257“Nothing seemed to upset him”: Ibid., pg 122
258“I was in the depth”: Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, interview with George Carlin
258“I was playing the biggest”: Carlin with Hendra, pg 126
258“From when I was a kid”: Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, interview with George Carlin
258“He looked to be”: Variety, November 26, 1969
258Coming down from his psychedelic: Ibid., December 12, 1969
259“All of my friends”: Ajaye, pg 83
259“Down the street Buddy Hackett”: Carlin with Hendra, pg 146
259“offensive and abusive language”: Variety, September 29, 1970
259Carlin adopted a confused look: Sullivan, pg 111
259“and management feared”: Variety, December 2, 1970
259“couldn’t believe [his] ears”: Sullivan, pg 133
259The grievance was later thrown”: Carlin with Hendra, pgs 168-169
260“seems lost on the”: Spartanburg Herald, April 17, 1973
261“Jack Benny had two writers”: Young, pg 117
261“There is a tendency”: The Dick Cavett Show, October 4, 1977
262“They’ve got it all backwards”: Gaver and Stanley, pg 38
262“fringe groups that are trying”: New York Times, October 4, 1970
263“We hate writing”: Ibid., October 4, 1970
263“looked into the Kent State”: Life, January 29, 1971
263The Black cast member: Variety, January 7, 1970
263“When they filmed us”: Rolling Stone, March 20, 1980
263“President Nixon asked me”: New York Times, October 4, 1970
264“I hear you are interested”: Variety, December 30, 1970
264“Older pros such as”: Ibid., September 2, 1970
264“lunatic fringe that gets”: Life, January 29, 1971
264“I am neither a Democrat”: Fein, pg 130
265“I think the only hope”: Nixon’s Shadow by David Greenberg, pg 101
266The FBI reopened: Confessions of a Nut by Paul Krassner, pg 129
266“Townspeople said to hide”: Anobile, pg 42
266“They would only put”: The Dick Cavett Show, October 4, 1977
267Nothing was found: Dangerously Funny by David Bianculli, pg 327
268“He phoned me”: The Agenda with Steve Paikin, April 2012
268“Done every day”: Here’s the Thing with Alec Baldwin, interview with Lorne Michaels
269“My father, Bob Schiller”: Live from New York by Tom Shales and James Andrew Miller, pg 19
269“The writers would write”: Here’s the Thing with Alec Baldwin, interview with Lorne Michaels
270“a field which”: Variety, October 1, 1969
270Their initial contract: Ibid., July 16, 1969
270Hart and Lorne was the matrix: The Agenda with Steve Paikin, April 2012
271“I spent a huge chunk”: Here’s the Thing with Alec Baldwin, interview with Lorne Michaels
271“We want to continue”: Ottawa Citizen, October 16, 1970
272“A TV special”: Brillstein with Rensin, pg 126
272“About ten days”: Kohen, pg 54
272“[Cowriter] Jane Wagner”: Shales and Miller, pg 18
273“They really were looking”: Ibid., pg 38
273“I coproduced with”: Here’s the Thing with Alec Baldwin, interview with Lorne Michaels
273“[NBC executive] Herb Schlosser”: Ibid.
273“I’d been offered four”: Shales and Miller, pg 97
273“Writing was zilch”: Variety, September 10, 1974
Chapter Ten: The First Comedy Clubs and the 1970s
275“He was well respected”: Zoglin, pg 88
276“Robert Klein came along”: Mohr Stories, interview with Jay Leno
277“It was a lot of”: The Last Laugh by Phil Berger, pg 398
277“He’d ask me afterward”: Zoglin, pg 131
277“At Beverly High”: Vanity Fair, January 2013
278“had the rhythms”: Zoglin, pg 109
278“Al Einstein is still”: Variety, June 21, 1967
278“He knew about this”: Vanity Fair, January 2013
279“His best moments suggest”: Variety, July 6, 1973
279“I had to come out”: Zoglin, pgs 117-118
280“While the two outfits”: Dancing at Ciro’s by Sheila Weller, pgs 158-159
282“It is my gift”: Variety, April 12, 1972
284“There were nights”: The Warm-up by Sammy Shore, pg 68
284“Vegas clinched it”: Ibid., pg 66
284“the best thing that ever”: Black Is the New White by Paul Mooney, pg 136
285“Gathering for our first reading”: Warm Up the Snake by John Rich, pg 115
285“It was a strange sight”: My Father, Uncle Miltie by William Berle with Brad Lewis, pg 146
285“He [Paar] was ensconced”: Variety, January 10, 1973
286“up to his old campaigns”: WFMU: Fairies and Communists by Kliph Nesteroff
286“One of the reasons”: Paar, P.S. Jack, pg 50
287“Guests often delivered”: Dino: Living High and Dirty by Nick Tosches, pg 414
287“Many of the people”: Audio recording, November 10, 1977
287“He’s at the dentist”: Ibid.
288“Milton Berle’s penis”: Let Me In, I Hear Laughter—A Salute to the Friars Club, Showtime documentary
288“Go ahead, Milton”: Berle, pg 142
288“He parts his bathrobe”: Shales and Miller, pg 165
288“This is the best TV”: Variety, January 13, 1971
289“Pryor dismissed his boss”: Flip by Kevin Cook, pg 163
289“loved to help people”: Sullivan, pg 115
289“It’s an opportunity”: Ibid., pg 126
290“the new Richard”: Mooney, pg 137
290“Pretty much every comedy”: Kohen, pg 82
290The show proved successful: Black and Blue by Michael Seth Starr, pg 140
290“Redd was born”: Price, pg 21
290“That Redd Foxx on”: Starr, pg 150
291Elvis Presley was a fan: Shore, pg 50
291“in my opinion”: Chong, pg 86
291“They would get stoned”: Rafkin, pg 56
291“He would come into”: Starr, pg 145
291“Finally I set up”: Billboard, January 7, 1978
292Drozen’s second act: Littleton, pg 140
293“He had to have it”: Ibid., pg 137
293“We believe our album”: Billboard, January 7, 1978
293“In the middle of”: Littleton, pg 88
294“They knew how to sell”: Ibid., pgs 87-88
294“In those days”: Piers Morgan Live, May 29, 2012
295“I started working”: Los Angeles Times, May 20, 1979
296“I can’t tell jokes”: Ibid.
296“I used to do these”: Fresh Air, interview with Jay Leno, 1996
297“He had enough chutzpah”: Dyn-O-Mite by Jimmy Walker, pg 74
297“James combined these two”: Chong, pgs 159-1960
298“except that when I”: WFMU: Early David Letterman by Kliph Nesteroff
299“And he not only”: Zoglin, pg 163
300“Home Box Office”: Variety, March 10, 1976
300“So I did, without telling”: Brillstein with Rensin, pg 359
301“We respect your decision”: Zoglin, pg 34
301“The Richard Pryor Show is over”: Mooney, pg 178
302“The Unknown Comic, I loved him”: A Special Thing, interview with Louis C.K., 2006
30
5“It was a book about”: Entertainment Weekly, June 28, 2013
Chapter Eleven: The Stand-up Comedy Boom
306“This is a good way”: Variety, October 20, 1976
306“He was behaving like”: Zoglin, pg 196
307“Shelley Berman works”: Mooney, pg 194
307capitalize on the vacuum: Variety, July 11, 1979
308“Once the unions are involved”: Los Angeles Times, May 10, 1979
308“It feeds on hate”: Zoglin, pg 151
308“kind of a sick culture”: Ibid.
309“The Comic Strip was lame”: Ibid., pg 218
310“Kenny Kraemer [sic], a gangling”: Variety, April 28, 1976
310“I had a series of jobs”: KPCS193, interview with Larry David
310Jerry Seinfeld said David: The Howard Stern Show, June 26, 2013
310“right out into the street”: Shales and Miller, pg 335
311“Occasionally I would do”: KPCS193, interview with Larry David
311Despite the many stories: Fresh Air, interview with Larry David, 1992
311“He complained about it”: Make ’Em Laugh by Jeffrey Gurian and Richie Tienken, pg 38
312“It never occurred to me”: Berle and Lewis, pg 209
313“Without much ado”: Boston Globe, January 31, 1980
314“an infectious rash”: Carlin with Hendra, pg 206
316“The drugs were free”: I Killed by Rich Shydner and Mark Schiff, pg 176
316“What do you mean?”: Los Angeles Times, March 7, 1982
316Belushi convinced Brillstein: Shales and Miller, pg 263
316“Whenever a new shipment”: Ibid., pg 270
317“It was the most exciting”: Los Angeles Times, August 23, 1979
317By the time he got: Variety, February 1, 1980
317“Of the newest personalities”: Paar, P.S. Jack, pg 27
318Letterman forced Stewart to resign: New York Post, June 18, 1980
318The management team: Variety, July 1, 1980
318“a disgustingly pert, cheery”: Los Angeles Times, June 27, 1980
318Some affiliates, like KYW: Variety, July 30, 1980
318Four major markets: Globe and Mail, August 19, 1980
318It was consistently the lowest-rated: Variety, September 29, 1980
319“Dinah’s makin’ an omelet”: Los Angeles Times, June 27, 1980
319They considered using Letterman: New York Times, September 27, 1980
319“opening remarks”: Mohr Stories, ep 95
320“It was the greatest fog ever”: Ibid.
320“The ludicrous quinella NBC”: Palm Beach Post, June 26, 1979
320“Late Night with David Letterman has become”: New York, May 30, 1983
321“But here are the facts”: Born Standing Up by Steve Martin, pgs 125-126
321“In the era that”: WTF with Marc Maron, ep 254
322“Jim didn’t understand”: Zoglin, pg 152
322“McCawley’s close personal interest”: Los Angeles Times, November 1, 1983
322“He bullied people”: Zoglin, pg 153
322“That’s all you heard”: A.V. Club, July 17, 2012
323“So if they put a”: Kohen, pg 156
323“It was financed by”: Berger, pg 450
324“One of the reasons”: New York Times, October 29, 1987
325The New York Times reported: Ibid.
326“I found that highly reassuring”: Sullivan, pg 202
326“Sam Kinison was the only”: Fresh Air, interview wth Chris Rock
326“I’ve known Dice”: Los Angeles Times, December 25, 1990
327“I knew Andrew before”: Ajaye, pg 124
327He was booked: Variety, August 27, 1990
327“I was really going through”: Shales and Miller, pgs 358-359
327“do for comedy what MTV”: Variety, December 24, 1985
328“very unlikely they can”: Ibid., May 24, 1989
328In October 1990 Viacom: Ibid., October 30, 1990
328“misled by the Comedy Boom”: Ibid., July 25, 1994
328They became known as CTV: Ibid., May 16, 1991
329“Every club in the city”: A Special Thing, interview with Louis C.K., 2006
Chapter Twelve: The 1990s
330“After I came out”: Littleton, pgs 158, 160
330“Anybody who says different”: Shales and Miller, pg 403
331“I just came in”: Gurian and Tienken, pg 58
331“This whole thing happened”: Ibid., pg 61
331“To me one of”: Alba, pg 319
332“The black comedy boom”: Shales and Miller, pg 405
332“On SNL, I either had”: Ibid., pg 418
332“I used to get”: Difficult Men by Brett Martin, pgs 50-51
332“When it was mentioned”: Littleton, pg 197
333Hughley was a cut above: Ibid., pg 206
333“They were telling me”: Ibid., pgs 209-210
333“If it turned out”: Ibid, pg 214
334“a cerebral-palsy puppet”: New York, January 10, 1994
334“bombed atomically”: Colby, pg 144
334“I went on for two years”: Los Angeles Times, October 5, 2008; Philadelphia Daily News, November 2, 1994
334His gigs improved: People, April 4, 194
335“Stewart staff members”: New York, July 1995
335“It’s hard not to take”: Ibid.
337“I used to tour”: A.V. Club, March 1, 2011
337“When The Ben Stiller Show”: Ibid.
337“The Star Trek sketch”: Sacks, pg 132
338“I would sort of work”: Shales and Miller, pg 335
339Conan O’Brien was by then: Los Angeles Times, January 31, 1993
339“[I] had access to”: Rolling Stone, September 19, 1996
339“I did not think”: Spin, February 1994
339In reality, Shandling didn’t”: Los Angeles Times, April 19, 1993
339Dana Carvey, Drew Carey: WTF with Marc Maron, ep 418
340“I was going broke”: A Special Thing, interview with Louis C.K., 2006
340“We met at a bar”: GQ, August 2011
341“In the wee hours”: Los Angeles Times, April 16, 1994
341“[Conan is] a twitching”: New York Times, September 25, 1994
341“I’d go out to do”: Playboy, February 1998
341“We just fought to stay”: A Special Thing, interview with Louis C.K., 2006
341“We’d be there until three”: Ibid.
342“The more I watch”: New York Times, September 25, 1994
342“My manager approached Letterman’s show”: A Special Thing, interview with Louis C.K., 2006
344“amazing pool of talent”: Ibid.
Chapter Thirteen: The New Millennium
347“So we did a joke”: HRTS, conversation with Lorne Michaels, April 16, 2013
348“I’m shocked that it didn’t”: Associated Press, February 1, 2004; www.firstliberties.com/dennis_miller_right.html; February 5, 2004
349“I went and saw his act”: Guy MacPherson, interview with Tom Smothers, July 22, 2006
349“During 9/11, I gave Bush”: LA Weekly, September 16, 200
349Colbert later said: Angry Optimist by Lisa Rogak, pg 84
350“I loved Novello’s stuff”: Provenza and Dion, pgs 26-28
351“Colbert crossed the line”: U.S. News & World Report, May 1, 2006
351“This is the type of”: Sacks, pg 242
351“a controversial, possibly very funny”: New York, October 10, 2006
352“He made a career”: Standup.com, December 2006
353“Comedy these days takes”: Sacks, pg 114
353“Nowadays the choice”: Shales and Miller, pg 488
353“a fucking hands-and-knees”: Carlin with Hendra, pg 268
353“I personally believe”: Klein, pg 323
353“I’d like to get back”: New York Times, July 17, 2013
354“If I had an act”: By the Way, In Conversation with Jeff Garlin, January 10, 2013
354“I think about it”: CBS Sunday Morning, December 25, 2011
357“It’s just there”: ABC News, October 2, 2006
INDEX
All page numbers refer to the print edition of The Comedians. Please use the search feature on your reader to locate the text that corresponds to the index entries below.
Abbot, Harry, 6
Abbott & Costello, 31
Adams, Joey, 64, 84, 100–101
Admiral Broadway Revue, The, 107
African American comedians. See Black comedians
Agnew, Spiro, 263
AGVA (American Guild of Variety Artists), 64
Ajaye, Franklyn, 289, 303
Alan Hamel Show, The, 321
Alan Young Show, The, 96–97
Albee, Edward F., 2, 7, 18, 23
Alexander, Lou, 69, 88, 210, 235–236
Allen, Dave “Gruber,” 328
Allen, Dayton, 51, 130
Allen, Fred
on Berle’s unpopularity, 100
blacklisted writer and, 119
on Caesar’s creativity, 110
Colgate Comedy Hour show of, 81–82
dour character of, 46
joke about Fay by, 15
Max Asnas–isms of, 87
Morgan supported by, 52
network executives criticized by, 47–48
radio career of, 46–48
studio audience disliked by, 46–47
television derided by, 95
on thievery in vaudeville, 20
on vaudeville, 1–3, 4, 5–6, 7
writers treated well by, 47
Allen, Gracie, 19, 29
Allen, Steve
Albert Brooks’s start with, 278
Black comedians not hired by, 189
blacklisted writers hired by, 119
on Black stand-up, 216
Henry Morgan’s influence on, 51
huge workload of, 130
Paar’s attacks on, 134–135
radio ads satirized by, 128–129
The Comedians Page 46