Salute to Stan Laurel (1965) starring Lucille Ball, Buster Keaton, Dick Van Dyke, Bob Newhart, Phil Silvers, Audrey Meadows
After Stan Laurel‘s death in 1965, Salute to Stan Laurel was created, to remember him, his partner Oliver Hardy, and other great clowns. It features great film and television clowns of the time. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, as some of them are absolutely hilarious, and others are CBS promoting their upcoming shows.
Introduction
The introductions of the various members are short clown skits – some are very funny. They are:
- Lucille Ball – as a flapper, who puts her gum under the table. And then gets stuck, dragging the table with her.
- Buster Keaton – he throws a pie, which goes around the room, only to hit him in the face.
- Tina Louise – locked out as the snow falls, she carries a little bundle …. Only to reveal that it’s a bundle of clothes to be washed.
- Audrey Meadows sticks her head out a window to wave hello …. Only for the window to fall down on her.
- Bob Newhart as a movie director.
- Louis Nye – his face shows behind a cut out of a ballerina. The cut out falls forward, revealing that he’s dressed as a ballerina!
- Cesar Romero – carving a turkey — but the turkey carves back!
- Phil Silvers knocks on the door of a speakeasy – only for the window on the door to open, and the person inside paints over his glasses.
- Dick Van Dyke – sleeping on a park bench, with three of his legs sticking out, with ‘Dick’, ‘Van’, and ‘Dyke’ written on the bottom of each.
Song and Dance
The “salute dancers” come on stage, dressed like Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, and perform the song “Stanley”. It frankly makes me think of the opening to The Red Skelton Hour.
Dick Van Dyke introduction
Dick Van Dyke comes on stage, and gives a very nice speech about his friend, Stan Laurel.
In the Park sketch
Lucille Ball and Buster Keaton (with Harvey Korman as the police officer) do a very funny, very clownish sketch. It’s chock-full of clown bits strung together, and it’s hilariously funny!
Modern comedy versus slapstick
Dick Van Dyke takes the stage, recreating a funny sketch from The Dick Van Dyke Show. He’s giving a speech about how “modern” comedy has outgrown slapstick. And, how people don’t laugh at slapstick any more. All the while, he’s repeatedly hurting himself in a variety of slapstick ways, to which the audience laughs, of course.
One change from the original sketch is that he has more things to “play with” – such as a boom microphone, which he hits his head on, et cetera.
The Uncle Freddie Show
Bob Newhart comes on, and does a very funny monologue. It deals with the fictional kid’s show, Uncle Freddie, that plays the Laurel and Hardy cartoons.
The Perils of Pearl
Audrey Meadows stars in a spoof of the old-time movie serial as the heroine Pearl. She’s strapped to a buzz saw. Will the hero rescue her in time? Then, Pearl appears as a woman, held captive in a harem. Her dancing with the lion was the funniest part of this skit. Then, about to be burned at the stake by Native Americans. Then, sitting on top of a giant bomb. This all leads into a dance number. Little or nothing to do with Stan Laurel.
Silent Movie
Recreating the making of a silent film, with Cesar Romero and Tina Louise. And Louis Nye tries to provide mood music. “Get him a new fiddle and keep going!” It’s funny, but it goes on too long. The writers should have remembered the Rule of Three. And, it has nothing to do with Stan Laurel. Fred Gwynne, as Hermann Munster, makes a surprise appearance at the end as the new violinist.
Stan Laurel’s Oscar
Danny Kaye speaks about Stan Laurel receiving a lifetime achievement Oscar in 1961. Fitting, since Danny Kaye received it for Stan, since Stan couldn’t make it. A nice, sweet moment.
Phil Silvers
Phil Silvers give a highly fictionalized autobiography, with one or two passing mentions of Stan Laurel.
Gregory Peck
Gregory Peck comes on to mention the Motion Picture relief fund, as well as to plug the newly-released (at the time) Laurel and Hardy’s Laughing 20’s. And to thank the audience.
Cast
- Lucille Ball
- Mary Foran … Woman dancing with Phil Silvers in sketch
- Fred Gwynne … Herman Munster
- Oliver Hardy … Self (archive footage)
- Bern Hoffman … Dad / Cop / Bully in Phil Silvers sketch
- Danny Kaye
- Buster Keaton
- Leonid Kinskey … Movie director in silent movie sketch
- Harvey Korman … Cop in Keaton Sketch
- Stan Laurel … Self (archive footage)
- Tina Louise
- Michael Mason … Drummer w / Phil Silvers
- Audrey Meadows
- Bob Newhart
- Louis Nye
- Gregory Peck
- Cesar Romero
- Phil Silvers
- Dick Van Dyke
Trivia
- The tribute was not well-received by critics, who felt that the program felt less like a celebration of Stan Laurel’s career than a promo for the new fall shows.
- Dick Van Dyke (who was also one of the producers) reportedly complained that his vision for the Salute had itself been hacked to pieces by network corporate types.
- This was the last comedy performance of Buster Keaton, who had been diagnosed as terminally ill. He died a few months later. Lucille Ball and Keaton were their own mutual admiration society. Lucy considered him her mentor and Keaton championed Ball’s talent, even before her TV fame.