Steve Martin

For me, I'm saying for me now...Steve Martin is the funniest man who ever lived. His comedy appears effortless, and cannot easily be described (I mean, one of his bits involved playing the banjo while wearing one of those fake arrow headbands, and it was hilarious).

In this interview at NPR, he talks about trying to find something different, original, and new in stand-up comedy, and he realized that most comedians rely on jokes and punch lines. "What if I could get real laughter," he asked himself, "like the kind you have at home or with your friends, where your sides are aching."

It seems simple, but a lot of the stuff that makes us laugh in everyday life are really simple gags, not constructed jokes. Martin's stand up routine feels more like performance art - comic performance art, of course - than, well...a stand up routine. He doesn't make witty remarks that offer insight into our culture, but he crafted a specific comic persona that doesn't resemble his real life mannerism, but also isn't a stretch - a little smug, falsely humble, yet at the same time rushing to please the crowd, begging for a laugh. His determined mantra would occasionally be: "This is funny, you just haven't gotten it yet."

In a Newsweek interview in 1978, he noted the vast difference in his onstage persona and the real guy - "The main thing is I don't want this information to distort my onstage character to the point that people don't believe it any more."

One of the things I like best about his routine is that, as the Newsweek reporter put it, he's unthreatening. He was never out to get shock laughs; his act is just silly. "What makes you laugh so hard is the sight of this reasonable man so shamelessly shedding his inhibitions, this boy who should know better gleefully acting naughty - and getting away with it."

In that article, a comedian of the time, David Steinberg, noted, "We are burned out on relevance and anger. He offers a special form of escape and there is no hostility in his act." And he's right. It's just friendly laughs. Even when he injects a bit of sex and drugs talk, it's still silly. Consider the following clip, in which he creates venereal disease with balloons.



It's comedy of the absurd if ever an example was available. But Martin has an oddly philosophical bend to it: "It [art] was the only thing that had real meaning because it had no meaning. In art, truth comes and goes according to fashion. It can't be measured. You don't have to explain why, or justify anything. If it works, it works. As a performer, non sequiturs make sense, nonsense is real."

Cloris Leachman

            This woman just won’t stop.  She’s done it all: comedy, drama, tv, film, beauty pageants, and Adam Sandler movies.  Versatile.   After being a finalist in the 1946 Miss America competition, she took the scholarship money she won and moved to New York to join the Actors studio.  Then she went to Hollywood and the hits started rolling out.  She’s appeared in many classic shows and movies such as Lassie, The Twilight Zone, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and Scary Movie 4. 

What’s relevant to this blog post is her work with Mel Brooks.  And the fact that she’s funny.  After all she did have her own hit show, “Phyllis”.  Back to business.  Cloris appeared in several of Brooks’ hit movies including History of the World Part I, High Anxiety and Young Frankenstein.  She created very memorable and hilarious characters in all the movies.

            Despite being born in 1926, Cloris is still kicking…and punching.  According to Steve on Broadway’s Blog, Cloris Leachman challenged Mel Brooks to three rounds in the ring in 2007.   When Young Frankenstein was being brought to the stage, Cloris expressed interest in reviving her character of Frau Blucher.  Mel turned her down, saying that he didn’t want the 81-year-old actress to die on stage.  That was a pretty rude thing to say to an award winning actress.  But it's kind of funny.  Just like Mel Brooks' movies.

Who?

1970s? Let's see---that's somewhere between the psychedelic sixties and the electro-wave eighties. So what happened then in the big wide world of American film and American film comedy and anywhere else really.

We jump first to George Lucas and his 1973 comic achievement "American Graffiti". And how with its success, it puts a pair of big-boy pants on the infantile Lucasfilm Ltd. The next jump is to good old glam-rock and roll and our friend David Bowie. (1970 releases like Hunky Dory and The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust... brought the young saxophonist from Brixton into British and International acclaim.) We mention Britain, because at the time, a new comedy was being developed there, after having been rejected by American studios.

"With the 1970’s came change in film comedies. The popularity of such shows as Saturday Night Live and Second City Television led to films that were more manic and crazy. Stars such as Steve Martin, Richard Pryor, Cheech and Chong, Chevy Chase, John Belushi and Bill Murray became world famous for their movies." - Associated Content

Saturday Night Live is worthy of notice because, after a successful inauguration of the 1969 startup "Sesame Street", public comedy became prevalently more and more cluttered by fuzzy adorable characters. The first season of SNL itself featured 11 sketches and four additional appearances between 1975 and 1976.

Which brings us to our man of the house---Jim Henson---who, as I said, moved to Britain in 1976 to produce his series "The Muppet Show", after being rejected by American networks. By 1978, the show was being watched by 235 million people worldwide, receiving acclamations like 'genius' and 'almost certainly the most popular television entertainment now being produced on earth.'

In 1979, the work of the 43-year-old Henson culminates in his initial cinematic attempt, "The Muppet Movie", directed by James Frawley, written by Jack Burns and Jerry Juhl, featuring the indelible vocal talents of stars and character actors such as Frank Oz, Mel Brooks, Dom Deluise, Steve Martin, Richard Pryor, Bob Hope, and oh yeah---Orson Welles. Released to an eventual $76 million. Elliott Gould, Michael Earl, John Landis.

The film's success transformed the occasional fuzzy TV-appearances, into cinematic sensations, moving on into the production of future cinematic glory and ending the television series by 1981.

In 1979, Henson was also asked by rising star George Lucas, to aid in the creation of "The Empire Strikes Back"'s Jedi Master Yoda. Frank Oz followed along with him.

Finally, the 1980s brought about The Jim Henson Foundation, "The Dark Crystal", and "The Muppets Take Manhattan", rated as one of the top 40 films of the year. Our story concludes in 1986, when the stars Lucasfilm LTD, David Bowie, and Jim Henson all teamed together to create "Labryinth"---the final directorial feature before Henson's death.

The man responsible for Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, and Kermit the Frog, and Bear in the Big Blue House, and Big Bird, and Cookie Monster, and Yoda, is succeeded by The Jim Henson Company and Jim Henson's Creature Shop.

But most of all, we can all thank him for the simple sweet moments like this.

John Belushi

The 1970s were sort of a revival in film. The initial popularity of the Television was starting to die down, and the masses began to flock to the cinemas once again. Many great comedians emerged during this decade, including the legendary John Belushi.

John Belushi grew up outside of Chicago. He was first recognized while performing shows in The Second City, a Chicago based comedy troupe. According to The Second City's official website, Belushi debuted in the show No, No, Wilmette in June of 1971. His incredible talent led him to be cast in the play "National Lampoon's Lemmings" in 1972, and National Lampoon's Radio Hour from 1973 to 1975. This half-hour radio show also starred comedy legends such as Bill Murray and Chevy Chase.

In 1975, NBC introduced the show Saturday Night Live (SNL). The show's creator was told to hire Belushi as a cast member, but according to Belushi.com, Lorne felt that Belushi was "too loud, too hard, and too self centered." Belushi auditioned for the show by playing the role of a mute samurai. The test audience loved him, and the rest is history. Belushi's samurai character became one of the most beloved impressions performed in the show. He also became known for his stunning impression of the singer Joe Cocker. He over-exaggerated Joe Cocker's jerky stage presence, which audiences found hilarious.


In 1978 Belushi entered the film business when he starred in National Lampoon's Animal House. He played the role of Bluto, a brother of the Delta fraternity who leads fraternity members in a war against another fraternity and the college administration. I will not reveal much the story in case you have not seen it - so go see it, it is a classic. Belushi proves that being obnoxious, and rather disgusting can be hilarious. The film was a huge success and generated one of the highest box office revenues of any comedy it it's time period (Belushi.com). It has become a true cult classic, and it even has its own Facebook fan page. It was accepted into the Library of Congress' film registry in 2001, and is listed by the American Film Institute as one of the top 100 comedies. A great explanation of the film can be found here. Many people regard Animal House as the classic stereotype of college life... though I must say that my experiences at Emerson College are not on par.

Belushi's film career was rather short due to his untimely dead in March of 1982. After starring in Animal House, he went on to play roles in 7 other films while still remaining on the cast of Saturday Night Live until 1979. Although his career was short, he made a huge impact on the comedy genre and his hilarious characters are not forgotton.

Here are some great clips from Animal House. Enjoy!

Diane Keaton Rocks

For folks born after 1980, Diane Keaton is known as an "older" actress. Younger audiences easily recognize her as the lovable mother in the Father of the Bride movies. They would also recognize her from movies like Something's Gotta Give, The First Wives Club and Hanging Up, all in which she plays an older woman. However, most middle aged people (35-45) remember the days when Diane Keaton was the Katie Holmes or Jessica Alba of the movies. Older audiences have watched Keaton change and grow as an actress. They have watched her go from a cute, innocent "it" girl to a matured, respected leading lady.

Diane Keaton was born in Los Angeles in 1946. She first appeared in a production of Hair in the late 1960's. In 1970, Woody Allen cast her in his Broadway play, Play it Again Sam and again in the film version. She went on to make several movies with Allen including Sleeper (1973), Love and Death (1975) and most notably, Annie Hall (1977). Keaton and Allen were romantically tied to each other throughout the 1970's. The relationship did not last. However, the pair remain good friends and continued to work together after they had broken up. Their creative partnership has lasted longer than their romantic one. In 1993, Keaton and Allen teamed up again to make Manhattan Murder Mystery.


Diane Keaton has also gained some notoriety within the fashion world. Lately, she has been known to for her unique, quirky outfits and accessories. She also got some unwanted media attention when she accidentally slipped up and dropped the F-Bomb on national television.

Diane Keaton has played so many roles in so many iconic films, that she has become a large part of American film heritage. Her comedic abilities have ensured her career, which has spanned almost 40 years. Her ability to star alongside comedic geniuses like Steve Martin and Woody Allen is commendable. And it is likely that audiences will be enjoying her for years to come.

Richard Pryor: Live in Concert

A blend of profanity, pure Watt Stax blackness, and keen observation, Rich Pryor is a demi-god of American comedy. Leaving him out of any discussion of 70's comedy is criminal. While his films have not always been criterion worthy (feel free to remove The Toy, from your Netflix queue) his standup concert films are held in high regard by critics and fans alike. 

Live in Concert is his first, and many would agree, his finest. Pryor was at the top of his game, his drug addiction not yet crippling his energy and agility as a performer. Indeed, this was the period in which his addictions were fueling some of his greatest work.

The issue of race was always on Pryor's lips and he is remembered for his racial charged routines as well as his use of profanity and gritty street slang. But Pryor transcends color boundaries for a number of reasons. I watched this concert film when I was around 16 or so and while I could not relate to issues of 70's blackness, I was amazed at Pryor's ability to jump in and out of characters. He was as talented physically as he was verbally and his agility as a performer shines in this film... and he happens to be hilarious. 

Pryor wasn't simply a comedian who broke boundaries of taste. He was a highly skilled actor with unlimited range. He had empathy, an earthy quality. Lily Tomlin describes Pryors skills in this New Yorker article, from the early 70's. While he is remembered for his personal antics (antics is a nice way of saying, "lighting yourself on fire) he should be remembered from this concert film. Playing monkees, heart attacks, cars, God and any manner of person or thing Pryor is amazing. It's one of the greatest comedy films of the 70's, and certainly the greatest standup concert film of all-time. Now there's something to put in your Netflix queue. 

 

Jack Nicholson’s Eyebrows Are Mightier Than Chuck Norris.

This is not just the story of a man who has come out of retirement 18,734 times in the past five years. Nor is this a story about his decades of acting in virtually every film genre currently in existence. It’s not even a story about a comedic figure from the 1970s, as our assignment dictated. No, this is a story about two little pointy tufts of hair.

Jack Nicholson's eyebrows have had an astoundingly broad acting career, especially considering Nicholson has continuously been pigeonholed into the same slickly-maniacal roles over and over again. Back in the ‘70s, however, he was less of an icon (which can half be attributed to his familiar facial feature, THE EYEBROWS!!!!), and really shined on the silver screen as a passionate, versatile actor. Whether in comedies, dramas, horror flicks, or otherwise, Nicholson has consistently been given rather comic parts, uniquely filling roles that could be described as character actors with starring roles. Beyond his sly wit and fanatical mannerisms, it is really the way he uses his face, and primarily those ridiculous eyebrows like pyramids jutting up to the heavens, that sells him as the ideal Crazy Leading Man. No vaudeville luminary could pull off such a twisted mug as this guy.

Nicholson’s eyebrows furrowed and squiggled their way to success in such humorous and borderline demonic roles in the 1970s including Five Easy Pieces, Chinatown, Tommy, and One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest. His eyebrows had been in many films and television spots since the late 50s, but starting with Easy Rider in 1969, the hirsute twins on Nicholson’s face got critical acclaim and were soon off on their way to stardom! By the time The Shining was released in 1980, the eyebrows were already renowned in the cinematic world, and it wouldn’t be long before they began to dominate Nicholson’s movie characters entirely.

His eyebrows have won 3 Oscars, as well as 63 other awards. They continue to work in cinema, recently raising themselves exceptionally high in The Departed; unfortunately, as they are beginning to turn grey, they now mostly appear in old-people movies like The Bucket List. Really a shame that these fuzzy masters are being dragged down with their host Jack Nicholson as he begins to exchange most of his oomph for wrinkles. This analyst thinks it’s about time for the eyebrows to leave Nicholson behind and go solo: RISE AND SHINE, YE SPIKY CATERPILLARS!