Throwback Thursday Comedy Special: Sid Caesar and The Caesaros Flying Circus in the 1950s

It's Throwback Thursday again, and today we're turning the clock back more than 60 years to revisit the antics of Sid Caesar, Carl Reiner, and Howard Morris as they perform The Caesaros Flying Circus, their deranged version of a circus acrobatics act.

No date is available for this sketch, which has only been released on very rare out of print VHS/Betamax tapes. It's from Caesar's Hour, a TV show that was aired from 1954 to 1957.

We're grateful to a Sid Caesar super fan who found these tapes, had them transferred digitally, and shared them with a poster who made them available on YouTube.

Enjoy!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.

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Throwback Thursday Comedy Classics: Sid Caesar in Gallipacci, a Spoof of the Opera Pagliacci

First telecast on Caesar's Hour on October 10, 1955 on NBC, this kinescoped sketch is a take-off on the Italian opera Pagliacci by Ruggero Leoncavallo. Sid plays the role of "Gallipacci" ("Canio" in the real opera) an actor in a traveling Italian comedia dell'arte troupe during the late 19th century. 

His wife "Rosa" ("Nedda" in the actual opera), who is played by singer and comedienne Nanette Fabray, falls in love with fellow actor "Emilio" (the opera's "Silvio" character), performed by Carl Reiner, and they make plans to elope. Sid sings a rendition of songs in a gibberish Italian dialect which he picked up in his youth from waiting tables at his father's 24-hour blue-collar diner in Yonkers, New York. 

Straying off of the real opera's musical score just a bit, we hear hilariously bastardized renditions of Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Cole Porter's Begin the Beguine, and Take Me Out to the Ball Game among others. Howie Morris (Ernest T. Bass from "The Andy Griffith Show") is "Vesuvio" (whose real opera character is "Tonio") and he performs a parody song and dance rountine to the tune If I Know What You Know. 

In one of the most famous "saves" in the history of live television, Sid was supposed to paint a teardrop on his cheek when the mascara pencil broke at the beginning of his nonsense rendition of Just One of Those Things. Not breaking his stride, Sid proceeds to pick up one of Nanette's lip brushes and paints an unscripted tic-tac-toe board on his face.  

The grand finale concluded with a variation of the song The Yellow Rose of Texas after Gallipacci takes care of the situation along the lines of a Mafia hit. Also, in the early days of live television, one time "specials" which pre-empted regular series programs were initially called "spectaculars". Listen for a young Don Pardo introducing the sketch.

Enjoy!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO IS NOT VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.


 
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Throwback Thursday Comedy Special: Sid Caesar and Nanette Fabray in "Shadow Waltz"

When Imogene Coca opted to leave Your Show of Shows to star in her own TV series in 1954, Sid Caesar continued his comedy on Caesar's Hour until 1957, with most of the same writers and actors. Nanette Fabray replaced Imogene Coca as Caesar's co-star.

Caesar's Hour expanded on the format of Your Show of Shows with many sketches running a half-hour or more, including musical parodies such as There's No Business and Towers Trot, and genre parodies such as Bullets over Broadway (a gangster movie takeoff) and Aggravation Boulevard (with Caesar as a Rudolph Valentino/John Gilbert character who fails to make the transition from silents to talkies). 

In this Caesar's Hour great spoof of light operettas, Sid struggles to play the part of the dashing romantic figure he's expected to be, while Nanette does her best to cover his gaffes. 

The song Shadow Waltz was written for Gold Diggers of 1933 - a Warner Bros. film by Al Dubin and Harry Warren.

Enjoy!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO. 



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Throwback Thursday Comedy Special: Sid Caesar Pantomimes Grieg's Piano Concerto

On May 25, 1957, Caesar's Hour featured Sid Caesar playing a pianist struggling through Grieg's Piano Concerto. Pantomime was always one of Caesar's strengths, and this skit doesn't disappoint.

Caesar's Hour wals a live, hour-long American sketch-comedy television program that aired on NBC from 1954 until 1957. The program starred, among others, Sid Caesar, Nanette Fabray, Carl Reiner, Howard Morris, Janet Blair, and Milt Kamen, and featured a number of cameo roles by famous entertainers such as Joan Crawford and Peggy Lee.

Widely considered a continuation of Caesar's earlier programs, the Admiral Broadway Revue and Your Show of Shows, Caesar's Hour included most of the same writers and actors, with the notable addition of Larry Gelbart (who went on to co-create the M*A*S*H TV series with Gene Reynolds) in the latter show.

Nanette Fabray replaced Imogene Coca, who opted to star in her own TV series in 1954, The Imogene Coca Show. The writing staff of the show was reunited in 1996 for an event at the Writers Guild Theater in Los Angeles called Caesar's Hour Revisited, excerpts of which were broadcast on PBS under the title Caesar's Writers. 

Enjoy!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO. 




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Throwback Thursday Comedy Special: Sid Caesar and Nanette Fabray in "The Commuters - Nan's Birthday"

When Your Show of Shows was canceled in 1954, Sid Caesar started a new show called Caesar's Hour. The popular series of sketches called The Hickenloopers, about a bickering married couple, was recast as The Commuters, with Nanette Fabray playing Sid's wife as Imogene Coca had played in The Hickenloopers.

In this episode of The Commuters, "Nan's Birthday", Sid writes a song for Nan's birthday, but when his friends bring her wrapped gifts, Sid gets embarrassed into an expensive evening at a posh nightclub. Sid's sidekicks Carl Reiner and Howard Morris are also in the sketch, and Henny Youngman makes a surprise appearance.

This episode is from Caesar's Hour in 1955. Sid Caesar died in 2014 at 91. Nanette Fabray died last year at the age of 98. We plan to share some of their other sketches with you in the coming months.

Enjoy!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.

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Throwback Thursday Comedy Special: Caesar's Writers Remember Picking the Funniest Number

Caesar's Writers was a two hour reunion of writers from Your Show of Shows and Caesar's Hour, that took place on January 24, 1996 at the Writer's Guild theater in Los Angeles.

In this clip from the reunion, Neil Simon explains why he titled his play Laughter on the 23rd Floor, and Carl Reiner recalls the writers trying to come up with the funniest number for a roulette wheel sketch with Imogene Coca.

Enjoy! 

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.



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Throwback Thursday Comedy Special: Sid Caesar Pantomimes Grieg's Piano Concerto

Today we're going back 61 years to May 25, 1957, when Sid Caesar performed in pantomime on Caesar's Hour. The subject was a pianist struggling to play Grieg's Piano Concerto. And in mock playing for almost six minutes, he manages to produce laughs all along the way. 

Sid's performance is reminiscent of similar ones by Victor Borge, but Sid adds his unique comic touch to every note.

Enjoy!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO IS NOT VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.



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Throwback Thursday Comedy Special: Sid Caesar and Nanette Fabray in "The Commuters - The White Rug"

When Your Show of Shows was canceled in 1954, Sid Caesar started a new show called Caesar's Hour. The popular series of sketches called The Hickenloopers, about a bickering married couple, was recast as The Commuters, with Nanette Fabray playing Sid's wife as Imogene Coca had played in The Hickenloopers.

In this 1954 episode of The Commuters, "The White Rug," the rug arrives from India after a 6-month wait. It starts to rain, and as they await the arrival of their friends they realize that the white rug may not have been such a good idea. Sid's sidekicks Carl Reiner and Howard Morris are also in the sketch. 

Enjoy!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.


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Throwback Thursday Comedy Special: Sid Caesar in "The Fur Coat"

When Your Show of Shows was canceled in 1954, Sid Caesar started a new show called Caesar's Hour. The popular series of sketches called The Hickenloopers, about a bickering married couple, was recast as The Commuters, with Nanette Fabray playing Sid's wife as Imogene Coca had played in The Hickenloopers.

In this 1956 episode of The Commuters, "The Fur Coat," Nanette finds a real bargain in a beautiful beaver fur coat and can't resist buying it. Sid's reaction and the confrontation about money give us a hilarious 17 minute episode. Sid's sidekicks Carl Reiner and Howard Morris are also in the sketch.

Enjoy!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.



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Throwback Thursday Comedy Special: Sid Caesar and Nanette Fabray in "Marriage is Fun"

When Your Show of Shows was canceled in 1954, Sid Caesar started a new show called Caesar's Hour. The popular series of sketches called The Hickenloopers, about a bickering married couple, was recast as The Commuters, with Nanette Fabray playing Sid's wife as Imogene Coca had played in The Hickenloopers.

In this episode of The Commuters, "Marriage is Fun', Sid and Nanette go to a dance but have different ideas about how they will spend the evening. Sid's sidekicks Carl Reiner and Howard Morris are also in the sketch.

We have previously posted other episodes of both shows. We don't have a date for this very rare video, but it was shown between 1954 and 1957 and is available because two Caesar fans found these treasures and transferred them into a digital format.

Sid Caesar died in 2014. Nanette Fabray is 97 and lives in San Diego. We plan to share some of their other sketches with you in the coming months.

Enjoy!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.


 

Throwback Thursday Comedy Special: Sid Caesar and Company Pantomime Toy Band Music Box

Reminiscent of the better known "Bavarian Clock" sketch from Your Show of Shows, Sid Caesar, Nanette Fabray, Howard Morris, and Carl Reiner perform in pantomime as a child's windup toy band music box.

This sketch appeared on an episode of Caesar's Hour on December 17, 1955. So let's turn the calendar back 62 years and watch the intricate movements of the players in the band as the toy goes through fast and slow cycles and finally breaks down.

Enjoy!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO IS NOT VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.



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Throwback Thursday Comedy Special: The Three Haircuts (Caesar, Reiner, Morris) Spoof Rock 'n Roll

In 1955, Rock 'n Roll was coming into its heyday, making it the perfect target for spoofing by Sid Caesar, Carl Reiner, and Howard Morris on Caesar's Hour.

And spoof it they did. The funny threesome went at it with great enthusiasm as they parodied The Crew Cuts, the Chords, The Four Lads, and many other groups that were popular before the Beatles invasion.

In this video, the boys sing You Are So Rare and Flippin' Over You and perform a frenzied dance number to the delight of their studio audience.

Enjoy!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.



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Throwback Thursday Comedy Special: Sid Caesar, Carl Reiner, and Howard Morris in "The Principal's Office"

Some of the best classic skits from Caesar's Hour are finding their way back to the Internet and we're always glad to share them with you. Today we're reminiscing about one of the rare skits titled The Principal's Office. It features Howard Morris as the principal of an elementary school and Sid Caesar and Carl Reiner as the fathers of two 8-year-old-boys who were involved in a hallway fight.

The fathers exchange pleasantries in the office while waiting for the principal to arrive, not arguing about which boy was to blame as the bully, and saying that "boys will be boys."

Once the principal arrives, the situation takes a more sinister turn with each father defending his son and demonstrating what one boy did to the other by pummeling the poor, helpless principal.

Enjoy!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO IS NOT VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.



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Throwback Thursday Comedy Special: Sid Caesar in "The Seven Dwarfs Bet"

We've developed a special liking for Thursdays because they give us an opportunity to revisit some of the classic TV skits of the days when Sid Caesar and his friends reigned supreme in performing wonderful comedy skits on Your Show of Shows and Caesar's Hour.

Today's throwback special is another of Caesar's skits, this time featuring Nanette Fabray, Carl Reiner, and Howard Morris. The Seven Dwarfs Bet is an episode of a recurring sketch, The Commuters (Sid's sort-of upper middle class counterpart to The Honeymooners). 

In this episode, a controversy erupts over the name of the seventh dwarf. (Can you name all seven?)

Enjoy!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.



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Throwback Thursday Comedy Classic: Sid Caesar and Nanette Fabray in "Shadow Waltz"

Today's Throwback Thursday episode takes us back 62 years to 1955, when Sid Caesar moved his funny skits to Caesar's Hour.

The show replaced Your Show of Shows, and featured Carl Reiner, Howard Morris, and newcomer Nanette Fabray.

The staging of this sketch is a take off of the type utilized on television shows of the era like "Your Hit Parade". 

Using the terminology of the era, Sid plays "the listener".

Retaining most of his first rate writing staff, this show also broke ground for the addition of a fledgling comedy writer by the name of Woody Allen.

Enjoy!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.



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Throwback Thursday Comedy Special: A Rare Classic Sid Caesar Pantomime - Woman Getting Dressed

The late, great comedian Sid Caesar, was a master at pantomime, and used it to great acclaim on his TV shows, Your Show of Shows and Caesar's Hour.

We are fortunate that an anonymous poster found some vintage clips of Caesar in some of his most famous routines, including this 7-minute solo sketch of a woman getting dressed.

Enjoy!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.


#Throwback Thursday, #TBT