Martin Short's hour long comedy special from 1985. Skits include Doug Henning, Jackie Rodgers Jr, Ed Grimley, Jerry Lewis, Montgomery Clift, Nathan Thurm.
Being born and raised in Hamilton Ontario, I had the chance to meet Marty a few times. I was just a kid, but obsessed with SCTV. I saw him on the way to his highschool reunion (the highschool I would attend years later), and he did a little Ed Grimley for me in a gas station parking lot. He's a national treasure.
I’ve always thought of Martin Short as a lovely person. It’s nice to hear your story; it reinforces the notion that it’s the simplest gestures of kindness that can mean the most and last the longest. Thanks for sharing it. 🇨🇦
@@jaykay1053 so true that simple gestures and kindness can change someone's day. Not related to mr short, but when I was a kid, I was terrified of storms. Living in Dixie alley (a place in 'merica 🇺🇲 where tornados typically occur), that was a bad place to be if you were scared of storms. Especially if the weather guy would hype it up when a storm occured. One day it was storming bad and we had to run to the store, the UPS guy stopped by the house to see my mom cause he was in the neighborhood and they were friends. He got down on my level (which was really sweet, looking back as an adult) and in a calm voice explained that his boss wouldn't allow him to be out if the weather was dangerous. Which I now realize was probably a fib, but it helped so much as a kid cause I was ugly crying and everything lol. I wish the news would focus more on the positive out there instead of negativity all the time. Guess that sells more, though 🤷🏻♀️
Glad I could post it. It was converted from a VHS, as you may have guessed, but I think it came out great. Couldn't find much from this on youtube prior...
Thanks so much for uploading it. I remember the dance skit he did with Andrea Martin, and I think it's on this special. One of the funniest skits ever.
I was so happy to find this, thanks a million for making the whole show available! For several years I had this on VHS and we would often watch it for laughs. At one point my brother’s friend taped over part of the recording but we kept what was remaining. Very pleased to discover this!
Thanks for uploading this one. It was a favorite of mine in middle and high school. My friend had it on VHS and we’d watch it repeatedly and always make references to Irving Cohen, Jackie Rogers Jr., Doug Henning, etc. in class.
Fantastic! I taped this on VHS in 1985 and it got taped over. This is such a classic - have looked for years to see if it would come out on DVD. Brilliant Martin Short.
With older comedy specials and albums, it seems much more likely that the comedy albums themselves will be re-released in digital format years later but a lot of that depends on the surviving family/estate of deceased comedians. The estates of both Richard Pryor and Rodney Dangerfield have gone out of their way to make sure their comedy albums are available in CD format going so far as to remaster the original sessions tapes. I know that in Rodney's case his widow also re-released the bulk of, if not all of his comedy specials (network TV and cable), on DVD a while after he passed away in 2004(?). It's just a lot of work and it depends on what they think their fanbase is. Some of these guys, like most of the SNL and SCTV guys, haven't done a special in years or decades and it's only people with long memories who remember this stuff. It might be better for them to make a license with Netflix or other streaming service to pick up the rights to old specials and rerun them on those services unless there's a specific reason a cable network (HBO or Showtime) doesn't allow that. I know that on re-releases of things like the original Pee-Wee's Playhouse on DVD you can clearly see the fact that it was aired on HBO but I don't know how that work if they tried to air it on Netflix. Rights issues can be a pain-in-the-butt which is why half the old TV series that used contemporary pop music end up getting home video releases where they removed that music because the record companies made it prohibitively expensive to relicense the music for home video releases.
btw 54:31 is where he sings "if love were all". The lyrics in the song sounded like he picked this song for more than it just sounded good. "...Since my life began, all I've had is the talent to amuse...", I feel like he related to that especially but could only find himself to express it in song. If anyone knows, do tell me if there are performances of him singing like he does here, not for comedy but just for the song. He has a lovely voice. :)
Martin Short is one of the few gifted comics who’s an exception to the “angry, tortured comic” rule. Most of the greatest comics and artists are plagued by depression, anxiety and rage. Martin Short, Billy Crystal and a few others seem to have escaped those demons. Painful childhoods and shitty parents (redundant) are typically the cause of the angry, depressed comic/artist. I wonder if Short and Crystal were ever interviewed about their childhoods. Would be curious to know if my theory holds true in their cases.
Martin Short is a comedy genius! Excellent comedy special! The lady in the Jerry Lewis"Tender Fella" sketch is Martin's wife, Nancy Dolman. I love the song that Martin and Paul did at the end of the show. very beautiful singing.
The late great Bobby Short made it his own - and there's a splendid Carmen McRae recording too... (I'm sure you can find both on TH-cam...). Noel Coward was a genius!
I taped this over my sisters drill team competition one day when i was home sick from high school, they played both Martin Short specials back to back! When my mom found out my epic Martin Short tape was never seen again!
+Chris Coggins I had the opposite problem. I taped it on a new tape and my brother taped over it with a bunch of old Dr Who's. I never let him live that down! I am so happy I can watch it again!
Love the Doug Henning act! BTW, it took me forever to find the sheet music to the "obscure Noel Coward" song he sings at the end since the actual title is "If Love Were All" . :-)
Martin looks like a little kid!! I hope his new show on NBC (2016) is okay. He had a failed skit show and a short lived talk show a while back. I still love him, SCTV and Inner Space (most underrated comedy SF film).
I'd give this about a 7 out of ten rating. This odd hybrid of a live stage show and taped segments is a hit-and-miss collection of skits that are by turns strange and funny. Its grab bag of skits and music, with much of the show taped at a large theater in front of a live audience, proudly wears its Vaudevillian roots on its sleeves. Most of the strongest bits, like the Irving Cohen sketch, appear in the second half of the show so for those who are watching the first part and thinking wtf, hang in there! Yes, Ed Grimley has a skit, although I thought it was weak, and I definitely could have done without Jackie Rogers, Jr.
From Irving Cohen to Jackie Rodgers Jr to Grimley to Glick , Marty Short is truly one of the very few actual comedic geniuses of all time. And as far as his creativity no one measures up to register of characters. He's been my favorite for 30 plus years.
I've been looking for this for many, many years. One of the funniest comedy hours ever and the quality here is pretty good considering. Downloading and making my own DVD. What a treasure. Thanks again.
Opening prayer scene with Christopher Guest made 12 months of quarantine, 18 additional pounds, relapse of major depressive disorder and 7 inches of dust on every surface of my home worthwhile.
50:42 “I Believe”, by Noel Coward. Is that its name? Thank you, thank you, thank you for posting this old show. After all the fun and masterful physical comedy by Short, and all the zany goofing by the whole, silly cast, who would have guessed that Marty could sing this well, and so tenderly? “I believe... that since my life began, The most I’ve had is just - a talent to amuse.” Expertly performed by both Martin Short and Paul Shafer. This touched me as I think it may have truly touched both musicians, who are old, genuine friends, both with a truly sophisticated musical sensibility. Musical Gold, Canadian-style. 🇨🇦 Thanks again to the poster.
It’s interesting, I could watch him all day and think he’s a freaking genius, but yet his most popular (arguably) character Ed Grimley, I’ve never found funny 😂
FINALLY!!!!!! A friend lent me this back in the '80s and I've been looking for it ever since. No idea why this was never released on DVD. Thank you for uploading it, can I get a copy from you? :D
Thanks for the upload ha ha DONUTS! My dad recorded this off the tv and when I was 11 back in ‘88 my friend and I watched this and knew it off by heart lol 😂 RIP John Candy 😢
THANK YOU FOR POSTING THIS. His performance of If Love Were All is briefly clipped when he receives the comedy award and I was desperate to listen to the whole performance.
These classic comedy specials prove that today creativity is dead. There is not much on TV that doesn't include opinion based attacks and attempts at gaining political points on social issues. Very boring and sad
This is the best thing ever . When Andrea Martin was acting all soft-spoken and humble but turns out to be so great to help pass the time for the audience and that British pop star kidnapping etc it’s beyond brilliant
But does anyone know why they pulled "Scenes from an Idiot's Marriage"? One of THE most brilliant skit SCTV ever did. And now it's not available. Anybody?
Absolutely awesome portrayal of Montgomery Clift by Martin in this. Not going to tell you where...you should watch all of this anyway....and when the song comes....you may feel like I did, that you have to listen again.
Being born and raised in Hamilton Ontario, I had the chance to meet Marty a few times. I was just a kid, but obsessed with SCTV. I saw him on the way to his highschool reunion (the highschool I would attend years later), and he did a little Ed Grimley for me in a gas station parking lot. He's a national treasure.
WOW...what highschool was that? I know a lot of people from Hamilton.
@@jlouutube65 Westdale
I’ve always thought of Martin Short as a lovely person. It’s nice to hear your story; it reinforces the notion that it’s the simplest gestures of kindness that can mean the most and last the longest. Thanks for sharing it. 🇨🇦
So decent, I must say!
@@jaykay1053 so true that simple gestures and kindness can change someone's day. Not related to mr short, but when I was a kid, I was terrified of storms. Living in Dixie alley (a place in 'merica 🇺🇲 where tornados typically occur), that was a bad place to be if you were scared of storms. Especially if the weather guy would hype it up when a storm occured. One day it was storming bad and we had to run to the store, the UPS guy stopped by the house to see my mom cause he was in the neighborhood and they were friends. He got down on my level (which was really sweet, looking back as an adult) and in a calm voice explained that his boss wouldn't allow him to be out if the weather was dangerous. Which I now realize was probably a fib, but it helped so much as a kid cause I was ugly crying and everything lol. I wish the news would focus more on the positive out there instead of negativity all the time. Guess that sells more, though 🤷🏻♀️
His imitation of P.E.T. was genius! :D
Martin Shorts actual wife playing the woman in the movie trailer how cute
Jackie Rodgers, Jr.'s memoir - "Damn You, Daddy Sir!"
His Monty Cliff impression is dead-on.
so funny .......
Martin Short is the Greatest!
Glad I could post it. It was converted from a VHS, as you may have guessed, but I think it came out great. Couldn't find much from this on youtube prior...
Thanks for preserving and sharing this piece of comedic history!
Thanks so much for uploading it. I remember the dance skit he did with Andrea Martin, and I think it's on this special. One of the funniest skits ever.
I was so happy to find this, thanks a million for making the whole show available! For several years I had this on VHS and we would often watch it for laughs. At one point my brother’s friend taped over part of the recording but we kept what was remaining. Very pleased to discover this!
Thanks for uploading this one. It was a favorite of mine in middle and high school. My friend had it on VHS and we’d watch it repeatedly and always make references to Irving Cohen, Jackie Rogers Jr., Doug Henning, etc. in class.
Martin Short is without doubt one of the most brilliant, versatile comedians. I've been a fan for many years.
💯
Was
@@mehermusic2154 Ageist, anyone?
ABSOLUTELY unfunny. Never liked him - always turned the channel when he came on. Just awful.
@@daviddrupa1638 What are you doing here?
I love how Irving Cohen gets a bouncy C inside a senate hearing.
Only by his chin did I recognize Christopher Guest in that first sketch. He can morph into characters so amazingly
Very strange and chaotic: a bit of brilliance. One rarely sees anything like this. Thanks for discovering the piece.
What a great hour of comedy! Martin Short is a treasure. Can't believe I've been a fan for over thirty years! What a career he's had!
Timothy!
Yes mother?
I need to be rolled over.
Well who doesn't!?!?
Joe Flaherty's Charleton Heston is hilarious. I love how he always gets a neck cramp... Haw haw haw!!!
🥰😍😘
Tender Fella! been looking for this for a while now.
Fantastic! I taped this on VHS in 1985 and it got taped over. This is such a classic - have looked for years to see if it would come out on DVD. Brilliant Martin Short.
With older comedy specials and albums, it seems much more likely that the comedy albums themselves will be re-released in digital format years later but a lot of that depends on the surviving family/estate of deceased comedians. The estates of both Richard Pryor and Rodney Dangerfield have gone out of their way to make sure their comedy albums are available in CD format going so far as to remaster the original sessions tapes. I know that in Rodney's case his widow also re-released the bulk of, if not all of his comedy specials (network TV and cable), on DVD a while after he passed away in 2004(?).
It's just a lot of work and it depends on what they think their fanbase is. Some of these guys, like most of the SNL and SCTV guys, haven't done a special in years or decades and it's only people with long memories who remember this stuff. It might be better for them to make a license with Netflix or other streaming service to pick up the rights to old specials and rerun them on those services unless there's a specific reason a cable network (HBO or Showtime) doesn't allow that.
I know that on re-releases of things like the original Pee-Wee's Playhouse on DVD you can clearly see the fact that it was aired on HBO but I don't know how that work if they tried to air it on Netflix. Rights issues can be a pain-in-the-butt which is why half the old TV series that used contemporary pop music end up getting home video releases where they removed that music because the record companies made it prohibitively expensive to relicense the music for home video releases.
'Timothy!... I need to be rolled over" .. WELL, WHO DOESN'T!!
Ah he was so handsome then! What a legend Marty is and always will be.
btw 54:31 is where he sings "if love were all".
The lyrics in the song sounded like he picked this song for more than it just sounded good. "...Since my life began, all I've had is the talent to amuse...", I feel like he related to that especially but could only find himself to express it in song. If anyone knows, do tell me if there are performances of him singing like he does here, not for comedy but just for the song. He has a lovely voice. :)
Is it weird I had a crush on him when I was 6 years old? I think after 3 Amigos came out.
To me he looks even better now.
@@hollygolightly3333 OMG I had such a crush on him too!
He's really cute, he was very handsome. Still a great actor and comedian, love him on OMITB
The bouncy C. This bit is still funny.
41:50 "Da da da, dee dee dee, or whatever the hell else you wanna put in there." LMAO
Give me a C
A bouncy C
Martin Short is one of the few gifted comics who’s an exception to the “angry, tortured comic” rule. Most of the greatest comics and artists are plagued by depression, anxiety and rage. Martin Short, Billy Crystal and a few others seem to have escaped those demons. Painful childhoods and shitty parents (redundant) are typically the cause of the angry, depressed comic/artist. I wonder if Short and Crystal were ever interviewed about their childhoods. Would be curious to know if my theory holds true in their cases.
Great comment, I totally agree 👍.
Martin Short is a comedy genius! Excellent comedy special! The lady in the Jerry Lewis"Tender Fella" sketch is Martin's wife, Nancy Dolman. I love the song that Martin and Paul did at the end of the show. very beautiful singing.
I agree with "very strange and chaotic" but greatly appreciate the opportunity to see!
Love the song at 54:30!
I can totally imagine Tony Bennett singing it. Those high notes are wonderful. Bravo Martin!
The late great Bobby Short made it his own - and there's a splendid Carmen McRae recording too... (I'm sure you can find both on TH-cam...). Noel Coward was a genius!
42:42 --- JOE FLAHERTY as CHARLTON HESTON!!!!!! I was hoping Joe would have a part in this special. He didn't disappoint.
Martin's comic portrayals of Jerry Lewis and Monty Clift are genius.
I taped this over my sisters drill team competition one day when i was home sick from high school, they played both Martin Short specials back to back! When my mom found out my epic Martin Short tape was never seen again!
+Chris Coggins I had the opposite problem. I taped it on a new tape and my brother taped over it with a bunch of old Dr Who's. I never let him live that down! I am so happy I can watch it again!
Thank you for posting this! I remember this special and laughing till my sides hurt at his Doug Henning sketch. He absolutely nailed it!
Love the Doug Henning act! BTW, it took me forever to find the sheet music to the "obscure Noel Coward" song he sings at the end since the actual title is "If Love Were All" . :-)
Martin looks like a little kid!! I hope his new show on NBC (2016) is okay. He had a failed skit show and a short lived talk show a while back. I still love him, SCTV and Inner Space (most underrated comedy SF film).
Innerspace is a fantastic film. I love it.
I'd give this about a 7 out of ten rating. This odd hybrid of a live stage show and taped segments is a hit-and-miss collection of skits that are by turns strange and funny. Its grab bag of skits and music, with much of the show taped at a large theater in front of a live audience, proudly wears its Vaudevillian roots on its sleeves.
Most of the strongest bits, like the Irving Cohen sketch, appear in the second half of the show so for those who are watching the first part and thinking wtf, hang in there! Yes, Ed Grimley has a skit, although I thought it was weak, and I definitely could have done without Jackie Rogers, Jr.
He has an amazing signing voice and so flipping funny
I would kiss you but I've just eaten 😂
From Irving Cohen to Jackie Rodgers Jr to Grimley to Glick , Marty Short is truly one of the very few actual comedic geniuses of all time. And as far as his creativity no one measures up to register of characters. He's been my favorite for 30 plus years.
Thanks so much for this upload. I've looked for him singing 'Íf Love Were All' for decades. Beautiful. Comic genius.
I've been looking for this for many, many years. One of the funniest comedy hours ever and the quality here is pretty good considering. Downloading and making my own DVD. What a treasure. Thanks again.
Opening prayer scene with Christopher Guest made 12 months of quarantine, 18 additional pounds, relapse of major depressive disorder and 7 inches of dust on every surface of my home worthwhile.
@11:10 this is one of the funniest Martin Short's outrageous
comedy skits that I have ever seen! Absolutely, too hilarious!
This is the greatest ting ever! So glad it was posted!
50:42 “I Believe”, by Noel Coward. Is that its name? Thank you, thank you, thank you for posting this old show. After all the fun and masterful physical comedy by Short, and all the zany goofing by the whole, silly cast, who would have guessed that Marty could sing this well, and so tenderly?
“I believe... that since my life began,
The most I’ve had is just -
a talent to amuse.”
Expertly performed by both Martin Short and Paul Shafer. This touched me as I think it may have truly touched both musicians, who are old, genuine friends, both with a truly sophisticated musical sensibility. Musical Gold, Canadian-style. 🇨🇦
Thanks again to the poster.
It’s interesting, I could watch him all day and think he’s a freaking genius, but yet his most popular (arguably) character Ed Grimley, I’ve never found funny 😂
Marty is supremely talented and versatile....and genuine as can be. He’s 😂 hilarious
FINALLY!!!!!! A friend lent me this back in the '80s and I've been looking for it ever since. No idea why this was never released on DVD. Thank you for uploading it, can I get a copy from you? :D
Pigumon I actually burned all my Martin Short specials onto DVD . But all are VHS quality like this.
@@Juanfifarek That's epic! Would you be kind and upload them to TH-cam please? They are so hard to find. I love Martin Short... :)
Paul Shaffer...all of them... so very, very young!!
"I Married Monty"....omg !!!
GENIUS LEVEL COMEDIANS.... MARTIN SHORT, JIM CARREY, GEORGE CARLIN, BILLY CRYSTAL, ROBIN WILLIAMS...
❤ Love Martin Short, he is the best! Makes us laugh in every thing he does!
With ALL DUE respect and love to Marty, it is once again Joe Flaherty who steals the show. Imho.....
your opinion, haha
Thanks for the upload ha ha DONUTS! My dad recorded this off the tv and when I was 11 back in ‘88 my friend and I watched this and knew it off by heart lol 😂 RIP John Candy 😢
Lololol. The opening with Rajiv. 😁. I've never seen this before I thank you so much for sharing it.
I love the way he embraces uncomfortable awkwardness.
Martin's Montgomery Clift was strange and wonderful!
THANK YOU FOR POSTING THIS. His performance of If Love Were All is briefly clipped when he receives the comedy award and I was desperate to listen to the whole performance.
These classic comedy specials prove that today creativity is dead. There is not much on TV that doesn't include opinion based attacks and attempts at gaining political points on social issues. Very boring and sad
At the very beginning (before the other guy comes on)... That's pretty much exactly how I pray. LOL. I'm so awkward like that.
This is the best thing ever . When Andrea Martin was acting all soft-spoken and humble but turns out to be so great to help pass the time for the audience and that British pop star kidnapping etc it’s beyond brilliant
Why is this not available on DVD? Thanks for posting. I wore out my VHS. Best he ever was after SCTV.
The exercise instructor at 37:43 - was he a parody of someone or was he another wacky character created by Marty?
Chris Guest in brown face, nice, lol
Ssh.. I didn’t notice anything
Montgomery Clift? Who the f*ck does a Monty Clift impression? Man...this kid Short is talented...
Marty is gorgeous! Especially as Clifford, Eugene Proctor, Jack Putter and Jack Frost! And Jackie Rogers Jr is awesome!!!
@43:30 XD!!
It's count Floyd doing the funniest impersonation of Heston
OH, DAMN THIS TABLE...TO HELL!!
He stole the show with that
Martin is a freakin genius!!!
Thank you so much!!!
SCTV was phkn epic back in the day! Gave birth to Kids in the Hall I would say 😏
Thank you Marty 😘
Love his PET imitation.
This should be followed up by Chris Elliots Action House , another worthy contemporary.
Release the latch, LAAAAAAAADY!
The way its formatted this is basically an episode of SCTV.
Not a bad thing imo
I just LOVE all these special appearances...like the boom mike at minute 14:17...
One of the funniest shows ever.
I love the comedy and characters of Martin Short, and the entire cast of comic talent here. I heard this was broadcast on Showtime.
really...thanks for great share!!!
Ed Grimley. Perfectly hilarious. And don't forget the Half Wits game show....
Martin Short... with his old buddies from SCTV.
Amazing musical numbers. How soon we forget the _Second City._
Wow, Paul Schafer!
But does anyone know why they pulled "Scenes from an Idiot's Marriage"? One of THE most brilliant skit SCTV ever did. And now it's not available. Anybody?
Maybe because he already played Jerry Lewis in the "Tender Fella" skit.
martin is miraculous
Montgomery Clift was brilliant
I love this! Thank you so much!
Marty is inspired by peter sellers my favorite as well.
How come Ive never seen this? Absolutely brilliant. SMITE THEM LORD! SMITE THEM!! The other members of SCTV? Never.
Never smite them. Correct.
Gimme a C, a bouncy C… a C…
Brilliant talent
Nothing Short of bizarre!
Aww cute how he gets so emotional at the start ❤
Nathan Thurm 43:47
HOLY SHIT! THANK YOU!!
3:00, is that Bob Saget?
Jonathan Hochman Coming out on stage..? Martin Short, dude. Looks like Saget at 3:10 though.
"...Jackie needs a squirt of bactine" Why did I fall down laughing at that line?
We saw Steve Martin and Martin Short a few years back. Just a terrific show. This was kinda a disjointed show with people trying too hard.
Absolutely awesome portrayal of Montgomery Clift by Martin in this. Not going to tell you where...you should watch all of this anyway....and when the song comes....you may feel like I did, that you have to listen again.
24:55
Wasn't there a segment in this where he's at the Playboy Mansion and he keeps ordering a Pousse Cafe?
No, that is from Really Weird Tales.
36:56 - 37:29 PIERRE!!!
if there's a funnier moment than jerry lewis teaching guitar at 25:40 i cannot wait to see it ...
20:40
Thank you for uploading this 😂 I was in 5th grade when this came out…been known to quote it to this day 🖤
Lol! Amen. "This hearing is a mockery. Cuz you don't know how to do the ting" .
Tender Fella ! parody of Tender Mercies ....
34:whatever: enough withe Noodges already alright?