Something lighter - from the 50's Your Show of Shows

[redsmetz]

I mentioned the other day that my wife and I watched My Favorite Year which is loosely based on the old comedy show called Your Show of Shows starring Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca and quite a number of other actors. This is a bit, nearly six minutes long, of Caesar and Nanette Fabray choreograph an argument to Beethoven's Fifth.

It's an astounding piece of physical comedy. I'm not one to harp on "they don't do it like they used to", but it's a wonder to realize that they could pull off a piece with no heard dialogue and just music.

Enjoy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEhF-7suDsM

[GAC]

Sid Caesar was a comic genius IMO. What talent.

I look at all the talent that was involved in the creation/writing of that show...

Sid Caesar, Imogene Coca, Nanette Fabray, Carl Reiner, Howard Morris (Ernest T Bass), Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Larry Gelbart.

But growing up I loved those types of shows with their comedy skits that involved pantomime.

Other masters who had it down, and whom we watched weekly..... Red Skelton and Jackie Gleason.

Funny stuff.

[RedsFan75]

Red Skelton was one of my favorites.

[Chip R]

I think Woody Allen wrote for that show too. Sid Caesar was just incredible. He was not only funny but he was - probably still is - very strong physically. The bit in Blazing Saddles when Mongo punches out a horse was an homage to Caesar who did the same thing to a police horse one night when he was drunk.

[GAC]

I think Woody Allen wrote for that show too.

A common misconception is that Woody Allen wrote for Your Show of Shows; he in fact wrote for its successor program, Caesar's Hour, which ran from 1954-1957.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Your_Show_of_Shows

Sid Caesar was just incredible. He was not only funny but he was - probably still is - very strong physically. The bit in Blazing Saddles when Mongo punches out a horse was an homage to Caesar who did the same thing to a police horse one night when he was drunk.

I liked his bit in the one Vacation Movie (Las Vegas) where he goes into shock over finally scoring big on one of the game's, and spends forever having a heart attack while Chevy Chase and family look on.