John Lennon, Jerry Lewis and the MDA Labor Day telethon

This is an amazing find!  The Jerry Lewis Labor Day MDA telethons have hosted hundreds of Lewis' Vegas pals over the years (Tony Orlando, Charo, etc.).  Google "Jerry Lewis" on Mark Evanier's or Ken Levine's blogs and you can read all about the schlock.

However, John Lennon appeared on the telethon in 1972 during the height of his activist days (backed up by wife Yoko Ono, plus the band Elephant's Memory... apparently for the last time).  This was the last in a series of charity concerts John did that year, and would be his last live performance until 1974 (he would appear with Elton John at Madison Square Garden that Thanksgiving, and then on a tribute to Sir Lew Grade in 1975).  Back to Labor Day, 1972, a snippet of this audio was released on the 1998 "Lennon Anthology" boxed set, consisting mostly of Jerry Lewis trying to coax John back for an encore.  I (and I think most people) assumed the whole performance was long-gone, but here it is WITH the video.  Amazing!

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Mildly related, here's Ray Charles on the telethon in 1978-79; Lewis' intrusion is not pretty...




Moving further off-course, here's a commercial for the 1971 telethon (teasing guests including Johnny Carson and Cleavon Little, then on Broadway but later well-known for "Blazing Saddles").


And going ahead 20 years, Maury Povich and "A Current Affair" put together a long piece on the behind-the-scenes prep for the telethon.  It's classic smarmy Jerry!


Now, a cute 1981 commercial for the telethon with Jerry, Ed McMahon and Norm Crosby:



And almost last, but not least: Martin Short as Jerry Lewis, Live on the Champs Elysees, as seen on SCTV.

Here's Short as Lewis as Bob Dylan on SCTV.

Now, Short as Lewis in "Tender Fella" (a mashup of "Cinderfella" and the Robert Duvall film, "Tender Mercies"). This is from a 1987 Showtime special.