HOLLYWOOD: THE GIFT OF LAUGHTER (TV)
Summary
A retrospective of classic comedy films and moments from the 1920's to the 1980's. Highlights include: an introduction by Burt Reynolds; Dom DeLuise talking about the comedy style of director Mel Brooks and about the comedy duo Cheech and Chong; a look at early comedy teams and their transition to film both silent and beyond; the decline and resurgence of the careers of the Three Stooges; the work of famous comedy teams such as Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis and Abbott and Costello; and Richard Pryor talking about the Marx Brothers, Laurel and Hardy, the "action-comedies" of Burt Reynolds, and Cary Grant's role as a comedic performer. Tape ends abruptly, cutting off the final two hours of the program. Clips are interspersed throughout, including selections from: the Brooks films "Blazing Saddles" (1974), "The Producers" (1968), "Young Frankenstein" (1974), "Silent Movie" (1976), "High Anxiety" (1977), and "History of the World, Part I" (1981); "Up in Smoke" (1978); "Our Gang" (1937); several films featuring the Three Stooges; Abbott and Costello's famous "Who's on First?" routine; several Marx Brothers films including "Horse Feathers" (1932), "Animal Crackers" (1930), and "A Night at the Opera" (1935); several "Laurel & Hardy" shorts, including "County Hospital" (1932); selections from Reynolds' films, including "Smokey and the Bandit" (1977); Grant films such as "Bringing Up Baby" (1938), "The Awful Truth" (1937), "His Girl Friday" (1940), "That Touch of Mink" (1962), and "Father Goose" (1964).
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: May 16, 1982 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:53:36
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:05320
- GENRE: Specials; Comedy
- SUBJECT HEADING: Specials; Comedy; African-American Collection - Comedy
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV, 1982
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- David L. Wolper … Executive Producer
- Jack Haley Jr. … Producer, Director, Writer
- Fred Karlin … Music by
- Stephen Sondheim … "Comedy Tonight" Composed by
- Zero Mostel … "Comedy Tonight" Performed by
- Carol Burnett … Guest
- Dom DeLuise … Guest
- Jack Lemmon … Guest
- Walter Matthau … Guest
- Richard Pryor … Guest
- Burt Reynolds … Guest
- William Abbott
- Mel Brooks
- Sid Caesar
- Leslie Caron
- Tommy Chong
- Lou Costello
- Doris Day
- Irene Dunne
- Teri Garr
- Marty Feldman
- Larry Fine
- Billy Gilbert
- Cary Grant
- Oliver Hardy
- Katharine Hepburn
- Curly Howard
- Moe Howard
- Madeline Kahn
- Harvey Korman
- Stan Laurel
- Jerry Lewis
- Richard "Cheech" Marin
- Dean Martin
- Chico Marx
- Groucho Marx
- Harpo Marx
- Zeppo Marx
- Zero Mostel
- Rosalind Russell
- Gene Wilder