Betty White just celebrated her 99th birthday. Bob Hope and George Burns lived to be 100. Carl Reiner passed away last June at the age of 98. Is there a pattern here - do laughter and a sense of humor contribute to longevity? To be sure, we can think of dozens of comedians that died young, but I’m convinced that a good belly laugh every now and then is good for both mind and body.
The end of January into early February is generally thought of as the saddest time of year for many. The holidays are over; the nights are still long, and the weather can be cold and dreary. Some say that the day after the Super Bowl is the most depressing day of the year – whether or not your team won --, the party is over, and “Football Withdrawal” (https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/01/140130141225.htm) is apparently a real thing (not something I ever have to worry about myself …. But don’t get me started about football).
It goes without saying that this winter is more difficult than others, what with the effects of the pandemic approaching a full year. Maybe more than ever, we need to take the advice of the experts:
“A day without laughter is a day wasted.” ~ Charlie Chaplin
“Humor is just another defense against the universe.” ~ Mel Brooks
“The human race has one really effective weapon, and that is laughter.” ~ Mark Twain
“I have seen what a laugh can do. It can transform almost unbearable tears into something bearable, even hopeful.” ~ Bob Hope
“Oh, I love to laugh. Laughing is the best thing you can do.” ~ Betty White
These days, of course, our email in-boxes and Facebook threads are full of jokes and videos. I also know that a sense of humor is a personal thing, and what’s funny to me may not seem funny to you, and vice versa. Even so, I’m hoping that at least one of these random vintage clips proves to have a wider appeal, and generates a smile if not a chortle or belly laugh. I had fun looking for them!
MOVIES:
Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis go incognito to escape the mob in the 1959 movie “Some Like it Hot”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wP9Mu1NKXk
Peter Sellers in “The Pink Panther” series of the 1960’s: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khCYegdgo9A
Clips from “The Russians are Coming!”, released during the height of the Cold War in 1966. :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGgJPmOUmDU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmRuVv2V5Go
A nod to Cloris Leachman, who just passed away last week at the age of 94:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gv1Oi3K1vN0
TELEVISION:
From “Caesar’s Hour”, a TV show that ran from 1954-1957, Sid Caesar and Howie Morris demonstrate their mastery of double-talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5m6Czgl1acU&list=RDRp96lUJ-t5w&index=9
Also from the 1950’s, classic Burns and Allen:
Gracie applies for a driver’s license: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XP-OO6YEHkM
A montage of clips from the show that ran from 1950-1958: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfSHvzONzVM
There are so many videos from “I Love Lucy”, it was difficult to choose a favorite:
Lucy and Ethel take a crack at baking bread: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RA3hc4P3qe8
A selection of more Lucy classic : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNa-VqxYv34
The town Jamestown, New York – Lucy’s birthplace – staged a mass grape stomp reenactment several years ago in her honor: https://www.prweb.com/releases/2014/10/prweb12245189.htm
From the Carol Burnett Show:
“Went With the Wind”: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x380nyj
Tim Conway and Harvey Korman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IUSM4EKcRI
Sometimes, it’s just too difficult to suppress the laughter, as Mary Richards learned at a funeral for Chuckles the Clown:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJny78bpsgo
And sometimes, no words are needed (David Hyde Pierce in “Frasier”):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpImet3Xwgw
Bob Newhart’s career spans 60 years, from his start in stand up comedy:
(Smothers Brothers, 1960’s): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUck4Q2_orQ
…to his role as Professor Proton on “The Big Bang Theory” as
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIjjGrJHSIo
Saturday Night Live has been airing comedy sketches since the mid 1970s. The 1975 horror flick “JAWS” led to this parody skit featuring Gilda Radner, Jane Curtin, and Candice Bergen:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_NS2H55dxI&list=LLUwRkRqC2IJ0u5qAUMGuQCQ&index=17
I could go on, but I’ll end here, back where I started with Betty White. Here is a tribute to her 99 years and a comedy career that began more than 70 years ago:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r88MI16aTyA
What’s your favorite comedy show or movie? Who’s your favorite comedian or actor? Do you prefer slapstick or more subtle humor? Thanks to the Internet, a good laugh is just a few key strokes away via GOOGLE and other search engines –
