Los Angeles, Feb 7 (IANS): Popular American host David Letterman once got into a serious beef with Hollywood maverick Quentin Tarantino, to the point that the filmmaker threatened to kill him.

The late-night talk show great shared his "great fight" with the "Kill Bill" helmer when asked on Showtime's "Desus & Mero" if he ever had "any famous beefs", reports aceshowbiz.com.

"I got into a great fight with Quentin Tarantino. This was really good." The 72-year-old funnyman said that it all stemmed from his reaction to a guest's revelation that Tarantino was dating a famous star, whom he described as "so famous that I can't recall the name."

Thinking that the "Pulp Fiction" director was not attractive or cool enough for the actress, Letterman jokingly protested the relationship.

"I'm thinking the idea is Quentin Tarantino is this movie-store nerd. Now I'm pretending that I'm stunned this glorious movie star is dating this little squirrelly guy," he said.

Two days later, he got a call from Tarantino who berated him on the phone.

"He starts screaming at me, 'I'm gonna beat you to death, I'm gonna kill you, I'm coming to New York, and I'm gonna beat the crap out of you. How can you say that about me?' And I said, 'Quentin, hang on a second.'"

Letterman then asked his producer to pick up the other line, so no one could accuse him of making the story up.

He said Tarantino went "on, and on and on - like the guy is full-blown clinically goofy."

Letterman said he asked the director: "Bat or fist," to which the latter responded: "Bat."

The host said that they picked dates and flights, but the "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" director ghosted him on the day of the supposed duel. They, however, have made peace as the filmmaker apologised for the outburst years later, according to Letterman.