On YouTube one video leads to another and there goes the whole night. Across several videos I'm thinking what a remarkable comic creation. Martin Short created this himself, the character's look, his dress, his mannerism, and his own walk. Acting nutty is one thing, like Jerry Lewis, and this creation is another whole order of magnitude.
You'll notice Ed Grimley isn't always so manic. In some he is sadly misfit and others skits the writing is just dumb.
You'll notice Ed Grimley isn't always so manic. In some he is sadly misfit and others skits the writing is just dumb.
One with a toned down Ed Grimley has tight writing for John Mellencamp. The way that he finds his name and his transition onstage. Mellencamp does very well. I didn't realize until now that he is so small. It's loaded on the page behind this, if it doesn't play automatically like videos queue up on YouTube. The whole SCTV troupe is impressive.
5 comments:
Martin Short is an incredibly gifted performer. Ed Grimley always makes me laugh. Thanks for the morning laughter, Chip.
Short is one of those very talented people who isn't particularly likable, at least to me. Because he's a vicious prick. Underneath the "fun," his Ed Grimley character is a merciless depiction of a dork, without a hint of sympathy. Short's other great creation is Jiminy Glick. Again, he uses the Glick character as a cover to viciously "interview" Glick's victims. It's the heartlessness that wears thin in short order, pun intended.
I can like some pricks.
I didn't know this until later, the special from which the wolf-man skit appears, Martin Short imitates Jerry Lewis in another skit and out Jerry Lewises the real Jerry Lewis. The skit ends with the Lewis character teaching a woman's son to play the guitar. "You're holding it wrong. Wrap your hand around, not that way, the other way." The camera goes to the Mother while the instructions continue in the background. "Now put your fingers here, not there, over here, get your arm over..." The mother turns around and screams. The boy is shown with a fake arm and hand wrapped around the guitar neck like a snake, fingers spread, impossibly entangled in the strings. A cloth arm and hand twisted such as a human arm and hand cannot mangle.
The use of fake appendages and doll people to toss around cracks me up every time. Behind the sofa you can see the human hands tossing the Grimley doll in the air. I played that segment three times to die laughing at the hands tossing the doll.
Favorite Martin Short character was the SNL skit about the men's synchronized swimmers (with partner Harry Shearer) pursuing their dream of Olympic gold. And the sports not even an Olympic sport. YET. "I'm not that ... strong a swimmer" never fails to crack me up. It's the perfect Martin Short frantic sweet natured enthusiastic dimwit character.
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