Sadly, there’s a generation of movie fans that think Steve Martin is only the guy from the Cheaper By The Dozen films or from his comedy-team up with Queen Latifah, Bringing Down The House.
To make matters worse, this same audience will one day think of the Father Of The Bride films as where Steve Martin got his start.
I grew up with a very different Steve Martin, one who did movies before L.A. Story or Mixed Nuts.
He was wild.
He was crazy.
And now, Shout! Factory has assembled some of the comedian’s best and most obscure work in Steve Martin: The Television Stuff.
The Steve Martin that I first knew is the same one that you’ll find in this collection.
A stand-up superstar selling out huge venues who made frequent appearances on Saturday Night Live, integrating himself seamlessly into the cast but also showcasing his own brand of comedy (including his hit song, “King Tut”).
And thankfully, with the pop culture world quite a bit smaller, Martin got the opportunity to experiment in the television medium.
Martin had previously worked in television, writing for the Smothers Brothers, but became a sensation performing, often wearing a white suit, bunny ears, an arrow through his head, playing a banjo and acting manic. There was nothing manic about Martin’s act which was carefully constructed and executed.
The set, which is a must have for any fan or student of comedy, is a treasure chest of magic, featuring four NBC prime-time specials, an HBO nightclub set, a concert, an Oscar nominated short film and various ephemeral appearances and bits.
Disc One includes:
- On Location With Steve Martin (1976): Steve Martin’s HBO special taped on October 31, 1976, at the Troubadour in Los Angeles.
- Steve Martin: A Wild And Crazy Guy (1978): His first NBC network special which included a fair amount of concert footage which was cut (and appears in it’s entirety on Disc 2) and comedy sketches.
- Steve Martin: Comedy Is Not Pretty (1980): His second NBC special featured only comedy sketches and lots of appearances by some familiar and some forgotten faces including Regis Philbin, Carl Reiner, Werner Klemperer, Peter Graves, Phil Foster and Joyce DeWitt.
Disc Two includes:
- All Commercials . . . A Steve Martin Special (1980): A salute to 1970s television advertising in his third NBC special. Notable guests include Paul Reubens, Robert Klein and Antonio Fargas.
- Steve Martin’s Best Show Ever (1981): His final NBC special produced by Lorne Michaels captures much of the energy of his Saturday Night Live appearances and included such recognizable faces as Bill Murray, John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Gregory Hines, Laraine Newman, and Paul Shaffer
- Homage To Steve (1984): Finally available on DVD (I have an old VHS copy) this features Martin’s complete live performance at the Universal Amphitheatre from September 28, 1979, Watch for a guest appearance from Henry Winkler during the “King Tut”performance. The show also includes the Oscar®-nominated short The Absent-Minded Waiter and “The Comedians Segment” with Paul Simon, David Letterman, Alan King and Henny Youngman.
Disc Three includes:
- Bits And Pieces (1966-2005): A collection of tv guest appearances, music videos, and more.
Also spread over all three discs is Comments From Steve, a recent interview where he reflects on his work.
Keep in mind the quality is mixed, with much of it looking like VHS videotape, but this is the BEST there is of this material and having it in any quality is an achievement.
Steve Martin: The Television Stuff is smart, funny and stupid. Highest recommendation.
