Diary of a Young Comic

Last updated

Diary of a Young Comic
Written by
Directed by Gary Weis
Starring
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
CinematographyErik Daarstad
Running time90 minutes
Original release
Network NBC
ReleaseFebruary 3, 1979 (1979-02-03)

Diary of a Young Comic is a 1979 made-for-television comedy film starring Richard Lewis, Dom DeLuise and George Jessel and directed by Gary Weis.

Contents

The film is a satirical take on Hollywood and follows the story of a young stand-up comic who moves to Los Angeles trying to make it big.

Plot

Billy Gondolstein (Richard Lewis) is a young Jewish stand-up comic from New York City who decides to change his surname to Gondola and try his luck on the Los Angeles comedy scene, much to his family's dismay. [1]

In Los Angeles, Billy reconnects with his cousin, Shirley Gondolstein, also from New York. [2] She advises Billy that she now goes by the name "Shi" and that "Essence is all that matters to me anymore." [3] Shi lives in a bare apartment and, while Billy is visiting, her boyfriend Fred (now known as "Fre") shows-up to dump some straw on the floor. [3] [4] Shi tells Billy that the straw is "a queen-sized bed." [3]

Billy soon finds that everyone he meets is either obsessed with celebrity or is an out-of-work performer working a part-time job: His landlord, Mr. Porzinski (Stacy Keach) also works as a stunt man and Billy takes a cab and finds out that his driver is also a composer. [2] One of Billy's neighbors (Linda Kerridge) is the spitting image of Marilyn Monroe. [2] Billy visits a psychotherapist (Richard Dimitri) whose office walls are covered with the pictures of the celebrities he has treated, with their eyes covered with strips of black tape to supposedly protect their identities. [5] On his way out of the therapist's office, Billy remarks "Say, isn't that Flipper?" [3]

Dom DeLuise, George Jessel, Gary Mule Deer, Nina van Pallandt and Loudon Wainwright III all make cameo appearances in the film as themselves. [2]

Cast

Production

Prior to Diary of a Young Comic, director Gary Weis was the creator over 45 short film segments for Saturday Night Live (SNL). [3] SNL's creator, Lorne Michaels, served as the film's executive producer. [5]

The script was written by Richard Lewis and Bennett Tramer, based on a story originally conceived by Weis. [6] Weis decided to put Lewis in the film after watching him perform at The Comedy Store in Los Angeles. [7] Tramer approached Lewis after one of his stand up sets at The Improv and suggested that Lewis might be a good fit for a project he was working on with Weis. [4]

NBC aired the film on February 3, 1979, during SNL's timeslot, while the show was on hiatus. [6]

Critical reception

Reviews of the film were mixed, but mostly positive. Owen McNally of the Hartford Courant wrote: "Diary of a Young Comic is a clever, offbeat, often amusing special which pinch-hits rather capably for Saturday Night Live tonight on NBC...it has much of that harsh, satiric kind of comedy that makes Saturday Night Live such an invigorating blast of clean, bracing air in a medium polluted with tedium." [8] Somewhat in contrast, Michael Kilgore of The Tampa Tribune wrote: "It's funny, mostly through an outsider's viewpoint in California, poking holes in the jacuzzi/est/mellow lifestyle there, but it's funny in a traditional way, not in the bizarre/rococo manner we've become accustomed to on Saturday Night." He added that the film "is easy entertainment, traditional comedy instead of Saturday Night's madness, but that doesn't make it dull." [3]

John J. O'Connor of The New York Times called Diary of a Young Comic "a struggling film about a struggling young comedian. Perhaps in a clever attempt to reflect its subject, it is childish, pointless, wildly uneven and, not infrequently, devastatingly funny," and added that the film "has a generous share of nice touches." [9] The review by Tom Jory of the Associated Press was even more positive; he referred to the film as "90 minutes of non-stop hilarity" and referred to the supporting cast as "impressive". [2]

Howard Rosenberg of the Los Angeles Times , however, was not as impressed. He called the film a "sloppy amorphous and undisciplined story," and that "it's the kind of comedy you'd imagine Woody Allen doing as an adolescent, teasingly providing enough unpolished gems to keep us interested, and occasionally howling, but never complete satisfaction or evidence that mature artists are at work." Rosenberg added: "The energy is there and some of the humor is right on target, but the story is thin and seems to be chiefly a vehicle for one-liners and gags, even some of the best of which ultimately are ruined when carried to excess." [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gilda Radner</span> American actress and comedian (1946–1989)

Gilda Susan Radner was an American actress, comedian, writer, and singer. Radner was one of the seven original cast members of the "Not Ready For Prime Time Players" on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from its inception in 1975 until her departure in 1980. In her routines on SNL, she specialized in parodies of television stereotypes, such as advice specialists and news anchors. In 1978, Radner won an Emmy Award for her performances on the show. She also portrayed those characters in her highly successful one-woman show on Broadway in 1979. Radner's SNL work established her as an iconic figure in the history of American comedy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Farley</span> American comedian and actor (1964–1997)

Christopher Crosby Farley was an American comedian and actor. He was known for his loud, energetic comedic style, and was a member of Chicago's Second City Theatre and later a cast member of the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live for five seasons from 1990 to 1995. He went on to pursue a film career, appearing in films such as Airheads, Tommy Boy, Black Sheep, Beverly Hills Ninja, and Almost Heroes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Lewis (comedian)</span> American stand-up comedian (1947–2024)

Richard Philip Lewis was an American stand-up comedian, actor, and writer. Lewis came to prominence in the 1980s and became known for his dark, neurotic, and self-deprecating humor. As an actor, he was known for starring in the ABC sitcom Anything but Love from 1989 to 1992, and for playing the role of Prince John in the 1993 film Robin Hood: Men in Tights. Lewis also had a recurring role as a semi-fictionalized version of himself in the HBO comedy series Curb Your Enthusiasm from 2000 to 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pamela Stephenson</span> New Zealand psychologist and actress (born 1949)

Pamela Stephenson, Lady Connolly is a New Zealand-born psychologist, writer, actress and comedian. She moved with her family to Australia in 1953 and studied at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA). After playing several stage and television roles, she emigrated to the United Kingdom in 1976.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Smigel</span> American comedian, writer, puppeteer and actor

Robert Smigel is an American actor, comedian, writer, director, producer, and puppeteer, known for his Saturday Night Live "TV Funhouse" cartoon shorts and as the puppeteer and voice behind Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. He also co-wrote the first two Hotel Transylvania films, You Don't Mess with the Zohan, and Leo, all starring Adam Sandler.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dom DeLuise</span> American actor (1933-2009)

Dominick DeLuise was an American actor, comedian and author. Known primarily for comedy roles, he rose to fame in the 1970s as a frequent guest on television variety shows. He is widely recognized for his performances in the films of Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder, as well as a series of collaborations and a double act with Burt Reynolds. Beginning in the 1980s, his popularity expanded to younger audiences from voicing characters in several major animated productions, particularly those of Don Bluth.

<i>Robin Hood: Men in Tights</i> 1993 film by Mel Brooks

Robin Hood: Men in Tights is a 1993 adventure comedy film and a parody of the Robin Hood story. The film was produced and directed by Mel Brooks, co-written by Brooks, Evan Chandler, and J. David Shapiro based on a story by Chandler and Shapiro, and stars Cary Elwes, Richard Lewis, and Dave Chappelle in his film debut. It includes frequent comedic references to previous Robin Hood films, particularly Prince of Thieves, and the 1938 Errol Flynn adaptation The Adventures of Robin Hood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria Jackson</span> American comedian (born 1959)

Victoria Jackson is an American actress and comedian. Jackson was a cast member on the series Saturday Night Live from 1986 to 1992.

<i>Mr. Mikes Mondo Video</i> 1979 film by Michael ODonoghue

Mr. Mike's Mondo Video is a 1979 American comedy film conceived and directed by Saturday Night Live writer/featured player Michael O'Donoghue. It is a spoof of the controversial 1962 documentary Mondo Cane, showing people doing weird stunts.

<i>Mr. Saturday Night</i> 1992 film by Billy Crystal

Mr. Saturday Night is a 1992 American comedy-drama film that marked the directorial debut of its star, Billy Crystal.

Jerome Charles Minor Jr. is an American actor, comedian and writer known for his comedic roles in numerous television programs such as Mr. Show, Saturday Night Live, Trigger Happy TV, Delocated, Brickleberry, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Crossballs, The Hotwives of Orlando, Carpoolers, Community, Lucky Louie, and Dr. Ken.

Tom Schiller is an American writer best known for his eleven-year stint writing and directing short films for Saturday Night Live. His films, often featuring members of the original SNL cast, aired on the program in a segment titled, "Schiller's Reel." He is the son of TV comedy writer/producer Bob Schiller.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elayne Boosler</span> American comedian

Elayne Boosler is an American comedian, writer, and actress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kristen Wiig</span> American actress and comedian (born 1973)

Kristen Carroll Wiig is an American actress, comedian, screenwriter and producer. First breaking through as a performer with the Los Angeles comedy troupe The Groundlings, Wiig achieved nationwide stardom during her seven-season tenure on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 2005 to 2012.

<i>Wholly Moses!</i> 1980 film by Gary Weis

Wholly Moses! is a 1980 American Biblical spoof film written by Guy Thomas and directed by Gary Weis. Dudley Moore plays Old Testament-era idol maker Herschel, whose life and adventures seem to parallel that of the more famous Moses, all the while being misled to think he is the prophet of God. The film also stars Laraine Newman, James Coco, Paul Sand, Jack Gilford, Dom DeLuise, John Houseman, Madeline Kahn, David Lander, Richard Pryor, and John Ritter.

Gary Weis is an American filmmaker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carol Arthur</span> American actress (1935–2020)

Carol Arthur DeLuise, known professionally as Carol Arthur, was an American actress, mainly recognizable in supporting roles in films directed by Mel Brooks.

Tim Robinson is an American comedian, actor, writer, and producer. He first became known as a writer and performer on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 2012 to 2014, before gaining wider recognition as the co-creator, co-writer and star of the comedy series Detroiters (2017–2018) and I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson (2019–present).

<i>Lucky Boy</i> (1929 film) 1929 film by Norman Taurog

Lucky Boy is a 1929 American sound part-talkie musical comedy-drama film directed by Norman Taurog and Charles C. Wilson, most notable for starring George Jessel in his first known surviving feature picture. In addition to sequences with audible dialogue or talking sequences, the film features a synchronized musical score, singing and sound effects along with English intertitles. The sound was recorded using the Tiffany-Tone system using RCA Photophone equipment. The film's plot bore strong similarities to that of the hit 1927 film The Jazz Singer, which had originally been intended to star Jessel before Al Jolson took over the role.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Longfellow</span> American actor and comedian (born 1994)

Michael Longfellow is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and writer. Longfellow was hired to join the cast of the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live as a featured player for its 48th season in 2022, making his debut alongside Marcello Hernandez, Molly Kearney, and Devon Walker.

References

  1. ↑ Reich, Howard (November 4, 2014). "DVD set shows arc of Richard Lewis' life". Arts & Entertainment. Chicago Tribune . Chicago, Illinois, United States. p. 1. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Jory, Tom (February 3, 1979). "Comic's tale pure hilarity" . Television & Radio. The Boston Globe . Boston, Massachusetts. Associated Press. p. 17. Retrieved April 11, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Kilgore, Michael (February 3, 1979). "'Comic' Looks At L.A. With Jaded Eyes" . The Tampa Tribune . Tampa, Florida, United States. p. 8D. Retrieved April 11, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  4. 1 2 Knoedelseder, William (2009). I'm Dying up Here : Heartbreak and High Times in Stand-up Comedy's Golden Era. PublicAffairs. pp. 141–146. ISBN   978-1586488963.
  5. 1 2 Bednarski, P.J. (February 3, 1979). "Show captures the plastic that is – California" . TV. The Journal Herald . Dayton, Ohio, United States. p. 38. Retrieved April 11, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  6. 1 2 3 Rosenberg, Howard (February 3, 1979). "'Comic' Adds Laughs 'Co-Ed' Adds Little" . Part II. The Los Angeles Times . Los Angeles, California, United States. p. 2. Retrieved April 2, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ Witbeck, Charles (February 2, 1979). "Richard Lewis cracks big screen in NBC's 'Diary of Young Comic'" . TV Tonight. Mansfield News Journal . Mansfield, Ohio, United States. p. 21. Retrieved April 11, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ McNally, Owen. "Brash, Satiric 'Diary' Fills Comic Bill Capably" . Hartford Courant . Hartford, Connecticut, United States. p. 27. Retrieved April 11, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ O'Connor, John J. (February 3, 1979). "'Comic' very funny" . The Morning News . Wilmington, Delaware, United States. New York Times Service. p. 20. Retrieved April 2, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.