Tag: Television
I was researching something else on Dominique Jando’s excellent Circopedia web site (which I highly recommend!) and came across this gem and thought it worth a cross-posting. After all, if I had never seen this it’s likely many of you haven’t either.
British television comedian Benny Hill made a long career out of sight gags, British musical hall routines, and leering sexual humor. Other than his trademark Yakety Sax sped-up chase scenes, however, you wouldn’t necessarily think of him as a very physical comedian… and this skit probably won’t change your mind. “Scuttle’s Keep Fit Brigade” has some fun with acrobatics, but that’s about it. Like most of Hill’s work, very uneven, some good bits, nothing great, but at least there’s a lot crammed into a short amount of time. In other words, modern television.
A funny Jon Stewart clip from The Daily Show. Even some discussion of “slapstick” in it!
Two compilations of “doing it all wrong” moments taken from tv commercials that promise to fix all that.
Clown friends come to my apartment, look at all my books and DVDs, and are impressed with how much I must know. I do the same thing at my doctor’s office. All those thick volumes line the walls. Surely he’s read them all. He does know what he’s doing, right? Right??
Old joke:
Two professors chatting.
First Professor: I say, Rodney, have you read Derrida’s treatise on grammatology?
Second Professor: Read it? I haven’t even taught it!
Think Abbott & Costello and you think Who’s on First? and other classic verbal routines from the heyday of burlesque. Lots of intricate wordplay, the comic effect multiplied by Lou Costello’s expressive reactions. While Bud Abbott stands there, calm and “reasonable,” his feet firmly planted, Costello’s takes and double-takes convulse his body, a quivering bowl of jello on the verge of spilling over. More robust movement — I’m talking dance, acrobatics, slapstick — is seen less often in their work, which is why I enjoyed the following piece so much.
Here’s another strong comedy acrobatic act, which you already saw a short segment of if you read my post on Charlie Rivel. That’s the Three Rebertis doing the “little bridge.” Thanks to Nicanor Cancellieri for sending me this one, which comes originally from Raffaele De Ritis, who I finally got to meet in Barcelona, and whose blogs, Novelties & Wonders and Storia del Circo, are well worth your time. Raffaele is also one of the brains behind the Circopedia web site, the internet’s best English-language resource for circus history.
We interrupt all these reports from San Francisco to bring you this emergency message. There was a Super Bowl yesterday. There were a lot of commercials. Advertisers paid $3 million for a 30-second spot. The least you could do is watch.
Today is the 73rd birthday of Tommy Smothers and, as much as I think it’s important to honor the work of those who have passed away, it’s a pleasure to be able to salute a fine comedian who is still very much with us. Tommy Smothers was one-half of the Smothers Brothers, partnering his younger brother Dick (born 11-20-39) on their own CBS television variety show. They are still active and in fact both can be seen in cameo roles in last year’s The Informant!.
The Christmas pantomime is what remains of the old harlequinade, the cauldron for physical comedy in 19th-century England.
You’ve probably all seen (I hope!) the brilliantly provocative movie Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, starring Sacha Baron Cohen. Here’s a short (2:16) physical comedy clip that’s not from the movie, but from one of his Borat skits on season one of Da Ali G Show.
I’m sure you’ve all seen the Marx Brothers movies several times over — and if not, what are you waiting for?? — but all the more reason to celebrate today being the birthday of Harpo (November 23, 1888 – September 28, 1964), the Marx Brothers’ most physical performer and purest clown.
Had lunch today in Paris with Caroline Simonds, who is doing wonderful things with clown care in the city’s hospitals (and as far away as Brazil) through her work with Le Rire Médecin. Caroline turned me on to this Dick Van Dyke clip about slapstick comedy, which I somehow never saw before. Not sure of the original context, but I think you’ll like…..
TRANSLATE THIS PAGE
Workshops & Other Events
My first book (1976)
My book Clowns has long been out of print, but you can borrow it for two weeks at a time from the Internet Archive. More information is available here.
My second book (2015)
Visual and verbal humor for the cognitively and artistically curious! Available here.
“A book to treasure!”
—Bill Irwin