Dear God - Benny Hill's World - New York (1991)

[George White]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLRBzlXnZQc  Watching this for the first time. It's extraordinary.  It feels older than 1991. And the fact he's doing Roseanne at one point is a real mindbender.  An American production made after his axing at Thames, partly in England by THames' US distributor DL Taffner (who also made Three's Company and Too Close for Comfort) with a few US cast members (Lee Meredith  - Ulla in the Producers, veteran  vaudeville comic Joey Faye).

[privatefriend]

Can someone explain the joke in the first sketch with the praying?

[neveragain]

I was hoping I could but that little boy is indecipherable.

[kalowski]

Can someone explain the joke in the first sketch with the praying?

I assume he's pissing into a chamber pot/potty. In 1991. Aged 9.

[privatefriend]

I assume he's pissing into a chamber pot/potty. In 1991. Aged 9.

Ah, always start with your strongest material.

[neveragain]

Ahh. "You won't arf cop it from mum, there isn't one your side!"

[Lisa Jesusandmarychain]

Ahh. "You won't arf cop it from mum, there isn't one your side!"

An American audience bound to be in fits of laughter at that line.

[Ignatius_S]

...veteran  vaudeville comic Joey Faye).

Although Faye did some work in vaudeville, he worked far more extensively in burlesque and that's what he was famed for.

I know there's a trend to conflate the two, but as Hill's shows (with the bawdier elements excised) when first shown in America, they were hailed being in the burlesque tradition and that won him many plaudits in the comedy industry (and lucrative offers) there's an important distinction to be made.

[Brundle-Fly]

For the bank hold up sketch, I can imagine Benny discussing the robbers' costumes with the wardrobe department.
 "I don't want Bob dressed up in the cliched striped jumper, cap and black eye mask. Too old fashioned. I want them to look like 1930s Mafia gangsters. And Mr. Kirkland has asked if you could bring the hem up on young woman's skirt so you can see her arse more when she flips over."

[Des Wigwam]

I quite liked the joke in the second sketch. It feels quite an other-worldly watch - quite looking forward to cringing my through the rest of it and feeling out of time.

[George White]

Although Faye did some work in vaudeville, he worked far more extensively in burlesque and that's what he was famed for.

I know there's a trend to conflate the two, but as Hill's shows (with the bawdier elements excised) when first shown in America, they were hailed being in the burlesque tradition and that won him many plaudits in the comedy industry (and lucrative offers) there's an important distinction to be made.

I shoulda put vaudeville/burlesque.
I know the difference.
Vaudeville's for the family, burlesque isn't.

[Glebe]

Watched about 10 minutes of that. Henry Mcgee doing some dad dancing in the background during the 'rap', Bob Todd in a blue wig is weird.

Dr. Ruth and Roseanne doing Eric & Ernie's 'Bring Me Sunshine' dance for some reason. The loudmouth guy is like Rodney Dangerfield with specs and a small mullet.