Rodney Dangerfield 1978 Standup Routine With a 16-piece Band

Mikl-em
January 3, 2013

This 1978 footage shows the great no-respect-getting comedian Rodney Dangerfield (aka Jack Roy aka Jacob Cohen) doing his signature schtick in front of a 16-piece band who play after his punchlines, like a drummer doing rimshots.

Via Wikipedia, here’s some great trivia about the origin of the “Rodney Dangerfield” name and character:

He took the name Rodney Dangerfield, which had been used as the comical name of a faux cowboy star by Jack Benny on his radio program at least as early as the December 21, 1941, broadcast and later as a pseudonym by Ricky Nelson on the TV program The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet. The Benny character, who also received little or no respect from the outside world, served as a great inspiration to Dangerfield while he was developing his own comedy character.

Mikl-em

Actor, nerd, poet, producer, writer mikl-em made his name short so you wouldn't have to. In addition to his blog you can find his writing in "Hi Fructose" magazine and witness him almost life-sized in various plays at The Dark Room Theater in SF's Mission district.

He tends to write about theater, humor, San Francisco culture and history, and stuff that's just plain weird. He thanks Scott for sharing the keys to the Laughing Squid virtual HQ and promises to uphold whatever it is that the mirthful cephalopod would prefer to be uplifted.