King's guest for this edition is comedian Whoopi Goldberg, who discusses the following topics, among others: her acclaimed performances in the films, "Ghost" and "The Color Purple"; the origin of her name; an early job as a funeral parlor cosmetician; Mike Nichols's interest in and support of her career; the growth of her characters and the way she uses them to address social and personal issues; the legacy of black performers in show business; and her work with Comic Relief. Includes footage of "Direct From Broadway . . . Whoopi Goldberg."
In this edition, King's guest is director/writer/actor Rob Reiner, who discusses the following topics, among others: the joys and pressures of growing up as the son of Carl Reiner; the influence of his father on his approach to directing and writing; the role played by Norman Lear and Mel Brooks in his development; early misunderstanding by the public of the satire in his film "This Is Spinal Tap"; his personal feelings and conflicts, and how they affect his work in film; his difficult career transition after "All in the Family" and how his fears of "creative captivity" guided his identification with Stephen King's "Misery"; and what it was like to direct his friend, Billy Crystal, and his mother, Estelle Reiner, in the film "When Harry Met Sally." Includes clips from "All in the Family" with Carroll O'Connor, "Misery" with Kathy Bates, and "When Harry Met Sally" with Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal.
King's guest for this edition is comedian Garry Shandling, who discusses the following topics, among others: his college background; the influence of George Carlin, who encouraged him as a young comedy writer; the culture shock and insecurity he felt moving to Los Angeles after college; his quick early success as a situation comedy writer; his decision to give up his lucrative career and try stand-up in order to discover something more about himself; his first appearances on amateur night at The Comedy Store; his experiences as guest host on the "Tonight Show"; the internal quality of his humor; trying out new material; the current oversaturation of the media with stand-up comedians; the influence of Woody Allen; his television success with "It's Garry Shandling's Show"; and why he has not yet married. Includes footage of "It's Garry Shandling's Show: The Graduate."
King's guest for this edition is comedian Steven Wright, who discusses the following topics, among others: how watching "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" as a teenager kindled his desire to become a comedian; the influence of Woody Allen and George Carlin; his first performance at a Cambridge open mike, after graduating from Emerson College; how nervousness affected his early performance style; the ambivalence of an introvert who loves to connect with an audience; why he appears so grave on stage; how he comes up with ideas for his act; his early interest in surrealism and how this has influenced his work; the childlike quality of his point of view; his 1988 Academy Award-winning film "The Appointments of Dennis Jennings" (with Dean Parisot -- best live action, short subject); his wish to make a full-length film. Includes footage of "Steven Wright: Wicker Chairs and Gravity" (1991) and "The Appointments of Dennis Jennings" (1988).
In this edition, King's interview with comedian Jerry Seinfeld alternates with clips from Seinfeld's 1989 appearance at the Montreal International Comedy Festival. Seinfeld begins by revealing his love of stand-up comedy and extols its purity and simplicity, with most elements controlled by the comedian himself. Seinfeld then talks about a number of topics, including his upcoming comedy series, inspired by the relationship between a comedian's life and his act; the sources of his material; his enjoyment of getting laughs as a child; and his general disdain for being the center of attention. He further explains the types of jobs at which he worked before becoming a professional comedian, the lack of "hooks" in his act, the importance of original material rather than performance value in today's comedy market, the drawbacks of obscenities in jokes, his reasons for writing his own material, his "Zen" comedy, and the transformation of items that affect his personal life into material for his act.
King's guests for this edition are comedians/folk singers Tom and Dick Smothers, who discuss the following topics, among others: why they got into comedy; Tom's portrayal of a childlike character; Tom's problems because of dyslexia; the brothers' formative years; the comedians who influenced their lives; the importance of timing in comedy; the controversial aspects of their variety show in the late 1960s; their battles with the CBS censors; their unique style of comedy; their reactions to current situation comedies and stand-up comedians; the importance of "attitude" and "silence" in comedy acts; how they put their act together; jokes they have based their material on; and their hobbies. Also Tom demonstrates his skills with a yo-yo, and clips of "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" are shown.
King's guest for this edition is comedian Richard Lewis, who discusses the following topics, among others: growing up with a father who was rarely home; being weaned on the comedy of Sid Caesar and Mel Brooks; his early post-college career as a writer for Catskills comics; how his disenchantment with writing for others led him to perform his own act; similarities between him and his mother, both of whom are hypochondriacs; the aim of his comedy, which is to take the absurd and make it real; his belief that he is not the pessimist many viewers take him to be, but rather a survivor; his contention that he does not embody a separate persona on stage but is just an amplified version of himself; the thrill of performing at Carnegie Hall; his dislike of repeating old material in performance; his wish to someday have children; the career support and guidance he has received from his two close friends David Brenner and David Letterman; the pros and cons of the current popularity of stand-up comedy; his feeling that being a good listener has helped his acting. Includes footage of "I'm Exhausted" (1988).
King's guest for this edition is Neil Simon, who discusses the following topics, among others: combining his signature comedic style with a "strong dramatic structure"; his habit of shelving and eventually returning to his unfinished works, including his nine-year hiatus in writing "Brighton Beach Memoirs" (1983); his sense that writers subconsciously work on their creations without realizing it; the challenge of writing a play "where everyone's funny"; being labeled "underrated," and why some critics believe that a prolific and successful writer cannot be "serious" about work; how his 1991 Pulitzer Prize has affected his work and outlook; working with his brother and surrogate father Danny, who, along with Carl Reiner, was his "spokesman" in writers' rooms when he was too shy to speak up; how his plays "Come Blow Your Horn" (1961) and "Broadway Bound" (1986) offer "reverse" perspectives on the same troubled family, inspired by his own; his habit of rewriting his works based on audience reactions and his own observations at the first table read; his interest in accurately reflecting life by mixing comedy and drama, as seen in "The Prisoner of Second Avenue" (1971), which follows a man's emotional struggle after losing his job; his sense that every play needs "four great scenes" in order to succeed; why he tends to lose interest in his works soon after they open; why he still writes longhand in notebooks and his need to understand his characters' physical appearances and locations; how a play "takes care of itself" once the first act is written; why "Plaza Suite" was originally a one-act play before he added two subsequent scenes set in the same hotel room; his work on the upcoming stage musical version of "The Goodbye Girl" (1993); the film adaption of "Lost in Yonkers" (1993); his new play "Laughter on the 23rd Floor" (1993); his upcoming autobiography "Rewrites: A Memoir" (1996); inspiration from the 1973 death of his first wife Joan Baim as well as the Book of Jo
In this edition, King's guest is comedian/actor Don Rickles, who discusses the following topics, among others: the similarities between his and King's upbringing and how their friendship has lasted through the years; how Rickles began doing comedy and what he thinks comedy is really all about; his twenty-five-year marriage and how it has lasted through all the jokes; the acting classes he participated in and the fame that all of his classmates went on to achieve; the relationship he has with Bob Newhart and how they have gotten along so well. As the interview is ending, King reads a quotation from Orson Welles about Rickles. Includes clips from "The Kraft Music Hall - 1968."
In this edition, King's guest is comedian/filmmaker Robert Townsend, who discusses the following topics, among others: the term "black filmmaker"; Townsend's childhood and comedic influences while growing up in Chicago; how his uncanny impersonating skills were developed and discovered; his stint with the Chicago Theater Company; a clip of his stand-up routines from his special "Robert Townsend and His Partners in Crime III"; what he learned about improvisational acting while working at Second City Theater; how he developed his stand-up act; acting in the Norman Jewison film, "A Soldier's Story"; a clip from his 1987 film "Hollywood Shuffle" of the protagonist Bobby Taylor accepting the Academy Award for the fictional film "Rambro: First Young Blood"; how he financed "Hollywood Shuffle"; a clip from his new film "The Five Heartbeats"; and Townsend's future plans.
One in this series of talk shows in which host Alan King chats with professionals about the art of comedy. King's guests for this edition are comedians Tim Conway and Harvey Korman. They discuss the following topics, among others: their comedic chemistry, as established during many years together on "The Carol Burnett Show"; their first meeting on "The Danny Kaye Show"; why Conway often declined to rehearse with the other performers on Burnett's show; surprising his co-stars with jokes and funny actions in front of the audience; Conway's upbringing in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, with his opinionated Irish father; developing his sense of humor at school to cover for his struggles with dyslexia; Korman's gradual discovery of humorous aspects in his "tragic" Chicago childhood; how he arrived at comedy after first pursuing dramatic acting; their unfortunate stand-up comedy experiences; Korman's contentment with being a straight man and the "premiere second banana" to the comedy world's "great clowns"; the inspiration behind the "Mr. Tudball and Mrs. Wiggins" sketch, in which Conway's oddly accented businessman was constantly frustrated by his incompetent secretary (Burnett); the origins of Conway's shuffling old man character, Duane Toddleberry; the skill required to take a comedic sketch "one beat too far"; Korman's other roles and why he dislikes the "father figure" aspects of directing; a funny story from Conway's early days as a director of a local news program; Korman taking joy in his relaxing, family-centered life; why Conway likes "being in the middle," career-wise; and whether they will reunite for one last comedy project. Scenes from "The Carol Burnett Show" and "Carol Burnett and Friends" are interspersed throughout the program.
King's guest for this edition is comedian Robert Klein, who discusses the following topics, among others: growing up in the Bronx; his father's comic side; what made him become a comedian; the differences in being an amateur and a professional comedian; his college career; being hired by "Second City"; learning from Rodney Dangerfield; his experiences in Las Vegas; his complaints about the new breed of stand-up comics; how he assembles his material; the effect of his divorce on his work; and the responsibility of a comedian. Includes clips of "Robert Klein at Yale" and "Robert Klein on Broadway" and out-takes from that show.
King's guest for this edition is actor Dudley Moore, who discusses the following topics, among others: his work with Peter Cook and others in "changing the face of British humor"; the "potpourri" of talents amongst the group of comedians; the influence of comedian Spike Milligan; a debate between King and Steve Allen about the relative quality of American and British comics; how Moore and his associates "made the world safe" for the Monty Python troupe; his use of humor as a defense mechanism as a child; memories of his "first laugh"; his work in the 1969 London stage version of "Play It Again, Sam" and desire not to simply copy Woody Allen's performance; his frequent "gregarious" piano-playing and need to avoid tension on set; his "fun" work with director Blake Edwards; his surprise at becoming a "movie star"; landing his star-making role in "10" (1979) thanks to Edwards' involvement; his twenty-year experience in psychoanalysis and its effect on the "peace" of his life; the "little bit" of him in every role; his "vaguely dramatic" role in "Six Weeks" (1982) with Mary Tyler Moore, which was poorly received by critics; his strong interest in playing the title character in "Arthur" (1981); improvising dialogue in the "madcap" film "Micki + Maude" (1984); his early interest in the piano and need to "make his own entertainment"; his later musical endeavors and admiration of jazz pianist Errol Garner; a nerve-wracking encounter with his idol; his experience meeting Alec Guinness; his "moment of great exultation" during "Arthur 2: On the Rocks" (1988) with Liza Minnelli and realizing his great enjoyment of playing the absurd drunken character; his fondness for "low comedy"; his continued awe of other artists; and his plans to continue making "more ambitious moves" even late in his career. Includes clips from "Not Only…But Also" (1964); "10" and "Arthur."
In this edition, King's guest is stand-up comedian/actor Martin Mull. The show opens with King mentioning all of Mull's previous occupations and how his childhood really didn't help him with his comedic talent. Mull then discusses the following topics, among others: his earliest influences in the comedy world and the first performance he ever heard; his close friendship with comedian/actor Steve Martin; his acting career and his lack of training as an actor; how he writes his comedy material and how it is easier to not have written routines; what he feels is the high point in his life. Includes clips from "Martin Mull: Live From North Ridgeville - 1987."
In this edition, King's guest is comedian Denis Leary. Highlights include: comments on the diverse critical reactions to Leary's one-man play "No Cure for Cancer"; his parents' immigration from Ireland to the United States; his problem with nuns, especially the fictitious ones who cheerfully sing or fly; a clip of Leary performing stand-up on "London Underground" about Elvis Presley's death; the time he and a fellow altar boy got "completely blotto" on wine while assisting a priest with a mass; his performance as a thirteen-year-old in a school production of "Auntie Mame"; his comic influences, George Carlin and Richard Pryor; a clip of the comic doing stand-up about the Doors, the current sixties revival and bell bottoms; his addiction to cigarettes; Leary's uneasiness with shocking daytime talk shows where people attain brief fame by sharing embarrassing and tawdry secrets about their lives; a clip of Leary talking about a man who had his face ripped off by pit bulls; and a discussion about his future career goals
King's guest for this edition is actor Michael J. Fox, who discusses the following topics, among others: the "fabrication" of his middle initial; the challenge of transitioning between comedy and drama; the importance of honesty in both genres; his desire to "stretch" himself as an actor; the idea of acting as "a means to a means"; his childhood in Canada and his "hilarious" police dispatcher father; his reliance on humor in response to his small stature; his nature as a "suck-up" and childhood friendship with an intimidating classmate; his interest in acting because of its freedom from "absolutes"; his lack of formal acting training and decision to join drama class to meet girls; his first role in the Canadian sitcom "Leo and Me"; his audition for the show's role of a "bright 10-year-old" at age fifteen; the challenge of balancing school and acting work; landing the role of Alex P. Keaton on "Family Ties" while broke and out of work; his crossover from television to film and enjoyment of both mediums; the "great comedy base" of "Family Ties"; his work alongside Christopher Lloyd in the "Back to the Future" films; explanation of "catalytic and reactive" comedy styles; his instinctive responses to characters upon reading scripts; his interest in discussions with directors about twisting "stereotypical" roles; his unlikable character in "Doc Hollywood"; the need for comedic roles to be in touch with the audience, as opposed to "completely interior" dramatic roles; his current plans and relaxing life since the end of "Family Ties" in 1989; whether he will return to television; his sense of being old beyond his years and the advantages of aging on comedy; the ease of self-deprecation at age thirty; and his sense of leading a "fortunate" life. Includes clips from "Back to the Future Part II" (1989); "Doc Hollywood" (1991); and an episode of "Tales From the Crypt" entitled "The Trap," directed by Fox.
In this edition, King's guest is the octogenarian king of the one-liners, Henny Youngman, who discusses the following topics, among others: his childhood; how he ended up playing the violin with a band in the Catskills; how he evolved into a solo act as a stand-up comedian; the time he nearly got killed for heckling a woman in an East New York club; his memories of Jackie Gleason; his involvement with underworld crime figures while he was employed as a nightclub comedian; a clip of Youngman performing a skit with Alan King at "The First Annual Comedy Awards"; why he believes his comedy act never goes stale; how he developed his trademark saying, "Take my wife, please!"; a clip of Youngman on "The Ed Sullivan Show"; his prodigous ad-libbing skills; the time he ruined singer Carl Ravazza's stage act; his relationship with fellow comic Milton Berle; a clip of Youngman on "The Ed Sullivan Show"; how comedians steal jokes from one another; his distaste for dirty jokes; and his belief that young comedians today are "not funny."
King's guest for this edition is Roseanne Barr, who discusses the following topics: her persona as a champion of "pink-collar" working women; growing up Jewish in Salt Lake City, Utah; her parents and childhood home; the devastating car wreck she survived at age sixteen and the ten years it took for her to recover from it; her stay in a mental hospital; her wish, as a budding stand-up, to turn the tables on male chauvinist comics; her anger over the male chauvinism of her father and uncles; getting her big break at an amateur night at a California comedy club; how she softened her material for the mainstream; her feeling of relaxation and power onstage; Jackie Gleason's influence on her work; why she fired the writing staff of her situation comedy series, "Roseanne," and chose to have comics pen the program instead; her discomfort in Los Angeles, which she calls a town run by men who dislike women; her recent purchase of a large farm in Iowa; her wish to direct films; her desire to do three more years of her series, move to Iowa, have kids, and live as a rich farmer. Includes footage of "The Roseanne Barr Show" (HBO, 1987) and "Roseanne Barr Live from Trump Plaza" (HBO, 1990).
In this edition, King's guest is puckish Canadian comedian Martin Short, who discusses the following topics, among others: his recollections about the imaginary variety show he performed in his basement when he was fourteen; his comic influences; a clip from his HBO special, "I, Martin Short Goes Hollywood" which features his nebbish character, Lawrence, attempting to get signed by a Hollywood agent; how his family instilled a sense of joy and confidence in him, which informs his comedy and helps him adjust to personal loss; his one attempt at stand-up comedy, which resulted in his being doused with beer; the Toronto entertainment scene where his career started with a stint in the musical "Godspell"; a clip of Short as the nerdy eccentric Ed Grimley attempting to dry his hands in a restroom; the genesis of the Grimley character; the basis for his dishonest attorney character, Nate Thurm; a clip of a bumbling Short from the the film, "Three Fugitives"; and comments on his aged popular composer creation, Irving Cohen.
King's guest for this edition is comedian Bob Hope, who discusses the following topics, among others: his memories of childhood; his brief career as a fighter in Cleveland; meeting legendary vaudevillian Frank Fay; his own 1930 vaudeville act; his idolization of Charlie Chaplin; the development of his trademark rapid-fire delivery on radio; how he met his wife Dolores, a singer; the boost "The Cat and the Canary" (1939) gave his movie career; his work with Bing Crosby in the "Road" pictures; how his shows for servicemen came about; his writing staffs over the years; Fred Allen; today's new crop of comics. Includes footage from the films: "My Favorite Brunette" (1947) and "The Road to Bali" (1952), and of the television program "The Bob Hope Comedy Hour" (1950)
. In this edition, King's guest is actor/comedian Robin Williams who discusses the following subjects, among others: his childhood; what made him become a stand-up comedian; his education; his idol, Jonathan Winters; Peter Lorre; his use of drugs; the problems with Robert Altman's 1980 film "Popeye" in which he starred; working on the films "The World According to Garp" and "Moscow on the Hudson"; the success of "Good Morning, Vietnam"; his impersonation skills; his experiences during the making of "Dead Poets Society"; working with Robert DeNiro on "Awakenings"; preparing for "The Fisher King"; spending time with his children; his habit of spontaneously performing in bars and clubs; and how he organizes his work. During the program Williams performs impersonations of Lawrence Welk, George Jessel, Chico Marx, a tailor from Bangkok, President George Bush, a drunk, French comedians, a German talk show host, and English audiences. Includes clips from "Comedy Tonight," "Comic Relief," "Good Morning, Vietnam," "The Fisher King," "Robin Williams Live," and "Dead Poets Society."
King's guest for this edition is writer, producer, and director Garry Marshall, who discusses the following topics, among others: his need for challenge which led him into film directing at the height of a highly successful television career, which included producing such hit situation comedies as "Happy Days," "Laverne & Shirley," and "Mork & Mindy"; directing his first film, "Young Doctors in Love"; his smash hit film, "Pretty Woman"; discovering the comic sensibilities of "Pretty Woman" stars Richard Gere and Julia Roberts; the sentimentality of his work; his educational background as a journalism major; his early career as a joke-writer; writing material for "The Jack Paar Show"; the intuitive sense of comic timing of Bronx natives; how he adjusted the rhythms of the street inherent in his writing to a white-bread sensibility in his television work; how he made the adjustment from penning jokes to writing situation comedy; why it is easier to direct his own material; his thoughts about Lenny Bruce and whether comedy and pain are related; how "The Dick Van Dyke Show" writers mined their own lives for material; the roots of the "Fonzie" character in "Happy Days"; the sense of hope in his work. Includes footage from the 1990 film, "Pretty Woman," with Julia Roberts and Richard Gere.
King's guest for this edition is comedian Buddy Hackett, who discusses the following topics, among others: how he first discovered that he was funny; his original career goal; how he became a comedian; his audition for the Broadway show "Call Me Mister"; what makes him funny; how he came to be in show business; his appearances at the Catskills resorts; how he fashions his routines; his creation of the "Chinese waiter" character; the difficulties at the present time of portraying a member of a minority group; the first time he used off-color language on stage; why he once came out naked on the stage; and his bout with stage fright. Also included are clips of Hackett's appearances on "The Ed Sullivan Show" and "The 1st Annual Comedy Awards."
King's guest for this edition is comedian Jerry Lewis, who discusses the following topics, among others: his pleasure in making people laugh; being a "Fed-Ex kid"; his parents; the influence that Stan Laurel and Charlie Chaplin had on his life; the importance of rehearsing and choreographing his work; knowing what he could get away with; Dean Martin's talents; the relationship between Martin and Lewis; the break-up of Martin and Lewis; the effect of pratfall falls on his body; his drug addiction; and his "black side." Includes clips of Jerry Lewis in "At War with the Army," "The Patsy," and "The Errand Boy."
In this edition, King interviews actor Jack Lemmon who discusses the following topics, among others: his days as a young actor in New York; how he approaches comedic timing in film as opposed to theater; his work in "Mister Roberts" and "Some Like It Hot"; and his impressions of Billy Wilder as a director and Marilyn Monroe as a comedienne. Includes footage of the films "Mister Roberts" with William Powell and Henry Fonda, "Heaven For Betsy," and "The Prisoner of Second Avenue" with Anne Bancroft.
In this edition, King's guest is comedian Howie Mandel, who discusses the following topics, among others: the behavior of children as compared to that of adults; his start as a comedian; the importance of entertaining himself; why he often got thrown out of school; his eighth grade theatre arts class; his career as a carpet salesman; his attempts at selling a flasher doll; performing at Caesar's Palace as Diana Ross's opening act; what happens when one of his jokes flops; how he got a part on "St. Elsewhere"; and his preparation for "Walk Like a Man," in which he played a boy raised by wolves. Includes clips from "Howie Spent Our Summer" and "Walk Like a Man."
King's guest for this edition is stand-up comedienne Elayne Boosler. Boosler discusses her early days as a singing waitress in New York and how this led, spontaneously, to her first stand-up performance; her desire to reach a large audience and not be pigeonholed as a "female comedian"; her approach to performing live on tour, including reading the local paper of the town she is in; how she treats taboo issues in a humorous yet sensitive way; how she deals with hecklers and challenges from an audience; and the trials and tribulations of life on the road. Includes footage of Boosler's "Live Nude Girls."
In this installment, King interviews Robert Wuhl about his life as a comedian, actor, writer, and director. Topics discussed include the following: the difficulties people have with his last name; his love of directing; his suburban upbringing in Union, New Jersey; his lifelong fascination with films and movie directors; his acting experiences at college; his early comedic career in New York, including a stint writing jokes for Rodney Dangerfield; whether he tailors his joke-writing to specific comedians; the strategy behind his work on Billy Crystal's monologues for the Academy Awards; the importance of structuring jokes properly; his admiration for Jimmy Durante; whether he is intimidated when acting with big-name stars; his method for preparing for an audition; his interest in baseball; his work in the movie "Bull Durham"; and his self-conception as a character actor, in the manner of Jack Carson. This program includes clips of Wuhl's work from the comedy special, "Robert Wuhl's World Tour," and the feature film, "Mistress."