We're ready for you, Mr. Grodin

the long version

"That kid really knows how to tell a story," said Johnny Carson when asked why he wanted to put Charles Grodin under exclusive contract as a guest on the Tonight Show after two brief appearances. Johnny Carson was proved right as Charles Grodin went on to become one of the most coveted and "controversial" talk show guests the medium had ever seen. Acclaimed for his wit offscreen and on, he is as famous for his "wars" with Johnny Carson and David Letterman as he is for his many films, including The Heartbreak Kid, Heaven Can Wait, Midnight Run, and Beethoven. Here, for the first time, Mr. Grodin tells the behind-the-scenes story of the talk show confrontations - why he was banned by Carson and why he brought an "attorney" with him for a David Letterman appearance. There are also vivid portraits of Dustin Hoffman, Bill Murray, Oliver Stone, and Diane Sawyer, among countless others.