Saturday Night Live Season 11, A Turbulent Period

This was a challenging season for the franchise to say the least. It marked the return of executive producer Lorne Michaels after a five-year absence. The season ran from November 1985 to May 1986.

The show had just come off a successful season with cast members Billy Crystal, Martin Short, Harry Shearer and Christopher Guest, with Dick Ebersol as producer. That season wanted to attract people with previous comedy experience. For example, Martin Short appeared on SCTV before doing SNL.

Cast members for season 11 included: Robert Downey Jr. (his uncle Jim Downey was a writer for the show), Joan Cusack, Anthony Michael Hall, Randy Quaid, Nora Dunn, Jon Lovitz, Dennis Miller, Terry Sweeney, Danitra Vance, Damon Wayans, Dan Vitale and A. Whitney Brown. This season had an emphasis on youth and the cast did not seem to gel.

Most did not make it to the next season except for Jon Lovitz, Dennis Miller, Nora Dunn and A. Whitney Brown. The season ended with a fake fire in the studio, questioning who would survive for season 12 and who would not. In the closing credits everyone had a question mark after their name. NBC President Brandon Tartikoff threatened to cancel the show after this disappointing season. Michaels talked him out of doing that.

Lovitz had success with his “liar” character and “Master Thespian.” Nora Dunn had her fashion-obsessed Pat Stephens character. Dennis Miller was a strong Weekend Update anchor, with his sarcastic, smarmy attitude.

Damon Wayans sabotaged his career and got fired. He played a flamboyantly gay character in a sketch where he was not supposed to do that. Many do not realize that the leeway for improvisation on SNL is virtually non-existent. Cast members must do the skits exactly as written.

Dan Vitale was fired during the season due to substance abuse issues.

Chris Elliott from Late Night with David Letterman auditioned for the show. He was offered the job but decided not to take it. In 1994 he would join the cast of SNL. His daughter Abby was in the cast from 2008-2012.

Terry Sweeney was the first openly gay cast member. He portrayed Nancy Reagan.

Danitra Vance was the first black female member of the primary SNL cast. In 1994, she died of cancer at age 40.

Writers for season 11 included: Jim Downey (Head Writer), Al Franken, Tom Davis, George Meyer, Herb Sargent, Carol Leifer, Jack Handey, Robert Smigel, Don Novello, Jon Vitti, John Swartzwelder and more. Meyer, Swartzwelder and Vitti would later write for The Simpsons.

Hosts during this season included: Madonna, Chevy Chase, Pee-Wee Herman, John Lithgow, Tom Hanks, Teri Garr, Oprah Winfrey, Tony Danza and more.

Musical guests included: Simple Minds, Sheila E, Mr. Mister, Sade, The Dream Academy, Laurie Anderson, Al Green, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Level 42, George Clinton and more.

Sam Kinison and Penn and Teller appeared as special guests a few times during the season.

SNL has had a show with so many ups and downs regarding writers and cast, but they have managed to hang on for 50 years.

*Some information from Wikipedia and snl.fandom.com/wiki/Season_11.

 

 

A Transitional Season for SNL: 1984-85

Next year, Saturday Night Live marks 50 years on the air. It’s been a springboard for many funny people over the years, such as Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Adam Sandler, Dana Carvey, David Spade, Will Ferrell, Molly Shannon, Jan Hooks, and many more. It’s an American institution that has stood the test of time. I really enjoyed the 10th season, which was 1984-85. I was in high school at that point and found many other fans of SNL in my classes. This season started on October 6, 1984 and ended on April 13, 1985. A writers’ strike and budget constraints caused it to be an abbreviated season. At this point, Dick Ebersol was in his final season as showrunner. Lorne Michaels took a 5-year break from 1980 to 1985. The cast for 1984-85 included: Martin Short, Billy Crystal, Harry Shearer, Rich Hall, Jim Belushi, Mary Gross, Gary Kroeger, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Pamela Stephenson and Christopher Guest. The opening credit sequence was created by the same person who made the video for “You Might Think” by The Cars. It depicted the cast members as giants among New York City landmarks. The previous season saw the departure of Eddie Murphy, Joe Piscopo, Robin Duke, Brad Hall (husband of Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and Tim Kazurinsky. Christoper Guest became the host of Saturday Night News.

Harry Shearer left mid-season, in January of 1985, due to creative differences. He did not enjoy the experience and atmosphere of working on SNL. He was the co-creator, co-writer and co-star of the 1984 mockumentary This is Spinal Tap. He has provided many voices for The Simpsons, which has been on Fox since 1989. 

Martin Short joined the cast of SCTV later in its run, 1982-83, where he was known for characters like Ed Grimley, defense attorney Nathan Thurm, and songwriter Irving Cohen. His Ed Grimley character had a shock of hair sticking up like Alfalfa from The Little Rascals. His catchphrase was “I must say.” Ed was obsessed with Wheel of Fortune and its host Pat Sajak. Nathan Thurm was a paranoid lawyer who would appear in a 60 Minutes parody on SNL. In that skit, Christopher Guest played the novelty toymaker, Herb Minkman. Irving Cohen was a very old songwriter, and his catchphrase was “Give me a C, a bouncy C.” He would reminisce about the old days of Vaudeville. Jackie Rogers Junior was an odd albino performer who was in a memorable SNL skit where he was a game show host. It was called “Jackie Rogers Junior’s $100,000 Jackpot Wad.” In his autobiography, “I Must Say: My Life as a Humble Comedy Legend,” Short said that he preferred SCTV over SNL, since the former was taped, not live. He liked being able to perfect a sketch and try it many times, but this was not possible on SNL. He was hesitant to join the SNL cast but said yes after hearing that the show had hired Crystal, Shearer and Guest. Those four signed one-year only contracts. 40 years later, Short is still going, after a career with a wide variety of TV and movie projects. He appeared in the films Three Amigos, Father of the Bride, Innerspace, Captain Ron and Mars Attacks. He played the clueless celebrity interviewer Jiminy Glick on Comedy Central from 2001-03 on the show Primetime Glick. In 2016 he had an NBC variety show with SNL alum Maya Rudolph called Maya and Marty. He currently stars in a Hulu series called “Only Murders in the Building” with Steve Martin and Selena Gomez. Martin Short and Steve Martin have a very funny live stage show that has toured the country. For 50 years, Short has been friends with musician and fellow Canadian Paul Shaffer, who was part of the SNL band before he worked as David Letterman’s bandleader. A memorable skit from the 10th season had Short and Harry Shearer playing dim witted synchronized swimmers. The skit was directed by fellow cast member Christopher Guest. Short is 74 years old but still in demand. All this week he is the guest host on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live. 

Billy Crystal had appeared in the sitcom “Soap” (1977-81), but SNL allowed him to appear on a sketch show. His character Fernando, had the catch phrase “You look marvelous.” He would also say “It is better to look good than to feel good.” He was based on the actor Fernando Lamas. He did a segment called Fernando’s Hideaway where he would interview celebrities. Episode 15 had him interviewing Mr. T and Hulk Hogan. Fernando became so popular that he had his own song and music video, “You Look Marvelous.” On SNL, Crystal portrayed New York City talk show host Joe Franklin. People outside the New York area probably did not realize that Franklin was a real talk show host, and Crystal was doing a spoof. One Joe Franklin skit had Martin Short playing magician Doug Henning, and one had Short playing singer Jackie Rogers Jr. 

The writers acknowledged that they did not utilize Julia Louis-Dreyfus as much as they should. It didn’t hurt her career since she went on to have success with Seinfeld, The New Adventures of Old Christine and Veep. 

Jim Belushi had the goal of establishing himself as a funny sketch player, but it must have been rough to be in the shadow of his late brother, John Belushi, an SNL legend. Jim starred in the sitcom According to Jim from 2001-2009. 

Rich Hall was a writer-performer on David Letterman’s morning show in 1980. He appeared on the late-night show Fridays from 1980-82. He is the only person to have been a cast member of both Fridays and SNL. He currently splits time between Montana and London. He has become better known overseas than in America. 

After leaving SNL, Christopher Guest became known for his mockumentary films such as Spinal Tap, Best in Show, Waiting for Guffman, A Mighty Wind and more. In SNL, Guest and Crystal played co-workers Willie and Frankie who describe painful situations they bring on themselves. Their catchphrase was “I hate it when that happens.” Guest played a Spanish ventriloquist who appeared in the Joe Franklin Show spoof. 

Mary Gross is the sister of Michael Gross, who played Steven Keaton in Family Ties. On SNL she played Alfalfa from The Little Rascals, and did many impressions, such as Dr. Ruth Westheimer, Pee-Wee Herman and Mary Tyler Moore. 

Pamela Stephenson was born in New Zealand. A Rolling Stone writer called her “A bright spot in a weak season.” She has a doctorate in psychology and has been married to comic Billy Connolly since 1989. 

On SNL, Gary Kroeger impersonated Walter Mondale. He played Donny Osmond in a sketch where Julia Louis-Dreyfus played Marie Osmond. After leaving SNL he appeared in various TV shows and has relocated to his hometown in Iowa. He writes a column for a newspaper and has owned a restaurant. He has appeared in community theater productions.

The musical guests for this season included: The Thompson Twins, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, The Kinks, Billy Squier, Tina Turner, Bryan Adams, The Commodores and more.

I still look back fondly on season 10 and it was my introduction to the comedy of Martin Short. He is my favorite comedic actor. 

 *Some information from imdb and wikipedia.

Top Notch Comedy Writers Come from the Harvard Lampoon

Everyone knows that getting into Harvard is very challenging. They only accept the cream of the crop, academically. The average high school grade point average to get into Harvard is a 4.0. Most students take AP or IB classes that make their g.p.a. above 4.0. Many people would not associate super academic people with people who are incredibly funny, but at Harvard, the humorous students write for The Harvard Lampoon. Members must demonstrate that they are funny on paper, by submitting six pieces of humor writing. These are evaluated by the Lampoon members, including the president of the organization. Founded in 1876 by seven Harvard undergraduates, The Harvard Lampoon is one of the world’s longest-running continuously-published humor magazines. The Lampoon publishes five issues annually and occasionally parodies other magazines (People, Time, Mademoiselle, Playboy, National Geographic, and many more) or the day’s popular literature (Bored of the Rings, The Hunger Pains, Nightlight, Lame of Thrones). The publication’s circulation is 30,000. It’s inside a castle-like building (pictured above) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, a few blocks from Harvard Square. You have probably heard of The National Lampoon, which once had a magazine and was behind films such as Vacation, European Vacation, Christmas Vacation, Animal House, and others. The National Lampoon was founded by Harvard Lampoon members in 1970. But, everyone associated with National Lampoon was not a Harvard Lampoon member. The Lampoon name was licensed to National Lampoon and that provides much of the revenue for the Harvard Lampoon. The National Lampoon Radio Hour included Chevy Chase, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer. 1973 was the launch of a stage show called National Lampoon; Lemmings which was a launching pad for Chase, Guest and John Belushi. This was a precursor to Saturday Night Live. Alumni of the Harvard Lampoon include: business tycoon and newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst, authors George Plimpton and John Updike, MSNBC anchor Lawrence O’Donnell, and actor Fred Gwynne. Many of the top comedy writers in late night TV and sitcoms are Lampoon alumni such as: Conan O’Brien (SNL, The Simpsons, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Conan), Greg Daniels (The Office, SNL, The Simpsons, King of the Hill, Parks and Recreation), Colin Jost (SNL), Jeff Martin (The Simpsons, David Letterman), Jim Downey (SNL, David Letterman), BJ Novak (The Office), Mike Reiss (The Simpsons, The Critic, Johnny Carson), Steve Young (David Letterman), Bill Oakley (The Simpsons), Josh Weinstein (The Simpsons), Robert Carlock (SNL, The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, The Dana Carvey Show, 30 Rock), Al Jean (The Simpsons, The Critic, Johnny Carson), Jon Vitti (The Simpsons, The Critic, King of the Hill, The Office), Steve O’Donnell (David Letterman, The Simpsons, Seinfeld), Al Jean (The Simpsons, Johnny Carson, ALF, It’s Garry Shandling’s Show), Jon Beckerman (David Letterman, Ed), David X. Cohen (Beavis and Butthead, The Simpsons, Futurama), Andy Borowitz (The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, The Facts of Life, Square Pegs), George Meyer (David Letterman, The Simpsons), Eric Kaplan (David Letterman, The Simpsons, Futurama, The Big Bang Theory, Malcolm in the Middle), Ethan Cohen (Beavis and Butthead, King of the Hill, American Dad). An old copy of the Lampoon was shown in the season four finale of NewsRadio. It was called a "nefarious scandal sheet." Honorary members include: John Cleese, Bill Cosby, Billy Crystal, Jay Leno, Adam Sandler, Tracey Ullman, Robin Williams and more. It's incredible to think about how many Lampoon writers worked on very funny, popular shows, especially The Simpsons, SNL and David Letterman.

Book Review: Hello Molly, A Memoir, by Molly Shannon

I always thought that Molly Shannon was a strong cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1995 to 2001. I enjoyed her characters of Mary Katherine Gallagher ("Superstar"), Sally O'Malley ("I'm 50 years old"), Terry Rialto the NPR host, her characters in the skits Dog Show and Goth Talk, and joyologist Helen Madden ("I love it, I love it, I love it"). She always had a lot of charisma as a performer. I thought she was like a female Martin Short. So, it was interesting to learn about her background through her book. She was one of the strongest female SNL performers, along with Jan Hooks, Cheri Oteri, Ana Gasteyer, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Kristin Wiig and others. I have read probably 10 or 12 books written by SNL cast members. She was raised outside of Cleveland, Ohio and had a tragedy early in life that would always affect her. She was just 4 years old when she was in a car accident where her mother, sister and cousin were all killed. Molly sustained mild injuries. She was raised by her dad, who always encouraged Molly to be a fearless performer and a risk taker. This explains her style on camera, where she is unleashed, brave and daring. She is not self-conscious in the least, which makes for an amazing sketch comedy performer. Her relationship with her dad was hot and cold, and he had a drinking problem. Nevertheless, her dad was a unique guy and he was the basis for some of Molly's charismatic characters. As a kid, Molly was a troublemaker who found it exciting to shoplift. She graduated from NYU in 1987, where she attended with fellow SNL star Adam Sandler and took various odd jobs in Los Angeles. In L.A. she was part of the Up Front Comedy Theater, where she developed characters. Molly mentioned how producer Lorne Michaels hired many Irish Catholic writers and performers over the years. Her book had lots of behind-the-scenes anecdotes about working on the legendary show. Mary Katherine Gallagher was not a hit right away. SNL always has a dress rehearsal Saturday nights before the live show. Different skits are tried out, to see how audiences react. Molly debuted Mary Katherine Gallagher in a show with Gabriel Byrne as a priest. It was a big hit in dress rehearsal. Her skit moved from the bottom of the show to the top of the show. She received fan mail from people dressed up as the hit character, which warmed her heart. She mentioned how it was such a physical role and SNL even hired a stunt coordinator to assist her. Anyone who has read the autobiography of SNL cast member Chris Kattan knows that accidents can happen on the show. Some called Molly a female Chris Farley. Writer Steve Koren worked with her on the skits. A Gallagher skit with guest host Gwyneth Paltrow had Molly knocking over several bathroom stall walls. There was an unforgettable sketch with Rosie O'Donnell and Whitney Houston. Molly bonded with Rosie since they both lost their mothers at a young age. Molly did not see SNL as a stepping stone to bigger things, she saw it as an ultimate destination. She discussed the genesis of her crazy joy-ologist character, Helen Madden. Molly had a great relationship with Will Ferrell and they wrote crazy stories together, like their Dog Show sketches. She discussed portraying Monica Lewinsky talking about the president as an infatuated teenager. She enjoyed the adulation from SNL fans but had a melancholy longing for the approval of her mother. In 1999, the movie Superstar was released, based on her SNL character of Mary Katherine Gallagher, the nervous and awkward Catholic school girl. Like many other SNL-based films, it was not a big hit at the box office. She also appeared with SNL alum Will Ferrell in the film Talladega Nights. Other film appearances included Scary Movie 5, Hotel Transylvania, Bad Teacher, Analyze This, and Never Been Kissed. TV appearances included Divorce, Enlightened, Wet Hot American Summer, The New Adventures of Old Christine, Glee, The Middle, Will and Grace and Bob's Burgers. She released a book for children in 2011 called Tilly the Trickster. She made her Broadway debut in 2010 with the musical Promises Promises. She starred with Sean Hayes and Kristin Chenoweth. I enjoyed learning about this enrgetic, talented performer and her road to showbiz success. Courtesy of imdb, here are a few quotes from Molly Shannon.... I used to get painful crushes on really unavailable guys. I feel great about it. I did six full years, and I loved it. I just felt like it was time. Not everything is going to be a perfect decision. Sometimes you hit, sometimes you miss, and that's the way it goes - about leaving Saturday Night Live (1975) to pursue a film career. My dad was a real fun guy and, despite his personal problems, he was a great father. It wasn't easy, but he did a good job of raising my sister Mary and I all by himself. When comedy really sings and moves and clicks and rings, it makes my heart pound.

A Very Funny Man, I Must Say

My recent spree of reading biographies has included reading about: Steve Martin, Dick Van Dyke, Rob Lowe, Michael J. Fox, Tina Fey, Sammy Davis Jr. and John Lithgow. My next book to tackle was the autobiography of an entertainer who comes from our neighbors to the north...Canada.

One of my favorite Canadian entertainers has to be Martin Short. Others in that group would include the progressive rock band Rush, Michael J. Fox and Paul Shaffer. Short's autobiography is called "I Must Say: The Life of a Humble Comedy Legend". The title comes from his catchphrase as the nerdy, Pat Sajak-obsessed geek Ed Grimley. He is good friends with fellow canuck Paul Shaffer, former bandleader and sidekick of David Letterman. Shaffer and Short worked together in the 1970's during a Toronto production of the musical Godspell. Marty Short was obsessed with show biz from a young age. When others were listening to the Beatles in the 1960s, he listened to Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. and watched the films of Jerry Lewis. He had an Irish Catholic dad who drank a lot. His father was an executive at a steel company. His mom worked as a musician in an orchestra.

From 1981 to 1984, Martin Short was part of the cast of SCTV, a Canadian sketch comedy show. The program was a starting point for many comedians such as Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, John Candy, Joe Flaherty, and more. On SCTV, Short created some of the characters that went on to feature when he joined the cast of Saturday Night Live.

Here are some of Short's projects over the years.

1976-1977 The David Steinberg Show (10 episodes)
1979-1980 The Associates (13 episodes)
1980-1981 I'm a Big Girl Now (14 episodes)
1981-1984 SCTV (33 episodes)
1986 Three Amigos
1987 Innerspace
1988 The Completely Mental Misadventures of Ed Grimley (13 episodes)
1991 Father of the Bride
1994 The Martin Short Show (3 episodes)
1995 Father of the Bride 2
1996 Mars Attacks
1999-2000 The Martin Short Show (63 episodes)
2002 Curb Your Enthusiasm (1 episode)
2001-2003 Primetime Glick (30 episodes)
2010 Damages (13 episodes)
2011 Weeds (3 episodes)
1984-2013 Saturday Night Live (21 episodes, 1984-85 for most appearances, some also in 2005, 2006, 2013)
2010-2013 The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That (Voice, 61 episodes)
2011-2012 How I met Your Mother (3 episodes)
2014-2015 Mullaney (13 episodes)

He is known for his odd, wacky, over-the-top characters from SNL such as Ed Grimley, Jackie Rogers Jr., Nathan Thurm and Irving Cohen. He found the SNL job to be highly stressful due to the tight schedule and the live performances. He was used to SCTV, which was not live. He only had a one year contract for SNL, and he almost left part of the way through the season. He was successful, but it was not a good fit.

After the failure of his 2nd version of The Martin Short Show he wanted a character that he could hide behind. His solution was to play the grossly obese celebrity interviewer Jiminy Glick. Primetime Glick lasted from 2001-2003 on Comedy Central. His wife Dixie on the show was played by fellow SNL alum Jan Hooks. His bandleader was played by Michael McKean from Spinal Tap and Laverne and Shirley. His character was named Adrian Van Voorhees and he played the harp. The show featured Jiminy interviewing celebrities such as Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Steven Spielberg, Jerry Seinfeld, Conan O'Brien and Eugene Levy. Short would sometimes perform as other characters in skits within the show, like he did on SCTV and SNL. He would sometimes play an elderly woman who would sit in the audience of the show. Her name was Miss Gathercole and she was obviously based on Bette Davis during her final years. In the book, Short recalled a time on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson where he was on the same show as Davis. Eugene Levy has said that the Glick character is Short's greatest creation. Jiminy is a glutton, a lusty, clueless, self absorbed oaf. He refers to obscure celebrities from the glory years of show biz such as Sal Mineo from Rebel without a Cause.

The final segment of the book discusses Short's wife Nancy and her cancer battle, which sadly took her life in 2010. The two had met during the 1970s when both of them were doing the musical Godspell in Toronto. The two were married in 1980 and had 3 children. Before meeting Nancy, Martin had dated SNL star Gilda Radner. The book summarized the close bond between Martin and his wife.

These days, Martin Short takes on various roles in films, TV and on Broadway. He also tours and performs live shows with good friend Steve Martin.

* Some information from imdb.com.

The Comically Absurd Martin Short

One of my favorite SNL cast members was Martin Short (1984-1985). I loved his over-the-top crazy characters like Jackie Rogers Jr., Nathan Thurm and Ed Grimley. Previous to SNL he was a cast member on SCTV (1981-1984) along with comedy greats like John Candy, Eugene Levy, Rick Moranis, Catherine O'Hara and more. In 1994, he starred in a short lived comedy show, The Martin Short Show. This program featured appearances by Jan Hooks (SNL), Steve Martin, Andrea Martin and Casey Kasem. He appeared in the films Father of the Bride 1 and 2, Three Amigos, Mars Attacks! and more.

From 2001-2003, he had a show on Comedy Central called Primetime Glick. In the show he played a clueless Hollywood celebrity interviewer who would ask insane questions. Jiminy Glick (shown in photo above), was an overweight oaf with an odd voice and he had comically large glasses. He often knew very little about his guests. He seemed obsessed with old Hollywood. One of his shows had him reenacting the death of Sal Mineo (Rebel without a Cause) with puppets. His musical director on Primetime Glick was Michael McKean (Laverne and Shirley, Spinal Tap). He was named Adrian Van Voorhees and he played the harp. On You Tube you can find clips of his interviews with Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Cheri Oteri, Goldie Hawn, Regis Philbin, Tom Hanks, Mel Brooks, Ray Romano, and more. Here is an interview with film icon Steven Spielberg.

In recent years, Short has become a regular guest on David Letterman's show. He has known Dave's bandleader and fellow Canadian, Paul Shaffer, for decades. Short will usually begin his appearance on Dave's show by screaming to the audience "Thanks for remembering!" Currently Short is touring venues around the country with his old friend Steve Martin.

*Some information from www.imdb.com.

Steve Martin: A Wild and Crazy Guy

I recently finished the book by Steve Martin called "Born Standing Up". He is an excellent writer and a deep thinker.

Early in his career he honed his performing skills at Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm. He has never been a traditional stand up comic. He mixes absurd humor with magic, juggling, making balloon animals and playing the banjo when he performs. In the 1960s and 1970s he made appearances on daytime talk shows hosted by Merv Griffin, Mike Douglas, Dinah Shore and more. He became a writer on the Smothers Brothers Comedy Show. A fellow writer on that groundbreaking show was Rob Reiner. Later Steve would work with Rob's father, Carl Reiner, who directed The Jerk. Steve enjoyed being a comedy writer but had a desire to be a performer. He moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico at age 28 and he wanted to escape the crazy environment of Los Angeles. He began to tour the nation extensively and he battled loneliness and dealt with panic attacks. By the mid 1970s he had appeared on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show many times but was still not satisfied with his career.

In 1976 his big break came when Lorne Michaels asked him to host Saturday Night Live. Steve jumped at the chance since he saw the show as being on the cutting edge of comedy, just like his material. He enjoyed working with the cast, including Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Jane Curtin, Bill Murray and more. He released 2 albums and both were enormous hits, the first selling over 1 million copies, and the second one sold more than 2 million. From 1979-1981 he was booked solid to perform in the biggest venues in America. He was at the peak of his career, but was unhappy since he was isolated and alone. The success he had desired had a negative side effect, the loss of privacy. Like most people, Martin craved the approval of his parents. His mother was very proud of his accomplishments. His dad, on the other hand, had one comment after seeing his film The Jerk. He said "He's no Charlie Chaplin". By the early 1980s he was done with standup. He transitioned into films since he grew tired of the traveling.

The book ended too abruptly but it is a good summary of Steve's early career. Maybe he will do a sequel, covering his film career.

Billy Crystal is "Still Foolin' 'Em"

Fans of show biz will want to check out Billy Crystal's book "Still Foolin' 'Em". It talks about his career in entertainment. He started out as a stand up who became known for his impressions. Howard Cosell and Muhammad Ali were 2 of his favorite people to impersonate. He became friends with both. He appeared on Cosell's show called Saturday Night Live. It was a short-lived variety show on ABC. The sketch comedy show on NBC we all know as Saturday Night Live was originally just called Saturday Night. When Cosell's show went off the air, the NBC show was changed to Saturday Night Live. Crystal was a cast member on Saturday Night Live, known for his character of Fernando and his catchphrase "You look marvelous". He did SNL with his good friends Martin Short and Christopher Guest. Crystal talks in the book about his days working on the TV show "Soap". Billy is a lifelong fan of the New York Yankees. He became friends with his baseball hero, Mickey Mantle. He teamed up with his friend, actor/director Rob Reiner from "All in the Family" and they did "When Harry Met Sally". Billy worked with Reiner's Castle Rock productions on the film "City Slickers". Billy resurrected his career when he hosted the Oscars many times. He did the voice of Mike in the Pixar films "Monsters Inc." and "Monsters University". Crystal's one man show on Broadway was called "700 Sundays". His father died at a young age and Billy had 700 Sundays with him. This book is an excellent account of a man who has spent his career doing what he loves.

Live from New York it's...Howard Cosell?

I was listening to Billy Crystal's book on tape called "Still Foolin' 'Em" and he mentioned that he had worked on a show called Saturday Night Live. We know he worked on the NBC sketch comedy show that started in the 1970s with legendary comics like John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd. Crystal was known for playing Fernando Lamas ("You look mahvelous") and Sammy Davis Jr. But, he was not referring to that show. He was talking about an ABC variety show hosted by sportscaster Howard Cosell. Maybe the creators of the show figured that Cosell's popularity as a sportscaster could transfer to success as a variety show host. This show only lasted 18 episodes from September of 1975 to January of 1976. It aired from 8 pm to 9 pm and it had a cast of comics that included Bill Murray, his brother Brian Doyle-Murray and Christopher Guest. They were called the "primetime players". The show was ripped apart by critics. TV Guide called it one of the worst shows of all time. The first episode had some strong guests including Frank Sinatra, Paul Anka and John Denver. It originated from New York's Ed Sullivan Theatre at 53rd and Broadway, which would later become the home of Late Show with David Letterman in 1993.

In 1977, after the departure of Cosell's show, the NBC sketch show changed its name to Saturday Night Live from simply Saturday Night. Now we know the meaning of the SNL cast being called the "not ready for primetime players". I had wondered why the say "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night".


Read more abut this show here.

Adam Sandler: What Happened?

Adam Sandler used to make some good, funny, movies. Remember The Wedding Singer (1996), 50 First Dates (2004), Happy Gilmore (1996) and Billy Madison (1995)? I even liked some of his serious roles such as Punch Drunk Love (2002) and especially Reign Over Me (2007). So, he has shown that he can do comedic roles as well as serious parts. He's not an untalented guy. He had some funny roles on Saturday Night Live, especially when working with people like Chris Farley and David Spade. But, too often he has made awful movies that fall short of being funny, they are just stupid. These include projects like Little Nicky, Mr. Deeds and Anger Management. The last film I saw with him was Funny People, which despite the title, was not all that funny. So many of his films seem to be aimed at the sense of humor of a junior high boy. I have no problem with sophomoric humor. I loved movies like Superbad and Step Brothers. They are childish, but funny. I didn't even bother seeing Grown Ups, Jack and Jill or That's My Boy. He has been typecast to such a degree that the silly, crazy comedies are all that he can do, and even those are a disappointment at the box office sometimes. Also, many of his work seems to be focused around creating projects for his SNL buddies like Rob Schneider and David Spade.

*Some information from imdb.com.