Saturday Night Live: "Mardi Gras Special"

Premiered February 20, 1977.

For this review, we depart from our usual summary-review format.  Because that wouldn't be fair to this special.

We're both huge fans of the "original cast" era of Saturday Night Live.  This Mardi Gras special was broadcast once and never re-shown on television.  This gave it a legendary status among fans of SNL.

Part of the allure of SNL is that "anything can happen" on live tv.  But cast members and hosts have rarely gone off script, nor have any major on-air accidents occurred.  In the Mardi Gras special, just about anything that could have happened did happen, and the result was mixed at best.  This special only aired once and was unavailable until the recent DVD release of the series.

What works:

Dan Aykroyd begins the festivities, doing his perfect impression of Jimmy Carter.  When the camera pans out, we see he's sitting on the back of the equestrian Andrew Jackson statue, located in Jackson Square!

Instead of the usual "Live from New York", Aykroyd/Carter exclaims "Live from Mardi Gras, it's Saturday Night!"

After the cold-opening, Randy Newman sings his song "Louisiana 1927".  It's about the Great Mississipi Flood of 1927, but the song (sadly) gained new currency after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005. Newman later performs another Lousiana-centric song called "The Kingfish", about Gov. Huey Long.

Jane Curtin and Buck Henry had the thankless task of covering the Bacchus Parade, surrounded by thousands of drunken revelers.  They did the best they could, under difficult circumstances, with writers composing jokes on the fly, projectiles being hurled at them by the crowd and the parade running way behind schedule.

We get a scene featuring guest Penny Marshall and recurring SNL characters Sherry the stewardess (Laraine Newman) and Rhonda Weiss (Gilda Radner) looking to meet guys.  The guys they meet are members of the Wild Bees Motorcyle Club!

Garret Morris performs a K-Telesque commercial for an album called "Garrett Morris Sings Fats Domino".

Baba Wawa (Radner) interviews Henry Winkler, who was very famous at the time for his role as Fonzie on Happy Days.  In a humorous exchange, Winkler seems confused about where his personality ends and Fonzie's begins.  Winkler served as King of the Bacchus Parade during Mardi Gras '77.

Eric Idle reports on the Mardi Gras festivities being held at a local restaurant.  Unfortunately, the party has ended and emptied out by the time Idle goes on the air!

Awkward (presumed) ad-libbing at its finest

SNL's resident filmmaker Gary Weis gives us two short films that capture the spirit of New Orleans.

The New Leviathan Oriental Foxtrot Orchestra performs a nice, 1920s flavored performance of the song "Rebecca Came Back From Mecca".

Paul Shaffer (then part of SNL's house band) sings "The Antler Dance"...

You've gotta love Paul Shaffer's "groovy" 70s shirt!

...while Michael "Mr. Mike" O'Donoghue does the Antler Dance on a balcony in the French Quarter.  Many in the crowd below O'Donoghue attempt to do the Antler Dance as well.

"Put your hands on your head, like a big ol' moose
Keep your elbows high, and your legs real loose
Groove around the floor, kinda leap and prance
Shake your middle just a little, and you're doing the Antler Dance!
Well, well, well, the Antler Dance!
Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!!" 

Emily Litella (Radner) confuses the words "liver" and "river" while interviewing a riverboat captain.

New Orleans Mayor Moon Landrieu gives native son Garret Morris the "Combination To The City".  In the background, a random masked man approaches them before he's restrained by security.  Kind of creepy
.

In a bizarre (but funny) sketch, Weekend Update anchor Laraine Newman interviews people who are celebrating "Mouse Sunday".  This involves taping white mice over their eyes!

The high point for us was John Belushi's reenactment of the "Stella!" scene from A Streetcar Named Desire, with unexpected results.  Belushi's Brando impression was great as always, plus Streetcar was set in New Orleans, giving it extra resonance.

"STELLLAAAAA!"

I won't spoil it, but the absolute best joke of the whole special comes from Jane Curtin at the very end.

While they "work", most of the above aren't exactly hilarious.  

What doesn't work?
Just about everything else.  Don't get us wrong, it's interesting to watch a live broadcast struggle to keep from falling apart.  But the rest of the show isn't very funny or entertaining. 

I've always loved Aykroyd's impression of Tom Snyder.  But the sketch where Snyder investigates topless & bottomless strip clubs starts out well, but goes on forever, to no effect.

Tom Snyder (Aykroyd) interview a stripper named Velocity (Cindy Williams).

While I like Randy Newman's music, this show has too much Newman.  Four songs in a 90-minute special is about two too many.  This was done because Newman's theater location was the most stable spot they had to work with and served as "home base" for the chaotic production.

The show's coverage of the Apollo Ball is hampered by bad camera work and sound.  Plus, Cindy Williams was lost in the crowd outside when they first cut to the ball, and poor Penny Marshall seems uncertain of how to cover for Williams' absence.

Belushi's "reenactment" of Mussolini's speech seems pointless, all build-up with little pay-off.  And the drunken crowd chanting "Duce! Duce!" is a bit ... unsettling.

Belushi as Moussolini.

Bill Murray portrays legendary New Orleans pirate Jean Lafitte, in a one-joke sketch.  Lafitte doesn't like to be called a pirate.  He proceeds to shoot everyone who calls him a pirate, it gets old fast.

Don't call Lafitte a pirate.

This isn't a great special, but if you're a fan of Classic SNL, you owe it to yourself to watch it.  This special can be found as a bonus feature of Satuday Night Live:The Complete Second Season (disc 8, to be exact).

The cast and everyone who worked behind the scenes deserves an A for effort, but this special is no lost classic.

J.A. Morris and RigbyMel's rating:

2 and a half King Cakes.

Saturday Night Live: "Charles Grodin & Paul Simon"

Aired October 29, 1977

Connie Conehead: Mommy, I must split to join my human friends and their Halloween activities.

Prymaat Conehead: Activities?

Connie Conehead: Apple bobbing.

Prymaat Conehead: Apple bobbing?

Connie Conehead: Apple bobbing! An ancient human ritual. The immersion of the cone into a fluid bath, while attempting to grasp buoyant fruit with a major orifice. 

(Note:as was the case for an earlier SNL review, we will concentrate on the sketches that focus on Halloween, except when necessary.)

Saturday Night Live cast members Gilda Radner and John Belushi are worried.  The show is about to start, and guest host Charles Grodin is missing!  They talk about how he's a bit eccentric and doesn't relate to the cast.  Grodin finally shows up, he was late because he was buying gifts for the cast and missed dress rehearsal.

He's due to perform the opening monologue in 1 minute and hasn't written it yet.  But he's excited about hosting, he's written a special song for the show that expresses how he feels about life.  Grodin says he didn't have time to write a monologue because he's been busy playing tourist in New York.  He's shocked when he's told it's a live show with a live audience.  Grodin's "lack" of preparedness will be a running gag throughout the show.   

During his monologue, Grodin says he's never seen the show, but he hears "it's a wonderful, wonderful show."  He says he wished he'd have time to rehearse with the cast, but he's been too busy sight-seeing and checking out Broadway shows.  It looks like a "really cute show!"

"Oh, my. Your costumes are so frightening. Here. Accept these treats."

The Coneheads are celebrating Halloween.  Prymaat (Jane Curtin) gets a knock on the door from trick or treaters.  She gives them fried eggs (or "fried chicken embryos" as the Coneheads call them) and a 6-pack of beer.  Daughter Connie (Laraine Newman) is dressed as a witch, she plans to attend a Halloween party later that night.  She attempts to explain apple bobbing to her parents.

Connie Conehead dressed as a witch for Halloween.

Beldar (Dan Aykroyd) and Prymaat talk about how they miss their home planet Remulak.  This is the time of year when Remulak celebrates the Harvest of Mipzor.

" We will honor your Halloween ritual by paying homage to the symbolic vegetable orb."

Their conversation is interrupted by a knock at the door.  But it's not trick or treaters, it's local "block parents" Carl (Bill Murray) and Sharlene van Arsdale (Radner).  They are angered that the Coneheads handed out "six-packs of brewski" to children.  The van Arsdales aren't crazy about fried eggs as Halloween treats either.

Later in the show, we get an episode of the talk show, Consumer Probe, hosted by Joan Face (Curtin).  Her guest is Irwin Mainway(Aykroyd), owner of Mainway Novelties.

Mainway's company sells unsafe Halloween costumes. His company sells such dangerous costumes as "Invisible Pedestrian" (an all-black suit and gloves), "Johnny Space Commander" (a plastic bag and a rubber band) and "Johnny Human Torch" (a bag of oily rags and a lighter).

Irwin Mainway wears his "Johnny Space Commander" mask.

Face is disgusted by the costumes, Mainway (a personification of sleaze) dismisses her concerns.  He says each costume is a "pure fantasy toy."

After "Weekend Update", it's time for a performance of "Sounds Of Silence" by musical guest Paul Simon and his old partner, Art Garfunkel.

Simon & Garfunkel?

Actually, it's Grodin in an "Art Garfunkel" wig.  But Grodin barely knows the words, it seems he hasn't bothered to rehearse the song.  Plus, Simon finds it difficult to sing with someone who looks so much like his old partner, but isn't.  Simon convinces Grodin to give up on the song so they can save time for other stuff on the show.  Unfortunately, Grodin decides to use this time to sing "Bridge Over Troubled Water."   Keep an eye out for a surprise cameo in this sketch.

 The Killer Bees go trick or treating.

The Killer Bees trick or treat at a suburban house.  But it's not candy they're after, they want pollen!  The man of the house (Grodin) tells them they don't have pollen.

Give us your pollen -- NOW!!

Grodin breaks character and talks about the wonderful bee costumes.  But he quickly changes his tune, saying the antennae props are distracting.  Radner, playing his wife, tries to get him to read the cue cards, to no avail.  Belushi and the others try to stay in character.  Grodin gets confused, asking the cast "am I supposed to believe that you're real bees?"  Belushi reminds him that if he hadn't missed the dress rehearsal, he would understand the sketch.  Grodin refuses to stay in character, causing Belushi and the other "bees" to walk off stage. 

J.A. Morris says:

A very good (if unusual) episode from SNL's classic era.  Grodin comes from a different "school" of comedy than the Not Ready For Prime Time Players.  And Grodin's style of comedy is certainly an acquired taste,   but he's brilliant.  I think Grodin's approach to humor was a bit ahead of its time (Ricky Gervais' comic persona owes a lot to Grodin, in my opinion).    

The Mainway sketch is a Halloween classic (used for years on SNL's Halloween clip shows).  Irwin Mainway is one of Aykroyd's best characters, and this is his best sketch.  Jane Curtin also deserves kudos here for the way she plays off Mainway.  "Joan Face" was sort of a typical "straight-woman"character, but Curtin makes you believe she is truly appalled by Mainway's negligence.

"The Return Of The Coneheads" is one of SNL's best Conehead sketches.  Aykroyd, Curtin and Newman are great as Beldar, Prymaat and Connie.  Newman is especially funny as she attempts to explain Halloween to her parents.

The "Simon and Garfunkel" bit isn't a "Halloween" sketch per se.  But I included it in the summary because you could say the Garfunkel wig was Grodin's Halloween costume.  Paul Simon is also funny here. 

One more sketch I'll mention:"The Judy Miller Show" isn't really a "Halloween" sketch, but Judy (Radner) does have a Jack O'Lantern in her room, which is a nice touch.

 "It's the Judy Miller Show!" (note the bedside Jack O'Lantern).

The last sketch, titled "Hire The Incompetent" of the night has nothing to do with Halloween.  But it does feature the first appearance of Roseanne Roseannadanna, one of the most popular characters in the history of SNL.

 Roseanne Roseannadanna, before she became a 'Weekend Update' commentator.

This is a great episode, one that I try to watch every Halloween.

J.A. Morris's rating:
3 1/2 Jack O'Lanterns

 




RigbyMel says:

Although I had seen many of these Halloween sketches in various SNL re-packagings and clip shows over the years,  I had never seen them in their original context before.   Charles Grodin was a very funny host and Paul Simon was a good sport to put up with the Garfunkel-inspired shenaningans.   The classic cast is, of course, amazing!   Even the sketches that aren't quite as strong strike me as being much better than most of what is currently being aired on SNL.

This episode is well worth seeking out on DVD or Netflix streaming.

RigbyMel's rating:
3 Jack O'Lanterns

Saturday Night Live: "Margot Kidder & The Chieftains"

Aired March 17, 1979



The show opens in a Doyle's Tavern, an Irish pub in Chicago. The bar is decked out in St. Patrick's day decor.    DJ Dick Lanky (Bill Murray) is broadcasting live for WGN radio.


Lanky and the bar patrons are eagerly anticipating the arrival of the ghost of Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley. It seems the late Mayor visited the pub last St. Paddy's Day. Lanky takes calls from listeners who have inane questions for Daley's ghost.

After the opening montage, host Margot Kidder delivers the opening monologue. She talks about New York's celebration of St. Patrick's Day, saying it "makes Mardi Gras look like a wake." The camera keeps pointing towards the floor and away from Kidder.


Gilda Radner joins Kidder and informs her that most of SNL's camera crew is Irish...and drunk. They visit the control room and find the director Dave Wilson nearly passed out!

Later, St. Mickey's Knights Of Columbus holds their annual St. Patrick's Day Banquet, with Frank Leary (John Belushi) presiding over the festivities.


On Weekend Update, Father Guido Sarducci (Don Novello) delivers a commentary on the holiday. He says that St. Patrick was a good, but not great saint. Sarducci also wonders why Patrick gets more attention and why there are no parades celebrating St. Joseph's Day.

Next up is a party hosted by Superman (Murray) and Lois Lane (with Kidder reprising her film role). Other superheroes attend the party, including Flash (Dan Aykroyd), Ant-Man (Garret Morris) Lois asks the Hulk (Belushi) if he was Grand Marshall of the St. Patrick's Day parade. Hulk tells her it was "the Green Lantern's turn this year. We rotate."


The musical guests on this show were the Chieftains, who helped popularize traditional Irish music all over the world. They perform "If I Had Maggie in the Woods" and "Morning Dew".


J.A. Morris says:
This is a great episode from the classic era of SNL. Sometimes the best hosts are the ones who are game for anything and don't try to hog the spotlight. Kidder is one of those hosts.

The Superman sketch was the highlight of the show for me (and not just because I'm a comic book enthusiast!). It's great to see Kidder poke fun at her then-recent portrayal of Lois Lane, and Belushi's performance as the Hulk is one of his best moments on SNL.

The Cheiftains' numbers are perfect for the occasion, they perform in front of a "Irish farm" set that includes a fog machine!

The opening bit about Mayor Daley's ghost is fun too, I won't spoil how it ends.

My summary only covered the Holiday-themed sketches on this episode, but it also includes Dan Aykroyd's classic one-shot performance as "Fred Garvin:Male Prostitute."

This episode can be found on dvd on Saturday Night Live:The Complete Fourth Season.  It also streams on Amazon.

My rating:






4 Shamrocks