Celebrating Mel Brooks

This American Film Institute Tribute to Mel Brooks features a plethora of stars... and does not feature Judd Apatow.  According to this interview, he was all set to speak but got cold feet.  He tells the story in far more interesting detail.  I've never been a huge fan of his work -- I can appreciate it but do not love most of it -- however, his interview with Terry Gross is quite good.  He talks about being a teenager and interviewing stand-ups like Jerry Seinfeld and Jay Leno.  The AFI event is quite good, too, which begins below with a musical tribute by Martin Short...




For good measure, here's Brooks imitating Frank Sinatra:

Robin Williams needs a new phone

This is a cute 1977 ad for Illinois Bell, featuring native son Robin Williams as a mischevious husband.  The lady playing his wife is NOT Pam Dawber, who would co-star with Williams the next year in "Mork & Mindy."

Ira Glass on SNL

SNL has never been shy about poking fun at NPR and public radio, as evidenced by "Schweddty Balls" and its numerous, paint-by-numbers retreads.  This piece -- with Fred Armisen doing a spot-on Ira Glass -- did not make it past dress rehearsal.  I'm guessing because it was just too inside (judging by audience reaction).  It's still enjoyable for public radio fans.

Triumph the Insult Comic Dog at the Great American Beer Festival

How can you not like Triumph the Insult Comic Dog?  Do you dislike America?  Well maybe you like craft beer... or maybe you hate it.  IRREGARDLESS, Triumph destroys the microbrews.  Thank you, Conan O'Brien and Robert Smigel.

The Christopher Lowell Show on SNL (2000)

It's been a while since I've posted an SNL sketch... I found this one hilarious when I first saw it, even though I had never seen or heard of "The Christopher Lowell Show."  Just the sound the actors make tickled me for some reason.  This may be #SNL4kidz for slightly older kids.  You'll see why.

What is Disney World like?

Here's an hilarious look into working at DisneyWorld.  If you're hoping for angry secrets of how they exploit, abuse and murder workers, you won't find them here.  This fellow looks on it simply as another job that has as many peculiarities as any other profession.  The section at 3:25 (as seen at left) was my favorite.

As a bonus, here's the opening day TV special from DisneyWorld (October 29, 1971).  The section linked here features Julie Andrews singing a funky "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah" while being pursued by a gang of street toughs.  It's like Lady-Mannix!

A big hot smoking band

How can you not like this?!  It's a video on how to get started with your Casio keyboard.  A benevolent genius has edited it down to the best parts.  All I have to say is, "PLEASE don't touch your dials."

Sammy Davis Jr. needs money

In the 1970s, for some reason, Sammy Davis Jr. got sponsorship deals with a number of companies, including Alka-Seltzer (which was apparently trying to cater to the morning-after-disco crowd).  Here's some of his better work, as well as his brilliant take on Michael Jackson's "Bad."



Suntory is one of the biggest Japanese beverage companies.  In the 1970s, they recruited Sammy, as well as the Carpenters (their jingles are also on the 1991 "From the Top" boxed set):



Tom Joyner (The Fly Jock) apparently had a show on WJPC (which is now WNTD, Catholic Radio) with sidekicks named LaDonna Tittle and BBD Banana.  Seriously:



And for good measure, here he is pushing "Sammy's Mean Mustard" on "The Arsenio Hall Show."  (Wherein the audience inexplicably does NOT give him an ovation).  I'm guessing this is from 1989, just before his health really started failing.  The mustard actually sounds quite good, and was available briefly in test markets like Detroit and Cleveland.  I have approximated what I think it must have been like by using brown mustard and Tabasco sauce, with a little yogurt and garlic salt.  The whole project (including a nationwide rollout) never happened due to Sammy's death:

David Letterman and Charles Grodin

One of Dave's (and Johnny's) most entertaining guests, Charles Grodin, was not on the list for Letterman's final shows.  This article laments the absence, and also has links to some great Grodin appearances.  By my research, it appears he was last on the "Late Show" in 2008.

Billy Crystal wants to be your friend

In the spring of 1982, Billy Crystal was touring and performing again after four seasons on “Soap” (1977-81).  Someone at NBC – then in a desperate race for fourth place among the Big Three networks – decided to revive the kinds of variety shows that were once popular years before, with Crystal as the host.  This clip has some highlights with his guests, John Candy, Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas from fellow NBC show “SCTV.”  Crystal’s show seems a bit too old-fashioned and formal for a time when David Letterman and Eddie Murphy (and even SCTV) were redefining comedy on the same network.  Crystal’s show did not catch on (“The Punk ‘Honeymooners’” sounds like something from “Sonny & Cher”), but he did end up making several appearances on “Saturday Night Live” the next season… and then dominating the cast the year after that -- getting an Emmy nomination in the process for some excellent work.  This would eventually lead to the film “Running Scared,” which kick-started his movie career.  So maybe it’s best the show didn’t work out.  The clip linked above does more to confirm the genius of John Candy than anything else.



As a "bonus" here's Crystal with buddy Robin Williams, plus Dudley Moore and John Larroquette on "Oprah" for a "comedy" episode.  Since Oprah has such a great sense of humor.  Her entrance into the club -- essentially staring till the audience applauds at a sufficient level -- then giving an over-confident "thank you" is pure cheese.  I do not understand her appeal.  Some of the commenters on the video claim Larroquette seems threatened by Williams.  I wouldn't know since I can't stomach the thought of watching this.

Blockbuster University and Buster Sales

This ridiculous training video tells you all you need to know to be the best Blockbuster Video employee you can be!  Without the internet, this poor young lady is lost, talking to a feeble-looking figment of her imagination (as seen at left) known as "Buster Sales."  Too bad they couldn't find a way to make his hair clash with his eyes and clothes and tie and background.  The acting in this thing is first-rate; my favorites are the 1960s movie fan who has never heard of "Casino Royale," the woman named Marge Simpson and the stunning and very public mental collapse that the sales clerk suffers after horrible abuse by Mr. Sales.  Although my high school band director makes this guy seem like Mr. Rogers.  Anyhow, all those tapes in that entire store must be worth a dollar -- total -- today.

Falling over Niagra Falls

Here's a list of items (and people) that have gone over the falls -- intentionally or not.

A look back at the Ford Model T

The Thin Lizzie, from a modern perspective.  The only problem with the Model T is that it's impossible to search for it online.  Think about it, dot com.

Walter & Perry want to fight

The late, lamented "Home Movies" was a bridge between "Dr. Katz Professional Therapist" (brainchild of the great Jonathan Katz, featuring voice work from H. Jon Benjamin) and "Bob's Burger's" (brainchild of Benjamin, with occasional voice work from Katz).  In between, "Home Movies" was created by Benjamin, along with Loren Bouchard and Brendon Small.  My favorite scene is illustrated to the left, featuring Walter & Perry. #SNL4kidz

RCA Selectavision and the weird swingers

I thought I had posted this before, but apparently not.  RCA's Selectavision system was birthed in the late 1960s, but didn't come to market for a decade... just as VCRs and laserdisc players were also competing for consumer dollars.  The former had a lower cost and could record; the latter had superior sound and picture (and could not record).  In the middle was the already obsolete Selectavision (aka CED), which used a needle-and-groove format to play digital "records."

A website dedicated to the format is here and a link to the campy closed-circuit introduction for RCA dealers is here (with human-torch, Tom Brokaw). It went out from RCA/NBC's Studio 8H -- home of SNL -- on February 25, 1981... four days after Charles Rocket's infamous F-bomb. He may have been summoned that same day to apologize to some of the very executives you see in this video.

About the only other notable thing about the format is that a few of the music releases (such as The Beatles' 1970 documentary "Let It Be") are worth some money.  The rest are landfill.  However, I will give RCA props for trying, in 1984, to woo newly monied Baby Boomers to what was already a dying format (they pulled the plug in 1986).  This $19.98 sampler was "hosted" by the lady above, as if you were attending a party at her house.  But listen closely -- especially to her opening speech -- and it totally sounds like she's inviting you to a swinger's party.  Example: "the pleasure never stops."  So awkward.  And the opening music is like something from an inside look at the Pentagon!  Instead, it's suburban swingers.  No more spoilers; go see the video!

UPDATE: The Lombard, Illinois-based "Technology Connections" channel has made an exhaustive video series about the history of CED. Part 1 is here.

 The other video format preview I have found is here... it's from 1975, and introduces the Betamax (at first available only as part of a console with a then-much-sought-after Sony Trinitron TV).  The video makes Beta seem like a cure for cancer, but at least its claims are more legit than the CED sampler.  The weird animation is unexpected, and the grave tones of the couple wondering "think they'll ever bring [that show] back?" make it sound like they're discussing a dead relative.  Still, the semi-animated "history of television" is quite good.  Better is this history of television from the 1998 Emmy broadcast.  In the 17 years since this Emmy presentation, what could they add?  "The Sopranos"?  "American (M)Idol"?  9/11 coverage?  "Family Guy"?  "Lazy Sunday"?  "Mad Men"?  I'm not a fan of most of those, but they still might rank as important... everything else is either covered in the montage (i.e. Ellen DeGeneres) or is not necessary (sorry, "Dexter" fans).

Elon Gold and his accents

I don't know what to make of this fellow.  He was funny on the Dana Carvey Show.  He came off full of himself at the Pamela Anderson roast.  He's a great Chabad emcee.  He was in the awful Mary Tyler Moore reunion movie.  But he kills with this genius bit about accents (skip the first part about Ghana).  The rest of that special is good, too.  In this article, he mentions that his religion has maybe kept him from working more often.  In the same article, he wishes his career were more... substantial?  Not sure how to phrase it.  And while he's not Adam Sandler, he seems to have done well for himself.  He's got the ingredients, just needs to tweak the recipe.



#SNL4kidz

Mr. Show: Nil's Guitar Shop WAIT WAIT

I have yet to see a Mr. Show sketch that was not absolute brilliance (except maybe their spoof of "Jesus Christ Superstar"... because THAT seemed like a spoof to begin with).  Anyhow, here's an overlooked gem (as most of them are... thanks, HBO).  Favorite parts are David Cross' "wait, wait... wait, wait..." and Bob Odenkirk's warning that "you don't totally suck, either."  The first minute or so (up to the second phone call) is pretty much safe for #SNL4kidz.  Watch and see for yourself.

Who's On First on SNL?

Many of my posts try to give all sorts of background context for a clip, but that would take years in this case.  So just read here about Jack Henry Abbott, here about "Who's On First?" (or checkout this post) and then consult Ben Douwsma's excellent review of this particular episode of SNL (with host Robert Conrad, from January 23, 1982).  Then watch this clip and, if you still don't find it hilarious, rinse and repeat.  On a side note, this was the first episode after the firing of Michael O'Donoghue, who had been a writer on the original five seasons of SNL, and came back to help in season 7 (but clashed with then-producer Dick Ebersol). #SNL4kidz

Porsche 356 Speedster v. Karmann Ghia

In August, 1972, Car & Driver magazine published this comparison of the legendary sports car and the well-regarded budget sports car.  Keep in mind that, back then, C&D was a fairly iconoclast rag, closer to "Rolling Stone" than "Motor Trend" (which, by the way, has a knack of awarding "Car of the Year" to vehicles that prove to be the most-hated, as time goes by).  One editor said C&D wasn't the best car magazine back then, it was the best magazine, period.  (It seems redundant, but necessary, to write the word "period" followed by the actual punctuation mark, right?)

I bring all this up because many people feel this was meant to be tongue-in-cheek.  Or at least, hope it's tongue-in-cheek.  Who knows... it's been debated on this VW forum, and the posters ironically seem to think the Karmann Ghia is a joke.

Dancing on SNL, season 39

This short film was excerpted in the opening clip montage on SNL40... and rightfully so.  The summary from NBC...

"A club promoter (Beck Bennett) spots his roommate (Kyle Mooney) dancing and instantly sets him up with a career as a professional dancer, only to see him conquer the world and fall from grace in a few short minutes."
#SNL4kidz

The PM Flyers and Dick Clark and Billy Crystal and Witness Protection

Who ARE the PM Flyers?!  Paul Vaughn (the one with the glasses) had been hilarious in supporting roles since his days as Paul on "Cheers" (a background role that, in later years, came foreground at times).  Here he is -- possibly his first appearance -- with the "words" to the theme from "Bonanza" (based on a real segment of that western series, which is rarely seen in syndication... alternatively, I think I remember reading that it was actually cut from the pilot).

Back to the PM Flyers... their only appearances seem to be on Dick Clark's Nitetime Show, which was syndicated in 1985-86.  From the clips I've seen, it is a very sad exercise in "young people are up late and ONLY I KNOW WHAT THEY LIKE, and they'll watch anything at that hour."  Checkout some of the other clips online... just a pathetic mess of promotional videos and bad comics and.... I have to stop.  Here, the other guy (not Paul) "imitates" Billy Crystal.  Wow.


Speaking of which, Dick Clark's various high-profile TV ventures should have been enough for his pocketbook... "American Bandstand" and "Bloopers and Practical Jokes" should have been enough.  Why did he need to do radio shows and "Nitetime" and "Pyramid" and a thousand other shows?  The man could have lived to 1,000 if he'd just slowed down.  Read this article and decide for yourself if he was TOO busy (bonus points for using the archaic term "sh*theel"; he's like e.e. cummings in UPPERCASE).

Hot dogs at 7-11

This mid-80s commercial for 7-11 is incredibly unappealing.  Do YOU want to watch these two guys eat?  The one on the left looks like he wants to rob the 7-11.  And the one on the right looks like a VERY unwitting accomplice.  Too bad, because hot dogs are God's weiner.

Bill Irwin at the 1987 Tony Awards

For years, I thought Bill Irwin was the weird sound effects guy from "A Prairie Home Companion."  But that actually turned out to be Fred Newman, my archnemesis.  Here's Irwin opening the 1987 Tony Awards.  Apparently, it's loaded with Broadway "in-jokes."  Enjoy.