Why Elaine’s Dad Was Solely Proven As soon as on Seinfeld

Within the “Seinfeld” episode “The Jacket” (February 6, 1991), Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld) and George (Jason Alexander) prepare a dinner with Alton Benes (Lawrence Tierney), the daddy of Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus). Attributable to a drama involving towed automobiles, Elaine is late for dinner, and Jerry and George have a protracted, painful time attempting to converse with Alton, a surly and grumpy character. Alton is a well-known creator, and Jerry assumes he will probably be talkative and gregarious, but it surely’s fairly the other; he’s aggravated by the whiny conduct and delicate sensibilities of his companions and wears a everlasting, disapproving frown. When Jerry refuses to stroll within the snow – to guard his new suede jacket from water injury – Alton insists. Like many episodes of “Seinfeld,” everyone seems to be uncomfortable on the finish.

Lawrence Tierney gave a wonderful efficiency and the actors had been delighted to work with him. Tierney had been appearing professionally because the Forties and was a fighter and infamous drinker for nearly as lengthy; Headlines on the time had been already reporting his disorderly conduct. Quentin Tarantino forged Tierney as crime boss Joe Cabot in “Reservoir Canines,” and the director reported that Tierney was already messyafter taking pictures his nephew whereas he was drunk. Many individuals who labored with Tierney have tales of his brash, weird, generally amusing, however generally intimidating conduct. Tierney struggled with alcoholism all through his life. A whole record of Lawrence Tierney’s wild and slovenly behaviors would take up more room than we now have right here.

It appears the forged of “Seinfeld” has their very own tales, too. It seems that whereas filming “The Jacket,” Tierney tried to steal a knife from Jerry’s kitchen. An included DVD interview with “The Jacket” consists of Seinfeld’s very unusual encounter with Tierney over the knife, main on to the choice to not reinstate him on the present.

With out this incident, it’s doubtless that Tierney would have turn into a semi-regular on the sequence.

“Seinfeld” co-creator Larry David admitted that the character Alton Benes was impressed by real-life creator Richard Yates. David was courting Yates’ daughter Monica a number of years in the past, and he agreed to satisfy Richard on the Algonquin for drinks and a chat…all whereas carrying a suede jacket. And sure, similar to in “The Jacket,” David ended up ruining his suede jacket when Yates insisted they go for a stroll within the snow.

It appears Tierney was good for the position, as Louis-Dreyfus describes him as “an actual weirdo.” […] It is a disgrace he was so cuckoo as a result of I am certain he would have come again in any other case.” Alexander agreed, saying that Tierney performed his position extremely properly and that there was each purpose to imagine that he would return to play Alton Benes sooner or later However he was too loopy. “We stored a watch on Lawrence,” mentioned Michael Richards (Kramer), “As a result of Lawrence stole one of many episodes. Jerry on set.”

Louis-Dreyfus, Alexander and “The Jacket” director Tom Cherones all bear in mind seeing Tierney take a big butcher knife out of Jerry’s knife block and slip it into his coat. Louis-Dreyfus remembers Seinfeld confronting Tierney in regards to the theft, which she thought of doubtlessly harmful. Alexander mentioned Tierney, when confronted, tried to play alongside, saying he had stolen the knife for comedic causes. Certainly, he took out the knife and lunged at Seinfeld, saying it will be humorous if he had been attacked like within the film “Psycho.” Tierney even sang The famous score “Psycho” by Bernard Herrmann as he made enjoyable of Seinfeld. The actor, it appears, held on. “That’s once we knew we had been within the land of the sick,” Alexander mentioned.

Everybody was scared. Cherones defended Tierney, saying he was in any other case utterly skilled and handled everybody with kindness (when knives weren’t concerned). “However Larry David threatened to take it again if I wasn’t properly.” Tierney by no means returned to “Seinfeld.”