'70's Comedy: Who Or What Made You Laugh?

[markydefad]

For me, the list would include:



1) Woody Allen ( I loved him, worshipped him. The Jews make me laugh (and I'm primarily Norwegian--similar guilt, maybe?)



2) Bette Midler (The best live entertainer I've ever seen. I will admit I was stupid enough to think she was coming up wih all those wisecracks on her own--I didn't realize til later that that fat fairy Bruce Villanch was coming up with those nasty quips--but baby, she delivered them with unparalleled crack comic timing).



3) Lily Tomlin ( my fave of hers was the Lud & Marie "Stop Talking About That Cake!" segment from her LP "Modern Scream".



4) "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman" (A syndicated sitcom that was all the rage for a couple years before Louise Lasser burned out and left. My fave memory was when Mary Kay Place as well-meaning but not too bright country singer Loretta Hagers referred to Jews as "thems the folks what killed our lord"!!!! Can you say irreverent?)



5) "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" (priceless characters, timing, warmth--a true classic)



6 "Saturday Night Live" (another classic that still seems funny today with Gilda (Emily Latella's "endangered feces" and Roseanne Rosannadana " Hey Princess Lee, whatta tryin to do--make me sick?") et al.



7) Mel Brooks ("Young Frankenstein" esp. Madeline Kahn singing "Oh, Sweet Mystery of Life" after being schtupfed (sp?) by Old Zipperneck and in "Blazing Saddles" singing "I'm Tired" ("Can't you see she's pooped?" the mincing chorus boys reply. )



"All In The Family" (superb writing, daring subject matter, consummate acting)



9) Steve Martin (Silly, sometimes crude, yet classy all the same)



10) Richard Pryor ( can we say "filthy mouth" comes to the mainstream; the way black folks talked offstage Pryor took to the masses.)



That's what I recall as being my faves, oh and some of those sketches on the Carol Burnett show--especially the movie take-offs.



How about you???

_________________

Make My Feet Wanna Dance!

Markydefad

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: markydefad on 2002-01-07 15:58 ]</font>

[paul]

Hey Marky. I once ushered a Bette Midler show at The Opera Company of Boston. What is the gay male appeal?

I liked the shock factor of Pryor. To this day I like George Carlin's insightful humor.

Franklyn Ajaye was so right on!

I also love All In The Family. Today there just too punk to put a show like that on.

A wierd one I like was I think Robin and His Merry Men or perhaps it was called something else. It was a comedy on ABC I think.

OK, I also love some of Harvey Korman's skits on the Carol Burnett show.

Oh and before I forget, The Flip Wilson show was one of my favorites.

[HustleBaby]

Todays performers and sitcoms CANNOT hold a candle to yesteryear's performers/shows. These are the shows or people that made me laugh:

1.Sanford & Son - Fred and Aunt Esther

2.All in The Family - Archie Bunker and his ignorant and hilarious versions of the bible, laws etc...

3.Maude - Her outspoken views on womens liberation and her sassy maid Florida.

4.Good Times - James, J.J and Willona Woods.

5.Jeffersons - George, Florence, Mr.Bentley and George's nasty ass momma!

6.Welcome Back Kotter - All four of the guys and the principal.

7.Barney Miller - Wojohowitz(Wojo), Ron Glass, Inspector Kluger, Gregory Sierra and

Dietrich.

8.Carol Burnett - The whole gang

9.Saturday Night Live - Roseanne Roseannadana

whatever... Samurai(Belushi), Coneheads, The BigButt Family and many other skits.

10.Flip Wilson - Geraldine

11.Pink Panther - I never understood why he ALWAYS fought with his butler Kato but it made me laugh!

12.Benny Hill

13.Monty Python's Flying Circus

14.Get Smart

15.Ruth Buzzi



(P.S - Did Mel Brooks make "History of The World Part I" and "Who Killed The Great Chefs of Europe"?)



*DELIGHTFUL*

[paul]

Hey Delight. I don't know about The Great Chefs of Europe movie but Mel did do The History Of The World movies.

Yippee. I'm a precious metal

[markydefad]

Paul,



You asked about the gay male appeal of Bette Midler--am I to infer that you don't "get" the Divine Miss M?



Well, I don't know where to begin, but I guess it starts with the "Fuck 'em if they can't take a joke" credo she embodied. She was deliciously lewd, crude, and damned entertaining as she did her mincing tippy-toed strut across the stage -- a force of nature unwilling to be tamed.



Her jokes were mostly written by bitchy repartee specialists--gay men like Jerry Blatt & Bruce Villanch-- and truly captured the dishy camp humor and withering, stinging bitchy comments of gay men when in the company of other gay men. I guess in some ways she was a female impersonator in a biologically correct female body. (I'm reminded of drag performer Charles Pierce's line about "the town was so small it's only female impersonator was a woman...Debbie Reynolds!)



Anyway, it was the jokes and banter that got to me, plus the retro clothes and eclectic music choices. Her sometime sentimental streak ( the bag ladies, etc.) was her weakest and least interesting facet. If only Barbra Streisand had maintained the sense of humor she exhibited in her early recordings ("Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?", "Sweet Zoo", "I'm Five", "The Minute Waltz") and films. After "What's Up Doc?" (one of her best perfs)--she seemed determined to never show that side of her personality again.



_________________

Make My Feet Wanna Dance!

Markydefad

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: markydefad on 2002-01-15 15:56 ]</font>

[PhyllisHyman]

..And Bette dressed as a mermaid in an electric wheelchair was pure genius. Over here the funniest thing around is Smack the Pony which is mainly done by female actresses. If you get a chance see it. Best American import is Sex and The City by far.

[paul]

Thanks Markey.

I guess that gay banter from Bette went right over my head. First it was ebonics, now it's gaybonics

[Boodikka]

Paul, the Robin Hood parody series was Mel Brooks' WHEN THINGS WERE ROTTEN, starring Dick Gautier. Much funnier than his ROBIN HOOD: MEN IN TIGHTS.

Other obscure '70s comedies that I enjoyed (leave it to the Goddess to bring up the obscure):

1) THE CORNER BAR - with Gabe Dell and Bill Fiore, and Vincent Schiavelli as the FIRST recurring gay character in a sitcom, Peter Panama

2) THE HOT L BALTIMORE - With Al Freeman and Conchata Ferrell

3) ON THE ROCKS - a prison comedy (!) with Jose Perez.

4) THE WALTONS - oh wait, this piece of crap wasn't meant to be funny.....

5) PBS' QUE PASA, USA - The first bilingual comedy, I believe, and starring a young Rocky Echevaria.....better known to you as Steven Bauer.

[Boodikka]

Hustle, 1978's WHO IS KILLING THE GREAT CHEFS OF EUROPE was directed by Ted Kotcheff.

I always thought of this film as being a toned-down rip of THEATRE OF BLOOD, starring Vincent Price. If black comedy ( I mean VERY black comedy ) doesn't offend you, and if you are a Shakespeare fan, check it out.

[Funky Dude]

Well there are a few star comedians of the 70's that make me piss myself laughing:



Brian Murphy - This guy plays as George Roper on the British comedies "Man About The House" and "George & Mildred", and he was hilarious on those shows. I like how he hides porno magazines in rediculous spots around the house and Mildred (Youtha Joyce) always finds them. Also he has low hygene standards by bathing once a week and wearing ripped mouldy clothing under his suit and tie. You may as well say he's the British version of an Australian yobbo. I like how on "George & Mildred" he always gives Jeffrey Formile (Norman Eshley) shits by borrowing stuff from him and wrecking it and one of the funniest parts was the shower incident where the Ropers were getting a new shower put in and George's bodgey carpenter mate "Jerry" knocks a hole in the wall (on the other side is Jeffrey's bathtub and Jeffrey's bathing in it) and George puts his head through and Jeffrey stands cringing in one corner with a towl in front of him and George goes "Oh hello son".



John Cleese - He was really funny in "Monty Python's Flying Circus" but was at his funniest on "Fawlty Towers" when he played as Basil Fawlty, he literally went insane on that show. Two main highlights of his funny rage was when he was in a hurry to get this cake back to Fawlty Towers and the car stopped and wouldn't go and Basil really went crazy and yelled "I'M GONNA GIVE YOU A THRASHING!!!!" and got a tree branch and belted the bonnet of the car with it. Another highlight was when his wife was in hospital and was constantly calling Basil telling him what to do and when the fire alarm was ringing and Basil assumed it was a fire drill and the customers were getting confused and Basil was in a panic the phone rings again and Basil picks it up and goes "RAAAHHHHHH RAHHHHHHH!!!!!" and slams it down. Also I like how Basil constantly repeats the instructions to Mandwell (the spanish waitor) because Mandwell doesn't understand English that well and Basil sometimes beats up Mandwell.



Jimmy Walker - He was the main highlight of the 70's USA comedy "Good Times", he's really funny when he goes "I'm the kid OF DYN-O-MITE!!!" and the family always makes fun of his skinny body everytime he says that.



Sonny & Cher - I've watched reruns of their early 70's Comedy show "The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour" and they were hilarious, I love how Sonny Bono always makes fun of Cher's nose and Cher always has the best comebacks which make Sonny look like a buffoon in the end. I've taped a number of those episodes and one memorable moment was when Sonny was wearing a Viking helmet and the funny part was when the horns went downwards.



The guy who plays as Blakey the Bus Inspector on the comedy (On The Buses) - This man was hilarious on that comedy especially with his really weird laugh when he gets the better of the menacing bus drivers Stan Butler & Jack Arthur.



Those are just a few, I'll mention more in future posts.

[paul]

On 2002-01-16 07:29, Boodikka wrote:

Paul, the Robin Hood parody series was Mel Brooks' WHEN THINGS WERE ROTTEN, starring Dick Gautier. Much funnier than his ROBIN HOOD: MEN IN TIGHTS.

Right On Boodi! You are truly my Goddess. What sacrafices should I make at your alter

I couldn't remember the name of that short lived series and I guess I was one of the few who enjoyed it.

Damn your good!

[Boodikka]

Hmmmmm.....offerings to the Mighty Goddess? Send me Salma Hayek for a "dirty weekend"....or you will feel my wrath! :grin:

Paul, you know the Goddess lives and breathes this stuff, if there are any trivia queries you need to pose, the Goddess shall utilize her awesome powers to solve them! The Goddess would love to go on that "Beat The Geeks" show on Comedy Central and destroy those losers.

[paul]

[PhyllisHyman]

[Funky Dude]

Speaking of Youtha Joyce, I heard she died in 1980 not so long after the "George & Mildred" movie. What caused her death?