Hey, Hey, Hey

9 February 2004


Bill Cosby's Fat Albert Movie Starts Casting

Bill Cosby is the sort of fellow it would be easy to hate. He's rich, talented, married to a smart and attractive woman for decades. Yet, he's just too much a part of what makes good American humor good morally as well as good comedically. Casting for his new project, a Fat Albert movie, started in Chicago over the week-end, and the only question is where can one get tickets for the premier?

Those now in middle-age will remember Saturday mornings with the cartoon version of Dr. Cosby's (doctorate in education, not an honorary sheepskin) boyhood gang of Rudy, "Mushmouth", Russell and Fat Albert. It was funny, technically sound, and as the good doctor promised, "You might learn something before it's done." The hardcore fans will have the old LPs of his spoken-word performances in the attic somewhere, and commissions are available for those who can track them down on more modern forms of recording. Now, the world will get Fat Albert's wisdom on the big screen.

That is not to say Dr. Cosby hasn't failed in the past; a film called "Leonard Part 6" is best forgotten, and "Ghost Dad" was little better. Nor has his life been always sunshine and joy; growing up poor and black in Philadelphia in the 1940s and 1950s was certainly not a cakewalk, and the violent death of his only son, Ennis, merely proved that everyone is vulnerable.

However, more often than not, Dr. Cosby's work is first rate. The screenplay is a collaboration of Dr. Cosby and Charles Kipps, and the director's chair will seat Joel Zwick of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding." Most interestingly, an open casting call in Chicago last week-end proved that tomorrow's stars of the film are, today, unknowns. The doctor has launched more than a few careers in this manner (e.g., Malcolm Jamal-Warner, Raven Simone), and a few more are clearly on the way.

The description of what the casting people want in Fat Albert sums up Cosby's style, "stout-hearted as well as stout . . . exuberant, funny and sweet. He can sing, rap and dance." In short, someone well worth paying $10 to watch -- that long forgotten commodity, quality.

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