COMEDY SALUTE TO ANDY KAUFMAN, A (TV)
Summary
This special is an homage to innovative, edgy television and nightclub comedian Andy Kaufman, who died from cancer in 1984. Hosted by Bob Saget and Marilu Henner, who identifes Kaufman as "our first true performance artist," this program offers insight into the eccentric comedian through a plethora of television performance footage and interviews with the comedian's show business contemporaries and admirers.
Highlights and clips include the following: footage of several Kaufman appearances on "Saturday Night Live," including the show's first episode in which he lip-synched segments of the "Mighty Mouse" theme song (1975), his performance as the gibbering "Foreign Man" character (1975), Kaufman reading from "The Great Gatsby" (1978), imitating President Jimmy Carter and rock singer Elvis Presley (1977), and wrestling women as the self-proclaimed Intergender Wrestling Champion of the World (1979); remarks from the "SNL" executive producer Lorne Michaels about Kaufman's comedy; actor Michael Richards -- a performer on ABC's "Saturday Night Live" knock-off "Fridays" -- shares the real story behind Kaufman's refusal to complete a sketch on that live program, which provoked an on-air fistfight; Bob Saget acknowledges Kaufman's influence on his own comedy; footage of several Kaufman appearances on the "Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson, which the comedian used as a forum for "Foreign Man," Ed McMahon imitations, and ear-splitting nonsense songs; a review of his years on the sitcom "Taxi" -- with reminiscences from co-stars Henner and Judd Hirsch -- who recall the evolution of Kaufman's Latka Gravas character on that show, whose multiple personality disorder allowed Kaufman to portray several different characters, including lothario Vic Ferrari and an "Alex Reiger" clone; 1981 footage of Kaufman performing his duties at his second job as a professional busboy at Jerry's Deli; rubber-faced comic Jim Carrey's assertion that "Andy always took it to the next level, man"; 1977 footage of Andy performing with puppet Howdy Doody on "The Andy Kaufman Special"; footage of his 1978 appearance on "The Dating Game," in which the comedian uses his "Foreign Man" character to try to win a date with a puzzled bachelorette; comic actor Dick Van Dyke remembers Kaufman's particpation in "Van Dyke and Company," supported by 1976 footage of that program; 1978 footage of Kaufman singing a cacophonous version of "You'll Never Walk Alone" on "The Mike Douglas Show," while dumbfounded fellow guests Carol Channing and Robert Goulet look on in horror; 1982 footage of Kaufman arguing with an audience member (his writer Bob Zmuda) at "Catch a Rising Star's 10th Anniversary Special"; comedian Sinbad recalls Kaufman's confrontational humor; comic Robert Klein recalls a "Soundstage" episode in which host Kaufman interviewed guests who were seated several feet below his unusually high desk; footage from "Andy Kaufman Plays Carnegie Hall" on April 26, 1979, which was followed by the comedian taking the entire audience out for milk and cookies; footage from the 1977 "Andy Kaufman Special," which wasn't shown for two years because of its edgy nature; comic Rodney Dangerfield recalls Andy's repulsive entertainer character Tony Clifton, whose sole pupose was to make the audience despise him; footage of the loathsome Clifton on "The Midnight Special" (1981), on "The Fantastic Miss Piggy Show" (1982) singing "I Believe in Music," on "The Merv Griffin Show" (1981), and on "Late Night with David Letterman" in 1982; Jim Carrey's revelation about the Clifton character; footage from home movies of Andy's boyhood; his many appearances in the early 1980s on "Late Night with David Letterman" which saw the comedian dancing in a turban and diaper (1982), "adopting" three young African-American men as his sons (1983), telling his parents Stanley and Janice that he loved them (1983), and his classic melŽe with burly, bearded professional wrestler Jerry "the King" Lawler (1982); writer Bob Zmuda and Improv Comedy Club owner Bud Friedman recall Kaufman's battle with cancer; footage from the video of the R.E.M. song "Man on the Moon," which is a paean to the late prankster; a message of appreciation for the affectionate tribute program from Kaufman's brother Michael and his daughter Maria; and footage of Kaufman crooning a plaintive country 'n' western ballad called "Rosemarie" on "Late Night" while garbed once more in a turban and diaper. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: NBC
- DATE: March 29, 1995 10:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:47:47
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:38580
- GENRE: Specials; Comedy
- SUBJECT HEADING: Comedy
- SERIES RUN: NBC - TV, 1995
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- George Shapiro … Executive Producer
- Howard West … Executive Producer
- Bob Zmuda … Executive Producer, Writer
- John Davies … Producer
- Michael Petok … Co-Producer
- Michael Kaufman … Associate Producer
- Jennifer Velo Stewart … Associate Producer
- Ellen Brown … Director
- John Davies … Writer
- Marilu Henner … Host
- Bob Saget … Host
- Stevens, Shadoe (Terry Ingstad) … Announcer
- Jim Carrey … Guest
- Robert Klein … Guest
- Rodney Dangerfield … Guest
- Judd Hirsch … Guest
- Lorne Michaels … Guest
- Michael Richards … Guest
- Sinbad (humorist) … Guest
- Bud Friedman … Guest
- Michael Kaufman … Guest
- Maria Kaufman … Guest
- Dick Van Dyke … Guest
- Bob Zmuda … Guest
- Johnny Carson
- Jimmy Carter
- Carol Channing
- Doody, Howdy (puppet)
- Mike Douglas
- Robert Goulet
- Merv Griffin
- Gatsby, Jay (Jamie Gatz)
- Andy Kaufman
- Jerry Lawler
- David Letterman
- Elvis Presley
- R.E.M. (pop combo)