Saturday, August 3, 2024

Season 3, episode 5;Host:Ray Charles, with Franklin Ajaye

Aired November 12, 1977.

Cold opening:"Godfather on NBC"
Don Vito Corleone is angry that NBC is showing The Godfather on network TV. Vito says the movie is too violent for television, plus it makes the Don and his family look bad. He asks his consigliere Tom Hagen (Bill Murray) if there's anything they can do to keep NBC from airing parts 2 and 3 of the film. 


Hagen says they have no "legal recourse" and that NBC is also planning two TV series based on The Godfather. The Don tells Tom to "go to NBC in Hollywood, take Clamenza with you. I want Grizzly Adams to wake up with a bear’s head on his pillow. That’ll take care of it." 

When Hagen asks if Vito wants to hit Saturday Night, the Don say no, since it's his grandchildren's favorite show.  The Godfather adds "and there’s not enough good satire on TV these days. Besides.. I love it when they say, “Live, from New York, it’s Saturday Night!” And the opening credits roll.

Monologue:"I Can See Clearly Now"
Host Ray Charles says he rejected initial offers to host SNL, until he told them his demands. He asked to bring his own musicians and for the episode to be broadcast from Carnegie Hall.

Ray says the joke is on them, because he's not the real Ray Charles. He says that if "the real Ray Charles" was there, he would play like this, and he begins singing "I Can See Clearly Now." The song was written by Johnny Nash, whose version was released on June 23, 1972 and peaked at #18 on Billboard's Hot 100.

Charles' recording of "I Can See Clearly Now" appeared on his 1977 album True To Life. It reached #35 on the R&B chart.

Ray says his hometown Albany, Georgia is located right next to Plains, GA, hometown of President Jimmy Carter. Charles informs viewers that at one time, Carter's family owned his grandfather.


Charles then sings the first few lines of "Georgia On My Mind" and dedicates it to the President.

The song was written and recorded by Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell. Charles version of "Georgia" reached #1 on the Hot 100 and it was included on his album The Genius Hits The Road. "Georgia On My Mind" leads directly into the next sketch.

"Pres. Carter's Energy Plan"

Pres. Carter (Dan Aykroyd) says that because the American public has failed to understand the depth of the Energy Crisis and since the Senate blocked his energy bill the economy will tank and will probably not be reelected. 

"Ella Fitzgerald for Mamorex"
Charles introduces Ella Fitzgerald (Garrett Morris) to demonstrate the audio quality of Mamorex tapes. 


Ella performs some scat singing, which shatters a glass. Ray talks about the sound quality of Mamorex tapes and how it's impossible to tell if a song is live or a recording.


When they play the Mamorex tape of Ella's vocals, it shatters Ray's glasses!


"The Doody Girls"
Debbie (Gilda Radner) and Dotty Doody (Larane Newman), respectively the wife and sister of the late Howdy Doody, discuss Howdy's recent death. Dotty tells Debbie that it's time to stop mourning and start dating again.

Talk show:"Tomorrow Show with Tom Snyder"
Tom Snyder (Aykroyd) interviews the R&B legend.

Charles tells Snyder that his blindness has enhanced his sense of smell. He's able to identify Snyder's brand of cologne and says Tom has been wearing the same socks for three days.

"The Young Caucasians"
In 1957, Ray Charles' manager Mr. DeWitt (Morris) tells Ray that a White group called the Young Caucasians (Aykroyd, Belushi, Curtin, Murray, Newman and Radner) will be recording his song "What'd I Say" so that it can be played on White radio stations in the South. The Caucasians arrive and sing the song. 

Charles says he prefers his own version and performs it.

"What'd I Say" was written and recorded by Charles in 1959. It was released as a single in June of that year and reached #6 on the Hot 100 and #1 on the R&B chart. 

"Weekend Update"
Anchors Jane Curtin and Dan Aykroyd report on the top news stories of the day.


A statue of Benjamin Franklin was rushed to the hospital in what appeared to be a case of Legionnaires' disease. A later diagnosis revealed the statue was "just stoned."     


Update film critic Bill Murray pans the new movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Murry slams a Time magazine review for revealing the film's ending. Murray proceeds to spoil even more of Close Encounters.


Jane and Dan receive a late-breaking bulletin from NBC's Dancing N. It turns out the "bulletin" was just a note from Jane to Dan, which says:To hell with the bulletin, will you dance with me?


Dan indulges Jane and they dance with the N.


"Ray Charles' Medley Of Hits"
Ray introduces his old band, who he hasn't played with in more than a decade. 


They join Charles in performing a medley of the following songs:

"I Got A Woman" was written by Ray Charles and Renald Richard. It was released in December 1954 and reached #1 on the Rhythm and Blues chart.

“I Believe in My Soul” was written by Charles and was released as the B-side of "I'm Moving On in 1959. 

"Them That Got" was written by Charles and Ricci Harper reaching #58 on the Hot 100 and #10 on the R&B chart.

“Hit The Road Jack” was written by Percy Mayfield. Charles' recording of the song topped the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B charts in 1961. It also reached #1 in Sweden and New Zealand.

Charles closes the set by performing a sax solo. 

"Franklin Ajaye"
Comedian Franklin Ajaye talks about Star Trek and performs impressions of several of the characters from the show. 

Commercial:"Evelyn Woodski Slow Reading Course"
Written by Al Franken and Tom Davis.
The Evelyn Woodski Slow Reading Course teaches readers to read more slowly, which enables readers increase their enjoyment of reading and improve their comprehension.

Several users of the Woodski method endorse its effectiveness.


Ray Charles endorses Woodski's "Slow Reading Course For Braille."

The host says he "used to get blisters on my fingers. Now I just sit  back and enjoy." 

"Blackout"
In a voice-over, Charles says "I love New York, everything about it — even Con Edison, the electric company." He adds that during the previous summer, ConEd came to his rescue.

The sketch cuts to Ray sitting by himself in a hotel room. There's a knock on the door for room service, but it's really two robbers (Aykroyd and Morris) who intend to steal from Ray. 


They start tying Ray up, when suddenly, a blackout hits New York! 


When Charles realizes the thieves can't see, he uses it to his advantage and turns the tables on them.

"Next week"
Frequent Saturday Night host Buck Henry appears onstage. He says when hosts next week, he'll be joined by the five finalists of SNL's "Anyone Can Host" contest. Henry tells viewers We’ve read 150,000 postcards from you, and, believe me…America’s in a lot of trouble.


Ray Charles:"Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin'" 
The host performs "Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin.'" It was written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein in 1943 for their musical Oklahoma. Charles' recording of the song appeared on True To Life.

"I Can't Stop Loving You"
The Not Ready For Prime Time Players appear on stage with Charles. He plays piano while they sing "I Can't Stop Loving You" . 


John Belushi imitates Charles on the song's first verse, while the rest of the cast performs backup vocals. 

Ray then takes over lead vocals for the next verse. This song  was written and recorded by Don Gibson in 1957. Charles recorded "I Can't Stop Loving You" for his 1962 album Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music. It was released as a single and topped the Hot 100 as well as the Adult Contemporary and R&B charts.

"Mr. Mike's painting"
Mr. Mike (Michael O'Donoghue) joins Ray and the cast and says he's got a surprise for them. Mr. Mike says they've kidded Ray a lot about his blindness and that Charles has been a "good sport" about it, "but blindness is nothing to kid about." To honor "the courageous example" set by Charles, Saturday Night has purchased a 1909 Claude Monet painting. It will be donated to the Lighthouse of the Blind "in hopes that one day, all will see it."


Mr. Mike then unveils the painting:

Goodnights:
Charles, surrounded by the cast, says he's been told the show has "a whole minute left, which is unusual." Ray says “thank you and goodnight” and closes the show by improvising a song built around the phrase "On a Saturday night." 

Notes about this episode:
John Belushi briefly interacts with Ray Charles and performs a brief impression of the singer. It's worth noting that Charles later worked with Belushi and Dan Aykroyd when he appeared in The Blues Brothers movie in 1980.

The "Mamorex" bit is a parody of Memorex Cassette Tape commercials that aired in the 1970s. These Memorex spots featured Ella Fitzgerald shattering a glass, both live and on a Memorex recording. Here's an example of one of those ads:

"Evelyn Woodski's Slow Reading Course" is a takeoff on Evelyn Wood's speedreading course. Wood's courses were featured in commercials like this one:

Ephemera:
Here's a TV Guide ad for this episode:

    
What stands out:
Ray Charles' music-Charles was one of the most important 
"Tomorrow Show with Tom Snyder"-Unlike every other SNL host prior to this episode, Ray Charles was blind and (obviously) couldn't rely on cue cards. So it's impressive to watch him deliver so much dialogue and hold his own in a sketch with a gifted performer like Dan Aykroyd. 


"The Doody Girls"
Laraine Newman and Gilda Radner are brilliant here playing marionettes. They gives us a great exhibition of physical comedy. 

What doesn't work:
As much as I enjoy Ray Charles' music, this episode features a little too much music. I would've liked at least one more sketch and one less song.

"The Young Caucasians"-This wasn't bad, just a bit too long. I think the group could've stopped after the first verse of "What'd I Say," we didn't need to hear multiple verses of their rendition of the song.

Bonus:
Here are bumper photos from this episode, captured from the 1980s VHS release:






J.A. Morris' rating:
This is a good episode that features some great performances by Ray Charles and some solid sketches. But if you're not a Ray Charles fan, you won't enjoy it as much as I did.









3 stars.

Monday, July 29, 2024

Season 3, Episode 4;Host:Charles Grodin, with Paul Simon & The Persuasions



Aired October 29, 1977.

Cold opening:"The host is missing!"
In SNL's locker room, Gilda Radner and John Belushi are worried. The show is about to start, and host Charles Grodin is missing!  They talk about how he's a bit eccentric and doesn't relate to the cast. When Grodin finally shows up, he says he's late because he was buying gifts for the cast, which caused him to miss dress rehearsal.


He's due to perform the opening monologue in 1 minute and hasn't written it yet. But Grodin says he's excited about hosting and 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 visiting various New York tourist attractions. Charles is shocked when he's told Saturday Night is a live show with a live audience.

John Belushi tells him yes, "you know, like…live, from New York, it's Saturday Night!" and the opening montage rolls.


Monologue:
Grodin says he's never watched SNL, 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. Charles says Saturday Night looks like a "really cute show!"


"Return of the Coneheads"
Written by Dan Aykroyd and Tom Davis.
While the Conehead family 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. 


This draws criticism from neighborhood "block parents" Carl (Bill Murray) and Sharlene van Arsdale (Radner). 
Plus, daughter Connie (Laraine Newman) is dressed as a witch and plans to attend a Halloween party later that night. Connie attempts to explain apple bobbing to her parents.


"Charles' film clip"
The host introduces a clip from his latest film Too Late, Too Late, My Love, My Love. Grodin talks about his co-stars and the film's director.  Unfortunately, Charles takes so long introducing the the clip that the show cuts away before Grodin shows up in the clip. 


Lorne Michaels then chimes in over the PA system and tells Grodin that the show needs to move on to the next segment. Charles then introduces the musical guest.

Paul Simon and the Persuassions:"Slip Slidin' Away"
Paul Simon performs "Slip Slidin' Away," which was released as a single in October 1977 and peaked at #18 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was included on Simon's album Greatest Hits, Etc., which was issued in November of '77. 


The Persuassions provide back-up vocals on the "Slip Slidin' Away." They later recorded an a cappella version of this song, which appeared on their 1985 album No Frills.


Talk show:"Consumer Probe"
Host Joan Face (Curtin) confronts sleazy businessman Irwin Mainway (Aykroyd) about his company's dangerous Halloween costumes. 


Mainway's costumes include a "Johnny Space Commander" mask, which is "nothing more than a plastic bag and a rubber band."


And "Johnny Human Torch," which consists of "a bag of oily rags and a lighter." 


"Anyone Can Host contest"
Bill Murray and Mr. Mike (Michael O'Donoghue) promote SNL's "Anyone Can Host" contest. Murray explains the rules of the contest while Mr. Mike rejects contestants' for petty reasons, such as "typing errors" and "uneven margins" on their postcards. 


"Samurai Dry Cleaners"
Written by Alan Zweibel and John Belushi.
A couple (Grodin and Radner) pick up their shirts at a dry cleaners operated by a samurai (Belushi). 


Grodin breaks character and talks about how great Belushi is as the samurai. Gilda tries to keep the host on task, to no avail. Charles then starts reading John's lines off the cue cards, which infuriates Belushi and Radner. 


"Weekend Update"
Anchors Dan Aykroyd and Jane Curtin report on top stories of the day, which include:
Cher is suing her plastic surgeon.


The Food and Drug Administration will change its name to the Food and Dope Administration in an attempt to keep up with the users of the Administration's services.


Update presents an exclusive report on the disappearance of Teamster president Jimmy Hoffa. FBI Agent Lt. Willard Jackson (Garrett Morris) visits the Update desk and brings pieces of Hoffa's (alleged) skeleton.  


Bill Murray presents a commentary on one-man shows that are appearing on stages all over New York. Murray is not a fan of monodrama. 



And Aykroyd presents a new Update feature, News for the Silent Film Buff.



Charles Grodin and Paul Simon:"Sounds Of Silence" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water."
The host teams up with the musical guest for a duet on "Sounds Of Silence." The song was written by  Simon and first appeared on Simon & Garfunkel's debut album Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. "Sounds Of Silence" became a hit single when it was reissued with added electric instrumentation and reached #1 on the Billboard chart in January 1966.


Their performance keeps starting and stopping because Grodin doesn't know the words. Simon is also distracted by the host's "Art Garfunkel wig." Simon eventually gets fed up and walks off.


Grodin then decides to perform "Bridge Over Troubled Water" by himself. This song was the title track of Simon & Garfunkel's final studio album and it reached #1 on the Hot 100 in February 1970. 


After Grodin warbles the first verse, the real Art Garfunkel walks onstage to confront Charles. He tells Grodin to hand over the wig.


"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 have no pollen. 


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 and asks "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. 


Since the sketch runs long, Lorne tells Grodin that his song will have to be cut from the show, which upsets Charles.


"The Judy Miller Show"
Written by Marilyn Suzanne Miller.
A young girl named Judy Miller sings and dances around her room and creates her own fantasy TV show.


Judy smashes into her door, which eventually gets the attention of her mother, who wants to know what's going on.


Commercial:"Professional School of Football"
A pitchman (Morris) promotes a school where students are taught how to play football.


"Crowd shot"
As the previous sketch ends, the camera pans away from the stage and reveals that Grodin has taken a seat in the studio audience.


Paul Simon:"You're Kind"
Simon performs "You're Kind." This song appeared on Simon's album Still Crazy After All These Years, which was released on October 17, 1975.


Virtuoso harmonica player Toots Thielemans backs up Simon and takes a solo on "Your Kind."



PSA:"Hire The Incompetent"
Written by Rosie Shuster.
Grodin presents a public service message that advocates on behalf of "incompetent" workers who have been fired from various jobs.


It features testimony from a grocery bagger who put eggs on the bottom of the bag under heavy items...


 ...an air traffic controller who caused a plane crash.


...and a woman fired from Burgerland for making burgers with hair in them.


 During the sketch, Grodin once again breaks character and asks Lorne Michaels if there's enough time to perform his original song.  Lorne says yes and Charles sings this song. 

It goes like this:

“Help a person,
Be a friend,
Hang on till the very end,
A car, TV, some cake, a wife,
These are my feelings about life.”


Michaels tells the host "that was wonderful, Chuck. Thank you," and the sketch ends.

Goodnights:
Grodin says "Thank you, everybody, uh, you’ve been a wonderful audience." Charles puts his arm around Belushi and says "as you see, this is just kidding. Right, John?" Belushi says "yeah, Mr. Spaceman, right."


Grodin thanks, Simon, the Persuassions, Garfunkel. He closes the show by saying "you’ve been a wonderful audience, it’s been a terrific night for us!"

Notes about this episode:
First off, I want to address a rumor that has persisted since this episode aired. Charles Grodin was not "banned" from Saturday Night after this episode. He just never hosted again. 

This episode was released on VHS in the 1980s and my family owned a copy while I was growing up. So I bring a lot of nostalgia to this review. 

For the third time this season, the opening montage features new footage of the Not Ready For Prime Time Players. Each member of the cast is seen in Times Square posed in front of the digital billboard, which displays their names:










If you're not familiar with The Persuassions, they were an A Cappella vocal group that formed in Brooklyn in 1962. The Persuassions recorded more than two dozen albums and collaborated with artists like Les McCann, Joni Mitchell, Stevie Wonder, Phoebe Snow, Leon Redbone and the Neville Brothers. 

Classic moments:
In "Hire The Incompetent," Gilda Radner plays an unnamed character that would eventually become Roseanne Roseannadanna. "Roseanne" would go on to be one of SNL's most popular characters.


"Return of the Coneheads"-This is one of the best Coneheads sketches and it's been featured on a bunch of SNL Halloween compilations. 


"Consumer Probe"-This Irwin Mainway sketch is one of Aykroyd's all-time best moments and it's still hilarious 47 years later. 


"The Judy Miller Show"-This features Gilda Radner delivering a clinic on physical comedy while also displaying her child-like qualities. 


It's worth noting the the Coneheads, "Judy Miller" and "Consumer Probe" have appeared on multiple "best-of" compilation specials.

What stands out:
Pretty much everything. Charles Grodin is a great host and I generally like it when Saturday Night departs from its usual format. Grodin is very believable when pretending he doesn't know what's going on. 


Bonus:
Here are bumper photos from this episode, created by Saturday Night photographer Edie Baskin. These photos are not available on the officially released DVDs, I got them from the 1980s VHS release. 









J.A. Morris' rating:
I can't say much else about this episode other than to say it's one of the all-time best episodes of SNL  and it's something I watch every year around Halloween. It's got classic sketches, recurring characters and a unique, unforgettable host. Grodin's episode gets my highest rating.









4 stars!