In the 1940s and 50s Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis were on top of the comedy world with a smash act that dominated nightclubs, the silver screen, and that new-fangled television thing. The premise was simple -- Dean was a crooner and straight man who tried to keep the show going according to plan, while Jerry was an overactive man-child who would mug shamelessly, croon off key, walk around in the crowd, and generally cause chaos. The crowds loved it, but as you can imagine those were two large talents (and in Jerry's case ego) to contain in one act. They split after a decade with both going on to solo success but never quite recapturing the magic they had as a duo. Thanks to Frank Sinatra they reconciled though they never re-teamed -- but there is a lot of video that captures Dean and Jerry in action during their heyday. As always, find extra cuts below and thanks for sharing our shows.

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Dean and Jerry got their big nightclub break at Atlantic City's famed 500 Club. The picture quality on this one is poor, but it's fascinating -- an episode of the Today Show from 1956 featuring a number of stars from the club including Martin & Lewis who appear about 40 minutes in. https://youtu.be/x-2BHMfa5do?si=flVl7TyFSC4EPkUU

Martin & Lewis were mainstays of early television with numerous guest shot on the top shows of the day along with their own series. This bit from Milton Berle's Texaco Star Theater is from 1949. https://youtu.be/u7O3I0uww3U?si=PiWtq_-Qhfixq-Ap

Jerry and Dean were big screen sensations, eventually making 16 features. 1953's The Caddy is one of their best -- dip in anywhere to get a taste of the boys in action. https://youtu.be/qrlbr4ziDL0?si=iwQBxX8lc2z_w5sp

After splitting up Martin and Lewis famously didn't speak for 20 years, but that changed at the 1976 Jerry Lewis MDA telethon, courtesy of the Chairman of the Board. https://youtu.be/RRq2ed1fK2k?si=hj1l5xCFC_JCHoT0

This time out we have a real treat from across the pond. Neil Innes may not be the most recognizable name in comedy, but without him the Monty Python movies would be much the poorer (and we wouldn't have a Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band at all). Coming up as part of the British satire boom of the early 1960s, Neil was an artist and musician with a flair for the absurd. That certainly came to the fore in the Bonzos, where Neil often sang lead and wrote their biggest hit. He soon crossed paths with the Pythons who used his music in Monty Python and the Holy Grail (among others), and he later collaborated with Eric Idle on the faux-Beatles parody, The Rutles. An all-around good bloke, Neil remained a well-loved fixture in British comedy, including Bonzos and Rutles reunions, for the rest of his life. As always, find extra clips below and thanks for sharing our shows!

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Neil was a key member of the dada-influenced rockers The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band. He wrote and sang lead on their biggest hit -- I'm The Urban Spaceman. https://youtu.be/olGXtohOs7c?si=C-yLWjWHi27hxE_u

Monty Python and the Holy Grail is beloved by fans and the clever tunes by Neil are part of the reason why. Here Neil foretells the fate of his boss, the very very brave Sir Robin. https://youtu.be/ACajzIlzvH0?si=ZdJZ8X2TpQzpP1M

George Harrison was a great patron of the Pythons and was always ready to take a piss out of his old band. This clip from Eric Idle's Rutland Weekend Television finds George in fine voice singing . . .what?https://youtu.be/zJFLiW10ZrE?si=MOI5msq9MPQUaHHp

One of the most popular comics of the 2000s, Amy Schumer is gifted with a tart tongue, superb timing, and a willingness to put TMI out there in search of a laugh. Amy also has turned her comedy into television and movie gold with an Emmy winning tv show ("Inside Amy Schumer"), cable specials, and juicy roles in films such as "Trainwreck." Her memoir -- "The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo" was a New York Times bestseller and more recently she made her Broadway debut in "Meteor Shower", (written by Steve Martin) and nabbing a Tony nomination in the process. How do you follow that up? By having a kid of course -- and performing a Netflix standup special in a very pregnant condition! As always, find extra clips below and thanks for sharing our shows!

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Here's a big slice of early Amy from a Comedy Central special. It's always fun to see a comic on the cusp of becoming a huge star. https://youtu.be/HlJbSzNwR9I?si=rscd_S9PFJlHcBZL

Amy's sketch show "Inside Amy Schumer" won two Emmy's and a Peabody award over it's five year run and a lot of the comedy still bites hard!https://youtu.be/m7NKKh8ocVA?si=s4TzVxFYwfGBjO5T

Amy had a starring role in the Judd Apatow film "Trainwreck" and her chemistry with Bill Hader was perfect. https://fb.watch/wocx6k-zvo/

Amy uses every bit of her life for material and when she became pregnant -- check out this Netflix special to see how she deals with it. https://www.facebook.com/reel/1257604364890190

When we say today's comic is a real scream, we mean it! For most of us, our first introduction to Sam Kinison was his scream, often played as part of a radio station's "5:20 Funny". But there was so much more to Sam -- a bad boy who conquered the world of standup comedy (and music videos) for a few years back in the 1980s. Originally starting as a pentecostal preacher -- no doubt where he acquired his lung power -- Sam set down his bible and picked up a standup microphone as part of the Texas Outlaw Comics (which also included fellow Legend Bill Hicks). Rodney Dangerfield dug his act and gave him a slot on his 1985 HBO Young Comedian's Special. From there Sam rocketed into the comedy stratosphere with best selling albums, guest roles in movies and tv shows, and even a hit song (a remake of Wild Thing). Along with the fame came struggles with addiction but he appeared to have tamed his demons when a tragic car accident claimed him in 1992. But Sam's scream lives on anywhere there is someone who has just about had it with their current situation! As always find extra clips below and thanks for sharing our shows!

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Sam's scream was his trademark and one of the first times he showed it off to a wide audience was on David Letterman in 1985. https://youtu.be/m_VURr6jnWQ?si=9Lo2yVqmgp6e-bFG

Sam's breakout routine came on Rodney Dangerfield's 1985 Young Comedians' Special on HBO. Here's the part that made Sam a star -- edgy humor at its peak. https://youtu.be/K44DriPrLUk?si=RMdVcvDLAfI3HsfX

Sam was a hit with the hard rock crowd and the video for his 1990 remake of The Troggs' Wild Thing featured a slew of cameos from hard rockers including Aerosmith and Billy Idol. https://youtu.be/0DbDI32y9tU?si=pt_Acjzu3_af8btN

In the 1950s Leslie Nielsen was best known as a dramatic actor in movies and on television. But in 1980, that was about to change. Leslie took a role in a new comedy movie that was looking for a solid, deadpan type to be in the center of "joke-a-minute" action. That movie was Airplane! and it launched Leslie on a comedic career that would include the Police Squad tv show and the Naked Gun movie franchise. Along the way, Leslie became a master at poking fun at his own image, hosting Saturday Night Live and being a frequent guest on game shows and talk shows. While his later movies didn't reach the artistic or commercial heights of his early comedy career it didn't matter -- his Legend was secure. And nobody gets to call him Shirley. Find extra cuts below and, as always, thanks for sharing our shows.

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Back when there were watercoolers, this bit got used a lot by office wits. https://youtu.be/ixljWVyPby0?si=fveuiJdk9qiwAShe

While Airplane! made Leslie a comedy star, the Naked Gun movies made him a box office titan. Here Leslie engages in a little old fashioned bribery with a source. https://youtu.be/uxviBxaSjyc?si=VvtVvpiiFP0_DAv9

In 1989 Leslie was tapped to host Saturday Night Live and, of course, they built on his ability to say the most outrageous things in a smooth and relaxed style. https://youtu.be/ooPJQZZ1ZCE?si=z1fcUZVRyQKktOJp

Leslie was a regular in talk shows in the 1990s including Conan O'Brien's where Leslie demonstrated his favorite prank. https://youtu.be/k1ztkOcJrNE?si=fklwI-QQC1ByzOcY

When Chelsea Handler exploded onto the standup scene in 1994 her bracingly honest style was an instant hit with fans, launching a career as a standup comic and a talk show host that is still going 30 years later. Chelsea has always embraced her flaws -- her best selling memoir is "Are You There Vodka, It's Me, Chelsea" after all. But her candor also brought that out in her talk show guests starting with the long running Chelsea Lately on the E! Network. A recent guest hosting stint on The Daily Show was a success as was her most recent Netflix standup special "Revolution". Mix in some fearless observations about the current world scene and you have a comic who was made for these times! As always find extra clips below and thanks for sharing our shows!

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Chelsea's approach to standup was apparent from the start -- just talk about highly inappropriate things in a playful and snarky manner. Here's Chelsea in 2004 doing just that. https://youtu.be/yp7ep5PO7uo?si=a1KCS_kTl6eR3a-W

As part of the search to replace Trevor Noah, Chelsea guest hosted The Daily Show for a week. This little bit of banter with the audience during a break is fun. https://youtu.be/GEmTUdTkRDU?si=oC_XrRrryY2ot2XD

Chelsea remains a top draw on the standup circuit and her recent Netflix special "Revolution" finds her in top form. https://youtu.be/9vo7nJmKOSc?si=YgD48RejY2o3tKrv

Well it isn't St. Patrick's Day, but we still have the luck of the Irish with us because today's Legend is Brian Doyle-Murray. The older brother of Bill Murray, Brian has carved our a fine for career for himself with work at Second City, The National Lampoon Radio Hour, Saturday Night Live, and a slew of classic comedy flicks including Caddyshack, Wayne's World, and Groundhog Day. He even voices a great character (The Flying Dutchman) on Spongebob SquarePants. Brian -- like his brother Bill -- is also an avid golfer, co-hosting a Murray Brother golf tourney, and being part owner of two Caddyshack Restaurants, one in Illinois and one in Florida. And to all of that we say "well played"! As always find extra cuts below and thanks for sharing our shows!

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Brian joined SNL when the show was at a low ebb, but he still had some fine moments as in the SNL Newsbreak segment with Mary Gross. https://youtu.be/EyK5v_YmQrk?si=SRvrxFkWaoJBrr3U

Caddyshack is one of the great movie comedies of the 80s and Brian has a fine turn as caddy boss Lou Loomis. https://fb.watch/vPd2A27BwW/

Brian had a juicy role in Groundhog Day as Buster Green, the master of the groundhog ceremony in Punxsutawny PA! https://youtu.be/dWLA3OavSgM?si=6iQJ0JU6a6SvMD-M

In recent years Brian has become an sought after voice actor including a stint on SpongeBob SquarePants as The Flying Dutchman. https://youtu.be/lOdh2zKhufA?si=WJHU-96FBPOfe_tU

Without these guys, there may well not have been Monty Python or Firesign Theatre yet to much of the world they are just a distant (and very funny) memory. Who are these titans? It's the Goon Show which tickled British comedy fans during the 1950s with comedy that was smart, surreal, and sometimes just plain silly. The core Goons -- Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan, and Harry Secombe worked off scripts penned by Milligan, playing a variety of off the wall characters. The voice work was superb and the structure of the shows is best described as avant-garde and four dimensional. Secombe and Milligan went on to successful entertainment careers and Sellers became an international movie star. But it all started with some guys who wouldn't play by traditional comedy rules -- and aren't we glad they wouldn't. As always find extra clips below and thanks for sharing our shows.

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If you have time, crack open your favorite beverage and enjoy a complete Goon Show, this one from 1955.https://youtu.be/VuVFFNvyUT8?si=Rci_cSflpvqo7lrI

Harry Secombe and Peter Sellers provided some of the favorite character voices for the Goons and this clip from 1954 shows their chemistry. https://youtu.be/clX7FInbQ58?si=xPNBPwV5ZZkyyTh6

While the Goon Show ended it run in 1960, the Goons did reunite for one final blowout for the BBC's 50th anniversary in 1972. It delighted their fans and probably mystified everyone else -- perfection!https://youtu.be/XF745ywyvVY?si=8JxivMO8DSBOielA