Today’s secret word is…ahhh!

By Gary Schaefer

Weekender Reporter

What do actors Phil Hartman and Lawrence Fishburne and director Tim Burton have in common? Three words – Pee Wee Herman.

The movies, the toys and the TV show. Paul Reubens, a.k.a. Pee Wee Herman, brought together the oddest types of performers and twisted them into an ’80s phenomenon.

Burton directed “Pee Wee’s Big Adventure” in 1985 while Reubens and Hartman wrote the masterpiece that, with all honesty, gets funnier and funnier the more you watch it. Fishburne played the part of Cowboy Curtis while Hartman showed up as Captain Carl. What an outrageous trio.

Reubens, who recently was on tour promoting the movie “Blow,” in which he co-starred, was on “Late Show” with David Letterman and claimed he was writing another Pee Wee Herman movie.

It will be hard to imagine that this PG-13 Pee Wee movie will generate the success of the original. The Pee Wee persona swept this nation’s children into hysteria. Kids all over the nation held Pee Wee Herman talking dolls. Americans changed their voices and let out a goofy laugh and asked the eternal question, “I know you are, but what am I?”

It all seemed well enough but when it was time for Reubens to exit stage left gracefully, there was a bump. Reubens found himself being arrested by the Los Angeles police for indecent exposure and masturbation in a pornography theater. The jokes began to fly and mothers held their children and screamed out, “Why?”

The secret word of that dark day was “downfall.” But Reubens did not succumb to the negative publicity. Rather, he slowly slipped back into the limelight, ditching the Pee Wee Herman costume.

Bit parts in movies allowed him to make a living doing what he loved. Reubens teamed up with Burton again in “Batman Returns” as Mr. Cobblepot and as the voice of Lock in “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” He also played Amilyn in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”

In 1998, Reubens did the voice of the raccoon in “Dr. Dolittle” and the next year took the part of Spleen in the movie “The Mystery Men.” Last year, he delivered an acclaimed performance as Derek Foreal playing opposite Johnny Depp in “Blow.”

Reubens is back, but for how long? He hosted ABC’s absentee show “You Don’t Know Jack” and recently had the Los Angeles police knocking on his door again. The police have confiscated Reuben’s photographs and collection of vintage erotic art. No charges have been filed and no arrests have been made. There is just another batch of rumors for Reubens to crawl out from under.

Reubens has a past that is as shady as an umbrella. Deep down, it’s hard to not pull for the man. If he can put the bow tie back on and strut around in those white shoes, then more power to him. The jury still might be out on what to think of this sordid man. But if truth be told, he’s made each and every one of us laugh and for that, the M.O.O.S.E. raises its voice high and yells, “Meka-leka high mek-a hiney-ho.”