Ed Wynn introduces "Silent Television"

[Chris Seguin]

A clip I posted I hadn't seen before, with Ed Wynn introducing Buster for (according to him) the first time on live TV. This is from the Alpha DVD of Ed Wynn V.2, this bit isn't included on the Laughsmith DVD. Buster, as always, is delightful.



Does anybody know an airdate for this show? Also, has anyone here ever seen the clip Buster discusses in his autobiography, where he demonstrates to Wynn the art of pie-throwing on various Keystone Kops?

Chris

[Cole Johnson]

The original airdate for this show was December 8, 1949.

[Steve Massa]

Hi Chris
I've seen Buster's pie throwing clip from the Ed Wynn Show. In 1996 the Museum of Televesion & Radio in NYC did "The Return of the Man in the Pork Pie Hat: Buster Keaton on Television," a nine program series of Buster's guest appearances, commercials, etc. They had stuff we've all seen and a number of rarities. They didn't give the broadcast date for the Wynn show, only identified it as 1950 and it's the last five minutes. I remember that Hank Mann is the main cop who gets hit with a pie.

Steve

[Chris Seguin]

Courtesy of Ian Elliot of another, similar forum, the Keaton/Keystone Cops episode was broadcast on June 15, 1950, the final episode of the show.


http://www.classictvinfo.com/EdWynn/

[Cole Johnson]

In an article in the Los Angeles Times on the day of Wynn's "Keystone Kops" show, (6-15-50), the cast is given as Chester Conklin, Hank Mann, Snub Pollard, Tiny Ward, Heinie Conklin, and Georgia Gibbs. Oddly enough, Buster wasn't mentioned, and perhaps was intended as a "surprise cameo" in the last few minutes of the program. This was also the last episode of Wynn's show. Keaton was more of a conventional guest star on Wynn's 12-8-49 broadcast.

[Chris Seguin]

If you're to believe Keaton's autobiography (and how much can you believe ANY autobiography), he was a last minute addition to an already planned skit involving ex-Keystone players. Since Buster names four of the same "kops" as the L.A. Times, I'm going to go with him on this one. Would love to see this routine!

Here's how Buster describes the situation:

"Only a few years ago I had another chance to demonstrate the
art of custard-pie throwing on Ed Wynn's TV program. I had been
guest star several times on Ed's show, but this was an impromptu
appearance. As everybody knows, Ed is a lifelong collector of
funny hats. One day I found one I thought he would like and
brought it to the CBS Playhouse where he was broadcasting. I
found him in his dressing room, being made up. After admiring
the hat and thanking me for it, Ed asked, "Where do you keep
your stage wardrobe?"
"Home," I replied, "but why?"
"I have no finish for tonight's show. I thought if you come on
you might think of something. How fast can you get home and
change into your stage clothes and get back?"

I told him, It will take me ten minutes to drive there, ten to
drive back, and five minutes more to dig up the stage outfit and
get into it"

Ed looked at his watch, saw he had thirty-three minutes before
going on, and said, "You can just make it. That's if you hurry."
He quickly explained that he had lined up four of the old Keystone
Cops to demonstrate custard-pie throwing.

"Why I never thought of getting the champ," he added,
"I'll never understand. Even now I don't know how to use the piethrowing
for the finish. But hurry and try to think of a finish for
me."

I raced home, hustled into my old outfit pork-pie hat, slap
shoes, and baggy pants, and was back in time. But not in time,
of course, to write any dialogue or to explain to the cameraman
where I was going to move and what I was going to do next. And
without that a camera rehearsal everybody, particularly in the
control room, can get very confused on a TV show.

But there was no time to worry about that.

Everybody loved the finish I improvised except Chester Conklin,
Hank Mann, his brother Heinie, and Snub Pollard, the four
Keystone Cops involved. They had been looking forward to throwing
the custard pies and did not like my taking over the job. They
had to be sweet-talked into accepting the change I had dreamed
up.

As many TV fans will recall, Ed Wynn always ended his show
by coming out in nightgown and nightcap, carrying a candle, and
getting into bed.

This night I followed him on, sat on the side of his bed, and
warned him, "Now, Ed, if you're going in for this style of comedy
and getting mixed up with characters like Keystone Cops, you've
got to learn to throw pies. Tm going to give you your first lesson
tonight"

I went off stage, got Hank Mann, and stood him near the head
of the bed. Then I got a pie from the stack on a tea table.
"Now, anyone can do this one," I explained to Ed Wynn, demonstrating
as I talked, "It is called the walking thrust. All you need
to do is walk up to him and push it in his face. But before you
start away, give it a slight twist That's in the interests of effi-
ciency. The slight turn makes the dough portion of the pie cling
to the victim."

"Just a second," I said, "till I get a clean Cop."

When I had the next Keystone Cop lined up I continued my
lecture to Wynn, saying, "Any time you have to throw one of these
things from three to six feet you shot putt it-like this. But, my
friend, the secret, when you have to throw the pie more than
eight feet, is to have exactly enough dough in the pie so it will remain
perpendicular, that is, sail flat as it comes off your fingers."
With the third Cop ready, I continued my explanation with,
"However, if you wish to be more artistic, you use the renowned
ancient Roman discus throw which is by far the most beautiful delivery
of all." In demonstrating this I spun halfway around, turning
the pie as I whirled, and let go hitting the Cop square in the face.
Now I paused for a moment, as though awed by the significance
of the final contribution I was to make to Ed's education in slapstick.
"The last one, of course, is the most difficult," I told him.
"And, Ed, it will take you years to learn to throw like this!
"For this one is the custard-pie throw that everyone misses with
most often. It is really the same sort of overhand throw that the
catcher makes to second base from behind the plate.
"As you can observe, Ed, you pull back your arm just as far as
it will go, then bring the pie in all of the way from East St. Louis
and let 'er go!'"

Traveling all the way across the stage as that custard pie did,
you need luck to catch your target square. But luck was with me
that night, the fourth and final Cop catching it right in the face.
"I got the finish I wanted," Ed Wynn whispered to me. "You
saved the show for me tonight"

[Paul E. Gierucki]

Keaton appeared on an episode of CBC's CLOSE-UP (April 1, 1962) titled THREE COMEDIANS. Frank Willis introduces the program while Bob Quintrell interviews Buster Keaton, Bert Lahr and Eddie Foy Jr. Toward the end of the program Buster gives a fantastic pie throwing demonstration which is not much different than the action described above. The footage exists by way of a kinescope.

-- Paul E. Gierucki

[Chris Seguin]

That footage resides in the National Archives in Ottawa, along with the 30 minute reel of TEN GIRLS AGO. Unfortunately, when I traveled to Ottawa to see it, they couldn't access the CLOSE-UP footage...which was just tremendously frustrating. It was interesting to see a few minutes of it on the MAKE 'EM LAUGH documentary.

[Ian Elliot]

Whatta coincidence--just uploaded on YouTube about a week ago by the CBC.



And Buster's interview with Fletcher Markle on CBC's TELESCOPE can be seen here:

http://archives.cbc.ca/arts_entertainme ... ips/14950/

Ian Elliot

[Chris Seguin]

Thanks Ian -- you always come through! What a great clip, I love that they're all sitting around smoking, with that massive coffee pot in the middle of the table. (It reminds me of the clip of Moe Howard on the 1960s talk show "Strictly for Laughs".
Buster's in great form, covering a lot of the same old territory but in a much more relaxed forum. I love watching him deal with the pie crumbling under his hand and, of course, he scores a beautifully timed bullseye. Wonderful.
Not if only the CBC would post the behind-the-scenes footage from the shooting of THE SCRIBE, a bit of which shows up in A HARD ACT TO FOLLOW.
Chris