Jerry Lewis and Dick Cavett Cracking Up

Just in time not for Labor Day, here's a few occasions where Jerry Lewis was entertaining and NOT irritating...

His 1980 "comeback" film, "Cracking Up," was a complete mess... but this opening sequence is vintage Lewis.  It may not have held up as well, what with some French-cinema-inspired gags, but it's probably the final time he approached the spirit of his early films.



Lewis appeared on The Dick Cavett Show on January 27, 1973, a few years after his film career had cooled down, and his prospects for a TV career seemed permanently over after a huge flop (1963) and a moderately received two-season wonder (1967-69).  Cavett, by the way, had been a writer on the 1963 show.
At the beginning, he's relatively gracious answering questions from the audience. Then, during the commercial break, he started his famous pantomime with Bobby Rosengarden, and the director had the presence of mind to bring the cameras up.  Later, the interview seems to be the source for much of Lewis' reputation as a self-aggrandizing nut.  This episode is available on the Shout Factory DVD sets that came out in the early 2000s.  The pantomime starts about 4 minutes in... before that, notice he mentions the elusive "The Day The Clown Cried":



There's a similar pantomime in this live Paris performance (which derives from this scene in the film, "Cinderfella"):

And as long as we're on Lewis and pantomime (no I will not post "The Typewriter"), here he is in "The Errand Boy":

Il Cantore restaurant and SNL

Feeling festive?  Take a visit to Il Cantore, courtesy of Saturday Night Live.  This episode aired April 17, 1993 (season 18), with host Kirstie Alley (a great episode) at a time when every season seemed to end (roughly) with a "Cheers" castmember hosting (George Wendt in 1991, Woody Harrelson in 1992).  For the record, Ted Danson, Rhea Perlman (with husband, Danny DeVito) and Kelsey Grammer have also hosted.  That leaves Nicholas Colasanto (RIP), Shelley Long, Bebe Neuwirth and John Ratzenberger as the only castmembers who never hosted -- although Ratzenberger did make a cameo with Alley when she hosted in 1991.  A cameo which was spoofed in the April '93 episode (no spoilers!), just as "Cheers" went off the air.

KBTime: Irv Korman, entertainer and author of "Antuan Was Here" and "I Was Jerry Lewis' Bodyguard For 10 Minutes"

Irv Korman is an author, entertainer and wit who's done everything from interviewing celebrities to portraying Ronald McDonald.
His books, "I Was Jerry Lewis' Bodyguard for 10 Minutes..." and "I Was Jackie Mason's Chauffeur for 5 Minutes..." include decades of profiles of some of Hollywood's biggest stars. He also discusses his children's book, "Citytown Christmas Conundrum," plus "Antuan Was Hear" -- humorous remembrances from his years as an educator in the Akron Public Schools and at the University of Akron.
His quick wit and boundless ideas are on-display in this interview, and at irvkorman.com.


#KBTime #snl4kidz

George Harrison VINYL box: What's There, What Isn't

George Harrison would have been 74 next month, and since they apparently consider that a nice, round number, Capitol Records is putting out a VINYL “collection” of his LPs. There’s so much right – and wrong – with this exercise.

The box includes all of his studio LPs (1968’s “Wonderwall” through 2002’s “Brainwashed”), plus 1992’s “Live In Japan” (the last album released in his lifetime). Except for “Brainwashed,” all of those LPs are included (with bonus tracks) in CD boxed sets of George’s work: “The Dark Horse Years, 1976-92” (released 2004) and “The Apple Years, 1968-75” (released 2014). Each box also includes a DVD of rare video.

So, for starters, the new vinyl box includes no bonus tracks. There’s also a number of cuts which didn’t even make it onto the CD boxes. And several of George’s solo LPs are less-than-essential (which is also the case with his fellow Beatles).

Plus, “The Concert for Bangladesh” is nowhere to be found in any of these sets. It got its own deluxe treatment in 2005, but legal entanglements have always made it a difficult piece to reissue. In a nutshell, when contracts were written way back in 1971, Capitol got the rights to issue the LP version of “Bangladesh.” Columbia Records -- in exchange for letting Bob Dylan appear on the set -- got the rights to all non-vinyl versions (which meant cassette, 8-track and reel tape at that time). In 1971, non-vinyl sales weren’t huge. By the 1990s, they were: both cassettes and CDs were king, with vinyl taking a distant, almost non-existent back seat. (At one point around 1980-82, Capitol attempted to reissue the album without the side of Dylan’s songs, and also without the side featuring Ravi Shankar… this was quickly withdrawn). So “Bangladesh” had been mostly out-of-print from the late 1970s until 2005. I’m sure George’s estate didn’t want to even attempt to sort out that mess and get the album into the new box.

Getting back to what IS in the new box, see my comments below...

Wonderwall Music (1968): Aside from the sin of inspiring Oasis, this album is mostly pleasant, Indian background music. George recorded much of this soundtrack album in Bombay, during sessions that also produced the backing track for “The Inner Light.” The best track is actually the madcap, non-Indian “Drilling a Home.”

Electronic Sound (1969): briefly reissued on CD (for some reason) in 1996, this is a monophonic recording of George getting to know his then-new Moog synthesizer. One of the tracks is essentially Moog-pioneer Bernie Krause demonstrating the instrument to George; Krause later sued, claiming unauthorized use of the audio (and his credit on the front cover was mostly airbrushed out). Bits of this recording are used throughout “I Remember Jeep” from “All Things Must Pass,” but that’s the most notable thing about it.

All Things Must Pass (1970): George’s masterpiece.

Living In the Material World (1973), Dark Horse (1974): both great albums marred slightly by too many dirge-like pieces. Overall enjoyable. George’s hoarseness on the latter is not as grating as smart-ass reviewers would have you believe. On “Living In the Material World,” George rescues “Try Some, Buy Some” from the Ronnie Spector-solo-album-that-wasn’t. The LP also includes one of his finest deep cuts, “Don’t Let Me Wait Too Long.”

Extra Texture (Read All About It) (1975): generally dismissed by reviewers, this contains the hit “You” (also from the Ronnie Spector sessions), plus another great deep cut, “This Guitar (Can’t Keep From Crying),” which was also the last single ever issued on Apple Records.

Thirty Three & 1/3 (1976): A very enjoyable LP, coming after a bout with hepatitis. Connection? Who knows. This was released within two weeks of Capitol’s lame “Best of George Harrison” LP -- half of which were Beatles tracks -- which is the only vinyl LP to include the non-album 1971 single, “Bangladesh.”

George Harrison (1979): Another low-key, enjoyable album, with lots of help from Steve Winwood and Jeff Lynne.

Somewhere in England (1981), Gone Troppo (1982): weaker outings with some nice deep cuts… “All Those Years Ago” (originally written for Ringo Starr, before John Lennon’s murder) on the former, and “Mystical One” on the latter. The vinyl reissue of “Somewhere” seems to use the revised front cover for the album, and not the original artwork that George intended (which was reinstated on the 2004 CD reissue). By the way, “Circles” on “Gone Troppo” was written and demoed in the lead up to recording the “White Album.”

Cloud Nine (1987): another comeback! The new set includes 12” picture disks of this album’s two big singles, “When We Was Fab” and “I Got My Mind Set On You.” Each 12” includes an extended version of the song, plus a non-album b-side: “Zig Zag” and “Lay His Head,” respectively. More on those below.

Live In Japan (1992), Brainwashed (2002): the two newest albums, which have always been tough to find on vinyl. The former was recorded with Eric Clapton’s band, and reissued as an SACD in the “Dark Horse” boxed set.

That’s what IS in the box. Here’s what’s missing…
Wonderwall Music (1968): the “Apple Years” CD reissue includes "In the First Place" (by the Remo Four), "Almost Shankara" and an alternate take of the backing track for "The Inner Light."

All Things Must Pass (1970): the 2000 CD reissue included "I Live for You," the backing track for "What Is Life," a demo of "Beware of Darkness" and an alternate take of "Let It Down." Also included was a re-recording of "My Sweet Lord" with Sam Brown.

Living In the Material World (1973): the 2006 reissue included the non-album b-sides "Deep Blue" and "Miss O'Dell." The deluxe edition of the reissue included a DVD with "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)" (from the same tour that produced "Live In Japan," though it's unclear if this is the same recording from the album), plus an alternate version of "Miss O'Dell" and a demo of "Sue Me, Sue You Blues." The "Apple Years" reissue added the non-album "Bangla Desh" (a-side with "Deep Blue").

Dark Horse (1974): the "Apple Years" reissue added the non-album b-side, "I Don't Care Anymore," and an alternate take of "Dark Horse."

Extra Texture (1975): includes a 1992 re-recording of “This Guitar (Can’t Keep From Crying),” which was finished in 2002 by Ringo Starr and George’s song, Dhani, and released promote Dave Stewart’s “Platinum Weird” project in 2006.

Thirty Three & 1/3 (1976): the "Dark Horse" box added "Tears of the World," which was actually left off of "Somewhere In England." Later, on iTunes, another bonus track was added: an early mix of "Learning How to Love You."

George Harrison (1979): the "Dark Horse" box added a demo of “Here Comes the Moon.”

Somewhere in England (1981): the "Dark Horse" box added a demo of “Save the World.” This is most annoying since the album was submitted in 1980, rejected by Warner Bros., and then re-submitted after George worked on the LP a little more and dropped four songs: “Flying Hour,” "Lay His Head," "Sat Singing" and "Tears of the World."

Of those songs, “Flying Hour” was added to “Somewhere In England” as a bonus track on iTunes. "Lay His Head" is not on the CD reissues, but it is in the new vinyl box as part of the 12” "Got My Mind Set On You" single. And “Sat Singing” has only ever been released on the impossibly rare EP that was included with the limited edition book, “Songs By George Harrison” (1988). That EP also includes remixed versions of “Lay His Head” and “Flying Hour.” AND there’s a smoking live version of “For You Blue” recorded in Largo, Maryland during George’s 1974 tour.

“Tears of the World” was added to the “33 1/3” reissue (see above), and is also on “Songs By George Harrison Volume 2” (issued with the 1992 book). That EP includes an early version of “Life Itself” (which was re-recorded for “Somewhere In England”), plus another song from the 1974 tour, “Hari’s On Tour (Express).” The last selection on the EP is “Hottest Gong In Town” (from “Shanghai Surprise,” see below).

Finally, another track that hasn’t been reissued on CD or vinyl is a remixed version of “Save the World” (with new vocal) that George donated to the 1985 various artists charity LP, “Greenpeace.”

Gone Troppo (1982): the "Dark Horse" box added a demo of “Mystical One.”

Cloud Nine (1987): the "Dark Horse" box added the non-album cuts “Zig Zag” (included on the 12” “When We Was Fab” single) and “Shanghai Surprise.” An alternate recording of “Breath Away From Heaven” is in the film “Shanghai Surprise.”

So there’s more than a dozen cuts that are in the CD boxes and not the new vinyl box. And now, here’s even more George tunes that haven’t even found their way onto CD, and won’t be in the new vinyl box…

"Isn't It a Pity [Demo Version]" (1970): released only as an iTunes bonus track with 2009's "Let It Roll: Songs by George Harrison.”

“I Don’t Want to Do It” (1985): written by Bob Dylan and recorded in 1984 for the soundtrack to Porky’s 3 (seriously); included on 2009's "Let It Roll: Songs by George Harrison" CD.

"Shanghai Surprise," "Someplace Else" and "The Hottest Gong In Town" (1986): these are from the George-produced 1986 film "Shanghai Surprise" starring Sean Penn and Madonna. They’re all included as videos on the DVD with the “Dark Horse” box.

"Cockamamie Business" and "Poor Little Girl" (1989): two new songs recorded for the CD, "Best of Dark Horse 1976–1989."

"Cheer Down" (1989): from the film "Lethal Weapon 2"; included on 2009's "Let It Roll: Songs by George Harrison" CD and "Best of Dark Horse 1976–1989."

There’s just the official George Harrison cannon, to say nothing of the well-regarded “Beware of ABKCO” box of outtakes from “All Things Must Pass,” or live recordings of his 1974 tour, or his many TV appearances: “The Dick Cavett Show” in 1971, “Rutland Weekend Television” in 1975, “Saturday Night Live” in 1976, VH-1 in 1997…

But we haven't even mentioned the $500 limited edition turntable (pictured above).  That's what makes this seem like a good deal.  George's best albums are expensive on vinyl (and don't usually sound stellar) and the one that is really easy to find ("Somewhere In England") is one of the weakest.  That may be because the four cuts he removed from it were so good; it's too bad they're not included here.  The 1974 tour material that has come out is excellent; would have been nice to include some of that.  For rarities, "I Live For You" and "Miss O'Dell" are great, but so are "I Don't Want to Do It" and "Cheer Down."  I was really hoping the vinyl box would include a rarities set (such as the Rolling Stones' "Stray Cats"), but it's not happening.  At least not right now.  There have been reports of more outtakes emerging (following 2012's "Early Takes"), so you never know.

KBTime: Tom Murdough, founder of Simplay3, Step2 and Little Tikes

Tom Murdough was at the Hudson Library tonight, discussing his latest venture, Simplay3. The show will be posted online next week, but here's some links for anyone interested in the company, or his previous companies: Little Tikes and Step2...

Murdough recently appeared on Channel 3's "Live on Lakeside" to talk about the new company, and was also interviewed by the Akron Beacon Journal.

Little Tikes was founded in 1969, and by 1984 the company had moved to a new facility in Hudson (where it remains today). The company's innovative daycare allowed employees to be near their children, while also allowing engineers and designers a chance to pre-test products. The daycare was profiled by WJW-TV and WEWS-TV in the mid-1980s, and somehow my mother and brother ended up in both segments. The company was also profiled on Mr. Rogers, and I've told the story many times of how I am still waiting for my autograph.


During the Hudson Library presentation, Murdough said that about one-percent of U.S. plastics manufacturing uses rotational molding, which is more time-consuming than automated manufacturing. It's been the secret to the products from Little Tikes, Step2 and Simplay3, and it's explained here.

Questions? Drop us a line at mr39waukegan@gmail.com. Below, you can check out live tweeting of the program by the Hudson Library Entrepreneurs.

"We had one simple philosophy: Do it right for the consumer, company, and the investors." @KabirBhatiaTime @simplay3company #HLHSlive

— HudsonLibraryEntrep (@HLentrepreneur) January 24, 2017

About starting @simplay3company "I was retired for about 8 years, and it got boring!" @KabirBhatiaTime #HLHSlive

— HudsonLibraryEntrep (@HLentrepreneur) January 24, 2017

6 P's for success: Purpose, People, Product, Patience, Perseverance, & Profit @KabirBhatiaTime @simplay3company #HLHSlive

— HudsonLibraryEntrep (@HLentrepreneur) January 24, 2017

"Caring for your people is critical in any business" @KabirBhatiaTime @simplay3company #HLHSlive

— HudsonLibraryEntrep (@HLentrepreneur) January 24, 2017

Suddenly we were a 12-month company; It was the most wonderful experience, & we didn't need the banks anymore!! @KabirBhatiaTime #HLHSlive

— HudsonLibraryEntrep (@HLentrepreneur) January 24, 2017

Buyer at Sears: "Have you ever thought of a covered sandbox?" TM: "No, but I thought about it pretty quickly!" @KabirBhatiaTime #HLHSlive

— HudsonLibraryEntrep (@HLentrepreneur) January 24, 2017

"We started in a barn, unheated; our secretaries had to wear boots every day!" @KabirBhatiaTime @simplay3company #HLHSlive

— HudsonLibraryEntrep (@HLentrepreneur) January 24, 2017

3 Happy Days Promos, Beginning (1974) to End (1984)

The second episode of "Happy Days" aired on this date in 1974. While the first episode was a good introduction to the Cunninghams, the second episode was car-centric... which automatically made it better. It was also one of five episodes written by longtime "Andy Griffith" scribes Perry Grant and Dick Bensfield (who worked steadily from "Ozzie and Harriet" right up through "227"). Instead of showing clips, I somehow tracked down two REALLY early promos for the show, along with one for the last episode (which aired May 8, 1984, and then was followed by several previously unscheduled installments, airing out-of-order to be burned off in the summer).

#KBTime: Matt Fish (Melt Bar & Grilled), the Washington, D.C. Women's March, and Election Night 2008

This edition of KBTime starts with a report from the Washington, D.C. Women's March earlier today (January 21, 2017), plus a look back at a segment from Chicago's Grant Park, shot on Election Night, 2008... we asked Chicagoans then what they looked forward to under President Obama. We also have "Tomorrow In Review," plus a visit with Matt Fish, owner of Melt Bar & Grilled.

Rudy Giuliani on SNL

Let's put politics aside and go back to Thanksgiving time (Nov. 22) of 1997, when then-New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani hosted an excellent episode of SNL.  His "old Italian mother" was one of the standouts that night.  His love of dressing in drag was even noted a few years later by Tina Fey.

An Unhappy 50th Birthday For Jean Stapleton

Jean Stapleton was born on this date in 1923.  We all know her as Edith Bunker. (If you only know her as the weird lady in "Michael," please stop reading).

One of her most memorable episodes was in the show's final (real) season, "Edith's 50th Birthday" (October 16, 1977). I say "real" because it was intended to be the final year of "All In the Family," and they pulled out all the stops with a number of memorable episodes (such as the 50th birthday, as well as "Cousin Liz," when Edith finds out a family secret). At the end of that season (1977-78), Mike & Gloria left, as did creator Norman Lear. Stapleton, Rob Reiner and Carroll O'Connor all won Emmys for that season, as did the series, and director Paul Bogart (for "Edith's 50th Birthday"). Writers Bob Schiller, Bob Weiskopf, Harve Brosten and Barry Harman also won for "Cousin Liz."

It was only a near-sweep, though: Sally Struthers lost that year Julie Kavner, the voice-of-Marge-Simpson.  Kavner was then playing Brenda Morgenstern, Rhoda's sister on "Rhoda." And Struthers' only other win to that point has been in 1972, when she tied with Valerie Harper... for playing Rhoda! 

But back to "Edith's 50th Birthday," the first half of the one-hour episode was amazing and tension-filled. It was apparently originally written for another Norman Lear show, "One Day at a Time," but Edith Bunker is so much more a part of our culture than Ann Romano (sorry!). Here's the whole episode:


And here's Paul Bogart talking about directing that episode:


For even more serendipity: episodes from the 1978-79 season (the first one after all the changes listed above) through the end of the series (1982-83, when it was known as "Archie Bunker's Place") were taped on a closed set.  Later, they were edited together and then played for audiences attending tapings of "One Day at a Time" to record live laughter and give the appearance of a live taping.

Oh, and Sally Struthers would finally win a second Emmy for the 1978-79 season, as would O'Connor.

Overlooked moments from The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Part 2

Here's more overlooked Tonight Show moments, following part one of this post.

-On July 11, 1977, Rob Reiner sat in for Johnny with guests including Albert Brooks, Harry Shearer and Billy Crystal; essentially the Spinal Tap/Hollywood brat pack of the 1970s. Here they do a spot-on "Tomorrow Show with Tom Snyder" parody. It's not as cruel as the SNL version, and also not as weird as Dan Aykroyd's take (which, at this point, had only been on three SNL shows). It's been alternately reported that Snyder hated the SNL version -- because many NBC execs who never watched his show assumed it was like that -- and also that he was flattered. Either way, I have to think he would have enjoyed Harry Shearer's take, which seems more like an homage than ridicule. He and Crystal play off eachother well here, a contrast to their reported spat while they were both on SNL (1984-85), and producers favored Billy over Harry.  This is also somewhat of poetic justice for Shearer, who was scheduled to appear on the Tonight Show in 1971 or so (in the NYC days) with his comedy troupe, The Credibility Gap.  David L. Lander (who was also in the troupe) tells of them appearing for a camera blocking rehearsal in which the director asked them to literally walk through the sketch, dropping the punch lines, just so they could get blocking down.  He assured "The Gap" that this wouldn't be seen by Johnny... but apparently it was, and he misunderstood, and the act was cut from that show.  Some of the best Credibility Gap routines are their rock-and-roll "Who's On First," or their commercial for the (fake) movie "Kingpin," or their bouncy "Foreign Novelty Smash."


-Christopher Reeve's first appearance on "Tonight," January 31, 1979. How amazing that the first thing he does is compliment a fellow guest. So thoughtful. Also, so strange that everyone in this clip is dead, except Steve Lawrence.


-Don Rickles was a frequent guest host through 1980. Here's a clip from 1979, with guest Jack Klugman (partial, including much of a local newscast in Minnesota). Another 1979 Rickles episode used to be up with guest Carroll O'Connor, but that seems to be taken down at the moment.

-Charles Grodin -- in a rare non-testy moment -- discussing impotence on April 6, 1982, with Carson and Fred De Cordova.  Incidentally, the other guests were Jerry Seinfeld and Victoria Principal.


-Dick Shawn died in 1987, but was a frequent guest through the early 1980s. Here he is on July 6, 1983, doing some standup, then panel with guest-host Joan Rivers. As a bonus, here's Shawn on a weird local NYC show (that I believe was syndicated), called "Celebrity Cabaret." The host's diction always bothered me. Incidentally, "Celebrity Cabaret" is the show on which Jerry Seinfeld made his debut in, I believe, 1976.


-Buddy Hackett's many appearances seem oddly slow when viewed today. But The Duck Joke builds well enough that it's worth watching.


-The introductory video to the final "Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson," May 22, 1992.


One last thing... I mentioned that the first decade of Johnny's "The Tonight Show" is missing, but I recently learned that many 1960s episodes were edited down and sent to Armed Forces Radio (i.e. audio-only), and reside in the Library of Congress.

#snl4kidz

What Kind of Car Does Homer Simpson Drive?

Homer Simpson's car never looked like a GM product to me. When the show debuted in 1989, I figured someone in his income bracket would be driving an American car from the late 1970s or early 1980s. And since GM beat all of its cars after 1977 with the ugly stick, that left them out. Ford? Maybe -- I was thinking a Fairmount. Homer is too proud to drive a compact (although I believe in one flashback, he's seen driving a Pinto or a Gremlin), and not wealthy enough for a full-size car. So I always assumed Fairmount, because...

His car is definitely not an AMC product, just judging by the lines. And as for Chrysler -- their products of the late 1970s/early 1980s meant either a K-car (too small for Homer, and probably still too-expensive for him when the show premiered, even second-hand) or an Aspen. I never dreamed that I would be way off, however, and that he would actually be driving the last wimper of Mopar-era-muscle: a 1973 Valiant.

Of course! He is the quintessential Chrysler customer. Also, he has a short commute, so it's not like a car that old would have been totally destroyed by 1989 (which is apparently the year it still is in Springfield). So the mystery has been solved, even though the episode from this past Sunday referred to it as a 1986 Plymouth Junkerola.

Here's more info on the Valiant and the Fairmount if you want to compare.

Free Toyotas If Cyprus Is Reunited!

Cyprus has been a divided island -- with a UN-controlled buffer zone in between -- since Turkish and Greek troops clashed there in 1974. Now, UN Secretary General António Guterres is calling for Cyprus to be reunited.

There's all sorts of online "ruin porn" from the island, much of it centered on Nicosia Airport, which was abandoned in '74.

My primary interest, though, has always been what appears to be a parking garage filled with then-new 1974 Toyotas awaiting sale/delivery. This must have been owned by a local dealer or distributor, and as you can see here, it's filled with Corollas and Celicas that probably have mileage in the single-digits. (Unless they were actually driven for over 100,000 miles and then stored here as an insurance prank once the odometers rolled over, right?).

The climate has probably been kind to the bodies of these cars, and since they're in the shade, the interiors may be decent as well. But the engines are probably seized and will need some work. Rubber parts (tires and hoses) will surely need to be replaced. All of that is pretty cheap since these were simple cars that used many parts you can buy (generically) today.

While this isn't a cache like Peter Max's lost garage filled with Corvettes, it's still notable. Most 1970s Japanese cars rotted away by the mid-1980s due to metal that was un-rust-proofed. (Later in the decade, Toyota even signed-on with the rust-proofing mascot, Rusty Jones, to prove they knew how to make cars last).

I have a soft spot for the 1974 Corolla since it was our family's first car (my father bought it years before I was born). And even though I learned to drive on a different, far-more-modern Toyota, the first car I actually purchased with my own money was another 1974 Corolla. At that time, I was living in Chicago, didn't have much use for a fancy or expensive car, and I enjoyed zipping around, barefoot (pedals were too close together), all over the city, sometimes in the snow and in the dark (since I worked odd hours).

The second generation (1971-74) Corolla really put Toyota on the map, just as they were gaining on Volkswagen to become the Number Two foreign automaker in the U.S. Along with the Corona (boxy and meh) and Celica (sporty but too heavy and not nimble enough), the Corolla showed that Toyotas could be cheap and reliable. My father's Corolla rusted out by 1985. Mine, though, had been gotten a rudimentary splatter of black paint/tar underneath, and is probably still running around today (I foolishly sold it for reasons I won't go into). The Corolla was not unlike the Dodge (Mitsubishi) Colt, Datsun 510 and Opel Kadett: foreign cars that weighed about a ton and had around 100 hp, sporting ambitions and a slippery look. And due to low weight, they handled well -- often as well as their company's contemporary sports cars. (It's ironic that Ford's Cortina set the template for all this, and then they stopped importing it -- in favor of the Capri -- just when the other small, foreign cars began making inroads).

My Corolla -- like almost all of the 71-74 models left out there -- had been monkeyed with by some fool who wanted to "improve" the performance. He installed a Weber 32/36 carb, which never ran smoothly and couldn't stay in tune. This is apparently a popular upgrade for this model in the "ricer" community. Most of the current fans of these cars are Asian or Hispanic, and they've gotten the racist nickname "ricers" by all the old muscle car guys, since rice is a staple of the Asian and Hispanic diets. (These are the same old guys who sneer at my 1971 VW SuperBeetle during car shows, and look at me suspiciously, as I head off into the night with my wife for fun. Meanwhile, they get to sit around and stare at eachother's motionless vehicles, then drive home gingerly -- alone -- at no more than 35 mph. But I digress.)

The pic at the top of this post is of my actual '74 Corolla, when the previous owner had ridiculous-looking aftermarket wheels on it. I drove mine around with stock wheels, which was just fine. My father also drove his with stock wheels... and stock everything else! As I said, it was quick and nimble and I wish we still had it. It was fast enough, in fact, that when Car & Driver magazine needed a new car to compete in SCCA racing in 1974, they chose a Corolla (replacing an Opel Kadett, which had aged out). They published an article to this effect, but I never heard anything else about it. Attempts to ask David E. Davis about this (in 2010) met with confused silence when his wife answered the phone.

If you do find the Car & Driver article (from either '73 or '74), you'll notice both side windows are about the same size. This was the second-from-top model, in a body style now nicknamed "peanut." The far sexier, small-rear-window version is now called "the mango." That's what I had, and the one that commands the most money today. My father had the peanut version, which is still close to my heart (but not like the mango). You could also get a 4-door (which was peanut-like) or a wagon (more like a walnut). And you had your choice of engines: a 1.2L or 1.6L. Don't even bother with the smaller engine. The bigger one was a mini Hemi, and came with upgraded brakes. When ordered in a mango body, you also got a wood-grain steering wheel, 5-speed transmission (not four) and a better suspension. I never should have sold that car! I need someone to give me a lift to Cyprus NOW!  Forget the legal issues with obtaining a 43-year-old foreign vehicle that has no documented owner!  I should also point out that Greece and Turkey both drive on the right hand of the road, so the cars will be all ready to go here.  Except for the radios.

RIP Tony Rosato

Sad to hear of the death of SNL castmember Tony Rosato, who helped bring the show back from the brink of cancellation during season seven (1981-82).  Here he is doing his excellent impression of Lou Costello (which he did several times on SCTV, but only once on SNL).  Not only is this well-written, but Tim Kazurinsky's timing (and scowl) are masterful, even managing to make up for host Robert Conrad's awkwardness during this clever Abbott & Costello re-write.  This is from the episode broadcast January 23, 1982 (the first one after head writer Michael O'Donoghue was fired).  For another well-done "Who's On First" re-write, here's David L. Lander and Harry Shearer (as part of the Credibility Gap) in "The Rock Festival."


-And here's a rare filmed version of the sketch, from the movie "Crackin' Up":


-And just for fun, here's Johnny Carson as President Reagan, alluding to the same bit:

3 Clean Comedians: Steve Harvey, Mark Lowry and Bob Nelson

A few pieces of (perhaps overly) clean comedians doing their thing. None of these guys ever went "big time" or appeared on mainstream late night talk shows... probably because they were pegged as Christian comedians. Sad; a reverse bias, I guess.

-I haven't watched this entire special ("Remotely Controlled" by Mark Lowry), but the section on eating well is priceless.


-I actually saw Bob Nelson on a Rodney Dangerfield HBO special years ago doing this same routine, which is quite good. This is labeled as the "regular" version, and below is the "clean" version:


-As a bonus, Steve Harvey definitely has "made it," and I include him here because this bit is much clearner than the rest of his stand-up (which is of average "clean-ness"). He is also an outspoken Christian. Anyhow, here's "Sister O'Dell" from "The Original Kings of Comedy."

The Last Polka with the Schmenge Brothers

In 1985, just as "Second City Television" aka "Second City Network 90" was fading away -- two former castmembers decided to make an hour-long mockumentary based on a popular sketch.  The Schmenge (or Shmenge) Brothers were seemingly innocent, polka-performing Lutonian boys played by John Candy and Eugene Levy.  They not only appeared on SCTV a lot, but in other arenas (such as "Late Night with David Letterman," or their swan song, on Comic Relief '86).  I'm not sure if this aired on HBO originally, or on Showtime (home of the final season of SCTV), but I believe it was the former; by this point, Levy and Candy had left the show.
They did invite back a number of their friends and former co-stars, including Rick Moranis, Catherine and Maureen O'Hara, Robin Duke and Dave Thomas (who narrates).  This has a low-key, "Spinal Tap"-ish vibe to it, and is quite good (naturally, given the talent involved).  My favorite moment is The Doors' "Touch Me" (no joke... and no spoilers!).  Sadly, this has never been reissued on DVD, and the tape has been out of print for years (the value of the tape seems to fluctuate wildly, too).  This was nominated for a 1985 CableACE Award, but lost to The Joe Piscopo Special.  (Also nominated were a Gallagher special, and "Father Guido Sarducci Goes to College").  It may have received other Ace nominations but, sadly, there's no online record I can find of the winners and losers; the awards were given out from 1978-97, an era before lots of online archiving was happening.  I can't find the broadcast, either, which is ironic since it was usually simulcast on several cable channels until the last few years, when it aired on TBS or... Lifetime?!

4 Great Clips From Two Seasons of "The Critic"

For a brief moment (1994-95), it seemed like the producers of "The Simpsons" were going to pull off the unprecedented feat of getting another hit animated show into primetime. "The Critic" had promise simply by virtue of its star, Jon Lovitz, who had been trying to establish a film career since leaving SNL in 1991. That never really took off, but in 1994 it seemed like "The Critic" would take his voice talents and -- married to a potentially great plot of a film critic in New York City -- create a classic.

Wrong.

The show debuted on ABC and flopped, then moved to Fox (in a crossover episode from which "Simpsons" creator Matt Groenig had his name removed as a producer), where it also flopped. The second season added Park Overall as a love interest for Jay, and apparently they married at some point after the series wrapped... only to split up by the time a series of online-only shorts came out (2000). The best moments of the series, excerpted below, played on Lovitz's natural, hammy tendencies. The worst moments (of which there were many), went for too-clever showbiz jokes and parodies. The kind of thing you would have seen 20 years earlier on "Sonny & Cher."

Still, the best moments stand up today and point at what might-have-been. My favorite sections in this compilation are Jay ripping the bed to shreds (near the beginning, and unfortunately truncated to remove the jokes about Jay's sexuality), and then at 11:25, a slimy Hollywood exec (voiced by Billy Crystal) can't get his critique through Jay's head.


-One of the better film parodies was this one for "Jurassic Park II" (which didn't exist at the time as an actual movie):


-Jay's own student film ("L'Artiste Est Morte") is quintessential New York film school BS:


-Siskel & Ebert made an appearance on the show... one of their few non-talk-show appearances:



-And here's another compilation I haven't scanned completely through.

Unrelated to any of this, my brother swears he saw a segment (on "Entertainment Tonight") back in 1993-94, as the show was about to debut, which showed a Lovitz soundalike voicing much of the show.  Seems suspect -- why would they publicize that?!  If anyone knows anything about this, drop me a line.  #snl4kidz

Overlooked moments from The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

There's soooooo much that has been written about "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson." Here, now, are some lesser-known but still notable clips, in roughly chronological order.

-Almost no footage exists from "The Tonight Show" before 1972, when the show moved from New York City to Los Angeles, and began archiving episodes (videotape being very bulky and expensive back then). One episode that survived in excellent quality is from March 6, 1969, with guests Dean Martin, Bob Hope, George Gobel, Judy Carne, Buddy Rich, Carol Wayne, Biff Rose and Don Ho. This episode descended into drunken craziness early on (thanks to Dean) and kept rolling from there. The producers that it was so good, this was sent via Armed Forces Television (copied from videotape to film), and that copy survived for some reason (other episodes were sent over at times and have not survived). This appears to be a show from Los Angeles; in the NYC "Tonight" era, they would often do a few weeks of shows from L.A. each year. However, in episode guides this is listed as coming the week AFTER a recent west coast trip... which included a show on February 21, 1969, with Judy Carne and George Gobel. Maybe one of these dates is a misprint? Difficult to say.
Since much of this show has been aired in clips, I thought I would include the swinging closing credits, featuring "Up Up and Away."


-The heading is just what it says: "Aircraft Carrier Toy Crashes"... over and over. Maybe this is more interesting if you're an aviation buff.


-In 1974, Steve Martin appeared and did his two-minute encapsulation of the typical Las Vegas act... right in front of Vegas mainstay Sammy Davis, Jr. Fortunately, Sammy and Johnny almost fell out of their chairs laughing, and Davis even comes out and hugs Steve at the end. (In the 1990s, Martin was on with Jay Leno and showed the end of this clip, commenting that he had no idea Sammy was standing there to offer a hug. Steve's little dance COULD be viewed as mildly racist... if you're totally oversensitive and have no idea about social mores).


-Writer Pat McCormick was one of Johnny's favorites, and a story unto himself. In 1975, he streaked across the stage (getting a startling reaction from Carson, even though this was pre-planned). As a bonus, here's another famous streaking appearance, from the 1974 Oscar telecast (again, probably pre-planned).


-Johnny and Ed record an off-color video message for the Vick's Chemical convention of 1974. Not safe for work (the video file starts with a weird outtake from a Julie Andrews special).


-Rodney Dangerfield, August 30, 1977, with Johnny and guest Suzanne Pleshette (who can both clearly be heard laughing during Rodney's stand-up).

#snl4kidz

Seven Ways George Harrison's potential masterpiece, "When Every Song Is Sung," was lost

Here's an unreleased George Harrison track, "I'll Still Love You" (aka "When Every Song Is Sung"). This tune has a tortured history, being recorded for "All Things Must Pass" but never seeing release. Apple artists Mary Hopkin and Ronnie Spector each attempted a recording in the early 1970s, as did Beatle-friends Cilla Black (on two occasions) and Leon & Mary Russell (with George's help). None of these ever panned out.

The song was apparently written for Shirley Bassey (as "Whenever"), after she released a hit cover of "Something" in 1969. However, she never recorded it, either, and the only released version for many years was by Ringo Starr, from his 1976 LP "Ringo's Rotogravure." Most reviewers feel Ringo -- and the others, some of whose versions have been released -- never did the song justice, and that it's George's lost masterpiece. You be the judge, based on this recording with guide vocal:


Incidentally, this was recorded by Ronnie Spector, along with several other songs ("You," "Love Me Lady Day," "I Love Him Like I Love My Very Life"), for her planned solo album, produced by her husband, Phil, along with George. The only tunes to see release were on a single -- "Try Some, Buy Some"/"Tandoori Chicken" -- which flopped. George eventually released his own versions of "Try Some" (on 1973's "Living in the Material World") and "You" (1975's "Extra Texture" LP, giving him his last hit single on Apple). If you're not into Ronnie's solo LP, at least click on the article to see a copy of Paul McCartney's terse memo to Allen Klein about Phil Spector's treatment of "The Long and Winding Road." Nice to see Paul standing up for himself.

The Doors v. Ed Sullivan: Light My Fire

The Doors played "The Ed Sullivan Show" for the first-and-only-time on Sept 17, 1967.  The story is well-known of how CBS censors asked them to change the line "girl, we couldn't get much higher" to something less-supposedly-offensive.  And they didn't.  One thing that's always bothered me, though, is when the movie "The Doors" came out in 1991, everyone was saying how brave Jim Morrison was for lunging at the camera while saying the real, "higher" lyrics.  He did not!  In fact, a CBS special, "The Best of the Ed Sullivan Show," had just aired in 1990 to huge ratings, and featured the clip in question from 1967... which shows Jim closing his eyes and singing as he always had.  Below is the Oliver Stone/Hollywood version of what happened, followed by the real thing.


Here's Jim Morrison NOT lunging at the camera in 1967...



And for good measure, here's history repeating itself as the Red Hot Chili Peppers run afoul of Krusty the Klown on "The Simpsons."  This episode aired in much of the country on May 13, 1993, but in Chicago and Cleveland, it was pre-empted due to Game 2 of the NBA Semifinals between the Bulls and Cavs.  The Bulls won, obviously.


And finally, a parody of The Doors' performance, as Jimmy Fallon sings the theme for "Reading Rainbow."

Hyuna and Family Guy: Bubble Pop For Quagmire

Last season, "Family Guy" went to both South Korea and India!  The former episode featured an amazing K-Pop send up, which has been posted below:


I had no idea it was a parody of Hyuna's "Bubble Pop"!  No one has yet combined the two side-by-side (as they have with FG's many opening credit homages), so check out the original Hyuna video below...

Night Moves soundtrack suite: Michael Small

From the soundtrack to the very underrated 1975 Arthur Penn/Gene Hackman film, "Night Moves," this is a suite of the soundtrack's best moments.  Seems a little Lalo Schifrin-esque.
I do not believe any sort of soundtrack was ever released (unsurprising given that the film was not so successful), so this is likely the best way to get any of this (parts still have sound effects).  I remember reading that Roger Ebert loved showing this film to the college students he taught, and that they could never agree on what the ending meant.  I usually agreed more with my hero, Gene Siskel, but Ebert was on to something here.  However, maybe avoid this movie if you're going to a party later and just need a conversation starter.  Frankly, discussing most of what's on this blog will probably get you weird looks at a party.  I am sorry.

6 Memorable music videos: Herbie Hancock, Billy Joel, OK Go, Beastie Boys, Cyndi Lauper and The Who

I was never a huge MTV fan ("oh please, you're QUITE huge") but here's six memorable videos...

-Herbie Hancock, "Rockit": As a kid, I was convinced this was shot in the same house as "Our House" by Madness. Which today makes no sense whatsoever.  Hancock, by the way, is classically trained and spent most of his career before this video recording legendary jazz albums (either as leader or behind people like Miles Davis).


-Billy Joel, "Tell Her About It": a catchy slice of 60s pop -- audibly and visually -- featuring a nice cameo at the end by Rodney Dangerfield.  Ed Sullivan is played by Will Jordan, probably the most accomplished Sullivan impressionist ever ("Can't Buy Me Love," "The Doors").


-Cyndi Lauper, "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun": A fun song and video (though a bit long) with some wonderfully cheesy early 1980s effects.  This was produced by Broadway Video (Lorne Michaels' company). At 2:50, that's Michaels' attorney joining in the fun. And of course, there's a Conehead dancing in the party at the end. The whole second half is an homage to the Marx Brothers' "A Night at the Opera."


-The Who, "My Generation": this is the version from the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, complete with a literally explosive ending (apparently a stagehand upped the dynamite count after rehearsal... and so did Keith Moon, because he assumed the stagehand hadn't put in enough). This is from a TV documentary; a cleaner version opens "The Kids Are Alright." And for good measure, here's The Who's performance of "I Can See For Miles" from the same episode, ending just as the clip below picks up.


-While finding the above clip, I stumbled onto this brilliant BBC Radio commercial featuring Keith Moon, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and Elvis (among others)...

-Beastie Boys, "Sabotage": an absolute classic from 1994. Nothing more to say unless you want to watch Beavis & Butthead's reaction.


-OK Go, "This Too Shall Pass": Videos aren't really a thing anymore, but this one is another classic.  When they encapsulate the greatest pop culture of the 21st century, this needs to be on the list.

More 1970s James Bond

Not sure if any cable channels still show James Bond marathons around the holidays (so festive?), but it got me in mind of this post about the best early 1970s Bond moments.  One I left off is when Bond escapes at the end of "Live and Let Die."  So I guess this is a major spoiler alert.  Sorry... just try not to click the link above or the embed below, maybe?

An Evening With(Out) David Bowie: Tributes In January

What can you look forward to in 2017?  First up, David Bowie was born January 8, 1947 and he passed away just two days and 69 years later.
CoolCleveland's Thomas Mulready has put together some upcoming David Bowie tribute events in Northeast Ohio.  In Akron, on Jan. 7, it's Bowieoke at Musica.  And then on Jan. 13 (and again on the 14th), it's a career-spanning, multimedia extravaganza filled with music and video, titled "An Evening With(Out) David Bowie," at The Bop Stop in Cleveland.  Mulready discusses the events, Bowie's legacy and his ties to Northeast Ohio, in the interview below...

Below is the un-remastered video for "Life On Mars?," directed by Mick Rock.  Mulready will present a remastered version of this video at The Bop Stop on Jan. 13-14.