So I just read the Howard Hessman passed away. Such a funny fellow. In his bio, I read that he loved improv and edgy material, modelling Johnny Thunder as an old hippy drug user. This made the network execs uncomfortable.
I am thinking that despite it being a short film, he must have enjoyed making Profit. It is an edgy piece full of adult humor. At one point, the Hessman character takes a swig out of a beer he has hidden on set. I believe a great deal of it was written by the cast and that they were given quite a bit of creative license.
So in case you did not watch before or just skimmed through so you could see me clinging to Jim Cranna's leg at the end, here it is again. Watch the whole thing. It is funny. Do it for Howard.
A true classic! Always good to see it again. RIP Howard Hesseman. He was a fave on mine on WKRP.
ReplyDeleteHe was a very funny fellow.
DeleteI can't believe I watched the whole thing. I need a nap.
ReplyDeleteThanks for suffering through. Howard would be proud.
DeleteSuper blog
ReplyDeleteInterestingly enough, when reading the news that Howard Hesseman passed away, we immediately thought about the Profit video you shared and what a comic gem that training video is. And speaking of Howard Hesseman and improv, his small on screen role in This Is Spinal Tap as Terry Ladd, the manager of the highly successful rock act Duke Fame (played by Paul Shortino, actual frontman of the 80's metal band Rough Cutt) will always come to mind.
ReplyDeleteIf I had to make a top ten movie list, Spinal Tap would definitely make the cut. The first time I watched that film, I laughed so hard I fell off of the couch.
DeleteThat's so cool that your dad hired Hesseman and Martin to do that training video, and cool that he kept it all those years. What year do you think that was made? Oh, and just an editorial note, I think you mean Johnny Fever, not Thunder (although he did have a variety of over-the-air-names as revealed on the show).
ReplyDeleteI think it was made around 1972 because I look about 8. Yep it's fever - I was just being a space cadet.
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