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The Phil Hartman Tribute Episode (Live from the Groundlings Theater) | Full Episode| Fly on the Wall

September 27, 2023 / 01:25:14

This episode features a tribute to Phil Hartman, discussing his impact on Saturday Night Live with guests Kevin Nealon, Julia Sweeney, Jim Downey, and Dana Carvey. The conversation highlights Phil's comedic genius, memorable sketches, and personal anecdotes from his time on SNL.

Kevin Nealon shares his early experiences with Phil, recalling how they both joined SNL at the same time and how Phil's professionalism stood out. Julia Sweeney reflects on Phil's role as a mentor and teacher at The Groundlings, emphasizing his ability to explain comedy effectively.

Jim Downey discusses Phil's unique contributions to the show, including his record of appearing in numerous sketches and his writing credits. The group reminisces about classic sketches like "Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer" and Phil's ability to elevate material with his performances.

The episode also touches on Phil's diverse interests outside of comedy, including his artistic talents and hobbies. The guests express their admiration for Phil's character and the lasting impact he had on their lives and careers.

Overall, the episode serves as a heartfelt celebration of Phil Hartman's legacy in comedy, filled with laughter and fond memories.

TL;DR

A tribute to Phil Hartman featuring insights from SNL cast members about his comedic genius and lasting impact.

Video

00:00:00
okay you guys we have a a special episode uh today this is um this is Phil
00:00:05
Hartman sort of a looking back a remembrance finally at the the late great tribute to Phil yeah there go
00:00:12
because on our podcast we kept hearing all kinds of people mentioning Phil um
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Will frell Bill hater uh admiring Phil even trying to be like Phil so we just
00:00:23
thought let's do a show about Phil's greatness at on Saturday Night Live and
00:00:29
for that reason we know there was a tragic tragedy that happened and we
00:00:34
steered away from it for the most part because we wanted this to be fun and we let people ramble around but uh it was
00:00:41
um I'll just say from my side of the fence is um I'd had dinner with Phil's
00:00:46
daughter and her husband about a year and a half ago and she expressed kind of wanting to talk about her mom and dad
00:00:53
and um we went you know we told her do whatever you want but she did decide to
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come to the show at the growlings which you're about to hear so that was really nice for her to see all that love
00:01:05
pouring out for her dad and um it was it was emotional but it also was just a
00:01:11
blast to revisit Phil's greatness and he just made me laugh so much yeah and you're going to hear a lot of laughs
00:01:18
because it's old writers and uh cast members you know and uh we went to the
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ground Lings where Phil's from got on stage and had a great crowd that loved him and we just all where he is a Hall
00:01:30
of Famer or maybe the the goat of the ground Lanes he was there for 11 years and so we went to the home base of where
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it all happened and Julia Sweeney was with us on this particular show and she got her break on that stage so a lot of
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a lot of great fun to be had on this episode it's very interesting and and lot lots of laughs y we got Kevin nean
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we got Jim Downey uh Dana and myself and Julia so hope you like it part one you
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don't scare me I got chunks of guys like you in my stool
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[Music]
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all right hey
00:02:19
everybody what a great Montage oh [ __ ] we got the cold side that awesome
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thank you very much you've been a great audience David hey guys guys I'll fix this give me about 25 minutes no but
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what happened feel like I'm in a witness protection program here at the microphone Christ sakes remember when
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that submarine went down I missed that crazy little sub how
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long are you going to work on that microphone I got attached man I'm this okay I got it I went to D I'm
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under I'm under a vent and I probably will be for the next are are you under a vent are you feeling it yeah yeah
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[ __ ] brutal I call it a cool breeze to keep us comfortable you call it a vent brutal who's negative now so you
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guys thanks for coming down we uh we're going to get things going because we have all our friends here uh a couple of
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a great friends how long has this Puppet Theater been here it is so Qui they said it's small I
00:03:23
was here once but man it's it's intimate yeah it's really intimate isn't
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it I thought this is like the I want to see Neil Young here you know what I mean don't laugh at that's that's not that
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great you know just acoustic anyway it doesn't matter introduce our panel okay
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we're doing this show and we're going to bring out our guests um in no particular
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order I'll just say uh number one it's it's a dating game yeah uh please
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welcome from Satur Night Live and everything else my good friend and David's good friend Mr Kevin nean yeah
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yeah [Applause] W Kevin nice to see you brother nice to
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see you I knew Kevin right when I saw him backstage I go I know that that's
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Kevin is this okay yeah I don't like to sit any closer to you guys this has been
00:04:24
pretty distant would you like to sit next to you cuz that's who I'll introduce next sit next to me yeah mhm
00:04:30
Robbie Margo Mar Margo Robbie and her twin sister Robbie Marco
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Robie Marco is is a very I saw that BL stare I thought maybe that's not her
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name well I was I saw a movie with pit Brad you ever seen pit Brad oh that guy
00:04:49
is a hell of an actor pity pity they call him yeah A A Town Without Pity
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let's get out Julia sweetie Julia swe yeah
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look at that wo they're packed in here lovely Julia one of your own one of
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your own a groundling I like when you meet people were you a groundling how many were Groundlings how
00:05:16
many not Groundlings never been a groundling is that Applause light is
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that Applause light oh my God that green light went on oh it's almost over I don't know what's
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going on uh and of course esteem writer from Saturday Night Live we'll talk all about that the one and
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only the infamous writer of Saturday Night Live and other things Mr Jim
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Downey yeah right there Jimmy yeah
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[Applause] buddy Jim Downey our
00:05:53
boss Jim Downey with the riches I just I just wanted to sing all right let's see
00:05:58
Jim Downey at the you need any help with that no I won't you tell me oh easy Hulk
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can I get a menu common
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problem thought we'd have this worked out how's that that going to be okay for
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the next four and hour adjustment on you would like an adjustment why don't we go backstage can I get a menu you really
00:06:22
want an adjust while they're turning this blow fan off I just want to be able to see I was a standup for years and you
00:06:30
know how to address mics right Kevin yes I do yeah mine's perfect is that good thank
00:06:37
you perfect good good all right let's wrap this up yeah
00:06:45
and David Spade
00:06:50
yeah all right welcome to fly on thewall live from the infamous ground linges in
00:06:56
Hollywood California I'm Dan at Flo this is David spuder and we decided to do a tribute to
00:07:04
Phil Harman because we have this podcast it's dedicated to SNL primarily and everyone kept mentioning Phil's work and
00:07:11
his sketches will farell and Bill haer and others so we thought Let's do an episode devoted to Phil Hartman's
00:07:18
greatness and I guess I'll say genius as a sketch player on Saturday Night
00:07:26
Live so we're going to talk about all that and sat live we don't have a script
00:07:31
right David we're just flying become very obvious um but we do know uh we all
00:07:38
knew Phil pretty well some better than others uh we could maybe just start with Kevin and we'll just sort of uh Meander
00:07:45
and go all over the place but we will definitely discuss Phil but Kevin just come what comes to mind Phil Harman man
00:07:51
I I knew I sit in the wrong chair I should have took the first one uh Phil Hartman I remember when we first um got
00:07:57
on Saturday live and we were all kind of getting to know each other although I knew a few few people
00:08:04
and then somebody was talking about the old guy there was an old guy that's in the cast too he wasn't around yet but he
00:08:09
was really good his name's Phil Hartman and he was 37 years old gross and we were all like
00:08:17
wow like an adult I got he's so old and um and and so yeah he was a lot of fun
00:08:25
we we so we got to uh we we were shooting the titles and I remember it's
00:08:30
late at night and we're sitting around waiting for the camera set up and it's Phil Jan Hooks and me and I don't know
00:08:36
if this was a sketch he used to do or what but um janon would like feed him L say um uh I forget what what his
00:08:43
character's name was like Mr Poopy he was calling him with something and he was a foreign guy uh and he said um Mr
00:08:48
poy can you say I'm having a good time in Los Angeles I love I mean in New York I love it
00:08:55
here Angeles good and uh the way he did it was really funny you know no he was
00:09:01
it was funny I can't even do a fake uh foreign guy yeah you know but um that's
00:09:06
one of the things I remember from right off the bat we'll get back to some other stories a little later this is the
00:09:14
y95 um yes well Kevin and I came in together with Phil and we our first show
00:09:20
was with Phil that's where I know you from yeah remember we shared an office
00:09:26
and remember you guys did we shared an office is a tenth of the size of the stage remember when it started snowing I
00:09:34
looked out the window we were there for so many hours you're exhausted and I didn't know about winter really I mean
00:09:39
like a winter coat well yeah well you know I think it was the second year there's a big tall window in the office
00:09:45
on the 17th floor yeah and can you hear me way in the back and and um you know
00:09:51
you work so late at night till like you know 3 or whatever in the morning and after a while you just run out of ideas
00:09:57
I think it was the second year we're looking out the window and 30 Rock is lit up from below and you can see the snow falling down through the window and
00:10:04
we're both standing in front of the window it was like a New Yorker uh cartoon and we just both said we had our
00:10:10
chance we had our chance and to get a winter coat that was the first snow I had my chance I didn't get it I don't
00:10:17
have it and now I'm [ __ ] yeah jul take a break we'll be right
00:10:23
back Julia any Reflections you want to share well I knew Phil before he was on
00:10:29
SNL he was actually my intermediate teacher yeah Lango he was truly one of
00:10:37
the best teachers I think I mean really at least once a week I think of something that he said like he there's
00:10:44
not that many people who are really funny and know why they're really funny they know they can explain it to you it
00:10:50
seems like don't you think in comedy some people are just instinctively funny and you don't they don't know why and
00:10:55
some people can't explain what they do but Phil could and so he was just such an incredible teacher but I I'd taken
00:11:02
basic and then I had I I was asked to repeat [Laughter]
00:11:09
it no that was a great thing that was a great thing and then so I had taken
00:11:15
basic twice and then I got Phil for intermediate and um I still think because they were teaching the classes
00:11:21
up at that church on Highland and Franklin yeah Scientology and that's where I took the class with Phil and I
00:11:27
just loved him immediately and knew him from the PeeWee Herman show and he was of course I knew him from coming to the
00:11:33
ground Ling so I was a huge fan of his and he changed my life really like he he
00:11:39
he could explain I remember he you know he had exercises he talked about taking like uh we had to do like a Warner
00:11:46
Brothers cartoon character and mash it with a family member we know intimately
00:11:52
and come up with a character that's just half of each thing like how just how to do it like he just told you how to do it
00:11:58
and he had a a great laugh and he was so supportive of everyone and um and then
00:12:04
after that we became friends and we hung out a lot and we became really just friends on our own and then I and it was
00:12:10
very exciting to know him and then when he got on SNL it was such a big deal it was so
00:12:15
exciting and um and then when I got on SNL I really felt like I had a big
00:12:21
brother at the show like it was just so great to have him there and he would bring me in his office and kind of explain the things that were happening
00:12:28
at SNL like I feel like I had somebody had my back it was great wow what Wonder
00:12:33
well nice it was it was Lorraine Newman as far as the groundling going to SNL
00:12:38
and then then it was John litz John litz and then it was Phil hello and maybe you were the fourth hello was I the fourth I
00:12:46
guess maybe maybe not a lot I think also Phil was great at teaching the host how to read the Q cards oh yes he was
00:12:52
without it look like you're looking at the Q card the gold standard of he really knew how to cheat well you know
00:13:00
and and also uh because I forgot to tell you this I don't know if it'll ever come back to me so um you're just taking the
00:13:06
time in the wood so um Phil's office was next to ours close anyway and I would go
00:13:12
in there on the same floor this is back in the can't remember back in the 1900s
00:13:18
so I would go over to uh Phil every time I went over to Phil's office it seemed like he had a different hobby he was
00:13:24
doing you know he'd either be painting one week he had the easel in there and books on how to paint and different uh
00:13:30
you know uh paints and and then the next week I go in there he's learning how to play the blues guitar paints were gone
00:13:35
the paints were gone and then the next week he's sailing and the next week he's flying an airplane but he did all those
00:13:41
things well he was really an artist I know I know he did album covers he did America's album
00:13:47
cover he was the only I think I have this right and I'm sure you guys will correct me if I don't he was the only
00:13:55
cast member who got a writing credit yeah right and it was because he had
00:14:01
actually come to the show as a guest writer this season before you guys joined Paul Ruben Paul ruin hosted the
00:14:10
show and um and he came with Paul and and um and then and John John and Phil
00:14:18
were friends from the ground Lings and was pushing him but but he suddenly
00:14:23
remember it wasn't it it was kind of amusing to us that um that sometimes the
00:14:29
cast would kind of notice the fact that they were doing an awful lot of writing
00:14:36
in some cases more than Phil but he was getting a writing credit none of them were and Anda and Phil did have a really
00:14:44
full life with all these hobbies and interests he he loved to S he was a big Surfer and
00:14:51
and yeah and like kind of like you know Sports you wouldn't necessarily size him
00:14:57
up and and read him for like an adventure guy you know but he um Conan Conan used to tell me that Phil would
00:15:04
call him up like on a Tuesday go hey Conan let's go let you want to go skiing
00:15:09
up in Stratton it's like uh Phil we have a show this week he like I'll have you
00:15:15
back by read through it's like but but we have to write the show that I mean
00:15:21
that's what readr is it's the reading of the pieces that the writers write you
00:15:27
should know this you're you know and it's oh come on come on it's one week
00:15:33
and you guys like I'm sorry it why is it funny to me but um you guys wrote an
00:15:40
awful lot of stuff didn't get a running credit but Phil one of the people who complained by
00:15:46
the way so but pH and I think they said just Phil gets that well I did get a
00:15:52
rers credit Jim my first year there you came on as a riter feature you came that's right but when were promoted I
00:16:00
was the opportunity promoted was like welcome to your smaller let's back up a little
00:16:07
bit I'm going to tell you a very brief story for the next 45 minutes I had a
00:16:12
um no at the second uh season Lauren said um we could either make you a cast
00:16:18
member or you could say feature and keep your writing credit I said well I guess
00:16:23
you know what I got to do so I took the cast member and I I yeah and I we all
00:16:28
kept writing and none of us got credit because laurren said uh we about you know getting paid the the writers got
00:16:34
paid more right Jim uh yeah the actors yes we could go we could go make money
00:16:41
outside the show and by the and by the way it I mean it is to the advantage of performers to
00:16:49
write for themselves it is right I mean get and the writers but but wait a
00:16:55
minute you me there but Jim I love how this just devolve into us arguing about
00:17:02
wait a minute Julia you Julia you WR on the show I'm only hearing this now you wrote all your stuff
00:17:09
yeah but Lauren Lauren said the writers aren't going to go on and make a lot of money like we are so cut to Conan
00:17:16
O'Brien Greg Daniels Dave Mandel you know yeah by the way Phil would have
00:17:23
loved this discussion he would have laughed harder but but yeah it it it it was true that
00:17:31
that the the feeling was um that that cast members a it was to their advantage
00:17:38
to write for themselves if it helped helped them you know their image and B
00:17:44
they were going to make money in movies and so on that in the ways that writers can't well Jim's Jim's the uh he was the
00:17:52
he was the was a headwriter when I was there and um he was making 3 25,000 a
00:18:00
week I I may have got that wrong I don't now I think what happens Julia is when
00:18:06
you and Kevin and Dana we um we would lose the writing credit and be cast and
00:18:13
then you thought you'd get this cavate of sketches written for you and then you go wait right so I I guess I st to write
00:18:21
because no one is writing for me and that's that's the way it always is so anyway back anyway the audience love
00:18:27
this conversation yeah great the the other half of that though is it's not just that Phil was the only one who got
00:18:33
a writing credit and hence the salary and like an Amy or something his own office yes
00:18:40
but by it wasn't even close in terms of who which cast member did the writers
00:18:46
write for Phil Phil writing for him he was like
00:18:52
the writer and the star and all the writers R for this is turning against Phil it wasn't
00:18:58
an unexpected turn we'll be back we'll be back while we reset the stage with
00:19:04
our our backup guests will be out in a
00:19:10
[Music] moment can we just on the writing thing trying to diffuse it I got some I got to
00:19:17
I just want to say this what when Kevin and I did Hans and frond or stuff that you put out there those guys do you
00:19:25
remember anybody remember you guys remember that uh Jim was an perfect example of the
00:19:32
cast writing and then Jim became a fan of the sketch along with Robert Smigel and was a big contributor but you know
00:19:38
we designed the template and Phil played the funniest uh
00:19:45
role in those characters helmet well Hans and France were like these idiotic bullies and ego Maniacs
00:19:53
paranoid schizophrenics I remember and they Phil came on as the browbeaten um
00:20:00
helmet this very sad sack uh with a droopy prosthetic you know make him look
00:20:07
really pathetic and that was the brilliant thing about Phil he could come on and almost be like a silent clown in
00:20:12
this you know very contained and lot there's a lot of melancholy around hello I am helmet I am helmet I am helmet and
00:20:20
helmet turn around so you can see your bcks you're lucky we don't have a campfire here your buttocks are like
00:20:27
marshmallows if you took your belt off you cause a flabber lanch I could flick you with my little
00:20:33
finger and you would fly across the room and land in your own baby poop this is the sophistication of the writing this
00:20:41
that was Jim Downey's line I got to say Jim's like how did you not get money for writing that
00:20:49
stuff it also his was the perfect embodiment of pude Jim you remember that I I guess so
00:20:56
yeah yeah I mean that's a lot of lot of water over the dam but
00:21:03
yeah that was funny [ __ ] man that that was a kind of thing where you I mean you
00:21:09
guys walked in with that and and Smigel and I both really uh responded that and
00:21:15
so we would you know occasionally you know how about throw you a line or
00:21:20
something that's the best that's when the show really is working when that WR but that that is I mean you know the
00:21:26
writers it's a really a performer show I mean you wouldn't necessarily know it from the credit system but uh it is the
00:21:34
performers are the Leading Edge of that show and and that a performer you know can lift a mediocre
00:21:41
script um you know a a great script can't necessarily work if the if the
00:21:48
performer doesn't have something you know but um the the
00:21:54
um and anyway we're on strike now so is it illegal what we're doing right now
00:22:00
I'm I'm no that did cross my mind by the way am I is
00:22:07
this was Fran dressed or was she a groundling or what if she's in the audience in a in
00:22:13
a mask so anyway Phil Phil I have a question Downey and you don't have to answer anything El I have a FR dresser a
00:22:19
very funny FR dresser story well I'm all ears well it's it's
00:22:25
it might if you have to know Al Franken but it was a dinner D it's Al Al had had
00:22:33
had wanted to be very badly to take over update and this was at the time when
00:22:39
when um um when in fact nor McDonald noron Tak
00:22:45
over and so and Al was like really making his case as Al would would
00:22:51
do you know relentlessly over a long period of time and talking to lots of people and so finally um Lauren said um
00:22:58
if it's not going to be Al we need to tell him and and so we we we it was one
00:23:04
of these you uh Posh Italian restaurants and so and it was me Lauren and Al and
00:23:12
we got to dinner and we finally get around to the he like so what what is it what's it going to be and it's like um
00:23:19
and it's like um Al we we um Jim Jim was
00:23:26
thinking that guy name and so we had just gotten done
00:23:32
telling Al it's it's the feeling is that it would be with you it it would be good
00:23:39
and certainly it would certainly would have an attitude it would have a you know a political Edge that but maybe we
00:23:46
want it we want it to be uh not partisan just sillier and and
00:23:53
I like well and he was Al was very upset and he just starting to event and Fran drer who did at the next table like
00:24:00
hi and and it was just it's said La I I don't do the friend dresser voice
00:24:06
obviously but it was just and she I mean I think she's great and funny think but
00:24:11
it was just the worst timing it just stepped right on Al's uh
00:24:16
PL thing but um I'm sorry I just sparked that when you uh you told me two things
00:24:22
earlier we a little birdie told me um two things about Phil and S Night Live
00:24:27
one was one one was I'm certain this is true uh that Phil was probably in more pieces
00:24:36
than any cast member in history especially now that the casts are so
00:24:41
huge I mean when you guys were there it was it was more like eight n what kind of money is the cats making
00:24:48
now a lot of money credits and everything no the uh Phil Phil was in
00:24:55
would would be in so many pieces um that that our running order would be
00:25:02
determined by his wigging requirements right so that after you guys after we'
00:25:08
had that La we the the way the show works is on on the last rehearsal the studio breaks
00:25:15
at 11 o'clock on Friday night and and I would I would be up there in Lauren's
00:25:21
office with Lauren and and mainly the heads of the Departments like the set and and costume departments and
00:25:28
and and making sure you know hammering out a running order for dress deciding
00:25:34
which sketches would go where in the order and and Bas the B way it worked was we we would have our our ideal order
00:25:41
based on the comedy and the flow and let's you know this is a big full casting open with that and then we you
00:25:48
know this is a a smaller piece that that'll be a nice segue and then we need film here to transition something and um
00:25:57
the way it works is is you know it's like a Swiss army knife where we we have
00:26:03
if we're producing like 13 pieces in this fairly tiny space um the sets the
00:26:10
same space has to serve as the as the base for like three sketches in the
00:26:16
course of night so the the sets have to be assembled taken down a new set
00:26:22
brought in and something has to be entertained in the audience while this is going on so you have film and other
00:26:27
you can't do it during sketch anyway it it no one ever envis
00:26:32
envisaged a problem where it would be a performer like amazingly they found a
00:26:38
way to you know to build like a Roman Coliseum piece during a film little
00:26:45
two-minute film and then remove it and turn it into like a uh you know modern
00:26:51
restaurant but the problem is like can can you get from like Roman Coliseum to
00:26:57
you know Oro or something yeah we can but uh wardrobe
00:27:03
has the has the problem and it was Phil's hair because Phil was in every
00:27:08
piece and so if it was like a bald Pate
00:27:13
um you know they toes take time to to get on if he's if if he's going to be
00:27:18
bald and and so we finally got to the point where just put them in the [ __ ]
00:27:24
bald pain and put wigs on them all night every night so so a lot of he but but
00:27:29
what we used to um he literally we could like we'd have a running order there perfect and then Tom Broker who was one
00:27:36
of the costum people go um now I've got a fil problem going from that to that
00:27:42
and it was only because he was in every [ __ ] piece and he was so organized I
00:27:49
remember him bringing me in like he had this binder he had yes he had things for every sketch like and there you know the
00:27:56
actors weren't that organized well you weren't if weren't in as many sketches as he was in but he would have he'd be
00:28:01
like in eight sketches in a show like routinely I I'm he ever had a light show
00:28:08
and and and cast members that was a thing that we we kept from you people to
00:28:13
the extent we could but but sometimes Lauren Lauren would go um you know
00:28:18
Kevin's really light in the show does any you know anyone have and and
00:28:24
often no I'm saying for example it could have been Dana uh that was my choice by
00:28:31
the way wasn't Dana very often but no but but but I mean you know and it would
00:28:37
just be was the luck of the draw except in in the case of Phil it just never he
00:28:42
never seemed to have and I don't I don't remember although an interesting fun
00:28:48
fact about Phil is that he never appeared even one time on update really
00:28:55
he was the only cast member who never did uh he managed to get through however many seasons he did they couldn't get
00:29:03
the wig on him in time they couldn't do it and and he finally did when
00:29:09
he came back to host the show after he he he' left he came back and and he did
00:29:16
Frankenstein on update this might be a good time to look at something for fun see we have a little clip of Phil as
00:29:22
Frankenstein was Frankenstein I'm Jim wrote that didn't you it was Tarzan Kevin Tarzan with Jack Handy and I would
00:29:30
write Jack and Tonto was John Lovitz yeah it for the idea was it wasn't the
00:29:37
idea was it started with we were going to do a piece uh about caveman Christmas
00:29:42
carolling and and it was the idea of caveman dropping out the I guess it's
00:29:48
the indefinite article so the' and and and stuff so away in manger no crib for
00:29:56
bed you know that that was the way they would sing and then then it became like um tar tar the
00:30:04
thing with Tarzan was Tarzan you know Tarzan would would would
00:30:09
speak like that with that kind of addiction but then suddenly throw like some high futin you know word at you
00:30:16
like Tarzan see white Hunter come on
00:30:22
escarpment you know and it's like what and and U so we had you know tarzen was
00:30:29
the same kind of idea and then uh and Tanto you know so anyway it was just the
00:30:34
people who talked anyway we have like a 45 second clip no that's good we do have
00:30:40
a short clip okay but what about the INF
00:30:48
treaty Excuse Me Miss fmer Frankenstein not understanding question oh I'm sorry
00:30:55
the INF treaty it Outlaws medium rain nuclear excuse me nuclear missiles at
00:31:01
least that in the European
00:31:16
theater bre
00:31:21
[Music] [Applause] [Laughter]
00:31:29
sassy so that was I I couldn't see that but was that
00:31:35
where the set literally and then Phil lost it he came crawling out he never did that he never
00:31:41
BR that was the only time he broke and it broke hard Jim did you see his audition uh
00:31:49
Phil you you probably watch all of our auditions right yeah yeah mhm he was our boss you still look at him I don't
00:31:55
regret any of the choices we made I want you to know that thanks Dad and Phil you so what happens is you guys
00:32:03
usually you and Lauren every they hear about someone to to get as far as an audition it takes a lot right so they're
00:32:10
already probably pretty good just to get in front of you guys so by the time you see Phil you've heard a lot he was was
00:32:16
he hired before Kevin Anda no we all came the same time on the same show you're not
00:32:22
paying attention man I was I drifted off in the middle
00:32:28
he might he might have technically been in the discussion just because of the PA
00:32:34
he had been at the show the year before and John Lovitz was was John had to talk
00:32:39
him into it he he didn't want to I didn't know that really he didn't want to what be a cast member I mean when I
00:32:45
met him he was supposedly a writer and and John he's the funniest he's the
00:32:50
greatest you got to hire him you know and John was really new he'd seen him here you know well they work together
00:32:57
they together yeah yeah they did pieces didn't they yeah so julieet did did Phil recommend you was that any or you just I
00:33:04
don't think so I mean did you audition right here yeah I auditioned here like where physically I like the time machine
00:33:09
around this whole area right there wow was I here was I right
00:33:14
here you right there cheering me on I remember it was between me and Lisa kudro and when I got it I thought I
00:33:21
really hope that Lisa has a career because she deserves something
00:33:26
she's so good scraps it just shows you you never know
00:33:32
Show Business you never know but you came on did you bring when your beg of Tricks It's Pat did you have that I I
00:33:39
had done it here but I'd only I had this character that i' done many times here called MIAA and I thought that was going to be
00:33:46
my big you know character and and then but then Pat I'd only done one sketch
00:33:51
here as what was MIA Copa like it was just a character she apologized 10
00:33:56
seconds no she's an apologist I talk like this and she just said I'm sorry
00:34:02
I'm sorry so sorry I'm sorry sorry anyway anyway oh okay but anyway that's
00:34:07
me and i' done a play and i' won best play of the LA weekly like I thought
00:34:14
okay I have my character and I could not get this character on in fact Al Franken said he thinks I I did more sketches
00:34:21
trying to get that character on than any other person he'd ever seen I think I tried to get on 15 sketches as M gula
00:34:27
and then I thought you know what they don't like this character and did it get to dress or you just did it at read
00:34:33
through did it ever get to dress or no just read through but then Al put it
00:34:38
in his movie in um Stuart saves his family he had me play that character so you were compensation so I finally got
00:34:45
to do it all right um but no I'd only done Pat I had done Pat here as a down left but um how did you come up with the
00:34:51
name MIAA what does it mean just in a common what
00:34:58
about Jim Julia Kevin um no now I'm
00:35:06
saying I was going to say I remember what we don't talk about a lot is the
00:35:12
commercial parodies and some of my favorite ones were Cole and blow Cole and blow and that was pure that was Phil
00:35:17
was the star of that one he did my first thing I ever wrote was Chia head uh I don't know Kevin were you in that I
00:35:23
think you were in that yeah and uh Chris were you in that jul Chad yeah I don't think so okay Chad I
00:35:30
think Chris Rock was and I fil did that and then um I think he did uh Salon
00:35:36
there's a couple more so I remember change Bank oh May did he do change Bank you did change B well Jim was the
00:35:41
announcer for change bank that's like when you tell Reggie Jackson he had three home runs Jim goes like this oh
00:35:48
yeah I remember change oh yeah that was your how would you
00:35:53
describe change it was a very quiet degression a Bank a commercial for Bank
00:35:58
it was it was just a guy a guy not not very mediagenic guy
00:36:07
way too excited about something that he was the most excited person about and it
00:36:13
was explaining something at Great length that everyone gets instantly without the
00:36:21
explanation and that's just something that always made me laugh as a writer just like um you no you don't understand
00:36:27
it'll be great because um you know like like I remember wrote a wrote uh wrote a
00:36:33
piece one time about um uh the the female owner Joan Croc who was like
00:36:40
uh was she owned the she owned the Padres oh Ray Croc's Widow somebody
00:36:47
anyway any she was giving it she was talk to the team to the baseball
00:36:53
team and saying and and you hitters tonight hit a home run hit a home run and I'll tell you why I'll tell you why
00:37:01
um because when you hit a home run you get to run around all of the bases true true you know and so and and
00:37:10
you know the I don't know I was just but change bank is like that change bank for
00:37:15
us yeah yeah change Bank change Bank CH but they
00:37:21
don't know the idea people bring change in the bank would make you change the only this Bank did was to
00:37:28
actually make change and so it was just a guy and I it's funny well I wrote it
00:37:36
in for Kevin I wrote the part with Kevin playing it and I remember and maybe you
00:37:41
forgot because I was late in the show whoa okay we be we'll be right back
00:37:48
the plan but and but Kevin I remember I remember um I I was getting very noty
00:37:57
with the performance thing and and you were the one who suggested that I do it
00:38:03
instead and I wow and then I became much lighter in the
00:38:09
show that's making yourself even lighter well um but no but I mean it you it was
00:38:15
I remember you Jim no hard feelings you seem you have very specific ideas about this and I mean you could do it why
00:38:22
don't you do it and and I I was sort of thinking why don't you just do it it wasn't that it wasn't that tone at all
00:38:29
but but um do a little bit do a little bit of it yes show us how great it
00:38:38
is I mean it was by the way it was like 30 was in 198 88 so 12 plus it's 35
00:38:46
years ago that's a long ass time ago easy easy but it was maybe we don't have to hear it yeah all right when Frank
00:38:54
would do your cold open J let me hear it I'm this close to doing it if you don't do it it's just like if you want change
00:39:00
for a dollar we you it opens with the graphic like um at first at first
00:39:05
Citywide change Bank we do one thing we make change and it's like um you can you
00:39:11
can bring us in a $10 bill a $5 bill we will give you change you can bring it a $5 bill we'll give you five singles uh
00:39:19
25 20 quarters uh 50 dimes you know and I'm explaining and many people don't
00:39:25
realize the the sheer of change combinations Ral and it was that was
00:39:31
just it was just an excitable guy talking all right we have a clip of
00:39:39
change Bank no I'm can't Oh I thought we did oh they're disappointed did he do the car you can
00:39:46
[ __ ] was that one the car you can [ __ ] is that one who is that that's that's
00:39:51
sounds like something we did but I don't I thought that was sounds I know we did B Bonnie and Terry Turner wrote a really
00:39:58
funny piece was about a car it was called the chameleon yeah and
00:40:03
it was a luxury car that no one would steal because it was like inside it's like you know plush leather and and just
00:40:11
the finest you know mahogany glove box and and all this stuff super super but
00:40:17
the exterior was rust and Bondo and and and uh it was just designed to look like
00:40:25
like a piece of crap that wouldn't get stolen yeah I remember that one all right well here's some Phil and Phil was
00:40:31
in that yeah he was in everything yeah pH was loaded and he was always
00:40:38
great okay well we have a lot of Clips U do you want okay David you can decide
00:40:43
you can you read those I don't want it to be a sketch what he did with me
00:40:50
oh well oh yeah why why don't you do well do uh show the rest that Frank
00:40:58
Sinatra we showed earlier that was a big one the SRA group all right let's talk about that for a sec um we done mcclin
00:41:05
group on the show and then the idea was to have and Bonnie and terer done a Franken arra sketch with Phil who did a
00:41:12
great Frank and atra and then the inspiration I don't know Robert smile
00:41:18
probably yeah so it's if you haven't seen it it's Frank Sinatra has a kind of a News Talk Show and he's very critical
00:41:25
everybody that's all you really have to it's filling all his glory in this particular Idol is played by Sting I
00:41:32
think it was Sting Jan Hox was sheno Conor and we had uh Mike Myers and and
00:41:40
Vick as Stephen Edy Chris Rock was Luther Campbell I was not in that
00:41:49
sketch uh uh well let's look at it let's go to a clip we'll figure it
00:41:56
out R Hayworth or AA Gardner who would you rather nail I disqualify myself cuz I done them
00:42:04
both I bloody stupid old fart you're all talk Blinder you want a piece of me I'm
00:42:10
right here don't provoke me old man you don't scare me I got chunks of guys like you in my
00:42:18
stool oh okay that was it was the same clip from before I think there's a legal reason
00:42:25
they're so short well let's see if we can get lucky with the next
00:42:31
one Phil Kevin do you want to look at the ha yeah just hold it up just hold it up over there
00:42:37
um yeah yeah Kevin we don't have a clip but you did CIS and Ebert I saw that on
00:42:43
on uh what Happ was that funny what was that one what happened to Johnny Carson
00:42:48
and McMahon Johnny Carson and McMahon closer that feels like a CL all right you're right A Closer well we should
00:42:55
take them when we can Johnny Carson me doing that with Phil Hartman was one of my favorite things
00:43:01
how about Reagan Reagan Mastermind Master Mastermind yeah that was that was written by virtually the entire writing
00:43:08
staff this was should we this was Phil Hartman plain Ronald Reagan the daughtering fool and then the guests
00:43:15
would leave and then he would switch the whole war room out and he'd speak 10 languages and he became incredibly sharp
00:43:21
so it was a to force for for Phil always faking being dumb and then when the doors closed he would be I remember I
00:43:27
think I saw that before I came on the show yeah that was before I I should we look at it yes let's look at it do this
00:43:36
the red countries are the countries we sell arms to the green countries are the countries where we wash our money the
00:43:43
blue countries excuse me Mr President sir yes it's your 11:30 photo opportunity the little girl who sold the
00:43:48
most Girl Scout cookies damn okay let's get it over with everybody else come on
00:43:54
move well this is you're that good as sales lady maybe I could use you up on
00:44:01
Capitol Hill well it was nice meeting come [Music]
00:44:13
[Laughter]
00:44:19
on when did you phas Dennis out of sketch's Jim Dennis look pretty cool
00:44:25
with I thought that was you first uh we were yeah we were interchangeable Christ s my hair slick back in a pump of door
00:44:33
on that piece of tape okay he was uh asking some impertinent questions about a writer's credit and we decided to make
00:44:41
an example Denis wait Kevin was telling us
00:44:47
about cisal neber we don't have a clip but what what was that one it was not my favorite I'll tell you
00:44:53
that I know that you brought that up I I even forgot I was in I thought said you
00:44:58
liked it no I never liked that oh really maybe I did what was it
00:45:04
about I spent 35 years we didn't do a Cisco NE sketch did we is this the these
00:45:10
the people we're talking about yeah no and here's a little known fact little
00:45:16
did a cisc NE sketch we did you must have been there later I would have been there but I don't remember you would
00:45:22
have been there during that right kid start stop arguing um Love sketches yeah
00:45:27
let's do that let's do that let's do the ones L he's the groundling too come on oh yeah John where is L why is he why
00:45:35
isn't he here John would be too emotional he said I talked to him today for an hour and I heard we talked to him
00:45:40
yesterday uh on in person at my house and and about all this and then he said he was too scared to uh come me he would
00:45:47
break down oh he's too emotional but he was he and Phil were when I first got on
00:45:53
the show I didn't really know him that well we're just hanging out at Lauren's house and they always talked as gangsters to each other what's up you
00:45:59
hey and Dy the producer said is that all they do have you seen him have you seen
00:46:05
him do anything else he goes all day long you want a sandwich sure boss why do I here you know right so then they
00:46:10
wrote this sketch where it I I I kind of wish we show these whole sketches
00:46:16
they're so did they do it here where John is the movie studio head and Phil is the washed up actor and there's
00:46:23
here's a short from the 40s or something right yeah yeah well yeah they're in that whole mode made too many of these war movies
00:46:31
maybe I should take a rest well I'm glad you brought that up Johnny I think you should take a rest too a permanent one
00:46:39
what do you mean I'm letting you go you mean yes your contract isn't being renewed but har finished Johnny don't
00:46:44
miss words I think you're STK listen you're happy with my work tell me now you're through you H me through you
00:46:51
never work in this town again don't make me hanging by a friend look I think worst actor I've ever seen
00:46:58
and I get 500 letters a day telling me the same what's the word on the
00:47:07
street yeah glorious oh yeah so yeah they had a
00:47:14
quite a rep up Paul oh
00:47:19
[Music] yeah well a lot of people ask me how I got on Saturday Night Live and actually
00:47:25
they phrase it more like this how did you get on Saturday I and then later on it's like you were
00:47:32
on Saturday I was more confused than Spade getting on there I mean I I had nothing I had not one character it's
00:47:38
true uh nothing going on for myself what about I didn't realize it was the height subliminal man which you yeah that I had
00:47:46
bars subliminal man could you do a little bit of that cuz that was that was on the first show and it killed you did
00:47:52
it on update oh you did the first show yeah it was me and Victoria Jackson and John litz hey and I was H it was a
00:47:58
advertising uh company and I remember uh this is my first sketch I've ever done
00:48:04
and it's a little difficult because you have like two conversations going on and uh you really couldn't go off the Q cards because it was kind of Rapid um uh
00:48:11
dialogue and I'm standing there waiting to go on first time ever and Lauren comes up alongside of me and he puts his
00:48:17
hand on my shoulder like 10 seconds away he goes are you sure this is what you want
00:48:26
that's great one very Lauren a great Lauren he loved his Scaris but it was hysterical in retrospect yeah yeah yeah
00:48:34
yeah it'd be really like really nice if this was like funny you know right I mean that was that was Lauren
00:48:41
yeah that was so him but that character was basically you know he'd be talking about you know boy I'd
00:48:46
uh uh you know I'd love to have dinner with you tonight you're treat you know if you want to um you know hang out
00:48:53
afterwards your place that'd be a lot of fun you know so it was always kind of yeah F what was the one where the
00:48:59
audience would fill in the blanks that I never did on that show I was in the audience at The Tonight Show that when
00:49:06
we were living together and I was one of the people that was MV Griffin and you were M Griffin Jim was Arthur Treacher
00:49:14
yeah that was no it was um that wasn't that was not SNL though that was a bit
00:49:20
that was Carson you did on TV yeah yeah yeah it was just like I'd be telling a story true story and um I wouldn't ask
00:49:26
ask the audience to um fill in the word I would just say you know I was uh it was crazy I was driving home last night
00:49:32
uh right out here on U Melrose Melrose yeah and um and you know I a little
00:49:37
tired I had like one drink and I get you know it's late at night too I'm time what time was probably like midnight
00:49:43
Midnight you know midnight and uh and I'm telling you uh you know I
00:49:48
I've been in this town for a long time but and I usually carry a little uh cash cash you know in my
00:49:55
car but I'm telling you this was a little this is from the change Bank actually anyway it went on and on like
00:50:05
that Kevin when these two guys were like my favorite standups when I was at the Improv I'd always go watch them and then
00:50:12
uh and I always knew Kevin's jokes but let's remember this is not about me this
00:50:17
about this isn't about you I thought it switched thatway through I got a text uh the topic is
00:50:25
moving t jul do you have a a oh Jim has no I was just thinking of something that
00:50:30
actually involves very much involves Kevin and Phil to I mean you guys now
00:50:37
you guys um remember that that I was pretty contained at the readr table
00:50:46
partly you know it's my nature partly I I you know it's a matter of like I didn't want to you know you know I had
00:50:54
to be laugh judge I didn't laugh very hard there was one time I absolutely a
00:51:00
couple times at Damon Way's audition I I completely lost my [ __ ] and then at um
00:51:08
when it was a piece that Kevin wrote which I hope is well known to the audience and I hope it's online but it
00:51:15
the first one was called the hostage and it was Phil plays like this this hopped
00:51:22
up um Thug In Like A a wife beater t-shirt and his hair greased back and
00:51:29
tatted up and everything and Kevin is a like a straight lace businessman who's tied up in in this this this um Rat Hole
00:51:39
apartment and and Phils like um waving this huge [ __ ] Gat in his face going
00:51:44
like if you're real smart You're Gonna Play You're Gonna Play Ball these people are going to come up with this rats all right cuz I'm I'm a bean mean
00:51:51
[ __ ] I'm a bad at Bad Apple I'm r at the core I going put the bullet your head look at you and so and so uh
00:51:57
and so he's like you know super intimidating and and then Kevin and Kevin says I I know I I'm they're going
00:52:05
to get that Ransom honestly hey what's that over there and he Tri tries to escape Phil instantly instantly stops it
00:52:14
and he goes what the hell was that about what is you trying to do just got done
00:52:19
telling you I'm a bad bad and you're actually right sir I had no business doing that that was complete
00:52:27
I was in the wrong you're d right you're in the wrong you're d right you see that that's a gun bang bang go see your head
00:52:35
and he goes and so Kevin pledges and then immediately tries to escape again
00:52:41
so the whole thing was the whole sketch is Kevin repeatedly tried to escape
00:52:47
after Phil threatens him and then Phil forgiving him like giving him another
00:52:54
chance but the topper was at the we uh his name was Mace by the way in there he
00:52:59
says I got to go to the bathroom you better not leave yes so he go to the bathroom I got
00:53:07
I got to hit the head he would shut the door and he had to sit down you know and
00:53:14
uh he would everyone he would he would push the door open just a
00:53:20
little bit to see if I was leave
00:53:29
oh God that a perfect fil but he was great with that that was uh great and
00:53:34
then we did another one the Peeping Tom Ro was the Peeping Tom and he you better get away from the window I'm not going
00:53:40
to tell you again he said Jan Jan Hooks play was a like a prostitute and Phil
00:53:46
has just gotten out you he's just gotten out of like a you know a threeyear stretch or something like oh yeah little
00:53:54
lady ma ma good take real good care of you and she's like Fally yeah whatever
00:54:01
just get it done and like he oh oh Bas is GNA get it done little girl he G to
00:54:07
get it done real hey hey you kein little Kevin's head in the window what the hell
00:54:14
are you do you freak you sick freak okay it's the same Dynamic but the thing that
00:54:20
I was getting was Kevin I was astonished later I just assume like well Phil so is
00:54:28
this a character Phil had done at the ground Lings or something and and Kevin decided hey I have an idea for your mace
00:54:34
character for this piece and and Phil just said oh no I just no Kevin just wrote the script and I was just interpr
00:54:40
I thought he did a character named ma here no no after a few times but then he is
00:54:47
talented you know but that was a perfect that was a perfect Phil character I mean that is so perfect I used to sit you
00:54:54
Phil would sit right next to me I would said yeah I mean me and Lauren sat the head of the table and filled with I
00:55:00
don't know why but maybe the writing credit something he sat right right at
00:55:06
the right hand up at the table and so he's doing that character right next to me and there was something about it was
00:55:12
like you know that kind of like accordion kind of that kind of energy
00:55:17
that comes I mean it was you couldn't sit just sit and you know quietly poker
00:55:24
face that thing it was uh um but I strongly urge people to try to find it
00:55:29
online it should be I have a copy at home if anybody wants to see it you know
00:55:35
Kevin you you did a sketch I thought was very funny Once ande Phil being in it well Phil Phil was in it yeah maybe it's
00:55:44
uh Julia or Victoria but um it was waiters without a pad and and for him to
00:55:50
not me for him to be that Kevin was the funny one in it but Phil underplaying his part is always
00:55:57
the the other side of the sketch and it's it's very hard to do and then he's you're getting twice the laughs cuz you
00:56:02
get a laugh and then he gets his reaction he was so good at that he totally understood what what you were going for in the sketch and what was
00:56:08
needed from him and how he could Elevate the sketch we were just talking about that that piece earlier in I bet you
00:56:14
remember this moment in the piece where it's Phil is Kevin has shown up he's super smooth and and it's an elegant
00:56:21
restaurant he's taking these complicated orders and at one point so he says aren't you going to write any of this
00:56:27
down oh no that won't be necessary and so and so so uh Kevin leaves and and and
00:56:35
and Phils like uh one one of the guest say wow that's really impressive that he can me
00:56:41
memorize all those complicated ORD and it's like listen he's he's a professional in his job and I'll tell
00:56:47
you something else Betty makes a damn good living at it just do you remember that the reading
00:56:54
on it makes a damn good good living let me don't don't kid yourself that guy
00:57:00
he's sharp so he never writes it down he gets it wrong every single time but but the joke the joke like a typical joke in
00:57:06
the piece is like um um it's like um would you like to start off with a drink
00:57:12
and it's like so people are giving very specific very memorable drinks like yes
00:57:17
I like a vodka Marini with just a little bit of remou and I want some anur and
00:57:23
and then very nice approving and
00:57:29
then absolutely and then like uh I'd like just a white wine simple white wine glass why okay shardy that' be excellent
00:57:36
and so and then um and then Kevin comes back so they talk about how brilliant
00:57:41
Kevin must be and then he comes back I'm here with your drinks the um cre C the
00:57:47
Red Bull Coke for the gentlemen the um diet yooo for the lady and for the
00:57:55
gentleman a CR to ciss it's like that's not what I ordered oh it's like
00:58:01
really anyway that was so it's Kevin's refusal to write anything
00:58:07
down my sketches seem to escalate with the same premise there more and more you
00:58:13
know until it got so absurd I remember the last order I took well I don't remember it but um the last bit was I
00:58:20
would go off with their order no I swear to God I'll get it right this time I know exactly what you want okay I got it I got it I got it yeah don't worry about
00:58:27
it at all and and I leave and then Phil's phone rings and he picks it up
00:58:32
and then you cut to me I'm by the kitchen I'm sorry once again that was the tuna tartar and the um
00:58:39
meatloaf no why did you just write it down I got I got it I got it I got it oh wait a minute I'm sorry one of the
00:58:46
nicest things you were Dave you were talking about Phil's contribution yeah it's at one point feels
00:58:51
like um I think I'll give I'm happy to give you the order
00:58:56
but this time I think you might want to write it down and Kevin's like no sir
00:59:02
that won't be necessary friend friend yeah that's right friend is the one yeah
00:59:09
listen friend he's quietly steing and he's getting it's boiling and that was with
00:59:15
Rosie um OD OD no no that was with the who's the she had a talk show Ros
00:59:22
[Laughter]
00:59:28
who I was dating at the time I
00:59:34
remember but what else did I do that was funny um Kevin I know one of yours that
00:59:40
is thematic to this I don't know if it got on a but I it always stuck in my head it was the the boxer who's really
00:59:46
scared he's about he's in the he's backstage and he keeps getting phone calls from people asking where to park and how to get tickets
00:59:53
yeah I always thought that was a that was a uh a very common thing in SNL
00:59:59
you spent more time trying to get your friends in make sure they had their tickets and they had parking and you
01:00:05
know um whatever and when you should be working on your lines and remembering
01:00:10
things and you know talking to wardrobe or whatever it's okay the tickets should be down there they're not down there did
01:00:16
you check with the Usher yeah the guy on the side um no I got nothing to do yeah I'm fine yeah go ahead go ahead so that
01:00:24
was then I thought I was doing stand up just two weeks ago and I'm at a restaurant and sometimes you see the
01:00:29
people at the restaurant when they're coming to the uh soldout theater or whatever it is so whatever doesn't it
01:00:36
doesn't matter go your Ticket Master so these this this table full of like seven
01:00:42
is sitting there and the guy goes spit I'm coming to your show tonight I go all right and then
01:00:48
uh and then he goes I guess if you're here then the show hadn't started yeah
01:00:53
okay so we we go through those and then um and then I get up to go and I go all
01:01:00
right here we go and he goes hey we're going to be a while can you tell him to keep seven open I
01:01:06
go me I so I got to go over there and like
01:01:11
lay across seven seats until you come over yeah that's my
01:01:16
job now anyway do you remember when we would do the um the sketch pitch ideas
01:01:22
on Monday uh afternoon at LA's office it was so small you could there was like I
01:01:27
don't know how many of us with Jim and everybody and Al Frank and we could barely fit in there but Lauren insisted that we'd do it in his office and his
01:01:34
desk took up like half of the office and we just all sit around cramped in there and each we go around the room and
01:01:39
Lauren would point and go uh David what do you have U you tell your idea Dana
01:01:46
and then it would go around and Phil would always be so quiet in those things and I don't know if uh if he I don't
01:01:53
think he pitched an idea much I remember then Lauren I guess he had talked to Lauren privately about his idea or
01:01:59
whatever but he didn't have to pitch cuz he was always in everything you know but didn't you guys do fake pitches because like if you did a really good pitch on
01:02:06
Monday then it was on Wednesday Jim had to decide which ones were [ __ ] when
01:02:11
you go Schneider's like caveman afraid of caves Tom Han she'd play the caveman and
01:02:19
uh I did the same pitch I remember pitching to Christopher Walkin uh and
01:02:24
maybe hary kitel too different shows I said my idea is this Lauren um it's a
01:02:29
runaway truck stop you know gravel and a steep hill and there's a um bar at the
01:02:36
end of it and I'm the bartender and Walkin comes in everybody
01:02:41
comes in rattled you know and then you know it's just it writes itself after
01:02:46
that but you know I like it wres itself I would pitch
01:02:51
that like you know all year every time we they they were I should explain it to
01:02:59
the audience that that the you know the show We Gather you have to have some
01:03:04
kind of opening gun to signify okay we're you know we we have to start doing the show and that would be like Monday
01:03:11
evening at like they became later and later over the years but they were supposed to be around like five or six
01:03:17
o'clock and like as Kevin said that everyone crammed into lawen capacious but not for like 30
01:03:25
people size office and so people would be like sitting each other's laps there be like 12 people on a single couch
01:03:31
there and then I had a chair and the because I was the head writer producer and then the host had a chair and we
01:03:38
were sort of you know a c angle cast sat on the floor and then
01:03:44
they would go around and Lauren would go you know Al um and Al Frank did the same
01:03:49
joke for like which we which would like um he'd go like um you know you know L
01:03:56
ladies and gentlemen this week you know Buck Henry next week Steve
01:04:04
Martin just remember but um the um the
01:04:10
most famous thing he from I remember from any host meeting was you know he
01:04:15
would go through and then he'd finally ask the host like uh Steve did you have anything you want to do and um and it
01:04:23
was Chris Walkin was the first time he hosted and um we didn't really know you
01:04:29
know exactly what he's going to be like he just sat and stared out the window he didn't even look at us he but his line
01:04:35
he said those Chris did you anything you want to suggest AP suits are
01:04:41
funny no no no no he said he said bear apit are funny bears as well no that
01:04:50
what he said no well I don't know the way I remember he said uh best suits are
01:04:56
funny and bears as well so for an hour he processed that
01:05:03
thought B suits are funny and Bs as well no I think I think it was more like
01:05:10
this bath suits are funny but you know what
01:05:15
well no here's what happened with that I think if I remember correctly the Russian circus was playing at Radio City
01:05:21
Music Hall across the street and I think I remember that and I said maybe it be funny if um you know we uh we did
01:05:28
something with that cuz they have Bears over there and stuff and maybe some bears bath suits are funny but I could be wrong about
01:05:36
that did he host he hosted right yeah he said B suits a funny and
01:05:44
maybe a winds World actually that week that he was on I got a cat from him we started he yes
01:05:53
cats suits are funny too no went to his apartment up on the upper west side we started talking about cats and he had a
01:06:01
cat that had some kittens and I was living with a couple in Brooklyn and they wanted another cat and also were
01:06:08
big fans of Christopher walin and then he said well you know I can't do him but it was like come over and I will give
01:06:14
you the cat and I was like I was like okay until
01:06:19
then I went up there and his wife is the casting director right um georgana W walin anyway she let me in and then I
01:06:27
sat in the living room waiting it was like this townhouse and then he came in and said you've come to get the cat and
01:06:34
I said yeah and he goes I want to I I wish I could do him but like
01:06:40
him I'm terrible with that but anyway he said this cat is the most the father of
01:06:47
this cat is he died from [ __ ]
01:06:55
and I said he did and he said he got cat AIDS because he was such he love to
01:07:05
[ __ ] he love to [ __ ] this cat and I said oh and there's nice that was from this
01:07:11
cat and he said do you want to see a picture of the Father the cat and I said yes and then
01:07:17
he laughed and he came back with like an 8 by 10 of a cat and he was like he's
01:07:23
the father of the cat you're getting this cat couldn't stop
01:07:30
[ __ ] he [ __ ] and [ __ ] and the cat
01:07:35
you're getting is she was SED by this
01:07:42
cat love it I like that
01:07:48
[Music] [Applause] impression I wrote a sketch uh with me
01:07:55
and walking and and uh you know was at the end of the show as usual and um uh
01:08:02
it was we it had two things going on at the same time and Lauren came up to me and he goes uh you know you got two
01:08:09
different kind of things coming at I think you need to lose one and have uh you know lose lose Watkins thing and you
01:08:15
go tell them tomorrow and Jim and I were thinking Jim were
01:08:21
thinking and um so I told them and I said and he said I I don't know what um
01:08:28
you know why that would happen and you know what is the best way we'll talk
01:08:33
about it tomorrow you know and I don't see him for like three days and then he comes up to me it's like like we never
01:08:39
stop talking he goes right into the middle of the conversation again because you know I'm not sure if uh it's the
01:08:45
right thing to do it's like if he went back to his uh
01:08:50
kindergarten you know kindergarten reunion no I just thought that you were great on a curve you I didn't know that
01:08:57
you were uh and he smell like garlic all the
01:09:03
time which is good it's healthy you know what a Phil sketch I like not to bring it back to Phil but um Phil was there
01:09:12
the one where he was dancing with Jan Hooks ah the best the best so touching love is a dream oh love is a dream come
01:09:19
here love is a dream who wrote that Downey Tom Schiller oh Shiller Vision a Schiller yeah that was it was Vision
01:09:26
while screwing around they had they uh one of those little Schiller Visions this is I I have a bad neck you know and
01:09:32
one of the reasons I figured out because H in one of the things it wasn't Julia I don't think we were at Central Park and
01:09:40
we were paying off a joke where they Dropped a Bomb somewhere and then two older people are walking wear an old
01:09:45
makeup and then they drop a bomb and hits me on the head so it's like way later years later and so he's above me
01:09:52
with a ladder and he's he goes this is a fake bomb it's okay like I think it's a real bomb I didn't think it was a real
01:09:57
bomb I just thought it was something heavy and I go and you're dropping it really on my head and he goes yeah it'll be fine I knew so I don't want to say
01:10:04
anything drops this thing on me cracks my neck oh like oh my God concussion protocol another take another take
01:10:11
another take it hurt so bad it was jamming me like a turtle don't and then
01:10:17
I go is this man out of balls of wood he's like no like steel iron and uh kettle bells glued together it was so
01:10:23
heavy and there was no thought about it and then I walked out there going I wonder
01:10:29
if I'll have neck problems for the rest of my life and and have you yes when Jan died and they played that at the end of
01:10:36
the show I was such a mess too much yeah way to bring the show down
01:10:42
Julia no because two really the greatest funniest most wonderful people together
01:10:48
they were so fabulous together it was it was the fact that that ex that Schiller
01:10:53
just decided to cast those to the you know I mean it it is an amazing thing to
01:11:00
to look at it hits you it it not kind of knocked me for a loop too I I just feel
01:11:06
so sad that we didn't get to know what Phil's career would have been like I would have really enjoyed would have
01:11:12
been busy yeah he was you know that one where he gives Farley a hug at the end I
01:11:17
think it's when Chris left was it the very end of the show do you remember that Jim oh yeah it was when Phil's last
01:11:24
show show or Chris yeah I guess no it's Chris's I think Chris's last show yeah yeah you're right to because everyone
01:11:30
was talking about Chris leaving and I was going I'm also
01:11:35
leaving everyone's like oh let's get a closeup of you get in there like I'm
01:11:41
also leaving Julia's like no tears everyone
01:11:46
everyone we can do this yeah I always wonder about uh the career Phil would have had too if he went on I mean
01:11:53
certainly Tom Cruz wouldn't be where he is right right now that's for sure well you know it sounds funny but
01:11:59
Phil would have been someone to parachute out of an airplane and hang off things you know because of all his
01:12:05
Hobbies he could have been a good uh Walter White from breaking bed oh yeah I think he could have I think he had it in
01:12:12
him to really do some you think I'm kidding around with you no I'm not kidding around with you yeah I think so if you're smart you'll be smart Jim you
01:12:18
were saying something no I was I was just saying probably I I never know um uh um
01:12:25
what what strikes me as like some hot piece of news everyone in the like oh idiot yeah we we've known that I mean I
01:12:33
was um I was always told and by people who claimed it know that Phil used to do
01:12:39
looping for Jack Nicholson oh yeah he did yeah when um CU Nicholson apparently
01:12:45
got so lazy he didn't even want to go in and rerecord like a simple voice over
01:12:51
but and that the Phil would come in and do it yeah that's one of the first things showed me his M no he really did
01:12:57
it for the movie The Border I believe can I tell a short story is this so I'm
01:13:03
at a par three we do have the clip coming up so oh do we have a clip I'm at a par three in Studio City
01:13:11
with John Lovitz and Phil Hartman so we wait and then we wave on the next golfer
01:13:16
and it's Nicholson and he hits it out of bounds and hits a car anyway so then
01:13:22
he's coming up to us and Phil is very just a gentleman goes M you know Mr Nicholson I just want to say that I
01:13:28
actually dubbed your voice for the movie The Border and Jack Nicholson said no
01:13:33
wonder it was my only stinker W well it was funny to be funny
01:13:42
it was a joke and then we couldn't find John because he just got attached to to Jack
01:13:47
Nicholson where's John we can't see you off and how do you do it is it the
01:13:53
method or what do you think I'm going to follow you
01:13:59
home don't worry he's one of my best friends we talk today he knows how I teach all right any final thoughts any
01:14:06
final thoughts I remember one time um I did a movie with Sandler uh called anger
01:14:14
management couple of people remember Nicholson anyway I played a lawyer and Nicholson was in the scene it was the
01:14:21
courtroom and um and I'm doing you know the scene as a lawyer just throwing a tennis ball at somebody or something and
01:14:27
then uh Sandler told me that Nicholson came up to him uh like a year later and
01:14:32
he goes how's that lawyer friend of yours doing like he thought I was a real
01:14:39
lawyer it's called acting acting that's how good
01:14:46
yep but um you're wrapping up the whole Phil thing some up yeah um yeah we've
01:14:51
done a lot of zooms which going to be a two-part two-parter and um twart episode
01:14:56
we've just uh shine a light on Phil's greatness and uh Jim anything else you look at there we love him and we miss
01:15:02
him still reading that tiny piece of paper well it's it's remind it's reminding me of of things I mean um i w
01:15:10
i was I his um the best use of Jesus ever on the show was the receptionist
01:15:17
the receptionist like and this is about yeah this is regarding yeah and and Phil
01:15:24
Phil and by the way Phil was apart from a lot of other things he was very devout
01:15:31
Catholic and in a surprise to a surprising degree I remember he and I'm not this is a criticism I'm surprised to
01:15:39
hear this I never knew that he was oh he got very upset when Shen Conor ripped up the he got upset especially we
01:15:48
written with the Pope the pope didn't care I I know him so go ahead he was
01:15:55
with it um but no I remember I remember Phil kind of shocking us it was Alan and
01:16:02
I had written something for a debate piece we was playing David Brinkley and
01:16:07
and it it wasn't an important thing and the scheme of things but it was just sort of surprising that and he had never
01:16:14
object had objected to anything before um but it was about um remember I don't
01:16:21
know for those old enough remember David Brinkley he used to do editorials uh as part of the news and and his thing
01:16:27
was he was kind of a sour kind of seen it all kind of right brinkly yeah it
01:16:33
just sound of weird but he he just but he was supposed to it was his is what was entertaining about him was he was so
01:16:40
cynical but so it was just him commenting it's like Peter Jennings played by Tom Hanks turning to um to
01:16:49
David bringley for commentary and it was just like it it ended up in this thing about you know
01:16:55
uh you know life is just you know this awful U uh veil of misery and it ends
01:17:01
with we're food for worms you know and Phil practically refused to do it not
01:17:09
because it wasn't funny it wasn't particularly funny actually as it happens but it was it's just that he
01:17:16
just found it really upsetting the way it dealt with
01:17:22
you know the the view of life or something it was it was religious his objection to it was religious and I
01:17:29
never I mean you know it's like when he told me and maybe you guys know this um
01:17:34
when I was in college I was a big fan of a group called Poco which was formed out
01:17:40
of uh Buffalo Springfield one of an offshoot and Phil designed their album
01:17:46
covers in an earlier career he was a graphic designer and I actually totally
01:17:51
remembered the cover of the album he described he goes it's one it's a thing with a cabinet where you're seeing a
01:17:58
collection of Cur and I go yeah I know there's like a seashell and a thing yeah that's the one my my wife went to see
01:18:04
America a couple weeks ago and uh I didn't go and
01:18:12
uh I was I was should have gone I was doing something you're riding a horse with no name
01:18:17
sorry that's all I got that's what I said I said you know Phil Harman designed the cover for America that
01:18:23
famous album with the three of them in the front she didn't know I didn't know that well she's 30 years younger than me so she didn't know no she um but it was
01:18:30
cool she does things with you that she doesn't want to do particularly seems seems to me once in a
01:18:38
while true know that is true no I had just had surgery so I couldn't uh I couldn't walk
01:18:46
actually forgot that part makes sense I just want to say Phil had such an incredible design sense like his the way
01:18:52
his house looked like like how things were designed or how what the colors were on the wall like he really office
01:18:58
he was great with that like he had so many sides to him that his office was
01:19:03
the most tidiest office ever right I mean you walk in there and Dennis Miller
01:19:09
too maybe I'm thinking of Dennis
01:19:15
Dennis sorry but I remember going to Phil's harman's house the first time here and he just had one chair in front
01:19:22
the living room only had one chair in it and a TV I was like so you'd never have anyone over like it was just one chair
01:19:28
anyway but it was beautiful like it was so specifically designed just for his are there any clips of fil we haven't
01:19:33
seen if they have no I mean besides that one 27 of them I don't think we I think we showed them all for the those are all
01:19:39
the sketches he did well unfrozen caveman is probably the
01:19:45
most famous yeah yeah so Jack Handy to for my money best writer writer writer
01:19:53
ever in the show was um had a special um he had a
01:19:59
special connection with Phil and and he just um he's the one who created
01:20:05
unfrozen cavem men lawyer and and um um the he Tunes but he also wrote the um
01:20:14
the he wrote the the Charlton hon soilent green oh yeah remember the of
01:20:21
the he had a great charl and hon yeah that was one of the was the chef he did that ret Terry Turner andry Turner wrote
01:20:30
those are funny as hell and the Peter Graves thing Phil wrote that that was a
01:20:36
piece he actually wrote yeah about the acting teacher that goes you're here you're not
01:20:42
here what is it this is something this is nothing this is something this is nothing I is it was based on an actual
01:20:49
acting teacher it's when he hosted yeah when he hosted
01:20:56
during Chris Katan will FAL ER this is so funny how did it go again I just
01:21:03
saw it the other day it's nothing so this was nothing or something this side this one's something
01:21:10
that's something this is and that's okay I get it I get it I get it
01:21:15
yeah makes sense to me you'd have to see it but um well we're going to take a
01:21:21
short break and uh we won't be back I remember this is one last uh funny
01:21:29
bit whenever I would come into um 30 Rock and I'd see Phil getting off the elevator we would talk like we were two
01:21:36
advertising exe Executives every time it it was just like our way of greeting each other Ted how you doing Ted I'm doing well there hey it's Trudy's up in
01:21:43
uh R&D why don't you go on up there and tell her we need some uh AR down for this Colgate uh I'll do that I'll do
01:21:49
that Walter uh um otherwise we'll see you down tomorrow at the uh squet meeting you know it's just stupid stuff
01:21:56
like that and um it's got no real ending to this but uh
01:22:01
it's start strong witnessing that yeah yeah remember when dowy get mad if you
01:22:07
go uh hand me that Johnson file if you made it too corny in a sketch you had to
01:22:13
make it more specific yeah I like to have way we finish big we're finish him big I like that we're finishing big this
01:22:20
is called a fizzle ending uh we have editing
01:22:25
ending this will be no one will ever see this part the one last question
01:22:33
Jesus you're recognizing can't just die in the vine right there's a there's a
01:22:39
second shating no no no no no
01:22:45
um and I I don't want to embarrass myself cuz maybe he's done this a lot but how how many films did Phil
01:22:52
do house guest I remember make it easy he did a lot house guest jingle all
01:22:58
the way so he didn't do a lot of fils right M huh jingle all the way jingle all the way he would have worked and
01:23:05
worked and worked and worked and worked he would have been non-stop working oh yeah and when live streaming came it
01:23:10
couldn't I mean he could have done like 10 shows at once with his range and one
01:23:15
thing something nothing no is something okay yeah they should be rolling the
01:23:22
credits at this point okay well we're going to read a couple
01:23:27
ads for instacart right now yeah yeah we'll do some live ads
01:23:33
manscape is what was Madonna book ont it that was the third one it took you that
01:23:39
long to get he's looking at a that is two Mna
01:23:45
what does it say I didn't remember the staff left 20 minutes ago I mean I don't
01:23:50
think anyone's really back there is Madonna on book on tap
01:23:56
M by 63 I like my
01:24:05
vagina sometimes I stare at it in the mirror and I'm
01:24:10
undressing and wonder what it would look like without any
01:24:16
ha yeah I think so all right you guys you so much thank you very much
01:24:25
[Applause]
01:24:31
[Music]
01:24:36
this has been a podcast presentation of cadence 13 please listen then rate review and follow all episodes available
01:24:43
now for free wherever you get your podcast no joke folks fly in thewall has been a
01:24:50
presentation of cadence 13 executive produced by Dana Carvey and David bade Chris Corran of cadence 13 and Charlie
01:24:57
finan of brillstein entertainment the show's lead producer is Greg Holzman with production and Engineering support
01:25:02
from Serena Regan and Chris Basil of cadence 13

Badges

This episode stands out for the following:

  • 80
    Most heartwarming
  • 80
    Best performance
  • 80
    Most iconic moment
  • 75
    Most heartbreaking

Episode Highlights

  • A Tribute to Phil Hartman
    The episode celebrates the legacy of Phil Hartman, featuring stories and laughter from his colleagues.
    “Let's do a show about Phil's greatness!”
    @ 00m 23s
    September 27, 2023
  • Julia Sweeney Remembers Phil
    Julia shares how Phil changed her life as a teacher and friend.
    “He was truly one of the best teachers.”
    @ 10m 37s
    September 27, 2023
  • Phil's Many Talents
    Phil was not just a comedian but also an artist with diverse hobbies.
    “Every time I went over to Phil's office, he had a different hobby.”
    @ 13m 24s
    September 27, 2023
  • Phil's Unique SNL Journey
    Phil Hartman was the only cast member who never appeared on Weekend Update.
    “Phil was the only cast member who never did update.”
    @ 28m 42s
    September 27, 2023
  • The Unpredictability of Show Business
    You never know how careers will unfold in the entertainment industry.
    “You never know in show business.”
    @ 33m 26s
    September 27, 2023
  • Phil's Omnipresence in Sketches
    Phil Hartman was known for his extensive participation in various sketches.
    “Phil was in everything.”
    @ 40m 31s
    September 27, 2023
  • Phil's Intimidating Character
    Phil's character confronts Kevin in a sketch, showcasing the dynamic of intimidation and forgiveness.
    “You're actually right, sir. I had no business doing that.”
    @ 52m 19s
    September 27, 2023
  • The Art of Underplaying
    Phil's ability to underplay his role in sketches was key to their success.
    “Phil was great at underplaying his part, always elevating the sketch.”
    @ 55m 57s
    September 27, 2023
  • What Could Have Been
    Reflecting on Phil's potential career and the roles he could have played.
    “Phil would have been someone to parachute out of an airplane.”
    @ 01h 11m 59s
    September 27, 2023
  • Phil's Design Legacy
    Phil's incredible design sense was evident in everything he created, from album covers to his home.
    “Phil had such an incredible design sense.”
    @ 01h 18m 46s
    September 27, 2023
  • Endless Potential
    Phil could have thrived in the streaming era, showcasing his vast range of talents.
    “He would have been non-stop working.”
    @ 01h 23m 05s
    September 27, 2023

Episode Quotes

Key Moments

  • Phil's Greatness00:23
  • Emotional Tribute01:11
  • Phil's Hobbies13:24
  • Show Business Uncertainty33:26
  • Phil's Sketch Dominance40:31
  • Sketch Dynamics55:57
  • Career Speculation1:11:59
  • Non-stop Working1:23:05

Words per Minute Over Time

Vibes Breakdown

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