Goddamn I miss that man.
One of his more obscure bits, from SNL 1986 (it obv. helps to know the original ads):
Frank Bartles (Phil): Hello. I am Frank Bartles. And this is my partner, Ed Jaymes.
Ed Jaymes (E. Whitney Brown): Hello.
Frank Bartles: We hope you enjoyed the first game of the World Series, we are sorry the Mets lost. But what a slugfest that was. Ed and I have asked the National Broadcasting Company for this time to discuss something that you may heard about - crack. In case you do not get out as much as we do, crack is a drug. Now, Ed and I tried a lot of fool things when we were young, but fortunately we stopped before we suffered any.. permanent damage. Right, Ed?
Ed Jaymes: [ nods slowly ]
Frank Bartles: At least, I did. Why, one time, Ed put a penny on a railroad track, and it got real big.. [ Ed extends his arms ] But crack is a different matter. Even a little bit can cause you to become really stupid. That is what makes people do it a second time. Crack is a killer drug. Take it from us. It is nice to grow old. You can sit on the porch and stare at things all day. Or, you can wave at people as they drive by. Wave, Ed! [Ed nods] Wave, Ed! [Ed waves] These activities cannot be enjoyed when you are dead!
Once again, we thank you for your support, and now Ed would like to say a few words.
Ed Jaymes: "Live.. from New York.. it is Saturday Night."
Share the love.
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 21:42 (eighteen years ago) link
Alec Baldwin says that he didn't always like some of the more juvenile sketches he appeared in (like the "Schwetti balls" one), but there was a scene he was in where Hartman simply tugged at him with a look of manic desperation in his eye and said "Take me with you" that caused Baldwin to totally lose it.
― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 21:51 (eighteen years ago) link
― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 21:58 (eighteen years ago) link
― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 21:59 (eighteen years ago) link
― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 22:18 (eighteen years ago) link
His best moment was him as Reagan during the skit where he was a manic, mafia type guy behind the scenes, but that sweet old man to the press. (This was in the midst of the Iran-Contra scandal.)
― donut Get Behind Me Carbon Dioxide (donut), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 22:45 (eighteen years ago) link
...Compulsion.
― donut Get Behind Me Carbon Dioxide (donut), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 22:47 (eighteen years ago) link
― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 22:56 (eighteen years ago) link
― Allyzay knows a little German (allyzay), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 23:14 (eighteen years ago) link
The little car made out of clay.
― donut Get Behind Me Carbon Dioxide (donut), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 23:17 (eighteen years ago) link
"Gaybee? What the hell is a gaybee?"
"You'd have to buy a Ram Van for that!"
― when something smacks of something (dave225.3), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 23:18 (eighteen years ago) link
― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 23:20 (eighteen years ago) link
― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 23:23 (eighteen years ago) link
― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 23:24 (eighteen years ago) link
― Allyzay knows a little German (allyzay), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 23:26 (eighteen years ago) link
― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 23:26 (eighteen years ago) link
― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 23:27 (eighteen years ago) link
― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 23:27 (eighteen years ago) link
― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 23:28 (eighteen years ago) link
― Allyzay knows a little German (allyzay), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 23:34 (eighteen years ago) link
― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 23:38 (eighteen years ago) link
― Allyzay knows a little German (allyzay), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 23:39 (eighteen years ago) link
― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 23:42 (eighteen years ago) link
― Allyzay knows a little German (allyzay), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 23:43 (eighteen years ago) link
too late.
― when something smacks of something (dave225.3), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 23:44 (eighteen years ago) link
― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 23:46 (eighteen years ago) link
― Allyzay knows a little German (allyzay), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 23:47 (eighteen years ago) link
― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 23:48 (eighteen years ago) link
Ally OTM, still a tragic void, all the years later....
― when something smacks of something (dave225.3), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 23:48 (eighteen years ago) link
― when something smacks of something (dave225.3), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 23:49 (eighteen years ago) link
― latebloomer: snakes, snails, and puppydog tails (latebloomer), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 23:55 (eighteen years ago) link
― latebloomer: snakes, snails, and puppydog tails (latebloomer), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 23:57 (eighteen years ago) link
― when something smacks of something (dave225.3), Wednesday, 7 September 2005 23:58 (eighteen years ago) link
"Jon Lovitz:
"I'll tell you a story about Phil. You know, we do that sketch Jim Downey wrote, 'Tarzan, Tonto, and Frankenstein.' So they did it once where it was like a talk show and Nora Dunn was doing the 'Pat Stevens Show' with Tarzan, Tonto, and Frankenstein. And Phil is Frankenstein and all of a sudden he starts laughing, right, like he just completely broke up -- ha ha, you know, he laughed out loud. And then he stopped.
"And then about fifteen seconds later, he just completely lost it. So then of course we all started laughing, because he's just losing it. And I'm thinking, 'What is he doing? We're on live television. It's not the Groundlings.' . . . So afterward I asked him, I said, 'What happened? What was so funny?' So he said, well, he was sitting there as Frankenstein and something happened, and thinking about how silly the sketch was, you know, just the idea of it made him laugh all of a sudden. So he started laughing. And then he stopped, right? And then, he said, he was sitting there thinking how funny it must have looked to see Frankenstein laugh like that. And then that just made him like lose it."
― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Thursday, 8 September 2005 00:01 (eighteen years ago) link
― k/l (Ken L), Thursday, 8 September 2005 00:02 (eighteen years ago) link
― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Thursday, 8 September 2005 00:03 (eighteen years ago) link
― Allyzay knows a little German (allyzay), Thursday, 8 September 2005 00:04 (eighteen years ago) link
― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Thursday, 8 September 2005 00:10 (eighteen years ago) link
― Pangolino 2, Thursday, 8 September 2005 00:24 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 8 September 2005 00:25 (eighteen years ago) link
― James Mitchell (James Mitchell), Thursday, 8 September 2005 00:29 (eighteen years ago) link
Ed OTM about the Zapp Braningan thing too. That was the plan, that Groening wanted him for the voice, but then he passed away, so when Billy West showed them the voice he could do for it they were flabbergasted.
"Quoth the raven - what a shine!"
― Trayce (trayce), Thursday, 8 September 2005 00:32 (eighteen years ago) link
― Masked Gazza, Thursday, 8 September 2005 02:28 (eighteen years ago) link
― Casuistry (Chris P), Thursday, 8 September 2005 02:31 (eighteen years ago) link
-- Rickey Wright (rrricke...), September 8th, 2005.
That's a great bit - "Succinctly Speaking"
Host: Tonight's topic -- fire. Tarzan?
Tarzan: Fire good.
Host: Tonto?
Tonto: Fire good, keemosabe.
Host: Frankenstein?
Frankenstein: fire BAAAAD!!!!
― Hurting (Hurting), Thursday, 8 September 2005 02:36 (eighteen years ago) link
Hartman grew up in Connecticut and L.A., where he pursued a career in graphic art. (Hartman designed several album covers, including Steely Dan's Aja, as well as a logo for Crosby, Stills and Nash.)
from http://www.laweekly.com/ink/98/28/tv-shulman.php
Now, I can'ty find that fact about Aja anywhere else. Is it true??
― Masked Gazza, Thursday, 8 September 2005 02:45 (eighteen years ago) link
― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Thursday, 8 September 2005 03:09 (eighteen years ago) link
― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 8 September 2005 03:16 (eighteen years ago) link
Little snippet of the clueless 40s actor at the end of his SNL audition...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2X2hqdOMxyM
"I can do any dialect. Go ahead, call out a dialect."
"French!"
"I don't do that."
― The Amy Misto Family Knife (Plasmon), Thursday, 9 December 2010 20:57 (thirteen years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLyJ4QMj-5M
From the Shales/Miller book:"Jon Lovitz:"I'll tell you a story about Phil. You know, we do that sketch Jim Downey wrote, 'Tarzan, Tonto, and Frankenstein.' So they did it once where it was like a talk show and Nora Dunn was doing the 'Pat Stevens Show' with Tarzan, Tonto, and Frankenstein. And Phil is Frankenstein and all of a sudden he starts laughing, right, like he just completely broke up -- ha ha, you know, he laughed out loud. And then he stopped."And then about fifteen seconds later, he just completely lost it. So then of course we all started laughing, because he's just losing it. And I'm thinking, 'What is he doing? We're on live television. It's not the Groundlings.' . . . So afterward I asked him, I said, 'What happened? What was so funny?' So he said, well, he was sitting there as Frankenstein and something happened, and thinking about how silly the sketch was, you know, just the idea of it made him laugh all of a sudden. So he started laughing. And then he stopped, right? And then, he said, he was sitting there thinking how funny it must have looked to see Frankenstein laugh like that. And then that just made him like lose it."― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Wednesday, September 7, 2005 8:01 PM (5 years ago)
― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Wednesday, September 7, 2005 8:01 PM (5 years ago)
― Lightning Is For Babies (Johnny Fever), Thursday, 9 December 2010 21:26 (thirteen years ago) link
Absolutely crying laughing over the German impressionist about halfway through the audition tape.
― The animal magnetism of Tim Pawlenty (Dan Peterson), Thursday, 9 December 2010 21:40 (thirteen years ago) link
Zomg real tears of real laughter at the German. Ow it hurts
― Square-Panted Sponge Robert (VegemiteGrrrl), Thursday, 9 December 2010 21:50 (thirteen years ago) link
I get so sad every time I hear his voice on the simpsons
― the nagl is the nagl (dayo), Thursday, 9 December 2010 23:55 (thirteen years ago) link
http://www.ecovoxrecords.com/noodlemuffin/curseofsimpsons/jpegs/PhilHartman1.jpg
― omar little, Thursday, 9 December 2010 23:57 (thirteen years ago) link
Now this is something the other tour guides won't tell you. In this particular cell-block, Machine Gun Kelly had what we call in the prison system, a "bitch". And one night in a jealous rage Kelly took a make-shift knife or "shiv", and cut out the bitch's eyes. And as if this wasn't enough retribution for Kelly, the next day he and four other inmates took turns pissing into the bitch's ocular cavities.This way to the cafeteria!
― Phil Hartman, also the king of cameos (nickalicious), Thursday, September 8, 2005 12:19 PM (5 years ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink
<3 <3 <3
― ˙❤‿❤˙˙❤‿❤˙ (ENBB), Friday, 10 December 2010 00:11 (thirteen years ago) link
feel like if I had phil hartman's voice I would get so many chicks
― the nagl is the nagl (dayo), Friday, 10 December 2010 00:58 (thirteen years ago) link
just found out we went to the same highschool
― jaxon, Thursday, 30 June 2011 01:00 (twelve years ago) link
that german impressionist bit had me crying with laughter. oh my god.
― by another name (amateurist), Thursday, 30 June 2011 01:19 (twelve years ago) link
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/bb55b081bd/player-with-yourselves-club
― Ned Raggett, Friday, 1 July 2011 20:00 (twelve years ago) link
I hope his wife is burning in hellblunty6feetunder 3 months ago
― rip nyc chicken (am0n), Friday, 1 July 2011 20:11 (twelve years ago) link
How heart-breaking is that odd sketch with and Jan Hooks where she plays an old woman that goes to a safety deposit box to reminisce? She puts on some pearls or something and is transformed into a young woman and dances with Phil Hartman while they sing a duet, and then at the end she becomes the old woman again, and the bank security guard puts his hand on her shoulder and its Phil as an old man...? This summary doesn't really do it justice, but when they aired it after Phil's death there wasn't a dry eye in (my) house.
Spot on. Bless ya, Phil:
http://vimeo.com/23450183
― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 7 January 2012 20:19 (twelve years ago) link
"He fancied himself a master thespian - the actor's actor. His performances had more filigree than a Gothic cathedral."
― Fanfare for the History Mayne (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 7 January 2012 21:26 (twelve years ago) link
...fifteen years. Jesus.
― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 29 May 2013 05:24 (ten years ago) link
:(
still remember hearing about this on the radio while coming home from a family vacation -- my mom and i were both seriously bummed out.
― (The Other) J.D. (J.D.), Wednesday, 29 May 2013 06:11 (ten years ago) link
Simply the best.
― Your Favorite Album in the Cutout Bin, Wednesday, 29 May 2013 14:59 (ten years ago) link
I was at work the day it happened, and part of my job was actually monitoring the AP and other newswires for news about our clients, and I saw this come across. I was dumbfounded. I still can't believe he's dead sometimes.
I was just recently re-watching some season 3 Simpsons, and watched the one where Bart is accused of murdering Skinner. Lionel Hutz is so great in that episode, esp. when Skinner turns up alive at the end. "Your honor, do I still get paid>"
― Huston we got chicken lol (Phil D.), Wednesday, 29 May 2013 15:04 (ten years ago) link
I hope that, in honor of the anniversary yesterday, Jon Lovitz went out and beat up Andy Dick.
― Huston we got chicken lol (Phil D.), Wednesday, 29 May 2013 15:26 (ten years ago) link
Would have been 65 today.
― A Made Man In The Mellow Mafia (C. Grisso/McCain), Tuesday, 24 September 2013 18:39 (ten years ago) link
go with god you big palooka
― I’m a sophisticated guy, I like sophisticated music (forksclovetofu), Tuesday, 24 September 2013 18:42 (ten years ago) link
There's a book coming out Tuesday. Excerpt about the murder: http://www.salon.com/2014/09/21/phil_hartmans_final_night_the_tragic_death_of_a_saturday_night_live_genius/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=socialflow
― You and Dad's Army? (C. Grisso/McCain), Monday, 22 September 2014 07:03 (nine years ago) link
I've already got it coming in the mail (hopefully today).
― Johnny Fever, Monday, 22 September 2014 14:07 (nine years ago) link
seein him in Pee Wee's Playhouse episodes makes me miss him all over again
― Οὖτις, Monday, 22 September 2014 15:24 (nine years ago) link
http://www.avclub.com/article/maura-tierney-affair-newsradio-and-being-fired-gro-210942
AVC: Do you have a definitive Phil Hartman story?MT: Um. [Long pause.] I don’t know. I do remember one thing he said to me. Joe Rogan was being so fucking mean to me one day—and mostly we were all friends, but Joe could be a weirdo—and I was sort of upset about it, so I was just sitting over in the corner. And Phil came over and put his arm around me, and he said, “You know, I just want to tell you you’re loved.” Isn’t that really nice? I know you expected me to tell some wacky story about Phil, but he was like that, too. He just put his arm around me and said that. He was so sweet. He was a really nice man.
MT: Um. [Long pause.] I don’t know. I do remember one thing he said to me. Joe Rogan was being so fucking mean to me one day—and mostly we were all friends, but Joe could be a weirdo—and I was sort of upset about it, so I was just sitting over in the corner. And Phil came over and put his arm around me, and he said, “You know, I just want to tell you you’re loved.” Isn’t that really nice? I know you expected me to tell some wacky story about Phil, but he was like that, too. He just put his arm around me and said that. He was so sweet. He was a really nice man.
― Don A Henley And Get Over It (C. Grisso/McCain), Tuesday, 4 November 2014 16:42 (nine years ago) link
:)
― Johnny Fever, Tuesday, 4 November 2014 16:44 (nine years ago) link
20 years ago today.
― Johnny Fever, Tuesday, 29 May 2018 03:56 (five years ago) link
Didn't remember him doing Trump (and Jan Hooks as Ivana) on SNL...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1gC912LUq0
― Making Plans For Sturgill (C. Grisso/McCain), Tuesday, 29 May 2018 07:39 (five years ago) link
Also: Somebody uploaded a mastercut of the Max Jerome ads
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jlvK3Uc7e4
― Making Plans For Sturgill (C. Grisso/McCain), Tuesday, 29 May 2018 08:01 (five years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BdwxUXRbTk
― Precious, Grace, Hill & Beard LTD. (C. Grisso/McCain), Saturday, 13 November 2021 00:57 (two years ago) link
Would have been 75 today...
― an icon of a worried-looking, long-haired, bespectacled man (C. Grisso/McCain), Sunday, 24 September 2023 22:20 (seven months ago) link
Joe Rogan was being so fucking mean to me one day—and mostly we were all friends, but Joe could be a weirdo
Nice to know he was always like this.
― Stoop Crone (Trayce), Sunday, 24 September 2023 23:22 (seven months ago) link
Yeah, looking again at Newsradio in recent years and it's pretty much all there already, except his character is generally regarded by the show as an idiot and tool.
― an icon of a worried-looking, long-haired, bespectacled man (C. Grisso/McCain), Sunday, 24 September 2023 23:55 (seven months ago) link
Wasnt he an afterthought/change of actor anyway? ISTR the pilot had anoter guy.
― Stoop Crone (Trayce), Monday, 25 September 2023 00:24 (seven months ago) link
Sort of. They originally cast Ray Romano as the handyman/tech guy, but he was dismissed before the pilot was filmed, and was replaced by an actor named Greg Lee, who was then replaced by Rogan when the series was picked up. Lee's character was a little different from Rogan's, which was probably tailored to his existing style (Rogan had already been doing standup and had other similar TV roles)
― an icon of a worried-looking, long-haired, bespectacled man (C. Grisso/McCain), Monday, 25 September 2023 00:58 (seven months ago) link
IIRC Rogan's character is depicted and constantly called out as a paranoid nut who's into crazy conspiracies. Anyway, that show has one of the craziest casts - it's pretty cool how they were able to tap into the best-known ensembles from that era due to the connections each actor had with either SNL, Kids in the Hall, the Ben Stiller Show, etc. with all of their other alum doing good guest turns, but so many of the main cast had these ridiculous fates. I guess everyone knew Andy Dick was a nutty creep, but Hartman getting murdered, Foley's horrendous divorce and Rogan's rise to fame, influence and billions of dollars....who would've guessed.
― birdistheword, Monday, 25 September 2023 02:55 (seven months ago) link
connections each actor had with either SNL, Kids in the Hall, the Ben Stiller Show
^all those fall under SNL either by SNL itself or Broadway Video
― Its big ball chunky time (Jimmy The Mod Awaits The Return Of His Beloved), Monday, 25 September 2023 03:14 (seven months ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjNP3tiE6N8
― an icon of a worried-looking, long-haired, bespectacled man (C. Grisso/McCain), Monday, 25 September 2023 03:52 (seven months ago) link
Here's something really amazing from Tom Snyder's show from the night after...an excerpt from an earlier interview wherein Hartman explains how easily impressions came to him by demonstrating how he, John Wayne, Jack Benny, and Jack Nicholson have the same voice projected from different places (clip at 2:50)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciDcWCDXxas
The whole original interview:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thBO3PG5GPQ
― an icon of a worried-looking, long-haired, bespectacled man (C. Grisso/McCain), Monday, 25 September 2023 04:17 (seven months ago) link
xpost They also had a lot of the Mr. Show cast on, though that’s another SNL connection obv
― Beyond Goo and Evol (President Keyes), Monday, 25 September 2023 12:50 (seven months ago) link
^^Was just thinking thinking of that ep with Odenkirk, Posehn and Cross as Dave's college Acapella group.
― an icon of a worried-looking, long-haired, bespectacled man (C. Grisso/McCain), Monday, 25 September 2023 22:53 (seven months ago) link
Oh my god, I completely forgot about the thing where Bill McNeal was Mark Russell in the elevator....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FvW66hEjyo
Bonus Early Lauren Graham Action!
― an icon of a worried-looking, long-haired, bespectacled man (C. Grisso/McCain), Monday, 25 September 2023 22:56 (seven months ago) link
The Dana Carvey & David Spade "Fly On The Wall" pod just dropped two episodes (around 5 hours total) recorded live at The Groundlings' Tribute To Phil.
― an icon of a worried-looking, long-haired, bespectacled man (C. Grisso/McCain), Wednesday, 27 September 2023 18:17 (seven months ago) link
^^Panel Discussion w/the hosts, Kevin Nealon, Julia Sweeney, and Jim Downey.
― an icon of a worried-looking, long-haired, bespectacled man (C. Grisso/McCain), Wednesday, 27 September 2023 18:55 (seven months ago) link
Thanks!!!
― The Triumphant Return of Bernard & Stubbs (Raymond Cummings), Wednesday, 27 September 2023 19:01 (seven months ago) link
He was a really nice man.
Not many SNL cast members you could say that about.
― immodesty blaise (jimbeaux), Wednesday, 27 September 2023 19:24 (seven months ago) link
Here's those SNL Change Bank ads with Downey they go on at length about. Hartman's in the second one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXDxNCzUspM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KodqIPMbyUg
― an icon of a worried-looking, long-haired, bespectacled man (C. Grisso/McCain), Wednesday, 27 September 2023 19:37 (seven months ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0w2R2JvZ7U
"She gave me several options"
― Its big ball chunky time (Jimmy The Mod Awaits The Return Of His Beloved), Wednesday, 27 September 2023 21:07 (seven months ago) link
Here's that hostage sketch Downey was enthusing about:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8PLGXHW5gY
and the follow-up:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1ZyffcKxu0
― an icon of a worried-looking, long-haired, bespectacled man (C. Grisso/McCain), Wednesday, 27 September 2023 21:27 (seven months ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEtrT3E4vb8
― an icon of a worried-looking, long-haired, bespectacled man (C. Grisso/McCain), Wednesday, 27 September 2023 22:31 (seven months ago) link