Laugh Tracks Legends of Comedy with Randy and Steve

Rip Taylor

Grab some confetti and settle in to meet Rip Taylor -- The King of Confetti! A flamboyant slinger of "rim shot" jokes, Rip initially punctuated his act with exaggerated crying when his gags bombed. Ed Sullivan was a fan (he booked him over 20 times) and dubbed Rip "The Crying Comedian". Much later when bombing on the Merv Griffin show, instead of crying Rip was moved to tear up his joke cards and toss them in the air like confetti. The audience went nuts and from then on it was confetti instead of crying -- and a career that saw long runs in Las Vegas, many game and talk show appearances, and supporting film roles including Indecent Proposal (a rare dramatic turn) and Wayne's World (a great comedic turn). As always find more clips below and thanks for sharing our shows.

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The New York Times once described Rip as a cross between Captain Kangaroo and Liberace, wound up to warp factor 7. Pretty good description! https://youtu.be/50pFJU99wUw

Ed Sullivan gave Rip his big TV break and had him back over 20 times. Here's an early Rip performance sans mustache and with crying, not confetti, as the shtick. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rm4g_ZGx-c

Rip was over the top, so in 1978 when producing madman Chuck Barris had an idea for another show that would do for beauty pageants what the Gong Show he tapped Rip to be the host. So back from the glory days of shlock tv -- here's a bit of the $1.98 Beauty Show! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fF7yrbl_X6E

Chevy Chase

He's Chevy Chase. . .and you're not! From early work with the National Lampoon Radio Hour to his time as the first anchor of SNL's Weekend Update, to a varied (and variable) movie career, Chevy Chase has blended snark and slapstick to the delight of fans. Films such as Fletch, National Lampoon's Vacation, and Caddyshack were box office hits while other projects such as a Fox late night show were bombs. And there were many stories of Chevy and his coworkers scrapping (sometimes literally) along the way. So fans were surprised when Chevy reemerged as Pierce Hawthorne in the NBC sitcom Community. That didn't end well either, but it was a welcome callback to the time when we all stayed up late waiting for the words "Live from New York, It's Saturday Night!" As always find extra clips below and thanks for sharing our shows!

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Chevy's tenure at Saturday Night Live was stormy, but maybe that was inevitable as he became the breakout star of the first season with his pratfall filled opens and his Weekend Update anchor gig. Here's Chevy with one of his most notorious impressions -- that of perpetually clumsy President Gerald Ford. https://youtu.be/_bvxZgCryUE?si=nYQ8kyW-I4log8Nh

Chevy's first two films were rom-coms which confused his fans who were expecting sharper edged comedy. That came in 1980 courtesy of Caddyshack, a Lampoon production that included great work from Bill Murray, Rodney Dangerfield, and Ted Knight. All together now -- Be The Ball! https://youtu.be/I3akC_INsFc?si=iY_iB8Msu6xrNUBk

Chevy pretty much fell off the radar in the early 2000s, so it was a surprise at the end of the decade when he was cast as older community college student Pierce Hawthorne in NBC's Community and gained a new generation of fans. https://youtu.be/srIhtTPUJ_g?si=DcgRiITlDt1j7Rzi

Kate McKinnon

Meet Kate McKinnon, one of Saturday Night Live's greatest "most valuable players" in this miniprogram. From early work in a college sketch troupe, to a breakout role in The Big Gay Sketch Show, Kate next made the leap to Saturday Night Live where her versatility and mimicry made her a legend. At the same time, Kate began to establish herself in movie comedies including the all-female Ghostbusters reboot and this year's smash hit Barbie in which Kate plays -- you guessed it -- "Weird Barbie". As always find extra clips below and thanks for sharing our shows!

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Kate was a treat as Weird Barbie in 2023's smash Barbie movie. Here's a sample. https://youtu.be/66cMkxolaHM?si=y6mZX9IgwlJwASw3

One of Kate's standout characters from SNL was Colleen Rafferty, a woman with unusual alien encounters! https://youtu.be/OuRnPvJe7C8?si=2o1PEDqMNN7ebHOM

One of Kate's best SNL impressions was Trump advisor and "fake news" inventor Kellyanne Conway, here envisioned in a therapy session with husband George. https://youtu.be/0B96ZM3C-h4?si=rmFi9lvHGxANyC7g

Kate's versatility allowed to play both female and male roles -- such as her take on Covid guru Dr. Anthony Fauci. https://youtu.be/IqgyBN0OIns?si=A4bw-XYnxjdaqOTm

This one is delightful. Kate plays the Devil who it turns out invented podcasts. And who better as a guest on the Devil's own podcast than Alan Dershowitz! https://youtu.be/3c5neBXQwf8?si=WDS_X0KZYR2Phatt

When Paul Feig recruited an all-female cast for a Ghostbusters reboot a few years ago, a key role went to Kate who played eccentric and slightly disturbing physics specialist Dr. Jillian Holtzman -- here recounting an unfortunate lab incident. https://youtu.be/X5FgreIMIQo?si=30YyVm-kU7cpAnZX

 

Morecambe and Wise

Meet Morecambe and Wise -- that's Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise -- who formed one of Britain's most illustrious and best-loved double-acts of all time. From beginnings in post-WWII Great Britain the lads soon found a home first on radio, then with television series and specials that spanned 20 years. And, for many of those years, they produced Britain's most watched Christmas special -- a real tradition. Morecambe and Wise were versatile, with both men capable of song and dance as well as either the comic or straight man role. That versatility made them a huge influence on future British comics including Ben Elton and Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie. Not bad for a couple of song and dance men who just wanted to make people laugh. As always find extra cuts below and thanks for sharing our shows!

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Morecambe and Wise had oodles of chemistry -- perfect for two guys who could flex between the comic and straight man parts with ease. Here is some typical banter with Shakespeare the focus. https://youtu.be/WMXz2SCqtfg?si=rMO19GXNPcWZD__6

As one of Britain's top variety shows, Morecambe and Wise were the place to be for pop stars including a man who was the biggest of all back in the early 1970s -- Tom Jones! -- who shows a bit of comedic flair himself. https://youtu.be/e66z6nnWKq0?si=Siv0_Hkb0kiPECpT

One of Morecambe and Wise's secrets was the quality of their scripts, mostly written by Eddie Braben who also was the pen behind David Frost and Ronnie Corbett. It allowed them to draw top-notch guest stars including Andre Previn, here helping the boys with a classical music bit (taken from the 1971 M&W Christmas Special). https://youtu.be/R7GeKLE0x3s?si=sBr-gYcqixGc1l8j

Halloween Humor

This week we sample some classic Halloween Humor from everyone ranging from Bo Diddley and Tom Lehrer to Joe Flaherty and Bobby "Boris" Pickett. While Christmas remains the big dog among holidays for comedy records, Halloween has a more than respectable showing, particularly in the 1940s and 60s, the heyday of novelty songs reaching the Billboard Top 40 charts. So if you aren't able to sneak enough candy from you child (or grandchild's) treat bag, enjoy these comedy confections (plus no calories). As always, find complete cuts below and thanks for listening and sharing our shows.

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Jerry Seinfeld is a master at observing everyday life and his Halloween routine is a brilliant look inside a kid's mind on the one day a year when the manta is "get candy!" https://www.facebook.com/nationalcomedycenter/videos/360617858385857/?mibextid=zDhOQc

If you lived on the East Coast, your faux Dracula tv host was Philly DJ John Zacherle -- known as the "Cool Ghoul" -- who scored a national hit with the tasty Dinner with Drac.https://youtu.be/vZa_kmCxflg?si=mMI9cAsU6mpcBVzx

Novelty song king Allan Sherman couldn't resist getting into the Dracula act with "My Son the Vampire." To be honest, it isn't his best, but man is he committed to a premise -- you will never hear the word "blood" the same way again! https://youtu.be/9B4HroAm78o?si=UY4V0JloLgSU6I-N'

Tune into SCTV back in the early 1980s and you might see Joe Flaherty adopt the persona of Count Floyd, lame late night tv movie host. His movies -- usually 3D stinkers -- would often feature John Candy's "Dr. Tongue" in a key role. Case in point -- this epic Monster Chiller Horror Theater -- featuring Dr. Tongue's 3D House of Cats! https://youtu.be/SMQ8qSEVFo0?si=04oWeuTwAntHIfOt

A legend in satirical song, Tom Lehrer's career was brief but stellar. This clip, taken from a 1967 Danish tour, features one of Tom's most macabre melodies -- "I Hold Your Hand in Mine". https://youtu.be/I9C2v1oLXQo?si=GcqRYbpDWqC2MJ9y

1959 saw voice actor Bob McFadden unleash a truly odd character -- Dor -- which was the backwards spelling of his recording partner, poet Rod McKuen. https://youtu.be/boMW2kVgk34?si=jSZ6AqOzF-ARHYD0

Lambert, Hendricks and Ross are legends of vocalese -- the blending of jazz, scat singing, and sound effects and nowhere did it come together better than in Halloween Spooks. https://youtu.be/7adiWXwPCqU?si=iLbaDsTAO6sAFQeZ

The 1950s and 60s being the era of dance crazes, it's no surprise that Halloween has seen its share. First up, Bo Diddley, adapting his signature style to "Bo Meets The Monster." https://youtu.be/nc6mcuQ-T0A?si=lIopmrH8VZw_oOIz

Once you've seen Ted Cassidy's Lurch character you won't forget him -- but in case you need a reminder here is a long forgotten disc in which Ted teaches us to Do the Lurch. https://youtu.be/p8w4fOBJd_s?si=Am3zRV0X9a3y8FOD

Could we forget the Big Daddy of Halloween hits -- Bobby "Boris" Pickett's Monster Mash? Nope and here it is in all its cheesy glory -- and it still brushes the Top singles charts on occasion! https://youtu.be/vNuVifA7DSU?si=scJz5lV0KXs6PblJ

Norm Crosby

Today we meet a man who is a true perspiration to both of us, the great Norm Crosby -- also known as the master of malaprop. Born out of the need for a shtick when he was a young comic, Norm's ability to mangle the language on command was a hit with audiences and led to a decades long career in comedy clubs, long runs in Las Vegas, and myriad appearances in film and on television. Norm was also a staple at the Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts (and the much naughtier Friar's Club version), a regular on the Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon, and an unlikely pitchman for beer. Not bad for a comic with Catskills material, but a gift for garbled gab that was top shelf all the way. As always find extra clips below and thanks for sharing our shows!

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If you want a nice sample of what Norm was all about this clip from the Ed Sullivan Show in 1967 is a great place to start. It's a simple riff on US History, but filled with the malaprop comedy that made his career. https://youtu.be/gshTXgcyoq4?si=Z3ZkQqqSMO4JrSkl

Norm was a Vegas stalwart with headlining gigs of his own, plus a long run opening shows for the likes of Tom Jones. Here's Norm guesting on the mother of all Vegas gigs -- the Jerry Lewis Telethon (Norm appeared 27 times). https://youtu.be/KjImNhOSDac?si=Cpo3iQkVowynKAT_

Later in his career Norm found a new audience through an unlikely source -- he became a tv pitchman, most notably for the then new Natural Light Beer. Nothing like dressing up a lousy beer with some classic comedy! https://youtu.be/teUfoBNYXrY?si=VPa6k9mjestTFyj3

Alan Arkin

Meet Alan Arkin, a sly comic actor who turned his fine eye for characters into a legendary career that spanned 50 years and won him many awards, including an Oscar at age 72 for Little Miss Sunshine. From his beginnings as a folk singer, to a stint with the Second City Improv troupe, to an iconic role in Catch-22, to late-in-life triumphs on the big and small screens, Arkin always imbued his supporting characters with first-rate humanity. As always, find more clips below and thanks for sharing our shows!

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Like many iconic comics before (and since), Alan spent time at the Second City Improv Troupe and was a big part of their classic early sketches. Here is Alan, as Noah, auditioning animals fo the ark. https://youtu.be/GaqaFcG0sy0?si=6R41wo-M_gDu0DEa

Little Miss Sunshine was a surprise hit back in 2006 with it's oddball family road trip capturing the public imagination. A big part of that was Alan's portrayal of the grandfather and his interaction with Abigail Breslin who played the title character. https://youtu.be/10WeBvmN0C0?si=3uAPgM2sja5kdImz

Joseph Heller's antiwar novel Catch 22 was a cultural touchstone, and Alan's portrayal of Captain John Yossarian was key to the success of the movie adaptation. Here is Yossarian discovering the meaning of Catch 22. https://youtu.be/oRIFdh0QG7A?

Alan's last major role was as Norm Newlander, longtime agent to acting coach Sandy Kominsky (played by Michael Douglas). Their scenes together were warm and witty, imbued with wisdom that comes with age. https://youtu.be/gUgxPOIkVFQ?si=TDsZYl6thZbbQKis

 

Whoopi Goldberg

No, "EGOT" isn't a Tolkein or Star Wars character. In fact, EGOT status is far more rare, with fewer than a dozen winners of the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, AND Tony Awards to date, including this week's legend, the very funny, very pointed, and very bawdy Whoopi Goldberg. From an early one-woman tribute to Moms Mabley, to movies including The Color Purple, Ghost, and Sister Act, to a long run on ABC's The View, Whoopi has been a ubiquitous part of pop culture for nearly 50 years -- and she shows no signs of slowing down! As always, find extra clips below and thanks for sharing our shows!

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Since 2007, Whoopi has been part of the panel on ABC's daytime talk show The View. Her mouth has landed her in hot water a few times, but more often it lands on comedy gold. https://youtu.be/VRI5IMOCwnY?si=mzSde7lZU30_MewT

Whoopi won her first Oscar playing a psychic in the hit movie Ghost. As an intermediary between Patrick Swayze and his still-alive girlfriend Demi Moore, Whoopi brought a perfect balance of sensitivity and sass to the role. https://youtu.be/oAb2_-uv41Y?si=Rr2tlkK1UtVMVdz5

Whoopi had a great run of hit movies in the 80s and 90s, none more beloved than Sister Act, a fish out of water classic in which Whoopi's "lounge singer on the run" gets placed by the Witness Protection Program into a convent. Here's Whoopi "freestyling" a mealtime blessing. https://youtu.be/-5lFiIvUZ_c?si=cj9zw1-MD1P3Pfac

Keenan Ivory Wayans

The Wayans family has been associated with film and television comedy since the 1980s and Keenan Ivory Wayans is the patriarch of that talented group. After almost graduating with an engineering degree, Keenan pivoted to Hollywood with his good friend Robert Townsend, starring in the superb satire about the life of black actors called "The Hollywood Shuffle". From then on Keenan would mix film triumphs ("I'm Gonna Get You Sucka'!) with groundbreaking tv work ("In Living Color"). His comedy is urban, raunchy, and very, very funny. In recent years, Keenan has worked more behind the camera, often featuring family members in his casts. Find more clips below as always, and thanks for sharing our shows!

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Keenan has spent so much time as a sketch actor, director, and producer that it's easy to forget he is a fine standup as evidenced by this 1983 set on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. https://youtu.be/OU91m_TtTTw?si=3V7_Pk2gVqRS4x22

Keenan found a kindred spirit (and early comedy writing partner) in Robert Townsend and their work bore fruit in the form of the 1987 satirical gem "Hollywood Shuffle". Here's a sample, featuring their take on the "Black Acting School". https://youtu.be/HoqmCwp95Q8?si=b9aFZqJpCI09J59C

In 1990 Keenan launched his signature show "In Living Color". Conceived of as an edgier SNL, with a multiracial cast, In Living Color launched the careers of Jim Carrey and Jamie Foxx, as well as Keenan's siblings Marlon and Damon. This bit about a sketchy shopping service is one of the show's enduring classics. https://youtu.be/55aHvFD-I80?si=hbBGhkZTEHOQA5L-

Soupy Sales

If you'd like some pie with your coffee we can't help, but if it's a pie in the face you crave let us introduce you to a modern master of that slapstick art -- Soupy Sales! After starting as a teen dance television show host in Cincinatti (ala Dick Clark), Soupy switched to hosting a children's show -- a gig that on-and-off would serve him for four decades. Soupy's show was goofy, including lots of interplay with a cast of puppet co-stars and yes, lots of pies in the face for Soupy and his guests. He also scored a minor dance hit in the 1960s with "The Mouse" and later in life worked in radio and on the nostalgia circuit. And as for those pies -- once Soupy estimated he had taken 25,000 cream pies to the face and judging by the video evidence that exists we aren't doubting it. Besides it we did -- yep, we'd deserve a pie in the face as well! Find more clips below and thank for sharing our shows!

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Soupy was so associated with taking a pie in the face he included a song about it on one of his many children's albums. https://youtu.be/4js5cKeAslw?si=nIL8OxnloChQuW3-

Soupy worked with a menagerie of puppet characters and none was more beloved than Pookie, a lion who could pitch punchlines to Soupy with ease. https://youtu.be/kcb87xi8cVg?si=mjuJ_MgGfuRa8b1R

In the 1960s, Top 40 radio still had space for novelty records and Soupy scored a hit in 1965 with "The Mouse". https://youtu.be/kP1_F9zEF7o?si=m_xgQtLx2hiXgcgP