Comedians unexpectedly appearing in old stuff

[Ant Farm Keyboard]

Rodney Dangerfield as an extra in several scenes of Stanley Kubrick's The Killing.

[Operty1]

I think this may qualify, Rod Hull attacking Richard Pryor on Johnny Carson?

https://youtu.be/-SMqea2qmZI

What's Rod doing there?

[Chriddof]

A very brief appearance from a 22 year old Charles Hawtrey in an early Hitchcock movie, "Sabotage" (1936):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2N57c-naA4

It feels like it ought to be part of a scene from a Carry On, except for the deadpan way it's presented.

[kalowski]

I think this may qualify, Rod Hull attacking Richard Pryor on Johnny Carson?

https://youtu.be/-SMqea2qmZI

What's Rod doing there?

Did anyone just punch the living crap out of Rod Hull when he did one of his hilarious attacks?

[biggytitbo]

Mark Heap is very briefly in Octopussy

Ditto Rowan Atkinson is very briefly in Never Say Never Again.

[Sexton Brackets Drugbust]

Did anyone just punch the living crap out of Rod Hull when he did one of his hilarious attacks?

Didn't Billy Connolly famously threaten to break Emu's 'neck'?

[Dr Rock]

Rod Hull was clearly an immensely strong man, he could put any man on the floor with just one arm. Apart from Snoopy Dog but he was quite old by then.

[phantom_power]

Didn't Grace Jones batter him? Or am I getting it mixed up with her Russell Harty scrap?

[Operty1]

Fair play to Rod he was completely fearless in who emu attacked, i imagine if he was sat next to the Queen he would have done exactly the same thing. It wasn't like he went easy on Pryor in that video either, he wrestled him completely off the sofa. Was Rod particularly known in America?

Actually, what did Rod do? was he a stand up ever, or was it always with Emu?

[petril]

Rod Hull was clearly an immensely strong man, he could put any man on the floor with just one arm. Apart from Snoopy Dog but he was quite old by then.

putting a man in his place, yes. but replace "man" with aerial and it's a completely different result

[Bad Ambassador]

Fair play to Rod he was completely fearless in who emu attacked, i imagine if he was sat next to the Queen he would have done exactly the same thing. It wasn't like he went easy on Pryor in that video either, he wrestled him completely off the sofa. Was Rod particularly known in America?

Actually, what did Rod do? was he a stand up ever, or was it always with Emu?

From Wikipedia:

In 2016, the World War 2-themed video game Hearts of Iron 4 was released, featuring Hull as the leader of a non-aligned Australia.

[Phoenix Lazarus]

Didn't Billy Connolly famously threaten to break Emu's 'neck'?

I thought it was some boxer who was a fellow guest on the Parkinson show, presumably not the time when Rod gave Parky a good going-over.  The boxer apparently whispered to Hull, "If that bird touches me, I'll break it's fucking neck and your arm."

[Spudgun]

This is a very good read by someone who worked on Johnny Carson's show and crossed paths with Rod:

https://www.newsfromme.com/pov/col236/

Johnny finally called for a commercial and as Doc and the band struck up the music, we could all hear Carson turn to Rod and say, "That's one of the best spots we've ever done. We've got to have you back, as soon as possible."

A number of Tonight Show employees exhaled.

Pryor added, "You've got one of the funniest acts I've ever seen. Man, you've got guts." If a comedian can get a better endorsement than that, I can't imagine what it could be.

Afterwards, I told Rod it had been hilarious. Without a trace of ego — and maybe even a touch of regret — he said, "It always is...for about five minutes. Afraid it doesn't go much farther than that."

That's always struck me as sad, but also surprisingly self-aware of Rod.

[Virgo76]

Robbie Coltrane is in Flash Gordon at the very beginning.

[Dr Rock]

She's not a comedian but I forgot Twiggy was in the Blue Brothers.

[Steven]

I was surprised when Marcus Brigstocke turned up in Comedy.

[Replies From View]

[tag]Panel show audience screams in delight as clip of Martin Clunes in Doctor Who is shown yet again[/tag]

[biggytitbo]

Barry Chuckle turns up in Straw Dogs.

[DrGreggles]

Barry Chuckle turns up in Straw Dogs.

Yeah, he raped Sally Thomsett.

[Panbaams]

Here's Emma Thompson riding a young Barry from Watford in Peter's Friends (about five and a half minutes in).

[BlodwynPig]

I've not actually seen it, but Norman Wisdom appears in The Night They Raided Minsky's - directed by William Friedkin!

Also, John Wayne throwing Tony Robinson into the Thames in Brannigan... no, not seen that either.

He was more of an all-rounder than a mere 'comedian', but the late entertainer Sir Bruce Forsyth - whom you may be aware of! - did a brief stint on Airwolf. Just a brief stint, mind. He was filling in for Ernest Borgnine.

Really?! Really?!

Wisdom played it dead straight and magnificently in an episode of Bergerac

[Brundle-Fly]

Larry David makes balding but non-grey hair cameos in Radio Days (1987) and New York Stories (1989)

[Ignatius_S]

I've not actually seen it, but Norman Wisdom appears in The Night They Raided Minsky's - directed by William Friedkin!

Also, John Wayne throwing Tony Robinson into the Thames in Brannigan... no, not seen that either.

He was more of an all-rounder than a mere 'comedian', but the late entertainer Sir Bruce Forsyth - whom you may be aware of! - did a brief stint on Airwolf. Just a brief stint, mind. He was filling in for Ernest Borgnine.

Really?! Really?!

Wisdom wasn't just in it – his performance was nominated for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar!

However, arguably, it's not that much of an unexpected type of turn as Wisdom plays a comedian in the dying days of burlesque and he had experience in working the music halls, as they were slowly dying out. Also, IIRC, he was cast during one of his stints in America – going from memory, but Wisdom knowing his star was in the wane in the UK, was having another stab at the States.

The Night They Raided Minsky's is well worth a watch – it's a much more low-key, restrained sort of film than I had been expecting. Wisdom is wonderful – it's quite a while that I saw it, but his physicality is particularly astounding and made me appreciate just how adept at that was was. Similarly, I recall an elderly Wisdom demonstrating how to trip and fall to the ground (safely) on a British chat show (Aspel?) and by watching the technique, slowly and step by step, it really got across the skill.

Perhaps more surprising is that Wisdom returned home and didn't take up the American offers – but believe that, after his divorce (IIRC, he was granted custody of his children), he felt it was in their best interests for him to return to the UK.

In a similar discussion, remember it was dicussed that Wisdom starred in an American television adaption of a George Bernard Shaw play – just checked and it was Androcles and the Lion.

Also in that cast was Patricia Routledge – a lot of people don't know about her work on Broadway, including Darling of the Day. In that musical, she co-starred with Vincent Price – bit of info and songs here: http://www.thesoundofvincentprice.com/darling-of-the-day-1968/

Wisdom played it dead straight and magnificently in an episode of Bergerac

Speaking of Bergerac, Terrance Alexander used to love trotting out the story about Wisdom praising him for his professionalism for not corpsing when filming and Alexander saying – or at least – claiming that he told Wisdom that he didn't find him funny in the slightest.

Although some may be nodding in agreement, Alexander criticising another performer is a lot more amusing that he found Wisdom, given his own meagre talents. Barely competent is the hallmark for so much of Alexander long career – although there were occasions when he didn't even manage that. Recently watched Death is a Number – a short British film that's something of a curio – rather cheaply made and reliant on stock footage, Alexander is the key performer, which is its main flaw. Although to be fair, he's pretty in in League of Gentlemen.

Also – and I think I've mentioned this before – Alexander's anecdote could easily infer that his work with Wisdom was far more significant that it was. Indeed, I don't think that was an accident on Alexander's part.

I think he appeared in two Wisdom films: The Square Peg and The Bulldog Breed; both are very minor supporting roles. In the first, he plays a junior officer with little screen time and uses a stammer in an attempt to – and alas in vain – to be more memorable. He's in one scene (possibly another) with Wisdom, but have a feeling they're not onscreen at the same time. In the Bulldog Breed, he's one of the counsels in a trail but totally overshadowed by people like John Le Mesurier.

Actually, I have a feeling that he might has been another Wisdom film but he's so inconsequential, there's to say about him, even if I could remember. All the same, the way that Alexander tells it, someone would be forgiven for thinking that that he was a main performer.

[Brundle-Fly]

I can't believe I've never seen this 1983 pop promo before today. Right up my manor. Filmed in the Dublin Castle, Camden.

When it goes into colour, it is astonishing how much he is like a young Tim Smith out of Cardiacs

Terry - Kirsty MacColl
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pivL4QdtiuM

[gilbertharding]

Did anyone just punch the living crap out of Rod Hull when he did one of his hilarious attacks?

I was reading a book called In Ruins, by Christopher Woodward - a 300 page meander through the poetic meaning and cultural significance of ruined buildings. Browsing the index I noticed 'Hull, Rod' and a page number...

So apparently he owned, and was pretty much bankrupted by, a building called Restoration House - an Elizabethan mansion in Rochester also famous for being Miss Haversham's house in Great Expectations.

(of course, Rodney Stephen Hull was reputed to be so colossally endowed, there's a rumour that he didn't necessarily need a false arm to operate the puppet).

[Steven]

Did anyone just punch the living crap out of Rod Hull when he did one of his hilarious attacks?

Didn't Mark Lamarr say after Rod attacked Snoop Dogg on The Word, after the show they couldn't find Rod and Lamarr turns to Snoop and goes "Snoop, have you seen Rod?" and Snoop shakes his head. Snoop was standing behind a couch and in fact Rod was on the floor behind the couch with Snoop standing on his neck.

[Bad Ambassador]

Wisdom wasn't just in it – his performance was nominated for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar!

No, it wasn't.

[Glebe]

Wisdom wasn't just in it – his performance was nominated for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar!

Crikey, didn't know that!

Seeing as Brundle done a music one... we've been here before, but Phill Jupitus is in the video for Billy Bragg/REM colab 'You Woke Up My Neighbourhood', and Bragg's 'Sexuality' (with the aforementioned McColl involved too)... plus here's them doing an amusingly rude version of it live. Jupitus is clearly mates with Billy.

Also, Charlie Chuck in the video for Edwyn Collins' 'Keep on Burning'... oh yeah, and Jerry Sadowitz in The Shamen's 'Ebeneezer Goode' vid..

[Ignatius_S]

No, it wasn't.

I stand corrected in that case!

It's something that's been reported a fair book and seen it mentioned in one film book.

[phantom_power]

The kids were watching Outnumbered on Netflix and Chris Geere from You're The Worst has just turned up in an episode, ironically playing an American. I mean it is ironic that he is playing an American, not that he is playing him ironically