Baseball Toaster: Dodger Thoughts : Comedian Fantasy Draft

Comedian Fantasy Draft - 1975

2006-06-30 23:07

by Jon Weisman

An Experiment

Step 1: Help me fill out the talent pool. Anyone who ever generated a quality on-camera laugh by 1975 (who was still alive in 1975) qualifies. That being said, a spectrum of talent is inevitable.

No claims at this time. Any premature claims will constitute tampering and will be sanctioned.

Dan Ackroyd
Don Adams
Alan Alda
Woody Allen
Bea Arthur
Ed Asner
Lucille Ball
John Belushi
Paul Benedict
Milton Berle
Mel Brooks
Carol Burnett
George Burns
Sid Caesar
George Carlin
Johnny Carson
Charlie Chaplin
Chevy Chase
John Cleese
Imogene Coca
Tim Conway
Bill Cosby
Jane Curtin
Bill Daily
Phyllis Diller
Marty Feldman
Redd Foxx
Max Gail
Marla Gibbs
Ron Glass
Jackie Gleason
Charles Grodin
Valerie Harper
Goldie Hawn
Robert Hegyes
Sherman Hemsley
Buck Henry
Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs
Polly Holliday
Beth Howland
Eric Idle
Madeline Kahn
Gabe Kaplan
Julie Kavner
Diane Keaton
Ted Knight
Harvey Korman
Vicki Lawrence
David L. Lander
Louise Lasser
Linda Lavin
Cloris Leachman
Hal Linden
Larry Linville
Cleavon Little
Steve Martin
Penny Marshall
Michael McKean
Anne Meara
Mary Tyler Moore
Garrett Morris
Martin Mull
Bob Newhart
Carroll O'Connor
Michael Palin
Ron Palillo
Freddie Prinze
Richard Pryor
Gilda Radner
Carl Reiner
Joan Rivers
Isabel Sanford
Peter Sellers
Jack Soo
Jean Stapleton
McLean Stevenson
Vic Tayback
Rip Taylor
Lily Tomlin
John Travolta
Dick Van Dyke
Abe Vigoda
Jimmie Walker
Gene Wilder
Cindy Williams

I realize I'm dating myself for some of the kids out there. So be it.

Comments (95)

Show/Hide Comments 1-50

2006-06-30 23:08:48

1. Greg Brock

Um, and where is Paul Lynde?

2006-06-30 23:09:55

2. Greg Brock

Arte Johnson?

2006-06-30 23:12:03

3. Eric L

Does Lenny Bruce count? He had a stand-up movie released in 1967.

2006-06-30 23:13:31

4. Greg Brock

Rickles? Ruth Buzzie?

60's-70's comedians = Greg Brock's wheelhouse

2006-06-30 23:14:02

5. StolenMonkey86

Jeff Kent made his major league debut on Andre Ethier's 10th birthday. I'm younger than Andre Ethier. You're right there.

Andy Griffith didn't make the cut? Or did he just not come to mind? Or Don Knotts for that matter?

2006-06-30 23:15:09

6. Bob Timmermann

Graham Chapman

Gregory Sierra

2006-06-30 23:18:30

7. Jon Weisman

By the way, no one is being omitted on purpose - I just wanted to encourage audience participation.

2006-06-30 23:20:23

8. Greg Brock

Bob, I expect you and the SABR boys to put together a draft guide for this.

2006-06-30 23:41:27

9. Linkmeister

Mr. Brock, your wheelhouse also contains these guys, I hope.

Terry Thomas. Henny Youngman. Dan Rowan. Dick Martin. Jack Paar. Phil Silvers. Jimmy Durante.

Who else was in "Mad Mad World?"

2006-06-30 23:45:23

10. Linkmeister

Jack Benny! Bob Hope! How could I have forgotten those two?

2006-06-30 23:48:56

11. Greg Brock

Problem is that Tom Lehrer didn't do much TV, because he is quite possibly the most brilliant comedian this side of Woody Allen.

For you young whippersnappers, grab a few Tom Lehrer comedy albums and enjoy.

2006-06-30 23:52:13

12. Bob Timmermann

Tom Lehrer did appear on "That Was The Week That Was" (although I don't think you actually saw him.)

"That Was The Week That Was" was, in a sense, the "Arrested Development" of the mid 1960s. It wasn't a sitcom, but it had a pacing and style of humor that just didn't fit in with what people were expecting from TV at the time.

2006-06-30 23:54:24

13. Bob Timmermann

Looking back at 12, if someone "appeared" on a show, but you "didn't see him" was he really there?

2006-06-30 23:55:42

14. Greg Brock

I have the "That Was The Week That Was" comedy album on vinyl, and have probably listened to it two dozen times.

And yes, I missed him on TV by a few years.

2006-06-30 23:56:48

15. Linkmeister

TW3 had a too short life, in part because it was way too political for its time.

Lehrer was a genius.

I just remembered Tommy and Dickie Smothers, now that you mention TV of that period.

2006-06-30 23:59:35

16. Greg Brock

Smothers Brothers at the Purple Onion is gold, if you've ever heard it or can get it.

2006-07-01 00:01:33

17. Jose Habib

Spike Milligan
Dudley Moore

2006-07-01 00:06:12

18. Greg Brock

I knew my years of obsessively collecting comedy albums on vinyl would pay off eventually. Who knew it would be at Dodger Thoughts?

2006-07-01 00:10:05

19. Linkmeister

18 There are probably a zillion obsessions we each have here, but we don't talk about them here because we're polite and remain mostly on topic. ;)

2006-07-01 00:12:00

20. xaphor

The Marx Brothers. Wiki confirms that Groucho and Zeppo lived until '77 and '79 respectively.

2006-07-01 00:14:31

21. Linkmeister

20 Which instantly reminds me of Ernie Kovacs.

And does Bob Denver get booted because of "Gilligan" or can his earlier work as what's-his-name on "Dobie Gillis" count?

2006-07-01 00:16:26

22. Bob Timmermann

Maynard G. Krebs

2006-07-01 00:20:45

23. xaphor

Amos (aka Freeman Gosden) of Amos 'n' Andy qualifies. But that would be like taking Cora without Izturis :)

2006-07-01 00:22:31

24. Linkmeister

22 Thanks. All I could think of was "Jughead" from the "Archie and Veronica" comics, and I knew that was wrong.

2006-07-01 00:26:41

25. Chiron Brown

Fred Willard, Pat Paulson, Kenneth Mars, Michael O'Donoghue.

2006-07-01 00:30:55

26. xaphor

Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. And while not known for comedy I loved Cary Grant in Arsenic and Old Lace.

2006-07-01 00:40:22

27. Chiron Brown

Charles Nelson Reilly, Goldie Hawn, Suzanne Pleshette (Bob's going to have to fight me for her), Bill Daily.

2006-07-01 00:43:20

28. the OZ

Jerry Van Dyke?

2006-07-01 00:44:39

29. xaphor

Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon. Which reminds me to include The Odd Couple sitcom duo of Tony Randall and Jack Klugman.

2006-07-01 00:45:25

30. xaphor

How could I forget Benny Hill. Shame on me.

2006-07-01 00:48:57

31. Chiron Brown

Peter Cook and Dudley Moore.

2006-07-01 00:53:42

32. Chiron Brown

Flip Wilson (and Geraldine).

2006-07-01 00:54:57

33. For The Turnstiles

Steve Allen
Dave Frishberg?
The two Pythons not yet mentioned (Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam) and Neil Innes
Moe Howard and Larry Fine (both died in 1975)
Bob Elliott and Ray Goulding
David Ossman, Peter Bergman, Phil Proctor, Phil Austin (Firesign Theatre)

2006-07-01 00:58:07

34. xaphor

One more from left field before I throw in the towel for the night: Mel Blanc.

2006-07-01 01:01:36

35. Chiron Brown

Zero Mostel, Jonathon Winters, Dick Shawn.

2006-07-01 01:10:02

36. Chiron Brown

Dick Gautier. Now I must go to Netflix to see if they have "When Things Were Rotten."

2006-07-01 01:43:29

37. GoBears

Does it have to be intentional comedy? Because if not, then Shatner is the Babe Ruth of this league.

2006-07-01 01:46:35

38. Ken Arneson

Tom Lehrer was my wife's math teacher in college at UC Santa Cruz. Needless to say, I managed to sneak in and attend a few of his lectures. Math was never so much fun.

Is it before 1975, or including? If the latter, then IMDB says Hugh Laurie qualifies. (But not Stephen Fry, although Fry is older.)

2006-07-01 01:48:16

39. Steve

Paul Lynde! Soupy Sales! Steve Allen! Don Knotts! Buddy Hackett! I'm going to be up all night!

2006-07-01 01:52:00

40. Greg Brock

39 There you are, Steve. I've been waiting for you to join this little party.

2006-07-01 01:54:58

41. Steve

Kenny Mars is already a sleeper in this draft.

Fred Gwynne! Joe E. Ross! Morey Amsterdam! Betty White!

2006-07-01 01:55:57

42. Rob M

Tony Curtis - I'm thinking of Some Like it Hot.

2006-07-01 01:58:08

43. Steve

Jim Backus! WHERE'S PHIL SILVERS!?!?!

2006-07-01 02:02:59

44. bhsportsguy

Albert Brooks (his short films on SNL's first season in 1975)
Cheech [Marin] and [ommy]Chong (Comedy albums)
Jack Riley (Mr. Carlin and the rest of the "therapy group" from the Bob Newhart Show)

2006-07-01 02:10:32

45. Midwest Blue

Eddie Albert
Buddy Epson
Larry Hagman
Barbara Eden
Elizabeth Montgomery

2006-07-01 03:31:06

46. bobbygrich

45 Unfortunately, Jed Clampett did not own the Epson company, I believe Jed aka Barnaby Jones was spelled Ebsen.

I met Eddie Albert once, at Dodger Stadium, I was there with two of my fellow Eagle Scouts, we had just planted trees in one of the parking lots, Eddie Albert was a celebrity sponsor of some type of tree planting program.

My friend was disappointed, he thought we were going to meet Jed not Oliver from Green Acres.

2006-07-01 04:39:54

47. Sam DC

Rodney Dangerfield
Lorraine Newman

2006-07-01 04:53:49

48. DXMachina

Alan Arkin
Peter Falk
Jim Henson
Frank Oz
Vivian Vance
Andy Devine
Selma Diamond
Christopher Hewett
Dwayne Hickman
Brian Keith
Steve Landesberg
Al Lewis
Arnold Stang
Ross Martin
Larry Storch
John Larroquette (IMDB tells me he appeared in Sanford and Son in '75.)
Richard Mulligan
Henry Gibson

Sadly, Jack Benny died in '73.

2006-07-01 04:58:37

49. lukemccain

Eve Arden, Richard Crenna, Elizabeth Montgomery, Larry Hagman, Barbara Eden, Bill Daily, Jerry Mathers (as the Beaver), Ron Howard, Henry Winkler, Al Lewis, Jim Nabors, Jo Anne Worley, Sally Field, Henry Gibson, Tiny Tim, Bob Crane, Richard Dawson, Werner Klemperer, Slim Pickens, Danny Bonaduce, Dave Madden, Bernie Kopell, Gavin Macleod, John Amos, Georgia Engel, John Astin, Patty Duke, Nancy Walker, Rob Reiner, Albert Brooks, Eva Gabor, Pat Buttram, Frank Cady, Danny Thomas, Hans Conried, Mary Wickes, Kathleen Freeman, Vivian Vance, Howard Morris, Mel Blanc, Red Skelton, Art Carney, Ozzie Nelson, Alan Hale, Nancy Kulp, Max Baer Jr., Mickey Dolenz, Eddie Anderson, Norm Crosby, Dom DeLuise, Rich Little, Dewey 'Pigmeat' Markham, Ed McMahon, Ethel Merman, Spike Milligan, Louis Nye, Pat Paulsen, Nipsey Russell, Elliot Gould, Danny Kaye, Stan Freberg, Rodney Dangerfield

2006-07-01 05:01:58

50. Eric Enders

William Bendix.

Hey, nobody said they had to generate intentional laughs.

Show/Hide Comments 51-100

2006-07-01 05:03:41

51. Eric Enders

Looks like Richard Belzer just misses, appearing on his first SNL episode in 1976.

2006-07-01 05:05:19

52. lukemccain

(Sorry for the duplicates... the page was current to number 44 when I was adding the names to my text editor.)

2006-07-01 05:07:05

53. lukemccain

William Bendix died in 1964

2006-07-01 05:07:29

54. Eric Enders

I guess I should have read 37 before posting 50.

2006-07-01 05:17:39

55. DXMachina

No, I don't have anything better to do on a Saturday morning...

Rob Reiner
Katherine Hepburn
Roy Kinnear

2006-07-01 05:24:15

56. Chiron Brown

54 But that does apply to G. Gordon Liddy and Bob Haldeman.

2006-07-01 05:26:42

57. Chiron Brown

We can't leave out Max Patkin.

2006-07-01 06:17:35

58. Claire Malone-Evans

How about Marty Allen, Roy Clark,Joe Garigiola, and Don Meridith.

2006-07-01 06:32:41

59. Sam DC

I can't say I'm too familiar with his overall body of work, but I'm guessing that Richard Crenna goes pretty low in this draft.

2006-07-01 07:38:09

60. Marty

Albert Brooks needs to be in his own comment and not buried with fifty other names.

2006-07-01 07:39:26

61. Marty

And don't foget Moms Mabley

2006-07-01 07:43:16

62. Steve

Mr. Ed!

2006-07-01 07:46:04

63. Marty

Arnold the pig (!)
Alvy Moore (Mr. Kimball)
Frank Cady (Mr. Drucker)
Sid Melton (Alph)
Mary Canfield (Ralph)

2006-07-01 08:07:10

64. Steve

Jerry Lewis is going to pose significant problems in this draft. I have no idea where I would put him on my board.

2006-07-01 08:22:31

65. HHortin

Andy Griffeth & Don Knotts?

2006-07-01 08:50:56

66. Sam DC

I'm having trouble putting my board together without knowing the rules on performance enhancing drugs (both for the comedian and the audience).

I do project Steve Allen as a possible number 1, unless we're only counting post-1975 performance.

And don't see that anyone has added Bob Hope to the list.

2006-07-01 08:51:01

67. LAT

Its a very sad day when BUDDY HACKETT gets left off a list like this.

Saw him in Vegas 10 years ago at the DI. It was the funniest, raunchiest show I ever saw.

2006-07-01 08:55:13

68. LAT

Lucille Ball is also a must.

2006-07-01 09:00:11

69. Sam DC

LAT -- Steve added Buddy (39 above).

My Dad and I saw Buddy Hackett do an impromptu thing at a Friar's club bar mitzvah. It was not Bar Mitzvah appropriate. Even the second Bar Mitzvah at 73 or whatever it is.

Most folks have seen his elephant, I imagine.

2006-07-01 09:05:32

70. Steve

66 - those are my questions. What is value?

I am told on good authority that buddy hackett had a huge gun collection.

2006-07-01 09:05:37

71. Harpo the Bum

Speaking of Tom Lehrer, here is a site that has nine of his songs in WAV format:

http://lehrersongs.notlong.com/

2006-07-01 09:14:16

72. Marty

70 Is it Berleian?

"Just show him enough to win Milton"

2006-07-01 09:28:39

73. Jon Weisman

Boy, I'm going to have a lot of typing to do.

2006-07-01 09:34:07

74. DXMachina

What typing? That's why cut & paste was invented. :)

66 I do project Steve Allen as a possible number 1

I can see that. Great tools plus all those intangibles.

2006-07-01 09:39:28

75. Jon Weisman

Boy, I'm going to have a lot of cut and pasting to do. And alphabetizing!

2006-07-01 09:41:39

76. Sam DC

Bob and Doug MacKenzie.

2006-07-01 09:44:57

77. Sushirabbit

For me Jackie Gleason is probably 1. I actually saw him live, and no I wasn't old enough, but then I probably wasn't old enough to go see Eric Clapton's Slow Hand tour where Muddy Waters opened. Redd Foxx and Pryor would be 2 and 3.

2006-07-01 09:47:38

78. Sushirabbit

76 I am your father, Luke. Give in to the dark side of the force, you knob.

Great Stuff

2006-07-01 09:48:53

79. DXMachina

A few more:
Howard Hesseman
Gordon Jump
Tim Curry

2006-07-01 12:33:05

80. LAT

69. Sam, I missed it. Sorry Steve. Glad to see someone is looking out for the ghost of Buddy.

I know what you meant by his elephant, I actually grew up on Whitter Dr but with the inappropriate bar mitzvah reference I think some might think he pulled his "elephant" out at the bar mitzvah. ha ha.

2006-07-01 14:11:14

81. JJoeScott

David Steinberg
Martin Short, John Candy, Joe Flaherty, Andrea Martin (from David's '72 series)

2006-07-01 15:40:29

82. Steve

I belonged to the Tim Curry Marching and Chowder Society in college.

2006-07-01 15:49:03

83. Big Game

ill add:

dick gregory
robert klein
dudley moore

2006-07-01 16:00:26

84. lukemccain

59. Richard Crenna was in "Our Miss Brooks" as a geeky high school student and in "The Real McCoys" as Luke.

2006-07-01 17:04:19

85. Sushirabbit

It is a shame that Robin Willams misses this list by two years.

2006-07-01 17:37:25

86. DXMachina

82 - What did you wear when you were marching?

You know how people are always talking about the baseball players who went to the same high school as they did? I didn't go to high school with any famous baseball players, but I did go to high school with the guy who is the president of the RHPS Fan Club. We were in the chess club together.

2006-07-01 17:38:32

87. DXMachina

85 - Think of him as that can't miss prospect who decided to go to college for a couple of years before entering the draft.

2006-07-01 18:17:50

88. spacebrother

Someone already said Michael O'Donoghue. Damn.

Why mention Dudley Moore without Peter Cook? He was NOTHING without Cook.

Richard Mulligan?

Jon, is this some sort of free research you're getting from us for an article or book?

I'll have to use this idea.

2006-07-01 18:19:42

89. spacebrother

Del Close.

2006-07-01 18:31:12

90. DXMachina

Both Cook and Mulligan were mentioned above.

2006-07-01 19:18:36

91. Jon Weisman

88 - No. I'm just seeing where it goes.

2006-07-02 01:26:53

92. Greg Brock

19 I won't forget about that jerk move any time soon...Oh, and ;)

2006-07-02 19:45:00

93. polyphonic

Mort Sahl? Benny Hill? Bob Hope? Groucho Marx? Jack Paar? Don Rickles? Red Buttons? Jack Benny? Elaine May? Walter Matthau? Jack Lemmon? Buddy Hackett? Flip Wilson? Joey Bishop? Dick Gregory? Robert Schimmel? Pat Cooper? Shelly Berman? David Brenner? Alan King? Graham Chapman? Tony Curtis? Jackie Mason? Zero Mostel? Peter Boyle? Alec Guinness? Cary Grant? Spencer Tracy? Dustin Hoffman? Jimmy Stewart? Debbie Reynolds? Shirley Maclaine? Fred McMurray? Kate Hepburn? Rodney Dangerfield? Jonathan Winters? Don Knotts? Ted Baxter? Anne B. Davis? John Astin? Jackie Coogan? Peter Falk? Jack Klugman? Tony Randall? Gracie Allen? Rowan & Martin? Smothers Brothers? Mike Nicholls?

2006-07-02 19:46:38

94. polyphonic

Sorry if these were listed, I can't seem to get posts 1-50 to open.

2006-07-02 23:11:33

95. lukemccain

Did Bill Dana (Jose Jimenez) make the list?