COMIC RELIEF 1986 (TV)

Summary

This four-hour comedy concert hosted by Billy Crystal, Robin Williams, and Whoopi Goldberg was broadcast live from the Universal Amphitheater in Los Angeles, California. It marks an unprecedented gathering of the comedy community to raise funds for the homeless in America. In this part, Crystal, Williams, and Goldberg perform comedy monologues and sketches about homelessness and poverty, with portrayals of their well-known characters, including Crystal as Fernando, Goldberg as the Valley Girl, and Williams as William F. Buckley. Other performers include Garry Shandling in a routine about dating; Henny Youngman with a series of one-liners; Gilda Radner as a telephone operator in a skit about a toll-free South Dakota; and Catherine O'Hara, Harold Ramis, and Martin Short as Ed Grimley in a skit about two people applying for the same job. Dick Van Dyke and Richard Dreyfuss stress the plight of the homeless and urge viewers to send contributions. Following each of their presentations is a short film about homelessness. One film profiles people living on Skid Row in Los Angeles, and the other focuses on volunteers who aid the homeless.

Additional performances include an act by magician and juggler Michael Davis; a number by Madeline Kahn, who reprises her "Blazing Saddles" role of Lily Von Schtup and sings about being an exhausted chanteuse; a "Not Necessarily the News" skit with Lucy Webb, Davis, and Kahn. Also included is a brief film clip of Jackie Gleason. Additional performances include: Michael Keaton in a routine about driving; Carl Reiner interviewing Sid Caesar, who portrays Professor Ludwig Von Know-it-all; Pee-Wee Herman, who brings an audience member on stage and plays a doctor; Minnie Pearl in a sketch about life in Nashville; Joe Piscopo doing an impression of rock-and-roll drummers; and Stuart Pankin in a "Not Necessarily the News" skit. Bob Hope, Penny Marshall, and Walter Matthau talk about homelessness in America and ask for viewer support. Marshall introduces a short film about the plight of homeless single women and Matthau presents a film about homeless teenagers. Bob Zmuda, president of Comic Relief, explains the goals of the project. He and Mayor Tom Bradley of Los Angeles report on the contributions that Comic Relief has received to date, and Bradley presents a plaque honoring the humanitarian efforts of the project. Also included are clips of the Three Stooges, the Marx Brothers, and Andy Kaufman in a clip from an episode of the television series "Taxi." This part closes with Steve Allen reading letters to the editors of major newspapers.

Featured performers also include George Carlin delivering a monologue about people "acquiring stuff"; Goldberg and Michael J. Fox in a magic act routine; Williams and Crystal parodying two show business dancers preparing for opening night; "Weird" Al Yankovic and Richard Belzer in a duet about housing the homeless; Sid Caesar, who pantomimes a young boy attending his first dance; Crystal and Goldberg depicting an elderly man and his maid discussing the homeless; and Anne Bloom, Mitchell Laurance, and others in two separate "Not Necessarily the News" skits. Tony Danza, Dick Gregory, and Estelle Getty comment on America's homeless and encourage viewer support. This part includes two short films, one about homeless children and the other about homeless people who are striving to improve their lives. Also included are clips of Charlie Chaplin and W.C. Fields. This part concludes with Mary Gross's portrayal of sex therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer in a sketch with George Wendt and Laraine Newman.

Next, Mary Gross continues her portrayal of Dr. Ruth Westheimer in a sketch with George Wendt and Jon Lovitz. Jerry Lewis performs a routine about a five-year-old, and John Candy and Eugene Levy portray the Shmenge Brothers and lead the audience in a sing-along. Also included are performances by Howie Mandel, Paul Rodriguez, Dennis Miller, and Bob Goldthwait. Rob Reiner and Robert Guillaume introduce films about the homeless. This part concludes with David Letterman, Paul Shaffer, and Chris Elliott in a humorous video about a camping trip. Crystal, Williams, and Goldberg are joined by the entire cast for the finale, a combination of song and one-liners. Also included are clips of Laurel and Hardy, Charlie Chaplin, Jimmy Durante, and television series "The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show" and "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In."

This selection from the Alan Gerry Cable Collection has been made available by the Gerry Foundation, Inc.

Details

• NETWORK: HBO
• DATE: March 29, 1986 Saturday 9:00 PM
• RUNNING TIME: 4:07:53
• COLOR/B&W: Color
• CATALOG ID: T87:0008
• GENRE: Comedy/Variety
• SUBJECT HEADING: Charities; Comedy; Homelessness; She Made It Collection (Anne Beatts); African-American Collection - Comedy
• SERIES RUN: HBO - TV, 1986
• COMMERCIALS: N/A

CREDITS

• John Moffitt … Executive Producer
• Pat Tourk Lee … Executive Producer
• Bob Zmuda … Executive Producer
• Jacques Fiorentino … Co-Producer
• Walter C. Miller … Director
• Buz Kohan … Head Writer
• Steve Barker … Writer
• Anne Beatts … Writer
• Matt Neuman … Writer
• Tom Perew … Writer
• Lane Sarasohn … Writer
• Stu Silver … Writer
• Alan Zweibel … Writer
• Gilda Radner … Writer
• Tom Rizzo … Music by
• Marc Shaiman … Music by
• Jimmie Haskell … Music by
• Earl Brown … Music by
• Lester Wilson … Choreographer
• Doc Severinsen and his Orchestra … Music Group
• Billy Crystal … Host
• Robin Williams … Host
• Whoopi Goldberg … Host
• Steve Allen … Performer
• Harry Anderson … Performer
• Phil Austin … Performer
• Richard Belzer … Performer
• Peter Bergman … Performer
• Anne Bloom … Performer
• Danny Breen … Performer
• Sid Caesar … Performer
• John Candy … Performer
• George Carlin … Performer
• Michael Davis … Performer
• Michael J. Fox … Performer
• Mary Gross … Performer
• Pee-Wee Herman (see also: Paul Reubens) … Performer
• Madeline Kahn … Performer
• Michael Keaton … Performer
• Mitchell Laurance … Performer
• Eugene Levy … Performer
• Jerry Lewis … Performer
• Jon Lovitz … Performer
• Howie Mandel … Performer
• Dennis Miller … Performer
• Laraine Newman … Performer
• Catherine O'Hara … Performer
• Stuart Pankin … Performer
• Minnie Pearl … Performer
• Joe Piscopo … Performer
• Phil Proctor … Performer
• Gilda Radner … Performer
• Harold Ramis … Performer
• Carl Reiner … Performer
• Paul Rodriguez … Performer
• Garry Shandling … Performer
• Martin Short … Performer
• Lucy Webb … Performer
• George Wendt … Performer
• Weird Al Yankovic … Performer
• Henny Youngman … Performer
• Tom Bradley … Guest
• Tony Danza … Guest
• Richard Dreyfuss … Guest
• Estelle Getty … Guest
• Dick Gregory … Guest
• Robert Guillaume … Guest
• Bob Hope … Guest
• Penny Marshall … Guest
• Walter Matthau … Guest
• Rob Reiner … Guest
• Dick Van Dyke … Guest
• Bob Zmuda … Guest
• Gracie Allen
• George Burns
• Charlie Chaplin
• Jimmy Durante
• Chris Elliott
• W.C. Fields
• Jackie Gleason
• Bob Goldthwait (see also: Bobcat Goldthwait)
• Oliver Hardy
• Andy Kaufman
• Stan Laurel
• David Letterman
• Dick Martin
• The Marx Brothers
• Dan Rowan
• Paul Shaffer
• The Three Stooges