Laugh Tracks Legends of Comedy with Randy and Steve

Paul Lynde

Turn the camp and snark volume to 11 -- this time out we feature the great Paul Lynde who became a gay icon in the 1960s and 70s by hiding in plain sight. From a start doing stand up, then a turn on the Broadway stage, Paul later added to his resume a character on the sitcom classic Bewitched, a LONG run as the flippant and sarcastic "center square" on The Hollywood Squares game show, and a surreal Halloween television special that is a Hall of Fame entry in the "so bad it's good" sweepstakes. As always, find full cuts below and thanks for sharing our shows.

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You can't do a Paul Lynde episode without including a sampling of his snarky answers on the Hollywood Squares. You really can't think of one without the other -- in fact, one biography of Paul is titled "Center Square." https://youtu.be/1wCXr_6wgns

Paul's flamboyance was made for the stage, so it's fitting his first breakout role was as the father in the Broadway show (and later movie) Bye Bye Birdie. Here's Paul's big number -- talking about what's wrong with kids these days (yes, some things never change). https://youtu.be/1wCXr_6wgns

Paul's most famous sitcom role was a recurring character on Bewitched, playing the incorrigible warlock prankster Uncle Arthur. Here's some of Arthur's best. https://youtu.be/92pJ3ea-0tk

After Paul's turn on Bewitched, the networks wanted to feature him but couldn't find the right role -- one that had just enough camp but not so much it scared straight America. One result was this bizarre Halloween special featuring (among others) Margaret Hamilton from The Wizard of Oz and the first TV appearance of Kiss. We've started the clip where Kiss first appears, but by all means rewind and watch the whole thing. A true "what exactly were they thinking" enterprise! https://youtu.be/CCJ0D4pI0tI?t=2469

 

Ruth Wallis

Meet Ruth Wallis who playfully scandalized America in the 1950s and 60s with her naughty ditties. First a cabaret singer specializing in big band jazz, Ruth found the double entendre novelty numbers she slipped in her set got the biggest response. She reworked her set around those tunes and many albums and tours followed until she was eclipsed by newer comics willing to work much more "blue". But after she retired, Ruth found a new audience courtesy of Dr. Demento and she kept reissuing her recordings for years. As always, find full cuts below and thanks for sharing our shows.

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Here's a bonus -- the full version of Davy's Dinghy -- a classic Ruth number that introduced her to a new generation of fans thanks to heavy airplay on the Dr. Demento show. https://youtu.be/bGHLCeDjH_E

Ruth had a gift for novelty tunes, and they weren't always blue. Her first effort, which reached the lower rungs of the music charts, was Dear Mr. Godfrey, based on Arthur Godfrey's firing of singer Julius LaRosa for "lacking humility." Ruth nominates herself to fill the void! https://youtu.be/-wpznMXAuG4

In the 1950s naughtiness was frowned on by the authorities in most countries, usually with the result that the targeted works became even more popular. Ruth had her tunes "banned in Boston" and her records were confiscated by Australian customs. This rare skit from an Aussie variety show features Ruth in song and a great skit about her legal travails. And as always, it only made her more famous! https://youtu.be/HPf7TRAJkSg

Ruth's songs usually were based on double entendres and there is no better example than this -- The Hawaiian Lei Song, one of her most popular. https://youtu.be/H4PnSX5Oruc

Kids in the Hall

We think Kids in the Hall are one of the few sketch comedy troupes worthy of a favorable comparison with Monty Python. They specialize in surreal silliness, they link their sketches together in delightfully absurd ways, and they all dress as women when needed! And if you don't agree -- we'll crush your head! Seriously, KITH is one of Canada's finest exports from their first series in the 1980s to the recently released "Season 6". Find out more here, with additional cuts in the comments. And thanks, as always, for sharing our shows!

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Part of what made KITH special was how they placed normal human interactions into an absurd context. Here's a clip from the original series in which the idea of a "hard day at the office" is paired with an unusual line of work. https://youtu.be/e1KWyvL9ous

KITH wrapped their original series in 1995, so it was a real surprise when they returned to CBC in 2010 with "Death Comes to Town". Instead of short, separate sketches, this show was an eight episode miniseries revolving around one theme. Whatever the structure, the show was a hit and the Kids were in fine form! https://youtu.be/f0pbK5qCmS8

Fans were delighted when KITH announced they would regroup for a sixth season, which was released in May 2022. Reviews were stellar, with Rotten Tomatoes clocking in at 100%. Here's the season six trailer -- and the whole season is well worth your time! https://youtu.be/zm2rAjmH_JQ

Phil Silvers

Phil Silvers was one of the early stars of television and his Sgt. Bilko character remains a small screen classic. Never a standup comic, Phil instead graced tv, movies, and the Broadway stage (winning a Tony Award in the process). Silvers specialized in playing characters who were just a bit shady, but lovable all the same. As always, find extra clips below and thanks for sharing our shows.

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Phil Silvers was best known for his classic Sgt. Ernie Bilko character that he debuted on The Phil Silvers Show back in 1955. A slightly shady -- yet lovable -- character, Bilko was a master of chutzpah. https://youtu.be/yBLtqMeUCQE

Phil Silvers was old school all the way, becoming a welcome presence in movies, on tv, and on the Broadway stage for decades. Here's Phil with Jonathan Winters in the over the top comedy "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World."https://youtu.be/wCGg2dU8bSU

 

 

Pat Paulsen

A master of hang dog expressions, laconic delivery, and sharp political satire, Pat Paulsen charmed America in the 1960s with his "editorials" on The Smothers Brothers variety show, eventually launching a (tongue firmly-in-cheek) Presidential campaign. He would go on the reprise the bit in 1992, actually finishing second to George H.W. Bush in the North Dakota GOP primary. And much later, Pat charmed wine lovers with a boutique winery (one that still exists today). As always, find more clips below and thanks for sharing our shows!

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When Pat launched his faux campaign in 1968 on the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour it took the nation by storm -- and these were the days in which you couldn't rent it, tape it, or stream it -- you had to sit yourself down and watch it. Here Pat in action (and dig Tom and Dick's outfits!)https://youtu.be/0n-kMI25ZcI

Pat was best known for his work on the Smothers Brothers variety show, but he also was a fine standup. This clip is taken from his 1970 "Live at the Ice House" set. https://youtu.be/7EnOZA1dcrs

Comedy fans were delighted when Pat appeared on the 1992 Smothers Brothers 20 year reunion special. What did he do? Just what he does! https://youtu.be/qn69wP-jD2Y

Harvey Korman

Say hello to the inimitable Harvey Korman who brought his mastery of sketch comedy to the small and big screens for decades. From a humble start voicing cartoons, Harvey became a comic acting powerhouse with a long run on The Carol Burnett Show and many juicy movie roles, especially in Mel Brooks classics such as Blazing Saddles and High Anxiety. And remember -- "It's Head-LEY"! As always, find more Harvey below and thanks for sharing our shows.

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When Harvey was first getting started he did some cartoon voice work, most notably as space alien "The Great Gazoo" in the Flintstones. Here's a nice collection of some of Harvey/Gazoo's best bits on the show. https://youtu.be/ekfR6RKpfmI

Harvey's iconic tv turn came on the Carol Burnett variety show where he was featured for a decade, winning four Emmys and a Golden Globe in the process. There is so much good stuff to choose from, but this sketch stands out. It's Harvey as a nervous dental patient meeting Tim Conway's fresh out of school dentist. No nitrous needed -- these guys supply their own laughing gas. https://youtu.be/9IUSM4EKcRI

It's hard to pick just one Harvey character as his best, but in the running has to be his over the top portrayal of crooked Attorney General Headley Lamar in Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles. His scenes with Mel's corrupt Gov. William J. LePetomane (named for the French "flatulist") are masterclasses in comic timing. https://youtu.be/g2Bp8SqYrnE

Bill Hicks

Meet Bill Hicks, the "Dark Poet" of standup comedy who burned brightly, but quickly, in the 1980s and early 90s. A savage truth teller in the tradition of Lenny Bruce, George Carlin, and Richard Pryor, Bill developed an intense cult following, especially in England. His sets were unpredictable, mixing satire, history, and philosophy with impeccable timing and a whole lot of NSFW content. When he died from cancer in 1994, many comics noted he was ahead of his time. To that point, all of Bill's recordings have been reissued in recent years and many of his sharpest routines are still right on target today. As always find more cuts below, and thanks for sharing our shows.

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Bill was a chain smoker on stage so the movement to restrict indoor smoking was predictably greeted with snark. But hey, Bill, tell us how you really feel! https://youtu.be/xDbDT3Bry2g

Bill was a wild man and indulged heavily in drugs and alcohol. As his health suffered he gave them up -- but his take on the matter might not be what you expect. https://youtu.be/VCcHkR9iv7M

Bill Hicks once said that comics who do commercial should be stricken from the "artistic roll call." Some would say he simply wasn't offered any, but that's not true -- let Bill tell you himself. https://youtu.be/pRcF7t5HGhQ

Tommy Tiernan

Tommy Tiernan has built a career as one of Ireland's funniest -- and, at times, most inappropriate stand-up comics and comic actors. Winning the best newcomer award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in the early 1990s, Tommy soon became a favorite on Irish tv, including The Late Late Show and the sitcom Father Ted. More recently, Tommy has hosted the Tommy Tiernan Show in which the guests are unknown to him until the moment they walk on stage. And for American audiences, he is perhaps best known as "Da Gerry", the perpetually beleaguered father on the hit Netflix show "Derry Girls." And did we mention he's a Guinness World Record Holder? Well, he is -- for performing standup for 36 hours and fifteen minutes straight during a 2009 Galway show! It won't be 36 hours worth, but you can find extended clips below and thanks for sharing our shows!

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Tommy is a comic who often finds the line between comedy that is "ok" and that which is really not by crossing it. Here Tommy tells the audience on The Late Late Show about one such case. https://youtu.be/u3MG1iIZZjQ

Tommy's bond with standup crowds is legendary -- as is the way he lets the audience in on his frustrations in ways that are always clever -- and often quite naughty! https://youtu.be/-DWc9CArliU

While he made his initial name as a standup, Tommy has built a fine career as a character actor as well. In the Netflix hit Derry Girls, Tommy plays the beleaguered father ("Da Gerry"). Here's a nice collection of Tommy's finest moments from that show. https://youtu.be/JpYol7ZP6hk

 

George Kirby

One of the greatest impressionists of all time, George Kirby was a frequent flyer on tv variety and talk shows, and on the nightclub stage from the 1950s all the way until the 1990s. One of the first black comics to fully cross over to white audiences, Kirby's gift was his uncanny ability to mimic pop culture figures singing as well as speaking. George was a favorite of Ed Sullivan, who featured him on his "Toast of the Town" show as well as his national variety program. After a run on The Kopykats -- an ABC show devoted to impressionists -- George earned his own short-run series but his career was interrupted by drug charges that sent him to prison for over three years. While his career never fully recovered, he remained active in Vegas and was a guest on Bob Hope's USO shows. As always, find extended clips below and thanks for sharing our shows!

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While George's impressions were his main calling card he was also a fine standup with an expressive style and great timing. This cute bit, about his wife's poker game, is drawn from his 1970s standup work. https://youtu.be/PACXnn0842o

George had a wonderfully versatile voice and it served him well on ABC's The Kopykats which ran in the 1970s and then his own George Kirby Half a Comedy Hour which had a 22 episode run. In his bit, from George's show, he imitates two classic caucasian blowhards -- Ralph Kramden and Archie Bunker (with an assist from another Legend, Marilyn Michaels). https://youtu.be/XJmBrefkI3Q

Back in the day, Bob Hope would make an annual USO tour to entertain US troops in a war zone or hostile environment. Along with singers and scantily-clad cheerleaders, Bob would always bring a comedian along and in 1983 George was picked to join the USO tour of Beirut. Here's George being introduced by Bob, then treating the troops to some standup and a fine impression of Humprey Bogart singing jazz. https://youtu.be/IVmzsqOuA74?t=416

June Foray

Turn on some classic cartoons from the 1960s and one of the voices you're sure to hear is that of June Foray, the finest female voice actor of the 20th Century. From Stan Freberg parodies, to voicing Cindy Lou Who in How the Grinch Stole Christmas, to playing Rocky the Flying Squirrel and Natasha Fatale on the classic Rocky and Bullwinkle show June was everywhere during the golden age of TV cartoons. In later life, June also became an tireless advocate for advancing the animation arts. The great Looney Tunes director Chuck Jones once said that June wasn't the female Mel Blanc - Mel was the male June Foray. High praise indeed! Find more June Foray below and thanks for sharing our shows.

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When June came to Hollywood she soon found a friend and fan in Stan Freberg, the master of parody. In one of her best roles, June plays "Little Blue Riding Hood" being interrogated by Stan's tough cop (an early take on his Joe Friday impersonation). https://youtu.be/hzDvoJWB3t4

When it comes to enthusiasm, few cartoon characters match Rocket J. Squirrel, the plucky flying rodent who is Bullwinkle's best friend. June's voice for Rocky is animation gold. In this bit Rocky and Bullwinkle stumble into the Hatfield-McCoy feud with predictable results. https://youtu.be/a4LPQEljkRE

Rocky and Bullwinkle debuted during the Cold War and that resulted in one of June's signature character -- super spy Natasha Fatale who labored (with Boris Badenov) in futility to bring down "Moose and Squirrel". https://youtu.be/4txmBNCAXg8