAUGHTER)

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STEVE MARTIN: Thank you.

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STEVE GOLDBLOOM: The crew's
been instructed not to laugh.

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STEVE MARTIN: Oh, just
like our audiences.

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That must be what happens.

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STEVE GOLDBLOOM: There is a
Martin Short on Twitter, but
it's a nutritionist in London.

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MARTIN SHORT: Really?

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STEVE GOLDBLOOM:
You're not on Twitter?

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MARTIN SHORT: No, I'm not.

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STEVE GOLDBLOOM: OK.

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Steve, you're very
good at Twitter.

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STEVE MARTIN: I stopped.

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I thought it was too dangerous.

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STEVE GOLDBLOOM: Just that
you might say something
that would offend people?

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STEVE MARTIN: You can say the
most innocuous thing, and,
suddenly, you're in the news.

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STEVE GOLDBLOOM: Martin, does
Jiminy Glick allow you to
say things that you wish you

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could say in real life?

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MARTIN SHORT: One time I
was interviewing Edie Falco,
and I asked her a question.

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I said, "What was
it like starting off
as a young actress?"

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And she started answering.

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And I went, "Shh.

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Just because I ask
you a question doesn't
mean I need an answer."

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(LAUGHTER)

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MARTIN SHORT: And she said she
used to be shushed as a kid.

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And it was an
electrical shock in her.

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STEVE GOLDBLOOM: Faux flattery
plays such a character in your
role, in your work together

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and your appearances
on talk shows.

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For this moment, if you could,
look at each other and pay each
other just a genuine compliment.

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STEVE MARTIN: We can't do that.

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MARTIN SHORT: I can't do that.

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STEVE MARTIN: No,
I will tell you.

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I have said this before.

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But you are great singer,
and you use it exactly right.

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I have heard you talk about it.

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No, I don't want to
sing a serious song.

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But when we do, do our
comedy songs, they're
so beautifully sung.

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And I worked with
Karen Carpenter.

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I toured with her, who has
an amazing voice, an amazing
instrument every night.

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And you have this kind
of amazing instrument,
because you really sound
like Karen Carpenter.

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MARTIN SHORT: Thank you.

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STEVE MARTIN: Don't go there.

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MARTIN SHORT: I
don't have anything.

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STEVE MARTIN: Yes.

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MARTIN SHORT: Sorry.

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STEVE MARTIN: Hi,
I'm Steve Martin.

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MARTIN SHORT: And
I'm Martin Short.

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STEVE MARTIN: And this is our
Brief But Spectacular take on...

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MARTIN SHORT: ... our fabulously
popular and undeserved success.

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JUDY WOODRUFF: And we
could watch them for
much longer than brief.