Season 3, episode 11;Host:Chevy Chase, with Billy Joel

Aired February 18, 1978.

Network disclaimer:
An announcer (Don Pardo) tells viewers “The Little House on the Prairie Burns to the Ground” will not be seen tonight, so that NBC may present the following special program."

Cold opening:"A former President speaks to the nation"
Former Pres. Gerald Ford (Chevy Chase) addresses the nation on the Panama Canal Treaty. Ford gets confused and changes the subject to the Suez Canal. 

Ford's wife Betty (Jane Curtin) drops by to deliver a bowl soup. She takes the opportunity to mention her support for the Equal Rights Amendment.

The ex-President then gets an easel and begins drawing on a map to demonstrate the importance of the canal. Ford trips over his easel and falls to the floor. 

He then looks into the camera and exclaims "Live, from New York, it's Saturday Night!"

Monologue:"Chevy misses the applause"
Host Chevy Chase says the thing he's missed most since he left SNL is the applause. The crowd responds with a round of applause. He spends the rest of the monologue getting cheap applause by mentioning Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan. 

He says the best thing about live TV is its spontaneity. Or my accurately, the illusion of spontaneity, since everything he's been saying is printed on cue cards. 

Commercial:"Moth Masher"
A pitchman (Dan Aykroyd) promotes a device that will crush moths "into a flat, easily portable size."

The Moth Masher hot press moth compactor presses moths into "thin plascticized wafers" that fit neatly into your wallet. 

"Couple in bed"
After an evening of intimacy, a man named Terry (Chase) and a woman (Gilda Radner) talk about how it was for them. During their conversation, we learn that Terry wasn't entirely truthful about who he is and what he does for a living. 

Billy Joel:"Only The Good Die Young"
Billy Joel performs "Only The Good Die Young," which appeared on Joel's 1977 album The Stranger. This song was issued as a single in May 1978 and peaked at #24 on Billboard's Hot 100.

"King"
In a docudrama about Martin Luther King Jr. (Garrett Morris), Pres. John F. Kennedy (Aykroyd) and his brother Bobby (Bill Murray) try to trick Dr. King into wearing a surveillance device. 

"Weekend Update"
Dan Aykroyd and Jane Curtin report on the news of the day. 
In the middle of the newscast, Aykroyd gets a call informing him that something bad has happened to his mother. 

When Dan leaves the news desk, former anchor Chevy Chase takes his place. Chevy tries to get Jane to leave with another fake phone call, but she's wise to him. 

Correspondent Laraine Newman reports on a Coal Mine strike in West Virginia and interviews Ray Floyd (Al Franken), a striking miner.

Correspondent John Belushi delivers a commentary about the recent Muhammad Ail/Leon Spinks fight. Belushi digresses and tells a story about a brawl he was part of several years earlier. He then asks Curtin if she could defend herself if someone attacked her. John then knocks down Jane and says "it's all yours, Chevy." 

Chase is joined by Emily Litella (Radner) who says she hasn't been around because Jane doesn't want her on Update. A bruised Curtin returns and berates Chevy and Emily. 

Plus, Garrett Morris delivers "News For The Hard Of Hearing."

"Baggage Inspection"
A rookie customs inspector named Whitfield (Chase) receives on-the-job training from his supervisor (Aykroyd). 

Whitfield gets an opportunity to make a drug bust when a women (Newman) faking a pregnancy tries to get through customs.

Film by Gary Weiss:"The Voice"
While Laraine Newman shops for clothes, she hears a disturbing disembodied voice in her head that sings to her. 

"Sermonette"
The Most Reverend Arch Bishop Maharishi O'Mulliganstein (Chase), of the Church Of Confusion, delivers a nonsensical sermon.

"Somewhere In France, 1944"
During World War II, American soldiers (Belushi, Chase, Morris) stop a jeep carrying men (Aykroyd, Murray) who they suspect are German spies. They submit the men to a series of questions that will determine whether or not they are Germans.

Billy Joel:"Just The Way You Are"
"Just The Way You Are" appeared on The Stranger and was released as a single in September of 1977. It peaked at #3 in the U.S.. 

"Endings"
Three British women (Curtin, Newman, Radner) drink tea and discuss Charlie's Angels. Chevy then interrupts the sketch and tells them to quickly wrap it up. They agree, but Chevy suddenly gets confused and feels stuck in the sketch.

We learn that he is in fact stuck in The Twilight Zone, which turns out to be a TV show watched by Truman Capote (Belushi).

Another series of endings to the sketch follows, including an appearance by the Land Shark (Chase)!

Goodnights:
Chevy says "it was very much fun to be back, good night everybody, thank you very much."

The camera then pans out to show that Chevy is playing a piano, surrounded by the cast as the credits roll.

Notes about this episode:
Regular readers know I generally focus only on the episodes and I avoid writing about the personal lives of the actors and writers. However, this episode is famous for an altercation between Chevy Chase and Bill Murray that occurred shortly before airtime. I'll just say that after re-watching this episode, I didn't notice any bad feelings from the fight carrying over into sketches. 

At the end of the "Endings" sketch, Garrett Morris sings a few lines of "Shuffle Off To Buffalo." This song was written by Al Dubin and Harry Warren and introduced in the 1933 film 42nd Street, where it was performed by Ruby Keeler and Clarence Nordstrom.

Ephemera:
Here's a promo for this episode featuring Chase:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKP6_4Y3l5k

Classic moment:
Chevy Chase becomes the first ex-cast member to return to host Saturday Night.

What stands out:
"Couple In Bed"-This sketch features great acting by Chase and Radner. It starts out like a "slice-of-life" piece, but then goes in a more absurd direction.

"Moth Masher"-Aykroyd delivers another great performance as a commercial pitchman.

What doesn't work:
"Weekend Update"-I felt like this went on too long and wasn't very funny. Just let Chevy return to "Update" and be done with it. 

J.A. Morris' rating:
The backstage drama doesn't translate into onstage energy, so this feels like an average episode rather than a triumphant return for Chevy Chase. 

2 and a half stars.

Season 2, Episode 4; Host:Karen Black, with John Prine

Aired October 16, 1976. 

Cold opening:"Chevy's back!"

Jane Curtin opens the show by announcing that Chevy Chase has returned after missing two episodes due to an injury.  She says he insisted on returning because he has something important to say to the audience and viewers at home.  Curtin introduces Chase, who is wheeled onstage by John Belushi.

Belushi asks Chevy if he's comfortable, then he tips over the wheelchair, which sends Chevy falling offstage.  Chevy then turns to the camera and announces "Live, from New York, it's Saturday Night!"

Monologue:"Mothers through the ages.

This week's host is actress Karen Black and she brings her son Hunter onstage for her opening monologue.  Black says that while she was pregnant, she read a lot about the history of motherhood.

She talks about how mothers have evolved over the centuries and we are shown an artist's rendering of these mothers.  For instance, the first mothers were often made of nothing but bark and cloth:

Talk show:"Baba Wawa At Large"

Baba Wawa interviews India's Prime Minister Indira Gandhi about her recent controversial declaration of a State Of Emergency and the imprisonment and torture her of political opponents.  Their conversation devolves into odd pronunciations of words and a discussion about fashion.  

"Debate '76"

President Gerald Ford (Chase) debates his challenger Jimmy Carter (Dan Aykroyd).  Ford is questioned about his recent declaration that Eastern Europe is not under Soviet domination.  After his controversial Playboy interview, Carter is asked if he still lusts after women.  

John Prine:"Hello In There"

Musical guest John Prine performs "Hello In There."  

This song first appeared on Prine's 1971 self-titled debut album and has been covered by many artists, including Joan Baez, R.E.M. and Bette Midler.  

"Weekend Update"

Chevy Chase reports on the top news stories of the day, which include:

Two Russian cosmonauts who are joined at the wrist have made history as "the first Siamese Twins in outer space."

And the United States Health Service received a request from Spain for 20 CCs of Swine Flu vaccine to inoculate their late dictator Generalissimo Francisco Franco.  

Commercial:"Triple Trac Razor"

Repeat from Season 1, episode 1.

Commercial:"Green Cross Cupcakes"

Written by Michael O'Donoghue and Tom Davis.

A couple (Black and Belushi) enjoy Green Cross Cupcakes, the cupcakes that don't cause cancer.  Gamma Ray Bakery-Laboratories fed the cupcakes to rats for five years and none of the rats developed cancer.  

"A*M*I*S*H":

This police TV show features the adventures of three Amish cops (Belushi, Chase and Curtin) who, due to religious constraints, walk to crime scenes.  The show's opening narration says that "A*M*I*S*H stands for Active Moralists In Search of Harmony.

"Love, Russian Style"

Russian empress Catherine The Great (Black) executes peasants and has a love affair with a horse.

Film by Gary Weis:"George Schultz"

Weis profiles George Schultz, owner of Pips, a Brooklyn nightclub where young comedians perform.

John Prine:"The Bottomless Lake"

Prine says his next song is based on a story his grandfather told him.  "The Bottomless Lake" was written by Prine and was later released on his 1984 album Aimless Love.  

"Lunch Counter Reunion":
Written by Marilyn Suzanne Miller.[1]

At a lunch counter, Ralph Bort (Aykroyd) runs into Patti Rivers at a shopping mall's lunch counter.  

They were part of the same high school graduating class ten years earlier and Ralph remembers lots of things about Patti and still has a crush on her. Patti doesn't remember him at all and tries to get away from Ralph because he's making her uncomfortable.  

Home Movie:"The Mr. Bill Show."

Written by Walter Williams.
When Mr. Bill's arm falls off, the doctor who shows up to treat his injury is his nemesis Mr. Sluggo!

Karen Black:"Ten Cents A Dance"

The host, accompanied by SNL's house band, sings "Ten Cents A Dance, " which was written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart for their 1930 musical Simple Simon.  

When the song is over, Black remains onstage and introduces the next sketch, which is related to her song...

"A Musical Tribute To American Coinage"

Several members of the cast sing songs about coins.  Leading off, Garrett Morris performs "Pennies From Heaven."  The song was introduced by Bing Crosby in 1936 and was written by Arthur Johnston and lyrics by Johnny Burke.

Next up, Chevy Chase sings the praises of the nickel with "Music! Music! Music! (Put Another Nickel In)," written by Stephen Weiss and Bernie Baum in 1949.  The song was first recorded by Etienne Paree with Eddie "Piano" Miller.  

Dan Aykroyd sings "Brother Can You Spare A Dime."  It was written by lyricist Yip Harburg and composer Jay Gorney for their 1932 musical revue Americana and later popularized by Bing Crosby.  

John Belushi wraps up the number with a tribute to the quarter, when he sings "One for My Baby (and One More for the Road)," which opens with the lyrics "It's quarter to three."  "One For My Baby" was written by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer for the 1943 film The Sky's The Limit and was sung in that film by Fred Astaire. 

While Belushi sings, a scroll appears onscreen that tells of Belushi's habit of stealing other peoples' money...and their jewelry...and their clothes.

When the tribute to coinage ends, the credits roll and the episode is over.

Notes about this episode:

Karen Black's name may be unfamiliar to some younger SNL fans who read this blog.  However, Black was a major star in the 1970s, especially during the "New Hollywood" era.

Karen Black as debate moderator "Ann Wrabel."

Black was nominated for an Oscar for Five Easy Pieces.  Other prominent films Black appeared in include Easy Rider, Nashville, Airport 1975, Family Plot, The Day Of The Locust, and The Great Gatsby.  Black later became an icon of cult horror films, most notably appearing in Rob Zombie's House Of 1,000 Corpses.

Black hosted SNL one more time in 1981, during show's ill-fated 6th season, shortly after the last of the original cast had departed.  She died in 2013 at age 74.  

This episode and the next two were broadcast from NBC's Studio One in Brooklyn because NBC News commandeered SNL's regular studio for their coverage of the 1976 Presidential election.  The Saturday Night cast and crew found this studio to be "disorienting and irritating."[2]

That might be why this episode contains more technical difficulties than usual.  For instance, when Chevy Chase turns to the camera to say "Live, from New York...,"  he does so with no lighting.

During "Weekend Update," Chase is looking into the wrong camera...or maybe the wrong camera is turned on.

The episode ends without the usual onstage goodnights from the cast and host.  I'm guessing this was also caused by some technical glitches. 

In the "Debate '76" sketch, Chevy Chase-as-Ford is asked about his claim that people of Eastern Europe don't consider themselves to be dominated by the Soviet Union.  This is a reference to an answer Pres. Ford gave during the final Presidential debate of 1976.  Ford said that there was "no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe and there never will be under a Ford administration."  This was a major gaffe, since Eastern Europe was mostly run by governments controlled by and/or aligned with the Soviet Union.  

Here's video of Ford's "Eastern Europe" gaffe:

This did major damage to Ford in the polls and may have cost him the election.[3]

Speaking of the debate sketch, Chevy Chase-as-Ford has a syringe sticking out of his left arm.

Nothing is said about the syringe in the sketch, but it's a reference to Ford receiving the swine flu vaccine two days earlier.[4]  Here's a photo of that:

In "Baba Wawa At Large," Baba presses Indira Gandhi about her recent declaration of a State Of National Emergency in India.  This edict went into effect on June 25, 1975 and it gave Gandhi dictatorial powers and resulted in the jailing of political opponents without trial, suspension of elections, censorship of the press forced sterilizations, among other abuses of power.  These actions by Gandhi and her ruling party were condemned by Amnesty International.  The state of emergency officially ended on March 23, 1977 and Gandhi's party was soundly defeated in the subsequent election.

In "Love, Russian Style," Karen Black plays Catherine The Great and the sketch shows Catherine having an affair with a horse.  This is based on a long-persisting myth that Catherine died while engaging in sexual congress with a horse.  Historians now believe this allegation is apocryphal.  Also, the title of the sketch "Love, Russian Style" is probably a reference to the comedy anthology series Love, American Style, which ran on ABC from 1969 to 1974.

What stands out:
"Debate '76"-another hilarious debate sketch.  Dan Aykroyd-as-Carter's response to the question about the Playboy interview is a highlight of this episode.

"Lunch Counter Reunion."
This brilliant "playlet" features great performances by Jane Curtin and Dan Aykroyd as two people who attended the same high school at the same time but have nothing in common and few shared memories.

"Green Cross Cupcakes"-This sketch is bizarre, funny and amazing.  It's another example of something that you wouldn't see anywhere else on TV in 1976.  Black and Belushi are also perfect as the middle class couple that loves the "cancer-free" cupcakes.  

Karen Black's monologue-Black performs her monologue while holding her 10-month old son Hunter, who is a major handful to wrangle!  I can't recall any other SNL host trying to do this.  Black doesn't let this bother her and gets through her monologue without making errors and she deserves kudos for that!

"Hello In There"-John Prine gives a great performance of one of his best songs.

"A Musical Tribute To American Coinage"-this gave Saturday Night's male cast members the chance to show off their singing voices and it was a nice way to close out the show.

J.A. Morris' rating;
This is another solid episode and Black was a good host who had nice chemistry with the Not Ready For Prime Time Players.  John Prime's songs also added to my enjoyment of the episode.

3 stars.

Footnotes:
[1] Saturday Night, by Doug Hill and Jeff Weingard, p.260-261.
[2] Ibid, p.239.
[3] Saturday Night Live and the 1976 Presidential Election, by M. Heather Carver and William T. Horner, p.129-130.
[4] Playboy interview, May 1977, by John Blumenthal and Lindsay Maracotto.