RIP Paul. I can't honestly think of an 80s icon that influenced me more, he was so sharply funny and gave the world something unique and special in the character of Pee-Wee Herman. He will be missed.
"I don't have to see it, Dottie. I lived it" Dude, I noticed this video was uploaded before his passing but the ending completely fucked me up. This was a beautiful tribute.
Pee-wee Herman, Tim Burton, and Danny Elfman - yes, the stars were definitely aligned. I am so saddened by your passing, Pee-wee, but thank you for the many years of laughter.
Crazy how you made this just weeks before his passing. Thank you for loving him enough to make this before being reminded or even appropriate this man to spotlight him
I'm 52 and watched this yesterday for the first time in probably 30 years. I was legit laughing myself in to tears, but it was from things I had missed as a teenager...Reubens was brilliant...
Paul was one of those natural comedians, meant to make people laugh. And Pee Wee is a fantastic creation. I dig the guy. He did 2 more films after Big Adventure.
Growing up, my father was...that type. If at home, the objective was to NEVER let him catch you in a mode that wasn't anything but full 'house cleaning...house repairs...yard work.' You had to find a way to always stay one-step ahead of him. His persona was one that truly warranted the proverbial walking on eggshells. Along with the above, it seemed that my father's objective in life was to refuse access to anything even remotely enjoyable for his family. As a result, he was anti-television...he was anti-movies...he was anti-restaurant...anti-celebrate a kid's birthday, etc. He was such a hard man...and a hard man to love. The random moments of fun we did have while growing up were typically achieved by outfoxing dad. It was a terrible way to have to find some joy in life. Up until the summer I turned 12, nothing had ever penetrated my father's killjoy attitude...that is until a movie came along. Of course, it's not a film that we would actually see at a movie plex, but instead would come into our house by way of a great 80's invention...the VCR. One day, I would walk through the front doors of my house with the VHS-formatted tape entitled, 'Pee-Wee's Big Adventure.' As we read about the movie...saw the rating...and spoke to a few people who had seen the film, we would knew that it was wholesome family fun...no profanities...no alcohol/drug use...no nudity/sex...and lastly...no scenes that would even provide the remotest of cringe-worthy moments. We thought...could this be the first movie that makes it into our house where our father would actually allow us to watch in peace...and without distraction? While it passed the most important test, we still thought that the story/content would be so lost on our father, that we would still be movie-less. While I could continue to write paragraphs about this moment, let me instead cut to the chase: Pee-Wee's Big Adventure would not only be the first movie that would be watched in our home, but our father eventually sat and watched it with us. It was not only acceptable, but this movie would become one of the most beloved treasures of our home. Over the last almost 40 years, we would watch this movie hundreds of times...quote it endlessly...and do character scenes to make each other laugh. Thank you, Mr. Paul Rubens...aka Pee-Wee Herman. You were truly a special, and you shared your gifts with the world. Thank you for believing enough in yourself to take those seemingly incalculable risks to put your namesake, Pee-Wee Herman, up on the screen. Your genuine soul will be missed. What a loss.
oh. my. goodness how I adore Pee-wee Herman. I have no idea how many times I've watched Pee-wee's Big Adventure and have no clue as to the effect it has creatively had on my life, and in the lives of my creative daughters. I was finally able to visit the Cabazon dinosaurs last month and it was absolutely amazing. Thank you Paul, for getting out there, doing your own creative thing, and bringing us all along for the ride. Thank you for bringing so many incredibly talented people together on your journey and sharing them with us as well. You will be sorely missed. 🩶🤍❤️
We 1980s born kids love you Pee Wee thank you Paul Reubens 😢 my inner child heart is saddened by this sudden passing of the comedic genius. My kids will watch all of Reubens kid friendly* movies and groundbreaking Saturday morning show Pee Wee’s Playhouse ❤
There's no way any major studio would take a risk like this today. It's really sad to think about. At least we have this gem to remind us of a better time.
Our world was BRIGHTENED by the sunshine when Paul was with us! There was laughter that was so SORELY needed and is even MORE NEEDED in these tumultuous days we are now living in! There was imagination, there was fantasy, and the ability for all of us to travel back to our childhood again. Paul so skillfully transported us there! You were a beautiful soul. Now the sunshine has gone out. But it’s gonna forever live in our hearts and through his movies. RIP, Pee Wee. You’ll never be forgotten!
My favorite comedian ever !, when he made " Pee Wees Big Adventure" I can't remember how many times I watched that movie all I know was that it was a lot. Thanks for the funny memories Pee Wee.
Back in those days, you were able to retain ownership rights to your characters. However today, because of the law passed in the 90s, if you want to make a movie, or a show, you have to sell the rights to the studio if you want a show/movie made by a major hollywood studio. And it's really not worth it in the long run. Because they can cancel you, then reboot it, without your permission. In fact Paul Fusco said that's ultimately why ALF was cancelled. Because even though ALF was a hit sitcom for NBC, Fusco owned the character of ALF. Which is why he's still able to perform as the ALF character today. So NBC just decided to cancel ALF outright, and create a show that they could own for perpetuity. The show that ultimately replaced ALF was The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. And yup, NBC went and made a Bel-Air reboot. I don't know why so many people are still so quick to sell off the rights to their characters, when it is known how shady and advantageous Hollywood is. Especially today, when there's so many outlets to do it independently, and not involving hollywood at all. That's why you have these people who created a hit character, but they sold it off for $500K (which is a lot of money is the character ends up flopping), and the character went on to make billions. And they don't see any of that. I can understand in the 90s, even the 2000s, when the internet wasn't what it is today, and hollywood was the only real outlet to get your work to the masses. But now you have so many outlets, most of which have much bigger audiences than traditional hollywood outlets. And if it becomes popular enough, hollywood will come to you, begging on their knees to work with you. And because your product has achieved success independently, you can actually afford to hire a team of good attorneys, so they can't take advantage of you, and give you a raw deal. Then you can negotiate on your terms, where you can keep ownership of your characters. And they can't reboot it, or create merchandise without your permission and approval. And if they do cancel you, you still retain the rights to your character. And then you can sell it off to the highest bidder on your terms. Blippi is a recent example of this. Stevin John, the guy who played Blippi retained the rights to the character, and made several TV shows, cartoons, and loads of merchandise. And then ended up selling the character in an acquisition for $3 billion.
Love the visuals and the narration, wish it continued his evolution past his issues with the law and then his revival with the Broadway stint and new special for streaming. Also, his acting and writing have been great as well.
Yes, love everything he does. I have always been fascinated by a stage character’s first transition to the big screen, so I decided to focus on that timeline, especially with how much attention the controversies already get. HBO is producing a full documentary on his life though, so your wish will be granted soon!
I was 4 when pee wees playhouse first aired and i quite literally grew up idolizing pee wee lol. Saturday mornings were the best! Rest in peace Paul Reubens. My childhood owes you so much ❤
I will miss him so much. I work in child care and he is my biggest inspiration in life along with Cassandra Peterson. Its crazy, I haven't seen any of him in years and the other day I watched the movies to celebrate his talent after I heard he left us. I never realised just how much I took from him to be an entertainer of kids.
. .. and this is why we should give the Promising Young Weirdos of the world the creative chances they deserve. I was 15 the summer PeeWee's Big Adventure came out, and I invited my new neighbor girl--a Japanese exchange student with very shaky English--to see it at the local mall. We loved and bonded over the movie, and it led to a lifetime friendship. I hadn't heard from her in a long time, but she messaged me the day Paul Reubens died . . . it was sad to lose him, but so great to hear from her. And a few years later, there was nothing like coming down off acid during my college days, and knowing that we had PeeWee's Playhouse to look forward to on Saturday mornings.
Great short on PeeWee. Paul followed his dreams and flew further than he ever thought. Now he flies in the eternal sky. Thanks for all the wonderful memories growing up. The world today needs more laughter and fun.
Had this on vhs. Probably watched it 50 times. I remember a friend taking me to see this while I was suffering a bad break - up. I never laughed so hard in my life. Forgot about my broken heart. Fell in love with PeeWee.
It's basically one joke, but what a wonderfully innocent and enthusiastic joke. We could use more "not taking myself too seriously" and "you're all in on the joke" humor today.
An interesting short bio as to how things ultimately evolved for Pee--wee. He was quite a gifted artist playing both serious roles (Blow) and the beloved Pee-wee, which will be remembered for generations to come. Thank you for the laughter outside the real world. RIP, Mr. Reubens
Dang, I can't believe after the passing of Paul I have become absolutely obsessed and interested in Pee-Wee and now I wanna make a fan show that is stop motion! I loved how he was so wacky and silly and loveable. He certainly will be missed!
My mom was so excited when all the Pee-Wee Playhouse episodes were coming to adult swim so she could show them to me. Some of my best memories were watching those crazy episodes with her.
I LOVED his show when I was a little kid in the late 80s. It was a few years later that I saw the movie at my cousin's house and I thought it was the best movie ever. I still quote it and its part of our extended family's culture. (Quotes , in jokes etc-- how scared we all were at Large Marge!)
@retroruckus I think I used to have a picture book for Big Top Pee-Wee too. Which I watched recently for the first time in forever and really loved it. In some ways I might even like it better than Big Adventure, but that's just a personal preference.
I just watched a whole bunch of Pee-Wee Herman clips and scenes. I laughed until my sides hurt and tears bolted from my eyes. When I watched the last scene and it was over, the tears kept on coming. You were unique, gifted. and made so many people smile and laugh. Your comedic talent was genius. It takes me back to a time When so many people I knew and loved in this world were dying of AIDS. You provided escape from difficult realities. I will always remember the relief you brought me when I had to sustain composure through the horrific experience of losing so many loved ones and friends. I only hope that someone with similar experience to mine let you know how much you helped. I love you for the comfort you provided me. I only wish I had known you and could have told you that. R.I.P.
It never fails to amaze me how the late '80s/early '90s had so many properties explicitly intended for adults converted into mainstream children's media. 😂 This was really interesting. I sort of semi-knew where Pee-Wee came from, but it's nice to see the details. Didn't know this was how Burton and Elfman got together.
@Felamine Well, yes, that's tangentially connected, but I mean how things like _Robocop_ and _Mortal Kombat_ got Saturday morning cartoons and toys made. 😂
@@DoctorInk20 The tv show Pee Wee's Playhouse was not strictly marketed to kids (like those Saturday morning cartoons). They may have removed the few raunchy parts from the play, but even without that in the play, adults would have filled the theater to see it. I can see how that would be confusing though. I was around 11 or 12 when Pee Wee's Playhouse started airing on Saturday mornings. My mom was excited to watch it. She told me to come watch it. I was thinking "WTF is this?". I was so confused. Then I was even more confused when I found out that tons of adults watched it, and now I see that it was know for it's all ages crestivity. I don't know if you ever seen it, or if there are any episodes online, but if you watched it, you would understand. (Saturday morning time slot or not, what it appears or not, the whole point was the content itself and how it was presented.) The character of PeeWee Herman was never meant to be a character marketed to kids. If anything, he was marketed more to adults.
@@srldwg That's a good way of putting it. Honestly, I've only seen a few brief segments of the show over the years online (I didn't grow up with it, I don't remember watching it on TV), but I'm sure there's more I'd notice now than I did even when I was a teen. Even then, I still think that creating a softer, more accessible version of a thing that was _initially_ aimed at a mature audience falls under what I'm talking about. There's obviously still some subtlety there, but that's just how I see it. It's a strange phenomenon. 😆
Film & Video alumni from Columbia College Chicago. Having loved Paul and, putting 3 kid's through college, raising them on "Pee-Wee", I must say: Though I have of course seen many video compulations on Paul since his passing, yours is one of the most thorough, well documented and put together I have seen. Very well done!
(Blank) Amazing. To see the behind the scenes history of how a favorite childhood show and its star came to be. As a child I never ask questions of creation....the show just was. No think about the history of creativity behind it and how it all came together. But as a adult to revisit your childhood and see it through an adult lens. To now be interested in, understand, and take in consideration the creativity and hard work it took to make something......I won't say you took for granted as a kid, but were clueless of the effort it took.
Wow. You are quite excellent at making retrospectives. Script, editing, music, everything is on point. Loving this channel so far! I always wondered why PeeWee never got an NES game. It probably would've sucked. Still, it feels like a minute hole in fabric of the decade.
Thanks for the kind words! I have a theory for why that didn’t happen - Paul was incredibly smart about maintaining the rights to his character. Meaning that if Warner Bros., Paramount or CBS were to sell the video game rights for any of the movies or TV show, they would have lost a lot of profit to Mr. Reubens anyways. And Paul himself *only* had the rights to his character, meaning if he made a game independently, it couldn’t feature any of the movies’ or TV show’s characters, music or storyline. All that probably kept both sides away from it.
How time changes. Back in the day, my sister and I would dive in front of the TV and watch this on Saturday Mornings. My dad thought it was the stupidest thing he ever saw. Skip ahead and a few years ago, he was watching old Pee Wee clips here on RU-vid and giggling. I'm telling ya, Boomers are some strange cats, then comes Gen-X yelling, hold my beer!
Any chance you’ll make a video on Pee Wee Herman talking about the time between his first movie and Big Top Pee Wee? Big Top Pee Wee is an alright movie, but compared to that first one it just doesn’t measure up. I’d love to know why. Also, I’d love a video all about Oingo Boingo! Thanks for making such quality content!
Glad to have discovereed you from your last video on the muppets. It's been fun watching whatever topic you come up with these past couple months. I am glad I have lived the era or growing up on both the muppets and pee wee both through re-runs on the weekends in the mid 90' early 2000's. Can't wait to see what topic you'll come up next. Fun fact about me. If it weren't for pee wee herman, amongst friends I've made on twitch I probably wouldn't grow to love doing improv on my weekends at my local theater. :)
I remember being about 2 years old and my parents letting me see The Herman Show on VHS and I became obsessed. I had a Peewee doll and it was one of my favorite things I had. He was absolutely influential and comforting during hard childhood times. He helped all of us feel like kids again. He helped us feel loved, special and silly. Thank you Peewee, you are such a legend 💛 you will never be forgotten hope you are riding your bike in bliss.
You published this three weeks ago? Just two short weeks before his passing? That's either amazing timing or you were privy to some terrible inside knowledge. So sad to lose Paul Reubens. Only now am I coming to realize his amazing talents. Hate it when I learn these things too late :( That said, you put together a wonderful piece here. Thank you so much! Pee-wee's Big Adventure sure encapsulates childhood experience and the love of a bicycle. Reubens really put a human - if totally zany - touch on the value a bicycle has to a kid - and an adult like me! Pee-wee Herman will always be the ambassador childhood bicycle lore.
It’s funny, when I was a very little kid (like 4 years old, I was born in 1985) I was absolutely and totally obsessed with Pee-Wee. Like, I had two official Pee-Wee dolls and I carried them *everywhere*. I would only respond to “Pee-Wee” rather than my actual name. I had the movie, the HBO special, and all the TV show episodes on Betamax (seriously) so I would watch them every day over and over at home. There was a long period during the ‘90s when I became sadly embarrassed about my Pee-Wee infatuation as a kid, for… reasons. But by the time I grew up I learned to embrace it, and now I’m just proud that I had such fantastically good taste as a child.
This is my first Retro Ruckus video--and hotdamn I love your concise narrative style that refuses to sacrifice power on delivery. Pee-wee meant so much to me as a child and this was a lovely, and informative, medium that encourages a personal revisit to Reubens' work.
5:18 Phil's diner was one of the last railroad car diners around. I ate there all the time when I lived in the Valley. I always had the Mish Mosh. It's also on the cover of Phil Everly's album also called Phil's Diner. And like Pee Wee, the good things never last long enough. RIP Paul