Saturday, April 21, 2018

Trick Shtick

Harry "The Hat" Anderson 1952-2018

Night Court 1984-1992

Dave's World 1993-1997

Harry Anderson is best known for his two hit sitcoms (three, if you really know your '80s television), and while none of those series were lacking in laughs, I don't think any of them were the best showcase for his talent, which was simply Anderson alone in front of an audience doing his act. Not that I personally was in that audience. Instead I watched at home as Anderson for a time also made sporadic appearances on Johnny Carson and Saturday Night Live, but it at least gave me a sense of what his night club act must have been like. And what was that act? Before he became a wisecracking judge and a wisecracking Miami columnist, Anderson was a wisecracking magician. Watch:

 







 And, for the grand finale, perhaps the most gruesome trick ever devised by the mind of Man:



Don't try that at home...or at a needle-exchange program.


13 comments:

  1. I used to have round glasses
    I looked like Billy Bunter

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    Replies
    1. I didn't know you wore glasses at all, John. Welcome to the club.

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  2. Hi, Kirk!

    I thoroughly enjoyed watching highlights of the late Harry Anderson's entertaining magic acts. His technique and patter were smooth as silk. He was a great ad libber and a master at working the audience. He made it look easy and that's the name of the game.

    That needle through the arm illusion was indeed gruesome. I had never seen it before. Unfortunately I just tried it here at home and now I'm bleeding all over my keyboard!

    Hey did you read today's headline:

    "Verne Troyer, Mini Me in ‘Austin Powers,’ dead at 49!"

    Remember we were just discussing him a couple of weeks ago?

    Enjoy the rest of your weekend, good buddy Kirk!

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    Replies
    1. I hope you got some band-aids on hand, Shady.

      Sorry to hear about Verne Troyer. He definitely was one of the highlights of those Austen Powers movies. I recall he also was on the reality show The Surreal Life. Christopher Knight (Peter Brady) was one of his costars. No official cause of death has been mentioned, but a statement issued to Troyer's Twitter account mentioned suicide, making the whole thing even sadder.

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  3. I tried to be a fan of his and tried numerous times to watch Night Court, and could never become fans of either. I did enjoy the old wisecracking Selma Diamond. I didn't dislike him, I guess it just wasn't meant to be.

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    Replies
    1. It's all subjective, maddie. I'm never sure who's going to be interested in these little pop culture dispatches of mine. I'm frequently surprised by people's likes and dislikes, even people whose blogs I've been reading for years. If nothing else, that uncertainty makes the whole enterprise interesting to me!

      Speaking of Selma Diamond, maddie, have you ever seen It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, World? If you have, do you remember a scene where Spencer Tracy is on the phone arguing with his wife? That's Diamond's voice on the other end of the line.

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  4. I loved his stand-up. I want the Grappler.

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    1. Mitchell, the Grappler sounds like one of those items you can only buy if you've seen the commercial on late night TV.

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  5. I always liked Harry Anderson and I loved "Night Court." I was sorry to learn that he had died.

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    1. He was only 65, Debra. Sad.

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    2. Debra, I just re-read my reply to you. I think Donald Trump is rubbing off on me. Egads!

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  6. He lived in Asheville, NC which isn't far from me. Also one of the few ultra liberal spots in a deep red south.

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    Replies
    1. Adam, if for some reason I ever have to move to North Carolina, I now know where to look for an apartment.

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