SID CAESAR: This Is Your Story [This Is Your Life Spoof] (YOUR SHOW OF SHOWS, Apr 3, 1954)
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- čas přidán 7. 09. 2016
- This is my vote for the single funniest sketch I've ever seen, in any series of any era. Sid Caesar is the honoree in a sketch spoofing "This Is Your Life". It's funny from the first moment, but once Howard Morris shows up as Uncle Goopy, prepare to pee your pants.
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For more rare material like this, please click here to subscribe to the Sid Caesar channel: / @sidcaesaryourshowofsh... - Komedie
![SID CAESAR: The Beauty Pageant [THE COMMUTERS] (CAESAR'S HOUR, Jun 18, 1956)](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/BjLuqzLIRns/mqdefault.jpg)
![SID CAESAR: The Beauty Pageant [THE COMMUTERS] (CAESAR'S HOUR, Jun 18, 1956)](/img/tr.png)
Monty Pythons John Cleese said it was the hardest he’d ever laughed when he watched this skit. It could very well be the funniest skit in TV history. Pure comedic genius from the writers.
Most of this was written by a young Mel Brooks, but he says much of it was improvised by the players. It is great!
I've seen funnier skits than this on Caeser's Hour.
Fun
Imogene Coco's DINGLE MEATBALL served by Sid made me lose my ability to breathe somewhere in the late 50s. THAT is the most uproarious moment of my 76+yrs.
SINGLE
Reading Mel Brooks very fine autobiography where he talks at some length about this magnificent sketch. Yes, Sid Caesar is brilliantly funny as Al and the three relatives and friends - especially Howie Morris - are hilarious, executing a level of physical comedy unmatched in the history of live TV, but how sensational is Carl Reiner as the host? Playing the role to perfection and somehow keeping a straight face in the midst of total comic pandemonium. Genius.
Can you imagine sitting at the table and hearing Mel Brooks go through the script at the pre-production meeting? What a moment that was, I bet! I would have loved to have been present at that moment.
Howard Morris was just a pure comedic force to be reckoned with
Howard Morris is so damn funny as Uncle Goopy. His creation of the Ernest T. Bass character on the Andy Griffith Show was comedy gold. I am young, and find old television to be the best.
Its the best. Totally agreed and I am happy that more young people have come appreciate the best of old television.
My favorite is Carol Burnett and Friends. Harvey Corman and Tim Conway are absolutely hilarious!!😂
Every time I watch this I laugh like a hyena. Uncle Goopy was so funny. I read that Howard Morris milked that sketch for all it was worth. I'm glad he did, it is comedy at its' finest. And Carl Reiner was perfect as the straight man.
No SNL bit could ever beat this sketch. Sid was a master. Howard Morris kills !!!
Comedy's Golden Age .... (and TV's Golden Age too).
Mr. Peepers on SNL, by Chris Kattan, had similar physical comedy to Uncle Goopy. Not comparing, but I can see where Chris may have studied such previous comedy talents.
I thought the same thing! Not taking away from Chris's comedy talents at all-- but IF he did watch this to get an idea, then he did a great job achieving it! @@jomo1181
The death of the GREAT Carl Reiner brought me here. RIP Mr Reiner and thanks for the art.
Me too!!!! I have always enjoyed Howard Morris as ernest T Bass. I watched him as a child of the 50's and I still love clean comedy..I do not want to hear all the dirty words that comics use and think are funny but are not to me..This had me laughing so hard I couldn't catch my breath..I had been talking about Carl Reiner and his friendship with Mel Brooks the day before his death with my son..to find out the next day he was gone was sad to me..but his humor and that of Mel Brooks has brightened the life of so many..Thank you to all of these wonderful comediennes.
For eleven minutes Carl Reiner was the hardest-working straight man in show business. RIP.
An episode of The Twilight Zone, Season 4, Episode 12 called I Dream of Genie with Howard Morris brought me here.
@@racheldrum1982 Amen. And, as Sid often said, the best straight man ever. I always marvel at how unflappable he could be as the interviewer in the Professor sketches, where it's frequently obvious that Sid is trying to get him to break up. ---kjh
@@OMGWTFLOLSMH I've been looking for that one! Howie was awesome in that episode.
Howard Morris. Seriously underrated comedic actor.
I was laughing, then Morris started clinging to Sid Caesar's leg. I totally lost it.
Funniest comedy moment in the history of television. And seriously, just look at the physical energy it took to do this -- they really gave 110% all the way.
I first saw this as a clip in the 1970s. I was on the floor in tears I was laughing so hard. Inspired lunacy from everyone. Howard Morris as Uncle Goofy was incredible!
Fun fact this sketch was played at Howard Morris’s funeral
Howard Morris was just a comedy god he was also a fantastic voice actor he did voices for studios throughout the 1960s 70s and 80s even 90s
Indeed. Carl Reiner is the funniest straight man in the history of comedy. NOTE: Mel Brooks wrote the sketch with head writers Lucille Kallan and Mel Tolkin, with Neil and Danny Simon in the wings.
Sid, Howie, Reiner, what a tremendous comedy team. God they were funny.
I agree. The funniest single sketch in the history of comedy.
This sketch is a true classic from TV's Golden Age of Comedy! In his autobiography, Mel Brooks, who wrote for the show, states that nearly 60% of this was improvised. When Caesar starts running through the audience, very little of that was planned. Luckily, the camera men were able to follow him!
Think of how much a high school drama/comedy troupe could learn from watching this. Wouldn't it be great if they could re-create this for a variety show at a high school. The crowd would go crazy.
Morris was a comedic genius!
I can not deal with the simple brilliance of this show. This skit is especially funny.
ONe of the funniest sketches of ALL TIMES!! And was Ceasar's favorite, and mine. Howard Morris was BRILLIANT!
The greatest comedy sketch in the history of television. Kudos also to the director for keeping up with mayhem.
How did I end up on this side of CZcams? It all started with Netflix and popcorn, the Andy Griffith Show, and looking up a guest actor's career. Uncle Goopy is Ernest T. Bass. Well that was a long strange trip. Back to the 21st century.
Me too! 😆
Well Mr. Newton, I did the EXACT SAME THING...had to look up Howard Morris after seeing his exquisite performance as Ernest T. Bass on the Andy Griffith Show, and the next thing I know, I'm watching Sid Caesar's skit from the golden days of TV! Fabulous!
Tyler James Newton me too
A year later and it's still happening. I love Howard Morris as Ernest T. and upon reading of this, just had to look it up. Getting to see the great Carl Reiner as well is a nice bonus. 😊
Unreal, I was watching an Andy Griffith episode with Ernest T bass and followed the same rabbit trail.
One of the funniest comedy sketches of all time!🤣🤣🤣🤣
Carl Reiner doesn't get enough credit for holding this all together IMO. I'm listening to Mel Brook's audio version of his autobiography and he said that Sid took the opening to this sketch completely off the rails. He apparently wasn't expected to play hard to get and the whole theater was chaos. Brilliant stuff.
Yes, Carl played a wonderfully smarmy MC and managed to keep his head amidst the chaos created by Sid (although the chase was scripted, how he handled it was up to him and a lot of the action was pure Caesar) and Howie Morris (his clinging to Sid's leg wasn't scripted and Sid and Carl just went with it). There was also a lot of adlibbing by Sid. I've seen the original script and it wasn't all that funny. By the time Sid and company got through with it, you're right--it was brilliant.---kjh
Howard Morris (uncle goopy), Carl Reiner (the announcer and father of meathead Rob Reiner) and Colonel Klink (Werner Klemperer) were all in the same Army unit and performed for troops during WWII.
Howard Morris would go on to play one of my favorite comic characters, Ernest T. Bass on "The Andy Griffith Show" in three episodes.
Meathead! Of course. I recall Meathead, talent runs deep in the Reiner family.
One of the great eleven minutes of physical comedy of all time, and a spoof "This is Your Life" certainly deserved. I think we tuned in every week just to see how sickeningly sweet Ralph Edwards could possibly be while basically preventing the "honoree" from saying anything in response to what Edwards or the guests were supposed to say in the script, which did not leave a lot of time for extra comments. I remember Edwards being forced to rush through the Marchal Jewelers charm bracelet promo at times at the end. I can't imagine many of the celebrity honorees relished the chance to be reminded of how difficult their childhoods were only to have Uncle Goopy encourage them, etc. but there probably was some cachet connected to being a big enough star to be selected by Edwards.
RIP Carl Reiner
And Sid Caesar
Years ago as a bellman, I checked in an old Howard Morris, and was able to tell him how funny he was in the Nutty Professor. This Sid Caesar skit is fantastic. It had me laughing the hardest I ever have.😁
This is an absolute riot from start to finish.
I've said it before and will say it again--the funniest 11 minutes ever aired on TV. ---kjh
Never saw this before but am familiar with Reiner, Caesar, & Morris. I watched this and thought of my late Mother who loved skits like this. This comedic brilliance is hard to beat.
Funny, funny , funny. Not subtle humor, just wonderful sight gags. Love it!
Hilarious! That’s all I can say! This was comedy, this was television!
Live, without a net!
Louis Nye as the fireman.
Thank you! I knew his last name was Nye, but all I could think of was The Science Guy (Bill). 🙂👍
Thank you for confirming that was Louis Nye
The greatest achievement in comedy that mankind has yet attained. I can't imagine that it will ever be surpassed.
The funniest 11 minutes on TV. Ever. And live, to boot.
+Sid Caesar: Your Show of Shows / Caesar's Hour / Admiral Broadway Revue Yep! And whole sections of it ad-libbed! Spontaneous perfection from a group of comic geniuses.
I'm not talking about "surpasssed", but great genius and you will enjoy "Blotto" Laurel and Hardy or just the excerpt Stan Laurel drunk and hysterical laughing. Enjoy! -
I haven't watched Your Show of SHows in many years (I'm only in my 30's so I wasn't around for first run, but my Grandma introduced me to this show a long time ago) Today I was listening to the Pete Holmes podcast and he had Phil Rosenthal (creator of Everybody Loves Raymond) and Pete asked him what was the time he laughed the hardest in his life. Phil said it was this sketch and said that many people in comedy still consider it to be THE greatest sketch in TV history.
I'm glad he brought it up. I just watched it, loved it and it reminded me of how much I always enjoyed this show..
Sport Of Wrestling me too!
Same here. Came here from Petes podcast too.
I saw this as a child and remember it all these years as the funniest thing I ever saw
I watch this skit every few months just to get a belly laugh. I remember the wonderful Saturday night lineup on NBC in the 1950s. The Jack Carter Show from 8-9, Your Show of Shows from 9-10:30 and Your Hit Parade from 10:30-11.This has to be one of the funniest skits ever done. And all on live TV. All in glorious black and white. I'm now 79 and can really appreciate those old TV shows when comedy was king.
Uncle Goopy!!! Some of the funniest television ever here, flawless.
ABSOLUTE COMIC PERFECTION!!!
The funniest 11 minutes on television. Ever. Glad you enjoyed it! --kjh
This was when it REALLY took talent to successfully pull off a live tv show. The air date was 6 months before I was born.
Can you just imagine hanging out with these genius’ of comedy?? I mean what an evening of complete pandemonium they could create.
Howard Morris!
Laughter!! It's something the world needs more of. Let's see these great shows broadcast again. :-)
Comedy at its finest.
Pure comedic gold!
There is nothing compared to the work of this most clever & much talented man, Sid Caesar. God bless you man!!!
There was no comedian as multi-talented as Sid in '50s TV and this is the funniest sketch I've ever seen (and Sid's favorite as well). ---kjh
Back then, this must have been filed under: "What we wish we'd REALLY see on This Is Your Life!" The pretty lady and Sid's reaction was a scream!!! Everybody was terrific. Howie Morris got passed around more times than a joint! I had been told Neil Simon wrote or contributed to it. It does have that "Simon-esque" feeling to it. Anyway, one of the greatest comedy sketches of all-time! Thanks SO much for uploading this!
BRILLIANT COMEDIC TIMING, NATURAL TALENT, AWESOME SCRIPTS! CAN NOT BE TOPPED..JUST AS WONDERFUL NOW AS IT WAS WHEN I WAS A KID WATCHING THIS SHOW ON OUR 9 INCH PHILCO TV SET!!!
BRILLIANCE NEVER FADES!!!!
This skit is right up there with Who s on First ....
Proof Positive: They just don't make'em like that any more!
It's been a couple of years since the last time I saw this and have been laughing louder and enjoying it even more than ever before !!! 😂😂😂😂😂
Best sitcom ever
Strange coincidence I'm seeing this for the FIRST TIME, on April 3 2022!!! I laughed till my tummy hurt! This is some seriously crazy comedy, right here! Mashing that subscribe button now!
Your Show of Shows truly was The Show of all shows. Nothing before nothing after or ever had such a platinum cast of writers and comedic talent.
Funniest comedic sketch EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Brilliant
Howard Morris used some of these mannerisms in the character Ernest T Bass.
Like how did he use some of those mannerisms
Sid acts like a lot of us under that circumstance.
Yes, I love the deer-in-the-headlights look when he finds out it's his "story" and his attempt to flee the theatre. Incidentally, much of that business in the theatre was improvised! ---kjh
Crying from laughter.
OMG! This is so funny. Wish television was still this great
You and me both. Still the funniest 11 minutes ever shown on TV! --kjh
I agree with you about this being the funniest sketch. Many of my other favorites are from the great Marx Brothers, including the Lemonade Stand (Harpo and Chico, Duck Soup) and of course the ubiquitous scene in A Night at the Opera on the ship.
The audience is going crazy!!!!
The sketch supposedly received the greatest sustained laughter of any live episode. I can believe it! --kjh
I'm glad I took a whiz BEFORE I watched this. LMAO!
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Thank you. I think I remember this from when I was a kid.
Crying, I'm laughing so hard. Brilliant!
This is a great show!!
I don't know why It's taken me so long to find this. I totally see where Letterman got a lot of inspiration.
I'm screaming with laughter! Just what I needed today!!
Billy Crystal, a lifelong Sid Caesar worshipper, included footage of this sketch in his movie, Mr. Saturday Night, in a scene where his character, Buddy Young. Jr, his brother, and his wife are watching the sketch. Buddy is the only one watching it stone-faced and not laughing. As Crystal explained, it was Buddy's realization that no matter how funny he might be, he will never be as funny (and as popular) as Sid Caesar.
Howard Morris is certainly remembered for his physical and inventive comedy in both film and television, as well as his directing in both areas; but he is also famous for his cartoon voice-overs (Hanna-Barbera, King Features Syndicate, Filmation). His few forays into dramatic acting (‘Wanted: Dead Or Alive’, ‘The Alfred Hitchcock Hour’, ‘The Twilight Zone’, ‘Thriller’) shouldn’t be overlooked either…
Nothing about Howard Morris should be overlooked . He was simply a genius .
Loving this!! 🤣 🤣🤣 Thank you for posting.
You're very welcome. IMHO, the funniest 11 minutes ever shown on TV! ---kjh
And there's Louie Nye! (Sonny Drysdale on The Beverly Hillbillys)
Nye would show up occasionally on all of Sid's shows, from the Admiral Broadway Revue, YSOS, to Caesar's Hour! --kjh
Good catch. I loved sonny drysdale lol.
At the time, Louis was Kay Armen's "sidekick" (and comedy relief) on her local music and interview radio show, "MEET ME AT KAY'S", on WNBC in New York.
No "F" words. They had to think and create.
Robert Burnett ,,,,Very true. I don't like vulgarity that is masqueraded as comedy. Have a great day.
Funny is funny, whether its g-rated or r-rated.
@@hapgood22 true, after all they did get a little off color at 8:40
You think they would be able to use the "F" word in the 50's even if they wanted to use it.
@@hapgood22 For you yes, for the rest of us, NO!!
Hi, I'm new here and I'm laughing so hard my coffee went up my nose.
Yes, it does have that effect! I still find it amazing that the beginning of the sketch was unrehearsed, and the bit with Howie Morris latching on to Sid's leg wasn't in the script. Welcome! --kjh
My favorite is Louie Nye. Remember him with Steve Allen? ("Hi ho Steverino")
You have the same sense of humor as my Mom, Gary.
I laugh so hard every time I watch this sketch. Sid Caesar Carl Reiner and Howard Morris are so hilarious in this!
I have a feeling those who realized Sid was sitting near them, may have had some idea who was to be picked.
I have a feeling you're right! Although I love the reaction of the woman sitting in back of him when she realizes, first, she's on camera, and second, that Sid is sitting in front of her. ---kjh
The talent here!!!
I'm snorting I'm laughing so hard.
I make it a general rule to never watch this sketch with any kind of liquid in my mouth. --kjh
@@sidcaesaryourshowofshowsca2250 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Super!!!
Crazy to think this is 70 years old.
Brilliant
Carl stays smiling, in character all the way, Howie stole the show this time, Sid may arguably be the funniest man who ever lived. Can't remember laughing so long during a sketch, it was 1-derful !!!
Holy Mackarel! Right when Reiner goes to go offstage at the beginning in the front left audience = SAM GIANCANA! I mean it. Look how he does all this facial hiding thing and cranes his neck away from the camera. - It's only a few seconds, but I've done that fellow's portrait, and this is "Sammy Momo", the gangster king, Giancana. - But really, you have to watch this a million times. Such pleasure. Turn the sound off and look at all the shots with the audience, like the lady behind Sid when he is chosen. By the way, is that Al Dente like pasta aldente? Thanks so much for this!
Gail Jarvis OMG! I think you're absolutely right! I went ahead and took two pictures - one a screen shot from this sketch and one I found online - and compared them. If it's not him then it's his twin brother! Wow! The Godfather right in the middle of a Sid Caesar sketch!
Gail Jarvis Have you read book on Giancana called Double Cross written by his brother Chuck and godson Sam. He literally was into everything.
0:40 ?
Or 0:29
Momo was only the Don of the Chicago Outfit, not the overall La Cosa Nostra. He helped JFK get elected in Illinois in 1960 as a favor to Joe Kennedy. Rumor has it that when JFK and RFK went after organized crime with a vengeance, Giancana felt betrayed and was one of the major players in JFK 's assassination.
OMG one of the great routines
Later, Carl Reiner did a small thing on the Dinah Shore show thinking he was going to be on This is your life program. Funny thing was that Ralph Edwards of that show was watching and decided to actually surprise Reiner on the following week's Dinah Shore show and have him on This is your Life. Reiner was totally surprised.
No secret that Sid Caesar an Mel Brooks............. Best Friends........Nuts........both..........an Hilarious...............
This is based on an actual incident. On the old This is Your Life, they would trick the guest by having him there for someone else. Sometimes the guest is less than enthusiastic at the start. This skit is based on the Lowell Thomas incident. The great old news reader supposedly had to be almost dragged up to the stage. I'm not sure if the original still exists.
Here for Howard Morris.
"Sesame Street" also parodied "This Is Your Life". It was called "Here Is Your Life."
I had not known that--thanks for pointing this out. A wonderful spoof in its own right--loved the tree. Brilliant sketch ideas never die! --kjh
quite the emotional reunions
Uncle Goopy brings to mind Chris Kattan’s Mr. Peeper’s on SNL. No comparison of course, but I can see Chris may have studied such talent as Howard Morris. I was not around yet for Show of Shows, but recall physical comedy such as Red Skelton, Tim Conway and even Carol Burnett. I miss those greats…comedy today is missing that slapstick element .
They did this on live television
the funniest sketch ever ?? I can't think of many funnier ones
Howard Morris reminds me of the Mango
That is some funny shit, for real.
Louie Nye was in it, too.👍🏻
What the world needs now.....
Live TV.
Shout-out to Uncle goopy
I found this after i found a real "This is your life Carl Reiner" with Ralph Edwards on CZcams. They talked about this spoof, also how Carl appear on the Dinah Shore show, he was acting disappointed that Ralph wasn't there to do his life.
The true story is after Ralph Edwards saw this, the Dinah Shore show... He got busy , put a "This is you life Carl Reiner" together in 1 week. Carl was going to be a guest on Dinah show the next week. At the end of that show they surprise Carl with the real thing this time. I just had to check this show out. When it air i wasn't even thought of by serval years. This was so funny.
Did you know that uncle goopy was later Ernest T bass on The Andy Griffith show
Discussed in Mel Brooks's autobiography, 'All of Me'
Louis nye!
Yes. That "kind and gentle fireman," Mr. Torch. Good eye. Louis also appears in an ad for Admiral on the Admiral Broadway Revue! --kjh
Sid Caesar: Your Show of Shows / Caesar's Hour / Admiral Broadway Revue I cherish every scrap of Louie Nye performance. Every now and then on CZcams the old Steve Allen Show will have a few precious man on the street skits where he says Hi Ho steveoreno!! Good to see Tom Poston doing his Thang too!! Louie also had a hilarious role in Good Neighbor Sam movie with Jack Lemmon.
@@sidcaesaryourshowofshowsca2250 Louie was also a regular on the Steve Allen Show, a few years later.